Tips And Tricks

15 Awesome Tips for a Long Lasting Laptop

2009-09-19T05:39:00.001-07:00

Times are tough, and even with falling prices, the purchase of a laptop computer constitutes a serious investment for the average consumer. Give your laptop a couple more years with these simple tips. There are a lot of ways to extend the life of your notebook, most of which are very simple and which just about anyone can do. If you take care of your laptop from year one, you’ll be thanking yourself heartily during years four, five, six and beyond. And even if you’re already in the latter years, it’s never too late to start.

Source: Laptop Logic

This guideline is divided up into three categories, each with five easy to apply tips. General Maintenance applies to computers in general and not just laptops, Battery Maintenance will help you get the longest life out of your laptop’s battery, and Laptop Common Sense will have you kicking yourself for not already following the tips when all along you knew you should.Oh, and almost nothing on this list will cost you anything.

General Maintenance

1) Use Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware SoftwareMost laptops ship with at least some sort of anti-virus Software like Norton or McAfee, but these frequently expire after a short time. Viruses and spyware can be crippling to a computer, and have a tendency to build up over time and get worse. Running weekly scans can nip these problems in the bud. If you don’t feel like ponying up for a paid subscription service, there are plenty of free ones, such as AVG.

2) Keep Your Laptop Up To DateYour computer was up to date when you bought it, but unless you’ve set up regular updates that was the last time. Beyond your anti-virus software, which should be kept up strictly, both Microsoft and Apple offer regular updates for their operating systems to correct bugs and plug up vulnerabilities. Updating your software regularly will help keep your laptop in working order and stop many problems before they can threaten the usability or potentially the life of your computer.

3) Defragment Your Hard DriveWhen you save something on your computer, it gets physically written on a portion of your hard drive. As time goes on and your hard drive fills, this storage becomes somewhat disorganized, and your hardware must work harder and spend longer to find data. Defragmenting your hard drive rearranges the data into an organized structure. Defragmenting regularly will extend the life of your hard drive as well as make everything on your computer run just that much smoother.

4) Keep 5-10% of Your Hard Drive EmptyBy the time you’ve had your laptop for a few years, your hard drive will seem impossibly small. It’s important, however, to keep at least a small percentage of your hard drive empty at all times. Operating systems use a portion of your hard drive space for Virtual Memory, and if you don’t leave them any room your computer will slow down tremendously, potentially overheating or crashing under the stress. Key life-extending features like System Restore require empty space to function as well.

5) Use a Surge Protector When ChargingThis probably belongs in the common sense section below, and the reason for it should be obvious. Surge protectors help protect your computer from an electrical surge in your socket, such as might come from a bolt of lightning or a large appliance turning on. Without this, your laptop is vulnerable to being short-circuited and could fry after any surge. Surge protectors are extremely cheap and can be useful too, as most have multiple outlets.Bonus- personal preference 5+) Use Older SoftwareOften software will come out with a new version that is just the same thing with more graphics, which can be a drain on an older computer. For non-essential items like chat programs and the like, sometimes using an older version can help your computer run smoothly and error free. If you want to try this, check out http://www.oldversion.com, a great free resource for this.

Battery Maintenance

1) Charge Fully, Your First Time And Every TimeWhen you open your new laptop for the first time, it’s always a temptation to turn it on and begin playing with it. Resist this temptation! Proper conditioning of your battery by charging it fully before its first use and then discharging it completely and repeating once or twice ensures that your battery’s capacity starts at its highest. Your battery also has a preset number of charges/discharges, so it’s important to charge/discharge fully to extend the life of your battery too.

2) Avoid Battery Memory EffectBattery memory is what causes your laptop to stop charging before the battery reaches 100%, or to turn off before it reaches 0%. This is caused by not charging your battery fully or not discharging it fully – the battery “remembers” where it stopped charging/discharging and doesn’t go any further. Modern Li-Ion batteries are thankfully not subject to this, but if you’ve got an older battery avoid this effect at all costs. It can render a battery frustratingly useless.

3) Store the Battery Partially ChargedIf you’re not going to be using your laptop for an extended period of time, it’s a good idea to remove the battery and store it. Batteries discharge slowly over time, but storing a battery fully charged/discharged can permanently damage the battery by causing it to lose capacity or worse, go entirely dead. Charging the battery to 40% minimizes the negative long term effects of storing.

4) Use the Battery At Least MonthlyIt’s important to keep your battery in good condition through occasional use. If you typically use your laptop plugged in, you are not using your battery, and this can cause the capacity to shrink. At least once a month, your battery will benefit from a full charge/discharge cycle. This keeps the battery stronger, the capacity fuller, and helps its overall longevity.

5) Avoid Extreme TemperaturesYour battery was designed to work at a certain temperature, and it’s completely normal for it to heat up a little during use. Subjecting your battery to extreme temperatures it’s not prepared for can damage its life. Cold temperatures are not good for it, but excessive heat is the real battery killer. Simply making sure not to leave your laptop in your car during the summer could save you from buying a new battery the next day.Bonus tip 5+) Daily Use TipsThe above tips will help keep your battery in good shape, but there are tons of things you can do to cause your computer to consume less energy. Dim the LCD, mute the speakers, turn off features like WiFi if you’re not using them, make use of the power settings and be sure to use both hibernate and standby where appropriate. This is only a start, but using as little power as possible while operating on batteries can help you squeeze some extra time out of your battery’s capacity.

Laptop Common Sense

1) Take Care of the LCDLCDs on laptops are designed to outlast the usefulness of the laptop they’re connected to, but can be easily damaged by a simple careless mistake. Don’t lift the laptop up by the display (it will bend) and be easy on the hinges. Only clean the display with something soft and never store anything under the LCD when its closed. These precautions seem obvious but you basically need only treat the LCD with care and it will last for as long as you need it to.

2) Take Care of the KeyboardLike the displays, with proper care a keyboard should easily outlast the life of the laptop, but a silly accident can render it useless. Many laptops today are “spill resistant”, but I wouldn’t recommend testing it – don’t drink around your laptop. Don’t eat around it either, as crumbs or grease can fall between the keys and cause malfunctions. Hit the keys gently and dust them once in a while and your keyboard should last year after year.

3) Be Aware of TemperatureExtremes in temperature can be extremely dangerous for a laptop. I mentioned that heat is a battery killer, but the display can be damaged by extreme conditions as well. Using the laptop when the environment is too hot can cause failures from overheating, and using it in an environment that is too wet and humid can cause similar malfunctions. Modern rugged laptops excluded, your laptop is meant to be used on a desk in your home or office. Keep it somewhere temperature controlled and this will never be a problem.

4) Watch Your FanYour fan is responsible for cooling your CPU so that it doesn’t overheat in normal conditions. A large number of problems related to overheating are solved simply by moving the laptop to a new position where the fan’s exhaust is not blocked. Even if there is nothing large obstructing it, it’s important to make sure dust doesn’t build up in the fan as that can cause overheating too. Make sure your fan is clear to fan away excess heat and your laptop will live longer, guaranteed.

5) Protect Your Laptop From Jolts With a CaseLaptops are sensitive instruments, and they are never more vulnerable than when they are traveling. Constant bumping and shaking can cause parts to shift and can permanently damage the laptop. Using a cushioned laptop bag will preserve it from the shocks of travel, and storing it in a laptop bag when not in use can help prevent any number of accidents. This is virtually the only item in the list that isn’t free, but it’s a small price to protect your computer and the bag can last for a lifetime of laptops.Bonus – personal preference 5+) Use External PartsUsing external hardware, such as a monitor, hard drive, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc., can help extend the life of your internal hardware by preventing wear and tear. At the same time, it can provide a more comfortable experience at home. While this can be expensive, if you regularly use your laptop you may find the investment worth your while.

(Of course, if we’re spending money, buying new RAM and occasionally replacing the battery can also do wonders for your performance and overall enjoyment of the laptop as well. But that’s another article.) Follow these simple tips and you easily will extend the life of your laptop.

6 Essentials of Buying a Personal Computer

2009-09-19T05:36:00.000-07:00

The Internet has been one of the big reasons why people go out and buy a new computer. The problem is, having decided to buy a PC; you are usually swamped by hundreds of choices and options. What computer do you buy? How much memory do you need? All these questions seem too much to deal with sometimes.

Let’s discuss the essentials of buying a PC. Let’s look at what’s out there and how you can benefit from the difference choices available.

The basics
CPU – On the top of the list is the computer’s brain known as the CPU or Central Processing Unit. If you have the right budget, you should consider high Intel Pentium processor. The higher the capacity, the better. This should have sufficient power for a home PC. If Intel processors are too expensive for you, look for AMD or Cyrix chips which offer a similar performance at a lower price.

Memory – The rule of thumb is, the more RAM (Random Access Memory), the better. The computer’s memory works faster especially if you are running a lot of simultaneous programs or planning to work with a lot of graphics or big spreadsheets files. These days, PCs usually come with a standard 128 megabytes of RAM, which is enough for minimal computing. Unfortunately, the way computers and their programs are being developed, what is enough today will be found lacking tomorrow. Thirty-two megabytes may not be enough in six months to two years down the line, which will force users to spend for upgrades. If you are purchasing a new PC, you may want to add more RAM from the onset. Sixty-four megabytes are a lot and will turn your system into a true performer.

Buy a PC

Monitor – Computer monitors have evolved dramatically from the time when they were unfriendly green screens on black boxes. Since the monitor is one part of the PC which you are most in contact with, it should be given the proper consideration. If you are buying a new system, it will probably come with the usual 14” or 15” inch boxes, which are okay for starters. If you intend to surf the Web or watch movies on your PC, you may want to look into the new 17” inch models which are now widely available and which your eyes will be eternally grateful for. Most monitors are okay for general purposes, but for computers which are to be used for designing or publishing, a high performance 21” inch set is ideal, although they sometimes cost as much as the computer itself.

Hard drive – The hard drive is the PC’s main storage. All your programs and all your files should fit into this drive. Current PC models are usually bundled with 4.5 gigabyte drives which are huge and should be able to hold most of our information for a number of years. Most HD’s are similar in quality despite the brand. The only question really is the HD’s capacity. You should not settle for anything less than 10 gigabytes.

Floppy drive – In the past, you needed the 5 inch and 3 inch floppies to load programs and for storing your files. These days, most programs are loaded through CD ROM drives and floppies are kept merely for making back-ups or for copying files between computers. The 5-inch floppies are virtually ancient and are really not very useful anymore. For users who need more storage space, another solution is an external ZIP drive or removable flash drive.

Personal Computer

CD ROM – The CD ROM is just like your CD player except that t can read data and input information into a computer. With a CD ROM player, you can play music, watch CD videos, and play games and copy programs from CDs. As with most things pertaining to PCs, more and faster the better. Just remember that for your PC to play music you will also need a sound card to work with the CD ROM. Sound cards are usually offered as standard items but it is always safer to make sure it is included.

See what Windows Update history you have installed on your computer

2009-09-19T05:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when you install a Windows update a problem occurs and you might need to see the Windows update history. The Windows update history will show you what updates have been installed on your computer. It will also allow you to remove un-wanted updates.

How to open Windows Update in Windows XP and Windows Vista?

There are two ways to open Windows updates. The first way is to double click on the icon in the notification area. This icon will be noticeable when there are updates for your computer to download.

This screenshot shows the icon in the notification area in Windows Vista. In Windows XP the icon is a yellow triangle with a exclamation mark.

The other way to get to Windows Updates is to go to the start menu, then choose control panel, then double click on the automatic updates icon.

How to view your Windows Vista update history?

After you have opened the Windows Update window, as shown in the screenshot below, you can now proceed to view the update history. Simply Click on the link that says View update history.

Now you will see a list of Windows Updates that have been installed on your computer as shown below.

How to Uninstall a Windows Updates on Windows Vista?

To remove a Windows update, when you are viewing the update history, click on the link Installed Updates.

Below is a screenshot of Installed updates on Windows Vista. Now you can select an update by making it blue. Then an uninstall button will appear next to organize and view.

How to see what Windows Updates you have installed on Windows XP?

There is no update history for Windows XP, however you can see what updates you have installed on your computer by going to Add or Remove programs in the control panel.

To see what updates you have installed on a Windows XP computer you need to go through a different process.
Go to the start menu at the bottom left corner.
Choose control panel from the menu.
Find the Add or Remove programs icon and double click on it to open it.
A list of installed programs will appear. To see Windows updates put a tick in the box next to Show updates.
Now you will also see all of the updates that are on your computer.

How to uninstall a Windows Update on Windows XP?

To uninstall a Windows update from your Windows XP computer you must follow the steps above to see the updates that are on your computer. Then select an update and choose to remove it.

23 High Quality Best Hacking Videos

2009-09-19T05:26:00.000-07:00

Grab this Free Computer Tips Tricks : 23 High Quality Best Hacking Videos. Remeber that this computers tips tricks for hacking is only for learning purpose only. So if you want to be a great hackers this video tutorial is a awesome source. happy download.
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Part 1
Siffing Remote Router Traffic via GRE Tunnels (Hi-Res)
Buffer Overflows Pt. 3 by IDESpinner
Buffer Overflows Pt. 2 by IDEspinner

Part 2
Breaking WEP in 10 minutes
DoS attack against Windows FTP Server
How to sniff around switches using Arpspoof and Ngrep!

Part 3
Buffer Overflows pt1
Feauture Addition pt 1
Feauture Addition pt 2
DNS Poison Routing
Install VNC Remotely!
Internet Explorer Remote Command Execution Exploit Client Side Attack (Hi-Res)
Internet Explorer Remote Command Execution Exploit Client Side Attack (lo-Res)
MITM Hijacking
Sniffing logins and Passwords

Part 4
Sniffing Remote Router Traffic via GRE Tunnels (lo-res)
A Penetration Attack Reconstructed
Telnet Bruteforce
Tunneling Exploits through SSH
Bluesnarfing a Nokia 6310i hand set
Start a session and get the interactive commandline access to a remote windows box!
Use Brutus tohacks a box running telnet!
Cain to ARP Poison and sniff passwords!

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Basic Microsoft Excel - Free Computer Tutorials

2009-09-19T05:24:00.000-07:00

Excel is a spreadsheet application from Microsoft and is the most popular of its type in use today. A spreadsheet is used for capturing, displaying, and manipulating data arranged in rows and columns. Spreadsheets can be used for record keeping, performing calculations of data, charting or graphing data and many other uses. Some people even use them to make chore or grocery lists! This tutorial will be based on Excel 2000 which is pretty much the same as using Excel 97, XP and 2003.

Before staring your spreadsheet it’s a good idea to figure out how you are going to lay out your information. You don’t want to enter in your data and then realize you want it displayed differently and have to do it over again. The information will be laid out in an X and Y axis format using rows and columns. You can have header/title information along the top row if you would like to define the data in the columns.

Excel has many of the toolbar items and menus as other programs such as Microsoft Word such as File, Edit, and View etc. Many of the submenus are the same as well.

An Excel spreadsheet consists of rows and columns of cells. Cells are what contain the information you are going to be using. You can enter data such as dates, time, numbers, text and so on. To enter data simply click on the cell you want to input the data into and start typing. To go to the next cell you can use a variety of methods. You can use the mouse to click on the next cell, press Enter to do down, Tab to go across or use the arrow keys to move around any direction.

If you need to add more worksheets to your file you can click on the Insert menu and then on Worksheets. If you want to rename your worksheet double click on the worksheet name tab on the bottom of the sheet and type in a new name. You can also drag the worksheets around if you want to change the order that they appear in the file.

Formatting Data
Once you enter data you can format it or delete it if you don’t want it there any more. Just click on the cell or cells you want to change to highlight them and you can format them just like a Word document by making them bold, underlined, centered, a different color and so on. To highlight multiple cells you can use the standard Shift and Ctrl methods that Windows uses for selecting multiple items. You can also click on the grey row or column number itself to highlight the whole row or column.

