Windows XP Tips and Tricks
haris...@gmail.com
Specially Sorted and Indexed By Harish Flamingos
Special Thanks goes to the websites that they provides this T & T
1. WELCOME ADMINISTRATOR
To display the Administrator (master: Admin/Sysadmin) account on the
Windows XP Welcome logon screen, fire up Regedit (or Regedt32) and go
to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList
1. Create (if not present) a new Value: right-click on an empty spot in
the right hand pane -> select New -> DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value -> name it
Administrator -> click OK -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal
box -> type 1 -> click OK.
2. Modify (if present) the "Administrator" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value:
highlight it in the right hand pane -> select Modify -> check the
Decimal box -> type 1 -> click OK.
Close the Registry Editor when done.
>From now on, whenever you logon [ONLY IF you have Administrator rights
to the computer you're trying to boot into :)] you'll see the
Administrator account on the Welcome display.
2. HIBERNATE OPTION
Whenever you want to logoff, shut down or reboot your Windows XP
machine you have only 3 choices (from left to right): (1) Standby [ONLY
IF the ACPI/APM function is properly enabled BOTH in your motherboard's
BIOS AND in WinXP!], (2) Restart and (3) Shutdown.
To properly enable Hibernation in WinXP: Start button -> Control Panel
-> Power Options -> Hibernate tab -> check Enable hibernate support box
-> Apply/OK -> reboot.
NOTE: If the Hibernate tab is unavailable your computer does NOT
support it!
For some reason Microsoft did NOT enable the 4th option: (4) Hibernate,
which should be available on power saving (ACPI) enabled PCs and
laptops. :(
But you CAN bring it back: just hold the Shift key while the Shut down
menu is displayed on your screen, and notice the Standby button being
replaced by a new, fully functional Hibernate button, which can be
clicked with the left button of your mouse. :)
If you release the Shift key, the Hibernate option will disappear once
again, to be replaced by Standby. Hocus-pocus! :)
3. AUTOREBOOT
Windows XP and its more "advanced" brother called 2003 Server are
advertised as the most stable Microsoft OSes to date.
But nothing is perfect, and XP/2003 make no exception. :)
There are [still :(] those rare cases when a system fault/error/crash
ends up freezing the OS at the dreaded BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death),
which displays the cause of the crash and gives some details about the
state of the system when it crashed. The major annoyance is that it
requires a "cold" reboot (reset) or complete power shut down, to remind
you why those 2 buttons on the front of your PC case are meant for. ;)
And moreover, if you are a system administrator, requiring your
server(s) to run non-stop 24/7, this can be a pain in the neck.
But have no fear, the fix is here... :)
This Registry hack is valid for ALL NT, 2000, XP and 2003 releases.
To bypass the BSOD altogether and enable the instant "Auto Reboot"
feature, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl
Right-click on the "AutoReboot" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value in the right
hand pane -> select Modify -> change it to read 1 (Auto Reboot enabled)
-> click OK -> close the Registry Editor.
Restart Windows for the change to take effect.
>From now on the OS will reboot upon locking up, right after writing to
the crash log file (if enabled).
To disable it, change the "AutoReboot" value back to 0 (default).
4.COMMENTS? LINK
Late into the beta program Windows XP introduced a new "Comments?" link
displayed on the left side of the top title bar of most Windows apps.
Its purpose is to send bug/error/problem feedback/report to Microsoft,
but some users don't like or use it, and besides, this "feature" also
makes it too easy to click on it by accident. :(
But here is the fix. Start Regedit (or Regedt32) and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Right-click on the "LameButtonEnabled" String value in the right hand
pane -> select Modify -> change it to read 0 -> click OK.
>From now on you won't see the Comments? link anymore. :)
To reenable it, change the "LameButtonEnabled" value back to 1
(default).
And if you would like to customize the Comments? link, just change the
text of the "LameButtonText" String Value to have it display whatever
you want, but make sure "LameButtonEnabled" is also set to 1 for this
to work.
Restart Windows for the changes to take effect.
NOTE: Microsoft removed the Comments? link from all final (Gold, RTM)
Windows XP releases. :(
5. EXPLORE YOUR ROOTS
This works with all Windows 95/98/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 Explorer.exe
releases.
To control the specific target path (drive/partition/folder) where
Windows Explorer opens, create a shortcut to Explorer with this command
line to open it (for example) at the host/local root directory of the
boot drive/partition, usually C:\ (dual pane view):
%windir%\Explorer.exe /e,/root,C:\
or (single pane view):
%winbootdir%\Explorer.exe /n,C:\
Of course, you can replace C:\ with any other valid folder name
(complete path required).
This Explorer shortcut opens at the mydir directory located on the
myserver remote server (dual pane view):
%windir%\Explorer.exe /e,/root,\\myserver\mydir
The path to Windows Explorer doesn't need to be mentioned because
Explorer.exe is located in your main Windows folder (%windir%,
%winbootdir%, %homepath% or %systemroot% = usually C:\Windows if using
Win9x/2000/ME/XP/2003 or C:\Winnt if using WinNT4), listed on the
default PATH statement and winbootdir/windir/systemroot/homepath SET
<environment> variables which load in memory upon every bootup.
Command line syntax:
EXPLORER.EXE [/e] [/n] [[(,)/root],<object|servername>]
[[(,)/select],<subobject>]
Command line parameters:
/e = Opens Explorer in dual/multiple (side by side) pane view.
/n = Opens Explorer in single pane view (default).
/root,<object|servername> = Opens Explorer using the folder specified
by <object> as root level view. Default is My Computer in Win95/98/NT4
and My Documents in Win2000/ME/XP/2003.
You can use the UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) standard for
<servername> to open Explorer at a internet/network/remote/shared
path/location/URL/server/directory/file.
