Windows tips 5

Making Menu Opening Fastmaking

Go to Start then Run
Type 'Regedit' then click 'Ok'
Find "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\"
Select "MenuShowDelay"
Right click and select "Modify'
Reduce the number to around "100"
This is the delay time before a menu is opened. You can set it to "0" but it can make windows really hard to use as menus will open if you just look at them - well move your mouse over them anyway. I tend to go for anywhere between 50-150 depending on my mood.

DISABLING MY COMPUTER
In areas where you are trying to restrict what users can do on the computer, it might be beneficial to disable the ability to click on My Computer and have access to the drives, control panel etc.
To disable this:
1.Open RegEdit
2.Search for 20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D
3.This should bring you to the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID section
4.Delete the entire section.
Now when you click on My Computer, nothing will happen.

You might want to export this section to a Registry file before deleting it just in case you want to enable it again. Or you can rename it to 20D0HideMyComputer4FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D. You can also hide all the Desktop Icons, see Change/Add restrictions.

ADDING AN APPLICATION TO RIGHT CLICK
Here is how to add any application to the Context Menu when you right click on any Folder. This way you do not have to always go to the Start Menu. When you right click on any folder, you can have access to that application, the same as using Sent To.
1. Open RegEdit
2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell
3. Add a new Key to the "Shell" Key and name it anything you like.
4. Give it a default value that will appear when you right click a folder, i.e. NewKey (use an "&" without the quotes, in front of any character and it will allow you to use the keyboard)
5. Click on the Key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\NewKey
6. Add a New Key named Command
7. Set the (Default) value of the application you want to run
8. For example: c:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe (Include the full path and parameters if you need them)

CHANGE WINDOWS ICON
You can change the Icons Windows uses for folders, the Start Menu, opened and closed folder in the Explorer, and many more.
1. Open RegEdit
2. Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ Shell Icons
3. Add a string value for each Icon you wish to change.
Example: "3" ="C:\Windows\Icons\MyIcon.ico,0" This will change the closed folders in the Explorer to "MyIcon.ico". Here is a complete list for each value.
0= Unknown file type 1= MSN file types 2= Applications Generic 3= Closed Folder 4= Open Folder 5= 5.25" Drive 6= 3.25" Drive 7= Removable Drive 8= Hard Drive 9= NetWork Drive 10= Network Drive Offline 11= CD-ROM Drive 12= RAM Drive 13= Entire Network 14= Network Hub 15= My Computer 16= Printer 17= Network Neighborhood 18= Network Workgroup 19= Start Menu's Program Folders 20= Start Menu's Documents 21= Start Menu's Setting 22= Start Menu's Find 23= Start Menu's Help 24= Start Menu's Run 25= Start Menu's Suspend 26= Start Menu's PC Undock 27= Start Menu's Shutdown 28= Shared 29= Shortcut Arrow 30= (Unknown Overlay) 31= Recycle Bin Empty 32= Recycle Bin Full 33= Dial-up Network 34= DeskTop 35= Control Panel 36= Start Menu's Programs 37= Printer Folder 38= Fonts Folder 39= Taskbar Icon 40= Audio CD
ADD OPEN WITH TO ALL FILES
You can add "Open With..." to the Right click context menu of all files.This is great for when you have several programs you want to open the same file types with. I use three different text editors so I added it to the ".txt" key.
1. Open RegEdit
2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell
3. Add a new Key named "OpenWith" by right clicking the "Shell" Key and selecting new
4. Set the (Default) to "Op&en With..."
5. Add a new Key named "Command" by right clicking the "OpenWith" Key and selecting new
6. Set the (Default) to "C:\Windows\rundll32.exe shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1", C:\ being your Windows drive. You must enter the "OpenAs_RunDLL %1" exactly this way.
FAT into NTFS
NTFS IS BETTER THEN FAT32

There are two way to convert FAT32 into NTFS….
Conver.exe
And FORAMT
Format will delete the whole data whereas convert.exe will retain your data
You better hav yor mind made up before converting FAT into NTFS
Click on start| run
Type cmd and press enter
Type the foll command
Convert X: /FS:NTFS
X is the drive u want to convert

DLL files and slow computer
Here are some tips how you can change your Window
start menu. Do right click on Start and than Open.
You will see Programs folder. That is
C:\Windows\Start Menu and there are shortcuts to
programs you have in Windows Start menu. Right click there and New-Shortcut. Now you can browse and add some new document, shortcut to program, song, or whatever you want in Start menu. by New-folder, you can add new group, just like Programs group already exist. If you want to delete some shortcut you added, just delete it from that folder.

Deleting Un-necessary System Softwares
XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can tickle it and make it disgorge everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word 'hide' and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be your prey, exposed and vulnerable......

Cleaning the Prefetch Directory
WindowsXP has a new feature called Prefetch. This keeps a shortcut to recently used programs.However it can fill up with old and obsolete programs.
To clean this periodically go to:
1. Star / Run / Prefetch
2. Press Ctrl-A to highlight all the files
3. Delete them
If you need to share multiple folders, running the program SHRPUBW.EXE will bring up a simple dialog box to let you:
1. Browse to the folder you want to share
2. Enter in a Share name
3. Ender in a Share description
4. Set permissions. Several choices are available
5. Restart the process from within the same program

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 screensaver.

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.

Fixing Corrupted Desktop Icons

Easier way to reset icons then deleting SHELLICONCACHE.There's no need to exit Win95 and delete the SHELLICONCACHE file in order to reset icons that you may have changed (like Network Neighborhood).
Go to Control Panel, Display, Appearance Tab. Select Icon from the Item drop down list. Change the Size up or down one and apply.
Change the Size back to your original and apply.
If your Start Menu is slow or your icons are black for some reason, it means your Shelliconcache file is corrupt and should be deleted.
Delete the hidden file C:\WINDOWS\SHELLICONCACHE
It will be recreated the next time you start Win95

Full Window Drag ( Without Plus! )
Start Regedit Open HKEY_CURRENT_USER /ControlPanel /Desktop /DragFullWindows

On "DragFullWindows" properties change 0 to 1

ACCESS YOUR DESKTOP ICONS FROM YOUR TASKBAR
Do you ever want to access your desktop, or shortcut icons on your desktop when your screen is cluttered with windows which you don't want to minimize?
A simple solution. Place a shortcut to your desktop atop your START Menu. Here's how:
1) Right click on your TASKBAR and choose PROPERTIES.
2) Select the START MENU PROGRAMS tab, then the ADVANCED button.

3) In the right panel, under the PROGRAMS folder, you will see any shortcuts you have already placed atop your START menu. Right click here in the white space here and choose NEW, then SHORTCUT.
4. In the command line for your shortcut, type c:\windows\desktop (If your Windows directory has another name, substitute that name for windows).
5. Click NEXT. Then in the name box, name your shortcut Desktop.
6. Click the FINISH button.
7. Close the Explorer window, then click ok in TASKBAR PROPERTIES.
8. Now, open START on your taskbar. VOILA! Your desktop folder icon should be visible. Click it to open your desktop folder.
Success!

You will now be able to view and access your desktop shortcut icons (not non-shortcut icons). If you want ALL desktop icons to be visible (Recycle Bin, My Computer etc.), you will need to place shortcuts to these other icons on your desktop.
Hint:
If you normally hide your taskbar, so that it is not always on top of other windows, you can access it at any time from any program by pressing and holding control, then pressing escape (the ESC key at top left of your keyboard). You may then quickly choose your desktop folder and access desktop icons as well as any other programs accessible via your taskbar and programs menu.
Remove Shortcut arrow from Desktop icons
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.
4.You may need to restart Windows XP.

Add sound to almost every event in windows

XP comes with a new set of sounds that will surely add pizzazz to the way you work in Windows. But there's one problem -- you need to actually turn on the Windows default sound scheme before you'll be able to hear them.