Here you can see a typical spreadsheet with various data filled in the cells. As you can see the data is categorized at the top of each column making it easier to understand what information is in the spreadsheet. This sample has text, numbers and dates for Information.

You can do special formatting of the cells depending on what type of data you have in the cells. For example for the date column you can have the date displayed in a variety of formats. To format a cell or group of cells simply highlight the cells then click on the Format menu then click on Cells. Then pick the type of formatting you want to use from the Category list and then select how you want the data displayed from the Type list.

From this section you can also change other formatting such as the font, cell borders and lock or hide the cells under the Protection tab.

Excel allows you to insert and delete rows and columns in your spreadsheet as needed. To insert a row or column right click on the row number or column letter that you want to insert next to and select Insert from the menu. To delete a row or column right click on the row number or column letter that you want to delete and select Delete.

To make your data easier to read you can add borders and color fills to your cells so they stand out better. To add borders highlight the cells you want to add borders to and click on the Borders toolbar button to select what type of border you want to use. To add a fill highlight the cells you want to fill and click on the Fill Color button to select a color for your fill.

Sorting Data
If you need to change the order of your data or the way that it is displayed then you can do what is called a sort. Sorting Data allows you to group the information in different order to make it easier to read. For example you can sort by number high to low or low to high or sort alphabetically from A to Z or Z to A and so on. As you can see in our example the Resumes Submitted column has been sorted numerically from lowest number to highest. Notice how all of the other data has changed as well to follow the new order. We want to keep the other columns in line with the Resumes Submitted column so the data doesn’t get mixed up.

To sort your data highlight all of the columns with data that needs to be kept together in order and click on the Data menu and then pick Sort.

Then click on the drop down box under Sort by to select which column you want to sort by. You can select 2 other columns to sort by as a secondary sort.

Charting Data
Excel allows you to make charts and graphs representing your data to make it easier to understand. To make a chart simply highlight the data you want included in the chart and click on the Insert menu and then on Chart.

From the Chart Wizard you can select what type of chart you want to use to display your data and go through the steps to make the chart. Then you can choose to have it displayed on the same worksheet as your data or in a worksheet by itself.

Saving and Printing Your Spreadsheet
After you have finished entering your data and formatting your spreadsheet you may want to save it for use later or print it out for various reasons.

To save your spreadsheet simply click on the save icon or click on File menu and then on Save. Choose a name for your file and location where you want to save the file and click the Save button.

Before you print your spreadsheet you may want to check out the print preview to see how it will print before getting any unwanted surprises. Click on the File menu and the on Print Preview. If anything looks off or is not fitting on the page properly then you can make adjustments before printing. One option you may end up using is under the File menu and then Page Setup. Here you can have your whole worksheet forced to fit on one page so it doesn’t run over onto other pages.

Sharing secrets

2009-09-19T05:20:00.000-07:00

An old registry tip from Microsoft Technet articles that is very useful in everyday Geek computing.

If you open CMD and go to a directory, e.g. cd\windows, instead of typing the complete word "windows" type "win" + TAB. It will automatically search for the word and display the first value.

Registry Settings

Quote:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Command Processor

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor

So, Which is being followed by the current Logon User? CompletionChar = 9 by HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Scanning the Integrity of All Protected System Files

Windows Vista is still accessible but some programs are not working properly, very slow, it stops responding and sometimes hangs. Maybe some System files has been modified.

Run the following commands:

sfc /verifyonly - Scans integrity of all protected system files. No repair operation is performed.

If there is an error message occurs, repair all the affected system files by running

sfc /scannow - Scans integrity of all protected system files and repairs files with problems when possible.

How to Open Network Connections Window easily

Despite Microsoft is making networking much easier in Windows Vista, they made it very difficult to open your network connections list or Window. Here's a quick solution:

type ncpa.cpl and press enter. That's it!!!

*I have another. To put a shortcut of Network Connection window on desktop,
Create a folder called

Network Connections.{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E}

Kill 'Em All
Metallica? Nope...
Got tired of closing all applications one by one. Especially those unstable ones! Here's a Tip to Kill 'Em All at the same time. e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Windows Media Player...

Method 1
This is the easiest method but it's limited: PressCTRL >Click the Programs in the Taskbar >Right-Click >Close Group. That's it!

Method 2

1. Open the Notepad and Task Manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc)

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Adding Entries to Computer, Internet Explorer, Network and Start button Context Menu (Right-Click Menu)

How? Just Open WinBubble > Miscellaneous Tab > Choose and click which button you'll use > Type the name of the application and locate the program by clicking the Browse button. That's it!

Note: In Internet Explorer, Permission must be set first and the added Entries will become the default application that will open instead of IE.

Manually Adding the Entries (Windows Vista and XP):

1. Open the Regedit.exe and expand the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

2. These are the location of Context Menu Customization settings:

Computer: CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell
Internet Explorer: CLSID\{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}\shell
Network: CLSID\{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}\shell
Start Menu: Directory\Shell

3. Create a folder inside the path above. The folder name is the one that will be seen in the context menu.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Open WinBubble

4. Add another folder named "command", double click "(Default)" and enter the location of the file. You can use a command-line parameter or switch in executing the application.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Open WinBubble\command

Enjoy!

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Simple Ways to Tweak your Network and Internet Connections

"WinBubble will start the idea of simplicity combined with knowledge. Everyday, WinBubble features will be explained and dig"

There are many ways to enhance and speed up your Internet Connections: upgrade your Internet access service to a much bigger bandwidth or find another provider which speeds up everything, find the nearest node (for DSL lines), upgrade your networking equipment, and by performing some tweaks that offer ways to potentially enhance your network connections in Windows Vista.

According to Microsoft, "WinInet limits the number of simultaneous connections that it makes to a single HTTP server. If you exceed this limit, the requests block until one of the current connections has completed. This is by design and is in agreement with the HTTP specification and industry standards."

WinFlog

Turns-OFF your monitor instantly by Adding "Monitor OFF" in the Computer Icon and Desktop Context Menu (Right-Click Menu).

Turning Off the Monitor when not in use saves electricity and prolong your laptop battery which is not the same as setting a Blank Screensaver.

Tips and Tricks: Creating an Icon in the Quick Launch Toolbar and Desktop or a shortcut Key is very easy. Just create a shortcut of the file "WinFlogTurnOff.exe" and drag it onto the Quick Launch Toolbar.

Features:

- Adds "Monitor OFF" and "Turn Off Monitor" in the Computer Icon and Desktop Context Menu (Right-Click Menu) respectively.

- Adds "Turn OFF Aero" and "Turn On Aero" in the Computer Icon Context Menu (Right-Click Menu).

WinGuggle is a small application that can get your Windows Vista Product Key easily. No Installation is needed, Just unzip the archive and launch the application.

Features:

*Get Windows Vista Product Key (CD Key)
*Change OEM Logo and Information
*Change Performance Information and Tools OEM Logo

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Thank you NotebookReview Community who supported me in the beginning. By giving an opportunity to connect to other user's comments and demands. and allowing me to post my ideas.

Download Winbubble

2. Hack your WEI scores!

WinSAT saves the scores in a XML file located in the Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore folder. Each time you perform benchmarking using WinSAT, it creates a new XML file and stores it in this folder. All you have to do is to open the latest XML file and edit it using WORDPAD.

Fun stuff: Modify your WEI score and show it to your friends just for fun.

CONS: Computer stores may trick their customers by editing the WEI scores. So, be careful! Always, check them by Re-running WinSAT.
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NEW
here: YouTube Hack!
Get the Youtube direct download link without using any website or windows application.

1. Go to the Youtube video that you want to download. and Right Click to the vacant space->View source

2. Press CTRL+F, and type "watch_fullscreen?"

3. Copy the next String starting from "Video_id=...." up to "title" only, no more "=" character at the end.

4. Direct Download link:

http://www.youtube.com/get_video? + COPIED string
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8. Windows Vista Benchmarking tool
WINSAT evaluates various features and capabilities of a computer running Windows Vista
8.1 3D benchmarks (WOW...)
a. In the command prompt(RUN as administrator), type "winsat aurora"
b. Winsat D3D, evaluates a computer system ability to run D3D based applications such as games.
Note: Run the command prompt as administrator and type the following
Example: winsat d3d -alushader -texshader -totalobj 12

8.2 Aero benchmarks:
Winsat DWM, evaluates computer system ability to display the Aero desktop effects.
Note: Run the command prompt as administrator and type the following
Example: winsat dwm -normalw 8 -glassw 3 -time 6 -fullscreen

8.3 Hardisk Benchmarks
WINSAT DISK - evaluates the performance of a storage device
Note: Run the command prompt as administrator
a. Sequential I/O read performance of drive C:
winsat disk -seq -read -drive c

b. Random I/O write performance of drive number
winsat disk -ran -write -drive c

c. flush performance of drive C:
winsat disk -flush -drive c

8.4 CPU Benchmarks
Winsat CPU - evaluates the performance of the processors using encryption and decryption or compression and decompression

Examples

a. Run the encryption and decryption sub-assessment computing a SHA1 hash

winsat cpu -encryption2

b. CPU performance using the same compression algorithms that Windows Vista uses internally, same algorithm used to compress the hibernation file and with ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive technologies

winsat cpu -compression2
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1. Hidden Windows XP Serial Key
I just want to share it to all of you guyz. If you have some please share it also.
I just found a file in windows installer that automatically input the serial during windows installation. the 'winnt.sif' that is located on i386 folder.
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2. I noticed that when you buy a new laptop, some of them, the desktop icons are too large and not proportional to its taskbar and startmenu. To change, press CTRL key and scroll your mouse down and up. Choose the size that is proportional and comfortable with you.
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3. disable writing in usb drives works in Windows Vista and XP

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies
WriteProtect=dword:00000001

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4. Automatic Running as "Administrator":
In the search box type "cmd",PRESS CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER.Now you can use the command shell as ADministrator.
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5. Hiding your computer in the network
open the command prompt as administrator, Please see the tip above. In command prompt "Net config server /hidden:yes", hides your computer in the network.
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6. NETPLWIZ

Login Automatically in Windows Vista,

Secure Logon is a common feature of office computers on a domain network which guarantees an authentic login prompt, protecting the system from programs that mimic a logon to retrieve password information.

Enable Secure Logon in Windows Vista

Type netplwiz in the Run window (Windows+R) or Start Menu’s Search box.
Click "Continue" button if UAC is turn on. In the Advanced User Account window, click the Advanced tab.
Select the Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete check box.

Enable Secure Logon in Windows XP

Go to Start menu-> Control Panel (Classic View) -> User Accounts
In the Advanced User account window, click the Advanced tab.
Select the Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete check box.

Add/Edit Network Passwords: Advanced tab->Manage Passwords
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7. F11 - Put explorer into Fullscreen mode, this works also in internet explorer...
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9. Microsoft Desktop Window Manager is responsible for the Aero effects in our Windows Vista machine.

Recently, I read a Windows Vista Tip on how to create a Flip 3D shortcut, maybe almost all of the Vista forums, Windows Vista Tweaking guides and Windows Vista Tips and tricks websites has this tip. I was amazed about the tip...because you can create an application that if you click the middle part of your mouse (scroll wheel button), Flip3D will execute. WOW!

One question pops-up in my head, how about the other commands? After experimenting with it, I found 3 functioning parameters.

Activate Flip3D: Rundll32 dwmApi #105

Turn off the Glass style effect: Rundll32 dwmApi #104

Turn on the Glass style effect: Rundll32 dwmApi #102

Note: Run the command prompt as Administrator

I search for a Vista Tip/Blogs/Articles like this (Aero Off and On) but I didn't found any, maybe this is the FIRST. I hope so. hehehe...here's a guide on how to create a shorcut using these commands.

Vista Tricks

2009-09-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

Solution to the missing “Up” button in Vista’s Windows Explorer

I started using Vista when it was RTM well over a year ago. Currently, I use XP Pro on my home desktop and Vista Ultimate 64bit on my laptop. All in all, I’ve had no issues. But one continued to bother me. When using Windows Explorer, the “Up” button was missing. On XP, I used this all the time. It was quite handy.

Most of the time you can just click the folder name in the address bar to go up one folder. But sometimes, like when you’re in folder on your desktop, you have to manually edit the location in the address bar. Kind of a pain.

I figured it was some setting that I had to modify rather than using the default, but never bothered to look for it. After some searching, I found two ways around this problem. I prefer the first.

1. It’s so simple. Use ALT + Up Arrow. Genius. This shortcut didn’t exist in previous versions of Windows.

2. Go to MavisApps and download the Mavis Up Button for Vista. ($4.95 with a 5 day trial.) I didn’t give this a try as option 1 is sufficient, but if you do, let me know how it turns out.

Vista: A program needs your permission to continue

If you’ve recently switched to Vista, you’re probably aware of the really annoying prompt asking you if you really want to continue every time you’re making a change, installing a program, breathing, moving your mouse… (If you’ve got some time, check out the really funny Mac commercial making fun of MS due to this “feature”.)

Well, the good news is, you can turn it off. The bad news is, if you’re not technically savvy at all, I wouldn’t recommend it. A general rule of thumb I would say is if you know what C:\windows\system32 is (and don’t say “a folder”), you can probably go ahead and turn it off.

1. Open Control Panel.

2. Open the Security Center.

3. Click “Change the way Security Center alerts me” (on the left)

4. Click “Don’t notify me and don’t display the icon (not recommended)

Customize your quick access toolbar in Office 2007

2009-09-19T05:09:00.000-07:00

Customize your quick access toolbar in Office 2007

Did you know you can add just about any command to to the quick access toolbar in Office 2007?

There are a few items I like to have at my disposal when working in Word and Excel. The Print Preview command is very nice and convenient, as well as the “Switch Window” command when working in Excel (when Alt-Tab won’t do). Here’s how you do it.

Click on the small down arrow to the right of the quick access toolbar. You’ll see a menu. You can easily add one of the most common items by choosing one from the list. If you don’t see the one you need, click “More Commands”.

Now you can select anything from the left box, click Add, and it will add it to the right box. The right box lists all the items in your quick access toolbar. If you still don’t see what you’re looking for, open the drop-down menu under “Choose commands from:”, and you can select “All Commands”.

You can also rearrange your quick access toolbar and place the shortcuts in the order you choose by selecting an item from the right window, and then clicking the up or down arrow (on the right) to move it.Once you’re done, click OK. That’s it!

Win XP

2009-09-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

Control Inactive System Tray Icons

You don't have to hide or show all the icons in your system tray—you can control their disappearing acts. Right-click on the taskbar and select Properties. Click on the checkbox next to "Hide inactive icons" (if it's not checked by default), then click on the Customize button. For each item on this list, you can choose "Hide when inactive," "Always hide," or "Always show" options to decide what you'll see and when.

Fit More Icons on Your Desktop

If your screen is so cluttered with Word documents and program shortcuts that you can't see the rolling meadows of your wallpaper, you don't need to move piles of stuff to the Recycling Bin. Just change the amount of space between icons. Right-click on the desktop, select Properties, then click on the Appearance tab, and click the Advanced button. In the "Item" drop-down, scroll down to Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing (Vertical); changing the value in the "Size" field will move icons closer together (while increasing the number will move them farther apart). When you're done, click OK. To make your existing icons follow these rules, right-click on the desktop, select "Arrange Icons By" and then click Align to Grid, then go back to the same menu and click "Auto Arrange."

Shut Down from Your Desktop

If you're trying to eliminate every extraneous mouse click, you can shut down your computer with an icon on the desktop. Right-click on your desktop, click "New," and then click "Shortcut." In the "Type the location of the item" field, type "shutdown -s -t 00" to give you a way to shut down the computer immediately. (Change the -s to -r to create a reboot shortcut instead.)

