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Windows

Windows XP Quick Tips

Backing Up Your Registry
Stop Your Screensaver from cutting in
Create a Shortcut to Lock your Workstation
Turn off Balloon Tips
Always Win at FreeCell
Removing Windows XP Installer Packages if Uninstall Fails
Internet Explorer Window Resize
Get Maximum Performance on a Laptop
Getting Around Outlook Express Attachment Blocking
Speed up Network Browsing
Turn off CD Burning Capability
Activate or Deactivate Windows Shutdown Reason Tracker
Corrupted Icons
Map Drive Letters to Directories
Give Dr Watson the Sack
Identifying SVCHOST Usage
Fixing Shortcuts to CD-ROM Drives
Viewing and Adjusting What Applications Have Saved Passwords

Backing Up Your Registry

On many sites you will be told to backup your registry before making any changes to your system. However as the registry isn't an easily identifiable file this can be a little daunting.
Microsoft have an article in their knowledgebase that describes the registry, but more importantly tells you how to backup and restore your registry.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=256986

Stop Your Screensaver from cutting in

While it is a good idea to have a screensaver enabled on your machine, as it can lock the machine automatically if you walk away from it, sometimes you can be working on something near your machine and don't want the screensaver to cut in.
To stop the screensaver from coming on, just click on the start button, so that the menu is shown. Leave it up and the screensaver will not start.

Create a Shortcut to Lock your Workstation

Did you know that you can lock your workstation by pressing CTRL-ALT -DELETE and pressing enter (or choosing "Lock Workstation)? It is also possible to create a shortcut to do the same thing that you can click on.

1. Right click anywhere on your desktop and choose "New..." then "Shortcut".
2. Enter the following text in the box
   
   %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
   
3. Click next and name the shortcut "Lock Workstation" or similar.
4. The default icon is a bit naff, so right click on the new shortcut and choose Properties. Then choose "Change Icon". You can use any icon you like, however one that is suitable is a picture of two keys. Use browse to find "C:\Windows\System32\migpwd.exe" or "C:\Winnt\system32\migpwd.exe".

Turn off Balloon Tips

If you are plagued by balloon tips and notifications coming from the system tray (next to the clock) you can turn them after making a small registry change. If you have turned them off but want them back on then use the other file to reverse the setting.

Balloon Tips Off

Copy and paste the following text in to notepad and save it as balloon-off.reg, changing the file type to All Types so that it is saved as a registry file. Then double click on it to install.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] "EnableBalloonTips"=dword:00000000

Copy and paste the following text in to notepad and save it as balloon-on.reg, changing the file type to All Types so that it is saved as a registry file. Then double click on it to install.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] "EnableBalloonTips"=dword:00000001

Always Win at FreeCell

There is a secret key combination in FreeCell that allows you to choose whether you win or loose a game.

Press CTRL-SHIFT-F10 during play. You will be given an option to Win or Loose.

Removing Windows XP Installer Packages if Uninstall Fails

Sometimes you will find that you cannot remove an application that was installed with Microsoft's Windows Installer. This can be caused by various issues, the most common being issues after an upgrade of the operating system.
If you find that you are in this position, there is a tool available on the Windows XP CD-ROM which can help you. It is part of the support tools and is called the "Windows Installer Clean up Tool"

1. If you haven't already already, install the support tools from the Windows XP CD-ROM - <cdrom>\support\tools and run suptools.msi.
2. After the installation, use Windows Explorer to browse to "C:\Program Files\Support Tools" and run the file called "msicuu.exe".
3. The "msicuu.msi" application will shop you the applications that were installed. Choose the one that you wish to remove and press the remove button.
4. You will find that not all files are removed for the application. It is advised that you install a the later version of your application even if you want to remove it. You should then be able to uninstall it in the regular way, removing all traces of the application.

For more information on the "msicuu.exe" application see the online help for the support tools, available after installation is complete.

Internet Explorer Window Resize

Sometimes Internet Explorer will create all new windows either in the wrong size or position.
This can be reset, in one of two ways.

1. With no other Internet Explorer sessions open, start a new Internet Explorer session, resize and position as you wish. Then hold down CTRL and SHIFT and close Internet Explorer.
2. In the registry (usual warnings apply about not doing anything in the registry unless you know what you are doing) delete the following key: HKEY_ CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft \Internet Explorer\Main and delete the key on the right that is called "Window_Placement".

Get Maximum Performance on a Laptop

If you are running Windows XP on a laptop, there is a possibility that you are not getting the maximum performance out of the processor.
In recent processor chips, Intel have added a technology called "Speed Step". This technology allows the operating system to slow down the processor to conserve power. With Windows 2000, this requires the installation of a separate application. However with Windows XP the technology is built in.
Microsoft have been a little conservative with their implementation of this technology. As it is configured, out of the box, you will not get the maximum performance out of your machine. Windows will always hold back a little. So how do you get the full performance back?

