XP Pro Tips, Tricks & Tweaks
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XP Pro
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Contents |
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About |
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As usual, nothing
out of the box is good enough. Change
is good especially if it improves things. These are basically
my notes gathered from goggling to customize XP Pro the way I like it. But I have to admit that after formatting and
re-installing XP Pro with SP3 I find that many are now default from Bill
Gates. Most of the below
are done via the registry. If you’re
comfortable with it, go for it! If
not, do not! In either case, use at
your own risk! Do feel free to
contact me! Again, use
at your own risk! Happy Tweaking! Windows
XP Pro and Mozilla Firefox with all updates Intel
Pentium III Speed Step 6 1.20
GHz 512Mb of RAM 40GB
HDD Laptop |
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Performance |
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Broken Shortcuts, Disable comprehensive ‘search for’ & ‘tracking of’ |
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Connection |
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Cosmetics |
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Features |
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Security |
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Tips |
Performance
.
Autoexec
Batch File, Disable Parsing The Autoexec Batch File:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows NT+ CurrentVersion+ Winlogon
String "ParseAutoexec" value=0 (was 1)
.
Bootvis, Bootvis Style Optimization Without Bootvis:
Run, type:
Rundll32.exe
advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks
NOTE: it can take up to 30
minutes to complete in the background
.
Broken
Shortcuts, Disable Comprehensive “Search For” & “Tracking Of” Broken
Shortcuts:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Policies+ Explorer
Dword “NoResolveSearch” decimal
value=1 “(was non-existent)
Dword “NoResolveTrack” decimal value=1
was non-existent)
.
CD
Copying, Speed Up Copying From CD’s:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Control+ FileSystem+
CDFS
Binary “CacheSize”
value=ff ff 00 00 (see
note)
Dword “Prefetch” decimal value=16384
(see note)
Dword “PrefetchTail” decimal
value=16384 (see note)
NOTE: Key “CDFS” was
non-existent
.
Disk
Cleanup, Run Disk Cleanup As An Unattended Scheduled Task:
Run, type
cleanmgr /sageset:1
click "Ok", check
the boxes you wish, click “Ok”
Scheduled Tasks, click “Add
Scheduled Task”, click "Next", select “Disk Cleanup”, click “Next”,
give it a name, select how often & when, enter your Windows Logon password,
check the box “Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish”,
click “Finish”, in the “Run:” box, add to the end the sageset
created (C:\WINDOWS\system32\cleanmgr.exe /sagerun:1), click "Ok".
NOTE: the sageset
added to the end is actually sagerun
.
Disk
Defrag, Run Disk Defrag As An Unattended Scheduled Task:
Scheduled Tasks, click “Add
Scheduled Tasks”, click “Next”, click “Browse”, navigate to
C:\WINDOWS\system32\defrag.exe, click “Open”, give it a name, select how often
& when, enter your Windows Logon password, check the box “Open advanced
properties for this task when I click Finish”, click “Finish”, in the “Run:”
box, add to the end c: (C:\windows\system32\defrag.exe c:
NOTE: Only one instance of
Disk Defrag can run at any one time. So, if scheduling multiple partitions,
make sure they are far enough apart. The Paging File will not be affected
& there must be at least 15% free space
Defragging the Paging File
will require user intervention:
Properties of My Computer,
Advanced tab, under Performance, click “Settings”, Advanced tab, under Virtual
memory click “Change”, note the original bullet selected then select the bullet
“No paging file:”, click “Set”, click “Ok” all the way out but DO NOT restart
or shutdown till after defrag is done & you’ve returned the settings (the
bullet selection) to it’s original state
.
Disk
Optimization, Auto Boot Disk Optimization:
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+ Dfrg+ BootOptimizeFunction
String "Enable"
value=Y (was Y)
.
DLL’s,
Disable Holding DLL’s In Memory:
HKLM+ SOFTWARE+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Explorer
String “AlwaysUnloadDll”
decimal value=1
.