Change What Programs Start When Windows Does

You can prevent a lot of apps forcing Windows into chilled-molasses boot times—without uninstalling anything. Click Start, then "Run...," and type msconfig. This brings up the System Configuration Utility window. Click on the Startup tab to see a list of all the apps slated to start when you boot up Windows. Click the check mark next to any you don't want, and then click OK to save your choices.

Type With an Onscreen Keyboard

Whether you have trouble with your hands or you just prefer using the mouse, typing with Windows' onscreen keyboard can be a great convenience. Navigate to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Accessibility, and click "On-Screen Keyboard." Click OK to clear the dialogue box and then start "typing"—you can even change the settings to "press" keys just by hovering your mouse over the letter you want (enable this feature by selecting "Typing Mode" from the Settings menu).

No-wait Screen Savers

Don't want to wait for your screen saver to kick in? Create a shortcut to it just as you would for any other program by hitting Windows key + F to search your computer and click on "All files and folders." Type "*.scr" in the "All or part of the file name" field to find every screen saver file on your computer. In the resulting list, right-click and drag the screen saver you want to your desktop. Whenever you want it to start, just double-click its icon.

How to Become a Gmail Jedi Master

2009-09-19T05:05:00.000-07:00

Learn to master Gmail through the use of labels, filters, keyboard shortcuts, vacation autoresponders, and the new IMAP support.One of the most useful features in Gmail is its powerful search feature. They have incorporated the ease and functionality of Google search into Gmail, allowing you yo search for specific emails based on the Sender, subject line, date, or the actual content of the email. However, Gmail has gone one step further with what they call filters and labels.Creating Labels in Gmail

Labels are much like folders, but with an added bonus: you can add more than one label to a conversation. This way, if a conversation covers more than one topic, you can give it multiple labels. It’s kind of like applying tags to your del.icio.us (and other social bookmarking) favorites. Once you have created a label for any particular email, you can then easily locate all the messages within that label.

Gmail also allows you to apply different colors to your labels. So, for example, you could apply a red label with the word “Important!” for emails coming from your colleagues or your manager. If you receive newsletters, you could give them a green label with the name of the newsletter. If you’re a business, you could apply blue labels to email from clients. The list of possibilities are endless.

To create a label you simply,

1. Select the message(s) you’d like to label by checking the box(es) next to the sender’s name.
2. Select “New label” from the More Actions… drop-down menu.
3. Enter the desired name of the new label in the text box and click OK.

To change the colors of your labels, you will first need to locate your listing of labels on the left-hand side of the page. In your Labels list, click the square to the right of a label. A color palette opens, allowing you to the select the colors of your choice.

Step-by-step instructions on creating labels are given in the video above.

Creating Filters in Gmail

Filters allow you to automatically organize your incoming messages as you receive them. By using filters, you can automatically label, archive, delete, star, or forword your mail to friends or colleagues based on any combination of keywords, subject lines, senders, and even words within the email.

To begin creating a filter, click on “Create a filter”, to the right of the search box at the top of the page. Enter your filter criteria into the appropriate fields. In most cases, you will be using the From and Subject lines to filter your emails.

Once you have filled in your filter criteria, you can then click on “Test Search” to see which messages currently in your account match your filter terms. If you are happy with the results, click on Next Step. The next form will allow you to select the action you’d like to take on messages that match the criteria you specified. Here you can choose to archive the email, mark as read, star it, apply a label, forward it to another email address, or delete it.

You can also create filters from within messages. Whenever your reading an email that you would like to apply a filter to, simply click on the drop-down menu next to Reply and select Filter messages like this. Enter your filter criteria and follow the same steps from above.

Step-by-step instructions on creating labels are given in the video above.

Now for one of my favorite features, keyboard shortcuts…

Learning the keyboard shortcuts is essential to becoming a Gmail Jedi Master.

Some of the most popular ones are…

Press “c” to compose a new message.

Press “j” to move to an older conversation.

Press “k” to move to a newer conversation.

Press “s” to star a message.

Press “Y” to automatically remove the message or conversation from your current view and place it in the archive.

Press “r” to reply to the message sender.

Press “#” to move the conversation to the trash.

Here’s a complete list of Gmail keyboard shortcuts.

Gmail Vacation Responder

I have found the Gmail Vacation Responder to be one of the most useful features within Gmail. Let’s say you’re going on vacation and you won’t have access to the Internet for a couple of weeks. No problem! You can simply set up an automatic vacation response that will inform them that you’re away Hawaii, Honolulu, New Zealand, or wherever. In fact, maybe you just want to unplug from technology for a while. The Gmail autoresponder will allow you to automatically send a reply to anyone who emails you while you’re on your sabbatical.

To create a vacation responder, click on “Settings” at the very top of the page on the right-hand side. Scroll down until you see the section entitled “Vacation responder”. Click on “Vacation responder on”. Next, type a custom message in the boxes provided to let others know that you are away on vacation. In your message, you may want to include when you will be back so they can get a better idea of when they can expect a response from you.

Click “Save Changes”.

Step-by-step instructions on creating labels are given in the video above.

Managing multiple email accounts with Gmail

If you’re like me, then you probably have multiple email accounts. Unfortunately, checking each one of those accounts on a daily basis can become quite time consuming. Fortunately, Gmail allows you to manage all of your email accounts from one interface.

To add another email address to your account, simply click on the “Settings” link at the top of the page and then select the tab labeled “Accounts”. Click on the link that says, “Add another email address”. From there, you simply enter your other email address and Gmail will send a verication to ensure that you’re the owner of that account. Add as many additional email addresses as you want and start managing all of your email from your Gmail interface.

This one simple feature has saved me a ton of time.

Sync your Gmail inbox with your iPhone, Blackberry, and more.

If you need Gmail on the go, you can use one of Google’s most recent features, IMAP, to snyc your inbox with your iPhone, blackberry or other handheld device.

Instead of showing you how to configure each client, I’m going to send you over to the Gmail Help Center, where they give step-by-step instructions for configuring a variety of different clients.

In addition to accessing your Gmail account with wireless devices, IMAP also allows you to access your email via a desktop application like Outlook or Thunderbird, allowing you to make changes across multiple platforms.

If you’re a Gmail junkie like me, you can learn more tips and tricks at a Google
Group called Gmail Power Users.

XP Tips

2009-09-19T04:57:00.000-07:00

Win XP Won't Completely Shutdown

Go to Control Panel, then go to Power Options.
•Click on the APM tab, then check the "Enable Advanced Power Management support."
•Shut down your PC.
It should now successfully complete the Shut Down process.

Performance Increase Through My Computer

Easy enough tweak to usually find out about it on your own, but still, some of us
still don't find it right away. So here it is:
•Start > right-click on My Computer and select Properties.
•Click on the "Advanced" tab.
•See the "Performance" section? Click "Settings".
•Disable the following:

Fade or slide menus into view
Fade or slide ToolTips into view
Fade out menu items after clicking
Show Shadows under menus
Slide open combo boxes
Slide taskbar buttons
Use a background image for each folder type
Use common tasks in folders
There, now Windows will still look nice and perform faster.

Deal with System Hang at Startup

If your system hangs about 2 or 3 minutes at startup, where you can't access the Start
button or the Taskbar, it may be due to one specific service (Background Intelligent
Transfer) running in the background. Microsoft put out a patch for this but it didn't
work for me.
Here's what you do:
•Click on Start/Run, type 'msconfig', then click 'OK'.
•Go to the 'Services' tab, find the 'Background Intelligent Transfer' service.
•Disable it, apply the changes & reboot.

Turn Off System Restore to Save Space

Turn Off System Restore to Save Space when you are out of space on your operating system drive.

By default, Windows XP keeps a backup of system files in the System Volume Information
folder. This can eat up valuable space on your hard drive. If you don't want Windows to
back up your system files:
•Open the Control Panel.
•Double-click on System.
•Click the System Restore tab.
•Check "Turn off System Restore on all drives".
•Hit Apply.
•You may now delete the System Volume Information folder.
Warning! If you turn this off you will not be able to use Windows System Restore to
restore your system in case of failure.

How to Partition and Format a Master Hard Disk

2009-09-19T04:56:00.000-07:00

IMPORTANT: If you use the following steps on a hard disk that is not empty, all of the data on that hard disk is permanently deleted. How to Partition a Master Hard Disk. To partition a master hard disk, run the fdisk command:
Insert the Startup disk in the floppy disk drive, restart your computer, and then use one of the following methods, depending on your operating system. For a Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, or Windows Me Startup disk:
When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup menu is displayed, select the Start computer without CD-ROM support menu option, and then press ENTER. At a command prompt, type fdisk, and then press ENTER.
For a Windows 95 Startup disk: At a command prompt, type fdisk, and then press ENTER.
If your hard disk is larger than 512 MB, you receive the following message:
Your computer has a disk larger than 512 MB. This version of Windows includes improved support for large disks, resulting in more efficient use of disk space on large drives, and allowing disks over 2 GB to be formatted as a single drive.
IMPORTANT:If you enable large disk support and create any new drives on this disk, you will not be able to access the new drive(s) using other operating systems, including some versions of Windows 95 and Windows NT, as well as earlier versions of Windows and MS-DOS. In addition, disk utilities that were not designated explicitly for the FAT32 file system will not be able to work with this disk. If you need to access this disk with other operating systems or older disk utilities, do not enable large drive support. Do you wish to enable large disk support?
If you want to use the FAT32 file system, press Y and then press ENTER. If you want to use the FAT16 file system, press N, and then press ENTER. For additional information about the FAT32 and FAT16 file systems. After you press ENTER, the following Fdisk Options menu is displayed:
1. Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive
2. Set active partition
3. Delete partition or Logical DOS Drive
4. Display partition information
5. Change current fixed disk drive
Note that option 5 is available only if you have two physical hard disks in the computer.
Press 1 to select the Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive menu option, and then press ENTER.
Press 1 to select the Create Primary DOS Partition menu option, and then press ENTER.
After you press ENTER, you receive the following message:
Do you wish to use the maximum available size for primary DOS partition?
After you receive this message, use one of the following methods, depending on the file system that you selected. For a FAT32 File System If you press Y for the FAT32 file system (in step 2) and you want all of the space on the hard disk to be assigned to drive C, press Y, and then press ENTER.
Press ESC, and then press ESC to quit the Fdisk tool and return to a command prompt. For a FAT16 File System.
If you press N for the FAT16 file system (in step 2), you can accept the default 2 GB size for the partition size, or you can customize the size of the partition. To accept the default partition size:
If you want the first 2 GB on the hard disk to be assigned to drive C, press Y, and then press ENTER.
Press ESC to return to the Options menu, and then view step d in the following "To customize the partition size" section. To customize the partition size: If you want to customize the size of the partitions (drive letters) on the hard disk, press N, and then press ENTER. A dialog box is displayed in which you can type the size that you want for the primary partition in MB or percent of disk space. Note that for computers that are running either Windows 98 or Windows Me, Microsoft recommends that you make the primary partition at least 500 MB in size. Type the size of the partition that you want to create, and then press ENTER. Press ESC to return to the Options menu.
To assign drive letters to the additional space on the hard disk, press 1, and then press ENTER.
Press 2 to select the Create Extended DOS Partition menu option, and then press ENTER.
You receive a dialog box that is displays the maximum space that is available for the extended partition. You can adjust the size of the partition or use the default size. Note that the default maximum space is recommended, but you can divide the space between multiple drive letters. Type the amount of space that you want, press ENTER, and then press ESC. The Create Logical DOS Drive(s) in the Extended DOS Partition menu is displayed. This is the menu that you can use to assign the remaining hard disk space to the additional drive letters. Type the amount of space that you want to assign to the next drive letter in the Enter logical drive size in Mbytes or percent of disk space (%) box, and then press ENTER. A table that lists the drive letter that you created and the amount of space on that drive is displayed. If there is free space on the hard disk, it is displayed near the bottom of the table. Repeat steps e through g until you receive the following message:
All available space in the Extended DOS Partition is assigned to local drives. After you receive this message, press ESC to return to the Options menu. To activate the partition from which you plan to boot (usually drive C), press 2 to select the Set active partition menu option, and then press ENTER.
When you receive the following message, press 1, and then press ENTER:
Enter the number of the partition you want to make active.
Press ESC, and then press ESC to quit the Fdisk tool and return to a command prompt, and then view the following "How to Format a Hard Disk" section in this article.
How to Format a Hard Disk
After you create the partitions, you must format the partitions:
Restart your computer with the Startup disk in the floppy disk drive.
NOTE: If you are using a Windows 95 Startup disk, a command prompt is displayed and you can skip to step 2. If you are using a Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, or Windows Me Startup disk, select the Start computer without CD ROM support menu option when the Windows 98 Startup menu is displayed. When a command prompt is displayed, type format c: /s, and then press ENTER. This command transfers the system files and should only be used when you format drive C (or your "active" drive). For all other partitions, type format drive: (where drive is the letter of the partition that you want to format).
NOTE: If you receive a "Bad command" or "Bad file name" error message, you may need to extract the Format.com tool to your boot disk. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER. extract ebd.cab format.com. After the Format.com tool is extracted to your boot disk, type format c: /s t a command prompt to format your active partition, or type format drive: if you want to format a partition that is not your active partition. When you successfully run the Format.com tool, you receive the following message:
WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE C: WILL BE LOST!
Proceed with Format? Press Y, and then press ENTER to format drive C.
After the format procedure is finished, you receive the following message:
Volume label (11 characters, ENTER for none)?
NOTE: This is an optional feature that you can use to type a name for the drive. You can either type an 11-character name for the drive, or you can leave it blank by pressing ENTER.

How to Repartition and Format a Slave Hard Disk

How to Repartition a Slave Hard Disk
If you want to add a second hard disk (slave drive) to your computer, you need to make sure that the jumpers on both the master (original) and slave (new drive) are set according to the manufacturer's instructions first so that your computer can detect the hard disks. Verify that your hardware is installed correctly, and then follow these steps: Click Start, point to Run, and then type command (Note that the cmd command only works on Windows 2000-based computers). At a command prompt, type fdisk, and then press ENTER. The following menu is displayed:
1. Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive
2. Set active partition
3. Delete partition or Logical DOS Drive
4. Display partition information
5. Change current fixed disk drive
Note that menu option 5 is available only if you have two physical hard disks on your computer.
Press 5, and then press ENTER. When you do this, the selection changes from the physical disk 1 (master) to the physical disk 2 (slave). Press 1 to select the Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive menu option, press ENTER, press 2 to select the Create Extended DOS Partition menu option, and then press ENTER. When you make your slave drive an extended MS-DOS partition, your drive letters does not change. For example, if the first drive contains partition C and partition D, your slave drive becomes D unless you set the slave drive as an extended partition. If you skip this step and just create another primary MS-DOS partition for the slave drive, the new drive becomes drive D and what used to be drive D, changes to drive E.You can partition the slave drive to make other logical drives just as you did with the original master drive. If your computer cannot detect the new drive, you may need to add the following line to your Config.sys file, where drive is a letter that is greater than the last drive letter on the computer (including the CD-ROM drive): lastdrive=drive. After you finish using the Fdisk tool, format the new partitions so that you can use them. After you press ESC to quit the Fdisk tool, restart your computer to start
Windows.
How to Format a Slave Hard Disk
To format your new partition or partitions, use one of the following methods, depending on your file system. For a FAT16 file system: Double-click My Computer, right-click the partition that you just created, click Format, click Full, and then click Start. After the format procedure is complete, click OK to close the dialog box.
For a FAT32 file system: Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, click Drive Converter (FAT32), and then click Next. In the Drives box, click the drive that you want to convert to the FAT32 file system.
Click Next, and then click OK.
Click Next, click Next, and then click Next again.
When the conversion procedure is finished, click Finish.
NOTE: Do not use the /s switch that you used when you set up drive C. All you need to do is to format the drive or drives so that you can use them (for example, if you created two new drive letters, you need to format both drives).