1. Start, Settings Control Panel, Power Options or Right click the desktop, choose properties, then screensaver and click the power button.
2. Change the Power Scheme to Home/Office Desk. Adjust the settings as appropriate.

This setting change tells Windows XP to treat your machine as if it is a desktop. However, this effectively disables the power management functionality of the processor. Therefore if you are using the machine on batteries, the power will not last as long as you are used to. Therefore you might want to change the settings back, so that Windows XP can manage the processor again.

If you want a quick and easy way to do this, similar to the Intel Speed Step utility that is available for Windows 2000, then download SpeedswitchXP from http://www.diefer.de/speedswitchxp/index.html

Getting Around Outlook Express Attachment Blocking

With Windows XP Service Pack 1, the built in email client Outlook Express 6 was updated to Service Pack 1 as well. This introduced a new set of attachments that are blocked by default. While you can turn this feature off, you may not want to. However on the odd occasion that you need access to an attachment, there are a couple of ways that you can circumvent the protection feature.

The simplest way is to just press forward on the message that has the blocked attachment. You should then have access to the attachment, which you can right click and choose Save.

A more complex method, especially if you are sending files to yourself or someone has reported that they cannot get at your file - for example sending them home from the office is to use a different extension.

1. Save a copy of the file you wish to send to another location on your machine. C:\ would be a good location, as it is easily accessible from the command line.
2. Start a command prompt (DOS).
3. Ensure you are in C:\ by typing "c:" and then "cd \". If you have saved the file to another location, then change directory to that location instead.
4. Type "rename <filename>.<extension> <filename>.txt">
   For example, if your file was called budget.doc, you would type "rename budget.doc budget.txt"
5. Send the file to the location you wish. DO NOT open the file in notepad or anything else as it will probably corrupt it.
6. At the other end, save the file to your hard disk without opening it.
7. In a command (DOS) prompt type the same command as before, but reversed. For example, using the same as above "rename budget.txt budget.doc".

Print or Record a Listing of all Files in a Directory

A common request is to get a listing of all files in a directory. Sometimes it could be a listing of a directory including any subdirectories.
Whilst there are a number of ways this can be done, such as hand typing the list or taking screenshots, the best way would be to have the listing contained in a text file.

1. You will need to use the DOS prompt, which you can find at Start, Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt.
2. Use usual DOS commands to change to the directory that you want to get a file listing for.
   If it is going to be something that you are going to do often, you might like to get hold of the Microsoft Power Toy "Command Prompt Here" which will allow you to open a command prompt at the correct location.
3. Type in the following command
   
   dir /s >c:\listing.txt
   
   You can change "listing.txt" to any file name that you desire.
   This command sends the result of a normal "dir" command to a file. The switch /s carries out the command in any subdirectories.
4. If you are working with multiple folders, but want the information to be added to an existing file, you would enter the following command instead:
   
   dir /s >>c:\listing.txt
   
   Note the double > which tells the command to add it to the existing file. With a single > it will replace the existing file.
5. Once you have created the file listing, open it in notepad in the usual way and print it. If you want some more fancy formatting, then copy the text in to a word or WordPad document.

Speed up Network Browsing

This tip is only for you if you use Windows XP in a network environment.
You may have found that browsing network drives from your Windows XP can be initially slow, as it takes a moment for the directory contents to display. This is caused by a little known registry entry that means your machine checks the remote machine for any scheduled tasks. Why - who knows. However this feature is controlled by a registry key. Delete the key and browsing will be noticeabley faster.

Copy and paste the following text in to notepad and save it as netbrowsing.reg, changing the file type to All Types so that it is saved as a registry file. Then double click on it to install.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}] @="Scheduled Tasks"

Turn off CD Burning Capability

Windows XP has built in CD burning capabilities. However if you have a third party CD creation software installed, such as CD Creator or Nero then it can get in the way.
You can turn off these CD burning options in three ways.

1. If you are on a Windows 2000 domain, you can ask the network administrator to use Group Policies to turn them off.
2. If you are a local administrator, or do not participate in a Windows 2000 domain, use the local policy to turn the feature off.
   
   In both cases you will find the option in "User Configuration", "Administrative Templates", "Windows Components", "Windows Explorer".
   You can find out more about the local policy and how to use it to turn off features in Windows for all users of your computer here.
3. The other way is to modify the registry directly.
   1. Run regedit
   2. Find the key "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer".
   3. Create a new value of type "REG_DWORD" and call it NoCDBurning
   4. Double click this new value and change the initial zero to 1.
   5. Close the registry editor and reboot your computer.