To turn on the Windows XP default sound scheme, follow these directions:

Single-click the Start menu.
Single-click the Control Panel.
Single-click the Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices icon.
Single-click the Sounds and Audio Devices icon or the text labeled "Change the sound scheme." Make sure you're on the Sound tab and locate the pull-down menu under Sound scheme. Select the Windows Default option and press Apply. Windows will ask you if you want to save the previous sound scheme. Since there wasn't a sound scheme already loaded, just choose No. If you look under the text labeled "Program events," you'll be able to sample your new sounds or customize them with your own. Read Customize Events Sounds if you'd like to learn how to do this yourself.

New Vista effects in Xp
Get joy of:-
Vista Progress Dialog Box:
Vista Shutdown/log off dialog box:About Windows box:
System Properties dialog box:
Windows Classic Startmenu Leftside Image and Start button Logo:
What u need to do is just download these 5 files and extract it. Then replace them with the original system file. Replace the files with the replacer otherwise it will not work.
"%windir%\System32\Shell32.dll"
%windir%\System32\msgina.dll
"%windir%\System32\xpsp1res.dll"
%windir%\System32\sysdm.cpl
%windir%\Explorer.exe
Replacer- Helps to replace system files in an easy manner.
link:-http://rapidshare.com/files/22196154/Replacer.rar
Fileslinks:-
http://rapidshare.com/files/22196155/XP_to_vista.part01.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/22196156/XP_to_vista.part02.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/22196157/XP_to_vista.part03.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/22196158/XP_to_vista.part04.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/22196159/XP_to_vista.part05.rar

Windows tips 4

Changing the Colors of the Blue Screen of Death

You can change the normal colors of the background and text when you get a Blue Screen of Death.

Edit the SYSTEM.INI file in the Windows directory
In the [386Enh] add the entries:
MessageTextColor=X
MessageBackColor=X
Where X is replace by the number for each of the following colors:
Black = 0 Blue = 1 Green = 2 Cyan = 3 Red = 4 Magenta = 5 Yellow/Brown = 6
White = 7 Gray = 8 Bright Blue = 9 Bright Green = A Bright Cyan = B Bright Red = C
Bright Magenta = D Bright Yellow = E Bright White = F

To Set the Computer to clear the pagefile

To set the computer to clear the pagefile without directly editing the registry is:
Click on the Start button
Go to the Control Panel
Administrative Tools
Local Security Policy
Local Policies
Click on Security Options
Right hand menu - right click on "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile"
Select "Enable"

Reboot

Powering on the Computer With Your Mouse

If you have ATX Main Board, ATX case Award Bios, or any Bios that supports PS/2 Mouse Power On, then you can power on your computer with a double click.

To activate this feature:

Restart your computer

Then press Del when the BIOS message appears to enter your CMOS configuration Select Integrated Peripherals from main menu
If PS/2 mouse power on disabled, activate it by press page up/ page down key it will became Double-Click
Press Esc key to exit
Press F10 to save and exit Power off your PC

Now double-click the left mouse button,.. Your PC will turn on

Speed Up XP Booting.
Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
Locate the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Current
ControlSet\Control\Ses
sionManager\MemoryManagement\Prefetch
Parameters
Make sure you backup the keys by exporting them to a .reg file.
On the EnablePrefetcher value, change the setting from 3 to 5 (decimal).
Close the registry editor.
Restart your computer

A great new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot defragment. This places all boot files next to each other on the disk to allow for faster booting. By default this option is enabled, but on some systems it is not, so below is the information on how to turn it on:
Go to Start Menu and Click Run
Type in regedit then click ok
Find "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOpt imizeFunction"
Select "Enable" from the list on the right
Right on it and select "Modify"
Change the value to Y .
Reboot your Pc and see the change yourself.
Method3.
Start up can be seriously delayed if Windows if prefetching the whole world. Go into registry and edit the prefet section to only fetch the OS files. Or even do no prefetch if you want. I use a setting of 2 which prefetchs only the OS files.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters
key name EnablePrefetcher
0?Disable
1?Application Launch Prefetch
2?Boot Prefetch
3?Prefetch everything

Increasing XP shutdown speed
Increasing shutdown speed by reducing wait times:
Windows XP stores a couple of values in its registry which are responsible for determining how long to wait before shutting down (killing) open applications and services once the shutdown command has been given.
By editing these two settings and changing them to lower values, you can considerably decrease the amount of time that Windows XP needs to successfully shut itself down. The first part of this tweak deals with setting the amount of time Windows will take to kill open applications on shutdown.
Open REGEDIT and navigate to 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\'
Highlight the 'WaitToKillAppTimeout' value.
Set it to '1000' (the default should be 20000).
Now highlight the 'HungAppTimeout' value
Set it to '1000' also.

Disable Boot Virus Detection
Having the Boot Virus Detection enabled is pretty much obsolete with the newer machines. This is due to more modern virus styles and the fact that most Motherboards now days can detect any attempts to write to the boot sector or the partition table.
Disabling this feature in the "Advanced BIOS Features" section of the BIOS will improve your boot speed

Add Safe Mode to Boot menu
Safe Mode is most commonly used for troubleshooting purposes. If you find yourself booting to safe mode often. You may find it helpful to include the option for safe mode in your boot menu. Below, is a method you can use to save yourself from having to press F8 during startup to access Safe Mode:
Right click My Computer and click Properties.
Click the Advanced tab.
Under Start Up and Recovery, click the Settings button.
Click Edit. The boot.ini file will open in Notepad.

Copy the line that reads as follows: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS=”Microsoft Windows XP Professional” /fastdetect.

Paste the line you just copied after the original one.
Change the copied line from “Microsoft Windows XP Professional” to “Windows XP Safe Mode” or something similar.
At the end of this line add the following: /safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog.
Save the boot.ini file by clicking File then Save.
Restart your computer and Safe Mode should be available at the boot menu.
Note: Your actual Boot.INI may vary to a small degree. The above is an example only. Be sure to copy your boot.ini file prior to making any changes to it.

Creating Shutdown, Restart and Logoff Icons
To create the icons, create a shortcut on the desktop.
For Shutdown, the command is C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL.EXE user.exe,exitwindows
For Restart, the command is C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL.EXE user.exe,exitwindowsexec
For Logoff, the command is C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL.EXE shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 0

Hibernate computer to save time
Hibernate for faster start
If you turn-down computer when you're not working on it, you will save the energy, but not the time. If you don't want to wait until computer turns on, log on, ... than you can use Hibernate function. However, you can't "sleep" all computer like that. Windows 9x with Fat32, for example, can't hibernate.
How you can tell if your system can hibernate?
In Windows 2000 or Windows XP, login like administrator. In Internet explorer, or in any directory, in Address field, type "control panelpower options" and click Enter. If you see Hibernate card, in dialog box, great. Open that card and see "Disk space for hibernation". See if your computer fits that condicions. Check "Enable hibernation" and be shore there is no error message.
Next time when you chose "Start-Shutdown" (Windows 98, ME and 2000), chose Hibernate option and go OK. In WindowsXP, chose "Start-Turn Off Computer" and click Shift to turn "Stand By" button to "Hibernate" button

Disable or Remove Shutdown
It is Possible to Remove Shut Down option from Start menu. Just follow the following steps.
Start->Run->gpedit.msc->User Configuration->Administrative Templates->Start Menu &Taskbar->Remove Shutdown on Start Menu.->Enable.