DMA
Mode, Enable DMA Mode For All Your IDE Drives:
Device Manager, IDE ATA/ATAPI
Controllers
right-click Primary IDE &
choose Properties, click Advanced Settings tab, verify the Transfer Mode is set
to "DMA if available", if any device is not used, set it’s Device
Type to “None”, repeat for any other IDE controller.
Also see UDMA.
NOTE: in order to set external
devices, they will have to be connected first
.
Feature
Enhancements, Enable Feature Enhancements On All Drives:
Properties of any Drive
Policies tab & see what’s
available
"Enable write caching on
the disk" for Hard Disks Drives
“Optimize for quick removal”
for USB Hard Disks Drives
“Enable digital CD audio…” for
CD-Rom Devices
.
Icons,
Increase Icon Cache:
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Explorer
String “Max Cached Icons”
decimal value=4096 (was 512)
.
IE,
Disable Unnecessary Scheduled Task Scanned By Internet Explorer:
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ Current Version+ Explorer+ RemoteComputer+ NameSpace
delete Key
“{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}” (was there)
.
Indexing,
Turn Off Indexing:
Properties of any Partition
General tab
.
MFT,
Control How NTFS Reserves Space For It’s Master File
Table:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Control+ FileSystem
Dword "NtfsMftZoneReservation"
decimal value=2 (was non-existent (2=25%))
NOTE: this is a run-time
parameter & does not affect the format of a volume. Rather, it affects the
way NTFS allocates space on all volumes on a given system. Therefore, to
be completely effective, the parameter must be in effect from the time that a
volume is formatted throughout the life of the volume
.
Norton AntiVirus, Email Protection Without The Norton AntiVirus Delay:
Norton AntiVirus
Options window
uncheck the boxes "Scan
incoming Email” & “Scan outgoing Email"
NOTE: Norton AntiVirus scans all incoming & outgoing files
regardless of that option
.
OS
Optimization, Balance The Speed Between Application Launch & Boot Time:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Control+ Session Manager+ Memory
Management+ PrefetchParameters
Dword “EnablePrefetcher” decimal
value=3 (was 3 (0=Disable, 1=App, 2=Boot, 3=Both App & Boot))
.
OS
Optimization, Settings For Better System Performance:
Properties of My Computer,
Advanced tab, Performance, Settings, Advanced tab
1. Processor scheduling:
select “Background Services
2. Memory usage: select
“system cache”
3. Virtual memory (also known
as Paging File):
To set a permanently sized
Paging File: note the “Total paging file size for all drives” (RAM x 1.5) in
MB, click “Change”, highlight the system drive, usually c:, select the bullet
“Custom size:”, enter the size (RAM x 1.5) noted above for both Initial Size
(MB): & Maximum size (MB):, click “Set”, click “Ok” all the way out
NOTE: #3 above is only needed
on the System drive/partition
.
Outlook
Express, Disable The Splash Screen Of Outlook Express:
HKCU+ Identities+ {your unique
user id}+ Software+ Microsoft+ Outlook Express+ 5.0
Dword "NoSplash" decimal
value=1 (was non-existent)
.
Paging
Executive, Disable Paging Executive (for 128MB Ram or more):
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Control+ Session Manager+ Memory
Management
DWORD “DisablePagingExecutive” decimal value=1
.
Prefetch Data, Clear Prefetch Data:
C:+ Windows+ Prefetch
select & delete all
NOTE: these files will be
recreated with fresh & clean ones at reboot, the Layout.ini file will be
recreated at the next Defrag
.
Real
Time Clock, Speed Up Windows XP By Changing The Real Time Clock’s Priority:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Control+ PriorityControl
Dword “IRQ8Priority” decimal value=1 (was non-existent)
NOTE: verify 8 is your IRQ #
by going to the Device Manager & looking at the Resources tab in the
Properties of System CMOS/real time clock under System devices. If not, use
yours as a single digit
.
Scandisk,
Shorten The Wait Time Of Scandisk:
Command Prompt, type
CHKNTFS /T:3 (3 seconds)
.
