Showing Common Tasks in Window - Added 11/25/05
Not Viewing Zip Files as Folders - Added 3/4/04
Restoring Desktop Icon to the Quicklaunch Bar
- Added 12/26/03
Remembering Folder Settings - Added 12/21/02
Disable Explorer Thumbnail View - Added
12/4/02
Saving Desktop Settings - Added 9/11/02
Hiding the Windows Version on the Desktop - Added
9/10/02
Controlling the Desktop Cleanup Wizard - Added
7/24/02
Using the Classic Search in Explorer - Added
4/11/02
Search Companion Error - Added 4/1/02
Opening a Command Prompt to a Particular Directory
from Explorer - Added 3/18/02
Selecting What Details to Display in the Explorer
- Added 2/3/02
Changing the Default Search Settings - Added 11/5/01
Opening an Explorer Window to the Directory You Want
- Added 9/4/01
Displaying the QuickLaunch Toolbar - Added 8/16/01
Displaying and Configuring the Classic Start Menu -
Added 8/16/01
Added 11/25/05
If you want to remove Manage My Computer from My Computer
Added 11/25/05
There is a great little utility available to help you find your currently
installed product ID
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
It also works for Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Office 97, and Office XP
Added 11/25/05
You do not need to reinstall if you forgot the admin password.
There is a boot disk you can download at:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/
that will let you reset the password of any account on NT4, Windows2000 or XP.
Just follow all the default settings which are for the admin account. Used it
many
times with great success.
They also have a bootable CD image you can download.
Added 11/25/05
When you open a window from My Computer or the Control Panel, and you don't see the blue bar with additional options on the left side, you may simply need to turn on Common Tasks
Added 11/19/05
If you want to rename multiple files in the same directory:
Added 11/19/05
If you want to disable the Take Tour of Windows XP that comes up after you install WindowsXP:
Added 11/19/05
If you get an error Windows cannot find HELPCTR.EXE, it may be that a registry entry has gotten corrupted.
Added 11/14/05
There are a lot of things which can negatively impact how fast XP will browse
network shares.
One has been previously covered regarding browsing to Win9x computers.
Other things you can try, especially when there is slow browsing to network shares with a lot of files:
1. Remove current shortcuts in My Network Places
2. Change the registry so shared folders on remote computers are not automatically added to My Network Places when you even open a document from that shared folder
Download Reg file to do both
3. Increase the amount of data is buffered at one time to send to a client. On the computer with the shared directory:
Added 10/18/05
The boot.ini file is a simple text file that is on the root of the boot
drive.
You can edit this with any plain text editor like Notepad (may need to unhide
the file first)
Added 8/17/05
One way to run a chkdsk (this is like Scandisk that was with Win9X), is to
You can also run chkdsk from the command line with will give you more
options.
The following switches are available:
/F - fix any errors
/R - identifies bad sectors
/V - with FAT32, displays a verbose output
With NTFS Volumes:
/I - Performs simpler check (stage 2)
/C - Skips the checking of cycles within folder structures
/X - Forces the volume to dismount if necessary. Intended for server
administrators and should be avoided for normal use
Added 8/17/05
To manage all your shared folders, you can run the snap-in directly
Start / Run / fsmgmt.msc
This will show you all your shared folders in a single window
You can also see what other computers are connected and what files they have
open
Added 8/17/05
On the XP CD in the \Support\Tools directory, there are a lot of additional
support and troubleshooting utilities.
You can run SETUP from that directory to install them.
Just a few are:
| diruse | Shows Disk Usage |
| dupfinder | Finds Duplicate files |
| getmac | Get's MAC address of the network card |
| hostname | Shows the host name of the computer |
| netdiag | Diagnoses a variety of network components |
| pviewer | Show a list of process and allows you to get a memory detail or kill any process |
| windiff | Compare files and directories |
Added 8/17/05
There are several ways you can determine your IP address information:
IPCONFIG
This opens a command window. One advantage is that you can send the
information to a text file (IPCONFIG /ALL > c:\ip.txt)
But sometimes the window shows show much information you need to scroll around
to fine it.