/select,<subobject> = Opens Explorer using the file/folder/application
specified by <subobject> as selected (highlighted) view. Default is
root/parent drive/partition/folder letter/name or first
file/folder/application in root/parent
drive/partition/server/directory.
Defaults are assumed for all switches not enumerated on the command
line.
LFN (Long File Name) files/folders and shared/remote/network
server/directory/file UNC names are almost always case sensitive
6. LOCK DESKTOP ICONS
Courtesy of Jorge.
"In Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 you can lock down the position of
your Desktop icons using a couple of files from the MS Windows NT 4.0
Resource Kit (RK) [5 KB, free, unsupported].
Place Layout.dll in %windir%\System (Win95/98/ME) or %windir%\System32
(WinNT/2000/XP/2003) and then double-click on Layout.reg.
>From now on, whenever you right-click on the "Recycle Bin" or "My
Computer" icons, you can see a new option: "Save [or Restore] Desktop
Icon Layout".
There are several 3rd party tools that also do this, but these files
are free and only 14 KB in size."
To automate Layout.* installation get Icon Restore [freeware].
Similar tool [freeware].
BUG REPORT:
"This works fine for Desktop icons, but 2 things [problems :(] cropped
up:
Doesn't really "remember" the layout and you'll get a redundant context
menu.
This only happens to shortcuts (*.lnk files) on both my Win98 and
Win2000 setups.
1. Doesn't recall other shortcuts or Desktop files layout.
I sort my shortcuts and some *.txt files (sort of post-it notes)
according to importance on the Desktop. When I restored the Desktop
layout, all the "default" (i.e. MS icons that we can't live without)
Desktop icons behaved, but the rest seem to have forgotten their rank
of importance. Irritating, really to turn off Auto Arrange, rearrange
the WHOLE Desktop and turn it back on, only to have Windows "forget" it
on a screen refresh or reboot, and then having to sort them
alphabetically.
Windows might acquire some "memory" after certain number of reboots,
sorting the bloody icons like I want them to, after (of course!)
resorting them after EACH reboot(s), and heh! forget them on the next
reboot.
The only workaround is to NOT turn off Auto Arrange and "pull the icons
by their ears", that is sorting them by "pulling" icon(s) you want
sorted later, away from where they were to the last icon listed, so the
icon(s) I want sorted earlier will move forward in line. As soon as an
icon falls in line, I'd continue pulling the next icons till they're in
place.
2. Redundant popup menu for shortcuts. Users of WinZip and Norton
AntiVirus will have their options for *.lnk files come up TWICE, making
the popup menu really long. I like mine short, taking out some options
manually (like print, disconnect network drive) by mucking with the
Registry.
My AntiVirus was actually a SendTo target, but only after
reinstallation did I realize about the double take.
I backed up my original settings, merging the original *.reg files back
to no avail. Windows would completely forget anyway, and wouldn't give
a second thought to the Desktop layout, totally disregarding its own
"icons", and sorting all icons alphabetically.
The only fix was as I've stated earlier on. Meanwhile, the redundancy
is still there. Installing and reinstalling the "twice-actioned
programs" also didn't work. Nor did removing the layout.reg entries. I
used to format my PC on much-much less (when I was a dripping newbie),
but I'd rather spend the time formatting, reinstalling 2 OSes with all
the apps and utils, not to mention the customizations, on something
better, like not fret about why in the world did the bloody menu
misbehave?!"
7. DELETE OUTLOOK PASSWORD
Courtesy of Hwang315.
"In case you have forgotten or lost your MS Outlook Express (OE) 4/5/6
identity (user) password, you can remove it by hacking the Registry, to
be able to access OE again.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System
Provider\*Default*\Data\89c39569-6841-11d2-9f59-0000f8085266
or to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System
Provider\<UserName>\Data\89c39569-6841-11d2-9f59-0000f8085266
If user profiles are enabled on your computer, go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System
Provider\<UserName>\Data\89c39569-6841-11d2-9f59-0000f8085266
Then delete its subkey.
Now open OE and type in a new identity password.
Note that the subkey name and the CLSID are the same. There is
difference of uppercase and lowercase.
If you know your CLSID, go to this Registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{CLSID}
8. HIDE YOUR DRIVES!
This works with all Windows 95/98/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 releases.
To prevent a drive or any combination of drives from appearing in My
Computer, Windows Explorer and/or Internet Explorer, for security
purposes in a multiuser environment, if you own the computer or have
Administrator privileges, add/modify the "NoDrives" (don't type the
quotation marks) Binary [REG_BINARY] hex or DWORD [REG_DWORD] value
under this Registry key, using Regedit:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Give it a value from the list below to hide the individual drive(s) of
your choice (don't type the spaces for Binary):
Drive Letter Binary Value DWORD Value
A 01 00 00 00 00000001
B 02 00 00 00 00000002
C 04 00 00 00 00000004
D 08 00 00 00 00000008
E 10 00 00 00 00000010
F 20 00 00 00 00000020
G 40 00 00 00 00000040
H 80 00 00 00 00000080
I 00 01 00 00 00000100
J 00 02 00 00 00000200
K 00 04 00 00 00000400
L 00 08 00 00 00000800
M 00 10 00 00 00001000
N 00 20 00 00 00002000
O 00 40 00 00 00004000
P 00 80 00 00 00008000
Q 00 00 01 00 00010000
R 00 00 02 00 00020000
S 00 00 04 00 00040000
T 00 00 08 00 00080000
U 00 00 10 00 00100000
V 00 00 20 00 00200000
W 00 00 40 00 00400000
X 00 00 80 00 00800000
Y 00 00 00 01 01000000
Z 00 00 00 02 02000000
Example: to hide drives D, E, Y and Z give "NoDrives" this Binary
value:
18 00 00 03
Where: D + E = 18 and Y + Z = 03 (cumulative values).
NOTE: These numbers are in HEXadecimal. Example: to hide drives A, B, C
and D, use 0F, NOT 15, when cumulating multiple drives.
