How to install XP from USB flash drive (the easiest way)

Things that you'll need:

1. WinXP install disc or iso
2. USB drive with at least 1GB of capacity
3. F6 floppy drivers if your system has SATA
4. nLite, download the latest version from here
5. Flashboot, download the latest version from here

First, you need to install nLite as we need to slipstream SATA drivers into XP installation. This is neccessary especially if your system is netbook or notebook.

Download F6 Sata drivers from your netbook chipset manufacturer's website. If your system has Intel GMA915, 945, 965, go here. Extract the zip file into a folder to your Desktop and name it like, 'F6Drivers'.

Note: Choose windows XP driver only regardless of the operating system you are using as we are going to use the driver in XP installation.

Run nLite and click 'Next'. You'll need to locate your XP installation Disc. If you have iso only, you need to mount it as a disc. Use softwares like PowerISO, you can download it from here. Or you can use compression softwares like winzip or winrar to unzip the iso to a folder on desktop. Let's name it 'WinXP'.

Note: if you use mounted iso, then you'll be asked where to save the files, again create a directory on you Desktop and name it to 'WinXP'.
If you use a folder where the installation files are unzipped, the resulting installation files will be integrated into that folder.

Locate that folder on your Desktop or mounted drive and click continue. In the next page, you'll be asked whether you want to use presets, click next if you don't have one or don't want to use. nLite is developed not only to do with slipstreaming, complete customization of Windows installation.  In the next page, 'Task Selection', you will be presented with a list options. Select 'Drivers' as we are only interested in slipstreaming the sata drivers, at least in this article. You will see something like this. You can play around with other options if you want to.

Click next to continue. In the next page, click Driver, if you are unsure of which driver to install click 'Multiple'. Locate 'F6Drivers' folder on you Desktop. You will see a list of drivers, and again if you are unsure, select all and click continue. Make sure you selected 'Textmode driver'. Choose 'Yes' when you are asked to start the slipstreaming process. Once the process is completed, click next to continue and you will see something like this.

Click 'Make ISO' to start the bootable iso creation process. remember where you saved the iso. click next, then click finish. Now, you have a new XP install iso with integrated sata drivers. 

The next step is to install flashboot in your computer. Once it is installed, you need run it as an administrator, in other words, give it a full permission. Otherwise, you will see an error. 

In the next page, select 'CD to USB'. Then select locate your newly created iso. Then click next and select 'Convert Windows XP/2000 installation CD' .

Insert your usb drive that you want to install XP from. Click next and select the USB drive, then next. Give it a name as in the following. 

Click next and then 'Format now'. It will take quite awhile. Once it is done, click ok. Now, you have a Windows XP usb installer. Flashboot we used is a demo version. This means it will not work after 30days. You can continue you to use your installed XP, but you cannot use the USB to install another XP installation after 30days.

I assume you know how to boot it up in your netbook. For questions and clarifications, pls leave a comment. Have a nice day! :)

How to level up faster in Mafia Wars

This is my guide on how to level up faster in Mafia Wars. This guide is more than a guide, it is more like a strategy. At the time of writing, I can level up at least 10 levels a day and the maximum number of levels I can do is 30 to 50. This is a 3-step guide and each step is equally important.

Step 1: Promote your Mafia Members, if you have already done this, you can skip to Step 2

Assign your best mafia members to positions within your mafia. To do is, please go to: My Mafia> My Mafia , you can promote your members according to the following:

1. Mastermind: Promote a member with many jobs completed to get more experience pts. from doing jobs. (I get 10% more exp. From Jobs)
2. Wheelman: Promote a member with the Fearless character type and high level to get an Attack bonus. (I use 10% less energy on jobs)
3. Bodyguard: Promote a member with many fights won to get a Defense bonus. (I get 11 bonus to attacks)
4. Safecracker: Promote a member with many successful heists to get more money from fighting and robbing. (I get 9% more cash from fights)
5. Bagman: Promote a member with the Mogul character type and a high level to get more money from jobs. (I get 15% more cash from jobs)

Step 2: Get help from your friend

As I am a Manic, my energy regenerates faster than any other character in Mafia Wars and I spend all the available skill points in increasing the Energy to do more jobs. I got help from my friends to promote me to Mastermind in their family. So, when I do jobs, being a Mastermind, I occassionally get 50% more experience from jobs, this is additional to +10% experience points getting from promoting Mastermind in my family.

Step 3: Choosing the job which gives you the higher return ( this involves some simple calculation)

Normally, you can’t choose jobs in Mafia Wars, you have to complete every jobs. However, in certain situations such as when you are run out of cash, but you don’t want to buy cash from Zynga and you don’t want to wait for money earned from your properties while you have a lot of energies, you can choose jobs to earn money and experience by revisiting completed jobs.

CurrentIy I am doing Bangkok jobs, Episode 5A Oyabun. I am in the same situation as described above. So I do the job which gives me the highest return on energy(ROE) and money. (ROE comes directly from business finance)

To determine the ROE from a job, divide 'the experience you’ll gain by doing the job' by 'the Energy you need to spend to do that job'. Eg. A job of 260/136 will give you 1.911in ROE (this is the minimum return you will get when click once). Compare this number with your 'Experience to Level up' divided by 'Available Energy'.  The top panel in Mafia Wars has status indicators such as 'Money', 'Health', 'Energy', 'Stamina', and 'Experience to level up'. Of these, we are only interested in 'Energy'(as in available energy) and 'Experience to level up'. To determine the overall ratio, (Experience to level up) is divided by (Available Energy). For example, 2654/1608 = 1.65.

This can be interpreted as you can do any jobs as long as their ROE is more than 1.65. From the example above, 1.911 is way much higher than 1.65, it is certain that you will level up again and again by doing that job with 1.911 in ROE repeatedly. That’s the secret. If there are competing jobs giving you the same return, then go for money. In some episodes, there are jobs giving you the same return and same amount of money, go for a Lootable job.

Let's say ROE from a job is 1.5, this is less than 1.65 and there is a short fall of 0.15. To cover that short fall, you need to wait until the energy is regenerated enough to level up. Or you can use energy pack or buy an energy refill.

Revisiting completed jobs has quite a number of advantages: you can earn money, experience points and you can loot down items helping you build/upgrade your properties(eg. In Las Vegas). You can level up as much as you want a day. Disadvantage? Time consuming and you are not actually doing new jobs, just repeating the completed jobs. This means even though you leveled up higher, you still stuck at the same episode. Step 3 is very helpful to achieve this. Step 1 and 2 is more focused on completing new jobs. In fact, without the money, you cannot buy the items necessary to complete new jobs. So, any of these steps should not be isolated, they all work in unison.

Hope you’ll find this guide useful. Suggestions are welcome. Please leave a comment if you need some clarification. Have a nice day! :)

p.s. At max energy (2305/2305),
Available energy means (Available energy --> 1608/ 2305 <--Max energy)