VIEW STATUS
Added 8/17/05
When you try and send pictures through e-mail, you should normally be given
the option to make them smaller.
If this option is not available, a DLL file may need to be registered.
Submitted 3/2/05
If you would like to create an icon to suspend your computer,
Submitted by Gabe
Added 3/2/05
Normally in XP Pro, through the Control Panel / User Accounts icon, you are
only allowed to create administrators or limited users.
If you want to create
Added 3/2/05
Since so many critical services are run with each svchost,
You can see which ones are being used by opening a cmd prompt and running:
tasklist /svc /fi "imagename eq svchost.exe"
Note: This is available only with XP Pro
3/2/05
If you are having problems with lockups, blue screens, or can only get to
safe mode,
often the problem is due to a faulty device driver.
One way to help identify them is through the use of the Verfier program
Added 3/2/05
If you want to see a list of installed drivers, you can run the
driverquery program
There are a lot of available switches to view different types of information.
On use can be to export to a CSV file for viewing in Excel
An example would then be:
Driverquery /v /fo csv > drivers.csv
Added 11/19/04
If you get this error when you try and renew your IP address,
Likely the winsock2 registry entries are corrupted.
The basic steps to fix this are:
Added 9/30/04
Adding a Port for Internet Access:
Adding a Program for Internet Access
Added 9/17/04
If you are getting errors similar to:
The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows
applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application.
Try copying the file from \windows\repair directory to the one that is in the \windows\system32 directory.
Added 9/17/04
The follow are some common Control Panel Applets that are located in the
\windows\system32 directory.
If you find yourself using any of these frequently, then you can simply make
shortcuts to them on your desktop.
| appwiz.cpl | Add/Remove Programs |
| desk.cpl | Display Properties |
| firewall.cpl | Firewall Settings |
| inetcpl.cpl | Internet Options |
| mmsys.cpl | Sound and Audio |
| ncpa.cpl | Network Connections |
| nusrmgr.cpl | User Accounts |
| powercfg.cpl | Power Options |
| sysdm.cpl | System Properties |
| wscui.cpl | Security Center |
| wuaucpl.cpl | Automatic Updates Configuration |
If the Windows Explorer opens up the Search Companion rather than opening up the actual folder, the default setting for opening a folder is changed.
To correct this:
Added 6/9/04
If you run sfc /scannow and get prompted to insert a CD,
there are a couple of changes you might need to make.
Slipstream your copy of WindowsXP with the latest service pack you have
applied.
For detailed unstructions on how to do this see:
SlipStreaming a Service Pack into Windows
XP
Once these files are on your hard drive, you can simply make a few registry changes to point to those locations.
Start Regedit
Go to the follow locations and change the path to wherever you copied the source files.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\ServicePackSourcePath
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\SourcePath
the last one might not be necessary
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SourcePath
Added 4/11/04
If you try and connect to an XP computer and are shown a logins screen with
only the computername/Guest,
You may need to change one of the Local Security Policies:
Updated 6/26/04
The symptoms when Winsock2 is damaged show when you try to release and renew the IP address using IPCONFIG.
And you get the following error message:
An error occurred while renewing interface 'Internet': An operation was
attempted on something that is not a socket.
Also Internet Explorer may give the following error message:
The page cannot be displayed Additionally, you may have no IP address or no
Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, and you may be receiving IP
packets but not sending them.
There are two easy ways to determine if Winsock2 is damaged:
From the XP source files, go to the Support / Tools directory
Winsock Test Method 1
Run netdiag /test:winsock
The end should say Winsock test ..... passed
Winsock Test Method 2
MSAFD Tcpip [TCP/IP]
MSAFD Tcpip [UDP/IP]
RSVP UDP Service Provider
RSVP TCP Service Provider
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
If the names are anything different from those in this list, then likely
Winsock2 is corrupted and needs to be repaired.
If you have any 3rd party software installed, the name MSAFD may be changed.
There should be no fewer than 10 sections.
To repair Winsock2
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2Download Reg file to delete these entries
Or Download Reg file to add the correct registries back in
Added 3/26/04
By default, when you go to Network Places, it will scan and show shortcuts to
previous network shares.