We have not provided a registry file for this option. If you are uncomfortable working in the registry, please use the policy editor to make this change.

Activate or Deactivate Windows Shutdown Reason Tracker (Windows XP only)

If you have used Windows 2003 server you will have seen the new screen where you can indicate the reason for a shutdown or restart of the computer. This is then added to the event log for viewing later.
If you wish, you can add this to Windows XP as well you can also disable it once you have enabled it.

For Windows 2003 Server and Windows XP you can control this feature by the group policy functionality, either local or domain.

To disable or enable the feature via the Group Policy, open the group policy editor and navigate to:
Local Computer Policy, Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System, where you will find it under "display event tracker".

On Windows XP only you can also make a registry change.

Disabling the Shutdown Tracker

Copy and paste the following text in to notepad and save it as shutdowngui-off.reg, changing the file type to All Types so that it is saved as a registry file. Then double click on it to install.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Reliability] "ShutdownReasonUI"=dword:00000000

Enabling the Shutdown Tracker

Copy and paste the following text in to notepad and save it as shutdowngui-on.reg, changing the file type to All Types so that it is saved as a registry file. Then double click on it to install.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Reliability] "ShutdownReasonUI"=dword:00000001

Corrupted Icons

If the icons on your desktop are corrupted, you can reset them.

Search your system for a file called "IconCache.db". It will be hidden, so you will need to view hidden files to find it. The usual location is Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data.
Once you have found it, delete it and reboot.
If the system will not let you delete it, reboot in to safe mode and do it from there and then reboot again.
When you login again, your icons should be recreated correctly.

This is similar to a trick performed on older operating systems where you delete a file called shelliconcache.

You can also do it with the TweakUI for Windows XP Powertoy, using the repair icons function.

Map Drive Letters to Directories

If you find that you are constantly referencing a sub directory on your machine, perhaps one that is buried below multiple directory layers, then you might want to consider allocating that directory to it's own drive letter. Windows NT, 2000 and XP support this feature with the command "subst".

For example, the following command will map the letter W: to the directory C:\Inetpub\wwwroot (the default location for web server files)

subst W: C:\Inetpub\wwwroot

If you want to delete the drive, then use the following command:

subst w: /d

Finally if you want to see what you have already created, just enter the "subst" command on it's own:

subst

Notes

Drives created with "subst" are not persistent. If you want to use them each time, then you should create a batch file using the techniques on the login script site, then place it in the startup group on your start menu.

Anything deleted from a "subst" drive will be immediately deleted. Files will not be placed in the recycle bin.

You could also use "Map Network Drive" to achieve the same technique, however this involves sharing the directory and doesn't work if your machine goes off the network.

Give Dr Watson the Sack

Dr Watson is a utility that is on all versions of Windows and provides an analysis of why your machine crashed - more commonly known as a debugger. A feature of the utility is to create a dump file. This dump file can be quite large - 100s of mb is not uncommon and the file it creates is useless to most people.
It is possible to turn off Dr Watson and there are two ways that you can do this.

Registry Method

Start the registry editor and go to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AeDebug" and edit the key "Auto" by double clicking on it. Change the 1 to a 0. Press OK and close the registry editor.

Graphical Interface Method

Click on Start, then Run, and enter "drwtsn32" (minus the quotes).
In the utility that is displayed, the two options you want to change are "Dump all thread contents" and "Create Crash Dump File". This will restrict what Dr Watson logs and how much disk space it uses.

Identifying SVCHOST Usage

If you look at your task manager you may see svchost.exe listed numerous times. This is "Service Host" a core component of Windows. However if you would like to see what is using these components, then there is a neat command that will do this for you.

%systemroot%\system32\tasklist.exe /svc

After running it, you will get a result similar to the table below. Once you have the information you can go through your system or search on Google to identify what each component is.

Fixing Shortcuts to CD-ROM Drives

If you create a shortcut to your CD-ROM drive to go on your desktop you may find that it then doesn't work.
The usual cause for this is a missing entry in the shortcut. If you look at the "Properties" of the shortcut then you will find that the "Start In" entry is empty. To fix the problem, enter the same drive letter that is in the box immediately above. For example if your CD-ROM drive is "F:\" then enter "F:\" in the "Start In" box.

Viewing and Adjusting What Applications Have Saved Passwords

Many applications have the facility to save these passwords. However once saved you cannot always get them back in the event that the saved password has changed. There is a built in utility within Windows XP that allows you to view which apps have a saved password and delete the saved password.

Click Start, Run and enter the following command:

Control keymgr.dll

Registry Disclaimer: We cannot be held responsible for any damage done to your machine by using registry files or following any of the advice given on this site. Modification of your registry is done at your own risk. You should always have a back up of your registry before making any changes. Click here for more information on backing up your registry.