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WINDOWS XP TIPS


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Παιδιά γειά σας και πάλι. Για ρίξτε μιά ματιά και σε αυτό:

1) Never re-activate after a new installation

If you have to reinstall Windows XP you normally will have to re-activate too. Well not anymore. Just copy wpa.dbl after you activated the first time. It is located in the system32 folder. Now if you reinstall Windows XP just copy the file back and you're up and running again.

 

Here's how to check if your copy of XP is Activated

Go to the run box and type in oobe/msoobe /a

and hit ok ...theirs your answer

2) XP browsing speed up tweak

when you connect to a web site your computer sends information back and forth, this is obvious. Some of this information deals with resolving the site name to an IP address, the stuff that tcp/ip really deals with, not words. This is DNS information and is used so that you will not need to ask for the site location each and every time you visit the site. Although WinXP and win2000 has a pretty efficient DNS cache, you can increase its overall performance by increasing its size.

 

You can do this with the registry entries below:

 

************begin copy and paste***********

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters]

"CacheHashTableBucketSize"=dword:00000001

"CacheHashTableSize"=dword:00000180

"MaxCacheEntryTtlLimit"=dword:0000fa00

"MaxSOACacheEntryTtlLimit"=dword:0000012d

 

************end copy and paste***********

 

make a new text file and rename it to dnscache.reg. The copy and paste the above into it and save it. Then merge it into the registry.

 

3) Grouping multiple open windows

WinXP will group multiple open windows (IE windows for example) into one group on the task bar to keep the desktop clear. This can be annoying at times - especially when comparing different web pages because you have to go back to the task bar, click on the group and then click on the page you want and then you only get one page because you have to click on each one separately. I think the default for this is 8 windows - any combination of apps or utilities open.

 

You can modify this behavior by adding this reg key at:

 

Change number of windows that are open before XP will start

grouping them on the Taskbar

 

HKEY_CURRRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\

add reg_Dword "TaskbarGroupSize"

 

modify "TaskbarGroupSize" entry to be the number of windows you want open before XP starts to group them on the task bar.

A value of 2 will cause the Taskbar buttons to always group

 

Another tweak is to disable or enable recent documents history. This can be done at:

 

HKEY_CURRRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\

this key should already be present - if it isn't you'll need to add it:

reg_Binary "NoRecentDocsHistory"

modify it so that value reads 01 00 00 00.

How do I get the "Administrator" name on Welcome Screen?

=======================================================

 

To get Admin account on the "Welcome Screen" as well as the other usernames, make sure that there are no accounts logged in.

 

Press "ctrl-alt-del" twice and you should be able to login as administrator!

 

finally worked for me after I found out that all accounts have to be logged out first

2) Fix Movie Interference in AVI files

==================================

 

If you have any AVI files that you saved in Windows 9x, which have interference when opened in Windows XP, there is an easy fix to get rid of the interference:

 

Open Windows Movie Maker.

Click View and then click Options.

Click in the box to remove the check mark beside Automatically create clips.

 

Now, import the movie file that has interference and drag it onto the timeline. Then save the movie, and during the re rendering, the interference will be removed.

 

 

 

Create a Password Reset Disk

============================

 

If you’re 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:

 

Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.

Click your account name.

Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password.

 

Follow the directions in the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk.

 

Store the disk in a secure location, because anyone using it can access your local user account

 

 

 

Change Web Page Font Size on the Fly

====================================

 

If your mouse contains a wheel for scrolling, you can change font size on the fly when viewing a Web page. To do so:

 

Press and hold Ctrl. Scroll down (or towards yourself) to enlarge the font size. Scroll up (or away from yourself) to reduce the font size.

 

You might find it useful to reduce font size when printing a Web page, so that you can fit more content on the page.

3) Forgetting What Your Files Are?

===============================

 

This procedure works under NTFS.

 

As times goes along you have a lot files on your computer. You are going to forget what they are. Well here is way to identify them as you scroll through Windows Explorer in the future.

 

This procedure works under NTFS.

 

1.. Open up a folder on your system that you want to keep track of the different files you might one to identify in the future.

 

2.. Under View make certain that you set it to the Details.

 

3.. Highlight the file you want to keep more information on. Right click the file and you will get a pop up menu. Click on properties.

 

4.. Click on the Summary Tab (make sure it says simple not advanced on the button in the box), You should now get the following fields,

 

Title,Subject, Author, Category, Keywords, Comments

 

You will see advanced also if you have changed it to simple, Here will be other fields you can fill in.

 

5.. Next you can fill in what ever field you want.

 

6.. After you finished click the apply button then OK.

 

7.. Next right click the bar above your files, under the address bar and you should get a drop down menu. Here you can click the fields you want to display.

 

8.. You should now see a list with the new fields and any comments you have done.