Scripts,
Run Logon & Startup Scripts Synchronously:
HKLM+ software+ Microsoft+
Windows NT+ CurrentVersion+ Winlogon
Dword "RunLogonScriptSync"
decimal value=1 (was non-existent)
HKLM+ software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Policies+ System
Dword "RunStartupScriptSync"
decimal value=1 (was non-existent)
.
Shutdown,
Speed-Up Shutdown Time:
HKCU+ Control Panel+ Desktop
String “AutoEndTasks”
value=1 (was 0)
String “HungAppTimeout”
value=3000 (was 5000)
String “WaitToKillAppTimeout”
value=6000 (was 20000)
HKLM+ SYSTEM+ CurrentControlSet+ Control
String “WaitToKillServiceTimeout”
value=6000 (was 20000)
.
Start
Menu, Speed Up The Start Menu:
HKCU+ Control Panel+ Desktop
String “MenuShowDelay”
value=100 (was 400 (milliseconds))
.
UDMA
Mode, Enable UDMA Mode For All Your IDE Channels:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Control+ Class+
{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}+ 0000
Dword "EnableUDMA66" decimal value=1 (was
non-existent)
NOTE: This further enhances DMA Mode.
Connection
.
Dial-up,
Increase Dial-up Connections Bandwidth:
Run, type
gpedit.msc
Local Computer Policy+
Computer Configuration+ Administrative Templates+ Network+ QoS
Packet Scheduler
Setting “Limit reservable bandwidth”, select the bullet “Enable”, set
“Bandwidth limit (%):” to 0%
.
Dial-Up,
Keep A Dial-Up Connection Open For All Users:
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows NT+ CurrentVersion+ Winlogon
String “KeepRasConnections”
value=1 (was non-existent)
.
Dial-Up,
Speed-Dial & Wait-Time Extending:
Modem Properties, Advanced tab
for “Extra initialization
commands” enter the following
S11=50S10=254 (was blank
(S11=speed-dial, S10=wait-time))
NOTE: the wait-time extends
the time it takes for the modem to disconnect due to imperfections in the line
.
Http
Server, Increase The Number Of Connections Per Http Server:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Internet Settings
Dword “MaxConnectionsPerServer”
decimal value=10 (was non-existent)
Dword “MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server” decimal value=10 (was
non-existent)
.
Internet
Access, Fine Tune Internet Access:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Services+ Dnscache+
Parameters
Dword “CacheHashTableBucketSize”
decimal value=1 (was non-existent)
Dword “CacheHashTableSize” decimal
value=384 (was non-existent)
Dword “MaxCacheEntryTtlLimit” decimal
value=64000 (was non-existent)
Dword “MaxSOACacheEntryTtlLimit”
decimal value=301 (was non-existent)
Dword “NegativeCacheTime” decimal
value=0 (was non-existent)
Dword “NegativeSOACacheTime” decimal
value=0 (was non-existent)
Dword “NetFailureCacheTime” decimal
value=0 (was non-existent)
Dword “NetFailureErrorPopupLimit”
decimal value=0 (was non-existent)
.
MTU
& TCP/IP, Fine Tune MTU & TCP/IP:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Services+ Tcpip+
Parameters
Dword “DefaultTTL” decimal value=128
(was non-existent)
Dword “EnablePMTUBHDetect” decimal
value=0 (was non-existent)
Dword “EnablePMTUDiscovery” decimal
value=1 (was non-existent)
Dword “GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize” decimal
value=256960 (was non-existent)
Dword “SackOpts” decimal value=1 (was
non-existent)
Dword “Tcp1323Opts” decimal value=1 (was non-existent)
Dword “TcpMaxDupAcks” decimal value=2
(was non-existent)
.
NetBIOS
Over TCP/IP, Disable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP:
Connection properties,
Networking tab
in the window “This connection
uses the following items” highlight “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” & click
“Properties”, click “Advanced...", WINS tab, select the bullet “Disable
NetBIOS over TCP/IP”
.
TCP/IP,
Reset (uninstall & reinstall) TCP/IP:
Command Prompt, type
netsh int ip
reset c:\resetlog.txt
NOTE: Prior to XP you had to
uninstall/reinstall TCP/IP to accomplish the same.
