Computer Tricks And Tips

Log on as Administrator in Normal Mode

2007-06-11T22:06:00.001-07:00

When you install Windows XP an Administrator Account is created (you are asked to supply an administrator password), but the "Welcome Screen" does not give you the option to log on as Administrator unless you boot up in Safe Mode.First you must ensure that the Administrator Account is enabled:
1 open Control Panel
2 open Administrative Tools
3 open Local Security Policy
4 expand Local Policies
5 click on Security Options
6 ensure that Accounts: Administrator account status is enabled
Then follow the instructions from the "Win2000 Logon Screen Tweak" ie.
1 open Control Panel
2 open User Accounts
3 click Change the way users log on or log off
4 untick Use the Welcome Screen
5 click Apply Options
You will now be able to log on to Windows XP as Administrator in Normal Mode

Remove Login Password!!!

2007-06-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to enter the password at the welcome menu everytime I boot up my computer so I tried to disable it in the user accounts located in the Control Panel. When I clicked on my account and clicked on remove my password, it didn't allow me. Follow this step to remove it.
1. Go to Control panel
2. Click administrative tools
3. Local Security Settings
4. Click Minimum password length
5. Reduce it to 0, No password required
6. Go to user account in control panel click your account and remove password.This will disable the password feature. Have fun.

Remove user name from Start Menu

2007-06-11T22:00:00.001-07:00

START > RUN > GPEDIT.MSC > USER CONFIGURATION > ADMINISTRATIVE TEMPLATES > START MENU AND TASKBAR > FIND REMOVE USER NAME FROM START MENU > RIGHT CLICK PROPERTIES > CHECK ENABLED > OK
NOTE: The group policy editor (gpedit) is only available in XP Pro

Show hidden files

2007-06-11T21:48:00.001-07:00

In any folder that contains files. Click on the tools menu and select folder options.
Then click on the view tab.
Locate where it lists Hidden files and folders and select Show hidden files and folders.
Click OK.

Hacking windows SEND TO MENU

2007-06-11T00:35:00.002-07:00

I know this is a very simple thing but the problem, as like many other issues, is the ignorance about it.How often do you copy songs from a CD? Or some photos from a CD?What do you do? You select the required files and do a CTRL –C.
Open the destination folder and do a CTRL-V. Here is something you can benefit time from. Customize your SEND TO MENU.
This sounds simple and you can do it in less than sixty seconds.You can create your own BASKET.
First you’ll need access to hidden files. So change your view settings to make all hidden files visible. Tools -> folder options -> view (tab) and select the show hidden files and folders. go to parent drive:/documents and settings/(user name)/send toOpen up my computer and locate your most used folders.
Create a shortcut of the most used folders in SEND TO FOLDER.You can do this in a number of ways.Right click -> send to desktop(create shortcut) and move the shortcut from the desktop to the SEND TO FOLDER Copy the most used folder and go to SEND TO FOLDER and right click -> paste shortcut.Also remember to rename the shortcuts to send to videos or send to potos. We don’t need confusion when we use the same later. DONE~ c h e e r s! ~

Cleaning Recent Docs Menu and the RUN MRU :

2007-06-11T00:34:00.001-07:00

The Recent Docs menu can be easily disabled by editing the Registry. To do this go to the following Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer Now in the right pane, create a new DWORD value by the name: NoRecentDocsMenu and set it's value to 1. Restart Explorer to save the changes. You can also clear the RUN MRU history. All the listings are stored in the key: HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMR U You can delete individual listings or the entire listing. To delete History of Find listings go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Doc Find Spec MRU and delete

Great trick Lock ur PC yourself

2007-06-11T00:32:00.002-07:00

lock ur pc.. open notepad copy and paste the script below and save it .VBS extentionThis wil create a shortcut.. run(click) it
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(wshShell.SpecialFolders("Desktop") & "\LockWorkstation.lnk")
oShellLink.TargetPath = "%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe"
oShellLink.Arguments = "user32.dll,LockWorkStation"oShellLink.Save

Pop a banner each time Windows Boots :

2007-06-11T00:31:00.003-07:00

To pop a banner which can contain any message you want to display just before a user is going to log on, go to the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinLogon Now create a new string Value in the right pane named LegalNoticeCaption and enter the value that you want to see in the Menu Bar. Now create yet another new string value and name it: LegalNoticeText. Modify it and insert the message you want to display each time Windows boots. This can be effectively used to display the company's private policy each time the user logs on to his NT box. It's .reg file would be: REGEDIT4 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Winlogon] "LegalNoticeCaption"="Caption here."