Make your PC shutdown at a time u wish.
METHOD1
1. Right click on your desktop and choose "New=>shortcuts".
2. In the box that says "Type the location of the shortcut",
type in "shutdown -s -t 3600" without the quotation marks and click next. Note: 3600 are the amount of seconds before your computer shuts down. So , 60secs*60mins=3600secs.
3. Make up a name for the shortcut and you're done.
You can change the icon by right clicking=>properities=>change icon=>browse
TO ABORT:
To make an abort key to stop the shutdown timer just create another shortcut and make
the "location of the shortcut" to " shutdown -a" without the quotes.
METHOD2
Here is another trick to shutdown at a specific time, for example you wish to shutdown at 11:35am. Type this in
start=>Run
Type Code: at 11:35 shutdown -s
TO ABORT:
Code:shutdown -a

TURN ON UR PC IN JUST 10 SECONDS
Aight so u wanna know how to turn the pc on in 10 seconds (may vary)Aight heres what u have to do to turn ur pc on in 10 seconds
Aite Click on the start button then press R it will take u to Run well go to run
n type Regedit
press enter
this will open Registery Editor
now look for the key
HKEY_LOACAL_MECHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contr ol\ContentIndex
now there find the Key Called
"Startup Delay"
Double Click On It
Now where its Base
Click Decimal
Now its Default Value Is 4800000 (75300:hexadecimal)
Change The Value To 40000
here u go u have done it
now close the Registery Editor and Restart Your Computer
You'll See The Result

Windows tweaks 4

151. Remove the DFS tab from Windows Explorer

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Policies\Explorer\NoDFSTab
Set this DWORD to 1 to remove the DFS tab from Windows Explorer so that you can prevent users from changing properties on local DFS shares.
152. Disable Windows 2000's Scheduled Tasks drag-and-drop functionality
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\
TaskScheduler5.0\DragAndDrop
Set this DWORD value to 1 disable the Drag and Dropt functionality of the Scheduled Tasks folder.
153. Reinstall Outlook Express 6.0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA840…..}\IsInstalled
Set this DWORD value to 0 will make Windows think that Outlook Express 6 is not installed. You should then be able to reinstall Outlook Express 6.
154. Load Balancing Your Network Cards
HKEY_Local_Machine\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters\RandomAdapter HKEY_Local_Machine\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters\SingleResponse Set these values to 1 to enable load balancing if you have more than 1 network card. Changing the values to 0 disables this ability.
155. Keep Dial-up Connections Running When You Log Off
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\
CurrentVersion\Winlogon\KeepRASConnections
Setting this STRING value to 1 will keep an active dial-up connection connected when a user logs off.
156. Suppress the Standard Machine Beep Noise
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Sound\Beep
Set this value to no to stop your system from beeping with system-level events.
157. Change the Location For Storing Your Crash Dump
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DrWatson\CrashDumpFile
Change this location to a location of your choice where you want to store any Crash Dump files created by the system.
158. Disable Task Manager
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\SystemDisableTaskMgr (Windows NT/2000/XP)
Set this value to 1 to disable Task Manager for your users. A value of 0 will enable Task Manager.
159. Enable File And Directory Name Completion
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\CompletionChar
(Windows NT/2000/XP)
Set this REG_DWORD to 9. Now when you type the first few letters of a file or folder name and press [Tab] on the keyboard, the OS automatically completes the path. If you press [Tab] again, it will go through several files and folders that match the same pattern. This applies only to Cmd.exe and not any other command-line environments.
160. Specify which disk-error-checking utility I want to use in Windows 2000 and later
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\ChkDskPath Set this to the path of the program you’d like to use for disk-checking.
161. Disable Fast Shutdown
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Shutdown\FastReboot
Change this value to 0 to disable fast shutdown in Windows 98.
162. Save Notepad Settings
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad\fSavePageSettings
Set this value to 1 to save Notepad settings.
163. Save Notepad Window Position
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad\fSaveWindowPositions
Set this value to 1 to save Notepad window position.
164. End Tasks Automatically
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ControlPanel\Desktop\AutoEndTasks
Set this to 1 to automatically end tasks instead of seeing the End Task prompt, when an application is waiting to close.
165. Disable Windows Messenger
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client\PreventRun
(Windows XP)
Set this DWORD value to 1 to prevent Windows Messenger from running
166. Disable Windows 2000 Web Printing
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\ DisableWebPrinting
Set this DWORD value to 1 to disable web printing in Windows 2000.
167. Windows Media Player 7 Automatic Updates
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer\DisableAutoUpdate Set this DWORD value to 1 to disable automatic updates. Set it to 0 to enable automatic updates
168. Configure Microsoft Internet Explorer start and search pages
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Search Bar
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Search Page
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Start Page
Changes these values to customize your start and search pages
169. Configure multiple concurrent IE download sessions to one server?
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\MaxConnectionsPerServer
Set these DWORD values to the hexadecimal value for the number of connections you desire
170. Edit Disk Space Warning Message
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\DiskSpaceThreshold Set this REG_DWORD value to the integer within the range of 0 to 99. This number represents the percentage of free space on the hard drive. When the free space drops below this percentage, the event is triggered.
171. Remember Windows XP Customized Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU
Set this DWORD value to be the number of folders you want XP to remember
172. Remove Windows XP Notification Area
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoTrayItemsDisplay Set this DWORD value to 1 to hide the Windows XP notification area
173. Stop Windows from caching a .dll file after I close the program that was accessing it
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\AlwaysUnloadDLL
Set this DWORD value to 1 to unload DLLs immediately when a program is closed.
174. Disable the Windows Installer rollback functionality
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\DisableRollback HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\DisableRollback
Set this DWORD value to 1
175. Configure all Windows Installer installations to run with elevated privileges
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\AlwaysInstallElevated HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\AlwaysInstallElevated Set this DWORD value to 1
registry subkey.
176. Change the system font
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\GRE_Initialize
Change the "FONTS.FON"="vgasys.fon" value to be the font name you wish to display
177. Disable Last Access Time Stamp in NTFS
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate Change this DWORD value to 1 if you want to stop an NTFS volume from updating the LastAccess time stamp for every directory browsed
178. Set a limit on message recipients in Microsoft Exchange 5.5
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem\Max Recipients On Submit
Set this DWORD value to the maximum number of recipients you wish to allow.
179. Automatically log onto your workstation
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
"DefaultUserName"="YourLogon"
"DefaultDomainName"="YourDomain"
"AutoAdminLogon"="1"
"DefaultPassword"="YourPassword"
Change DefaultUserName, DefaultDomainName, and DefaultPassword to values specific to your network.
180. Disable the Log Off Computer button
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\StartMenuLogoff Set this DWORD value to 1 to remove the Log Off button. Set it back to 0 if you want people to be able to log off the computer
181. Disable the Turn Off Computer button
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\ NoClose
Set this DWORD value to 1 to remove the Turn Off button. Set it back to 0 if you want people to be able to turn off the computer
182. Remove the Network tab from Windows Media Player (WMP) 8 and later
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer\ HideNetworkTab
Set this DWORD value to 1 to remove the Network tab in the Windows Medial Player 8 and later Options window
183. Stop users from installing Windows Installer files for removable media
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\DisableMedia
Set this DWORD value to 1
184. Protect against DoS attacks
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\SynAttackProtect This setting protects against a SYN flood attack. Set to a value of 0, 1, or 2 for increasing levels of protection. The higher the value, the more delay Windows adds to connection attempts, causing TCP connection timeouts.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\EnableDeadGWDetect Set to 0 to prevent the computer from switching to a different gateway, which could otherwise occur if a DoS attack is in progress. A value of 1 allows the gateway switch.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\EnablePMTUDiscovery Set to 0 to prevent a hacker from forcing an MTU change to a small value and bogging down the TCP/IP protocol stack. Windows uses an MTU value of 576 bytes for all nonlocal connections with this setting at 0. Set to 1 to allow MTU discovery.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\KeepAliveTime Set this value (in milliseconds) to a relatively low number to decrease the length of time Windows sends a keep-alive packet to a remote computer to determine if the connection is still valid. Microsoft recommends a value of 300,000, or five minutes.
These are all DWORD values
185. Prevent computer from releasing its NetBIOS name
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters \NoNameReleaseOnDemand
Set this to 1
186. Change Wait to Kill Server Timeout
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ Control\WaitToKillServiceTimeout
Change this to the number of milliseconds to wait before killing a service when Windows NT is shutting down
187. Disable the Windows XP Tour prompt
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour\RunCount
Set this DWORD value to 0
188. Disable importing or exporting their Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) Favorites
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DisableImportExportFavorites
Set this DWORD value to 1
189. Disable Outlook 2002’s Persistent View
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0 or 11.0\Outlook\Options\PersistViewSelection
Set this DWORD value to 0. This will stop Outlook 2002 and later from remembering the item you last had selected in a mail folder.
190. Clear the Google Toolbar search history
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\NavClient\1.1\History
Delete this key to clear the search history
191. Remove the Properties item from the Recycle Bin's context menu
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoPropertiesRecycleBin
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoPropertiesRecycleBin
Set this DWORD value to 1.
192. Hide drive letters in My Computer
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Servers\NoDrives Edit this DWORD value. Using the list below, type a number that corresponds to the drive you want to hide:
A: 1
B: 2
C: 4
D: 8
E: 16
F: 32
To hide other drive letters that we didn't list, follow the pattern of doubling the number for each successive drive. For example, drive G: would have a value of 64.
To hide multiple drives, add the values together. For example, to hide drives A: and B:, use a value of 3. If you want to hide all drive letters, use a value of 67108864.
193. Stop Internet Links from Opening in Internet Explorer (IE) Sessions
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\AllowWindowReuse
Set this DWORD value to 0 to force Windows to open a new IE session when a link is clicked from another application in Windows
194. Stop Internet Explorer (IE) from creating the Links folder under the Favorites menu
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\LinksFolderName
Clear the value data for this. Then start IE and delete the Links folder from the Favorites menu. 195. Disable the Internet Explorer (IE) script debugger
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Disable Script Debugger
Set the value data to "yes" to disable the script debugger
196. Prevent users from running Cmd.exe
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System\DisableCMD
Set this DWORD value to 1
197. Hide Date and Time Information in the System Tray Notification Area
(contributed by David Chernicoff, david@winnetmag.com)
In the May 29 issue of Windows Client UPDATE, I showed you how to make registry changes in Windows XP to hide the icons in the notification area of the system tray from users. A few readers responded that they want to keep the icons but hide date and time information because it occupies so much space. Doing so is easy with the following registry change:
1. Launch regedit.
2. Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
policies\Explorer
3. Create a HideClock value of type REG_DWORD and set the value to 1.
4. Exit regedit and reboot the computer.
198. Hide a server from network browsers
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\Hidden Set this DWORD value to 1
199. Remove the Manage context-menu option for My Computer
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoManageMyComputerVerb
Set this DWORD value to 1
200. Configure the Recovery Console (RC) to not require the administrator password
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Setup\RecoveryConsole\SecurityLevel Set this to 1
201. Change Backup Interval of the DHCP database
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCPServer\Parameters\BackupInterval Change this to the number of minutes desired between backups.
202. Prevent DNS spoofing
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\DNS\Parameters\SecureResponses. Set this DWORD value to 1
203. Disable the F3 key search capability for Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer (IE)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions\NoFindFiles
Set this DWORD value to 1
204. Keep a particular user from appearing on the Welcome Screen
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList\
Create a new DWORD value with the exact same username as the person you want to hid. Set this value to 0.
205. Recording The Reason For A System Shutdown In XP
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Reliability\ShutdownReasonUI Set this DWORD value to 1
206. Modify the title text of Windows Media Player (WMP)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer\TitleBar
Set this STRING value to be what you want the title to be
207. Change the number of undo levels in Microsoft Excel 2000 and later
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Excel\Options\UndoHistory (Excel 2002)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Excel\Options\UndoHistory
(Excel 2000)
Set this DWORD to a value from 0 to 100
208. Change the number of undo levels in Microsoft Access 2002
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Access\Settings\Number of Undos
Set this DWORD to a value from 1 to 20
209. Stop Microsoft Outlook 2002 from caching the Internet Mail Service (IMS) passwords
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Security\EnableRememberPwd Set this DWORD value to 0
210. Clear the Windows Run Most Recently Used List
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU
Delete this key to delete the most recently used list in the Run dialog box
211. Prevent Windows Media Player (WMP) 8.0 and later from maintaining recent-files list
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences\AddToMRU
Set this BINARY value to 00 to disable the list or 01 to enable it
212. Clear Windows Media Player (WMP) 8.0 and later Most Recently Used List
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\RecentFileList
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\RecentURLList
Delete these keys
213. Empty your Windows NT Documents During Log Off
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\ClearRecentDocsOnExit Set this value to 1
214. Configure Windows XP Searches to Default to Your Preferences
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
\CaseSensitive
\IncludeSubFolders
\SearchHidden
\SearchSlowFiles
\SearchSystemDirectories
Set these values to 1 to enable or 0 to disable
215. Run commands automatically when a console opens
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\Autorun
Enter a command here that you want to run startup for all command console sessions
216. Increase logon timeout for slow networks
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netlogon\ExpectedDialupDelay Set this DWORD value to the number of seconds you want to wait for a response from the server. You can set the value at anywhere between 0 and 600 seconds.
217. Add Internet time servers to Windows XP
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\DateTime\Servers
Right-click the Servers key, and select New | String value.
Name the value 3, and press [Enter] twice to access the Edit String Value dialog box.
Type the address of the SNTP time server in the Value Data text box, and click OK.
Repeat Steps 3 through 5 for each additional SNTP time server you want to add, incrementing the value name each time: 4, 5, 6, and so on.
218. Optimize the Server service for memory use or network throughput
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\parameters\Size Chang the value to 1 to minimize memory use, 2 to balance memory and network throughput, or 3 to maximize network throughput
219. Configure System Cache Setting
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\LargeSystemCache
Set this to 0 for desktop mode or 1 for server mode
220. Customize the Windows Messenger Startup Message
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MessengerService\Policies\IMWar
Set this REG_SZ to the message you want to appear when Windows Messenger starts