Cosmetics
.
Fonts,
Change The Font Size Of Internet Explorer On The Fly:
If you have a mouse with a
wheel, hold the CTRL key & rotate it upward or downward. It even works in
MS Word although not here on my Homepage.
.
Fonts,
Use Clear Type Fonts:
Display Properties, Appearance
click “Effects…”, check the
box "Use the following methods to smooth edges of screen fonts:"
& select “Clear Type”
For The Logon Screen:
HKCU+ Control Panel+ Desktop
String "FontSmoothing" value="2" (was 2)
Dword "FontSmoothingType"
decimal value=2 (was 2)
NOTE: do the same for HKU+ .Default+
Control Panel+ Desktop
.
Icons,
Desktop, remove the box below it:
Use the
numeric keypad or turn on NumLk to activate it on a
laptop
Right click the desktop icon and select Rename
Delete all text
Press & Hold Alt
Press MJOM (which is 0160 on the numeric keypad)
Release Alt
Press Enter
It will be renamed to (alt0160) but will be invisible
For the second icon, rename it to (alt0160alt0160)
For the third, (alt0160alt0160alt0160), etc, etc, etc
.
Icons,
Increase The Color Depth Of Icons:
HKCU+ Control Panel+ Desktop+ WindowMetrics
String “Shell Icon BPP”
value=24 (was 16)
.
Log
Off, Remove The Log Off Button In The Start Menu:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Policies+ Explorer
Dword “StartMenuLogoff” decimal
value=x (0= appears, 1= removed (was non-existent))
.
Logon
Screen “Screen Saver, Change The Logon Screen “Screen Saver” & It’s Wait
Time:
HKU+ .Default+ Control Panel+
Desktop
String “SCRNSAVE” value=yourchoice.scr (was logon.scr))
“ScreenSaveTimeOut”
value=10 (seconds (was 600))
NOTE: you may need to add the
full path to the .scr file. Also, if using “ssmypics.scr”, do the following additional steps:
Export the following registry
key:
HKCU+Control Panel+Screen Saver.Slideshow
Open it with Notepad and
change :
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Screen Saver.Slideshow
to:
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control
Panel\Screen Saver.Slideshow
Save & Merge the new reg file.
.
My
Documents, Remove All Shared Documents From The Start Menu & My Computer:
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Explorer+ MyComputer+ NameSpace+ DelegateFolders
delete the Key
“{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}” (was there)
.
Recycle
Bin, Remove Only The Recycle Bin Icon From The Desktop:
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Explorer+ Desktop+ NameSpace
delete Key
“{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}” (was there with a String “Default”
value=Recycle Bin), refresh the Desktop
NOTE: you’ll still be able to
access it via windows explorer
.
Start
Button, Modify Windows Start Button:
C:\WINDOWS (or where ever your
system placed explorer.exe)
Make two copies of
explorer.exe in the same folder, name them explorerold.exe (as an untouched
backup) & explorernew.exe (the one to be modified).
Using Resource Hacker (a free
download), open explorernew.exe & go to:
To change the picture:
+Bitmap +143 +1033, click Action, Replace Bitmap…, Open file with new bitmap…,
point to any .bmp file resized to 25wX20h, click Replace
To change the balloon text:
+String Table +34 +1033, change the text “Click here to begin” to any text you
wish, click Compile Script
To change the text:
+String Table +37 (and/or 38) +1033, change the text “start” to any text you
wish, click Compile Script
After doing all changes you
care to, click Save. Restart in “Safe Mode with Command Prompt” &
type the following line:
copy
c:\windows\explorernew.exe c:\windows\explorer.exe
Hit enter & agree to
replace the existing, than type the following line:
shutdown –r
Hit enter & a restart will
take place to apply the changes
Note: if you need to you may
copy explorerold.exe to explorer.exe
.
Start
Menu, Add Your Own Item To The Start Menu Below Run:
Firstly, ensure you're not
using the Classic Start Menu. Also, only
one item can exist here.