Disabling Display of Drives in My Computer :

2007-06-11T00:27:00.001-07:00

This is yet another trick you can play on your geek friend.
To disable the display of local or networked drives when you click My Computer go to : HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer Now in the right pane create a new DWORD item and name it NoDrives. Now modify it's value and set it to 3FFFFFF (Hexadecimal) Now press F5 to refresh.
When you click on My Computer, no drives will be shown. To enable display of drives in My Computer, simply delete this DWORD item. It's .reg file is as follows: REGEDIT4 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explore r] "NoDrives"=dword:03ffffff

Display Wallpaper Right from Log On

2007-06-09T23:04:00.003-07:00

To display wallpaper during the logon itself, navigate to the following registry key :
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop. In the right pane, change the path to
Wallpaper. It will be useful if you are looking for ways to display your company logo during all user log in sessions.

Task Bar Grouping

2007-06-09T22:52:00.001-07:00

If you want to change the default number of grouping in task bar do this tweak. Go to
START[1]RUN and enter regedit. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\
Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. Look for value of the key titledTaskbarGroupSize. Set it to any value you want. Default is 3

Delete Addresses Stored by AutoDial

2007-06-08T22:41:00.003-07:00

AutoDial recordes a list of names and addresses. To see the list , type the following command at a command prompt: rasautou -s
Now to delete a name or address entry from the list, open the registry editor and navigate to:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\RAS Autodial\Addresses. Delete whatever you want.

Automatic Window Refresh

2007-06-08T22:40:00.003-07:00

Whenever you make a change to your windows you have to press F5 or do a manual refresh.
With this tweak you can tell windows to increase the rate at which it does the refreshing.
Navigate to the key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Update. Create a newDWORD value, or modify the existing value, named UpdateMode and set it to equal "0" for faster updates. Restart Windows for the change to take effect

Auto Disconnect Creating Problems?

2007-06-08T22:39:00.001-07:00

If you are having problem setting the auto disconnect feature in Internet explorer 6 , here is a tip. Open registry editor and enter the following area:
HKY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\ParametersLlook for AutoDisconnect parameter. Change its value to whatever you want. Note that the value mentioned here are in minutes

Unable to Open Certain Web Sites? Try

2007-06-08T22:36:00.000-07:00

These Steps
From the IE window, go to Tools[]Internet Options[]Advanced and uncheck the
option Enable third party browsing extensions.
Now restart IE.
Go to Start [Run] and type regsvr32 actxprxy.dll (follow next bullet point too)
Go to Start[Run ]and type regsvr32 shdocvw.dll and reboot.
Open Tools[Internet Options][Privacy tab] and put one of these web sites in the list
which can be located by clicking the Sites button.
Try putting the web site in the "Trusted Zone" and if this fixes the problem, you can
begin to diagnose cookie/script problems with that site and your Internet zone
settings.
If you are a dial-up user and your ISP have more than one local number for dialup,
remove the primary number that is dialing up first and use the secondary dialup
number. Clear the checkbox for Negotiate multilink for single link connections
under the PPP settings.
A file in your Windows folder called 'hosts' (no extension) may have an incorrect IP
address for the page. To find out, open Windows Explorer, select your C:\Windows
folder, and look in the right pane for a hosts file. If you can't find it in your Windows
folder, this isn't your problem. If you do find a hosts file, open it in Notepad and look
for a line referring to the page that's giving you trouble. If it's there, enter # at the
beginning of the line. Save and exit the file.
Go to Tools[]Internet Options[]Connections[]Lan Settings. Uncheck Use a proxy
server. Now restart IE.
These steps will definitely solve the issues.