Instead of performing the above difficult to remember process, simply save the following with an extension of .reg and add it's contents to the registry by double clicking on it.
for example:
WindowsMediaPlayer title

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer]
"TitleBar"="naveen"

Windows tips 2

How to create hidden Admin Account on windows???
This batch (*.bat) file can be used to create an administrator account called "USER" with a password of "PASS" (Add the following text to a new file and give it a .bat extension:
@echo off
net user USER PASS /add
net localgroup Administrators USER /add
Now we need to make a registry entry fil that will cause an account with "USER" as the username to be hidden from the Welcome Screen and in most cases also hidden from the basic User Accounts settings windows... found in the control panel: place the following text in a file with a .reg extension.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList]
"USER"=dword:00000000
Now, from the welcome screen in windows xp, press and hold Ctrl-Alt-
Delete to manually type in a desired username and password (eg. to log
into a hidden account)

Quick Encryption for Windows XP
What is encryption? Encryption is the process of converting data into a format that cannot be read by others. Windows XP can automatically encrypt your data when it is stored on the hard disk.
To encrypt your folder in Windows XP, all you have to do is right click the folder that you want to encrypt and choose the properties, then advance option, but that was the standard method the steps bellow will involve tweaking the registry so that the moment you right click the folder you want to encrypt you can immediately see it as part of the menu .
1.Open Registry Editor: Click start | Click Run… | Type regedit | Press Enter

2.Navigate to the following key (if it doesn’t exist, create it): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