HCR+ CLSID+
{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
String “Default” value=the
name to appear (was blank)
HCR+ CLSID+
{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}+ DefaultIcon
(was non existant)
String "Default"
value=path to the icon
HCR+ CLSID+
{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}+ Instance+ InitPropertyBag
String "Command"
value=the same name to appear (was non existant)
String "Param1" value=path
to the item you want opened or executed (was non existant)
.
Theme,
Modify The Color Selection Of The Default Theme:
HKU+ .Default+ Software+
Microsoft+ Windows+ CurrentVersion+ ThemeManager
String "ColorName" value=Metallic (was NormalColor)
NOTE: didn’t notice any change
.
Thumbnails,
Change The Quality & Size Of Thumbnails:
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Explorer
Dword “ThumbnailQuality” decimal
value=xx (50 – 100 (was non-existent))
Dword “ThumbnailSize” decimal value=xx
(32 – 256 (was non-existent))
.
Title
Bar, Rename The Title Bar Of Internet Explorer & Outlook Express:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Internet Explorer+
String “Window Title” value=xbx (anything you like (was non-existent))
NOTE: do the same for HKCU+
Identities+ {your unique user id}+ Software+ Microsoft+ Outlook Express+ 5.0
but Do Not put a space between "Window" & "Title" for
the String. (was non-existent)
.
Title
Bar, Reduce The Size Of The Windows Title Bar:
Display Properties, Appearance
tab
click Advanced, for “Item:”
select Active Title Bar & reduce the default size of 25 to a lower number
.
Toolbar
Buttons, Color Match The Toolbar Buttons To The Toolbar:
Display properties, Themes tab
click “Save As…” name it &
place it where you like, open it with Notepad & search for the line “MenuBar=”, take note of it’s 9
digit value (xxx xxx xxx), now search for “Menu=”,
change it’s value to match the value of “MenuBar=”
NOTE: menubar
was 236 233 216 & menu was 255 255 255
.
Windows
Messenger, Remove Windows Messenger From The Toolbars Of Outlook Express &
Internet Explorer:
For Outlook Express:
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+
Outlook Express
Dword “Hide Messenger“ decimal value=2 (was non-existent)
For Internet Explorer:
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+
Internet Explorer+ Extensions
rename Key
“{FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683}” by adding a dash to the beginning
(-{FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683})
NOTE: My Internet Explorer did
not have messenger in it’s explorer bar although
Outlook Express did under “Tools”.
Features
.
# Of
Unread Messages, Disable Displaying The Number Of Unread Messages On The
Welcome Screen:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ UnreadMail
Dword “MessageExpiryDays” decimal
value=0 (was non-existent)
NOTE: Key UnreadMail
was non-existent
.
Balloon
Tips, Disable Balloon Tips Selectively:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Explorer+ Advanced
Dword "EnableBalloonTips"
decimal value=0 (was non existent)
Dword "FolderContentsInfoTip"
decimal value=0 (was 1)
Dword "ShowInfoTip" decimal
value=0 (was 1)
Dword " StartButtonBalloonTip"
decimal value=0 (was 2)
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Explorer+ tips
Dword "Show" decimal value=0 (was 1)
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Policies+ Explorer
Dword "NoSMBalloonTip"
decimal value=0 (was non existent)
.
Clock,
Change How Frequently Windows Adjusts The Clock & Where It Syncs To:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Services+ W32Time+ TimeProviders+
NtpClient
Dword “SpecialPollInterval” decimal
value=86400 (was 604800 (seconds))
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ DateTime+
Servers
String “x” (the next
sequential or an existing number) value=time.nist.gov (or any time server
hostname or IP address)
String “(Default)” value=x
(the chosen String number from above for the default server)
.
Defrag,
Add A Right Click Menu Option To Run Defrag:
HKCR+ Drive+ Shell+ Defrag+
command
String “(Default)”
value=C:\RunDefrag.bat %1 (was blank)
Now open notepad and paste the
line below into it and save it as RunDefrag.bat in the C: drive:
%systemroot%\system32\DEFRAG.EXE
%1 -v > "%userprofile%\Desktop\DefragResults.txt"
NOTE: When you right-click a
drive and choose “Defrag”, a DOS window will open and remain open till defrag
is complete. When complete DefragResults.txt on the desktop will be ready with
the results. BTW, you can only run this defrag trick on one drive at a time.