Remove “Log Off” from the Start Menu

2007-06-08T22:29:00.001-07:00

To remove the Log Off line on your Start menu do the following registry hack.
Navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ExplorerCreate a new DWORD value and name it NoLogOff. Now add the value 1 to the key.
You need to logoff or reboot for the settings to take effect

Turn off Welcome screen

2007-06-07T23:03:00.001-07:00

Click on start>setting>control panel.
Open User Accounts in Control Panel.
Click Change the way users log on or off

To change drive letters

2007-06-07T23:01:00.001-07:00

To change drive letters (useful if you have two drives and have partitioned the boot drive, but the secondary drive shows up as "D")
Go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management, Disk Management, then right-click the partition whose name you want to change
(click in the white area just below the word "Volume") and select "change drive letter and paths."
From here you can add, remove or change drive letters and paths to the partition.

How to make your Desktop Icons Transparent?

2007-06-07T22:57:00.001-07:00

Go to ontrol Panel > System, > Advanced > Performance area > Settings button Visual Effects tab "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the Desktop".

Remove the Recycle Bin from the Desktop

2007-06-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

If you don't use the Recycle Bin to store deleted files , you can get rid of its desktop icon all together
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/explorer/Desktop/NameSpace
Click on the "Recycle Bin" string in the right hand pane. Hit Del, click OK.

How to Rename the Recycle Bin

2007-06-07T22:26:00.001-07:00

To change the name of the Recycle Bin desktop icon, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
and change the name "Recycle Bin" to whatever you want (don't type any quotes).

Speed up your browsing of Windows 2000 & XP machines

2007-06-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a great tip to speed up your browsing of Windows XP machines. Its actually a fix to a bug installed as default in Windows 2000 that scans shared files for Scheduled Tasks. And it turns out that you can experience a delay as long as 30 seconds when you try to view shared files across a network because Windows 2000 is using the extra time to search the remote computer for any Scheduled Tasks. Note that though the fix is originally intended for only those affected, Windows 2000 users will experience that the actual browsing speed of both the Internet & Windows Explorers improve significantly after applying it since it doesn't search for Scheduled Tasks anymore. Here's how :

Open up the Registry and go to :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace
Under that branch, select the key :
{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}
and delete it.
This is key that instructs Windows to search for Scheduled Tasks. If you like you may want to export the exact branch so that you can restore the key if necessary.
This fix is so effective that it doesn't require a reboot and you can almost immediately determine yourself how much it speeds up your browsing processes.

Make your Folders Private

2007-06-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

•Open My Computer
•Double-click the drive where Windows is installed (usually drive (C:), unless you have more than one drive on your computer).
•If the contents of the drive are hidden, under System Tasks, click Show the contents of this drive.
•Double-click the Documents and Settings folder.
•Double-click your user folder.
•Right-click any folder in your user profile, and then click Properties.
•On the Sharing tab, select the Make this folder private so that only I have access to it check box

Note
•To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My Computer.
•This option is only available for folders included in your user profile. Folders in your user profile include My Documents and its subfolders, Desktop, Start Menu, Cookies, and Favorites. If you do not make these folders private, they are available to everyone who uses your computer. •When you make a folder private, all of its subfolders are private as well. For example, when you make My Documents private, you also make My Music and My Pictures private. When you share a folder, you also share all of its subfolders unless you make them private.
•You cannot make your folders private if your drive is not formatted as NTFS For information about converting your drive to NTFS

Remove shortcut arrow from desktop icons

2007-06-07T21:48:00.001-07:00

Here's how you can remove those shortcut arrows from your desktop icons in Windows XP

1. Start regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTlnkfile
3. Delete the IsShortcut registry value.
You may need to restart Windows XP.

How To Enable Hibernation

2007-06-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

Under Windows 98, Me, or 2000 there was an option in the shutdown dialog box to enter the computer into hibernation (where all the content of the RAM is copied to the hard disk).
The shutdown dialog box of Windows XP doesn't offer any longer the hibernation button.
Some users may get confused about how to enable the hibernation mode.
If this mode is supported by your motherboard (ACPI) you have to do the following:

1.Click Start and Shut Down,
2.Point the standby button and maintain the shift key pushed,
3.A new hibernation button appears: click it while still holding the shift key: voila your PC will hibernate.

Slow Shutdown

2007-06-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Some people have noticed that they are experiencing a really slow shutdown after installing Windows XP Home or Professional. Although this can be caused a number of ways, the most clear cut one so far is happening on systems with an NVidia card installed with the latest set of drivers. A service called NVIDIA Driver Helper Service is loading up on start up and for whatever reason doesn't shut itself down properly. The service isn't needed and can also increase the amount of memory available to your system. Here is how to disable it.