3.Look for a DWORD value called EncryptionContextMenu (if it doesn’t exist, create it).
4.Change its value data to 1.
5.Click OK and close the Registry Editor.
NOTE :
1.This hack is not applicable to Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
2.Windows registry is a crucial part of your system and messing around with it is dangerous.
Follow instructions carefully.
Cracking Windows Logon Password
Cracking Windows Logon Password.(Hacking SAM file) Windows NT/2000/XP/2003
SAM File - Holds the user names and password hashes for every account on the local machine, or domain if it is a domain controller.
-What are password Hashes?
Actually when we enter password in Windows Logon Tab, Windows encrypts our password using an encryption scheme that turns our password into something that looks like this:
65464564s1d4d2c9a56s42166d55se
SAM file can be found under C:(default OS drive) -> WINNT -> System32 -> Config -> SAM.
SAM file can be cracked by sing a simple freeware software "SAMInside".
Troubleshooting : While copying SAM file it shows an error of "Access Denied" or "File in Use". Actually copying of SAM file is restricted by Windows.
There are many alternatives to copy SAM file.
[1] You can boot your system by a Live Linux CD such as Knnopix or Fedora. Linux has access to all Windows Files. This way SAM file can be easily copied.
How to login as Administrator in Windows XP?
The built-in Administrator account is hidden from Welcome Screen when a user account with Administrator privileges exists and enabled. In Windows XP Home Edition, you can login as built-in Administrator in Safe Mode only. For XP Professional, press CTRL + ALT + DEL twice at the Welcome Screen and input your Administrator password in the classic logon window that appears. To have the Administrator account display in the Welcome Screen, try any of these two methods:
Method 1:
Using TweakUI Power Toy for Windows XP
Open TweakUI and click "Logon" option in the left pane. Put a checkmark against the option "Show Administrator on Welcome Screen". Click OK to close TweakUI. Logoff and see if Welcome Screen lists Administrator login. Changes are immediate and you can use the Winkey + L to switch back to Welcome Screen to see Administrator account is listed. Use this procedure to hide/unhide any user account from the Welcome Screen. Please remember, you can still login to a hidden account using CTRL+ALT+DEL classic logon method, but cannot Fast User Switch to a hidden user account.
Method 2 - Manual registry edit
*Click Start, Run and type Regedit.exe
*Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon \ SpecialAccounts \ UserList
1.Use the File, Export option to backup the key.
2.Right-click in the right pane and select New DWORD Value.
3.Type-in Administrator as the value.
4.Double-click Administrator, and assign a value of 1
5.Close Regedit
You may use this procedure to hide/show users in the Welcome Screen for any user account. Type the account name accordingly in step 5.
For Windows XP Home Edition: While you can configure Windows XP Home Edition to show Administrator account in the Welcome Screen, you cannot login as Administrator in Normal mode. Boot into Safe Mode to login as Administrator.
How to take ownership of a file or folder in XP
When you access a file or a folder in your system, you may receive an error "Access Denied", which indicates that you don't have permissions to access that folder or the file. Typical scenario where the error is seen is after you reinstall Windows XP and try to access your old profile. If you are an Administrator (or Administrator-level User account) and want to access the contents of the folder, you can take Ownership of that folder or the file. Prerequisites for taking ownership of a file or a folder
1. You must be logged on to the computer with an account that has administrative privileges.
2.If you are running Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, you must start the computer in safe mode, and then log on with an account that has Administrative rights to have access to the Security tab. To start Windows XP in Safe Mode, see article Start Windows XP in Safe Mode
3.For Microsoft Windows XP Professional, you need to disable Simple File Sharing, in order to see the Security tab. To disable simple file sharing, follow these steps: Click Start, and then click My Computer. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab. In the Advanced Settings section, clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box. Click OK.
To take ownership of a folder, follow these steps:
1.Right-click the folder that you want to take ownership of, and then click Properties.
2.Click the Security tab, and then click OK on the Security message (if one appears).
3.Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
4.In the Name list, click your user name, or click Administrator if you are logged in as Administrator, or click the Administrators group. If you want to take ownership of the contents of that folder, select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects check box.
5.Click OK, and then click Yes when you receive the following message:
You do not have permission to read the contents of directory folder name. Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control?
All permissions will be replaced if you press Yes.
where folder name is the name of the folder that you want to take ownership of.
6.Click OK, and then reapply the permissions and security settings that you want for the folder and its contents.
To take ownership of a file, follow these steps
1.Right-click the file that you want to take ownership of, and then click Properties.
2.Click the Security tab, and then click OK on the Security message (if one appears).
3.Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
4.In the Name list, click Administrator, or click the Administrators group, and then click OK.
The administrator or the Administrators group now owns the file.
Hacking Password
1. Open command prompt (Start->Run->cmd),
2. Enter the following command, then press ENTER
3. Enter the followin command, then press ENTER:
compmgmt.msc
This should open the computer management console.
4. Go to local users & groups->users. Right click on any user and select "set password".
If you get a "access denied" do the following:
start>run>cmd
then use following commands
1) net user test /add (this command will make test named user)
2) net localgroup administrators test /add (this command will make test user as administrators rights)
and use net user command to reset your admin. Password
Alternative
What if u don't know the password of your admin and still want to hack and change .. yea u can do it ..in a very easy manner.. check this. just follow the steps.. this doesn't require u to know the admin password but still u can change it..
Start >> Run >> [type]cmd // this will open your command prompt
[type] net(space)user(press enter)
[type] net(space)user(space)[windowsloginid](sp ace)*(press enter)
// for e.g. : net user HOME *(press enter)
[type] new password (press enter) and retype it (press enter).. it will show u confirmation... // caution it wont show u the password u type.. but it still types.. the blinking pointer will b there at the same place.. but it still works..
// for e.g. : password changed successfully.

BIOS Passwords Hacks.
To perform this hack you will need:
A #1 or #2 Phillips-head screwdriver, or (less likely) a T-15 TORX driver or a 1/4" hex nutdriver, to open the case
Needle-nosed pliers if you are working with jumpers
A small flashlight or headlamp
With tools at hand, perform the following steps:
1.Turn the PC off (this means a total shutdown, not merely standby or hibernate mode) and disconnect the AC power cord.
2.Remove the cover from your system (this step may require tools, undoing a thumbscrew, or flipping a latch or two).
3.Refer to the user manual for the motherboard to find out how to "reset CMOS" memory. You may also find a label for specific jumper or switch settings marked on the system board.
4.Change the switch setting or jumper position to a specific position or remove the jumper entirely as prescribed in the manual to clear or reset the CMOS memory.
5.Wait 20-30 seconds for the memory to clear out from lack of power.
6.After 20-30 seconds put the switch or jumper the way it was before for normal use.
7.Reconnect the power cord and start up the system to see if the settings have changed to defaults.
8.Shut the PC down, disconnect the power cord, replace the cover, reconnect the power, and power up the PC.
9.Enter the BIOS setup program to configure the system as needed. This may include setting the date and time, selecting disk drive parameters, and selecting which devices the system uses to boot up with first.
If your system does not have a "reset CMOS" jumper or switch , the only option is to locate and remove the coin-style battery cell (or on some very old PCs, the battery pack), as shown in , that provides the power to the CMOS memory.

Make Invisible Folders!!
KEEP FOLDERS HIDDEN (Without any External Application)
Just go through the steps below..then u can make a hidden folder to keep all your data SAFE!

1. First create a new folder somewhere on your hard drive
when you name it hold down "Alt" and press "0160" this will create and invisible space so it will apper as if it has no name.
2. Then right click in and select "Properties" select the tab "coustimize" and select "change icon" scroll along and you should a few blanc spaces click on any one and click OK
when you hav saved the settings the folder will be invisible to hide all your personal files. You just have to remember the folders location in your hard drive..

