A better way with Windows XP and 2000, however, is our old pal Compatibility Mode (more about that below). Not only can you make XP/2000 think it is an older version of Windows, you can also specify the display settings, so every time you use that program it will automatically change to 256 colors.
Right-click the program icon and choose Properties (or hold down ALT and double left-click). Select the "Compatibility" tab and look for "Display Settings". Check "Run in 256 Colors", then OK .
You should be able to see the program correctly. When you close out, your display settings will go back to normal.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Clear Shortcut Labels
The solid box behind a shortcut label can be very annoying, especially if you have dozens of icons on your desktop.
It doesn't take much to change this if you have Windows XP.
Right-click "My Computer" and choose Properties (or hold down Alt & double left-click "My Computer") to bring up the Systems Properties window.
Select the "Advanced" tab. Under "Performance" click the "Settings" button. This will bring up the Performance Options window.
Under the "Visual Options" tab, click the "Custom" radio button. You'll see a list of check boxes.
Check off the one that says, "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop". Then "Apply" or "OK" to make the change.
When you go back to your desktop the labels should be clear.
Now you can see your wallpaper better.
It doesn't take much to change this if you have Windows XP.
Right-click "My Computer" and choose Properties (or hold down Alt & double left-click "My Computer") to bring up the Systems Properties window.
Select the "Advanced" tab. Under "Performance" click the "Settings" button. This will bring up the Performance Options window.
Under the "Visual Options" tab, click the "Custom" radio button. You'll see a list of check boxes.
Check off the one that says, "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop". Then "Apply" or "OK" to make the change.
When you go back to your desktop the labels should be clear.
Now you can see your wallpaper better.
Wallpaper That Won't Go Away
Normally, if you pick a different wallpaper the old one will go away...
It's an easy mistake to make. Probably, when you went to save a picture from the web to use as wallpaper, rather than choose "set as background" you slipped and selected "set as desktop item". This basically puts a web page or image over the top of your desktop wallpaper.
What can you do about it?
Just right-click the desktop and choose "Properties". Select the "Desktop" tab then hit the "Customize" button. On the next window click the "web" tab.
Uncheck anything in the white box that says "web pages" and uncheck "Lock Desktop Items".
IPB Image
Click OK then "Apply". Did it go away? If so, hit OK.
Now you can change your wallpaper.
It's an easy mistake to make. Probably, when you went to save a picture from the web to use as wallpaper, rather than choose "set as background" you slipped and selected "set as desktop item". This basically puts a web page or image over the top of your desktop wallpaper.
What can you do about it?
Just right-click the desktop and choose "Properties". Select the "Desktop" tab then hit the "Customize" button. On the next window click the "web" tab.
Uncheck anything in the white box that says "web pages" and uncheck "Lock Desktop Items".
IPB Image
Click OK then "Apply". Did it go away? If so, hit OK.
Now you can change your wallpaper.
Keep Kids Safe Online
Are you worried about what your children or grandchildren will encounter while surfing the web? Letting a kid run loose with a web browser is like letting them walk alone through a bad neighborhood at night. There's just a lot that can go wrong.
Well, if you let them surf with Internet Explorer, you can take control! Here's how:
1. Open Internet Explorer, hit the Tools menu, Internet Options.
2. Click the Content tab. You'll see a "Content Advisor" area. Click the Enable button.
3. You'll get a tabbed screen chock full of exciting security options. The first tab is "Ratings" and it's the first step in the process. It will filter out sites that have an "RASC" rating that doesn't match your preferences, but it will also filter out any site that simply has no rating at all.
For example, Disney.com works great, but NickJr.com (great spot for pre-schoolers) won't come up. Maybe Blue's Clues could do an episode where they find out how to get RASC approval...
4. The next tab is called "Approved Sites" and it's the solution for letting your kids get to sites that do not have an RASC rating yet. You can set this up in one of two ways.
The first, and most difficult method is to manually type in sites you think are OK. Just type in the address of the site in the "Allow this Web site" box and click the "Always" button.
The easy way:
Once Content Advisor is set up with a password (next step), you will get a prompt for that password every time you land on a site without a rating. This screen will give you the option to always allow the site - a much faster way to go.
5. OK, here's the last critical step - setting up a password. Click the General Tab and you'll see the password setup under the "Supervisor Password" area. Click the button and set it up
That's it, your Content Advisor is now set up and ready to filter. Keep in mind that this is not foolproof, but it's a lot better than letting your kids traipse all over the internet unsupervised.
Also, if the kids aren't going to be using the computer, you can easily disable it. Just head back to the content tab and click the "Disable" button in the "Content Advisor" area. That way, you're not getting prompted on every unrated page you visit.
Well, if you let them surf with Internet Explorer, you can take control! Here's how:
1. Open Internet Explorer, hit the Tools menu, Internet Options.
2. Click the Content tab. You'll see a "Content Advisor" area. Click the Enable button.
3. You'll get a tabbed screen chock full of exciting security options. The first tab is "Ratings" and it's the first step in the process. It will filter out sites that have an "RASC" rating that doesn't match your preferences, but it will also filter out any site that simply has no rating at all.
For example, Disney.com works great, but NickJr.com (great spot for pre-schoolers) won't come up. Maybe Blue's Clues could do an episode where they find out how to get RASC approval...
4. The next tab is called "Approved Sites" and it's the solution for letting your kids get to sites that do not have an RASC rating yet. You can set this up in one of two ways.
The first, and most difficult method is to manually type in sites you think are OK. Just type in the address of the site in the "Allow this Web site" box and click the "Always" button.
The easy way:
Once Content Advisor is set up with a password (next step), you will get a prompt for that password every time you land on a site without a rating. This screen will give you the option to always allow the site - a much faster way to go.
5. OK, here's the last critical step - setting up a password. Click the General Tab and you'll see the password setup under the "Supervisor Password" area. Click the button and set it up
That's it, your Content Advisor is now set up and ready to filter. Keep in mind that this is not foolproof, but it's a lot better than letting your kids traipse all over the internet unsupervised.
Also, if the kids aren't going to be using the computer, you can easily disable it. Just head back to the content tab and click the "Disable" button in the "Content Advisor" area. That way, you're not getting prompted on every unrated page you visit.
Speed Up the Start Menu in Windows XP
The Start Menu take a quite a while to display the list of programs installed. In order to get Windows XP to display the list faster, you will have to edit some registry settings. Remember to back up your regitry before making any changes.
To speed up, goto Start > Run and type regedit. This will open the registry window. Then navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Scroll down in the Right panel and double click on "menushowdelay". In the Value Data box, change the default value for the menu speed from 400 to a lesser number, such as 1 or even 0. Click OK You should now find a significant increase in the startmenu speed.
To speed up, goto Start > Run and type regedit. This will open the registry window. Then navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Scroll down in the Right panel and double click on "menushowdelay". In the Value Data box, change the default value for the menu speed from 400 to a lesser number, such as 1 or even 0. Click OK You should now find a significant increase in the startmenu speed.
Improving Serial Port Performance
You can get more out of your serial connection and gets your modem working its fastest with the help of Device Manager.
Go to Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager. This will show you a list of all the devices attached to your PC. Look for the Port (COM) communication port. Right click and select Properties, and click the port settings tab. Increase the bits per second from "9600" to "128000" and Flow Control to "Hardware". Then, click on the Advance tab and set the Receive and Transmit buffers to Maximum. Click OK and close all Windows.
Go to Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager. This will show you a list of all the devices attached to your PC. Look for the Port (COM) communication port. Right click and select Properties, and click the port settings tab. Increase the bits per second from "9600" to "128000" and Flow Control to "Hardware". Then, click on the Advance tab and set the Receive and Transmit buffers to Maximum. Click OK and close all Windows.
Tweak UI for Windows XP
It will gives u access to quite a few system settings that are otherwise not readily available, and can help gain that extra inch of power from XP. You can download it by c clicking here.
Note:THIS IS NOT FOR NOVICE OR NEW USER OF WINDOWS!!!
Note:THIS IS NOT FOR NOVICE OR NEW USER OF WINDOWS!!!
Ripping Digital Music
You want to rip music from an audio CD to your computer's hard diskâ€â€in other words, copy it to your PC in a digital format, so that you can listen to it on your PC, or on a portable MP3 player.
Here is how to do it
Windows Media Player offers built-in tools for ripping music and storing it in a variety of formats, including MP3 and WMA. (Note: versions of Windows Media Player older than version 10 cannot rip music into the MP3 format, without buying extra software.) Here's how to do it:
Run Windows Media Player by choosing Start All Programs Accessories Entertainment Windows Media Player.
Click the Rip button.
Insert the CD whose music you want to rip into your CD drive.
Windows Media Player will show a list of all the tracks on the CD, but there may be no information associated with each track. To have Windows Media Player search the Internet for information about the CD and each track, click Find Album Info.
Windows Media Player will display the name of your album. If the information is correct, click Finish. If it's not, click Search to see if it can find the information in your existing music database, or else click Edit, and you can manually enter information about the album and each track.
Depending on the information that Windows Media Player finds, it may not find all the information about each track. After it populates the information, you can edit any track by right-clicking it, choosing Edit, and typing in the new information.
Put a check box next to each track that you want to rip, and uncheck the box next to each that you don't want to rip.
Before ripping your music, choose the audio format, and the quality of the files that you will rip. Choose Tools--Options--Rip Music, and from the Format drop-down box, choose an audio format, either MP3, or one of several WMA formats. Then choose the audio quality by moving the slider under Audio quality to the left for less quality, and to the right for higher quality. Generally, a rate of 128 Kbps is considered almost CD quality, while bit rates above that provide higher quality. The higher the quality, the larger each file.
When you've chosen audio quality and format, and checked all the tracks you want to rip, click Rip Music. Windows Media Player will show you its overall progress, as well as its progress of ripping each track.