 

9.. Now if you want to sort these just right click a blank spot and then you sort the information to your liking.

 

 

Temporarily Assign Yourself Administrative Permissions

======================================================

 

Many programs require you to have Administrative permissions to be able to install them. Here is an easy way to temporarily assign yourself Administrative permissions while you remain logged in as a normal user.

 

Hold down the Shift key as you right-click on the program’s setup file.

 

Click Run as.

 

Type in a username and password that have Administrative permissions.

 

This will also work on applications in the Start menu.

Και τα καλύτερα κατά την γνώμή μου.

 

Create a Shortcut to Lock Your Computer

=======================================

 

Leaving your computer in a hurry but you don’t want to log off? You can double-click a shortcut on your desktop to quickly lock the keyboard and display without using CTRL+ALT+DEL or a screen saver.

 

To create a shortcut on your desktop to lock your computer:

 

Right-click the desktop.

Point to New, and then click Shortcut.

 

The Create Shortcut Wizard opens. In the text box, type the following:

rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

 

Click Next.

 

Enter a name for the shortcut. You can call it "Lock Workstation" or choose any name you like.

 

Click Finish.

 

You can also change the shortcut's icon (my personal favorite is the padlock icon in shell32.dll).

 

To change the icon:

 

Right click the shortcut and then select Properties.

Click the Shortcut tab, and then click the Change Icon button.

 

In the Look for icons in this file text box, type:

Shell32.dll.

 

Click OK.

 

Select one of the icons from the list and then click OK

 

You could also give it a shortcut keystroke such CTRL+ALT+L. This would save you only one keystroke from the normal command, but it could be more convenient.

 

 

 

Create a Shortcut to Start Remote Desktop

=========================================

 

Tip: You can add a shortcut to the desktop of your home computer to quickly start Remote Desktop and connect to your office computer.

 

To create a shortcut icon to start Remote Desktop

 

Click Start, point to More Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click on Remote Desktop Connection.

 

Click Options.

 

Configure settings for the connection to your office computer.

 

Click Save As, and enter a name, such as Office Computer. Click Save.

 

Open the Remote Desktops folder.

 

Right-click on the file named Office Computer, and then click Create Shortcut.

 

Drag the shortcut onto the desktop of your home computer.

 

To start Remote Desktop and connect to your office computer, double-click on the shortcut

 

One-Click Shutdown

If you have Clean Sweep Deluxe, you should disable it before proceeding. Follow these directions to create a one-click shutdown shortcut:

• Navigate to your Desktop.

• On the Desktop, right-click and go to New, then to Shortcut (in other words, create a new shortcut).

• You should now see a pop-up window instructing you to enter a command line path.

Enter one of these as the path: SHUTDOWN -s -t 01

• If the C: drive is not your local hard drive, then replace "C" with the correct letter of the hard drive.

• Click the "Next" button.

• Name the shortcut and click the "Finish" button.

Now whenever you want to shut down, just click on this shortcut and you're done. Also, if you want to make life better and faster, you can right-click the new shortcut you just made, go to Properties, and type in X (or whatever letter) in the Shortcut Key box.

 

Increase Your Cable Modem or DSL Speed in XP

This tweak is for broad band cable connections on stand alone machines with WinXP professional version - might work on Home version also. It may also work with networked machines as well.

 

This tweak assumes that you have let WinXP create a connection on install for your cable modem/NIC combination and that your connection has tcp/ip - QoS - file and print sharing - and client for Microsoft networks , only, installed. It also assumes that WinXP will detect your NIC and has in-box drivers for it. If it doesn't do not try this.

• In the "My Network Places" properties (right-click on the desktop icon and choose properties), highlight the connection

then at the menu bar choose "Advanced" then "Advanced Settings". Uncheck the two boxes in the lower half for the

bindings for File and Printer sharing and Client for MS networks. Click OK.

• From the Windows XP CD in the support directory from the support cab, extract the file netcap.exe and place it in a

directory on your hard drive or even in the root of your C:\ drive.

• Next, open up a command prompt window and change directories to where you put netcap.exe. then type "netcap/?".

It will list some commands that are available for netcap and a netmon driver will be installed. At the bottom you will

see your adapters. You should see two of them if using a 3Com card. One will be for LAN and the other will be for

WAN something or other.

• Next type "netcap/Remove". This will remove the netmon driver.

• Open up Control Panel->System->Dev Man and look at your network adapters. You should now see two of them and one will have a yellow ! on it. Right-click on the one without the yellow ! and choose uninstall. YES! You are uninstalling your network adapter, continue with the uninstall. Do not restart yet.

• Check your connection properties to make sure that no connection exists. If you get a wizard just cancel out of it.

Now re-start the machine.