Show all drives (A to Z) "NoDrives" Binary value:
00 00 00 00
Hide all drives (A to Z) "NoDrives" Binary value:
ff ff ff 03
You can also do this by using TweakUI, one of the Microsoft Power Toys
for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME + MS IE 4/5/6 [110 KB, free, unsupported].
Use TweakUI with caution, ONLY AFTER BACKING UP YOUR REGISTRY!
Open Control Panel -> TweakUI -> My Computer tab -> check to show or
uncheck to hide the desired drive boxes -> click OK/Apply.
Windows default is to show ALL local and remote (network) drives: A to
Z.
More info:
• All these settings apply also to the "NoDriveTypeAutoRun" Binary
[hex] value, to enable/disable the AutoRun feature on selected drives
(useful for disabling AutoRun on CD/DVD drives), and found also at:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
9. SYSTEM RESTRICTIONS
You can control the way your Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 system and
MS Internet Explorer [unfortunately integrated into the OS :(]
restricts/allows access to certain areas or features (especially useful
on multiuser machines) without having to mess with PolEdit (Policy
Editor = %windir%\Poledit.exe), the default Windows 9x/ME
administrative control tool, which needs to be installed separately
from your Win9x Setup CD.
And the bad news is Microsoft removed PolEdit from Windows ME anyway.
:) See "The Registry" [Intro chapter], also in REGISTRY.TXT [part of
W95-11D.EXE], for more info.
Windows 2000/XP/2003 users have a greater variety of administrative
tools at their disposal, designed for tweaking mostly system + security
policies, all part of the free Microsoft Resource Kit (RK) Tools.
FYI: Some of these security issues are detailed @ Microsoft:
• Windows 2000/XP/2003: Policies Registry Subkey.
• Internet Explorer: Limit User Access to Local Computer or Hard
Disks.
• Windows XP: Policy Settings for Start Menu.
All you have to do is modify the Registry Values listed below, either
manually using the Registry Editor (%windir%\Regedit.exe), or save them
as text .REG files (in Notepad) for future use, eventually on more than
one computer. I named mine RESTRICT.REG (example).
Without further ado, start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
Look in the left hand pane for these subkeys: Explorer, Network,
Ratings, System, ActiveDesktop + WinOldApp. If they are not present,
create them: right-click -> New -> Key -> Name it to one of the values
listed above.
Now you need to create (or modify if already there) the following DWORD
values listed further below under the subkeys above. To create a new
DWORD value: right-click -> New -> DWORD -> name it to one of the
values listed further below.
To modify one of these DWORD values: right-click on the one you want ->
select Modify -> check the Decimal box -> give it a value of 1 (to
disable access to a certain system feature/area), or a value of 0 (to
enable access to a certain system feature/area).
These are the valid DWORD values (if not specified otherwise) you can
change under the following subkeys:
1. Explorer subkey:
o ClearRecentDocsOnExit = enable/disable Clear of Recent Documents upon
exit
o DisableRegistryTools = enable/disable Registry Editing tools
WARNING: IF you disable the Registry Editor GUI mode, you will NOT be
able to modify ANY Registry settings anymore, and the ONLY way to
disable system restrictions is to run/merge/register/install a
.REG/.INF/.VBS/.HTA file from the command line!
o ForceStartMenuLogOff = enable/disable forced Start Menu Logoff item
o NoAddPrinter = enable/disable addition of new printers
o NoClose = enable/disable computer Shutdown
o NoDeletePrinter = enable/disable existent printers deletion
o NoDesktop = enable/disable ALL Desktop items and Desktop right-click
menu
o NoDevMgrUpdate = enable/disable Windows 98/ME Web Update Manager
o NoDrives [hex] = enable/disable ANY Drives in My Computer/Explorer/IE
CAUTION: See "HIDE YOUR DRIVES!" for details!
o NoFind = enable/disable Find command
o NoInternetIcon = enable/disable Internet Icon on Desktop
o NoLogoff = enable/disable computer Logoff (Win95/98 ONLY)
o NoLowDiskSpaceChecks = enable/disable low disk space warnings
(Win2000/XP ONLY)
o NoNetHood = enable/disable Network Neighborhood
o NoRecentDocsHistory = enable/disable Recent Documents in Start Menu
(Win98/ME + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
o NoRun = enable/disable Run command
o NoSaveSettings = enable/disable Save Settings upon exit
o NoSetFolders = enable/disable Folders in Start Menu -> Settings
o NoSetTaskbar = enable/disable Taskbar in Start Menu -> Settings
o NoSMMyDocs = enable/disable My Documents folder in Start Menu
(Win98/ME ONLY)
o NoSMMyPictures = enable/disable My Pictures folder in Start Menu
(Win98/ME ONLY)
"NoSMMyDocs" + "NoSMMyPictures" courtesy of David.