When you're done, you can play your music by clicking the Library button. Your new tracks will appear there. To play any one, double-click it.
Here is how to do it
Windows Media Player offers built-in tools for ripping music and storing it in a variety of formats, including MP3 and WMA. (Note: versions of Windows Media Player older than version 10 cannot rip music into the MP3 format, without buying extra software.) Here's how to do it:
Run Windows Media Player by choosing Start All Programs Accessories Entertainment Windows Media Player.
Click the Rip button.
Insert the CD whose music you want to rip into your CD drive.
Windows Media Player will show a list of all the tracks on the CD, but there may be no information associated with each track. To have Windows Media Player search the Internet for information about the CD and each track, click Find Album Info.
Windows Media Player will display the name of your album. If the information is correct, click Finish. If it's not, click Search to see if it can find the information in your existing music database, or else click Edit, and you can manually enter information about the album and each track.
Depending on the information that Windows Media Player finds, it may not find all the information about each track. After it populates the information, you can edit any track by right-clicking it, choosing Edit, and typing in the new information.
Put a check box next to each track that you want to rip, and uncheck the box next to each that you don't want to rip.
Before ripping your music, choose the audio format, and the quality of the files that you will rip. Choose Tools--Options--Rip Music, and from the Format drop-down box, choose an audio format, either MP3, or one of several WMA formats. Then choose the audio quality by moving the slider under Audio quality to the left for less quality, and to the right for higher quality. Generally, a rate of 128 Kbps is considered almost CD quality, while bit rates above that provide higher quality. The higher the quality, the larger each file.
When you've chosen audio quality and format, and checked all the tracks you want to rip, click Rip Music. Windows Media Player will show you its overall progress, as well as its progress of ripping each track.
When you're done, you can play your music by clicking the Library button. Your new tracks will appear there. To play any one, double-click it.
Finding Out Who Opened or Modified a File Last
To find who opened or modified a file last, you have to enable auditing on that file. To enable auditing, you have to enable auditing at the system level and then enable auditing on the particular object (in this case a file) in which you are interested.
Using a graphical user interface
1. Do the following to enable auditing at the system level:
2.From Administrative Tools, open the Local Security Policy snap-in (secpol.msc).
3. In the left pane, expand Local Policies and click on Audit Policy.
4. In the right pane, double-click Audit object access.
5.Check the boxes beside Success or Failure (as needed).
6. Click OK.
Now you need to enable auditing on the target file(s) or folder(s):
1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. In the left pane, browse to the parent folder of the file or folder on which you want to enable auditing. Click on the parent folder. This displays the list of subfolders and files in the right pane.
3. In the right pane, right-click on the target file or folder and select Properties.
4. Select the Security tab.
5. Click the Advanced button.
6. Select the Auditing tab.
7. Click the Add button.
8. Enter the user or group you want to audit access for (use the Everyone principal to audit all access) and click OK.
9. In the Auditing Entry dialog box, select the types of access you want to audit. You have to select Success events separately from Failure events. Click OK when you are done.
10. Click Apply.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft doesn't provide a tool to configure the audit settings of files. However, you can do this with the setacl.exe tool. It is available fordownload.
Here is an example of setting an audit entry on the file d:\myimportantfile.txt for all failed access attempts by the Everyone principal:
> setacl -on "d:\myimportantfile.txt" -ot file -actn ace -ace
"n:everyone;p:full;m:aud_fail;w:sacl"
Note: Be careful when enabling auditing on a frequently accessed set of files or folders. The number of audit messages in the Security event log can grow quickly with just a few accesses of the file. Monitor the Security event log closely after initially enabling auditing just to make sure you don't flood it.
Using a graphical user interface
1. Do the following to enable auditing at the system level:
2.From Administrative Tools, open the Local Security Policy snap-in (secpol.msc).
3. In the left pane, expand Local Policies and click on Audit Policy.
4. In the right pane, double-click Audit object access.
5.Check the boxes beside Success or Failure (as needed).
6. Click OK.
Now you need to enable auditing on the target file(s) or folder(s):
1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. In the left pane, browse to the parent folder of the file or folder on which you want to enable auditing. Click on the parent folder. This displays the list of subfolders and files in the right pane.
3. In the right pane, right-click on the target file or folder and select Properties.
4. Select the Security tab.
5. Click the Advanced button.
6. Select the Auditing tab.
7. Click the Add button.
8. Enter the user or group you want to audit access for (use the Everyone principal to audit all access) and click OK.
9. In the Auditing Entry dialog box, select the types of access you want to audit. You have to select Success events separately from Failure events. Click OK when you are done.
10. Click Apply.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft doesn't provide a tool to configure the audit settings of files. However, you can do this with the setacl.exe tool. It is available fordownload.
Here is an example of setting an audit entry on the file d:\myimportantfile.txt for all failed access attempts by the Everyone principal:
> setacl -on "d:\myimportantfile.txt" -ot file -actn ace -ace
"n:everyone;p:full;m:aud_fail;w:sacl"
Note: Be careful when enabling auditing on a frequently accessed set of files or folders. The number of audit messages in the Security event log can grow quickly with just a few accesses of the file. Monitor the Security event log closely after initially enabling auditing just to make sure you don't flood it.
Changing the Resolution of Thumbnails in Windows Explorer
You can use Windows Explorer to display thumbnails of images in any folder, by choosing View--Thumbnails. By default, those thumbnails are 96 pixels and of a relatively high quality and resolution. But you want to change the size or resolution of the thumbnails, to make them larger so that they're easier to view, or to make them smaller and a lower resolution, because when you have large, high-quality thumbnails, you require more RAM to display them all.
Recipe 5.15. Changing the Resolution of Thumbnails in Windows Explorer
Problem
You can use Windows Explorer to display thumbnails of images in any folder, by choosing View Thumbnails. By default, those thumbnails are 96 pixels and of a relatively high quality and resolution. But you want to change the size or resolution of the thumbnails, to make them larger so that they're easier to view, or to make them smaller and a lower resolution, because when you have large, high-quality thumbnails, you require more RAM to display them all.
Using the Registry
1. Open the Registry Editor (Start-Run-Regedit)and go to HKEY CURRENT USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Exp lorer.
2. Create a new DWORD value called ThumbnailSize.
3. When you edit the value data, choose Hexadecimal as the base.
4. In the value data box, enter a number between 32 and 96. The larger the number, the higher the resolution, and the higher the quality of the thumbnails.
5. Exit the Registry Editor. The resolution of the thumbnails will change without your having to reboot.
Note:Be careful before making your thumbnails larger, because doing so can slow down browsing through your system using Windows Explorer. Also, not all systems will allow you to display thumbnails larger than 96 pixels, so it may not work on yours. However, you should be able to make them smaller on any system.
Recipe 5.15. Changing the Resolution of Thumbnails in Windows Explorer
Problem
You can use Windows Explorer to display thumbnails of images in any folder, by choosing View Thumbnails. By default, those thumbnails are 96 pixels and of a relatively high quality and resolution. But you want to change the size or resolution of the thumbnails, to make them larger so that they're easier to view, or to make them smaller and a lower resolution, because when you have large, high-quality thumbnails, you require more RAM to display them all.
Using the Registry
1. Open the Registry Editor (Start-Run-Regedit)and go to HKEY CURRENT USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Exp lorer.
2. Create a new DWORD value called ThumbnailSize.
3. When you edit the value data, choose Hexadecimal as the base.
4. In the value data box, enter a number between 32 and 96. The larger the number, the higher the resolution, and the higher the quality of the thumbnails.
5. Exit the Registry Editor. The resolution of the thumbnails will change without your having to reboot.
Note:Be careful before making your thumbnails larger, because doing so can slow down browsing through your system using Windows Explorer. Also, not all systems will allow you to display thumbnails larger than 96 pixels, so it may not work on yours. However, you should be able to make them smaller on any system.
Turning Off Balloon Tips
You want to turn off balloon tips, which frequently don't give any useful information, especially for experienced users, and are more distracting then they are useful, particularly when they show up in the Notification Area.
Using the Registry
1. Open the Registry Editor (Start-Run-regedit)and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
2. Create a new DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips.
3. Give it a value of 0.
4. Exit the Registry and restart. Balloon tips will be turned off. To turn them on, either delete the DWORD value, or else give it a value of 1.
Using the Registry
1. Open the Registry Editor (Start-Run-regedit)and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
2. Create a new DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips.
3. Give it a value of 0.
4. Exit the Registry and restart. Balloon tips will be turned off. To turn them on, either delete the DWORD value, or else give it a value of 1.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Free Office - Open Office
you can download office from here
http://download.openoffice.org/index.html
Open office is an alternate to microsoft office. it has a lot of new features which are not available in MS office.
http://download.openoffice.org/index.html
Open office is an alternate to microsoft office. it has a lot of new features which are not available in MS office.
Getting Rid of Undeletable Desktop Icons
You want to delete "undeletable" desktop icons such as the Recycle Bin, Outlook, and Internet Explorer, but you can't delete them by highlighting them and pressing the Delete key. Unnecessary desktop icons take up screen real estate, clutter the interface, and use system RAM.
Using the Registry
1. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\ NameSpace. Here's where you'll find various special desktop icons, such as the Recycle Bin. They're not listed by name, but instead by class ID (CLSID), a unique identifier, such as {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} for the Recycle Bin.
2. Find the CLSID of the desktop icon you want to delete.
Here are the CLSIDs for desktop objects
My Computer - {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
Recycle Bin - {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
Microsoft Outlook - {00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
Internet Explorer - {FBF23B42-E3F0-101B-8488-00AA003E56F8}
The Internet - {3DC7A020-0ACD-11CF-A9BB-00AA004AE837}
My Network Places - {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
Briefcase - {85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}
Dial-Up Networking - {992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}
America Online - {955B7B84-5308-419c-8ED8-0B9CA3C56985}
3. Delete the key of the icon that you want gone from the desktop, such as {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} for the Recycle Bin.