1: Go into your Control Panel
2: Select Administrative Tools and then click on Services
3: Right click on the file "NVIDIA Driver Helper Service" and then select STOP.
4: To stop this loading up every time you boot up your PC Right click it again and select properties - then where the option "Startup Type" is shown - make sure it is set at Manual.

Clean Prefetch Data

2007-06-06T22:27:00.001-07:00

The prefetch directory can get full of junk and obsolete links which can slow down your
computer noticeably. I would suggest that you do this once a month or so to improve the
speed. Do not follow this on a daily basis as prefetching of most commonly used programs will speed up the execution of those programs.
To perform this trick go to:
C(SystemDrive):/windows/prefetch, and delete everything and reboot.

Change the Default Search Engine from

2007-06-06T22:23:00.001-07:00

Microsoft has set the default search engine in Internet explorer as MSN. But here is your
chance to set the default according to your wish. The tip is from MS-KB. First close the
Internet Explorer and open the registry editor (Start[1]Run[1]Regedit). Then navigate to thefollowing registry key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl. Change the
value of the string key named default to any one of the following values:
• To specify Metacrawler as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://www.metacrawler.com/crawler?general=%s" (without quotation marks).
• To specify AltaVista as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://www.altavista.com/cgi-bin/query?q=%s" (without quotation marks).
• To specify HotBot as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://hotbot.com/?MT=%s" (without quotation marks).
• To specify Google as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://www.google.com/keyword/%s" (without quotation marks).
• To specify Infoseek as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://www.infoseek.com/Titles?qt=%s" (without quotation marks).
• To specify Excite as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://search.excite.com/search.gw?search=%s" (without quotation marks).
• To specify Lycos as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://www.lycos.com/cgi-bin/pursuit?query=%s" (without quotation marks).
• To specify Magellan as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://www.mckinley.com/searcher.cgi?query=%s" (without quotation marks).
• To specify Ask Jeeves as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://askjeeves.com/AskJeeves.asp=%s" (without quotation marks).
• To specify Yahoo! as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=%s" (without quotation marks).
• To specify GOTO.Com as the default search page, change the default value to
"http://www.goto.com/d/search/?type=topbar&Keywords=%s" (without quotation marks).
Quit Registry Editor, and then start Internet Explorer

Alignment of Start Menu panel

2007-06-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

Start menu has all the entries aligned to left by default. But if you insist on aligning it to the right, then here is the way to achieve it. The objective can be met by a registry tweak. Open the registry editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
and look for key MenuDropAlignment.Set its value to 1 to align the menu entry to right. If you have any regrets in future, turn the value back to 0

Type URL without a Mouse Click

2007-06-06T22:19:00.001-07:00

In IE you can use Alt + D key combination to highlight the address bar. This allows you to enter a URL without the mouse click. This will be helpful for the laptop users who find it uneasy to use their touchpad every time they want to type a URL

Closing “about” Window

2007-06-06T22:14:00.002-07:00

Certain web sites force the opening of a popup window with an advertisement that can not be minimized or maximized like the other ordinary windows. These windows are a headache as they do not have any Minimizing or maximizing buttons on them. This happens in MicroSoft Internet Explorer 4/5/6 (that comes bundled with 98/Me/2000/XP).
They do this by using the "about:" browser built-in command into their HTML/DHTML/XML code. If you want to get rid of such troubling windows during your surfing, then follow me. I have the fix. As usual open the registry editor and navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\ZoneMap\ProtocolDefaults
Now right click on the right window pane. Create a new Dword entry and name it about. Set it’s value to “00000004” (hex). Please note that they are zeros and not the letter ‘O’.
Once again right click on the right window pane. This time create another Dword entry and name it about: (Note the : symbol introduced here). Set it’s value to “00000004” (hex).
Please note that they are all zeros and not letter ‘O’.
This will place all "about:" URLs into the MS IE Restricted Zone (the hex code 00000004
stands for Restricted Zone), and hence will not open anymore while surfing the net.

.Customize Your Login prompt

2007-06-06T22:12:00.001-07:00

So let us get into some serious business. We shall start with a tip to customize your log in
prompt.
Open Registry editor by going to Start[1]Run[1]Regedit and Navigate to the key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micrsft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.
In right pane, do a right click to create a new string value and give its name LogonPrompt.
Set its value to whatever text you want to see displayed at login screen. Reboot the machine and see the log-in prompt for the change. You can see the text you entered above the text fields that ask for username and password.