o NoThemesTab = enable/disable Themes Display tab (WinME/2000/XP ONLY)
o NoWindowsUpdate = enable/disable Windows 98/2000/ME/XP Web Update
o StartMenuLogoff = enable/disable Start Menu Logoff item
(WinME/2000/XP ONLY)
2. System subkey:
o DisableTaskMgr = enable/disable Task Manager (Win2000/XP ONLY)
o NoAdminPage = enable/disable Remote Administration tab
o NoConfigPage = enable/disable Hardware Profiles tab
o NoControlPanel [hex] = enable/disable Control Panel
o NoDevMgrPage = enable/disable Device Manager tab
o NoDispAppearancePage = enable/disable Appearance Display tab
o NoDispBackgroundPage = enable/disable Background Display tab
o NoDispCPL = enable/disable Display Properties applet
o NoDispScrSavPage = enable/disable Screen Saver Display tab
o NoDispSettingsPage = enable/disable Settings Display tab
o NoFileSysPage = enable/disable File System button
o NoPwdPage = enable/disable Password Change tab
o NoProfilePage = enable/disable User Profiles tab
o NoSecCPL = enable/disable Password applet
o NoVirtMemPage = enable/disable Virtual Memory button
3. Network subkey:
o DisablePwdCaching = enable/disable Password Caching
o HideSharePwds [hex] = enable/disable Shared Passwords
o NoEntireNetwork = enable/disable Entire Network
o NoNetSetup = enable/disable Network applet
o NoNetSetupIDPage = enable/disable Network Identification tab
o NoNetSetupSecurityPage = enable/disable Network Access tab
o NoFileSharing = enable/disable Network File Sharing button
o MinPwdLen = set Minimum Password Length (integer number: 0 - 99)
o NoPrintSharing = enable/disable Network Print Sharing button
o NoWorkgroupContents = enable/disable Network Workgroup
4. ActiveDesktop subkey (Win98/ME/2000/XP + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY):
o NoAddingComponents = enable/disable adding components to Active
Desktop
o NoChangingWallpaper = enable/disable changing of Active Desktop
wallpaper
o NoCloseDragDropBands = enable/disable closing of shell toolbars
o NoClosingComponents = enable/disable closing of Active Desktop
components
o NoComponents = enable/disable ALL Desktop components
o NoDeletingComponents = enable/disable deleting of Active Desktop
components
o NoEditingComponents = enable/disable editing of Active Desktop
components
o NoHTMLWallPaper = enable/disable Desktop HTML wallpaper display
o NoMovingBands = enable/disable moving of shell toolbars
5. WinOldApp subkey (Win95/98/ME ONLY):
o Disabled = enable/disable MS-DOS Prompt
o NoRealMode = enable/disable Real MS-DOS Mode reboot option (Win95/98
ONLY)
Similar settings for Explorer, Network, System and ActiveDesktop can be
also found under these Registry keys:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
and:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
If there is only one user, the ".Default" key above contains all global
system settings. If more than one user, each user has its own subkey
here, named after the User Name(s) found in Control Panel -> Users, and
the Registry settings located under a user's subkey are valid only for
that specific user.
If you double-click on any of these keys, you'll see 3 subkeys in the
left hand pane: Explorer, Network and System.
Create (or modify if already present) the following Binary [hex] values
listed below under the subkeys above. To create a new Binary value:
right-click -> New -> Binary -> Name it to one of the values listed
below.
To modify one of these Binary [hex] values: double-click on the one you
want -> give it a value of 01 00 00 00 (to disable access to a certain
system feature/area), or a value of 00 00 00 00 (to enable access to a
certain system feature/area). Don't type the spaces, they will be
inserted automatically.
Explorer subkey valid DWORD values (if not specified otherwise) that
can be changed (some are valid ONLY for Win98/ME and/or MS IE 4/5/6):
• CDRAutoRun [hex] = enable/disable CD-R(W)/DVD-R(W) drive(s) AutoRun
command
NOTE: This setting needs specific CD-R(W)/DVD-R(W) software installed,
like Roxio (Adaptec) Easy CD Creator.
• ChannelNotify = enable/disable Channel Notification (Win98/ME +
IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
• ClassicShell [hex] = enable/disable Active Desktop shell interface
(Win98/ME + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
FYI:
o MSKB: "Quick Launch Toolbar Icons Are Missing or Unavailable"
o John Woram: "Who Hid the IE5 Toolbars?"
• ClearRecentDocsOnExit = clear/don't clear Recent Docs upon exit
• EditLevel = set security editing level. Integer number: 0, 1, 2, 3
or 4: 0 = lowest security level (full editing allowed)... 4 = highest
security level (no editing allowed)
CAUTION: You may lock yourself out of your own computer if EditLevel =
4 !
• EnforceShellExtensionSecurity = self explanatory :)
• ForceCopyACLWithFile = enable/disable file copy with NTFS
permissions (WinNT4/2000/XP + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
• IgnoreLinkInfo = enable/disable Link info display
• LinkResolve = enable/disable Link display
• MyDocsOnNet = enable/disable My Documents on Internet
• NoActiveDesktop = enable/disable Active Desktop
• NoActiveDesktopChanges = enable/disable Active Desktop changes
• NoAddPrinter = enable/disable addition of new printers
• NoChangeStartMenu = enable/disable Start Menu changes
• NoCommonGroups = enable/disable Start Menu Common Program Groups
(WinNT4/2000/XP + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
• NoClose = enable/disable closing IE GUI
• NoCustomizeWebView = enable/disable Web View customization
• NoDeletePrinter = enable/disable existent printers deletion
• NoDeskTop = enable/disable ALL Desktop items and Desktop
right-click menu
• NoDevMgrUpdate = enable/disable Windows Web Update Manager
(Win98/ME/2000/XP ONLY)
• NoDrives [hex] = enable/disable ALL Drives in My
Computer/Explorer/IE
CAUTION: See "HIDE YOUR DRIVES!" for details!
• NoDriveTypeAutoRun [hex] = enable/disable CD/DVD Drives Autorun
NOTE: See "HIDE YOUR DRIVES!" for details.