How to Partition and Format Your Hard Disk by Using Windows XP Setup

IMPORTANT: If you follow these steps on a hard disk that is not empty, all of the data on that hard disk is permanently deleted. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, or insert the first Windows XP Setup boot disk into the floppy disk drive if you are starting from Setup boot disks, and then restart the computer.
NOTE: To start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM (or from the Setup boot disk), your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive (or the floppy disk drive). In some cases, you may have to modify your computer's BIOS settings to do this. For information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive (or the floppy disk drive), see the documentation that is included with your computer, or contact the computer manufacturer. If you are starting the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.
Note: If your hard disk controller requires a third-party original equipment manufacturer (OEM) driver, press F6 to specify the driver. If you are starting from the Windows XP Setup boot disks, insert each of the additional disks when you are prompted, and then press ENTER to continue after inserting each disk.
At the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER to continue. Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement.
If an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you are prompted to repair it. Press ESC (do not repair).
All existing partitions and unpartitioned spaces are listed for each physical hard disk. Use the arrow keys to select the partition or unpartitioned space where you want to create a new partition, and then press D to delete an existing partition or press C to create a new partition using unpartitioned space. If you press D to delete an existing partition, you must then press L (or press ENTER, and then press L if it is the System partition) to confirm that you want to delete the partition. Repeat this process for each of the existing partitions that you want to use for the new partition. When all the partitions are deleted, you can then select the resulting unpartitioned space and then press C to create the new partition.
Note: If you want to create a partition where one or more partitions already exist, you must first delete the existing partition or partitions and then create the new partition. Type the size (in megabytes, or MB) that you want to use for the new partition, and then press ENTER, or just press ENTER to create the partition using the maximum size.
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to create additional partitions if you want to.
If you want to install Windows XP, use the arrow keys to select the partition you want to install Windows XP on, and then press ENTER. If you do not want to format the partition and install Windows XP, press F3 two times to quit Setup, and then do not continue with the following steps. In this case, you must use another utility to format the partition. Select the format option that you want to use for the partition, and then press ENTER. The options are:
Format the partition by using the NTFS file system (Quick)
Format the partition by using the FAT file system (Quick)
Format the partition by using the NTFS file system
Format the partition by using the FAT file system
Leave the current file system intact (no changes)
The option to leave the current file system intact is not available if the selected partition is a new partition. The FAT file system options is not available if the selected partition is more than 32 gigabytes(GB). If the partition is larger than 2 GB, Setup uses the FAT32 file system (you must press ENTER to confirm). If the partition is smaller than 2 GB, Setup uses the FAT16 file system.
NOTE: If you deleted and created a new System partition but you are installing Windows XP on another partition, you will be prompted to select a file system for both the System and Boot partitions at this point. After Setup formats the partition, follow the on-screen instructions to continue Setup. After Setup is complete, you can use the Disk Management tools in Windows XP to create or format additional partitions.

Tips on cleaning up your computer

2009-09-19T04:55:00.002-07:00

How to clear out the Internet Files.

First right click on the Internet Explorer Icon, then click on properties.
Now click on Delete cookies then OK.
Now click on Delete files, now put a check in Delete all offline content. Now click OK.
Now click on Clear History, then yes.
Now click ok to close out the Internet Properties.

How to clear out the TEMP folder.

Double left click on My Computer.
Double left click on "C" drive.
Double left click on the Windows folder.
If the files are hidden click on Show Files.
Double left click on the TEMP folder.
Now go to Edit, then select all and click on the delete button on the main toolbar.
You should not delete any files newer than 3 days.
If you don't have a delete button on the toolbar then go to File and then Delete.
Click on yes when asked if you want to send the items to the recycle bin.

How to clear out the Applog folder.

Double left click My Computer.
Double left click on "C" drive.
Double left click on the Windows folder.
Go to "View", then "Folder Options".
Select "Show all files" under the Hidden Files" list.
Click on OK.
Now click on the "Show Files" in the "Windows" box.
Double Left click on Applog Folder.
Now click on Edit, then Select all.
Now click on delete or go to "File" then Delete.
You may want to undo the "Show all Files" now.
Just follow the same steps as above except choose "Do not show hidden or systems files" then OK.
I would do this about once a month.

Be sure to run Scandisk and Defrag REGULARLY ! Run ScanDisk First.
Err Msg: ScanDisk Has Restarted 10 Times Because Windows...

ScanDisk has restarted 10 times because Windows or another program has been writing to this drive. Quitting some running programs may enable ScanDisk to finish sooner. Do you want to continue receiving this warning?

CAUSE
This problem can occur:
If Windows or another program writes to the hard disk while ScanDisk is scanning that disk. If you have many items on the Quick Launch toolbar (which appears to the right of the Start button). If an item on the Quick Launch toolbar periodically writes to the hard disk while ScanDisk runs.
NOTE: This can occur when an antivirus program is running or when a Microsoft Word document is open and the Autosave feature is active.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, try the following methods. After you use each method, run ScanDisk to see if the problem is resolved. If the problem still occurs, continue to the next method. Turn Off the Quick Launch Toolbar While You Run ScanDisk. To do this, follow these steps:
Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. On the shortcut menu that appears, point to Toolbars, and then click Quick Launch. NOTE: A check mark appears next to Quick Launch. When you click Quick Launch, the check mark disappears. The Quick Launch toolbar is disabled. After you run ScanDisk, follow steps 1 and 2 to again enable the toolbar. Remove Items from the Quick Launch Toolbar You can do this to help determine if an item is causing ScanDisk to restart. To remove an item from the Quick Launch toolbar, follow these steps:
Right-click the item that you want to remove.
On the shortcut menu that appears, click Delete.
On the Confirm File Delete message that appears, click Yes.
NOTE: When you remove an item from the Quick Launch toolbar, you do not delete the program file, you delete only a shortcut to that file. To restore a shortcut to the Quick Launch toolbar, drag it to a blank area of the Quick Launch toolbar.

Quit All Running Programs

To quit all programs that are currently running, follow these steps: Press CTRL + ALT + DELETE. In the Close Program dialog box, click any program in the list, except Explorer or Systray, and then click End Task. If you are prompted to click End Task again, do so. NOTE: Explorer and Systray are Windows components that Windows requires to function properly. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each program that is listed in the Close Program dialog box, except Explorer and Systray.

Follow these steps to set the screen saver to None:

Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
Click the Screen Saver tab.
In the Screen Saver box, click None.
Click OK.
If the AutoUpdate "Update Reminder" is running in the system tray, it may also interfere with Scandisk. You can remove the AutoUpdate notification by clicking the Update Reminder icon and then either installing the recommended updates or clicking Remind Me Later. After you quit all running programs, try running ScanDisk again.

Restart in Safe Mode
Windows Me or Windows 98

To start your computer in Safe mode, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Safe Mode from the Startup menu.
NOTE: If you press and hold down the CTRL key when your computer starts, you may receive a keyboard error message. If this occurs, you can safely ignore the keyboard error message. After you restart the computer in Safe mode, try running ScanDisk again.

Windows 95

To restart your computer in Safe mode, click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart The Computer, and then click Yes. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key.After you restart the computer in Safe mode, try running ScanDisk again.

Windows 98 or Windows 95

To restart to a command prompt and run ScanDisk in real mode, follow these steps:
Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode, and then click Yes or OK.
At the command prompt, type scandisk, and then press ENTER.
The first time this error message occurs, you have the option to continue to receive the warning message or to suppress the error message in the future. You can also click Cancel. If you click Yes to continue receiving the error message, the message is displayed again if ScanDisk is unable to complete a disk scan after 10 passes. However, if you click No, ScanDisk continues to run until it either finishes or is canceled.
Also be sure to empty the Recycle Bin !

Tips on cleaning up your computer: Windows 2000
How to clear out the Internet Files.

First right click on the Internet Explorer Icon, then click on properties.
Now click on Delete cookies then OK.
Now click on Delete files, now put a check in Delete all offline content. Now click OK.
Now click on Clear History, then yes.
Now click ok to close out the Internet Properties.

How to clear out the TEMP folder.

Double left click on My Computer.
Double left click on "C" drive.
Double left click on the Winnt folder.
If the files are hidden click on Show Files.
Double left click on the TEMP folder.
Now go to Edit, then select all and click on the delete button on the main toolbar.
You should not delete any files newer than 3 days.
If you don't have a delete button on the toolbar then go to File and then Delete.
Click on yes when asked if you want to send the items to the recycle bin.

Be sure to run Scandisk and Defrag REGULARLY ! Run ScanDisk First.
To run a ScanDisk on W2k....

Double left click on My Computer.
Right click on "C" Drive.
Click Properties.
Click Tools.
Click on Check Now … under Error-checking
Click Start.
If you want to do a more in-depth error checking there are 2 other options available:
First option is to Automatically fix file system errors (choosing this option will require a restart of the computer to run). When choosing this option you will see a box pop up that says, "The check disk could not be preformed because exclusive access to the drive could not be obtained. Do you want to schedule this disk check to occur next time you restart the computer?" When prompted for this you would choose Yes if you want it to run on the next reboot of the system.The second option for error checking is Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors (this will not require a restart of the system)
Also be sure to empty the Recycle Bin !

Tips on cleaning up your computer: Windows Xp
How to cut off the System Restore.

Right click My Computer.
Click on Properties.
Click on System Restore Tab.
Put a check beside of Turn off System Restore.
Click Apply and OK.

How to clear out the Internet Files.

First right click on the Internet Explorer Icon, then click on properties.
Now click on Delete cookies then OK.
Now click on Delete files, now put a check in Delete all offline content. Now click OK.
Now click on Clear History, then yes.
Now click ok to close out the Internet Properties.

How to clear out the TEMP folder.

Double left click on My Computer.
Double left click on "C" drive.
Now go to "tools" and select Folder options.
Now click on View and select "show hidden files and folders" under the folder Hidden Files and Folders.
Click apply and then OK.
Double left click on the Documents and Settings folder.
Double left click on the main User's Folder. (example: John Doe)
Double left click on the Local Settings folder.
Double left click on the TEMP folder.
Now go to Edit, then select all and click on the delete button on the main toolbar.
You should not delete any files newer than 3 days.
If you don't have a delete button on the toolbar then go to File and then Delete.
Click on yes when asked if you want to send the items to the recycle bin.

How to clear out the Prefetch Folder.

Double left click My Computer.
Double left click on "C" drive.
Double left click on the Windows folder.
Double left click on the Prefetch folder.
Now click on Edit, then Select all.
Now click on delete or go to "File" then Delete.
I would do this about once a month.

Be sure to run Scandisk and Defrag REGULARLY ! Run Scandisk First.
To run a ScanDisk on XP....

Double left Click My Computer.
Right click on "C" Drive.
Click Properties.
Click Tools.
To do a Scandisk Click check now.
Put a check in both boxes "Automatically Fix File System Errors" and "Scan for and attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors".
Then click Start.
Now when asked "Do you want to Schedule this Disk Check to occur the next time you Restart the Computer",
Click Yes.
Now Restart your Computer.
Also be sure to empty the Recycle Bin !

Defrag

Double left Click My Computer.
Right click on "C" Drive.
Click Properties.
Click Tools.
Click on Defragment Now
Click on Defragment

After Following All the Above, Turn System Restore Back On.

Right click My Computer.
Click on Properties.
Click on System Restore Tab.
Remove the check beside of Turn off System Restore.
Click Apply and OK.

Tips on cleaning up your computer: Remove Adware & Spyware

Spyware is software that sends information from the user's computer without their knowledge whenever the computer connects to the Internet. Usually the information sent is benign in nature, mostly concerned with general marketing information (ie., spending habits) rather than specific information like credit card numbers, although some programs are capable of retrieving specific information as well. The problem with Spyware lies in the fact that this information is transmitted without informed consent. Additionally, Spyware programs are sometimes poorly written, containing bugs and causing the computer to malfunction. Spyware does not respect your privacy. If you are bothered with this, then removing adware from your computer might be a consideration. Click HERE to be taken to the Link.

Auto Delete Temporary Folder (XP Pro)

First go to Start, then run and type in gpedit.msc
Next select -> Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Terminal Services/Temporary Folder. Then right click "Do Not Delete Temp Folder Upon Exit" Go to properties and hit disable. Now next time Windows puts a temp file in that folder it will automatically delete it when its done! Remember, GPEDIT (Group Policy Editor) is only available in XP Pro.

How to remove all the System Restore points except the recent one?

All the System Restore points can be cleared by disabling and enabling the System Restore option. However, Windows XP provides an option to clear all the System Restore points except the very recently created point. This can be accomplished through the Disk Cleanup Utility in XP.
Click Start, Run and type CLEANMGR and press Enter.
Select the hard disk partition and press OK.
At the top of the dialog, click the tab More Options.
Under System Restore section, click the button "Clean up..."
Now, all the System Restore points (except the recent one) are cleared and more hard disk space will be free.

Remove Deleted Programs from the Uninstall List

If you deleted a program instead of uninstalling it, most likely the program will still be listed in the windows uninstall list. Follow the directions below to remove programs from list manually.

1. Click on Start then Run and type regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall.
3. Delete the folder of the program.
Also See "How to Manually Remove Programs from the Add or Remove Programs Tool"

A Better Windows XP Disk Cleanup Tool

These instructions will show you how to create an unattended disk cleanup which will also empty your prefetch folder providing Windows XP is installed in c:\windows.

1. Create a new text file and place the following contents inside:
c:\windows\system32\cleanmgr.exe /dc /sageset: 1
c:
cd \
cd c:\windows\prefetch
del *.* /q

2. Save the file, changing the extension from .txt to .bat
Now name it diskclean.bat

3. Execute the file. This will run the Disk Cleanup program in a special mode which asks what items you will want cleaned when Disk Cleanup performs an unattended cleanup. Check the items you wish to have cleaned up, then click OK.

4. Right-click on the diskclean.bat file and click edit. Change the first line to read:

c:\windows\system32\cleanmgr.exe /dc /sagerun: 1

5. Save the file. You can execute this file in place of running Disk Cleanup, or, to have this program run unattended, run the Add Scheduled Task Wizard in the Control Panel and create a scheduled task using the clean.bat file you just created.

Command line & DOS

2009-09-19T04:55:00.001-07:00

Enable the Tab key to complete filenames in command line windows (XP)

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor
"CompletionChar"=dword:00000009

Delete the recycle bin folder at DOS level

Delete the recycled directories (each partition has its own recycled directory) Export [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\BitBucket] when the bin is empty,
and import it after deleting the directories (contains the # of files in the bin) Export
USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon] when
the bin is empty, and import it after deleting the directories (controls which icon [full/empty bin] is
displayed) Note: I used to delete the recycled directories under Windows 98. I do not know whether it works or not under Windows 2000 and XP.

Have DOS execute a batch file when restarting in DOS (98)

In the Windows folder, right-click on ExitToDos > Properties > Program > Advanced > Specify a
new MS DOS configuration. Add your entry to the autoexec.bat section for MS-DOS mode.

How to make a MS-DOS XP Startup Disk

Put a floppy disk in your floppy drive. Go to My computer, and right click on A:/.
Click on format, and then at the bottom, click Make Boot Disk. Click Format.

Communication: Miscellaneous

2009-09-19T04:53:00.000-07:00

Speed up access to network shares (2000-XP)

You can prevent Win2000/XP from checking for scheduled tasks to solve the long delay problem when viewing Win98/ME shares from a Windows 2000/XP computer. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace\Delete{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} after exporting it, in case you want to restore it later. Or you can just rename it.

