Windows Tricks

Disable Internet Connection Wizard

HKEY_CUR_USER\Software\Microsoft\InternetConWiz\complete = dword:1

Turn Off AutoPlay

gpedit.msc
 -> Computer Config -> Admin Templates ->
 System -> Turn Off AutoPlay -> Enable

S.M.A.R.T.

 http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/vbgeneral/thread/704db4ae-5646-4f59-b39b-241a666a5e0d

Imports System
Imports System.Management
Imports System.Windows.Forms

Public Class Form1
  Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
    Try
      Dim searcher As New ManagementObjectSearcher( _
      "root\WMI", _
      "SELECT * FROM MSStorageDriver_ATAPISmartData")
      For Each queryObj As ManagementObject In searcher.Get()
        Dim arrVendorSpecific As Byte() = queryObj("VendorSpecific")
        MsgBox("Temperature = " & arrVendorSpecific(115))
      Next
      Catch err As ManagementException
      MessageBox.Show("An error occurred while querying for WMI data: " & err.Message)
    End Try
  End Sub
End Class

 http://daran9.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/howto-get-harddisk-temperature-with-net/

Open Source Commandline CD Record

(cdrtools is not accessible right now)

Cygwin has cdrecord.exe and mkisofs.exe @  http://cygwin.com/packages/

GUI people like  http://infrarecorder.org/

People like  http://cdrtfe.sourceforge.net/