• NoEditMenu = enable/disable Start Menu editing
• NoFavoritesMenu = enable/disable Favorites folder display
• NoFileMenu = enable/disable Explorer/IE File Menu
• NoFileUrl = enable/disable local URL files access
• NoFind = enable/disable Find command
• NoFolderOptions = show/don't show Folder Options Menu in Explorer
• NoForgetSoftwareUpdate = enable/disable Windows Software Updates
(Win98/ME/2000/XP ONLY)
• NoHelp = show/don't show Help Menu
• NoInternetIcon = show/don't show Internet icon on Desktop
• NoLogOff = show/don't show Logoff Menu in Start Menu (Win95/98
ONLY)
• NoMSAppLogo = show/don't show Microsoft Logo (Win98/ME/2000/XP
ONLY)
• NoNetConnectDisconnect = enable/disable DUN Connect/Disconnect
• NoNetHood = enable/disable Network Neighborhood
• NoRecentDocsHistory = enable/disable Recent Documents in Start Menu
(Win98/ME + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
• NoRecentDocsMenu = show/don't show Recent Documents Menu in Start
Menu -> Settings
• NoResolveSearch = enable/disable Internet Search (Win98/ME +
IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
• NoResolveTrack = enable/disable Internet Address Tracking (Win98/ME
+ IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
• NoRun = enable/disable Run command
• NoSaveSettings [hex] = enable/disable Save Settings upon exit
• NoSetActiveDesktop = enable/disable Active Desktop settings
• NoSetFolders = enable/disable Folder settings
• NoSetTaskbar = enable/disable Taskbar settings
• NoSettingsWizards = enable/disable Settings Wizards (Win98/ME +
IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
• NoStartBanner [hex] = enable/disable Logo banner upon IE start
• NoStartMenuSubFolders = show/don't show subfolders on Start Menu
• NoTrayContextMenu = show/don't show Context Menu for Tray items
• NoViewContextMenu = show/don't show Context Menu
• NoWebMenu = show/don't show Web Menu (Win98/IE 4.0x and newer ONLY)
• NoWindowsUpdate = enable/disable Windows Web Update
(Win98/ME/2000/XP ONLY)
• NoWinKeys = enable/disable Windows (Win + Menu) logo keys on 104+
keyboards
See "WINKEY SHORTCUTS" for details.
• RestrictRun = enable/disable Run Menu
Most of the "CURRENT_USER" settings, especially the ones that affect
the entire system, change automatically when you modify the similar
values under the "LOCAL_MACHINE" Registry key (see above). Most of
these values affect ONLY Internet Explorer versions 3, 4, 5 and 6, and
CAN be changed separately in the "CURRENT_USER" key, without
influencing the overall system operation.
ANY changes to these settings under ANY of these Registry keys require
a Windows restart to take effect.
The MS Internet Explorer 4.0x/5.xx/6.xx restrictions are found under
these Registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Restrictions
and:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Restrictions
if there is only one user. If more than one user, the ".Default" key
above is replaced with each "UserName" key. All Values are in DWORD
format. Type in the Decimal box for the desired Value: 1 to disable or
0 to enable the respective function/key combo:
• NoBrowserContextMenu = enable/disable HTML context menu
• NoBrowserClose = enable/disable Close/Exit in File Menu and Alt+F4
• NoBrowserSaveAs = enable/disable Save and Save As in File menu
• NoBrowserOptions = enable/disable Internet Options/Properties in
View menu
• NoFavorites = enable/disable Favorites in File Menu and Alt+A
• NoFileOpen = enable/disable Open in File menu, Ctrl+O and Ctrl+L
• NoFileNew = enable/disable New in File Menu and Ctrl+N
• NoFileUrl = enable/disable local URL files access
• NoFindFiles = enable/disable Find Menu and F3
• NoSelectDownloadDir = enable/disable Save As dialog box upon file
download
• NoTheaterMode = enable/disable Full Screen (kiosk mode) and F11
The Internet Properties restrictions for MS Internet Explorer
4.0x/5.xx/6.xx (also found as a Control Panel applet) are located under
this Registry key:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Control Panel
if there is only one user. If more than one user, the ".Default" key
above is replaced with each "UserName" key. All Values are in DWORD
format. Type in the Decimal box for the desired Value: 1 to disable or
0 to enable the respective tab/setting/button.
Changing ANY of these settings does NOT require restarting Windows:
• Accessibility = enable/disable Accessibility settings
• Advanced = enable/disable Advanced settings
• AdvancedTab = enable/disable Advanced tab
• Autoconfig = enable/disable Autoconfig settings
• Cache = enable/disable Cache settings
• CalendarContact = enable/disable Contact settings
• Check_If_Default = enable/disable Check if IE default browser
setting
• Connection Settings = pretty obvious :)
• Certificates = enable/disable Certificates settings
• CertifPers = enable/disable Personal Certificates settings
• CertifSite = enable/disable Certificates Publishers settings
• Colors = enable/disable Colors settings
• Connection Wizard = self explanatory :)
• ConnectionsTab = enable/disable Connections tab
• Connwiz Admin Lock = enable/disable Connection Wizard
administrative lockout
• ContentTab = enable/disable Content tab
• Fonts = enable/disable Fonts settings
• FormSuggest = enable/disable Forms suggest setting
• FormSuggest Passwords = enable/disable Passwords suggest setting
• GeneralTab = enable/disable General tab
• History = enable/disable History settings
• HomePage = enable/disable Home Page settings
• Languages = enable/disable Languages settings
• Links = enable/disable Links settings
• Messaging = enable/disable MS Messaging settings
• Profiles = enable/disable Profiles settings
• ProgramsTab = enable/disable Programs tab
• Proxy = enable/disable Proxy settings
• Ratings = enable/disable Ratings settings
• ResetWebSettings = enable/disable Reset Web settings
• SecAddSites = enable/disable Security Add sites settings
• SecChangeSettings = enable/disable Security changes
• SecurityTab = enable/disable Security tab
• Settings = enable/disable Settings boxes
• Wallet = enable/disable MS Wallet settings (MS IE 5.xx and newer
ONLY)
The policy restrictions for MS Net Meeting/Conferencing reside under
this Registry key:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Conferencing
if there is only one user. If more than one user, the ".Default" key
above is replaced with each "UserName" key. All Values are in DWORD
format. Type in the Decimal box for the desired Value:1 to disable or 0
to enable the respective restriction.