Run more than one instance of ICQ

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Mirabilis\ICQ\DefaultPrefs.
To allow more than seven registered users, set the string value "NoUsersLimit" to "Yes"
To allow you to launch multiple copies of ICQ, set the string value "MultiInstance" to "Yes"
Warning: ICQ may become unstable, and you probably will have to reinstall it after a couple of days.

Find out your IP Address

9x: Start > Run > type in winipcfg.exe
XP: Start > Run > type in cmd. Now in the C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe box type in ipconfig at the flashing cursor.

Remove Windows Messenger (XP)
Step 1: Disable instant messaging in Outlook Express

Launch Outlook Express Tools > Options > Other Uncheck Enable instant messaging in Microsoft Outlook

Step 2: Uninstall MSN

Open c:\windows\inf\sysoc.inf in Notepad and change to msmsgs=msgrocm.dll, OcEntry, OcEntry, msmsgs.inf, hide,7 to msmsgs=msgrocm.dll, OcEntry, msmsgs.inf,,7 Control Panel> Add or Remove Programs> Add/Remove Windows Components Uninstall MSN Messenger Service
Reboot.

Step 3: If Outlook Express loads slowly after removing MSN

Copy and paste the following line into the Run box (Start>Run) and click OK: RunDll32 advpack.dll, LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf, BLC. Remove
Reboot.

Enable or Disable Messenger Service
Windows 2000

Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services
Scroll down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
Click the STOP button.
Select Disabled or Manual on the Startup Type drop-down menu
Click OK.

Windows XP

Click Start > Control Panel
For Category View only (skip this step for Classic View), click Performance and Maintenance
Click Administrative Tools
Double-click Services
Scroll down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties
Click the STOP button.
Select Disabled or Manual on the Startup Type drop-down menu
Click OK.

Windows XP Home Edition

Click Start > Control Panel
Click Administrative Tools
Click Component Services
Double-click Services Local
Double-click "Messenger" to bring up the options panel
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties
Click the STOP button
Select Disabled or Manual on the Startup Type drop-down menu
Click OK.

Windows NT

Click Start > Control Panel
Double-click Administrative Tools
Select Services > Double-click on Messenger
In the Messenger Properties window, select Stop,
Then choose Disable as the Startup Type
Click OK.

How To Renew/Release Your IP Address
Windows 95/98/ME

Click the Start Button and select the "Run" option. A run program dialog box will appear.
Type "winipcfg" into the box and hit enter. You may have to select your adapter from the drop down menu.
Now left click the "Release All" button, after the computer finishes releasing the ip address, left click the "Renew All" button.

Windows 2000

Click the Start Button and select the "Run" option. A run program dialog box will appear. Type "ipconfig /release" into the box and hit enter. The run box may close. If it does just
Click the Start Button and select the "Run" option again.
Now type "ipconfig /renew" into the box and hit enter.

Windows XP

Click on the Start Menu, All Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt. A black box appears. Just type ipconfig /renew and press enter. When it is done it will say to either close the black box, or will close automatically. Now restart your computer.

NOTE: Cable Modem User's may need to disconnect the power to the modem, then shut down the computer.
Wait at least 30 seconds or more. Now plug in the cable modem and wait till it cycles then restart the computer.
Now check your connection.

Change Default folder when saving Attachments in Outlook Express

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\User Shell Folder. Now double click the Personal string on the right hand side. Back everything out of the Value Data field and paste the path to your new Default location that you want to save your Attachments to. (The new folder should be made prior to doing this. Example: Old path %USERPROFILE%\My Documents New Path: C:\Downloads

Prevent MSN Messenger from automatically signing in

To prevent MSN Messenger from automatically signing in using a registered Microsoft Passport account: click the Start button -> click Run...-> type in: control userpasswords2 -> hit Enter or click OK -> click Advanced tab -> select Manage Passwords -> delete all Passport entries -> click OK/Apply. Then run MSN Messenger -> sign in -> type your passport, e-mail address and password -> uncheck the "Sign me in automatically" box -> save your settings and close MSN Messenger

How to prevent Windows Messenger 4.0 or later from running on a Windows XP-based computer

Use the Group Policy (gpedit.msc) snap-in to turn on the Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run option.

Notes: To use the Group Policy snap-in, you must be logged on to the computer using an account that has administrator permissions. This method prevents programs that use the Messenger APIs from using Windows Messenger. Microsoft Outlook 2002, Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and the Remote Assistance feature in Windows XP are examples of programs that use these APIs and that depend on Windows Messenger. To turn on the Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run option, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type gpedit.msc, and then click OK.
2. In Group Policy, expand Local Computer Policy, expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then expand Windows Messenger.
3. Double-click Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run, and then click Enabled.
4. Click OK.
5. On the File menu, click Exit to quit the Group Policy snap-in.

Windows Messenger 4.0 on a Windows XP Home Edition-based computer

Note: This method does not prevent users from manually running Windows Messenger, but it does prevent Windows Messenger from running automatically every time that you start Windows. Change the preferences in Windows Messenger. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Start Windows Messenger.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Preferences tab.
3. Click to clear the Run this program when Windows starts check box, and then click OK. If you use Outlook Express or Outlook 2002, Windows Messenger may start automatically every time that you run Outlook Express or Outlook.

To prevent Windows Messenger from starting automatically, follow these steps:

Outlook Express
1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab.
2. Click to clear the Automatically log on to Windows Messenger check box, and then click OK.

Outlook 2002
1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab.
2. Click to clear the Enable Instant Messaging in Microsoft Outlook check box, and then click OK.

Windows Messenger 4.5 or later versions on a Windows XP Home Edition-based computer or on a Windows XP Professional-based computer

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Note: This method prevents programs that use the Messenger APIs from using Windows Messenger. Outlook 2002, Outlook Express 6, and the Remote Assistance feature in Windows XP are examples of programs that use these APIs and that depend on Windows Messenger.

1. Start Registry Editor. To do this, click Start, click Run, type regedit.exe, and then click OK. If the following registry subkey already exists, go to step 6: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client
2. Click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key. Type Messenger for the name of the new registry key, and then press ENTER.
4. Click the following registry subkey: key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger
5. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key. Type Client for the name of the new registry key, and then press ENTER.
6. Click the following registry subkey: key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client
7. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value. Type PreventRun for the name of the new DWORD value and then press ENTER.
8. Right-click the PreventRun value that you created in step 7, and then click Modify. In theValue data box, type 1, and then click OK.
9. Quit Registry Editor.

Communication: Dial-up Network

2009-09-19T04:52:00.002-07:00

Save Dial-Up password

If you can't save your dial up password because it's grayed out, then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL-MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network].

DisablePwdCaching must be set to 0 (rather than 1).

I do not have Network in my Windows XP registry.

Dial-Up Network log file (9x)

My Computer>Dial-Up Networking> {right-click a connection}>Properties>Server Type.
Check the box Record a log file for this connection. The log file is in c:\windows\ppplog.txt.

Communication: Internet Explorer

2009-09-19T04:52:00.001-07:00

Macromedia Flash Player cannot be installed or does not work

If you cannot install Macromedia Flash Player from Macromedia's site (i.e., nothing happens when you click the Install Now button), or if Internet Explorer does not display Flash animations, look for the following entry in the registry[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ActiveX Compatibility\ {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000}]
If you find it, delete {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000}, then close Internet Explorer and restart it.

Make Internet Explorer the default browser

Control Panel > Internet Options > Programs
Check the box Check if IE is the default browser (98) or Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser (XP)

Have Internet Explorer bring up the Dial-Up Networking box when opened up

Control Panel > Internet Options > Connections
Single-click the connection you want to be your default connection
Check Dial whenever a network connection is not present or Always dial my default connection.
Click the Set default button.

Stop the Do you want to accept this cookie box from appearing (IE5)

Control Panel > Internet Options , then change your security settings back to Medium (Default). If disabling them on all four security zones, and rebooting, does not rid you of the prompt box, search the registry for Allow Cookies. Any you find with a value of 1, change to 0.

Remove the Content Advisor and Ratings password (9x, XP)

Content Advisor settings are stored in [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ratings] If you no longer have the password, then delete Ratings, and all the settings will be removed.

Change Internet Explorer's title bar

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main] Value Name: Window Title
Data Type: String
Data: Title
To remove a custom Internet Explorer Window title, delete Window Title. "Microsoft Internet Explorer" will become the default title.

Enable/Disable My Pictures Toolbar in IE

This tweak disables the floating toolbar that appears in Internet Explorer allowing an image to be Saved, E-mailed, or Printed. [Start] [Run] [Regedit] Registry Key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Photo Support
Modify/Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s) as detailed below.
Data Type: REG_DWORD // Value Name: MyPics Hoverbar
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]
Exit Registry and Reboot.

Repair Internet Explorer in Windows XP

The ability to Repair Internet Explorer does not exist in the version that ships with Windows XP. This feature only becomes available after you upgrade to a newer version. This is normal and has been this way since Windows 98 and IE4. However, you can reinstall IE in Windows XP by clicking Start, Run and entering the following command: rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 %windir%\Inf\ie.inf
You will need to have your XP CD available. Some people have problems with the command line above. A small VB Script that will execute the command for you can be downloaded HERE. Save the file to your hard drive and double click it to run IE Setup. How to Reinstall or Repair Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows XP (Q318378)http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q318378

Change the Browser Title

This tweak Customizes the Title of the Internet Explorer.
Click Start > Run > Type gpedit.msc
Click User Configuration > Windows Setting > Internet Explorer Maintenance > Browser User Interface
Double click on Browser Title
Click on Customize Title Bars
Type in whatever you want
Click OK

Completely change Internet explorer title

How to change the Internet Explorer title?
start ->run-> gpedit.msc
Choose User Configuration, Windows Settings, Internet Explorer Maintenance, Browser User Interface, and double click
Browser Title. Activate Customize Title Bars, and type something in there. Doesn't matter what. Let's type: QWERTY.
Click Ok.
Fire up Reg editor. (start, run, regedit) go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\InternetExplorer\Main.
Look for the key: Window Title. There you'll find the value: Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by QWERTY.
Change this key to anything you like and exit regedit. Fire up IE and look at the title bar!
If you don't do steps 1 to 3, you won't find the Window Title key!

Fix IE 6 Slowdowns and Hangs

If Internet Explorer (IE) 6 is slowing to a crawl and/or hanging and starts to use 100 percent of CPU time it may well be a corruption of the "Temporary Internet Files folder". In particular, trying to delete Temporary Internet files via Tools, Internet Options or other privacy software seems to trigger this behavior. Also, attempts to view files in the Temporary Internet Files folder may show the folder as already empty when it is not. This behavior occurs because the Temporary Internet files database is corrupt.

The Temporary Internet files aren't really files but entries in %systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\ username%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat. Deleting that file solves the problem. This same problem has occurred for NT users and the fix works for XP. Open a command prompt window on the desktop (Start/Run/command). Exit IE and Windows Explorer (iexplore.exe and explorer.exe, respectively, in Task Manager, i.e. - Ctrl-Alt Del/Task Manager/Processes/End Process for each). Use the following command exactly from your command prompt window to delete the corrupt file: C:\>del "%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat" Restart Windows Explorer with Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del/Task Manager/Applications/New Task/Browse/C:\Windows\explorer.exe[or your path]) or Shutdown/Restart the computer from Task Manager. IE should now work properly.

Sharing bookmarks and favorites

Favorites, known as bookmarks in Netscape Navigator, are a convenient way to organize and link to Web pages that you visit frequently. Internet Explorer automatically imports all your Netscape bookmarks. On the Favorites menu, click the Imported Bookmarks folder to view them. If you use Internet Explorer on several computers, you can easily share favorite items among computers by importing them. Also, if you use both Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator, you can keep your favorites and bookmarks updated with each other by importing them between programs. To import bookmarks or favorites, on the File menu, click Import and Export. To export favorites to bookmarks or favorites on the same or another computer, on the File menu, click Import and Export.
Notes: Exported favorites are saved as regular HTML files, so either Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator can import them. You can export a selected folder in your Favorites list, or all of your favorites. The exported favorites file is fairly small, so if you want to share the favorite items with other people, you can copy it to a floppy disk or folder on a network, or attach it to an e-mail message.

How to Clear the ARP Cache

The Microsoft Windows ARP cache will occasionally become corrupt and need to be cleared. The first symptom you are likely to notice is that connections to web pages will time out and fail. If you troubleshoot further, you will notice that you can `ping` your IP address and also 127.0.0.1, but not other IP addresses. If you try to use Microsoft Windows to repair the network connection, you will receive an error message that says:
Windows could not finish repairing the problem because the following operation could not be completed:
Clearing the ARP cache For assistance, contact the person who manages your network. To fix this error, you will need to clear the ARP cache. This is done with the `netsh` command:
C:\>netsh interface ip delete arpcache
Ok.
If you would like to view your ARP cache, this can be accomplished using the `arp` command:
C:\>arp -a

Interface: 192.168.1.100 --- 0x10004
Internet Address Physical Address Type
192.168.1.1 00-0f-66-37-22-32 dynamic

Windows: Miscellaneous

2009-09-19T04:51:00.001-07:00

Enable or disable Error Reporting (XP)

Start>Control Panel>System>Advanced>Error Reporting

Enable or disable Task Scheduler at startup (XP)

Start>Run>services.msc>OK.
Double-click Task Scheduler and select the Startup type you want. If you also want to prevent Win2000/XP from
scanning shared files for scheduled tasks, read:
Speed up access to network shares.

Remove FindFast (98)

FindFast is a program that indexes MS Office documents to make them easier to find and open. But FindFast
destroys the efficiency of the rest of the system. If you just take FindFast out of the Startup group, Office
applications will continue to use the indices that were created. To correctly disable FindFast, you must delete the
FindFast index files.
1. Start>Settings>Control Panel>FindFast
2. In the Index for documents in and below list, click the first item.
3. On the Index menu, click Delete Index.
4. In the Delete Index dialog box, click OK.
5. When you are prompted whether to delete the index, click OK.
6. Repeat above until no more indices are listed.
7. On the Index Menu, click Close and Stop. Then, click OK.
8. Do either of the following:
Remove the FindFast shortcut from the Startup folder, and uncheck ffast.exe in start>run>msconfig>startup. Run the Microsoft Office 97 Setup program in maintenance mode, and remove FindFast.

Turn off Window animation (maximize-minimize) to speed up your work

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop\WindowMetric
Create the string value MinAnimate. Set it to 0 (off) or 1 (on)

Set Highlight and shadow of 3D-objects

By default, they are set in dependence of the button face.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors] Edit the corresponding names to change RGB Data

Restore the ability to display .ico files

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\icofile\DefaultIcon]: Make sure the "(Default)" value is set to "%1"
If [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\icofile] or [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\icofile\DefaultIcon] does not exist, cut and paste the
following into a .reg file and merge it into your registry:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.ico]@="icofile"
"Content Type"="image/x-icon"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\icofile]@="Icon"
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,01,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\icofile\DefaultIcon]@="%1"

Remove invalid entries in Add/Remove Programs

The entries that show up in Add/Remove Programs are stored under[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall]. Deleting entries will only remove
the ability to uninstall items through Add/Remove Programs.