Removing the Recovery Console

2007-06-05T09:58:00.001-07:00

Restart your computer, click Start, click My Computer, and then double-click the hard disk on which you installed the Recovery Console.
On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.
Click Show hidden files and folders, click to clear the Hide protected operating system files check box, and then click OK.
At the root folder, delete the Cmdcons folder and the Cmldr file.
At the root folder, right-click the Boot.ini file, and then click Properties.
Click to clear the Read-only check box, and then click OK.
WARNING: Modifying the Boot.ini file incorrectly may prevent your computer from restarting. Be sure to delete only the entry for the Recovery Console. Also, it is recommended that you change the attribute for the Boot.ini file back to a read-only state after you complete this procedure. Open the Boot.ini file in Microsoft Windows Notepad, and remove the entry for the Recovery Console. It looks similar to this:
C:\cmdcons\bootsect.dat="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
Save the file and close it.

Recovery Console

2007-06-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Windows XP includes the Recovery Console that was first introduced in Windows 2000. The Recovery Console allows access to XP installations on FAT, FAT32 and NTFS volumes which are inaccessible via safe mode. The console may be used in two ways. It can be installed to a hard disk as a boot menu option or started from the Windows XP CD used for setup. The Administrator password is required to access the installation. Three incorrect password entries forces a reboot

Installing the Recovery Console
As discussed above, the Recovery Console may be installed to hard disk or started from the XP Installation CD. The procedure below illustrates installing the console as a boot menu option. This will require ~7MB of disk space. I feel this is the preferred option as immediate access to the Recovery Console is available, eliminating the need for access to the Windows XP Setup CD

Step by Step Recovery Console Installation
Insert the Windows Setup CD. If AutoRun is enabled, close the XP Setup screen that appears after inserting the CD
Click [Start] [Run] and type in G:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons.
In this example, G:/ is the CD Drive. Click [OK] to continue. The Windows Setup message box will open

In the Windows Setup message box, click [Yes] to confirm Recovery Console installation

Recovery Console setup will next attempt to acess the Internet and perform a Dynamic Update to the installation files. If you don’t wish to perform the update, press [Esc] to interrupt the Dynamic Update process and use the existing setup files

Once the Dynamic Update is completed, the Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup screen shown above will track the installation progress of Recovery Console as the files are copied and system files updated to place the Recovery Console on the Boot Menu

Upon completion of the Recovery Console install, the dialog box above is displayed to confirm a successful installation. Click [OK] and restart the computer. Note the instruction regarding HELP availability for the Recovery Console at the command prompt

How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

2007-06-05T09:50:00.001-07:00

click on the link........
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307545

Display The Quick Launch Toolbar

2007-06-05T09:48:00.001-07:00

If the Quick Launch Toolbar is missing from the taskbar:
Right-click an empty area on the taskbar, click Toolbars, and then click Quick Launch.Add items to the Quick Launch toolbar by clicking the icon for the program you want to add, and dragging it to the Quick Launch portion of the taskbar

How to set, view, change, or remove file and folder permissions in Windows XP

2007-06-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below.......
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q308418

Microsoft Narrator, Magnifier, On-Screen Keyboard

2007-06-05T09:24:00.001-07:00

Two of the Accessibility features of XP are Narrator and Magnifier. To access the features individually:
Select [Start] [All Programs] [Accessories] [Accessibility] followed by the feature you want to invoke.
The [Windows Key] + [U] opens the Utility Manager
Other way is open command prompt
type osk

Launch Programs at Login Without Using the Startup Folder

2007-06-05T09:18:00.001-07:00

This tweak allows a program to be launched when the user logs onto the computer. It can be set to run minimized and there is no trace of the executable in the Startup folder on the Start Menu nor in the Documents and Settings folder accessible via Windows Explorer.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunModify/Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s) as detailed below.Data Type: REG_SZ [String Value] // Value Name: [Enter the Name of Program Executable]Value Data: [Enter the Path to the Program Executable]Exit Registry and Reboot

Administrator Versus User Logon

2007-06-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Power up, a few simple keystrokes and Viola ! - you’re an Administrator in Windows XP. That’s heady stuff. You have the power to make changes to other users’ accounts and can alter any setting in XP that strikes your fancy. The head rush can be so strong that some never want to be just a ‘User’ once they’ve sampled the Administrator strata.
However, is always being logged in as Administrator a wise choice? Quite honestly it’s a very foolish choice. If anything goes wrong while you are logged in as Administrator, the same power that you have to make system wide changes can also wreak system wide havoc. Log in as a User and the potential for damage is reduced. The bottom line; for everyday use, log in as a User and reserve the Administrator account for tasks which require its unique abilities.