To turn this off and remove any current shortcuts
Added 3/26/04
If you want to share files from a XP computer,
yet want to remove it from showing up in the Network Neighborhood,
Run net config server /hidden:yes
Added 3/26/04
If you need to share multiple folders, running the program SHRPUBW.EXE will bring up a simple dialog box to let you:
Added 3/26/04
If the System32 folder shows on the desktop, there may be an invalid entry in the Registry
Added 3/4/04
If you want to turn of WindowsXP showing Zip files as folders,
just run:
regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll
Added 3/4/04
If you want to set the startup state for any or all of these keys,
you just need to edit the registry.
Added 3/4/04
Network Diagnostics scans your system to gather information about your hardware, software, and network connections.
Start / Run / NETSH DIAG GUI
The following is the type of information that can be displayed:
Submitted 3/4/04
Windows XP cmd tip (DOS isnt dead... it just smells funny) Some command-line folder creation examples:
To create multiple folders at once, add them directly to the "md" command:
C:\> md this is a test
To create a folder several folders deep, use:
C:\> md this\is\a\test
Creating a folder with a long name requires the double-quote at the beginning:
C:\> md "this is a test
Bonus tip: Windows XP supports the forward slash "/" as a folder divider. Unix/Linux users: don't let the DOS environment get you down. Use a Unix-style CD command to change your present working directory:
C:\> cd Windows/system32/drivers/etc
Submitted by Bob and Tina
Added 12/26/03
If you mistakenly deleted the icon for the Desktop on the Quicklaunch toolbar
Go to C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Quick Launch
(where user_name is replaced by your login name)
Create a Text file called ShowDesktop.SCF with the following contents:
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
You can also DOWNLOAD a file, uncompress it, and copy to the toolbar or wherever you would like.
Added 12/9/03
Sometimes you can't access a WinXP computer after installing Norton
Anti-Virus.
There might be a variety of errors at the other computer depending on the
operating system.
On the XP computer, in the Event Viewer / System log, there will be the
following error:
The server's configuration parameter "irpstacksize" is too small for the server
to use a local device.
Added 12/8/03
If you get an error about the Cryptographic services when trying to apply the
Security Updates or Service Pack 1,
run the following from Start / Run - note, you might want to just cut and paste
the text.
net stop cryptsvc
ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 oldcatroot2
net start cryptsvc
regsvr32 softpub.dll
regsvr32 wintrust.dll
regsvr32 initpki.dll
regsvr32 dssenh.dll
regsvr32 rsaenh.dll
regsvr32 gpkcsp.dll
regsvr32 sccbase.dll
regsvr32 slbcsp.dll
regsvr32 cryptdlg.dll
Added 11/30/03
Sometimes after adding the right click with the Explorer, the default setting
for opening a folder is changed.
To correct this:
Added 11/28/03
If you are the only person using the computer and what to have it automatically log you on,
Updated 10/30/03
There are quite a few services you can disable from starting automatically.
This would be to speed up your boot time and free resources.
They are only suggestions so I suggestion you read the description of each one
when you run Services
and that you turn them off one at a time.
Some possibilities are:
Added 6/21/03
To remove the ability for anyone in the world to pop up messages on your
computer,
you can disable the Messenger service.
Submitted by Thomas Bitner Olson
Submitted 6/21/03
If you are experiencing slow printing for DOS programs with Windows2000
Submitted by Steve Cohen
Added 3/2/03
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:
Added 3/2/30
To turn these off:
Added 3/2/03
If you want to access display configurations not normally listed (e.g. 256 colors)
Added 2/9/03
If XP is corrupted to the point where none of the previous solutions get it
to boot,
you can do a Repair Install that might work as well as keep the current
settings.
Make sure you have your valid WindowsXP key.
The whole process takes about half an hour depending on your computer
If you are being prompted for the administrator's password, you need to choose
the 2nd repair option, not the first.