4. Exit the Registry, go to your desktop, and hit F5 to refresh the screen. The icon should now be gone.
5. On some systems, the icons may not be immediately deleted. Instead, after making the Registry change, you might have to right-click on the icon and choose Delete.
6. If you want to restore the icon, re-create the key that you deleted.
-----------------------------
Using downloadable software
TweakUI, one of a suite of free, unsupported utilities from Microsoft called PowerToys for Windows XP, can also hide these undeletable icons. Get it from
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
After you install it and run it, go to the Desktop section, and you'll see a list of icons that can't otherwise be deleted. Uncheck the box next to any that you don't want to show up on your desktop, and click on OK. The icons will be immediately removed. To make them appear again, check the box next to them.
Note:Some CLSIDs that you'll find in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace can be deleted from the desktop without having to edit the Registry, but when you try to delete them, they may give you a special warning message. For example, depending on your system, when you try to delete Microsoft Outlook from the desktop, you get the warning message "The Outlook Desktop icon provides special functionality and we recommend that you do not remove it." If you'd like, you can edit that message so that it displays whatever you want. In the CLSID's subkey, for example {00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} for Microsoft Outlook, you'll find the value Removal Message. Edit its value to whatever text you want, save it, and whenever someone tries to delete it, your warning message will appear.
Also, keep in mind that when you remove desktop icons, you're only removing icons, not the underlying feature or program. So, for example, the Recycle Bin still works even if you remove its icon. To open the Recycle Bin, go to C:\RECYCLER and open the folder inside it. To restore an item that's been deleted, right-click on it and choose Properties Restore. You can delete items from the folder as you would any other item.
Using the Registry
1. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\ NameSpace. Here's where you'll find various special desktop icons, such as the Recycle Bin. They're not listed by name, but instead by class ID (CLSID), a unique identifier, such as {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} for the Recycle Bin.
2. Find the CLSID of the desktop icon you want to delete.
Here are the CLSIDs for desktop objects
My Computer - {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
Recycle Bin - {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
Microsoft Outlook - {00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
Internet Explorer - {FBF23B42-E3F0-101B-8488-00AA003E56F8}
The Internet - {3DC7A020-0ACD-11CF-A9BB-00AA004AE837}
My Network Places - {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
Briefcase - {85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}
Dial-Up Networking - {992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}
America Online - {955B7B84-5308-419c-8ED8-0B9CA3C56985}
3. Delete the key of the icon that you want gone from the desktop, such as {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} for the Recycle Bin.
4. Exit the Registry, go to your desktop, and hit F5 to refresh the screen. The icon should now be gone.
5. On some systems, the icons may not be immediately deleted. Instead, after making the Registry change, you might have to right-click on the icon and choose Delete.
6. If you want to restore the icon, re-create the key that you deleted.
-----------------------------
Using downloadable software
TweakUI, one of a suite of free, unsupported utilities from Microsoft called PowerToys for Windows XP, can also hide these undeletable icons. Get it from
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
After you install it and run it, go to the Desktop section, and you'll see a list of icons that can't otherwise be deleted. Uncheck the box next to any that you don't want to show up on your desktop, and click on OK. The icons will be immediately removed. To make them appear again, check the box next to them.
Note:Some CLSIDs that you'll find in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace can be deleted from the desktop without having to edit the Registry, but when you try to delete them, they may give you a special warning message. For example, depending on your system, when you try to delete Microsoft Outlook from the desktop, you get the warning message "The Outlook Desktop icon provides special functionality and we recommend that you do not remove it." If you'd like, you can edit that message so that it displays whatever you want. In the CLSID's subkey, for example {00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} for Microsoft Outlook, you'll find the value Removal Message. Edit its value to whatever text you want, save it, and whenever someone tries to delete it, your warning message will appear.
Also, keep in mind that when you remove desktop icons, you're only removing icons, not the underlying feature or program. So, for example, the Recycle Bin still works even if you remove its icon. To open the Recycle Bin, go to C:\RECYCLER and open the folder inside it. To restore an item that's been deleted, right-click on it and choose Properties Restore. You can delete items from the folder as you would any other item.
Moving a New Microsoft Application to Another Windows XP Sys
You want to move a Microsoft application from one Windows XP system to another because you want to be able to reuse your settings on the new system. If you merely installed the application on the new system, you would lose all of your settings.
Here is how you do it:
1.Install the software on your new PC.
2. Connect the old and the new PC, either over a network, or via a null modem serial cable.
3. On the PC that has the settings you want to transfer, run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard by choosing Start--All Programs--Accessories--System Tools--Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.
4. Click Next on the introductory screen, then from the following screen choose Old computer, and click Next.
5. On the Select a transfer method screen that appears, choose the method you're using to connect the two computers (direct cable, network, etc.). If you choose a network, or Other, select the folder location on your new PC where you want to transfer the settings. Click Next.
(In some instances, if you choose a network as the way to transfer your settings, the wizard will not be able to recognize the network. If that happens, choose Other. That will let you browse through your network for a location, even though the Network choice didn't recognize your network.)
6.The "What do you want to transfer" screen appears next. You can choose to transfer settings, files, or both files and settings. Make your choice.
7. You now have to choose what settings to transfer. The default is settings for applications and Windows such as taskbar options and Outlook Express, specific folders such as Desktop, Fonts, My Documents, and My Pictures, and file type associations (what files open with what programs). To add or remove settings, select the "Let me select a custom of files and settings" checkbox, and then click Next.
8. From the screen that appears, add new files and settings, or remove existing ones. Click Next when you're done.
9. The wizard will gather the files and settings, and save them in the location you've chosen. Click Finish when you're done.
10. Go to the computer onto which you're going to transfer the settings. If you've copied the settings to a removable disk, put the removable disk in its drive.
11. Run the run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard on the computer onto which you're transferring settings.
12. Click Next on the introductory screen, then from the following screen choose New computer, and click Next.
13. From the screen that appears, choose "I don't need the Wizard Disk. I have already collected my files and settings from my old computer." Click Next and Next again from the screen that appears.
14. From the screen that appears, choose the location where the wizard should look for your settings, for example, direct cable connection, floppy drive, or other. Use other if you've saved it to a removable drive, network drive, or to a location on your new PC. If you choose other, browse to the location of where you saved your settings. Select the folder where the data is stored.
15. Click Next. The wizard will gather your settings and apply them. When it's done, click Next and then Finish. Your settings are now transferred to your new computer.
Note:The wizard only transfers settings, not the application itself. So you have to remember to first install the application on the new computer before running the wizard. Simply copying the program's folders, files, and executables from your old computer to your new computer won't work, because there may be Registry settings the program requires, as well as DLLs and other files that it may have installed in folders that you don't know about.
Keep in mind that the File and Settings Transfer Wizard works with Microsoft applications, but with only a very few non-Microsoft applications. So don't count on using it if you want to transfer settings for any applications other than those written by Microsoft.
--------------------------------
For more details about using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, see
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/crawford_november12.mspx
PCmover from LapLink
http://www.laplink.com/products/pcmover/overview.asp
will move entire applications and settings from one PC to another, as will Alohabob PC Relocator
http://www.alohabob.com/
Here is how you do it:
1.Install the software on your new PC.
2. Connect the old and the new PC, either over a network, or via a null modem serial cable.
3. On the PC that has the settings you want to transfer, run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard by choosing Start--All Programs--Accessories--System Tools--Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.
4. Click Next on the introductory screen, then from the following screen choose Old computer, and click Next.
5. On the Select a transfer method screen that appears, choose the method you're using to connect the two computers (direct cable, network, etc.). If you choose a network, or Other, select the folder location on your new PC where you want to transfer the settings. Click Next.
(In some instances, if you choose a network as the way to transfer your settings, the wizard will not be able to recognize the network. If that happens, choose Other. That will let you browse through your network for a location, even though the Network choice didn't recognize your network.)
6.The "What do you want to transfer" screen appears next. You can choose to transfer settings, files, or both files and settings. Make your choice.
7. You now have to choose what settings to transfer. The default is settings for applications and Windows such as taskbar options and Outlook Express, specific folders such as Desktop, Fonts, My Documents, and My Pictures, and file type associations (what files open with what programs). To add or remove settings, select the "Let me select a custom of files and settings" checkbox, and then click Next.
8. From the screen that appears, add new files and settings, or remove existing ones. Click Next when you're done.
9. The wizard will gather the files and settings, and save them in the location you've chosen. Click Finish when you're done.
10. Go to the computer onto which you're going to transfer the settings. If you've copied the settings to a removable disk, put the removable disk in its drive.
11. Run the run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard on the computer onto which you're transferring settings.
12. Click Next on the introductory screen, then from the following screen choose New computer, and click Next.
13. From the screen that appears, choose "I don't need the Wizard Disk. I have already collected my files and settings from my old computer." Click Next and Next again from the screen that appears.
14. From the screen that appears, choose the location where the wizard should look for your settings, for example, direct cable connection, floppy drive, or other. Use other if you've saved it to a removable drive, network drive, or to a location on your new PC. If you choose other, browse to the location of where you saved your settings. Select the folder where the data is stored.
15. Click Next. The wizard will gather your settings and apply them. When it's done, click Next and then Finish. Your settings are now transferred to your new computer.
Note:The wizard only transfers settings, not the application itself. So you have to remember to first install the application on the new computer before running the wizard. Simply copying the program's folders, files, and executables from your old computer to your new computer won't work, because there may be Registry settings the program requires, as well as DLLs and other files that it may have installed in folders that you don't know about.
Keep in mind that the File and Settings Transfer Wizard works with Microsoft applications, but with only a very few non-Microsoft applications. So don't count on using it if you want to transfer settings for any applications other than those written by Microsoft.