Changing ANY of these settings does NOT require restarting Windows:
• CallSecurity = enable/disable call security
• IntranetWebDirURL = enable/disable intranet web directory
• MaximumBandwidth = enable/disable max bandwidth
• NoAddingDirectoryServers = enable/disable adding directory servers
• NoAdvancedCalling = enable/disable advanced calling
• NoAllowControl = enable/disable control
• NoAppSharing = enable/disable app sharing
• NoAudio = enable/disable audio
• NoAudioPage = enable/disable audio control
• NoChangeDirectSound = enable/disable changing DirectSound
• NoChat = obvious :)
• NoDirectoryServices = enable/disable directory services
• NoFullDuplex = enable/disable full duplex
• NoGeneralPage = enable/disable general control
• NoNewWhiteBoard = enable/disable new white board
• NoOldWhiteBoard = enable/disable old white board
• NoReceivingVideo = enable/disable receive video
• NoSecurityPage = enable/disable security control
• NoSendingFiles = enable/disable send files
• NoSendingVideo = enable/disable send video
• NoSharing = enable/disable sharing
• NoSharingDesktop = enable/disable sharing Desktop
• NoSharingDosWindows = enable/disable sharing DOS + Windows
• NoSharingExplorer = enable/disable sharing Explorer
• NoTrueColorSharing = enable/disable sharing true color video
• NoVideoPage = enable/disable video control
• NoWebDirectory = enable/disable web directory
• Use AutoConfig = enable/disable auto config
MS IE 4.0x/5.xx/6.xx Web Check tool (%windir%\System\Loadwc.exe
launched by %windir%\System\Webcheck.dll) Registry Values are stored
under:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Webcheck
if only one user. If more than one user, the ".Default" key is replaced
by each "UserName" key. Both Values are DWORDs. Decimal box values: 1
(disables) and 0 (enables) each function.
Changes to these settings take effect without restarting Windows:
• NoChannelLogging = enable/disable channels logging
• NoScheduledUpdates = enable/disable scheduled updates
FYI: See these topics for more restriction settings: "HIDE YOUR
DRIVES!", "UNCLUTTER START MENU" + "NO MORE "CLICK HERE TO BEGIN""
(also in REGISTRY.TXT) and "LOCK UP THE DOS BOX" (also in
MYTIPS95.TXT), all part of W95-11D.EXE.
10. OPEN WITH
To permanenly add the needed "Open with..." command to all the
right-click file context menus, you need to apply this Registry tweak.
Launch Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell\openas\command
In the right hand pane, you can see the "(Default)" string which has
this command line as value:
rundll32.exe shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1
Double-click on "(Default)", hold the CTRL key and press C (or
right-click and select Copy) to copy this entire command line to the
clipboard, and then click Cancel.
Don't make ANY changes at this point!
Now go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*
and highlight the "*" key (asterisk). Right-click on it and select New
Key. Name this new subkey "shell".
NOTE: Don't type the quotes for any of the keys or values mentioned
here.
Right-click on the "shell" key and add a new subkey named "openas".
Right-click on "openas" and add a new subkey named "command". Now
double-click on the "(Default)" string in the right hand pane, hold the
Ctrl key and press V (or right-click and select Paste) to paste here
the command line you have copied earlier.
Click OK and close the Registry editor.
>From now on a new "Open with..." context menu selection will appear
whenever you right-click on any highlighted file.
11. RENAME MS IE TITLE
This tip applies to Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2/NT4 systems ONLY IF you
installed MS IE 4/5/6 or newer, and to Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, which
come all with MS IE 4/5/6 "built-in" [NO choice here! :(], but you can
upgrade later to the newest MS IE release (MS IE 6.0 SP1 is current as
of this writing), to benefit from all those "nifty" bug fixes and
CRITICAL security patches. :)
You can change the Internet Explorer title bar name to whatever you
want.
Just start Regedit and go to (all users):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
or to (if only one user):
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
and/or to (currently logged on user):
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
Modify (or create if not present) the "Window Title" String Value in
the right hand pane (don't type the quotes) to show the name of your
choice: right-click in the right hand pane -> select New -> String
Value -> name it "Window Title" (no quotes) -> double-click on it ->
type your own, customized MS IE title bar name (for example I use IE6)
-> click OK or press Enter.
Default is "Microsoft Internet Explorer".
To revert to default, simply delete the "Window Title" String Value.
Close the Registry Editor and open an Iexplore.exe window to see the
change.
12. NEW FOLDER ICON
This works with Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2/NT4 ONLY with MS Internet Explorer
4/5/6 with the shell integration (Active Desktop = Web View) enabled,
and with ALL Windows 98/2000/ME/XP/2003 releases.
To change a folder icon displayed in Windows Explorer, use Notepad to
create a new text file with the following lines:
[.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile=Drive:\Path\Filename.Extension[,Number]
IconIndex=Number
and save it as DESKTOP.INI into the folder (directory) you want to
change the icon for.
Replace "Drive" above with a valid drive letter, and "Path" with the
folder name your icon file resides into.
"Filename" can be anything you want, but the "Extension" must be one of
the following: .CPL, .DLL, .ICL, .ICO or .EXE.
If you choose an icon library with the .DLL or .EXE extension (these
usually contain more than one icon), you need to specify the position
of the icon displayed by inserting a comma (,) followed by the icon's
"Number" on the "IconFile" line, or by specifying the icon "Number" on
the "IconIndex" line (example):
IconFile=C:\Icons\Icons.dll,3
IconIndex=3
Then you MUST change your selected folder's attributes to "Read Only"
by running this command from any DOS prompt (example):
ATTRIB +R C:\MYFOLDER
Optionally, you can change the DESKTOP.INI attributes to "Hidden" by
running:
ATTRIB +H DESKTOP.INI
Press F5 to refresh your Desktop when done.
Now start Windows Explorer and check out your new folder "look". :)
UPDATE: "The MS Windows preferred DESKTOP.INI format is:
[.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile=Drive:\Path\Filename.Extension
IconIndex=Number
The "IconIndex" line is needed for icons contained in other files. A
separate icon only needs "IconFile=Drive:\Path\Generic.ico".