Use Windows Update without being registered

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion] Create the string value RegDone, value = 1

Microsoft spy
To prevent Microsoft from reading your HWID (Hardware ID) and MSID:

Run (Win98) regsvr32 -u c:\windows\system\regwizc.dll or (Win XP) regsvr32 -u
c:\windows\system32\regwizc.dll (To go back to the default setting, do not use -u)[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]:
Delete the string value HWID
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]:
Delete the string value MSID

Change the Blue Screen of Death's colors

In system.ini, add the following two lines under [386Enh]:
MessageBackColor={color code}
MessageTextColor={color code}
Not tested with Windows XP

Colors Dark Light

Black 0 8

Blue 1 9

Green 2 A

Cyan 3 B

Red 4 C

Maganda 5 D

Yellow 6 E

White 7 F

Colors	Dark	Light
Black	0	8
Blue	1	9
Green	2	A
Cyan	3	B
Red	4	C
Maganda	5	D
Yellow	6	E
White	7	F

Change registered owner and organization

9x: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]
XP: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion]
Value Names: RegisteredOwner, RegisteredOrganization
Data Type: REG_SZ

Find registered owner and cd key to reinstall windows (98)

There is a system.1st file in the root unless it was deleted. It's a copy of the registry when Windows was last successfully installed. Use the Dos Editor to find Productkey. The registered owner's name is several lines above and to the right of it. You can make a text version of the registry by typing the following 2 lines in DOS mode:
regedit/e c:\hklm.reg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (Output: c:\hklm.reg)
regedit/e c:\hku.reg hkey users (Output: c:\hku.reg)

Include manufacturer and support details in the System Properties dialog box

You need to create two files in the Windows system directory (c:\windows\system, or
c:\windows\system32): oeminfo.ini and oemlogo.bmp.
oeminfo.ini
[General]
Manufacturer=Enter the Company Name Here
Model=Enter the Computer Model Name Here
[Support Information]
Line1=first line of support information
Line2=second line (Create as many lines as you need by incrementing the line number)
oemlogo.bmp: Up to 180 x 120 pixels
Open System Properties from the Control Panel, and your logo and company name will be listed. The details you entered in the Support Information section will show up when you click on the Support Information button.

Change the number of registry backups (98)

Edit Scanreg.ini (But only five choices are given in scanreg/restore)

System file checker

Start > Run, then type SFC, and click OK. You may need your Windows CD.

Windows Xp

Start > Run, then type sfc /scannow and click OK. You will need the Windows CD unless you copied the I386 folder to C:\ drive during installation. If you didn't install the I386 folder you can copy it to C:\ drive from the CD then
Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion|Setup
Now on the right hand side double click SourcePath and Replace D:| with C:\
Now if you run sfc /scannow you should not be asked to insert your Windows XP CD.
Try sfc /scannow again!

Play or do not play your CD's automatically (AIN, Autorun, AutoPlay)
Windows XP

Auto Insert Notification:
Open the Group Policy window (Start > Run > GPEDIT.MSC)
Computer Configuration >Administrative Templates > System
Double-click Turn off Autoplay (Left pane)
Click the appropriate radio button
Select an option in the combo box ("Turn off Autoplay on")
Click Apply, and close the Group Policy window
Autorun:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom
In the left pane, set Autorun to 0 (Disabled) or 1 (Enabled)
AutoPlay:
Left-click the CD drive, then click Properties > AutoPlay
Adjust the settings for the various content types

Windows 2000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CDRom]
Enable: "Autorun"="1"
Disable: "Autorun"="0"

Windows 98

You must enable both Auto Insert Notification and Autorun if you want Windows to play automatically your CD's. Auto Insert Notification: If you disable Auto Insert Notification, Autorun will be disabled, and My Computer or Explorer will not be updated when a CD is inserted or removed. You will have to press F5 to refresh it yourself.
Control Panel > System > Device Manager > Right-click the actual CDROM drive > Properties >
Settings > Check or uncheck Auto Insert Notification
Autorun:
If you disable Autorun, commands in the Autorun.inf file will be ignored.[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
Enable: "NoDriveTypeAutoRun" = "95 00 00 00"
Disable: "NoDriveTypeAutoRun" = "BD 00 00 00"

All

You may have to reboot. If you hold down the Shift key when inserting the CD, Auto Insert Notification is temporarily disabled.

Search the content of .cab files
First Option

Use Windows Search feature to locate *.cab containing

Second Option (98):If need to be replaced.

Run sfc
Click Extract one file from installation disk
Specify the system file you would like to restore:
Start Restore From box:
Save File In box:
OK > OK > OK > Yes. Reboot

Number Lock (Numlock)

1. You may either set it in the bios, or (9x) add this line to Config.sys:

NUMLOCK=OFF (Or ON)

2. If it still doesn't work, set InitialKeyboardIndicators to 0 (OFF) or 2 (ON) in the registry:

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard]
"InitialKeyboardIndicators"="2"
[HKEY_USERS\{Long key that doesn't end in classes}\Control Panel\Keyboard]
"InitialKeyboardIndicators"="2"

Fix Icons (If Windows shows the wrong icons)
Windows XP

Go to C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Application DataDelete IconCache.db
Reboot

Windows 9x

Go to c:\windows
Delete ShellIconCache
Reboot.
If the problem persist, increase the icon cache size[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
MaxCachedIcons=4096
then delete ShellIconCache.

Military Time
Windows XP:

Control Panel > Regional and Language Options > Customize > Time In Time format, replace h by H

Windows 98:

Control Panel > Regional Settings > Time In Time Style, replace h by H

Msdos.sys (9x)

Keywords	Default	What It Does
AutoScan	2	When a shutdown error is found, Scandisk will not run (0), will prompt you (1), or will run automatically (2).
BootKeys	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) the use of boot-option function keys while starting Windows. When Bootkeys is disabled, BootDelay, BootMenu, BootMenuDefault, BootMenuDelay, and BootMulti are ignored.
BootDelay	2	Number of seconds the Starting Windows message is displayed to give you enough time to press F8. W95 only.
BootMenu	0	Disables (0) or enables (1) the display of the start-up menu.
BootMenuDefault	1	Menu item that will be selected if you don't select one before the time specified by the BootMenuDelay setting expires. 1: Normal 2: Logged (c:\bootlog.txt) 3: Safe-Mode default (no networking components) 4: Safe-Mode default (networked computer)
BootMenuDelay	30	Number of seconds to display the Windows Startup menu before running the default menu item.
DisableLog	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) the creation of a bootlog.txt.
DoubleBuffer	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) loading of a double-buffering driver for a SCSI controller.
BootGUI	1	Command line (0), or graphical interface (1).
BootMulti	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) dual-boot capabilities.
BootSafe	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) the Safe Mode warning.
BootWarn	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) the Safe Mode startup warning.
BootWin	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) Windows as the default operating system. To be used with DOS 5 or 6.x.
DblSpace	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) loading of dblspace.bin.
DrvSpace	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) loading of drvspace.bin.
LoadTop	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) loading of command.com or drvspace.bin at the top of 640K memory.
Logo	1	Disables (0) or enables (1) the display of the animated logo when Windows processes config.sys and autoexec.bat.

Uninstall Additional Windows Components

To add additional components to the Add/Remove Programs list (Windows Components): Start Windows Explorer, and navigate to the inf folder in your Windows folder. Windows Explorer must be set to Show hidden files and folders. You can adjust this from the Tools menu, Folder Options, View tab (and while you are there, un-check Hide extensions for known file types too). Now find the file Sysoc.inf, and Open it (double-click) You will find several lines that include the word hide: xxxx=xxxx.dll,xxxx,xxxx.inf,hide,7 Remove the word hide, so that the line now reads: xxxx=xxxx.dll,xxxx,xxxx.inf,,7 Save the file, and close it Select Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel and click on Add/Remove Windows Components.Several additional Windows components will now be listed, and you will be able to remove them. Here's a list what some of the listings mean:
WBEM - Windows Management Instrumentation
com - COM+ (Provides support for developing and deploying distributed, component-based applications) dtc - Distributed Transaction Coordinator (Coordinates distributed transactions between multiple clients, servers, and resource managers)
AutoUpdate - Windows Automatic Updates
msmsgs - Windows Messenger
CommApps - Communications
MultiM - Multimedia
AccessOpt - Accessibility Wizard
Pinball - Yep, the game
MSWordPad - WordPad

Be careful about uninstalling certain parts (WEBM, com, dtc, and maybe even CommApps and MultiM), as it might break some functions in Windows!

Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows Users

Here is how to navigate Windows if your mouse has stopped working or if you want to save time by not moving your hand back and forth. When Windows first starts up and your desktop is displayed, an icon is already highlighted in order to select other icons, use your arrow keys to move among the icons. Once they are highlighted, you can hit your enter key instead of double-clicking them with your mouse. To access the start menu, most keyboards have a window key that you can use to open the start menu. If your keyboard doesn't have a windows key, you can hit ctrl and esc to open it. Once the start menu is open, you can use your arrow keys to move among the items and use your enter key to open the items. When you are at a dialog window you can move through all the option areas by hitting tab. Once you are at the area that you want to be in, use your arrow keys and your enter key to open the item. If you want to check or uncheck a box with your keyboard, get to that area by using tab and then click your spacebar to check or uncheck.

Here are more keyboard commands:

CTRL+ TAB - Move forward through tabs.
CTRL+ SHIFT + TAB - Move backward through tabs.
TAB - Move forward through options.
SHIFT+ TAB - Move backward through options.
ALT+ Underlined letter - Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option.
ENTER - Carry out the command for the active option or button.
SPACEBAR - Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box.
Arrow keys - Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
F1 - Display help.
F4 - Display the items in the active list.
BACKSPACE - Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.
CTRL + C - Copy
CTRL+ X - Cut
CTRL+ V - Paste
CTRL+ Z - Undo
DELETE - Delete
SHIFT+ DELETE - Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
CTRL while dragging an item - Copy selected item.
CTRL+ SHIFT while dragging an item - Create shortcut to selected item.
F2 - Rename selected item.
CTRL+ RIGHT ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.
CTRL+ LEFT ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
CTRL+ DOWN ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.
CTRL+ UP ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
CTRL+ SHIFT with any of the arrow keys - Highlight a block of text.
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys - Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop,or select text within a document.
CTRL+ A - Select all.
F3 - Search for a file or folder.
ALT+ ENTER - View properties for the selected item.
ALT+F4 - Close the active item, or quit the active program.
ALT+ Enter - Displays the properties of the selected object.
ALT+ SPACEBAR - Opens the shortcut menu for the active window.
CTRL+F4 - close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously.
ALT+ TAB - Switch between open items.
ALT+ ESC - Cycle through items in the order they were opened.
F6 - Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
F4 - Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
SHIFT+F10 - Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
ALT+ SPACEBAR - Display the System menu for the active window.
CTRL+ ESC - Display the Start menu.
ALT+ Underlined letter in a menu name - Display the corresponding menu Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu - Carry out the corresponding demand.
F10 - Activate the menu bar in the active program.
RIGHT ARROW - Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.
LEFT ARROW - Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.
F5 - Refresh the active window.
BACKSPACE - View the folder one level up in My computer or Windows Explorer.
ESC - Cancel the current task.
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-Rom drive - Prevent the CD from automatically playing.
Windows Key - Display or hide the Start menu.
Windows Key+ BREAK - Display the System Properties dialog box.
Windows Key+ D - Show the desktop.
Windows Key+ M - Minimize all windows.
Windows Key+ Shift+ M - Restores minimized windows.
Windows Key+ E - Open My Computer.
Windows Key+ F - Search for a file or folder.
CTRL+ Windows Key+ F - Search for computers.
Windows Key+F1 - Display Windows Help.
Windows Key+ L - Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain.
Windows Key+ R - Open the Run dialog box.
Windows Key+ U - Open Utility Manager.

Remember that some of these commands will only work in some versions of Windows (i.e. 95, 98, ME, XP, 2000).

Windows XP clear Page File on Shutdown

Go to Control panel Administrative tools, local security policy. then goto local policies > securityoptions. Then change
the option for "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile"

Enable or Disable Firewall

Open Control Panel and double click on Network Connections. In the new box that appears right click on the Connection and click on the Advanced tab. Check or uncheck the box according to your desire.

Turn off Indexing to speed up XP

Windows XP keeps a record of all files on the hard disk so when you do a search on the hard drive it is faster. There is a downside to this and because the computer has to index all files, it will slow down normal file commands like open, close, etc. If you do not do a whole lot of searches on your hard drive then I suggest turning this feature off:
Control Panel
Administrative Tools
Services
Disable Indexing Services

Delete Prefetch files in XP Automatically

Here's an easy way to delete your Prefetch:
Go into My Computer and go into your hard drive.
Right-click anywhere that a file is not and select the 'New' submenu and click 'Text Document'
Name it "deleteprefetch"
Double-click on the text file you just created.
Type "del C:\Windows\Prefetch\*.* /Q" (without the quotes).
Go to File > Save As... and choose "All Files" from the "Save as Type" box and save it as " deleteprefetch.bat"
You just created a batch file that will automatically delete all the files in your Prefetch folder by double clicking on it.
Congrats, you just emptied the Prefetch folder Automatically!
Click HERE to download one already made! Just save it to your C:\ drive.

Make icons in windows appear quicker (XP)

In Windows XP every time you open My Computer to browse folders XP automatically searches for network files and printers. This causes a delay in displaying your icons. You probably see the " default" windows icon and as you scroll it changes to the correct icon. This is how to stop that...
Open My Computer
Click on the Tools menu and select Folder Options...
Under Folder Options select the view tab.
Uncheck the very first box that reads "Automatically search for network folders and printers".
Click "Apply" or "OK"
You should see a dramatic increase in speed when Windows displays your icons.

How to remove An Invalid Boot Path From The Boot Ini File

Click the Start button.
On the Start Menu click Run.
In the Run dialog box type: msconfig.
The System configuration utility window will now open.
Click the Boot ini Tab.
In the boot ini tab click the button marked Check all boot paths.
The system will check the boot paths and remove any invalid ones.
Finally Close the System configuration utility.
You will need to restart your pc for the changes to take effect.

How to Delete An Undeletable File

Click the Start Button.
Click All Programs followed by Accessories.
In the Accessories drop down menu click Command Prompt.
The Command Prompt window will now open.
Close all other programs that are running with the exception of the Command Prompt.
Now click Start and then Run.
In the Run dialog box type: taskmgr.exe.
In the Task Manager window click on the Processes tab.
From the processes list highlight Explorer.exe and then click the End Process button.
Don't close the Task Manager window, leave it open. You should have the Command Prompt and the Task Manager window open.
Now return to the Command Prompt window and change the directory to the directory that contains the file(s) you wish to delete.
At the Command Prompt type: del (filename) (where the (filename) is the name of the file you want to delete).
Press Enter to delete the file.
Now go back to the Task Manager window.
Click File>New Task.
In the New task dialog box type: explorer.exe.
The Explorer User Interface (GUI) should now start.
Finally close the Task Manager Window and the Command Prompt Window.

No Items Appear in the Device Manager List When You Open It

SYMPTOMS
When you open Device Manager, no devices appear in the list. Instead, a blank window appears.
CAUSE
This behavior occurs if the Plug and Play service is turned off (disabled).
RESOLUTION
To resolve this behavior, set the startup type for Plug and Play to Automatic. To do so, follow these steps:
Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK.
Double-click Plug and Play.
If you receive a Configuration Manager message, click OK.
In the Startup Type list, click Automatic, and then click OK.
Close Services.
Restart the computer.
ALSO,
Take a look at these site's for Blank Device Manager caused by Spyware:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14679793
http://swandog46.geekstogo.com/ (AproposFix)

Create your own Self-extracting/Self-installing Package with the XP Wizard

The following will show you how to use the Iexpress2.0 tool.
The tool allows you to make a self extracting file and much more
To play with this hidden feature of XP :
Navigate to : Windows\system32\ look for a file called iexpress.exe.
Double left click on it and follow the wizard.

Get System Uptime Only - Windows XP Pro

In XP Pro, in order to get your uptime you must execute the SYSTEMINFO command at the CMD terminal. As you
know, this produces other system information output, and you have to scroll up to see your uptime. If you wish to
receive ONLY your uptime information, simply copy and paste the following into notepad
@echo.