Added 2/9/03
If you get an error that NTOSKRNL not found:
Added 2/9/03
If you get an error regarding a missing or corrupt hal.dll file, it might simply be the BOOT.INI file on the root of the C: drive that is misconfigured
Added 2/9/03
If you get the error:
Windows could not start because the following files is missing or corrupt
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM or \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE
Added 2/9/03
If you get an error that NTLDR is not found during bootup,
If you have FAT32 partitions, it is much simpler than with NTFS.
Just boot with a Win98 floppy and copy the NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM files
from the i386 directory to the root of the C:\ drive.
For NTFS:
Added 1/31/03
Submitted by DJ Speed Racer
Added 1/7/02
To create a connection to a printer connected to your network:
Added 1/6/02
The default setting for WindowsXP is to cache the Explorer settings for 400
folders.
To increase it:
1000 - 3e8
2000 - 7d0
3000 - bb8
4000 - fa0
5000 - 1388
You can Dowload a reg file that will set it for 5000
Added 1/4/03
If you use the standard NT style of login and want to hide the last user:
1/4/03
If your computer does not turn off the power when doing a shutdown,
you may need to edit the registry. I have all the correct BIOS and Power
settings and still needed to do this.
Added 12/21/02
If XP does not remember your folder settings, delete or rename the following registry keys
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags]
Updated 12/21/02
If you want to do this for all users, enter:
Start / Run / net accounts /maxpwage:unlimited
Added 3/18/02
If you are getting an error message that your password is about to expire:
Updated 12/21/02
If you are getting errors when browsing the web to install Java Virtual Machine,
You can still
download it from Microsoft
(version 3810)
If this link is removed by MS or is too slow you can
download it here
If you need a previous version, you can download 3805
It is now included in Service Pack1
You can also download Sun's version
Added 12/14/02
To prevent applications from stealing the focus from the window you are working
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop
Edit the key ForegroundLockTimeout
Give it a value of 00030d40
Added 12/4/02
If you want disable the Explorer's ability to show the Thumbnail View ,
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced \
Change ClassicViewState to 1
Added 12/04/02
Since any version of NT does not use an autoexec.bat file,
to add environment variables to WindowsXP:
Right click on My Computer
Select Properties
Click on the Advanced tab
Click on the Environment Variables button
From here you can change it for the system or just the current user.
Added 11/26/02
Normally, WindowsXP will prompt you 10 times that You Need a Passport to use WindowsXP Internet communication features...
To disable this
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ MessengerService
Edit the binary key PassportBalloon
Give it a value of 0A (0A 00 00 00)
Submitted 11/26/02
You can show hidden devices in the Device Manager. One way is by making a simple registry change. The other is through a batch file.
Registry Change:
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ ControlSet001 \ Control \ Session Manager \ Environment
Create a string DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES
Give it a value of 1
Download reg file
Batch File
@Echo Off
Prompt $p$g
set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
start devmgmt.msc
exit
Submitted by Michael Kinsel
Added 11/23/02
This is simply due to a missing or corrupted DLL file
Added 11/23/02
To disable the Shared Documents folder that shows up on the network
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer \
Create a new DWORD Value
Give it the name NoSharedDocuments
Give it a value of 1
Log off or reboot
Submitted 11/23/02
To Disable the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon's menu:
Now the menu options will be grayed out.
Submitted by Justin Herron
Submitted 11/23/02
To Prevent the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon from appearing in the notification tray:
There you go. When you return, RDS will work, but there will be no icon in the notification area.
Submitted by Justin Herron
Added 11/12/02
WindowsXP does not allow you to use previously describe methods
for printing the contents of a directory.
To do this requires the creation of a small batch file which is then added to
your right-click options.
Batch File
On the root of the C: drive, create a batch file called print_directory.bat with the following lines:
@echo off
dir %1 /o:g > c:\directory.txt
start /w notepad /p c:\directory.txt
del c:\directory.txt
exit
Note: dir %1 /o:g will print with any directories listed first. You can add whatever other switches you like
Adding to the Explorer Right Click
Start the Explorer
Go to Tools / Folder Options
On the File Types tab, click File Folder.
Click Advanced button and then click New.
In the Action box, type Print Directory (or whatever text you want to appear).
In the Application used to perform action box, type C:\print_directory.bat, and then click OK.