Create A XP Boot Disk from System Files

2007-06-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

As a hedge against being unable to start XP, you can create a boot disk specifically for Windows XP that may allow you to boot the operating system. This can occur when the active partition boot record or other required files become corrupted.

Using Windows XP, place a blank floppy in drive A and format the disk. Navigate to the root folder of the system (in most cases this will be C:\) and copy the following files to the floppy disk

Boot.ini
NTLDR
Ntdetect.com

If you can't see the files, click [Tools] and [Folder Options...] in the Menu Bar of Windows Explorer. Click the [View] tab and click the radio button next to [Show Hidden Files and Folders]. Remove the check mark next to [Hide Protected Operating System Files (Recommended)] then click [Apply] and [OK]. The files should now be visible in Windows Explorer. If the files still cannot be copied, right click each file, click [Properties] and remove the checkmark from the Read-Only attributes. Reset whatever attributes were unchecked after the copy procedure is completed.

In addition to the files listed above, check the same directory for bootsect.dos and ntbootdd.sys files. If they are present on your system, copy them to the same floppy diskette

The disk is used as any other boot disk, inserting it into the floppy drive (A:\) and initiating a cold boot. Make sure the BIOS is set so that the A:\ drive is first in the boot sequence

Create A MS-DOS Startup Disk

2007-06-04T00:38:00.001-07:00

Since XP was released there has been a lot of confusion about startup disks, boot disks, and also MS-DOS startup disks.
A MS-DOS startup disk is not a substitute for the boot disks that you might be familiar with from Windows 95/98/Me.
It performs one function and one function only. It gets you to the A:\ prompt from a cold boot. The following list of files is placed on the MS-DOS startup disk when the procedure listed below is performed.

Directory of A:\AUTOEXEC.BAT
COMMAND.COM
KEYB.COM
MODE.COM
EGA.CPI
EGA2.CPI
EGA3.CPI
CONFIG.SYS
DISPLAY.SYS
IO.SYS
KEYBOARD.SYS
KEYBRD2.SYS
KEYBRD3.SYS
KEYBRD4.SYS
MSDOS.SYS

Insert a 3.5 floppy in the floppy drive.Click [Start] [My Computer] then highlight the A:\ drive and right click.Click [Format] to open the window below.

Check [Create an MS-DOS Startup Disk] [Start] and follow the prompts.
Note: The MS-DOS startup disk only allows the system to boot into an MS-DOS prompt. The disk contains no additional tools and is not a substitute for Windows XP Setup Boot Disks

Create Legal Notice Logon Dialog Box

2007-06-04T00:37:00.001-07:00

In situations where you need users to review a legal notice before logging on, this tweak will create the caption for the notice and the notice itself which you type directly into the string values

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Modify/Create the Value Name [LegalNoticeCaption] according to the Value Data listed below.Data Type: REG_SZ [String Value] // Value Name: LegalNoticeCaptionValue Data for LegalNoticeCaption: [Type the Caption for the Dialog Box]
Modify/Create the Value Name [LegalNoticeText] according to the Value Data listed below.Data Type: REG_SZ [String Value] // Value Name: LegalNoticeTextValue Data for LegalNoticeText: [Type the Data for the Legal Notice]Exit Registry and Reboot

Use the Address Bar to Launch Programs or Web Pages from the Taskbar

2007-06-04T00:36:00.003-07:00

The majority of the time the taskbar is underutilized, simply displaying the names of open programs. Windows XP Professional provides enhanced functionality by allowing you to add the Address Bar to the Taskbar at the bottom of your desktop.
Anything that can be launched by the [Start] [Run] command sequence can be done using the Address Bar.
Web content can also be launched just as it would be from the Address Bar inside Internet Explorer.
To add the Address bar to the taskbar:
Right-click an empty area on the taskbar.Point to Toolbars, and then click Address.Open and close the Address Bar by double-clicking it.