You can also: open Windows Explorer -> right-click on any folder ->
choose Properties -> check the "Enable thumbnail view" option (if
available) -> click OK or press Enter.
A new DESKTOP.INI file will magically appear in that folder. Open it in
Notepad (after removing all its attributes except Archive), add/modify
the icon lines, save it, et voila! Done.
The correct icon number in a *.DLL may not be shown by some icon
viewing utilities. If you have a *.DLL or *.ICL with lots of icons you
want to use this way, it may be more convenient to make a plain text
list, with numbers (corrected, if necessary) and descriptions.
If there is a problem with an icon in an *.EXE file not showing as a
folder icon, the icon can be extracted (using a dedicated 3rd party
tool) and used separately. For folders that are deleted regularly, such
as Cookies (created by MS IE 4/5/6), the icon file should be placed in
a different folder, eventually create a dedicated Icons folder."
13. NEW DRIVE ICON
This works with ALL Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 releases.
To change a drive icon displayed in Windows Explorer, use Notepad to
create a new text file with the following lines:
[Autorun]
ICON=Drive:\Path\Filename.Extension,Number
and save it as AUTORUN.INF into the root directory of the
hard/removable drive you want to change the icon for.
Replace "Drive" above with a valid drive letter, and "Path" with your
icon file's folder name.
"Filename" can be anything you want, but the "Extension" must be one of
the following: .ICO, .ICL, .DLL or .EXE.
If you choose an icon library with the .DLL or .EXE extension (these
usually contain more than one icon), you need to specify the position
of the icon displayed by inserting a comma (,) followed by the icon's
"Number". Example:
ICON=C:\Icons\Icons.dll,3
Press F5 to refresh your Desktop when done.
Now start Windows Explorer and check out your new drive "look". :)
14. NO POPUPS ON BOOT
Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003 systems can be configured to hide all popup
error messages that might show up during the boot login process,
especially useful for computers configured to log on automatically into
the GUI [see "BYPASS AUTOLOGON", also in TIPS2000.TXT (part of
W95-11D.EXE), for details].
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows
Right-click in the right hand pane -> select New -> DWORD Value
[REG_DWORD] -> right-click on it -> select Rename -> change its name to
read NoPopUpsOnBoot -> click OK -> double-click on it -> select Decimal
box -> type 1 -> click OK.
To reenable the display of boot popup error messages, type 0 in the
Decimal box above, or simply delete the NoPopUpsOnBoot DWORD Value.
Close the Registry Editor when done.
The changed setting will take effect next time you (re)boot Windows.
15. REMOVE MOUSE SHADOW
If you don't like the mouse shadow and have disabled it in Windows
2000/XP/2003, you may notice that it's still there during login, before
your personal settings are applied.
To get rid of it for good, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop
Right-click on the "UserPreferenceMask" Binary Value [REG_BINARY] and
choose Modify. In the four sets of numbers after the 0000 place the
mouse cursor behind the first two numbers, hit Backspace once and type
in 30. Do the same with the second set and enter 10. It should read 30
10 00 80. Then hit OK and close the Registry Editor.
16. CHANGE SYSTEM FONT
Courtesy of Devraj.
"The default Windows 2000/XP shell font (for Explorer windows) is
Tahoma, and the default system font (for System Properties, Device
Manager etc) is MS Sans Serif. If you're bored with the defaults, the
only way to change them is to alter the Registry. Open Regedit and go
to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes
Edit the "MS Shell Dlg" String Value [REG_SZ] in the right hand pane
and modify its "Microsoft Sans Serif" default value to match any other
font name installed on your system (i.e. Tahoma).
Then close Regedit and restart your computer for the change to take
effect."
17. DISABLE FILE PROTECTION
Microsoft added a new feature to Windows 2000, XP + 2003 (all builds)
called Windows File Protection (WFP), part of System File Checker
(SFC). The WFP role is to protect the OS by preventing "misbehaved"
applications and unexperienced users from replacing vital system files
with older or incompatible versions.
On the downside, WFP also blocks valid system files replacements, which
in normal conditions do not threaten OS integrity.
IMPORTANT: This applies ONLY to the U.S. English final (Gold/RTM)
Windows 2000 + XP releases, NOT Beta/RCx, and CAN be achieved EXACTLY
as described below.
WARNING: By modifying Microsoft copyrighted files you will BREAK the
EULA, VOID your software warranty and FORFEIT your right to benefit
from tech support!
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!
MAKE A FULL BACKUP OF YOUR WINDOWS SYSTEM BEFORE PROCEEDING FURTHER!
To disable WFP in Windows 2000/XP, just follow these steps:
1. Windows 2000 ONLY: disable SFC by running these 2 commands from a
DOS prompt:
SFC /cachesize=0
and then:
SFC /purgecache
2. Now you need to manually "patch" (hex-edit) BOTH SFC.DLL (Win2000
with SP4) or SFC_OS.DLL (WinXP with or without SP1/SP1a/SP2) files from
the %windir%\System32 folder (default is C:\Windows\System32) AND from
%windir%\System32\Dllcache to effectively disable WFP.
Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or XP Service Pack 1a (SP1a).
Get Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4).
Here we go:
o Load SFC.DLL (or SFC_OS.DLL) into your favorite hex editor.
I recommend the excellent XVI32 (freeware).
o SFC.DLL from Win2000 SP4: go to physical offset 000062DB (62DB hex)
and change the 8BC6 bytes to read 9090.
o SFC_OS.DLL from WinXP retail: go to physical offset 0000E2B8 (E2B8
hex) and change the 8BC6 bytes to read 9090.
o SFC_OS.DLL from WinXP SP1/SP1a: go to physical offset 0000E3BB (E3BB
hex) and change the 8BC6 bytes to read 9090.
o SFC_OS.DLL from WinXP SP2: go to physical offset 00000F82 (0F82 hex)
and change the 440069007300610062006C0065 bytes to read
530065007400740069006E0067. Then go to physical offset 0000ECE9 (ECE9
hex) and change the 33C0 bytes to read EB01. More info.