.
Legal
Notice, Change Or Remove The Legal Notice At Windows Startup:
HKLM+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows NT+ CurrentVersion+ Winlogon
String “LegalNoticeCaption”
value=xbx (anything you like (was blank))
String “LegalNoticeText”
value= xbx (anything you like (was blank))
NOTE: If left blank the window
will not appear at all
.
Links
Folder , Remove The Links Folder In Favorites:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Internet Explorer+ Toolbar
String “LinksFolderName“
value=blank (was Favorites)
Now open Internet Explorer
& manually delete the “Links” folder from the Favorites menu & it will
not return
.
Open
With, Show Or Hide Programs In The Open With Right-Click Menu:
HKCR+ Applications+ (the
associated program)
to show it, delete the String
"NoOpenWith".
to hide it, add the String
"NoOpenWith" value=blank
.
Power-Off,
Auto Power-Off After Shutdown:
HKCU+ Control Panel+ Desktop
String “PowerOffActive”
value=1 (was 0)
NOTE: N/A for Notebooks
.
Rename
Multiple Files With A Single Click:
Select the files
rename the top most file by
right-clicking it
NOTE: if named “My Dog Spot
(0)” all subsequent files selected will auto-rename to “My Dog Spot (1), “My
Dog Spot (2)” etc, etc, etc
.
Save In,
Change The Default Auto Selected Location From My Documents To Another:
Right click My Documents and
select Properties
Go to the Target tab and in
the Target box type the full path to the folder you wish to use like below
C:\Documents and Settings\Default
User\Desktop
Alternatively, you could click
on Move… and point to it or any other folder you wish
.
Search
Engine, Change The Default Internet Explorer Search Engine From MSN To Another:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Internet Explorer+ SearchURL
String “Provider” value=gogl (or choose any one from below (was blank))
alta (AltaVista)
aols (AOL Search)
askj (Ask Jeeves)
exci (Excite)
gogl (Google)
hotb (HotBot)
lyco (Lycos)
yahoo (Yahoo)
.
Shortcut
To..., Remove The “Shortcut To...” Prefix On Shortcuts:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Explorer
Binary 'link' value= 00 00 00
00 (was 1e 00 00 00)
NOTE: now you’ll see a mini
arrow on the Icon indicating it’s a shortcut
.
Windows
Explorer Shortcut, Auto Select The C: Drive Instead Of My Documents When You
Click The Windows Explorer Shortcut:
Properties of the shortcut
for “Target” add the following
to the end
/n,/e,c:
(%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n,/e,c:)
Security
.
Anonymous
User, Restrict Anonymous User Access
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Control+ Lsa
Dword “restrictanonymous” decimal
value=1 (was 0)
Dword “restrictanonymoussam” decimal
value=1 (was 0)
.
Auto-Play,
Avoid Auto-Play Of Media:
HKCU+ Software+ Microsoft+
Windows+ CurrentVersion+ policies+ Explorer
Dword "NoDriveTypeAutoRun"
decimal value=185 (was 145)
.
Desktop
Lock, Lock The Desktop With A Single Click:
Create a New Shortcut
for “Type the location of the
item box:” enter the following:
%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe
user32.dll,LockWorkStation
click Next & give it a
name of your choice (I call mine “Puter Lock” & I
place it in the Quick Launch folder)
NOTE: This defeats it’s purpose if Windows Log On Password is not activated
.
DLL’s
List, Lock Known DLL’s List:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Control+ Session Manager
Dword “ProtectionMode” decimal value=1
(was 1)
.
ICMP
Redirect, Disable ICMP Redirect:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Services+ Tcpip+
Parameters
Dword ”EnableICMPRedirect” decimal
value=0 (was 1)
.
IE 6,
Enable A 5th Zone Setting In Internet Explorer 6.0:
HKCU+ Software+
Microsoft+ Windows+ CurrentVersion+
InternetSettings+ Zones+ 0
Dword "Flags" decimal value=1(was 33)
You should now see an option
called “My Computer” in Internet Explorer 6 Zone settings
.
