Quick question about XP Home laptop

[learninmypc]

A friend of mine is taking a class & she needs to know how to disable an XP wireless laptop? Can she do such with the Task Manager?
Evidently the other students will have to fix it once they're disabled.
If I get more info from her, I'll add it. TIA.

 

[B00kWyrm]

Disable the laptop???
Or disable the wireless?
For the later, one easy approach is in the Control Panel... Network Settings...
you can disable your Lan, Wireless, Firewire, all right there.

Another approach is to Right Click on My Computer,
Select Properties, the select the Hardware Tab, find the Wireless Network adapter and disable it there.

There are other things that could be done, but I am hesitant to mention them, lest this is really in the realm of a malicious prank. There are reasons to sometimes disable the wireless as I have mentioned above... but not usually by other methods.
HTH

 

[learninmypc]

Ok,its my understanding she needs to find a way to disable it like giving it a BSOD or shuting down something using the Task Manager so other students can do their part to fix it.
I gave her a link on how to disable the wireless & also told her to remove the harddrive, but then she told me its a laptop & nothing can be removed.
If I get more info from her, I'll post it. She does have the link to this thread.
Thanks for your reply.

 

[DelJo63]

What? Is she attempting to TEACH laptop repair?

 

[learninmypc]

No. She is taking a class & from what I'm understanding is she (they) need to find a way to disable an XP wireless computer without removing anything so the other classmates can repair it.
In one of her emails, she asked if it can be done using the Task Manager? I told her I didn't know but would ask in here.
She also asked if it was possible to give it a BSOD, that is when I thought it best to come in here & ask for input.
She has to find an answer in two weeks.

 

[DelJo63]

Disable WiFi: two ways A) use the laptop switch itself which turns it ON/OFF
B) go to the device manager, expand the [+] network adapters, find the WiFI, right-click->Properties->disable

 

[learninmypc]

Ok, I'll let her know although she has the link.
Is it possible to reply in here if she is not registered?
I see "guest" in other parts in here so I thought I'd ask here.

 

[learninmypc]

Ok, here is what she just sent me "Ok, I need to shutdown Windows XP from the laptop. Sorry I should not have used the word "disable"." Thanks in advance,I hope this helps(y)

 

[Rabbit01]

Like Start > Shutdown that sort of shutdown? Can be done with shutdown.exe in c:\windows\system32 at the command prompt. Type shutdown /? to see the options.

 

[learninmypc]

Ok, lets hope that works & thank you.

 

[B00kWyrm]

Task Manager does have a shutdown option in XP. (your question)
That option has moved to the previous screen with Win7... (added information)

• CTRL-ALT-DEL to bring up screen with which to start Task Manager,
• then (instead) the shutdown button on lower right.

But this is not something to "repair"... it is just a "shut down".
If you could terminate a critical process with Task Manager, that would/should result in BSOD,
but I have not tested to see if it is possible.
It seemed to me that in XP that was not a possibility.

Other programs could be run, (Process Explorer, and Autoruns) with which critical processes CAN be stopped. THEN, you DO have a repair issue.

Without greater clarity on the assignment, it is hard to be of much help.
AND... why isn't SHE doing this research... it is HER homework, after all?

 

[learninmypc]

Thank you for that info. Yes,it is her assignment & yes she should be doing HER homework but its a looong story that started years ago & I got her taken care of via email.

 

[Zoltan Head]

If you're just trying to set up a problem to troubleshoot & fix, why not create a basic hardware problem? (e.g. unseat a memory card, or wireless card, or perhaps disconnect a ribbon connector?)

 

[learninmypc]

Ok, here are the emails she sent me on this situation.
1st email; "can you tell me the way to disable a computer. Are there any means to go to the Task Manager and disable Windows XP? or otherwise crash the hard drive easily?"
2nd one;Am taking a class and have to present the how and actually present it to class how to do this."
3rd;Ok, this is a wireless laptop at school. I can't take anything out the laptop. Any suggestions? I thought maybe disable from Task Manager but I think I would need to disable Windows XP somehow. We studying how to make a laptop unable to access as with a total blue screen and others in class have to fix a blue screen laptop."
4th & final.;I need to know how to disable the operating system on the laptop. This article was about disabling the wireless access. I know you can wipe a computer but I can't put anything into or take anything out of the laptop. It is similar when someone opens a email that contains a virus to wipe the computers hard drive. But we have to see how do to this without the use of an email too."
I hope this clears up the question.Thanks for your input.

 

[klepto12]

Why not just go into the bios and disable the hard drive from there?

 

[learninmypc]

I'll send her a reminder email to have her check this thread. Thank you.

 

[learninmypc]

Why not just go into the bios and disable the hard drive from there?

Ok, her question is "Ok the last post go into BIOS and disable the hard drive. How does she do that?