Add Your Photo to the Start Menu

2007-06-04T00:35:00.002-07:00

At the top of the Start Menu there is a graphic depicting the user signed onto the computer. The pictures are 48 x 48 bitmap images. Create any BMP, GIF, JPG or PNG image and add it to the folder located at:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures
Best results are obtained by using a square image

Add Safe Mode Startup to the Boot Menu

2007-06-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

It's fairly common knowledge that if you want to start your computer in Safe Mode you can hit the F8 key during the boot process and it will bring up an alternate list of boot options. The trick is finding just the right place to whap the hell out of the F8 key to make sure the regular boot sequence doesn't initiate. It's much easier to get into Safe Mode if you add it to the boot menu as one of the options on the boot loader menu. Here's how:
Make a backup of the current boot.ini file

Note: The boot.ini file shown below is for illustration purposes only. Your actual boot.ini may vary from this example.

[boot loader]timeout=30default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS[operating systems]multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
Using Notepad, edit the original boot.ini (shown above) so it appears as shown below.
[boot loader]timeout=30default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS[operating systems]multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetectmulti(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Safe" /fastdetect
The line shown above in red is the line you add.
I used the word "Safe" but this can be any word you choose.
Close Notepad and save changes when prompted.
Start the System Configuration Utility by clicking [Start] [Run] and typing msconfig, then click [OK].
Click the BOOT.INI tab.Highlight the boot line you added with the word "Safe" or whatever word you chose to add above.Check the /SAFEBOOT option in the Boot Options box and use the radio buttons to add whatever options you prefer. I'd suggest the MINIMAL option.
Click [Apply] and [OK] and Restart when prompted.
The option to boot into safe mode will now appear on the boot loader menu

Add Computer Management to the XP Desktop

2007-06-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

Unlike previous Windows versions, XP takes a minimalist approach to icons on the desktop.
The single, default icon a new installation places is Recycle Bin.
I certainly don’t like a cluttered desktop so that suits me fine, but one icon I do find indispensable is Computer Management.
[Start] [Control Panel] [Performance and Maintenance] [Administrative Tools]
Right-Click [Computer Management]
then drag and release it over an empty part of the desktop, selecting [Create Shortcut Here] in the context menu that opens.
Alternatively, you can use the [Copy] and [Paste] commands rather than dragging and dropping to create the shortcut.
Either method can be used to create shortcuts virtually anywhere once you locate the target file for the desired shortcut.

How to Choose Hibernate on the Shutdown Dialog

2007-06-04T00:27:00.000-07:00

If hibernate isn't available from the default Shut Down dialog. It can be enabled by holding down the SHIFT key while the dialog is visible

Turn Off Hibernation
Access settings via [Control Panel] [Power Options] [Hibernate] tab.Check or uncheck the box to set activation property

Multiple Users and Fast User Switching

2007-06-04T00:23:00.000-07:00

A highly touted feature of XP is the ability to have multiple users logged on to one machine and switch quickly between them. Like Windows 2000, this is certainly possible, but is it really a very worthwhile feature? The theory behind it is if you step away from the computer and somebody else wants to use it in your absence, they can sign in to their own settings without closing the programs you are running. The usefulness of Fast User Switching really depends on the type of work you do, how long each session lasts and how many users access each machine. Bear in mind that each additional user logged in is going to eat away at overall performance, especially if resource intensive programs are being run by multiple users.

To activate Fast User Switching:
Log in as Administrator
[Start] [Control Panel] [User Accounts]

[Change the Way Users Log On and Off]

Click [Use Fast User Switching]
then click [Apply Options]
Fast User Switching is now enabled.
To change users, click [Start] [Log Off] and [Switch User] when the [Log Off Windows] selection box appears.
To log yourself off and leave the computer available for another user to log on, click the [Log Off] button. The Log On screen with the available users will be displayed.