--------------------------------
For more details about using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, see
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/crawford_november12.mspx
PCmover from LapLink
http://www.laplink.com/products/pcmover/overview.asp
will move entire applications and settings from one PC to another, as will Alohabob PC Relocator
http://www.alohabob.com/
Forcing Older Programs to Use Windows XP Common Controls
You want programs written for earlier versions of Windows to use the rounded, XP-type common graphical controls for things such as checkboxes and buttons. Normally, when you run an older program in XP, the operating system applies an XP-type frame around it, with rounded title bars. But the older program itself still uses its older style interface.
To force older programs to use XP-type common controls, you have to create a manifest fileâ€â€a specifically formatted XML fileâ€â€and place it in the same folder as the older program.
The manifest file should be almost exactly the same for each older program that you want to use XP common controls, changing only the name and description of the program itself.
Following is the code to put in your manifest file. Note that for "Description of Program" you should enter a description for the program, and for "Program Name" you should enter the name of the program.
To create the file, open Notepad, type the following text into it, and save it to the same folder as the executable file of the program you want to force to use XP common controls. Give it the same name as the program's executable file, but with an extension of .manifest. So, for example, if the program's executable file were named oldprogram.exe, you'd give the manifest file the name oldprogram.exe.manifest.
Use the following code to create a .manifest file to force an older program to use XP common controls:
Description of Program
When you create the manifest file, the program will not only use XP common controls in the older Windows application, but will also apply whatever current XP theme you're using. If you don't want to use the XP common controls any longer, delete the manifest file or rename it. Also, keep in mind that the manifest file will not necessarily work with every older Windows application, such as old versions of Microsoft Money.
If you want to force an older Windows program to use XP's common controls, but don't want to have to go through the trouble of creating a manifest file, you can download XPME for Windows from
http://www.tlhouse.co.uk/XPME.shtml
Run it and select the program that you want to use common controls. The program automatically creates a manifest file for you. XPME is freeware.
To force older programs to use XP-type common controls, you have to create a manifest fileâ€â€a specifically formatted XML fileâ€â€and place it in the same folder as the older program.
The manifest file should be almost exactly the same for each older program that you want to use XP common controls, changing only the name and description of the program itself.
Following is the code to put in your manifest file. Note that for "Description of Program" you should enter a description for the program, and for "Program Name" you should enter the name of the program.
To create the file, open Notepad, type the following text into it, and save it to the same folder as the executable file of the program you want to force to use XP common controls. Give it the same name as the program's executable file, but with an extension of .manifest. So, for example, if the program's executable file were named oldprogram.exe, you'd give the manifest file the name oldprogram.exe.manifest.
Use the following code to create a .manifest file to force an older program to use XP common controls:
When you create the manifest file, the program will not only use XP common controls in the older Windows application, but will also apply whatever current XP theme you're using. If you don't want to use the XP common controls any longer, delete the manifest file or rename it. Also, keep in mind that the manifest file will not necessarily work with every older Windows application, such as old versions of Microsoft Money.
If you want to force an older Windows program to use XP's common controls, but don't want to have to go through the trouble of creating a manifest file, you can download XPME for Windows from
http://www.tlhouse.co.uk/XPME.shtml
Run it and select the program that you want to use common controls. The program automatically creates a manifest file for you. XPME is freeware.
Checking Drivers with the Driver Verifier Tool
You need to determine which drivers are loaded and the characteristics about them.
1. Click Start, then select Run.
2. Type in 'verifier' without quotes and click OK.
3. In the Driver Verifier Manager dialog, with the Create standard settings radio button selected under Select a Task, click Next.
4. To see the analysis of all drivers on your system, select the Automatically Select All Drivers Installed on This Computer radio button, and click Finish.
5. Your choices will be stored and you will receive a pop-up indicating that you must reboot for the changes to take effect. Click OK, then reboot at your convenience.
6. After rebooting your PC, re-run Verifier to see the analysis of all running drivers and the state they are in.
Windows' device driver verification tool will trace the loading and activity of any device driver you choose. This tool is intended for developers and low-level system engineers, but it can tell you which drivers are or have been loaded during Windows operation and help you debug them in case you experience system or device crashes.
1. Click Start, then select Run.
2. Type in 'verifier' without quotes and click OK.
3. In the Driver Verifier Manager dialog, with the Create standard settings radio button selected under Select a Task, click Next.
4. To see the analysis of all drivers on your system, select the Automatically Select All Drivers Installed on This Computer radio button, and click Finish.
5. Your choices will be stored and you will receive a pop-up indicating that you must reboot for the changes to take effect. Click OK, then reboot at your convenience.
6. After rebooting your PC, re-run Verifier to see the analysis of all running drivers and the state they are in.
Windows' device driver verification tool will trace the loading and activity of any device driver you choose. This tool is intended for developers and low-level system engineers, but it can tell you which drivers are or have been loaded during Windows operation and help you debug them in case you experience system or device crashes.
Revealing Hidden Devices
1. Right-click My Computer and select Properties.
2. Select the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager.
3. Select View, then select Show Hidden Devices from the menu.
Note the appearance of dozens of new items appearing under Network adapters, system devices, and a new non-Plug and Play drivers device grouping.
2. Select the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager.
3. Select View, then select Show Hidden Devices from the menu.
Note the appearance of dozens of new items appearing under Network adapters, system devices, and a new non-Plug and Play drivers device grouping.
Keeping USB Devices from Disappearing
Every so often, a USB device fails to be recognized and usable even though it has been connected for as long as the PC has been running.
Using the USB cable
1. Unplug the USB device and wait for Windows to signal the disconnect, or for 30 to 60 seconds to be sure Windows knows the device is gone.
2. Reconnect the USB device and wait for Windows to recognize it again.
Using a graphical user interface
1.Click Start, then right-click My Computer and select Properties.
2. Select the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager.
3. Locate and expand the USB device, right-click on it, then select Properties.
4. If the device properties dialog includes a power management tab, click on it.
5. Uncheck the box next to Allow the Computer to Turn Off This Device to Save Power.
6. Click OK, then close Device Manager.
Using the USB cable
1. Unplug the USB device and wait for Windows to signal the disconnect, or for 30 to 60 seconds to be sure Windows knows the device is gone.
2. Reconnect the USB device and wait for Windows to recognize it again.
Using a graphical user interface
1.Click Start, then right-click My Computer and select Properties.
2. Select the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager.
3. Locate and expand the USB device, right-click on it, then select Properties.
4. If the device properties dialog includes a power management tab, click on it.
5. Uncheck the box next to Allow the Computer to Turn Off This Device to Save Power.
6. Click OK, then close Device Manager.
Using System Restore to Recover from a Hardware-Induced Prob
Using a graphical user interface
Log on to Windows using an account with administrator rights.
Navigate Start All Programs Accessories System Tools, and then click System Restore.
On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time, then click Next.
On the Select a Restore Point Page, click the most recent or a specific checkpoint in the On This List, click a Restore Point list, then click Next.
Click OK to accept the changes listed.
Click Next on the Confirm Restore Point Selection page.
After the system restarts, log on using an account with administrator rights.
Click OK to acknowledge the System Restore Restoration Complete page.
Using a command-line interface
Restart your computer, and then press F8 during the initial startup to start your computer in Safe Mode with a command prompt.
Log on using an account with administrator rights.
Enter the following command at the command prompt:
> %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
Press the Enter key and follow the instructions to restore your computer to a previous state.
Log on to Windows using an account with administrator rights.
Navigate Start All Programs Accessories System Tools, and then click System Restore.
On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time, then click Next.
On the Select a Restore Point Page, click the most recent or a specific checkpoint in the On This List, click a Restore Point list, then click Next.
Click OK to accept the changes listed.
Click Next on the Confirm Restore Point Selection page.
After the system restarts, log on using an account with administrator rights.
Click OK to acknowledge the System Restore Restoration Complete page.
Using a command-line interface
Restart your computer, and then press F8 during the initial startup to start your computer in Safe Mode with a command prompt.
Log on using an account with administrator rights.
Enter the following command at the command prompt:
> %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
Press the Enter key and follow the instructions to restore your computer to a previous state.
Move the Paging File in Windows XP
The paging file is the area on the hard disk that Windows uses as if it were random access memory (RAM) This is sometimes known as "virtual memory." By default, Windows stores this file on the same partition as the Windows system files. You can increase the performance of Windows, and increase free space on the boot partition, by moving this file to a different partition.
... Log on to the computer as Administrator.
... Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
... Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
... Click the Advanced tab, and then under Performance, click Settings.
... Click the Advanced tab, and then under Virtual memory, click Change.
... In the Drive [Volume Label] list, click a drive other than the one on which Windows is installed (Windows is usually installed on the drive C). Under Total paging file size for all drives, note the value that is displayed next to Recommended.
... Click Custom size, and then type the recommended value in the Initial size (MB) box. Type the maximum size that you want to allow for paging in the Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set.
... In the Drive [Volume Label] box, click the drive on which Windows is installed (usually the drive C), and then use one of the following steps:
... If you do not want a paging file on the drive, click No paging file, and then click Set. A message similar to the following message appears: If the pagefile on volume C: has an initial size of less than 126 megabytes, then the system may not be able to create a debugging information file if a STOP error occurs.
Continue anyway?
... Click Yes.
... If you want to keep the minimum size of the paging file on the drive, click Custom size, and then type a value that is equal to or greater than the amount of RAM in the computer in the Initial size (MB) box. Type that same value in the Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set. The following message appears: The changes you have made require you to restart your computer before they can take effect.
... Click OK, click OK, click OK.
... Then click Yes when you are prompted to restart the computer.
... Log on to the computer as Administrator.
... Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
... Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
... Click the Advanced tab, and then under Performance, click Settings.
... Click the Advanced tab, and then under Virtual memory, click Change.