@systeminfo | @find "System Up Time:"

@echo

And save as UPTIME.BAT (save to your windows dir if you want to be able to access it anywhere) Now when you type UPTIME you will see just:
---------------------------
System Up Time: 5 Days, 20 Hours, 13 Minutes, 46 Seconds
---------------------------
Also, if you wish to create a shortcut to IP.BAT, or run it via the Run command, it may close before you can view the result To stop this, add @pause after the last @echo. command, this will cause the terminal to wait for your response before closing. Example:

@echo.

@systeminfo | @find "System Up Time:"

@echo.

@pause

will result
---------------------------
System Up Time: 5 Days, 20 Hours, 13 Minutes, 46 Seconds
Press any key to continue . . .

Windows: On & Off

2009-09-19T04:49:00.000-07:00

Enable or disable Scandisk/Chkdsk on system reboot

If you disable the automatic execution of Scandisk (Win98, ME) or Chkdsk (Win2K, XP), you should run it manually about every two weeks to maintain the integrity of your PC's file system

Windows XP

Start>Run>chkntfs /x [drive] [drive]
For example, if you want to disable Chkdsk from running on drive C: chkntfs /x c:
Chkntfs works by modifying the BootExecute value in the Registry.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\CONTROL\Session Manager
The default value is BootExecute:REG_MULTI_SZ:autocheck autochk *
Chkdsk /f /r is unaffected by chkntfs and can be run to check volumes manually on the next system reboot.

Windows 98/ME

Start>Run>Msconfig>Advanced>Disable Scandisk after bad shutdown Win98:
If you prefer to play with the Msdos. sys file:
Add AutoScan=0 to the [Options] section.
WinMe: If you prefer to play with the Registry:
Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]
Value Name: DisableScandiskOnBoot
Data Type: REG_BINARY
Value Data: 01

Warm boot (9x)

Go to the Start Menu and click on shut down. Then make sure that in the selection box the Restart option is selected, then hold down the shift key and press Restart.

Restart the computer from a shortcut

c:\windows\rundll.exe user.exe, exitwindowsexec
c:\windows\rundll.exe shell32.dll, SHExitWindowsEX 2

Shutdown Problems

Windows XP
Control Panel>Power Options>APM
Check Enable Advanced Power Management support

Windows 9x

Msconfig>Advanced>Disable Fast Shutdown.
The exit windows .wav file can also cause this.
Windows 98 SE: Article and Patch (Microsoft site)
If your computer still won't shut down properly, check this page.

Run programs at shutdown

The start command allows you to run DOS and Windows programs from a batch file. The /w switch allows the program to finish running before the next program starts running. For example, if you want to run scandisk before shutting down, you need the following batch file: @echo off start /w
c:\windows\scandskw.exe /a /n start c:\windows\rundll32.exec:\windows\system\shell32.dll,shexitwindowsex 1
Create a shortcut to your batch file, then click it when you want to shutdown.

Shut down programs when shutting down windows

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] Create the string value AutoEndTasks, value = 1. Reboot.

Invalid directory

If a directory is left open at shutdown, and is deleted from DOS, and Windows is no longer saving Explorer folder settings, you will get a message about an invalid directory when you boot up. Simply re-enable the save option and reboot.
(TweakUI's Explorer tab). You can also get this message if a reference to a non-existent folder exists in the startup folder, or is referenced in the registry. Check startup with msconfig. If that reveals nothing, search the registry for the folder name and delete the entries.

Change Windows Logo (9x)

Win9x logo files must be 30x400-256 colors. When viewed during startup, Windows stretches them to 640x400, so keep that in mind if you're designing your own logos, else it will throw the aspect ratio off. The default image is in oi.sys. The startup logo file (logo.sys) goes in the root directory. If your drive is compressed, logo.sys needs to be placed in the host drive.
The shutdown logo files go in the windows directory:
The Please Wait logo is in the logow.sys
The Shutdown logo is in the logos.sys

Disable or Enable Windows XP Auto Updates

To modify your autoupdate settings for Windows XP, use the following steps.
Click on START.
Click on either CONTROL PANEL or SETTINGS, then CONTROL PANEL (depending on how your desktop is configured).
If you are using Category View, click on PERFORMANCE & MAINTENANCE, then the SYSTEM icon.
If you are using Classic View, simply click on SYSTEM.
Click on the AUTOMATIC UPDATES tab.
Click on the KEEP MY COMPUTER UP TO DATE option to either turn on or off autoupdates. If you turn autoupdates on, you will then be able to choose from the three autoupdate options mentioned previously.
Simply click on the radio button next to the option you want to select.
Click on APPLY, and then click on OK.

Windows: Passwords

2009-09-19T04:48:00.002-07:00

Prevent Password Expiration (XP Pro Only)

By default, Windows XP passwords will expire after 42 days. Fourteen days before the expiration date, you will
receive the message "Your password will expire in 14 days" when you log on. If you do not want your password to expire, Click Start, Run, then type control userpasswords2
Click the Advanced tab, then the Advanced button
Left pane: Click Users
Right pane: Right-click the username, then select Properties
Check Password never expires on the General tab

Set a minimum password length (98)

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network] Create the dword value MinPwdLen. Set it to the minimum length you want.

Access Windows 2000 from Windows 98 without a password

On the Windows 200 machine, right-click My Computer, then click Manage System Tools>Local Users and
Groups>Users
In the right pane, double-click the Guest account, uncheck Account is disabled Make sure the password is set blank
The hard disk must have a share name other than C$

Automatic logon without name or password (9x)

This setting allows Windows clients to logon without entering a user name or password, therefore bypassing the logo box. Create the string value Default Password, under Winlogon (see key below). Modify the Default Password's data to match the default users password. The default username is stored at:[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon]-Username
Reboot and the system should automatically logon.
NOTE: The password is stored in clear text.
Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
Value Name: Default Password
Data: REG_SZ

Prevent a Windows logon prompt at startup
Windows XP

Control Panel>User Accounts>Change an account
Do not enter a password

Windows 2000

Control Panel>System>Network Identification>Network ID>Next>This computer is for home use...>Next>Windows
always assumes the following user has logged on to this computer (enter no password)>Next>Finish

Windows 9x

1. Do not Clear last user at logon
If you didn't check Clear last user at logon, go to step 2. Either use TweakUI's Paranoia tab and uncheck Clear Last User a logon.Or go toHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Winlogon, delete all the
named values, except DontDisplayLastUserName, and set it to zero.

2. Remove password
a) If you don't have a password, go to step 3
b) If you don't know your current logon password
Delete the .pwl file from the c:\windows folder
Delete the equivalent entry from c:\windows\system.ini [Password Lists]
c) If you know your current password
Control Panel>Passwords>Change Passwords>Change Windows Password
Type current password in the Old Password box
Leave the New Password and Confirm New Password boxes blank
Click OK>OK

3. User profile
Control Panel>Passwords>User Profile
Select All users of this PC use the same preferences and desktop settings
Click Close

4. Network
Control Panel>Network>Configuration
Ensure Microsoft Family Logon is installed and that it is the Primary Network
(Use client for Microsoft Networks if you're on a LAN)

5. Reboot
When asked for a username and password, enter a username and hit Enter
Hit Enter to confirm the blank password
You'll never be asked for your password again

Delete your screen saver password if you forgot it (98)

Go into DOS and type edit control.ini. Look for a line PWProtected=1 : Change it so it says PWProtected=0

Why does user logon screen come up after standby mode in XP Pro

From a security perspective, XP Pro should prompt for your password when coming off standby or hibernation mode. But if your workstation is at home or in a very secured location, to disable this important security feature:
Start the Power Options Control Panel applet

Start.
Control Panel.
Power Options.
Select the Advanced tab.
Uncheck the Prompt for password when computer goes off standby check box.
Click OK.

Windows: Windows Explorer

2009-09-19T04:48:00.001-07:00

Stop folders opening in their own windows (XP)

If selecting Open each folder in the same window in Folder Options does not solve the problem, start Regedit,
locate the following key, and set Default to none (Type the word none).
Key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell
Name: Default
Type: RG_SZ
Value: none

Enable and disable Windows support for ZIP files (XP)

Click Start, then Run and type:
Enable: regsvr32 zipfldr.dll
Disable: regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll
You may have to reboot.

Change the name or location of system folders

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
Edit folder names.

Create a folder shortcut (XP)

A folder shortcut is not a shortcut to a folder. Like the Control Panel, a folder shortcut is always visible at the
bottom of Windows Explorer's left pane, and it can be used as a regular folder.
Go to c:\Documents and Settings\{username}\NetHood
While holding down the mouse right button, drag a folder and drop it into the NetHood folder. A contextual menu
will appear: Select Create Shortcuts Here.
Drag the shortcut to the Desktop.

Command switches for Windows Explorer

Explorer [/n] [/e] [,/root,] [[,/select],_{] /n: Opens a new window in single-paned ( My Computer) view for each item selected, even if the new window duplicates a window that is already open.

/e: Uses Windows Explorer View. Similar to File Manager in Windows 3x. The default view is Open View.

/root, : Specifies the root level of the specified view. The default is to use the normal namespace root (the desktop). Whatever is specified is the root for the display.

/select, _{: Specifies the folder to receive the initial focus. If "/select" is used, the parent folder is opened and the specified object is selected.}}

New command missing in Windows Explorer

After you install Internet Explorer with the Windows Desktop Update component, the New command may be
missing when you click the File menu in Windows Explorer you right-click the desktop Go to:[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\New], and change the default value to {D969A300-E7FF-11d0-A93B-00A0C90F2719}

Remove entries from the context sensitive menu

Windows Explorer > Tools (View in win98) > Folder Options > File types. In the list, double click on Folder, then Advanced (No Advanced in win98) Select an entry from the Actions list, and press Remove.

Enable and disable Windows Picture and Fax Viewer (XP)

You can register or unregister shimgvw.dll to enable or disable WPFV:
Enable: Start > Run > regsvr32 shimgvw.dll
Disable: Start > Run > regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll
Note: If you unregister shimgvw.dll, Windows Explorer will not display thumbnails anymore. So the registry tweak is a much better way to disable WPFV. If PhotoEd is installed, it will open picture files after WPFV is disabled.

Open unknown files with Notepad

Go to [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell] (create it, if it doesn't exist) Under shell, create a new key called open, and edit the string "(Default)" to read "Open With Notepad". Under open, create a new key called command, and edit the string "(Default)" to read "notepad.exe %1".

Uncheck "Always use this program to open these files"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell\openas\command]:
Default is c:\windows\rundll32.exe
Shell32.dll,OpenAs_Rundll %1
Change it to c:\windows\rundll32.exe Shell32.dll,OpenAs_Rundll %1 %2
Close regedit, and hit F5.

Thumbnails (XP)
Turn off filenames in thumbnail view

Open the folder, or switch to thumbnail view, while holding down the Shift key.

Change thumbnail size

By default, thumbnails are 96x96 pixels in size. You can change this value for the current user or all users. Current user: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
All users: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
Go to either key, select Explorer, then create a DWORD value called ThumbnailSize. Double-click it, select Decimal in
the Base section, and enter a value between 32 and 256. Restart Windows Explorer.

Disable thumbnail caching (thumbs.db)

When you switch to thumbnail view, Windows creates hidden thumbs.db files (thumbnail cache) to speed up access to the thumbnails. This is nice but these files also contain the thumbnails of deleted pictures. You can delete the files, but Windows will recreate them as soon as you go back into the folders. You can, however, tell Windows not to cache thumbnails. Control Panel > Folder Options On the View tab, check Do not cache thumbnails. You will have to delete the thumbs.db files that already exist (Use the Search feature).

Restore .exe association
Symptoms:

Computer will not run any program. A message saying that a program needed to run the program pops up

Resolution:

Rename regedit.exe as regedit.com
Copy & paste the following into Notepad, save it as FixExe.reg, and double-click it to merge it into the registry:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
Rename regedit.com as regedit.exe

Save and restore associations (98)

Export [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT]
Install your new program.
If there are file association problems, all you have to do is import back the .reg file you created.

Open rather than run a batch file when clicking it

Go to [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell\open\command]
Change the default value to notepad.exe %1

Change folders' icons
Windows XP

Right click the folder, click Properties
Customize > Change icon

Windows 98

To change the icon for a single folder:
Create a desktop.ini file -- in the folder -- that contains: [.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile={name and path of the file that contains the icon}
IconIndex=xx (xx = Zero-based icon # in file)
InfoTip={An optional description for the folder that displays in webview}

To change all folder icons:
Explorer > View > Folder Options >File Types > File Folder > Edit > Change Icon

Disable the Windows folder's warning message
Windows XP

Windows Explorer: Tools > Folder Options > View > Display the contents of system folders

Windows 98

Rename the hidden file c:\windows\folder.httcopy c:\program\ files\folder.htt to c:\windows\folder.htt

Change drive letters (XP)

Start>Run>diskmgmt.msc>OK
Right-click the drive, click change drive letter and paths..., then click change
Warning: Do not change Windows drive letter (usually C:).

SendTo Any Folder

It has been stated that the sendto any folder option is not available. Well, that's not exactly true. It's available if you right click on the windows explorer tool bar. Choose customize. There you can add or remove buttons from the tool bar. Choose to add "move to" or "copy to". The buttons are then added to the tool bar. When you click those buttons then a browser window opens, choose the folder you want and voila!! It copies or moves the file. Also the Location of the sendto folder in XP is located in:
Go to My Computer.
Double click C:\ Drive.
Double click on the user's name folder.
You should now see the Sendto folder.
If you don't see the Sendto folder the folder is hidden.
Go to Tools then Folder Options, View.
Now select "Show Hidden Files and Folders" then OK. You should now see the SendTo Folder.

Windows: Taskbar

2009-09-19T04:46:00.002-07:00

Disable or customize taskbar grouping (XP)
Disable taskbar grouping

Right-click the taskbar, and select Properties.
Uncheck Group similar taskbar buttons.

Customize taskbar grouping

The taskbar buttons are grouped when you have three or more windows of the same program open. You can change this value:[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
"TaskbarGroupSize"=dword:00000003
"00000003" is the default value. Change it to what you want.

Restore the show desktop shortcut in the taskbar's quick launch toolbar

Go to C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch In this
folder, create a text file named ShowDesktop.scf with the following content:
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

Grayed out toolbar

If everything is grayed out when you right click the taskbar and point to toolbars, you need to enable Internet Explorer on Tweak UI's IE4 tab. You may also need to enable the active desktop and allow changes to the active desktop, also on the IE4 tab.

Put the modem status in the system tray
Windows XP

Network Connections > {Right-click your connection}> Properties > General > Show icon in notification area when connected

Windows 98

Dial-Up Networking > {Right click your connection}> Properties > General > Configure > Options > Display modem status

Put Network Icon In System tray (XP)

To put an icon in your Windows XP system tray that shows when programs are using your network connection, choose Start, Control Panel, Network Connections, right-click the network connection you want to monitor, choose Properties, check Show icon in notification area when connected, and click OK.

Add a Folder to the Taskbar

Right click on the Tasksbar, and select Toolbars and click New Toolbar. Browse to the Folder you want and all the items in your chosen folder will be added to your taskbar. You can remove the toolbar from the Taskbar by right-clicking on the tasksbar and choosing the item to remove the check mark.

Windows: Desktop

2009-09-19T04:46:00.001-07:00

Make the background of desktop icons transparent (XP)

Control Panel > System > Advanced > {Performance} Settings.
On the Visual Effects tab, check Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop.

Restore My Documents folder if deleted (98)

To restore My Documents to the Desktop, click Start, then Run, and type:rundll32 mydocs.dll, RestoreMyDocsFolder

Remove shortcut icon arrows

Go to [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\LNKFILE], and delete IsShortcut
Go to [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PIFFILE], and delete IsShortcut

Change My Computer's Icon

Windows 98: Control Panel > Display > Appearance
Windows XP: Control Panel > Display > Desktop > Customize Desktop

Hide Icon
Hide all Desktop icons (9x/XP)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
NoDesktop (DWORD value):
Set to 1 to hide all icons.
Delete NoDesktop to undo.
Hit F5 to refresh the desktop.
Hide Network Neighborhood, My Network Places (9x)
Run Poledit.exe (You may have to install it: It is on your Windows CD in\tools\reskit\netadmin\poledit).
File > Open Registry > (double click) Local User > Shell > Restrictions
Check Hide Network Neighborhood or/and My Network Places
OK > File > Save
Reboot.