Fast Boot /Fast Resume Design

2007-06-04T00:21:00.001-07:00

Customer research shows a frequently requested feature that users want from their PCs is fast system startup, whether from cold boot or when resuming from standby or hibernation. The Windows development team at Microsoft has taken bold steps in making fast startup PCs a reality with the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system. The design goals for Windows XP on a typical consumer PC are:
1. Boot to a useable state in a total of 30 seconds
2. Resume from Hibernate (S4) in a total of 20 seconds
3. Resume from Standby (S3) in a total of 5 seconds
Boot and resume times are measured from the time the power switch is pressed to being able to start a program from a desktop shortcut.
Note: The link above provides access to the BootVis.exe Tool, a performance trace visualization tool for use with Windows XP systems. Highly recommended to help in understanding the boot process of the XP box

Create Icons for Shutdown and Reboot

2007-06-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

If you find it annoying to access the Start Menu for shutting down or rebooting the computer, create a shutdown and reboot icon for the desktop.
Desktop Shutdown Icon
Right click on the desktopClick [New] [Shortcut] to open the Create Shortcut WizardType [shutdown -s -t 00] without the brackets.

Click [Next] and type a descriptive name of your choosing for the shortcutClick [Finish]
Add a bit of class to the shortcut by assigning it a custom icon.

Right click the shortcut, click [Properties] and select the [Shortcut] tab.

Click [Change Icon] and select from the icons that are displayed.
Desktop Reboot Icon
Right click on the desktopClick [New] [Shortcut] to open the Create Shortcut WizardType [shutdown -r -t 00] without the brackets.

Click [Next] and type a descriptive name of your choosing for the shortcutClick [Finish]
Add a bit of class to the shortcut by assigning it a custom icon.

Right click the shortcut, click [Properties] and select the [Shortcut] tab. Click [Change Icon] and select from the icons that are displayed.
A Final Note:
If you happen to be as fanatical as I am about having nothing on the desktop, drag the new icons into the Quick Launch area of the Taskbar.

Auto Disconnect for Internet Explorer

2007-06-02T10:53:00.001-07:00

Use this edit to automatically disconnect from Internet Explorer after a specified length of time has elapsed.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\ParametersModify/Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s) as detailed below.Data Type: REG_DWORD [Dword Value] // Value Name: AutodisconnectValue Data: [Enter a new disconnect time. Use Hexadecimal if you are unfamiliar with Binary]Exit Registry and Reboot

Create Password Reset Disks

2007-06-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

The Forgotten Password Wizard allows you to create a password reset disk that can be used to recover user account and personalized computer settings if the password is forgotten. The steps to perform this task differ for domain and workgroup scenarios.
Domain Password Reset Disk
Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to open the Windows Security dialog box.Click Change Password.Click Backup to open the Forgotten Password Wizard.Click Next and then follow the instructions as they appear on the screen.
Non-Domain Password Reset Disks
The procedure for creating non-domain reset disks varies depending on whether you have an administrator account or a limited account.
Administrator Password Reset Disk
[Start] [Control Panel] [User Accounts]Select the account name.Click [Prevent A Forgotten Password] under Related Tasks on left of screen.Follow the instructions in Forgotten Password Wizard.
Limited Account Password Reset Disk
[Start] [Control Panel] [User Accounts]Click [Prevent A Forgotten Password] under Realted Tasks on left of screen.Follow the instructions in Forgotten Password Wizard.

change fat -> ntfs

2007-06-01T20:54:00.001-07:00

To change ur File system from command prompt type: convert c:/fs:ntfs
(ex:'c' is the drive letter)

Turn Off Autoplay for Program CDs

2007-06-01T20:52:00.001-07:00

How can you stop Windows XP from launching program CDs?·
Click Start, click Run, type GPEDIT.MSC to open Group Policy in the MicrosoftManagement Console.·
Double-click Computer Configuration, double-click Administrative templates,
double-click System, and then click Turn off autoplay.·
The instructions on your screen describe how to configure this setting.
ClickProperties to display the setting dialog.·
Click Enabled, and choose CD-ROM drives, then click OK, to stop CD autoplay.
This setting does not prevent Autoplay for music CDs.

Make your folders invicible...:)

2007-06-01T20:44:00.001-07:00

1)Right Click on the desktop.Make a new folder
2)Now rename the folder with a space(U have to hold ALT key and type 0160).
3)Now u have a folder with out a name.
4)Right click on the folder>properties>customize. Click on change icon.
5)Scroll a bit, u should find some empty spaces, Click on any one of them.
click ok