Remote
Assistance, Disable Remote Assistance:
HKLM+ System+ CurrentControlSet+ Control+ Terminal Server
Dword “AllowTSConnections” decimal
value=0 (was non-existent)
Dword “fAllowToGetHelp” decimal
value=0 (was 1)
Dword “fDenyTSConnections” decimal
value=1 (was 1)
NOTE: reverse the values to
enable (0 to1 or 1 to 0)
.
Script
Files, Avoid Accidental Scripting Files:
HKCR+ JSEFile + shell
String “(Default)” value=edit
(was blank)
Repeat above for JSFile, regfile, VBEFile, VBSFile, WSFFile & WSHFile
NOTE: now when you double
click those types of files they will open using Notepad for your review. You
can then right-click it & choose Merge if you do so desire.
.
Windows
Messenger, Prevent Windows Messenger From Running Without Removing It:
HKLM+ Software+ Policies+
Microsoft+ Messenger+ Client
Dword “PreventAutoRun” decimal value=1
(was non-existent)
Dword “PreventRun” decimal
value=1 (was non-existent)
NOTE: Key “Messenger” was
non-existent
.
Windows
Messenger, Remove Windows Messenger:
Add or Remove Programs,
Add/Remove Windows Components
uncheck the box “Windows
Messenger”, click “Next”, close Add or Remove Programs
Run, type
RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection
%windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove
Now, after a restart, you may
safely delete the Messenger directory at C:\Program Files\Messenger
NOTE: OE may be slowed if you
use the “Contacts” feature (mine did not).so try removing
Windows Messenger From OE’s toolbar.
Tips
.
Auto-Logon,
Set Auto-Logon:
Run, type
control userpasswords2
Users tab, check the box
“Users must enter a user name & password to use this computer”, highlight
the user name you want auto-logged on in the window below, un-check the box
checked above, click “Ok” all the way out
NOTE: you’ll have to enter
that users Windows Logon password
.
Bootlog Creation:
Run, type
msconfig
Boot.ini tab
check the box “/BOOTLOG”,
click “Apply”, click “Ok”, Restart & search for ntbtlog.txt to see the
results
NOTE: remember to return to msconfig, General tab & select the bullet for “Normal
Startup”
.
Command-Lines,
XP Command-Lines:
Run, type
c:\windows\help\ntcmds.chm
The above will open the
“Command-line reference” window to familiarize yourself with new & enhanced
command-line tools
NOTE: if you place a “space/?”
to the end of any command, it will display a list of all available parameters
for that command (command /?)
|
Commands |
Features |
|
BOOTCFG |
Configures, queries, or changes Boot.ini file settings |
|
CHKDSK C: |
Checks
partition C: for errors |
|
DEFRAG |
Locates
& consolidates fragmented boot files, data files,and
folders on local volumes |
|
DISKPART |
Manages
disks, partitions, or volumes |
|
DRIVERQUERY |
Queries
for a list of drivers & driver properties |
|
EVENTCREATE |
Enables
an administrator to create a custom event in a specified event log |
|
EVENTQUERY |
Lists
the events & event properties from one or more event logs |
|
EVENTTRIGGERS |
Displays
& configures event triggers on local or remote machines |
|
FSUTIL |
Manages reparse points, managing sparse files, dismounting a
volume, or extending a volume |
|
GETMAC |
Obtains
the media access control (MAC) address & list of network protocols |
|
HELPCTR |
|
|
IPCONFIG |
Displays
Windows Internet Protocol Configuration |
|
IPSECCMD |
Configures
Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) policies in the
directory service, or in a local or remote registry. Ipseccmd
is a command-line version of the IP Security Policies Microsoft Management
Console (MMC) snap-in |
|
LOGMAN |
Manages
& schedules performance counter & event trace log collections on
local & remote systems |
|
OPENFILES |
Queries,
displays, or disconnects open files |
|
PAGEFILECONFIG |
Displays
& configures the paging file Virtual Memory settings of a system |
|
PERFMON |
Enables
you to open a Performance console configured with settings files from Windows