Hide My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, Internet Explorer (XP)

Right-click on the desktop, then click Properties > Desktop > Customize Desktop

Hide My Computer (9x/XP)

Create a transparent icon or create a bmp file that consists of a single pixel.
In Display properties effects, change the My Computer icon to point at your new icon.
Rename My Computer to one space.

Add and remove item types from the New Menu
Add Item Types

When you right-click on your desktop, there is a New submenu that contains a list of templates. A template is visible
if the related entry in the [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT] hive associated with a file extension has a sub-key called
ShellNew.
For example, on the New submenu there is an entry for Text Document. This entry is visible because of the key [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt\ShellNew]. Create a blank document of the corresponding application, and put it into the Windows\ShellNew Folder. Go to that file type under [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT], create a subkey named ShellNew and create the string-value File Name in it. Change this string's value to the blank document's filename.

Ex: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.wav\ShellNew\FileName], and FileName's value = "sndrec.wav".

Remove Item Types

Read Add Item Types, and delete or rename the subkey named ShellNew. Hit F5 to update the items in the New
submenu.

Save color scheme

Export [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Appearance\Schemes\{Name of Scheme}]

Create tool tips for desktop icons.

Search the registry for keys with the name Info Tip. You may replace the descriptions and you may add Info Tip keys
for other Class-IDs.

Create a button to Reboot Windows XP

To create a reboot icon on your desktop: Right click on an open area of the desktop Select New/Shortcut Enter in
"shutdown -r -t 00" - no quotes Press Next For the name, enter Reboot or anything you like.
Click Finish.

Remove Shortcut arrow from Desktop icons

Here's how you can remove those shortcut arrows from your desktop icons in Windows XP. Start regedit. Navigate
to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTlnkfile Delete the IsShortcut registry value. You may need to restart Windows XP.

Performance Increase through My Computer

Start > Right Click on My Computer and select properties.
Click on the "Advanced" tab
See the "Performance" section? Click "Settings" Disable all or some of the following:
Fade or slide menus into view
Fade or slide ToolTips into view
Fade out menu items after clicking
Show Shadows under menus
Slide open combo boxes
Slide taskbar buttons
Use a background image for each folder type
Use common tasks in folders

Change Briefcase icon on NT/W2K/XP

You can change the Briefcase icon and replace it with an icon of a metal attaché case using the following Windows
NT/W2K/XP registry hack:
Hive: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
Key: CLSID\{85BBD0920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}
Name: DefaultIcon
Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ
Value: %SystemRoot%\system32\syncui.dll,1 (shiny metal attaché icon)
Value: %SystemRoot%\system32\syncui.dll,0 (default leather Briefcase icon)
Download these registry files already made:
Leather.reg
MetalAttache.reg
After changing to the icon, you may have to log off then log back on or restart your computer for the change to take effect.

Create a Lock Computer Shortcut Icon

1. Right click on the desktop, select New > Shortcut.
2. Enter rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation as the shortcut.
3. Name it Lock Computer.
4. Right click and choose Properties.
5. Click on "Change Icon"
6. Search through shell32.dll in the System32 directory and find an appropriate lock icon.
NOTE: This effectively dumps you back to the "Welcome" log on screen. Of course this will only work if you have entered a password for your profile.
ADDENDUM: If you want added security, go to the Control Panel and click on "User Accounts". Click "Change the way users log on or off", and deselect the "Use the Welcome Screen" option.This will switch Windows back to the classic log in box.

Start Menu tips

2009-09-19T04:42:00.000-07:00

Disabling New Programs Alert

To get rid of this alert is really easy:
Right click the start bar and click properties.
Go to the start menu tab and click customize.
Click on the advanced tab.
De-select "Highlight newly installed programs"
This is only applicable if you have the new XP start menu not if you are using classic.
Alphabetize your Start Menu

Don't you hate how Windows adds new programs to the end of the start menu? The fix is quick and simple, right click on the menu and select sort by name. Ah isn't that better?

Brand your copy of Windows XP in the Start Menu

Have you used someone's new Hewlett Packard with their OEM version of Windows XP? You've seen that HP has their own icon in the Start Menu, underneath Run, that goes to their Help Site. Now, you can have your icon that does anything you want (website, program, etc) and says anything you want. Basically, you are "branding" Windows XP (Home or Pro), great for if you are a computer builder and sell them, or you just want to make Windows XP your own. It involves Regedit.
NOTE: You should NOT install this over a FACTORY BRAND. (UNLESS YOU EXPORT THE FILE FIRST)
1. Start up Notepad and create a new registry file (*.reg) and copy and paste the following into it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}]
@="YOUR TITLE HERE"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\DefaultIcon]
@="YOUR ICON HERE"
00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,68,00,70,00,6c,00,69,00,\
6e,00,6b,00,2e,00,69,00,63,00,6f,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\InProcServer32]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\
64,00,6f,00,63,00,76,00,77,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\Instance]
"CLSID"="{3f454f0e-42ae-4d7c-8ea3-328250d6e272}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\Instance\InitPropertyBag]
"CLSID"="{13709620-C279-11CE-A49E-444553540000}"
"method"="ShellExecute"
"Command"="YOUR TITLE HERE"
"Param1"="YOUR FUNCTION HERE"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\MayChangeDefaultMenu]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:00000000

2. Edit where it says YOUR ICON HERE to a path to an icon (ex. c:\\icon.ico), it must be 24x24 pixels and in .ico format.

3. Edit both places where it says YOUR TITLE HERE to what you want it to say in the
Start Menu (ex. Elranzer Homepage).

4. Edit where it says YOUR FUNCTION here to what you want it to do when you click it, it
can be anything... your website, a local HTML document, a program, a Windows function, whatever your imagination can provide (ex. http://www.elranzer.com).

5. Save this file as brand.reg, double-click it to enter in your information, and refresh Explorer (log off/on)to see it in the Start Menu!! This works in both Home and Professional.

Disabling New Programs Alert

To get rid of this alert is really easy:
Right click the start bar and click properties.
Go to the start menu tab and click customize.
Click on the advanced tab.
De-select "Highlight newly installed programs"
This is only applicable if you have the new XP start menu not if you are using classic.

Windows: Start Menu

2009-09-19T04:03:00.000-07:00

Values that control various Start menu and Explorer options
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]:

NoChangesStartMenu 00000001 Disable deleting items from Start Menu

NoClose 00000001 Remove the ShutDown option from the Start Menu

NoCommonGroups 00000001 Common program groups do not appear on the Start menu

NoDesktop 00000001 Hide all desktop icons

NoDrives 00000000 Low order bit is drive A: while the 26th bit is Drive Z: To hide a drive, turn on its bit

NoDriveTypeAutoRun 95,00,00,00 Disable autostart CD-ROM

NoFavoritesMenu 00000001 Hide Favorites on Start Menu

NoFileMenu 00000001 Remove "File" menu in Explorer

NoFind 00000001 Remove the Find command from the Start Menu

NoLogOff 01,00,00,00 Remove logoff from Start Menu

NoNetConnectDisconnect 00000001 Remove Explorer's "Map Network Drive" and "Disconnect Network Drive" menu and right click options

NoNetHood 00000001 Remove the Network Neighborhood icon from desktop

NoRecentDocsMenu 00000001 Hide Recent documents on Start Menu

ClearRecentDocsOnExit 01,00,00,00 Empty My Documents when shutting down Windows

NoRun 00000001 Remove the Run command from the Start menu

NoSaveSettings 00,00,00,00 Save window settings on exit

NoSetActiveDesktop 00000001 Disable Active Desktop

NoSetFolders 00000001 Hide Settings > Control Panel, and Settings > Printers on the Start Menu

NoSetTaskbar 00000001 Hide Settings > Taskbar on the Start Menu: Only Drag/Drop can be used to alter Start Menu and Desktop

NoStartBanner 01,00,00,00 Disable "Click here to start"

NoWindowsUpdate 00000001 Removes Windows update from Start Menu > Settings

RestrictRun 00000001 Only programs defined at [HKCU\Software\Microsoft\...\
Policies\Explorer\RestrictRun] will run

Speed up the Start Menu

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Control Panel\ desktop] Create the string value MenuShowDelay. Set it to a number from 0 (fast) to 10 (slow).

Add programs to the Shell

Available when right-clicking the Start button
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
Create the key MS-DOS Prompt (or whatever); Default = " DOS Command " (or whatever name you want to appear)Create the subkey command ; Default = " command.com /k cd %1 " (or any other program)

Add an expanding Control Panel to Start menu

This will also work with most special folders.
Under [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*], find the system ID of the folder you want to add.
Right-click Start button and chose Open.
Create a new folder with the name of the folder followed by a dot and the folder ID.
Example: Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
Control Panel:{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
Printers:{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
Dial Up Net:{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}

How to Edit the Registry
Windows 98, Windows Xp & Windows 2000

To open Registry Editor, click Start, click Run, type Regedit, and then click OK.
NOTE: You should not edit your registry unless it is absolutely necessary. If there is an error in your registry, your computer may not function properly. Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on your computer.

Back up the Registry First!!!

Windows 95, Windows 98 & Windows Me:

NOTE: Do not follow these steps to export a whole registry hive (for example, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive). If
you must back up a whole registry hive, back up the whole registry instead.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the key that contains the value that you want to edit.
On the File menu, click Export.
In the Save in box, select a location where you want to save the .reg file, in the File name box, type a file name,
and then click Save.
To Back up the whole registry:
Click Start, then click Run. The Run dialog box appears.
Type regedit and click OK. The Registry Editor opens.
Click the Registry menu and click Export Registry File.
Verify the following items in the Export Registry File dialog box:
Save in: Desktop
File name: Registry Backup
Save as type: Registration Files
Export range: All
Click Save.
Exit the Registry Editor.
Verify that an icon labeled "Registry Backup.reg" is on the desktop. CAUTION: Do not double-click the "Registry Backup.reg" file on the desktop unless you intend to undo the changes you are making to the registry.
NOTE: This method for Windows 95/98/Me will not work for Windows NT/2000. Windows NT/2000 has additional security protection that prevents this backup from being restored.

How to back up the Windows 2000 registry

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;322755

Windows 2000

NOTE: Do not follow these steps to export a whole registry hive (for example, HKEY_CURRENT_USER). If you must back up whole registry hives, back up the whole registry instead. Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type regedt32, and then click OK. Locate and then click the key that contains the values that you want to edit. On the Registry menu, click Save Key. In the Save inbox, select a location in which to save the .reg file, type a file name in the File name box, and then click Save.
Windows xp Home edition does not include the Backup utility by default. To install it:
Insert your Windows xp cd.
Open up Windows explorer.
Navigate to X:\VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP\ (replace X with appropriate cd-rom drive letter) Double-click NTBACKUP.MSI and follow the on-screen instructions.

Windows Xp & Windows 2003 Server

NOTE: Do not follow these steps to export a whole registry hive (for example, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive). If you must back up whole registry hives, back up the whole registry instead. Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK. Locate and then click the key that contains the value that you want to edit. On the File menu, click Export. In the Save in box, select a location where you want to save the Registration Entries (.reg) file, in the File name box, type a file name, and then click Save.

How to backup the registry in XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q322756

http://www.puppypc.com/tutorials/reg/backup_xp_reg.htm

Alphabetize your Start Menu

Don't you hate how Windows adds new programs to the end of the start menu? The fix is quick and simple, right click on the menu and select sort by name. Ah isn't that better?

Brand your copy of Windows XP in the Start Menu

Have you used someone's new Hewlett Packard with their OEM version of Windows XP? You've seen that HP has their own icon in the Start Menu, underneath Run, that goes to their Help Site. Now, you can have your icon that does anything you want (website, program, etc) and says anything you want. Basically, you are "branding" Windows XP (Home or Pro), great for if you are a computer builder and sell them, or you just want to make Windows XP your own. It involves Regedit.
NOTE: You should NOT install this over a FACTORY BRAND. (UNLESS YOU EXPORT THE FILE FIRST)
1. Start up Notepad and create a new registry file (*.reg) and copy and paste the following into it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}]
@="YOUR TITLE HERE"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\DefaultIcon]
@="YOUR ICON HERE"
00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,68,00,70,00,6c,00,69,00,\
6e,00,6b,00,2e,00,69,00,63,00,6f,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\InProcServer32]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\
64,00,6f,00,63,00,76,00,77,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\Instance]
"CLSID"="{3f454f0e-42ae-4d7c-8ea3-328250d6e272}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\Instance\InitPropertyBag]
"CLSID"="{13709620-C279-11CE-A49E-444553540000}"
"method"="ShellExecute"
"Command"="YOUR TITLE HERE"
"Param1"="YOUR FUNCTION HERE"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\MayChangeDefaultMenu]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:00000000

2. Edit where it says YOUR ICON HERE to a path to an icon (ex. c:\\icon.ico), it must be 24x24 pixels and in .ico format.

3. Edit both places where it says YOUR TITLE HERE to what you want it to say in the
Start Menu (ex. Elranzer Homepage).

4. Edit where it says YOUR FUNCTION here to what you want it to do when you click it, it
can be anything... your website, a local HTML document, a program, a Windows function, whatever your imagination can provide (ex. http://www.elranzer.com).

5. Save this file as brand.reg, double-click it to enter in your information, and refresh Explorer (log off/on)to see it in the Start Menu!! This works in both Home and Professional.

Disabling New Programs Alert

To get rid of this alert is really easy:
Right click the start bar and click properties.
Go to the start menu tab and click customize.
Click on the advanced tab.
De-select "Highlight newly installed programs"
This is only applicable if you have the new XP start menu not if you are using classic.

NoChangesStartMenu	00000001	Disable deleting items from Start Menu
NoClose	00000001	Remove the ShutDown option from the Start Menu
NoCommonGroups	00000001	Common program groups do not appear on the Start menu
NoDesktop	00000001	Hide all desktop icons
NoDrives	00000000	Low order bit is drive A: while the 26th bit is Drive Z: To hide a drive, turn on its bit
NoDriveTypeAutoRun	95,00,00,00	Disable autostart CD-ROM
NoFavoritesMenu	00000001	Hide Favorites on Start Menu
NoFileMenu	00000001	Remove "File" menu in Explorer
NoFind	00000001	Remove the Find command from the Start Menu
NoLogOff	01,00,00,00	Remove logoff from Start Menu
NoNetConnectDisconnect	00000001	Remove Explorer's "Map Network Drive" and "Disconnect Network Drive" menu and right click options
NoNetHood	00000001	Remove the Network Neighborhood icon from desktop
NoRecentDocsMenu	00000001	Hide Recent documents on Start Menu
ClearRecentDocsOnExit	01,00,00,00	Empty My Documents when shutting down Windows
NoRun	00000001	Remove the Run command from the Start menu
NoSaveSettings	00,00,00,00	Save window settings on exit
NoSetActiveDesktop	00000001	Disable Active Desktop
NoSetFolders	00000001	Hide Settings > Control Panel, and Settings > Printers on the Start Menu
NoSetTaskbar	00000001	Hide Settings > Taskbar on the Start Menu: Only Drag/Drop can be used to alter Start Menu and Desktop
NoStartBanner	01,00,00,00	Disable "Click here to start"
NoWindowsUpdate	00000001	Removes Windows update from Start Menu > Settings
RestrictRun	00000001	Only programs defined at [HKCU\Software\Microsoft\...\ Policies\Explorer\RestrictRun] will run