• After re-start go to your connection properties again and you should have a new connection called "Local area connection 2". Highlight the connection, then at the menu bar choose "Advanced" then "Advanced Settings". Uncheck the two boxes in the lower half for the bindings for File and Printer sharing and Client for MS networks. Click OK.

• Choose connection properties and uncheck the "QOS" box.

• Re-start the machine.

After restart enjoy the increased responsiveness of IE, faster page loading, and a connection speed boost.

Why it works, it seems that windows XP, in its zeal to make sure every base is covered installs two separate versions of the NIC card. One you do not normally see in any properties. Remember the "netcap/?" command above showing two different adapters? The LAN one is the one you see. The invisible one loads everything down and its like your running two separate cards together, sharing a connection among two cards, this method breaks this "bond" and allows the NIC to run un-hindered.

Add a Map Drive Button to the Toolbar

=====================================

 

Do you want to quickly map a drive, but can’t find the toolbar button? If you map drives often, use one of these options to add a Map Drive button to the folder toolbar.

 

Option One (Long Term Fix)

 

Click Start, click My Computer, right-click the toolbar, then unlock the toolbars, if necessary.

 

Right-click the toolbar again, and then click Customize.

 

Under Available toolbar buttons, locate Map Drive, and drag it into the position you want on the right under Current toolbar buttons.

 

Click Close, click OK, and then click OK again.

 

You now have drive mapping buttons on your toolbar, so you can map drives from any folder window. To unmap drives, follow the above procedure, selecting Disconnect under Available toolbar buttons. To quickly map a drive, try this option.

 

Option Two (Quick Fix)

 

Click Start, and right-click My Computer.

Click Map Network Drive.

 

If you place your My Computer icon directly on the desktop, you can make this move in only two clicks!

 

 

Software not installing?

========================

 

If you have a piece of software that refuses to install because it says that you are not running Windows 2000 (such as the Win2K drivers for a Mustek scanner!!) you can simply edit HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/ProductName to say Microsoft Windows 2000 instead of XP and it will install. You may also have to edit the version number or build number, depending on how hard the program tries to verify that you are installing on the correct OS. I had to do this for my Mustek 600 CP scanner (compatibility mode didn't' help!!!) and it worked great, so I now have my scanner working with XP (and a tech at Mustek can now eat his words).

 

BTW, don't' forget to restore any changes you make after you get your software installed

 

You do this at your own risk.

 

Use your Windows Key

====================

 

The Windows logo key, located in the bottom row of most computer keyboards is a little-used treasure. Don't' ignore it. It is the shortcut anchor for the following commands:

 

Windows: Display the Start menu

Windows + D: Minimize or restore all windows

Windows + E: Display Windows Explorer

Windows + F: Display Search for files

Windows + Ctrl + F: Display Search for computer

Windows + F1: Display Help and Support Center

Windows + R: Display Run dialog box

Windows + break: Display System Properties dialog box

Windows + shift + M: Undo minimize all windows

Windows + L: Lock the workstation

Windows + U: Open Utility Manager

Windows + Q: Quick switching of users (Powertoys only)

Windows + Q: Hold Windows Key, then tap Q to scroll thru the different users on your PC

Remove the Shared Documents folders from My Computer

====================================================

 

One of the most annoying things about the new Windows XP user interface is that Microsoft saw fit to provide links to all of the Shared Documents folders on your system, right at the top of the My Computer window. I can't imagine why this would be the default, even in a shared PC environment at home, but what's even more annoying is that you cannot change this behavior through the sh*ll

: Those icons are stuck there and you have to live with it.

Until now, that is.

 

Simply fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ My Computer \ NameSpace \ DelegateFolders

 

You'll see a sub-key named {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. If you delete this, all of the Shared Documents folders (which are normally under the group called "Other Files Stored on This Computer" will be gone.

 

You do not need to reboot your system to see the change.

 

 

Before: A cluttered mess with icons no one will ever use (especially that orphaned one). After: Simplicity itself, and the way it should be by default.

 

 

This tip For older XP builds

===================

 

Edit or remove the "Comments" link in window title bars

 

During the Windows XP beta, Microsoft has added a "Comments?" hyperlink to the title bar of each window in the system so that beta testers can more easily send in a problem report about the user interface. But for most of us, this isn't an issue, and the Comments link is simply a visual distraction. And for many programs that alter the title bar, the Comments link renders the Minimize, Maximize, and Close window buttons unusable, so it's actually a problem.

Let's get rid of it. Or, if you're into this kind of thing, you can edit it too.

 

Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following keys:

My Computer \ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ LameButtonEnabled

My Computer \ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ LameButtonText

 

The first key determines whether the link appears at all; change its value to 0 to turn it off. The second key lets you have a little fun with the hyperlink; you can change the text to anything you'd like, such as "Paul Thurrott" or whatever.

