Prepare a Windows XP image for analysis

Configure the virtual machine in VMware ESXi or Microsoft Hyper-V:

1. Right-click on the Windows XP image, then select Settings.

2. In the Virtual Machine Settings window, select CD/DVD (IDE).

3. In Use ISO image file, browse to the ISO file that you used and click OK.

4. In the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP page, click Exit.

Log on to the virtual machine as administrator.

Turn off the firewall in the virtual image: Select Start → Control Panel → Security Center → Windows Firewall → OFF.

Start the telnet service in the virtual image:

1. Click Start and right-click My Computer.

2. Select Manage → Services and Applications → Services, then double-click Telnet.

3. In the Telnet Properties (Local Computer) page, select Automatic for the Startup type, then select Apply → Start → OK.

Enable FTP in the virtual image:

1. Select Start → Control Panel → Add or remove Programs → Add or remove Windows components.

2. In the Windows Components wizard, double-click Internet Information Services(IIS).

3. In the Internet Information Services(IIS) pop-up window, select these entries:

   • File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Service

   • Common Files

   • Internet Information Services Snap-In

4. Click OK, then click Next.

5. In the Windows Components wizard, click Finish to finish installing FTP.

6. In the Insert Disk message, click Cancel.

7. In the Windows XP Setup message, select OK.

Configure FTP settings in the virtual image:

1. Select Start → Control Panel → Switch to Classic View → Administrative Tools, then double-click Internet Information Services.

2. In the Internet Information Services page, expand the entry under Internet Information Services, then expand FTP Sites.

3. Right-click on Default FTP Site, select Properties → Home Directory.

4. Browse to the C:\ drive, select Read, Write, and Log visits.

5. Click Apply, then OK.

Set automatic logon:

1. Select Start → Run, type rundll32 netplwiz.dll,UsersRunDll, then press Enter.

2. In the User Accounts window, deselect Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer and click Apply.

3. In the Automatically log on page, provide these credentials.

   • User name — Administrator

   • Password — cr@cker42

   • Confirm Password — cr@cker42

Run the MergeIDE batch file on the virtual machine:

1. Download MergeIDE.zip from the following URL on the native computer and then copy it to the virtual machine.

   https://www.virtualbox.org/raw-attachment/wiki/Migrate_Windows/MergeIDE.zip

2. Extract MergeIDE.zip and run the MergeIDE batch file in the VM.

Disable Windows updates:

1. Select Start → Settings → Control Panel.

2. Open System.

3. In the Automatic Updates tab, deselect Keep my computer up to date.

4. Click Apply and then OK.

Configure Microsoft Office:

1. To analyze Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, install Microsoft Office 2003 on the virtual machine.

2. Lower the security to run macros for the Office applications. In Microsoft Word 2003 and select Tools → Macro → Security, select Low, then click OK. Do the same for other applications such as Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.

3. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3 and download the required Microsoft Office compatibility pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats, then install them on the virtual machine.

   You need the compatibility pack to open Microsoft Office files that were created in a newer version of Microsoft Office. For example, to open a .docx file using Office 2003, you need the corresponding compatibility pack installed.

4. In the Compatibility Pack for the 2007 Office system dialog, select Click here to accept the Microsoft Software License Terms, then click OK.

Configure Adobe Reader:

1. To analyze PDF files, download Adobe Reader to the native host and copy it to the VM.

2. Open Adobe Reader and click Accept.

3. In Adobe Reader, select Edit → Preferences → General, then remove Check for updates.

4. In Adobe Reader, select Help → Check for updates → Preferences, then deselect Adobe Updates.

Configure Java:

1. Open Java in the Control Panel.

2. In the Update tab, deselect Check for Updates Automatically.

3. In the Java Update Warning message, select Do Not Check and then click OK.

Configure system startup:

1. Run the msconfig command.

2. From the Startup tab, deselect reader_sl and jusched, then click OK.

   Note

   reader_sl is available only when Adobe Reader is installed.

3. In the System Configuration message, select Restart.

4. In the System Configuration Utility message, select Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows start, then click OK.

Configure the default browser:

1. In Internet Explorer, select Tools → Internet Options.

2. In Home page select Use Blank or Use new tab based on the version of Internet Explorer.

3. From the Privacy tab, uncheck Turn on Pop-up Blocker.

4. Go to the Advanced tab of the Internet Options and locate Security, then select Allow active content to run in files on My Computer.