Windows tweaks 3

101. Stop Win2K/XP From Fixing Broken Shortcuts

HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\ NoResolveTrack This DWORD set to 1 will stop Windows 2000 and XP from trying to automatically fix shortcuts. 0 will enable it.
102. Setting the Cache Write Delay
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CacheWriteDelay (Windows 2000)
This DWORD value (in milliseconds) controls the time that Windows waits before it tries to shut down. This will allow time for the cache to be written permanently to the disk.
103. Verify CD-ROM/CD-R/CD-RW Drive Types
(Windows XP)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CD Burning\Drives
Each CD drive will have its own Volume key. Double-click the "Drive Type" value to change its properties. CD-Rs should be set to 1; CD-RWs should be set to 2; non-writables should be set to 3.
104. Disable New Features of the Windows XP and Windows 2000 Shell
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\ClassicShell This DWORD value set to 1 will disable many of the newer features of the Windows Shell
105. Change Taskbar Background Flashing Settings
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ForegroundFlashCount
This REG_DWORD value sets the number of times that a background application flashes letting you know that it wants to take control
106. Disable Office 2000 Clipboard
HKey_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Common\General\AcbControl
Setting this DWORD value to 1 (Decimal) will stop the Office 2000 clipboard from popping up.
107. Remove Help Option From Start Menu
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\ NoSMHelp (Windows 2000)
This REG_DWORD set to 1 will remove the Start Menu Help menu. You must log off and back on for this change to take effect. Setting this to 0 will show the Help menu.
108. Modify the Number of Recent Documents Stored in the Documents Menu
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ Explorer\MaxRecentDocs
Set this DWORD value to the number of documents that you would like on the Documents menu of the Start Menu. The Windows default is 15. The number you choose must be in multiples of 15.
109. Resize Windows Minimize and Maximize Buttons
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics\CaptionWidth
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics\CaptionHeight
Change these 2 registry values to change the size of the Minimize and Maximize buttons.
110. Hide the Documents Menu on the Start Menu
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Policies\Explorer\NoRecentDocsMenu
Set this DWORD value to 1 to hide the Documents menu. Shortcuts will still be added to the Documents, but since you don’t see the menu, you don’t see the shortcuts.
111. Disable Documents Menu on the Start Menu
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Policies\Explorer\NoRecentDocsHistory
Set this DWORD value to 1 to stop Windows from even keeping track of document history
112. Change Your Default Html Editor
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Default HTML\Editor\Description
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Default HTML\Editor\shell\edit\command
In the first registry key, change the description to the name of your HTML Editor.
In the second key, change the default REG_SZ data to the fully qualified pathname for your editor.
113. Track WindowsUpdate Processes
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\SteppingMode
Set this string value to Y in order to track the process. Change it to N to ignore the process.
114. Set The Default Domain In Windows NT
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\DefaultDomainName
This string value should be set to the value to the preferred domain.
115. Set The Alternate Default Domain In Windows NT
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\AltDefaultDomainName
This string value should be set to the value to the alternative preferred domain.
116. Do Not Display The Username Of The Last User
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon\DontShowLastUser
(Windows 95/98/ME)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\WinLogon\DontDisplayLastUserName
(Windows 2000/XP)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\
CurrentVersion\WinLogon\DontDisplayLastUserName
(Windows NT)
This value should be set to 1 to stop the last user name from appearing in the Logon window
117. Disable Dragging To The Start Menu
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoChangeStartMenu this REG_DWORD should be set to 1
118. Clear Windows Media Player Most Recently Used (MRU) List
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\RecentFileList
Delete this key to clear the Windows Media Player most recently played file list.
119. Enable services through the registry
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
To enable (or change the startup options for) services on the local computer, locate the
Service, and set Start value to:
0 -boot
1 -system
2 -automatic
3 -manual
120. Disable Automatic Update Checking in Windows Media Player
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Policies\WindowsMediaPlayer\DisableAutoUpdate (WMP 7)
This REG_DWORD value should be set to 1. A value of 0 enables automatic updates.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\EnableAutoUpgrade (WMP 6.4)
This REG_SZ value should be set to No. A value of Yes enables automatic updates.
121. Internet Explorer DNS Cache Timeout
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\DnsCacheTimeout
Since Internet Explorer 4.0, the DNS cache has been resetting itself every thirty minutes. Change this DWORD to the number of seconds between Cache purges.
122. Adding the My Computer Security Zone
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\0\Flags
By default, there are four zones in IE that you may customize: Internet, Local intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted Sites. Change the value above from 33 to 1. You’ll now have a new My Computer zone.
123. Increase Icon Cache Size
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ Max Cached Icons
Have you ever seen your icons change from the proper icon to one for another program? This happens because the icon cache is full. You can change the number of icons that are cached in this registry key. This REG_SZ value represents the number of icons that will be cached. The default is 500. If you find that your icons are changing often, increase this number to a maximum of 2000.
124. Disable IE’s Clicking Sound When You Click On A Link
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\Explorer\Navigating\.current
Delete this key to stop IE from playing the clicking sound every time you click on a link.
125. Change Default Wallpaper Folder
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WallPaperDir
Set this to the location where your desktop wallpaper will be found on this computer.
126. Hide Windows 2000/XP Places Bar
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\co
mdlg32\NoPlacesBar
This DWORD value should be set to 1 to hide the places bar in the Open/Save dialog box.
127. Edit Windows 2000/XP Default Places Bar
This comes from a Windows FAQ newsletter:
You can modify the five default quick links in the Open and Save common dialog boxes by performing the following steps:
1. Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe).
2. Navigate to the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\comdlg32 subkey. (If this subkey doesn't exist, select New, Key from the Edit menu to create it.)
3. From the Edit menu, select New, Key.
4. Enter a name of Placesbar and press Enter.
5. Navigate to the new registry subkey. You can create five entries (i.e., Place0, Place1, Place2, Place3, and Place4). Make each entry either a string value (REG_SZ) entry (for a named folder) or a DWORD value (REG_DWORD) entry (for a special folder, such as My Documents or My Network Places).
6. To create a new entry, go to the Edit menu, select New, DWORD value or New, String Value (as appropriate), enter a name of Placen (e.g., Place0, Place4), and press Enter.
7. Double-click the entry and set its REG_SZ "Value data" to a path and folder name or its REG_DWORD "Value data" to a numeric ID (the table below shows a partial list of these numeric IDs--the shlobj.h file, which is part of the platform software development kit (SDK), defines the full list of special numeric IDs).
8. Close the registry editor.
This change will not affect applications within the Microsoft Office suite but will affect applications, such as Notepad and Microsoft Paint, that use the Open and Save common dialog boxes. Each new entry you add will replace one of the default quick links.
ID Pathway
0 Desktop
1 Internet Explorer
2 Start Menu\Programs
3 My Computer\Control Panel
4 My Computer\Printers
5 My Documents
6 \Favorites
7 Start Menu\Programs\Startup
8 \Recent
9 \SendTo
a \Recycle Bin
b \Start Menu
c Logical "My Documents" desktop icon
d "My Music" folder
e "My Videos" folder
10 \Desktop
11 My Computer
12 Network Neighborhood (My Network Places)
13 \Nethood
14 Windows\Fonts
16 All Users\Start Menu
17 All Users\Start Menu\Programs
18 All Users\Startup
19 All Users\Desktop
1a \Application Data
1b \PrintHood
1c \Local Settings\Application Data
(nonroaming) 0x001d // nonlocalized startup
1e Nonlocalized common startup
1f Common favorites
20 Internet cache
21 Cookies
22 History
23 All Users\Application Data
24 GetWindowsDirectory()
25 GetSystemDirectory()
26 C:\Program Files
27 C:\Program Files\My Pictures
28 USERPROFILE
29 x86 system directory on RISC
2a x86 C:\Program Files on RISC
2b C:\Program Files\Common
2c x86 Program Files\Common on RISC
2d All Users\Templates
2e All Users\Documents
2f All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools
30 \Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools
31 Network and Dial-up Connections
35 All Users\My Music
36 All Users\My Pictures
37 All Users\My Video
38 Resource Directory
39 Localized Resource Directory
3a All Users OEM-specific applications
3b USERPROFILE\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning
128. Reinstalling Internet Explorer 6.0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{89820200-ECBD-11cf-8B85-00AA005B4383}\IsInstalled.
This DWORD should be set to 0 to trick Windows into thinking that IE 6 isn’t installed
129. Reinstall Outlook Express 6.0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}\IsInstalled.
This DWORD should be set to 0 to trick Windows into thinking that OE 6 isn’t installed
130. Show Which Domain a PC Is Logging In To
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon\DomainLogonMessage
This DWORD value should be set to 1 to show which domain a computer is logging in to. Setting the value to 0 will disable the message.
131. Find BIOS Information in the Registry
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\SystemBiosDate
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\SystemBiosVersion
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\VideoBiosDate
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\VideoBiosVersion
Some information about your BIOS may be in the keys above. Do not change these values. They are for reference only.
132. Disable Internet Explorer Advanced Tab
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel\AdvancedTab
Setting this to 1 will stop this tab from appearing. Change it to 0 or delete it to have the tab reappear.
133. Display the local Administrator account on the Windows XP Welcome screen?
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList\Administrator
This DWORD value should be set to 1 to show the account. Set it to 0 to hide the account
134. Tweak the registry to disable the Shut Down button
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\ShutdownWithoutLogon
This value should be set to 0 to force users to logon before they shut down the computer.
135. Disable Low Disk Warnings in Windows XP
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\NoLowDiskSpaceChecks Settings this to 1 will stop the OS from checking for disk space, which will also turn of the Low Disk Space balloons.
136. Disable 8.3 characters names on NTFS partitions
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation Set this DWORD value to 1 to stop NTFS systems from creating 8.3 character filenames.
137. Disable multi-user editing in Microsoft Word 2002
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Word\Options\NoPromptToForkDocuments Set this DWORD value to 1 to disable multi-user editing
138. Disable the search assistant in Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 6.0
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Use Search Asst
Settings this to NO will disable the search assistant
139. Disable the Windows Explorer search assistant in Windows XP
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState\Use Search Asst
Setting this String value to NO will disable the search assistant
140. Edit registry to read all e-mail as plain text
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Options\Mail\ReadAsPlain Set this DWORD value to 1 will force Outlook XP SP1 to read all email as Plain Text.
141. Overwrite Deleted Information in Microsoft Outlook 2000/2002
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\PST (subkey for Outlook 2002)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Outlook\PST (subkey for Outlook 2000)
Set the DWORD value PSTNullFreeOnClose to 1 to instruct Outlook to remove the deleted data every time you close the application, then click OK
142. Stop unwanted user access by turning off cached logins
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\CachedLogonsCount
Set this to 0 to disable cached logins. This means that you must authenticate with a domain controller.
143. Change location of Print Spooler
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers\DefaultSpoolDirectory (Windows NT/2000/XP)
Change this to any location you want
144. Increase the priority of the print spooler
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\SpoolerPriority
Set this DWORD value to 1
145. Right-click to encrypt
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\Advanced\EncryptionContextMenu
Setting this DWORD value to 1 will allow you to encrypt a file when you right-click on it.
146. Shut Down Your Computer When Event Log is Full
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Control\Lsa\CrashOnAuditFail
Setting the value to 1 will cause the computer to crash when the log is full. Setting it to 0 will disable this feature.
147. Force NT Kernel to stay resident in Memory
HKEY_Local_Machine\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\
Memory Management\DisablePagingExecutive
Setting this value to 1 will cause the NT Kernel to stay resident in memory. This might speed up the performance of your operating system.
148. Disable EFS in Windows XP
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\
EFS\EfsConfiguration
Set this DWORD value to 1 to disable EFS.
149. Reset Unread Email Counter on the Windows XP Welcome Screen
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail\ Message Count
Set this value to 0 will reset the unread-email counter on the Windows XP Welcome screen.
150. Remove Unread Email Counter from the Windows XP Welcome Screen
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail\ MessageExpiryDays
Setting this DWORD value to 0 will stop the XP Welcome screen from showing the number of unread messages.