... In the Drive [Volume Label] list, click a drive other than the one on which Windows is installed (Windows is usually installed on the drive C). Under Total paging file size for all drives, note the value that is displayed next to Recommended.
... Click Custom size, and then type the recommended value in the Initial size (MB) box. Type the maximum size that you want to allow for paging in the Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set.
... In the Drive [Volume Label] box, click the drive on which Windows is installed (usually the drive C), and then use one of the following steps:
... If you do not want a paging file on the drive, click No paging file, and then click Set. A message similar to the following message appears: If the pagefile on volume C: has an initial size of less than 126 megabytes, then the system may not be able to create a debugging information file if a STOP error occurs.
Continue anyway?
... Click Yes.
... If you want to keep the minimum size of the paging file on the drive, click Custom size, and then type a value that is equal to or greater than the amount of RAM in the computer in the Initial size (MB) box. Type that same value in the Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set. The following message appears: The changes you have made require you to restart your computer before they can take effect.
... Click OK, click OK, click OK.
... Then click Yes when you are prompted to restart the computer.
Creating a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition
how to create a Windows boot disk to access a drive with a faulty boot sequence on an Intel x86-processor-based computer. This Windows boot disk can access a drive that has the Windows NT file system (NTFS) or
File allocation table (FAT) file system installed. The procedures in this article can be useful to work around the following boot problems:
... Corrupted boot sector.
... Corrupted master boot record (MBR).
... Virus infections.
... Missing or corrupt NTLDR or Ntdetect.com.
... Incorrect Ntbootdd.sys driver.
This boot disk can also be used to boot from the shadow of a broken mirror, although you may need to change the Boot.ini file to do that. This Windows boot disk cannot be used for the following problems:
... Incorrect or corrupt device drivers that have been installed into the Windows System directory.
... Boot problems that occur after the OSLOADER screen. To work around or fix these problems, run the Emergency Repair disk, load the last known good control set, or reinstall Windows, if necessary. The Windows floppy disk must include the files NTLDR, Ntdetect.com, Boot.ini, and the correct device driver for your hard drive.
Note: The NTLDR, Ntdetect.com, and Boot.ini files usually have their file attributes set to System, Hidden, and Read-Only. You do not need to reset these attributes for this disk to work properly.
Method 1: You Do Not Have Access to a Computer Running Windows
... Create a copy of the first Windows Setup disk using the diskcopy command, and then delete all files on the new disk.
... Copy the Ntdetect.com and NTLDR files from the i386 folder on the CD-ROM to the new disk.
... Rename the NTLDR file to "Setupldr.bin".
... Create a Boot.ini file. The following example works for a single partition SCSI drive with Windows installed under \WINNT; however, the exact value in the [operating systems] section depends upon the configuration of the Windows System you want to boot:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
Default= scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt[operating systems]
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Windows NT"
... If your computer boots from an IDE, EIDE, or ESDI hard drive or a SCSI adapter that does not have a built in BIOS, replace the scsi(0) with multi(0).
If you are using scsi(x) in the Boot.ini file, copy the correct device driver for the SCSI controller in use on the computer, and then rename it to Ntbootdd.sys. If you are using multi(x) in the Boot.ini, you do not need to do this.
... Start your computer using the floppy disk, and then log on to Windows.
Method 2: You Have Access to a Computer Running Windows
... Format a floppy disk using the Windows format utility.
... Copy NTLDR from the Windows Setup CD-ROM, Windows Setup floppy disk, or from a computer running the same version of Windows as the computer you want to access with the boot floppy. You may need to expand this file from NTLDR._ to NTLDR by using the following command line:
1. expand ntldr._ ntldr
... Copy the Ntdetect.com file to the disk.
... Create a Boot.ini file or copy one from a running Windows computer, and then modify it to match the computer you are trying to access. The following example works for a single partition SCSI drive with Windows installed under \WINNT; however, the exact value in the [operating systems] section depends upon the configuration of the Windows computer you are trying to access:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
Default= scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt[operating systems]
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Windows NT"
... If your computer starts from an IDE, EIDE, or ESDI hard drive, replace the scsi(0)with multi(0).
... If you are using scsi(x) in the Boot.ini, copy the correct device driver for the SCSI controller in use on the computer, and then rename it to Ntbootdd.sys. If you are using multi(x) in the Boot.ini, you do not need to do this.
... Start using the floppy disk, and then log on to Windows.
Troubleshooting You may encounter one or more of the following problems when you attempt to start your computer using your Windows boot floppy disk: If the path pointing to the system files is incorrect or includes the drive letter, you may receive the following error message: Windows could not start because of the following ARC firmware boot configuration problem: Did not properly generate ARC name for HAL and system paths. Please check the Windows . documentation about ARC configuration options and your hardware reference manuals for additional information. Boot Failed. If an incorrect SCSI driver has been selected or the Ntbootdd.sys file does not exist, you may receive the following message: Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem. Could not read from selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware. Please check the Windows . documentation about hardware disk configuration and your hardware disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional information. Boot Failed.
File allocation table (FAT) file system installed. The procedures in this article can be useful to work around the following boot problems:
... Corrupted boot sector.
... Corrupted master boot record (MBR).
... Virus infections.
... Missing or corrupt NTLDR or Ntdetect.com.
... Incorrect Ntbootdd.sys driver.
This boot disk can also be used to boot from the shadow of a broken mirror, although you may need to change the Boot.ini file to do that. This Windows boot disk cannot be used for the following problems:
... Incorrect or corrupt device drivers that have been installed into the Windows System directory.
... Boot problems that occur after the OSLOADER screen. To work around or fix these problems, run the Emergency Repair disk, load the last known good control set, or reinstall Windows, if necessary. The Windows floppy disk must include the files NTLDR, Ntdetect.com, Boot.ini, and the correct device driver for your hard drive.
Note: The NTLDR, Ntdetect.com, and Boot.ini files usually have their file attributes set to System, Hidden, and Read-Only. You do not need to reset these attributes for this disk to work properly.
Method 1: You Do Not Have Access to a Computer Running Windows
... Create a copy of the first Windows Setup disk using the diskcopy command, and then delete all files on the new disk.
... Copy the Ntdetect.com and NTLDR files from the i386 folder on the CD-ROM to the new disk.
... Rename the NTLDR file to "Setupldr.bin".
... Create a Boot.ini file. The following example works for a single partition SCSI drive with Windows installed under \WINNT; however, the exact value in the [operating systems] section depends upon the configuration of the Windows System you want to boot:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
Default= scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt[operating systems]
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Windows NT"
... If your computer boots from an IDE, EIDE, or ESDI hard drive or a SCSI adapter that does not have a built in BIOS, replace the scsi(0) with multi(0).
If you are using scsi(x) in the Boot.ini file, copy the correct device driver for the SCSI controller in use on the computer, and then rename it to Ntbootdd.sys. If you are using multi(x) in the Boot.ini, you do not need to do this.
... Start your computer using the floppy disk, and then log on to Windows.
Method 2: You Have Access to a Computer Running Windows
... Format a floppy disk using the Windows format utility.
... Copy NTLDR from the Windows Setup CD-ROM, Windows Setup floppy disk, or from a computer running the same version of Windows as the computer you want to access with the boot floppy. You may need to expand this file from NTLDR._ to NTLDR by using the following command line:
1. expand ntldr._ ntldr
... Copy the Ntdetect.com file to the disk.
... Create a Boot.ini file or copy one from a running Windows computer, and then modify it to match the computer you are trying to access. The following example works for a single partition SCSI drive with Windows installed under \WINNT; however, the exact value in the [operating systems] section depends upon the configuration of the Windows computer you are trying to access:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
Default= scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt[operating systems]
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Windows NT"
... If your computer starts from an IDE, EIDE, or ESDI hard drive, replace the scsi(0)with multi(0).
... If you are using scsi(x) in the Boot.ini, copy the correct device driver for the SCSI controller in use on the computer, and then rename it to Ntbootdd.sys. If you are using multi(x) in the Boot.ini, you do not need to do this.
... Start using the floppy disk, and then log on to Windows.
Troubleshooting You may encounter one or more of the following problems when you attempt to start your computer using your Windows boot floppy disk: If the path pointing to the system files is incorrect or includes the drive letter, you may receive the following error message: Windows could not start because of the following ARC firmware boot configuration problem: Did not properly generate ARC name for HAL and system paths. Please check the Windows . documentation about ARC configuration options and your hardware reference manuals for additional information. Boot Failed. If an incorrect SCSI driver has been selected or the Ntbootdd.sys file does not exist, you may receive the following message: Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem. Could not read from selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware. Please check the Windows . documentation about hardware disk configuration and your hardware disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional information. Boot Failed.
Stop Password Expiration
After you have run Windows XP for a while, you may receive this message when you log on: "Your password will expire in 14 days.....". By default, Windows XP is set up with passwords which will expire after 42 days. And 14 days in advance, Windows will start warning you of this fact.
... Go to Start > Run > type control userpasswords2
... Select the Advanced tab in the User Accounts window.
... Press the Advanced button below the Advanced user management header.
... Select Users in the Local Users and Groups.
... In the right pane, right-click the user name for which you want to change the setting, and select Properties.
... On the General tab, check Password never expires.
... Click Apply and OK (all the way out).
... Go to Start > Run > type control userpasswords2
... Select the Advanced tab in the User Accounts window.
... Press the Advanced button below the Advanced user management header.
... Select Users in the Local Users and Groups.
... In the right pane, right-click the user name for which you want to change the setting, and select Properties.
... On the General tab, check Password never expires.
... Click Apply and OK (all the way out).
Disable Error Reporting
... Open Control Panel.
... Click on Performance and Maintenance.
... Click on System.
... Then click on the Advanced tab.
... Click on the error-reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
... Select Disable error reporting.
... Click OK. Click OK.