See also this MSFN.org guide.
Download + install NLite [freeware].
WARNING: If the actual bytes found in your DLL file DO NOT MATCH these
values EXACTLY DO NOT make ANY changes!
o Save your work and exit the hex editor.
o See "MS IE 5.5 SP2 + 6.0 FIX" step 6. SOLUTION, also in MYTIPS95.TXT
[part of W95-11D.EXE], to learn how to replace Windows 2000/XP system
files already in use.
o Reboot when done.
3. Modify the "SFCDisable" Registry Value: this step is MANDATORY for
BOTH Windows XP AND 2000:
A. Manual FIX [courtesy of Franklin]:
"To disable WFP, start Regedit or Regedt32 and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Add/modify the "SFCDisable" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Binary entry to read
FFFFFF9D.
Reboot when done.
To (re)enable WFP modify "SFCDisable" to read 0."
These are all allowed "SFCDisable" values:
0 = enable WFP/SFC.
1 = disable WFP/SFC with nag prompt at (re)boot to reenable it. :(
2 = disable WFP/SFC without nag prompt at (re)boot to reenable it.
:)
4 = enable WFP/SFC but disable all nag prompts.
FFFFFF9D = disable WFP/SFC completely.
B. Automatic FIX: get WfpAdmin for Windows 2000/XP [shareware :(].
4. Final step: check if WFP was effectively turned: open Adminstrative
Tools -> Event Viewer -> search for any message stating that WFP is not
active -> if you find at least one, it means all this work was not in
vain. ;)
More info:
• Windows File Protection Switcher for Windows 2000/XP/2003
[freeware]
• MSKB: Registry Settings for Windows File Protection
• Collake Software: Disable Windows File Protection in Windows 2000 +
XP
• Collake Software: SFC Patch Guide
• Ars Technica: Managing + Disabling Windows File Protection
• Overclockers Club: Disable System File Checker In Windows XP
• Registry Guide: Disable Windows 2000/XP File Protection
• MSKB: Verify That Windows File Protection Is Running in Windows
2000.
18. SPLIT WINDOWS EXPLORER
Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon.
"This tip explains how to run Windows Explorer as a separate proccess
in Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP and 2003.
As many people know, Explorer is both a Windows shell as well as a file
manager. While this is a good design in terms of usability, it's not so
good when it comes to memory usage. Under normal usage, Explorer may
take as much as 8 MB of vital RAM from your Windows system. This is due
to a memory allocation problem in which Windows uses twice the total
memory for Explorer because it thinks it's using two separate programs.
:( To solve this "integration" problem, you need to make Explorer run
as two separate proccesses instead of one. To do this, run Regedit and
go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Look for the "SeparateProcess" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value. Change its
value from 0 to 1. After rebooting, Explorer will now run the shell and
its file manager as two separate proccesses and will not try to
allocate more memory than neccesary."
FYI: "There's an easier way to do this without modifying the Registry:
in Windows Explorer -> Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Advanced
Settings -> check the "Launch folder windows in a separate process"
box."
19. OPEN WITH NOTEPAD FIX
Courtesy of Damian.
"The "Open with Notepad" Registry trick [see "OPEN WITH", also in
REGISTRY.TXT (part of W95-11D.EXE), for details]: adding a
shell\Notepad command under this Registry key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*
does NOT work properly in Windows 2000/XP.
The entry shows up, but the generic "Open with..." insists on being the
default. :(
But if you open Regedit, navigate to the CLSID listed at:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\OpenWith
and delete or rename the "MayChangeDefaultMenu" subkey, then Notepad
becomes the default file opener."
20. DOS NAME COMPLETION
The file completion Registry tweak works also in Windows NT 4.0.
Are you still using the DOS prompt box in Windows 2000? If your answer
is yes, keep reading...
The Command Prompt box allows you to type only the first or the first
few characters of a file or directory, and then if you hit the proper
"hot key", all matching files/folders full names show up.
The default "hot key combo" is Ctrl+D (for directories only) and Ctrl+F
(for both files and directories). For example, type this in the DOS
prompt box:
CD DO
and then hold Ctrl and hit D. All directories containing D and O as
their first 2 letters will be listed (if any).
Run:
CMD /F:ON
to enable file/directory name completion temporarily, only for the
current DOS session.
To disable this feature for the current DOS session, type:
CMD /F:OFF
To enable this feature permanently, for all DOS sessions, you need to
run Regedit or Regedt32, and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor
for the current user on your machine, or to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor
for all users on your computer. First Registry key above takes
precedence.
Now look in the right hand pane for these two DWORD [REG_DWORD] values
(create them if not present): "CompletionChar" and
"PathCompletionChar". These contain the hex values for the custom "key
combos" to use as file (1st DWORD above) and respectively directory
(2nd DWORD above) completion hot keys.
Default values are (you may need to type them in if not present): 0x4
(to use Ctrl+D for file completion) and 0x6 (to use Ctrl+F for
directory completion). A value of 0 turns them off. Any other value
(ranging from 0x1 to 0x1F, to match the ASCII code of a valid key)
turns them on.
It is possible to use other key combos, or even single keys to perform
this function. Example: type 0x9 to use the Tab key.
If there are more than one file/directory match on your system, the
first one is displayed when you activate the key "combo". If you press
the hot key(s) again, the next match appears, and so on.
To cycle backwards through multiple matches, use Shift+F or Shift+D, if
you are using the default DWORD values (see above).
****Wait for new updations.WindowsLovers hope you all like this Tips &
Tricks .if u have any suggestions or u have any tips and trick that has
not listed above will posted on WindowsLovers Google Group.