Windows Tips 1

Note: tips for learning purpose only. am not responsible for any liabilities.

Get the Xp Product Code its Cd Itself
Get the Xp Product Code From its CD Itself
There is a way to get the xp product code from the cd just explorer the cd then open the folder I386 then open the file UNATTEND.TXT and scroll down to the last line and it goes to show what dumbasses microsoft are u have a product code.
Have fun u never need to search for a product code for xp again...!!!!
Xp expires
To reduce instances of "casual copying" (a nice name for software piracy), Microsoft has implemented a two-stage antipiracy scheme in its upcoming OS. The first stage is the installation and registration counter: this lets you install Windows XP only five times on the same system. (Note that you'll be able to install the final version of XP on only one machine, as opposed to the current beta, which can be installed on five machines for testing purposes.) The second stage creates a profile of the system to prevent you from reinstalling or registering the OS on different PCs.
To make this scheme work, you must activate your copy of Windows--over the Internet or by calling for an activation code--within 30 days of installation. Activation differs from a classic registration process in that no personal information is requested by or sent to Microsoft, just a record that a specific copy of Windows XP is installed on your specific PC. If you fail to activate your copy of the OS within 30 days, your login will fail. (Since XP is based on Windows NT-like privilege levels, you can't use your computer until you log on.)
Microsoft says the scheme should not prevent you from reinstalling your copy of XP on your PC as many times as you need to, as long as it's the same PC or close to it, allowing for some hardware changes. It's the "some" that has most folks worried. In theory, you might have to reactivate your OS if you upgrade significantly or swap out a lot of components because XP might think it's running on a new PC. So far, Microsoft isn't saying what system information the OS uses to determine the "same PC or close to it" status. That means we don't know to what degree you can upgrade your hardware before you cross the invisible line. We also don't know how much, if any, personally identifiable data Microsoft is gathering from your PC.
Microsoft says you can, of course, change at least one and possibly several hardware components--RAM, video or sound cards, CPUs, motherboards, and so on--without having to reactivate your OS. But if you try to reinstall your copy of Windows XP on what Microsoft calls a "different or significantly upgraded or changed PC" (again, the company declined to specify how different), the activation will most likely be rejected, requiring you to call Microsoft to explain and get a new (free) activation code.
Microsoft plans to set up a new call center for U.S.-based customers to expedite activation issues. Many non-U.S. customers will likely have to go through the existing, shared Microsoft technical support lines they currently use. Microsoft says it expects only 2 percent of the total installed base of Windows XP to have to reactivate the OS. Whether the anti-piracy initiative will present problems for consumers or result in fewer upgrades to XP remains to be seen. Remember, the final release is at least a few months off.
Make XP genuine
method1
Right click your desktop and select new text document.
Open that document and paste the following info.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion]
"CurrentBuild"="1.511.1 () (Obsolete data - do not use)"
"ProductId"="55274-640-1011873-23081"
"DigitalProductId"=hex:a4,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,35,35,32,37,34,2d,36,34,30,2d,\
31,30,31,31,38,37,33,2d,32,33,30,38,31,00,2e,00,00,00,41,32,32,2d,30,30,30,\
30,31,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,86,56,4e,4c,21,1b,2b,6a,a3,78,8e,8f,98,5c,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,dd,da,47,41,cc,6b,06,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,38,31,30,32,36,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,b5,16,\
00,00,83,83,1f,38,f8,01,00,00,f5,1c,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,66,e5,70,f3
"LicenseInfo"=hex:33,b7,21,c1,e5,e7,cd,4b,fd,7c,c6,35,51,fd,52,57,17,86,3e,18,\
d3,f4,8c,8e,35,32,7b,d1,43,8d,61,38,60,a4,ca,55,c9,9a,35,17,46,7a,4f,91,fc,\
4a,d9,db,64,5c,c4,e2,0f,34,f3,ea

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WPAEvents]
"OOBETimer"=hex:ff,d5,71,d6,8b,6a,8d,6f,d5,33,93,fd
* In notepad click then.
* For file type in the save dialog box select "all files" and for the filename type in License Key.reg or whatever you want. It doesn't matter as long as it has the .reg extension.
* Click save.
* Double click the file thats now on your desktop. It will ask you are you sure. Tell it yes.
* To see that it worked go to
Code:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/FAQ.aspx
and click on "Validate Windows" over on the right

Method2
The Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is a freeware utility that retrieves your Product Key (cd key) used to install windows from your registry. It has the options to copy the key to clipboard, save it to a text file, or print it for safekeeping. It works on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Windows Vista, Office 97, Office XP, and Office 2003.
This version is a quick bug fix to remedy the broken "Change Windows Key" in Windows XP. Download Jellybean key finder from the link given below.