... Click on Performance and Maintenance.
... Click on System.
... Then click on the Advanced tab.
... Click on the error-reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
... Select Disable error reporting.
... Click OK. Click OK.
Use the Ultimate Configuration Tool (Professional Edition)
One of the most full featured Windows XP configuration tools available is hidden right there in your system, but most people don't even know it exists. It's called the Local Group Policy Editor, or gpedit for short. To invoke this editor:
... Select Start and then Run, then type the following: gpedit.msc After you hit Enter, you'll be greeted by gpedit, which lets you modify virtually every
feature in Windows XP without having to resort to regedit.
... Select Start and then Run, then type the following: gpedit.msc After you hit Enter, you'll be greeted by gpedit, which lets you modify virtually every
feature in Windows XP without having to resort to regedit.
Use the Ultimate Configuration Tool (Professional Edition)
One of the most full featured Windows XP configuration tools available is hidden right there in your system, but most people don't even know it exists. It's called the Local Group Policy Editor, or gpedit for short. To invoke this editor:
... Select Start and then Run, then type the following: gpedit.msc After you hit Enter, you'll be greeted by gpedit, which lets you modify virtually every
feature in Windows XP without having to resort to regedit.
... Select Start and then Run, then type the following: gpedit.msc After you hit Enter, you'll be greeted by gpedit, which lets you modify virtually every
feature in Windows XP without having to resort to regedit.
Do Not Highlight Newly Installed Programs
Tired of that annoying little window that pops up to tell you that new software is installed? If it gets in the way when you’re logging off, turn it off completely. To do this:
... Click Start, right-click at the top of the Start menu where your name is displayed, and then click Properties.
... In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, on the Start Menu tab, click Customize.
... Click the Advanced tab, and then clear the Highlight newly installed programs check box.
... Click OK, and then click OK again.
... Click Start, right-click at the top of the Start menu where your name is displayed, and then click Properties.
... In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, on the Start Menu tab, click Customize.
... Click the Advanced tab, and then clear the Highlight newly installed programs check box.
... Click OK, and then click OK again.
Change Drive Letters in Windows XP
When you add drives to your computer, such as an extra hard drive, a CD drive, or a storage device that corresponds to a drive, Windows automatically assigns letters to the drives. However, this assignment might not suit your system; for example, you might have mapped a network drive to the same letter that Windows assigns to a new drive. When you want to change drive letters, follow these steps:
... Right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
... Under Computer Management, click Disk Management. In the right pane, you'll see your drives listed. CD-ROM drives are listed at the bottom of the pane.
... Right-click the drive or device you want to change, and then click Change Drive
Letter and Paths.
... Click Change, click Assign the following drive letter, click the drive letter you want
to assign, and then click OK.
... Right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
... Under Computer Management, click Disk Management. In the right pane, you'll see your drives listed. CD-ROM drives are listed at the bottom of the pane.
... Right-click the drive or device you want to change, and then click Change Drive
Letter and Paths.
... Click Change, click Assign the following drive letter, click the drive letter you want
to assign, and then click OK.
Reduce 10 Second Scandisk Wait Time
Start MS Dos Prompt (Start run CMD), and type: CHKNTFS /T:4
where 4 is the amount of wait time.
CHKNTFS /?
for more info.
where 4 is the amount of wait time.
CHKNTFS /?
for more info.
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.
... 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.
Shutdown XP Faster
Like previous versions of windows, it takes long time to restart or shutdown windows XP when the "Exit Windows" sound is enabled. To solve this problem you must disable this useless sound.
... Click Start button.
... Go to settings > Control Panel > Sound, Speech and Audio devices > Sounds and Audio Devices > Sounds.
... Then under program events and windows menu click on "Exit Windows" sub-menu and highlight it. Now from sounds you can select, choose "none" and then click Apply and OK.
Now you should see some improvements when shutting down your system.
... Click Start button.
... Go to settings > Control Panel > Sound, Speech and Audio devices > Sounds and Audio Devices > Sounds.
... Then under program events and windows menu click on "Exit Windows" sub-menu and highlight it. Now from sounds you can select, choose "none" and then click Apply and OK.
Now you should see some improvements when shutting down your system.
Speeding Up Your Pentium 2 by 50%
We all know that you really shouldn't try to run Windows XP on anything less that about a Pentium 3 of some sort if you are out for speedy operations and amazing reaction times, but for those of us with the good old Pentium 2's who want to see just how well we can run XP, we have to tweak as much as we can where-ever we can. A real killer to the system's performance is Windows Media Player. Although it may look desirable and fancy with it's
rounded off edges and 3rd-Dimensional appearance, the truth is, it takes up a large amount of that precious processing power. All of these troubles however, lead to one thing in particular with this 'new-look' over-rated music and video player...the Visualizations. The look-great I'll admit but like a lot of software these days, it has no purpose. If you run the task manager, and click the Performance tab along the top, you'll see that when Windows Media Player is running and nothing else is active, it takes up around 50% of the processors power. Once these visualizations are turned off, it barely takes up 2-3% of the processors power, which leaves much more room for other applications to work efficiently.
Here's how to disable the feature:
-> Open Media Player.
-> Make sure the Now Playing tab on the left is selected.
-> Click the View menu along the top.
-> Go down to Now Playing Tools.
-> In the sub-menu that has just 'popped-out', uncheck Show Visualization.
rounded off edges and 3rd-Dimensional appearance, the truth is, it takes up a large amount of that precious processing power. All of these troubles however, lead to one thing in particular with this 'new-look' over-rated music and video player...the Visualizations. The look-great I'll admit but like a lot of software these days, it has no purpose. If you run the task manager, and click the Performance tab along the top, you'll see that when Windows Media Player is running and nothing else is active, it takes up around 50% of the processors power. Once these visualizations are turned off, it barely takes up 2-3% of the processors power, which leaves much more room for other applications to work efficiently.
Here's how to disable the feature:
-> Open Media Player.
-> Make sure the Now Playing tab on the left is selected.
-> Click the View menu along the top.
-> Go down to Now Playing Tools.
-> In the sub-menu that has just 'popped-out', uncheck Show Visualization.
XP Game Compatibility
You want to know if all your favorite games are still going to run under Windows XP. Remember what happened when we tried to run games on our Windows 2000 machines? Sometimes we were a little disappointed. Windows 2000 was made more for corporate applications than "Quake," but true techno-geeks know they don't have to sacrifice death matches for a robust business environment -- at least not anymore.
Windows XP has shown an impressive track record of game compatibility. Some of the standard games, such as "Tiger Woods Golf," "NHL 2001," "Max Payne," and "Unreal" on our Windows XP Professional machine were specifically slated for Windows 95 and 98, and were shown not to work in Windows 2000. The installation in XP was as smooth as silk. The games ran quickly and beautifully -- not a problem in sight (except for my bad chip shot -- Tiger was hanging his head in shame).
Some less-sophisticated programs may not run as smoothly, older applications such as the Atari 2600 Classic Game Collection, did not appreciate the Windows XP environment. In this case you can use the Application Compatibility Wizard, found in the accessories menu. XP includes integrated compatibility layers to mimic older versions of Windows, so if your program does not work in Windows XP, the compatibility wizard will walk you through the process of getting even your favorite DOS games up and running. Atari Classic Game Collection run very well in the Windows 95 environment, at 256 colors and 640x480 screen resolution. So setting XP to always run Atari application in this environment, and everything was smooth sailing after that.
One final tip about compatibility: Don't run the compatibility wizard if your program appears to be running well in the normal environment, as the wizard will give you an error message. In general, XP has great program compatibility, so you can upgrade your operating system without giving up all your old favorites.
Windows XP has shown an impressive track record of game compatibility. Some of the standard games, such as "Tiger Woods Golf," "NHL 2001," "Max Payne," and "Unreal" on our Windows XP Professional machine were specifically slated for Windows 95 and 98, and were shown not to work in Windows 2000. The installation in XP was as smooth as silk. The games ran quickly and beautifully -- not a problem in sight (except for my bad chip shot -- Tiger was hanging his head in shame).
Some less-sophisticated programs may not run as smoothly, older applications such as the Atari 2600 Classic Game Collection, did not appreciate the Windows XP environment. In this case you can use the Application Compatibility Wizard, found in the accessories menu. XP includes integrated compatibility layers to mimic older versions of Windows, so if your program does not work in Windows XP, the compatibility wizard will walk you through the process of getting even your favorite DOS games up and running. Atari Classic Game Collection run very well in the Windows 95 environment, at 256 colors and 640x480 screen resolution. So setting XP to always run Atari application in this environment, and everything was smooth sailing after that.
One final tip about compatibility: Don't run the compatibility wizard if your program appears to be running well in the normal environment, as the wizard will give you an error message. In general, XP has great program compatibility, so you can upgrade your operating system without giving up all your old favorites.
What upgrade paths does Windows XP support
XP Home Edition and XP Professional are available in full and upgrade versions. If you're upgrading from a qualifying OS, you can purchase the less-expensive upgrade version; otherwise, you need to purchase the full version. However, even if you purchase the full version, XP doesn't support all upgrade paths. Review the following table to determine whether XP supports your upgrade path:
Current Version Win XP Home Win XP Pro
Win 3.1/3.11 No No
Windows 95 No No
Windows 98/98SE Yes Yes
Windows ME Yes Yes
Windows NT 3.51 No No
Windows NT 4.0 No Yes
Windows 2000 Pro No Yes
Windows XP Home N/A Yes
Windows XP Pro No N/A
Current Version Win XP Home Win XP Pro
Win 3.1/3.11 No No
Windows 95 No No
Windows 98/98SE Yes Yes
Windows ME Yes Yes
Windows NT 3.51 No No
Windows NT 4.0 No Yes
Windows 2000 Pro No Yes
Windows XP Home N/A Yes
Windows XP Pro No N/A
Use Hibernate and Standby to Conserve Batteries
The Hibernate function in Windows XP Professional can make the batteries in your laptop computer last longer.