Click OK, click OK, and then click Close
Fixing the Registry
Sometimes after adding the right click with the Explorer, the default setting
for opening a folder is changed.
To correct this:
Added 11/12/02
When viewing a folder with the Thumbnail view, WindowsXP creates
a thumbs.db file.
This is a cache of the current pictures in that directory.
If you want to turn this feature off and save a little disk space
Start the Windows Explorer
Go to Tools / Folder Options / View
In the first section under Files and Folders, check Do not cache thumbnails
Now you can search for the thumbs.db file on your computer and remove them. No more should be created.
Added 10/17/02
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Create the Dword value DisableTaskMgr
Give it a value of 0 to enable it
Give it a vaule of 1 to disable it
Added 9/11/02
If you desktop or folders on your desktop do not retain their settings:
Start Regedit
Go go HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Program Manager\Restrictions
Create or edit the DWORD value NoSaveSettings
Give it a value of 0
Added 9/10/02
If your version of WindowsXP is displaying on the desktop and
you would like to remove it:
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop
Edit or Create the DWORD entry PaintDesktopVersion
A value of 0 will hide the version from the desktop
Logoff or reboot
To make this change for all future users, edit
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop in the same manner.
Added 9/10/02
If you want to use the older version of Microsoft Media Player 6.4, it is still on your computer.
Make a shortcut on your desktop to the:
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\mplayer2.exe file
You can also change the file associations from this program to set it as the default for all media types.
Added 7/24/02
By default, the Desktop Cleanup Wizard will pop up every 60 days to cleanup your desktop.
To stop this:
Updated 7/24/02
Another way to set the computer to clear the pagefile without directly editing the registry is:
Submitted by Arthur Pounder
Added 8/16/01
If you want to clear the page file on each shutdown:
Added 5/22/02
If after you remove CD Burning software, you can no longer
access your CD ROM's,
the following registry keys need to be deleted:
Locate and delete the UpperFilters and LowerFilters values under the
following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Added 5/21/02
If you need to reinstall WindowsXP and want to keep all your current installed applications and settings:
Start WindowsXP
Go to the location of your source files
Run WINNT32 /unattend
I've often need to do this to repair something that had gotten corrupted and didn't want to do a clean install.
Added 5/10/02
Previous versions of Windows displayed the filenames on the left
hand side when you run the dir command.
WindowsXP changes this and the default it to put it on the right.
To change this back:
Right click on My Computer
Click on Properties
Click on the Advanced tab
Click on the Environment Variables button
Click on New button
Enter the Variable name: dircmd
Enter the Variable value: /-n
Added 5/5/02
If your Dell computer is loosing time while the computer is
turned on,
You can run the following commands:
You can also download a Dell Patch to do the same process automatically
Added 5/18/01
If you experience a 30 second or so delay when browsing to Windows98 or
WindowsME computers,
delete the following registry key on the Windows2000 or WindowsXP computer.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / Software / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Explorer / RemoteComputer / NameSpace {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}
Added 4/27/02
WindowsXP will only format a partition greater than 32 GIGs as
NTFS.
If you want to format it with FAT32:
You can use a regular Win98 Boot disk and use that version of FDISK to create the partition (with Large Hard Drive Support)
Reboot with the same boot disk and format
WindowsXP will then be able to use the partition with no problems
Added 4/23/02
You can add Safeboot as an option to the normal XP boot screen
Added 4/23/02
If you don't need to see the XP boot logo,
Added 4/23/02
If you use program other than the native WindowsXP CD Burner software,
you might be able to increase the speed that it loads.
Updated 4/20/02
To remove the Unread Email message by user's login names:
Added 4/20/02
If you want to use the classic search engine in the Internet Explorer
Added 4/11/02
If you want to log in as Administrator, but it is not show on the Welcome screen,
To unhide the Administrator account so it does show up:
Added 4/11/02
If you are getting an error that:
A recently installed program has disabled the Welcome screen and Fast User
Switching
with a reference to CSGina.DLL
Added 4/11/02
If you prefer to use the classic search style in Explorer,
Added 4/5/02
When overwriting files in the Windows Explorer, there is an option for Yes
To All.