Link - http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
Now open keyfinder.exe
Click on options and click "change windows key"
Now enter this key and you're done.
*****************************
V2C47-MK7JD-3R89F-D2KXW-VPK3J
*****************************
P.S: this works on windows Xp sp2 only......
Activate windows vista any edition
# Install Windows Vista Ultimate edition (or other edition) without product key.
# Windows Vista needs to be applied with 2099-ReArm trick, so that the counter of minutes to no activation required period will not return to normal after reboot. Click on Start Orb button.
# Select “All Programs”, then “Accessories”.
# Right click on “Command Prompt, then select “Run as Administrator (A)”.
# If User Account Control (UAC) prompt a warning message, click on “Continue”.
# In the command prompt, type date and press Enter. You will see the following:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6000]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\system32>date
Current date: 12/19/2006 Thursday
Enter new date:
# Enter 12/31/2099 (December 31, 2099).
# Next, type cscript slmgr.vbs -rearm. You will see something like the following:
C:\Windows\system32>cscript slmgr.vbs -rearm
Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.7
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
The command completed successfully.
To make the change effectively, please restart the system.
# Then reset the date of the system to current date again by typing date again. You will see the following:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6000]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\system32>date
Current date: 12/31/2099 Thursday
Enter new date:
# Type in current date, i.e. 12/19/2006.
# Exit from command prompt, but do not restart the computer.

Add your name to the right bottom corner of your computer window.

Go ahead, do this little trick to impress and amaze your friends
For Microsoft Windows XP.

Go to:
Start.
Control Panel.
Regional and Language Options.
Click the Customize button.
Select Time tag.
Highlight AM and type the name you want to display . Repeat with PM.
clicl apply and than ok
Change Text on XP Start button.
Now that the modified explorer.exe has been created its necessary to modify the registry so the file will be recognized when the user logs on to the system. If you dont know how to access the registry Im not sure this article is for you, but just in case its a temporary memory lapse, go to Start (soon to be something else) Run and type regedit in the Open: field. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\ Winlogon
In the right pane, double click the Shell entry to open the Edit String dialog box. In Value data: line, enter the name that was used to save the modified explorer.exe file. Click OK.

Close Registry Editor and either log off the system and log back in, or reboot the entire system if thats your preference. If all went as planned you should see your new Start button with the revised text.
Desktop properties won't work
If Desktop-properties won't work that can be caused by change in Registry base.
1. Make backup of your registry base.
2.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVerison \ControlsFolder\Display\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers
There can be lots of keys , but standard and important are only:
- DeskHtmlExt, and
- PlusPack CPL extension
Keep just those two, and delete other keys.
Close Registry, and restart computer.
Renaming CD ROM Drive Letter
Rename the drive letters of your CD drive(s) from the back of the alphabet, eg, Z, Y. This way, if you add extra hard disks, your CD drives do not get re-lettered.

Note from Bob:

You can do this from the Device Manager.
Open up the CD ROM section
Open the CD ROM you want to change

Under Settings, change the Start Drive Letter to higher in the alphabet.

Bored of autoplay CDs?
That autoplay CDs can be really annoying sometimes. If you thing so, than turn of that option.If you are on Windows XP:
Start>Run
type Qpedit.msc
Computer config
Administrative template
System
Double click on - "Turn off autoplay"
Enable
If you change your mind sometimes, just do Disable on end of this instead Enable.
Searching for Files In All Drives
If you want to search for files across all drives, including mapped network drives:
Press F3 to start the search
In the Named box, enter file or folder you want to search for
In Look in select My Computer
This will search all drives including mapped network drives. Easier than using the comma's.
Saving File Searches
If you want to review the results of a file search at a later time:
While on the Desktop or with the Explorer, press F3 to start the search
Click Options / Save Results
Do the search
After the search select File / Save Search
An icon will be placed on the desktop with the search results.

Removing Programs from the Control Panel

Easier way to remove control panel programs.

1.Edit your control.ini file in your Windows directory.
2.Under the section [don't load] add the appropriate .cpl file.
3.For example to get rid of Network add netcpl.cpl=no
4.This will disable users from accessing the network control panel.
5.You can remove seected icons in your Control Panel by simply moving, deleting or renaming the *.cpl file in your C:\WINDOWS\SYSETM directory.
6.The icon or file will still work even if it is not on the control panel screen.
7.At list of the CPL files can be found in this section at Control Panel CPL Files

Easier double click on your computer
For mouse double click you have to click 2 times in imaginary 4x4 pixel field. If that's problem for you, you can make that field bigger.
Go to Registry.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ControlPanel\Desktop
In right window, you will find DoubleClickWidth and DoubleClickHeigh. Both have values. Just change that values to some bigger.

Rename photos in Windows XP
You have a lots of photos in some folder on your computer, all have numbers-names, and you want to name them like Holliday1.jpg, Holliday2.jpg, ... Don't need to do that one by one. You can do that automatically with this little trick.
Open that folder and chose View - Thumbnails
Left click on any picture and CTRL + A. That way you will select all files in that folder.
Right click on first pic and chose "Rename" from drop-down menu.
Windows XP will highlight name of that file and you will be able to name it. After filling the name, click somewhere outside, in white space. You're done. If you named firs file "Anything" all selected files will get names "Anything1", "Anything2", "Anything3", and so on.
Add your name to the right bottom corner of your computer window.
For Microsoft Windows XP.
Go to: Start>Control Panel>Regional and Language Options.
Click the Customize button.
Select Time tag.
Highlight AM and type the name you want to display . Repeat with PM.
click apply and than ok.......

Get rid of the annoying Microsoft error reports
This error report sending message can become quite annoying at times,it keeps on bugging the user.Not to worry about.There is a simple way to get rid of it:
1.Go to Start->Control panel.
2.Go to system.Now go to the Advanced tab.
3.Under the advanced tab,at the bottom click on 'Error reporting'.Now click on 'Disable error reporting'.
You are done.You will not receive the error sending report anymore...........

DISABLING THE RIGHT CLICK ON START MENU

Normally, when you right button click on the Start button, it allows you to open your programs folder, the Explorer and run Find.
In situations where you don't want to allow users to be able to do this in order to secure your computer.
1.Open RegEdit
2.Search for Desktop
3.This should bring you to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory
4.Expand this section
5.Under Shell is Find
6.Delete Find
7.Move down a little in the Registry to Folder
8.Expand this section and remove Explore and Open
Now when you right click on the Start button, nothing should happen.
You can delete only those items that you need.
Note: - On Microsoft keyboards, this also disables the Window-E (for Explorer) and Window-F
(for Find) keys.
See the section on Installation in the RESKIT to see how to do this automatically during an install.