NT 4.0 version of Performance Monitor |
|
PRNCNFG |
Configures
or displays configuration information about a printer |
|
PRNDRVR |
Adds,
deletes, & lists printer drivers from local or remote print servers |
|
PRNJOBS |
Pauses,
resumes, cancels, & lists print jobs |
|
PRNMNGR |
Adds,
deletes, & lists printers or printer connections, in addition to setting
& displaying the default printer |
|
PRNPORT |
Creates,
deletes, & lists standard TCP/IP printer ports, in addition to displaying
& changing port configuration |
|
PRNQCTL |
Prints
a test page, pauses or resumes a printer, & clears a printer queue |
|
QFECHECK /L |
Update
Hotfix Validation. ). View the results in the window or view them in a log at
c:+ windows+ system32 & look for <your-computer-name>.log
(Qfecheck.exe must first be installed, download it from Microsoft |
|
RELOG |
Extracts
performance counters from performance counter logs into other formats, such
as text-TSV (for tab-delimited text), text-CSV (for comma-delimited text),
binary-BIN, or SQL |
|
SC |
Retrieves
& sets information about services. Tests & debugs service programs |
|
SCHTASKS |
Schedules
commands & programs to run periodically or at a specific time. Adds &
removes tasks from the schedule, starts & stops tasks on demand, &
displays & changes scheduled tasks |
|
SHUTDOWN |
Shuts
down or restarts a local or remote computer |
|
SYSTEMINFO |
Queries
the system for basic system configuration information. |
|
TASKKILL |
Ends
one or more tasks or processes |
|
TASKLIST |
Displays
a list of applications, services, & the Process ID (PID) currently
running on either a local or a remote computer |
|
TRACERPT |
Processes
event trace logs or real-time data from instrumented event trace providers
& allows you to generate trace analysis reports & CSV
(comma-delimited) files for the events generated |
|
TYPEPERF |
Writes
performance counter data to the command window or to a supported log file
format |
|
WMIC |
Eases
the use of Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) & systems managed
through WMI |
.
DNS
Cache, Flush DNS Cache Manually:
Command Prompt, type
ipconfig /flushdns
.
History,
Clear The Address Bar History Selectively:
Close Internet Explorer
HKCU+ Sortware+
Microsoft+ Internet Explorer+ TypedURLs
delete the Strings you wish
cleared
NOTE: do not delete String
“Default”
.
History,
Clear The Run Menu History Selectively:
HKCU+ Sortware+
Microsoft+ Windows+ CurrentVersion+ Explorer+ RunMRU
delete the Strings you wish
cleared
NOTE: do not delete Strings
“Default” & “MRUList”
.
Password
Expiration, Stop Password Expiration:
Run, type
control userpasswords2
Advanced tab,
Click “Advanced”, double-click
“Users”, right-click the User you want & select properties
General tab, check the box
“Password never expires”, click “Apply” & “Ok” all the way out
.
Repair Install,’How To Do A ‘Repair Installation’:
Insert your Windows XP compact
disc (CD) into your CD-ROM drive & restart the computer, press any key to
boot from CD, press ENTER: To setup Windows XP now
DO NOT press R to enter the
Recovery Console
press F8 to agree to the
license agreement, select the box for the current installation of Windows XP,
press the R key to repair Windows XP
Follow the instructions on the
screen to complete Setup
.
Safe
Mode, To Start In Safe Mode:
Press & hold F8 for a
short period after the splash screen or after entering the power-on password
.
User
Types, Manage User Types:
Run, type
control userpasswords2
Advanced tab, click
“Advanced”, double click “Groups”, right-click the group you want & choose
“Add to Group”, click “Add”, click “Advanced”, click “Find Now”, click the User
name you want to add, click “Ok” all the way out
NOTE: you can also remove a
User from a group by clicking “Remove”, instead of “Add”, after clicking “Add
to Group” above
by Selvan Poothamby:
January 20,
2012
JavaScript
Menu Courtesy of Milonic.com