Windows XP supports the industry standard power management technology known as the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), which enables the operating system to control power to your computer and peripheral devices. The power management features in Windows XP include Hibernate and Standby. Hibernate saves an image of your desktop with all open files and documents, and then it powers down your computer. When you turn on power, your files and documents are open on your desktop exactly as you left them. Standby reduces the power consumption of your computer by cutting power to hardware components you are not using. Standby can cut power to peripheral devices, your monitor, even your hard drive, but maintains power to your computer memory so you dont lose your work.
Power Management Performance
Windows XP wakes from Hibernate faster than any earlier version of Windows. So you can preserve your batteries without taking time to close all your files and shut down, and then restart and open all your files when you are ready to work again. If you need to leave your computer, you can just leave it. Windows XP can automatically put your computer into Hibernate mode after a specified period of inactivity. Or Windows XP can detect when your batteries are running low, and then automatically put your computer in Hibernate mode to save your work before the battery fails. To put your computer into hibernation, you must have a computer that is set up by the manufacturer to support this option.
To automatically put your computer into hibernation
You must be logged on to your computer with an owner account in order to complete this procedure.
1. Open Power Options in Control Panel. (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Power Options.)
2. Click the Hibernate tab, select the Enable hibernate support check box, and then click Apply.
If the Hibernate tab is unavailable, your computer does not support this feature.
Click the APM tab, click Enable Advanced Power Management support, and then click Apply.
The APM tab is unavailable on ACPI compliant computers. ACPI automatically enables Advanced Power Management, which disables the APM tab.
4. Click the Power Schemes tab, and then select a time period in System hibernates. Your computer hibernates after it has been idle for the specified amount of time.
To manually put your computer into hibernation
You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of either the Administrators or Power Users group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.
1. Open Power Options in Control Panel. (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Power Options.)
2. Click the Hibernate tab, and then select the Enable hibernate support check box.
If the Hibernate tab is not available, your computer does not support this feature.
3. Click OK to close the Power Options dialog box.
4. Click Start, and then click Shut Down. In the What do you want the computer to do drop-down list, click Hibernate.
If you are using Windows XP Home Edition, or Windows XP Professional with Fast User Switching turned on, the Shut Down menu will present the options to Stand By, Turn Off, or Restart your computer. Hold down the Shift key, and the Stand By button will change to Hibernate.
Windows XP supports the industry standard power management technology known as the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), which enables the operating system to control power to your computer and peripheral devices. The power management features in Windows XP include Hibernate and Standby. Hibernate saves an image of your desktop with all open files and documents, and then it powers down your computer. When you turn on power, your files and documents are open on your desktop exactly as you left them. Standby reduces the power consumption of your computer by cutting power to hardware components you are not using. Standby can cut power to peripheral devices, your monitor, even your hard drive, but maintains power to your computer memory so you dont lose your work.
Power Management Performance
Windows XP wakes from Hibernate faster than any earlier version of Windows. So you can preserve your batteries without taking time to close all your files and shut down, and then restart and open all your files when you are ready to work again. If you need to leave your computer, you can just leave it. Windows XP can automatically put your computer into Hibernate mode after a specified period of inactivity. Or Windows XP can detect when your batteries are running low, and then automatically put your computer in Hibernate mode to save your work before the battery fails. To put your computer into hibernation, you must have a computer that is set up by the manufacturer to support this option.
To automatically put your computer into hibernation
You must be logged on to your computer with an owner account in order to complete this procedure.
1. Open Power Options in Control Panel. (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Power Options.)
2. Click the Hibernate tab, select the Enable hibernate support check box, and then click Apply.
If the Hibernate tab is unavailable, your computer does not support this feature.
Click the APM tab, click Enable Advanced Power Management support, and then click Apply.
The APM tab is unavailable on ACPI compliant computers. ACPI automatically enables Advanced Power Management, which disables the APM tab.
4. Click the Power Schemes tab, and then select a time period in System hibernates. Your computer hibernates after it has been idle for the specified amount of time.
To manually put your computer into hibernation
You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of either the Administrators or Power Users group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.
1. Open Power Options in Control Panel. (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Power Options.)
2. Click the Hibernate tab, and then select the Enable hibernate support check box.
If the Hibernate tab is not available, your computer does not support this feature.
3. Click OK to close the Power Options dialog box.
4. Click Start, and then click Shut Down. In the What do you want the computer to do drop-down list, click Hibernate.
If you are using Windows XP Home Edition, or Windows XP Professional with Fast User Switching turned on, the Shut Down menu will present the options to Stand By, Turn Off, or Restart your computer. Hold down the Shift key, and the Stand By button will change to Hibernate.
POWERDOWN ISSUES.
Powerdown issues are quite distinctive from shutdown issues. I define a shutdown problem as one wherein Windows doesnt make it at least to the OK to shut off your computer screen. If Windows gets that far, or farther, then it has shut down correctly. However, the computer may not powerdown correctly after that. This is a different problem, and I encourage that people reporting these issues to make a very clear distinction in their labeling.
When Windows XP wont powerdown automatically, the APM/NT Legacy Power Node may not be enabled. To enable this, right-click on the My Computer icon, click Properties | Hardware | Device Manager | View. Check the box labeled. Show Hidden Devices. If its available on your computer, there will be a red X on the APM/NT Legacy Node. Try enabling it and see if this resolves the powerdown problem.
This should resolve the powerdown issue in most cases. However, other factors can sometimes interfere with correct powerdown functioning. In that case, consider the following tips:
-> If you are changing the default power settings in the BIOS, it can lead to a powerdown problem. Restoring all BIOS power settings to default will likely fix it.
When Windows XP wont powerdown automatically, the APM/NT Legacy Power Node may not be enabled. To enable this, right-click on the My Computer icon, click Properties | Hardware | Device Manager | View. Check the box labeled. Show Hidden Devices. If its available on your computer, there will be a red X on the APM/NT Legacy Node. Try enabling it and see if this resolves the powerdown problem.
This should resolve the powerdown issue in most cases. However, other factors can sometimes interfere with correct powerdown functioning. In that case, consider the following tips:
-> If you are changing the default power settings in the BIOS, it can lead to a powerdown problem. Restoring all BIOS power settings to default will likely fix it.
SHUTDOWN WORKS, BUT ITS REAL SLOW.
If it appears that Win XP is not shutting down, give it some time. Some users have reported a minute or longer for shutdown to visibly start. Thus far, it appears that this is a consequence of software that is running when shutdown is attempted, and it also may have something to do with particular hardware. If you are experiencing this problem, be sure to close all running programs before attempting shutdown and see if this solves your problem. If so, then you can determine, by trial and error, which program(s) are involved.
One specific solution for this was provided by Microsoft support. In Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services. (You can also get this by launching SERVICES.MSC from a Run box. This utility is also built into the Computer Management console.) Stop the Nvidia Driver Helper service. Many other friends quickly confirmed that this solved this extremely slow shutdown†problem for them.
One specific solution for this was provided by Microsoft support. In Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services. (You can also get this by launching SERVICES.MSC from a Run box. This utility is also built into the Computer Management console.) Stop the Nvidia Driver Helper service. Many other friends quickly confirmed that this solved this extremely slow shutdown†problem for them.
Shut down problems...
Some users have gotten an error message similar to the following when attempting either to shutdown or restart Win XP:
STOP 0000009F, DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE
STOP 0x0000001E: KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
STOP 0x000000D1: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
TechNet and the Microsoft Knowledge Base have numerous articles discussing this type of error condition; for example, these. As a review of these articles will show, these are commonly device driver problems, but may also be caused by troublesome software (such as the notorious CrashGuard), or a problem in a system service. MSKB article Q262575 discusses a shutdown problem of this type, known to exist in Windows 2000 due to a resource (IRQ) conflict, if you have PACE Interlok anti-piracy software installed. This problem may occur in Windows XP as well.
Microsoft advises the following as one approach to these problems: Restart the computer. Press F8 during the restart and select Last Known Good Configuration.If you catch the problem when it first occurs (meaning you likely have installed only one or two drivers or new service), this will return you to a previous working condition. (Would System Restore accomplish the same thing? I dont know, and dont have a broken system to test it on.)
Microsoft reported similarly that these STOP code error message occur when Windows XP is trying to shut down devices. He says that he has seen this twice: once with Logitech Quickcam installed (with an unsupported driver), and once with a USB DSL modem that would hang if it wasnt disconnected before shutdown.
STOP 0000009F, DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE
STOP 0x0000001E: KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
STOP 0x000000D1: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
TechNet and the Microsoft Knowledge Base have numerous articles discussing this type of error condition; for example, these. As a review of these articles will show, these are commonly device driver problems, but may also be caused by troublesome software (such as the notorious CrashGuard), or a problem in a system service. MSKB article Q262575 discusses a shutdown problem of this type, known to exist in Windows 2000 due to a resource (IRQ) conflict, if you have PACE Interlok anti-piracy software installed. This problem may occur in Windows XP as well.
Microsoft advises the following as one approach to these problems: Restart the computer. Press F8 during the restart and select Last Known Good Configuration.If you catch the problem when it first occurs (meaning you likely have installed only one or two drivers or new service), this will return you to a previous working condition. (Would System Restore accomplish the same thing? I dont know, and dont have a broken system to test it on.)
Microsoft reported similarly that these STOP code error message occur when Windows XP is trying to shut down devices. He says that he has seen this twice: once with Logitech Quickcam installed (with an unsupported driver), and once with a USB DSL modem that would hang if it wasnt disconnected before shutdown.
Add/Remove optional features of Windows XP
For some reason, Microsoft has removed the ability to specify which Windows components you want to install during interactive Setup, and when you go into Add/Remove Windows Components in the Control Panel, you still don't have the full list of applications and applets you can add and remove. Thankfully, this is easy to fix.