 

Editing either value requires a restart before the changes take effect.

 

 

Before: An unnecessary hyperlink. Have some fun with it! Or just remove it entirely. It's up to you.

 

Rip high-quality MP3s in Windows Media Player 8

================================================

 

The relationship between Windows Media Player 8 and the MP3 audio format is widely misunderstood. Basically, WMP8 will be able to playback MP3 files, but encoding (or "ripping" CD audio into MP3 format will require an MP3 plug-in. So during the Windows XP beta, Microsoft is supplying a sample MP3 plug-in for testing purposes, but it's limited to 56 Kbps rips, which is pretty useless. However, if you have an externally installed MP3 codec, you can use WMP8 to rip at higher bit rates. But you'll have to edit the Registry to make this work.

Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ MediaPlayer \ Settings \ MP3Encoding

 

Here, you'll see sub-keys for LowRate and LowRateSample, which of course equates to the single 56 Kbps sample rate you see in WMP8. To get better sampling rates, try adding the following keys (Using New then DWORD value):

 

"LowRate" = DWORD value of 0000dac0

"MediumRate" = DWORD value of 0000fa00

"MediumHighRate" = DWORD value of 0001f400

"HighRate" = DWORD value of 0002ee00

 

Now, when you launch WMP8 and go into Tools, then Options, then Copy Music, you will have four encoding choices for MP3: 56 Kbps, 64 Kbps, 128 Kbps, and 192 Kbps. Note that you will not get higher bit rate encoding unless you have installed an MP3 codec separately; the version in Windows Media Player 8 is limited to 56 Kbps only.

 

 

Find the appropriate location in the Registry... ...add a few DWORD values... ...And then you'll be ripping CDs in higher-quality MP3 format!

 

 

 

Speed up the Start Menu

=======================

 

The default speed of the Start Menu is pretty slow, but you can fix that by editing a Registry Key. Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ MenuShowDelay

 

By default, the value is 400. Change this to a smaller value, such as 0, to speed it up.

 

 

 

Speed up the Start Menu (Part two)

==================================

 

If your confounded by the slow speed of the Start Menu, even after using the tip above, then you might try the following: Navigate to Display Properties then Appearance then Advanced and turn off the option titled Show menu shadow . You will get much better overall performance.

 

 

 

Speed up Internet Explorer 6 Favorites

======================================

 

For some reason, the Favorites menu in IE 6 seems to slow down dramatically sometimes--I've noticed this happens when you install Tweak UI 1.33, for example, and when you use the preview tip to speed up the Start menu. But here's a fix for the problem that does work, though it's unclear why:

Just open a command line window (Start button -> Run -> cmd) and type sfc, then hit ENTER. This command line runs the System File Checker, which performs a number of services, all of which are completely unrelated to IE 6. But there you go: It works.

 

Enable ClearType on the Welcome Screen!

=======================================

 

As laptop users and other LCD owners are quickly realizing, Microsoft's ClearType technology in Windows XP really makes a big difference for readability. But the this feature is enabled on a per-user basis in Windows XP, so you can't see the effect on the Welcome screen; it only appears after you logon.

 

But you can fix that. Fire up the Registry Editor and look for the following keys:

 

(default user) HKEY_USERS \ .Default \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ FontSmoothing (String Value)

HKEY_USERS \ .Default \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ FontSmoothingType (Hexadecimal DWORD Value)

 

Make sure both of these values are set to 2 and you'll have ClearType enabled on the Welcome screen and on each new user by default.

 

 

 

Stop Windows Messenger from Auto-Starting

=========================================

 

If you're not a big fan of Windows Messenger simply delete the following Registry Key:

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\MSMSGS

 

 

Display Hibernate Option on the Shut Down dialog

================================================

 

For some reason, Hibernate may not be available from the default Shut Down dialog. But you can enable it simply enough, by holding down the SHIFT key while the dialog is visible. Now you see it, now you don't!

 

 

Add album art to any music folder

=================================

 

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.

 

Or use Tweak UI

 

Add/Remove optional features of Windows XP

==========================================

 

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,fp40ext.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.

Messenger Spam

If you've received some anonymous messages popping up on your windows XP or 2000 systems, it may be messenger spam, people are taking advantage of the messenger service that allows administrators to monitor servers and send out service messages over corporate networks. Friends of mine have been complaining about it, but now that we know where it's coming from, we can stop it.

open the Control Panel, and then double-click Administrative Tools icon and then double-click the Services entry. In the list of services listed in the resulting Services dialog box, locate the messenger entry, and double-click it. Click the Stop button in the service status section and then in the same dialogue box, change the start-up type to Disable. If you are on a corporate netwrok, check with your administrator before making any changes, and if you are behind a firewall, at work, or at home with some of the cable/dsl routers, then you probably won't have to worry about it at all.

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