To dramatically expand the list of applications you can remove from Windows XP after installation, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf (substituting the correct drive letter for your version of Windows) and open the sysoc.inf file. Under Windows XP Professional Edition RC1, this file will resemble the following by default:
[Version] Signature = "$Windows NT$"
DriverVer=06/26/2001,5.1.2505.0
[Components]
NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4
WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7
Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7
Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7
NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7
iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7
com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7
dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7
IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7
TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2
msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6
ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7
fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp4 0ext.inf,,7
AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
msnexplr=ocmsn.dll,OcEntry,msnmsn.inf,,7
smarttgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msnsl.inf,,7
RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7
Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,,7
AccessUtil=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,accessor.inf,,7
CommApps=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,communic.inf,HIDE,7
MultiM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,multimed.inf,HIDE,7
AccessOpt=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,optional.inf,HIDE,7
Pinball=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,pinball.inf,HIDE,7
MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,HIDE,7
ZoneGames=zoneoc.dll,ZoneSetupProc,igames.inf,,7
[Global]
WindowTitle=%WindowTitle%
WindowTitle.StandAlone="*"
The entries that include the text hide or HIDE will not show up in Add/Remove Windows Components by default. To fix this, do a global search and replace for , hide and change each instance of this to , (a comma). Then, save the file, relaunch Add/Remove Windows Components, and tweak the installed applications to your heart's content.
Cool, eh? There are even more new options now under "Accessories and Utilities" too.
Remove Windows Messenger
It seems that a lot of people are interested in removing Windows Messenger for some reason, though I strongly recommend against this: In Windows XP, Windows Messenger will be the hub of your connection to the .NET world, and now that this feature is part of Windows, I think we're going to see a lot of .NET Passport-enabled Web sites appearing as well. But if you can't stand the little app, there are a couple of ways to get rid of it, and ensure that it doesn't pop up every time you boot into XP. The best way simply utilizes the previous tip:
If you'd like Windows Messenger to show up in the list of programs you can add and remove from Windows, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf (substituting the correct drive letter for your version of Windows) and open sysoc.inf (see the previous tip for more information about this file). You'll see a line that reads:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
Change this to the following and Windows Messenger will appear in Add or Remove Programs, then Add/Remove Windows Components, then , and you can remove it for good:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,7
To dramatically expand the list of applications you can remove from Windows XP after installation, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf (substituting the correct drive letter for your version of Windows) and open the sysoc.inf file. Under Windows XP Professional Edition RC1, this file will resemble the following by default:
[Version] Signature = "$Windows NT$"
DriverVer=06/26/2001,5.1.2505.0
[Components]
NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4
WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7
Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7
Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7
NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7
iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7
com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7
dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7
IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7
TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2
msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6
ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7
fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp4 0ext.inf,,7
AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
msnexplr=ocmsn.dll,OcEntry,msnmsn.inf,,7
smarttgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msnsl.inf,,7
RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7
Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,,7
AccessUtil=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,accessor.inf,,7
CommApps=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,communic.inf,HIDE,7
MultiM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,multimed.inf,HIDE,7
AccessOpt=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,optional.inf,HIDE,7
Pinball=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,pinball.inf,HIDE,7
MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,HIDE,7
ZoneGames=zoneoc.dll,ZoneSetupProc,igames.inf,,7
[Global]
WindowTitle=%WindowTitle%
WindowTitle.StandAlone="*"
The entries that include the text hide or HIDE will not show up in Add/Remove Windows Components by default. To fix this, do a global search and replace for , hide and change each instance of this to , (a comma). Then, save the file, relaunch Add/Remove Windows Components, and tweak the installed applications to your heart's content.
Cool, eh? There are even more new options now under "Accessories and Utilities" too.
Remove Windows Messenger
It seems that a lot of people are interested in removing Windows Messenger for some reason, though I strongly recommend against this: In Windows XP, Windows Messenger will be the hub of your connection to the .NET world, and now that this feature is part of Windows, I think we're going to see a lot of .NET Passport-enabled Web sites appearing as well. But if you can't stand the little app, there are a couple of ways to get rid of it, and ensure that it doesn't pop up every time you boot into XP. The best way simply utilizes the previous tip:
If you'd like Windows Messenger to show up in the list of programs you can add and remove from Windows, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf (substituting the correct drive letter for your version of Windows) and open sysoc.inf (see the previous tip for more information about this file). You'll see a line that reads:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
Change this to the following and Windows Messenger will appear in Add or Remove Programs, then Add/Remove Windows Components, then , and you can remove it for good:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,7
Add Album Art to any Music Folder
This is easily my favorite tip! One of the coolest new features in Windows XP is its album thumbnail generator, which automatically places the appropriate album cover art on the folder to which you are copying music (generally in WMA format). But what about those people that have already copied their CDs to the hard drive using MP3 format? You can download album cover art from sites such as cdnow.com or amguide.com, and then use the new Windows XP folder customize feature to display the proper image for each folder. But this takes time--you have to manually edit the folder properties for every single folder--and you will lose customizations if you have to reinstall the OS. There's an excellent fix, however.
When you download the album cover art from the Web, just save the images as folder.jpg each time and place them in the appropriate folder. Then, Windows XP will automatically use that image as the thumbnail for that folder and, best of all, will use that image in Windows Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) if you choose to display album cover art instead of a visualization. And the folder customization is automatic, so it survives an OS reinstallation as well. Your music folders never looked so good!
Album cover art makes music folder thumbnails look better than ever!
Change the location of the My Music or My Pictures folders
In Windows 2000, Microsoft added the ability to right-click the My Documents folder and choose a new location for that folder in the shell. With Windows XP, Microsoft has elevated the My Music and My Pictures folders to the same "special shell folder" status of My Documents, but they never added a similar (and simple) method for changing those folder's locations. However, it is actually pretty easy to change the location of these folders, using the following method.
Open a My Computer window and navigate to the location where you'd like My Music (or My Pictures) to reside. Then, open the My Documents folder in a different window. Drag the My Music (or My Pictures) folder to the other window, and Windows XP will update all of the references to that folder to the new location, including the Start menu.
When you download the album cover art from the Web, just save the images as folder.jpg each time and place them in the appropriate folder. Then, Windows XP will automatically use that image as the thumbnail for that folder and, best of all, will use that image in Windows Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) if you choose to display album cover art instead of a visualization. And the folder customization is automatic, so it survives an OS reinstallation as well. Your music folders never looked so good!
Album cover art makes music folder thumbnails look better than ever!
Change the location of the My Music or My Pictures folders
In Windows 2000, Microsoft added the ability to right-click the My Documents folder and choose a new location for that folder in the shell. With Windows XP, Microsoft has elevated the My Music and My Pictures folders to the same "special shell folder" status of My Documents, but they never added a similar (and simple) method for changing those folder's locations. However, it is actually pretty easy to change the location of these folders, using the following method.
Open a My Computer window and navigate to the location where you'd like My Music (or My Pictures) to reside. Then, open the My Documents folder in a different window. Drag the My Music (or My Pictures) folder to the other window, and Windows XP will update all of the references to that folder to the new location, including the Start menu.
Some Windows Short cut keys
I would appreciate if u guyz contribute some shortcut keys
task manager shortcut --> ctrl + shift + Esc.
ctrl + shift + clicking on hyperlink - opens page in new window (works in firefox too!)
ctrl + click a file and then draging it creates a copy of that file.
Windows key + e Opens Windows Explorer
Refresh webpage - Ctrl + R
Windows key + e Opens Windows Explorer
ctrl + shift + click a file and then draging it creates a shortcut of that file.
Alt + F4 close the window currently being used
or
If no windows are open then it brings you to a shut down screen
windows key + m minimizes all windows
windows key + f open the search window
windows key + L locks your station
F9-Volume Up
F10-Volume Down
windows key + pause/break key opens up system properties.
if multiple windows are opened:
alt + tab - will show the next page under the currently viewed one
task manager shortcut --> ctrl + shift + Esc.
ctrl + shift + clicking on hyperlink - opens page in new window (works in firefox too!)
ctrl + click a file and then draging it creates a copy of that file.
Windows key + e Opens Windows Explorer
Refresh webpage - Ctrl + R
Windows key + e Opens Windows Explorer
ctrl + shift + click a file and then draging it creates a shortcut of that file.
Alt + F4 close the window currently being used
or
If no windows are open then it brings you to a shut down screen
windows key + m minimizes all windows
windows key + f open the search window
windows key + L locks your station
F9-Volume Up
F10-Volume Down
windows key + pause/break key opens up system properties.
if multiple windows are opened:
alt + tab - will show the next page under the currently viewed one
Create a Password Reset Disk
If you are running Windows XP Professional as a local user in a workgroup environment, you can create a password reset disk to log onto your computer when you forget your password. To create the disk:
1.Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
2.Click your account name.
3.Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password.
4.Follow the directions in the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk.
5.Store the disk in a secure location, because anyone using it can access your local user account.
1.Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
2.Click your account name.
3.Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password.
4.Follow the directions in the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk.
5.Store the disk in a secure location, because anyone using it can access your local user account.
How to remove the Default Picture and Fax Preview Action
Go To Start > Run and type `Regedit` and press `ok`
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Classes/CLSID/{e84fda7c-1d6a-45f6-b725-cb260c236066}/shellex
Deleted the MayChangeDefaultMenu key.
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Classes/CLSID/{e84fda7c-1d6a-45f6-b725-cb260c236066}/shellex
Deleted the MayChangeDefaultMenu key.
Never Re-Activate After Installation
If you have to reinstall Windows XP you normally will have to reactivate too. Well not anymore. Just copy wpa.dbl after you activated the first time. It is located in the WINDOWS\system32 folder. Now if you reinstall Windows XP just copy the file back and you're up and running again.
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