This would overwrite any files you would normally be prompted for.
To have No To All, simply hold down the Shift key while you click on the No option.
Added 4/5/02
Normally WindowsXP shows assigned pictures for each user on the system.
If you have deleted your user pictures, want to know the location, or need to
reinstall them,
they are stored in the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures
directory.
If you need to reinstall them, they can be expanded from the source CD. The
actual files are:
airplane.bmp
astronaut.bmp
ball.bmp
butterfly.bmp
cat.bmp
fish.bmp
pink flower.bmp
guitar.bmp
snowflake.bmp
beach.bmp
car.bmp
chess.bmp
dirt bike.bmp
dog.bmp
drip.bmp
duck.bmp
frog.bmp
horses.bmp
kick.bmp
lift-off.bmp
palm tree.bmp
red flower.bmp
skater.bmp
Added 4/1/02
If you like the graphic IP configuration program that comes with Windows98,
you can download a similar one for WindowsXP or Windows2000 from Microsoft at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/wntipcfg-o.asp
The actual file is at:
WntIpcfg_setup.exe
Added 4/1/02
When doing a file search, if you get the error A File That Is Required to Run Search Companion Cannot Be Found
Added 4/1/02
By default, the NTBACKUP program is not installed on the home version.
You can find it on the CD in the \VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP directory
Since not all vendors include the actual source code for XP,
you can download a
copy
Added 3/30/02
If you want to change the letters assigned to your fixed or removable drives:
For a Fixed Disk:
For a Removable Disk:
Note: This can only be done for drives that do not have the Operating System Installed or you are booting to.
Updated 3/29/02
You can also change the file associations for the specific file types you want.
Added 3/4/02
If the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer is set as the default for many
of your graphic file types,
you can remove it so other graphics programs can be used.
Added 3/23/02
Although you can log in locally without a password, by default, WindowsXP Pro does not allow network users to access the computer without a password. Typically you will receive an Unknown error 31 if this is the case.
To change this setting:
Added 3/22/02
If you want to change the default DOS windows properties like:
Added 3/20/02
Added 3/18/02
If you want to open a command prompt to a directory that is selected in the Explorer:
Added 3/18/02
With WindowsXP, you can double-click on the time in the System Tray and
connect to Time Servers on the Internet to synchronize with.
To add to the list of available servers:
Added 3/14/02
To create a bootable floppy from within WindowsXP:
Added 3/8/02
If you want to change the screen saver that runs at the login prompt:
Start Regedit
Added 3/8/02
To run NetMeeting:
Added 3/4/02
You can set WindowsXP to assume the online registration has been completed.
Added 3/4/02
Microsoft has made available a program to analyze and decrease the time it
takes to boot to WindowsXP
The program is called
BootVis
Added 3/3/02
If you previously disabled system restore through the Group Policy Editor,
the option to start it again does not show in the System Properties.
You can re-enable it again by:
Added 3/3/02
If you want to hide or unhide the names of users that are displayed on the initial logon screen:
Added 3/2/02
If you've worked on previous versions of Windows,
there are times when you need to completely reinstall the TCP/IP protocol stack.
This is typically due to corrupted files.
To do this with XP,
you need to run a small script:
netsh int ip reset [ log_file_name ]
the log_file_name needs to be specified.
e.g.
netsh int ip reset ip_reset.txt
Added 2/25/02
To rename the start button, you will need a hex editor.
My preference is UltraEdit
Note: If the partition is NTFS and you can't access the files from DOS:
Added 2/18/02
If you install a device drive that does not work correctly,
you can restore the previous one fairly easily.
Added 2/3/02
To add or remove items to be displayed in the Explorer when using the Details View
Available options are:
Submitted 2/3/02
If you hold down the Control Key when you click on the taskbar icons,
it selects multiple tasks. Then you can simply right-click on the selected items
and choose close group.
This tip works with all windows, not just one applications. If you have the cal, ie, notepad and solitaire open, it will close them all, unlike the group similar items command that only lets you close all of one type (ex: all IE or all notepads).
Submitted by Terry Cadieux
Submitted 1/26/02
On systems, Outlook or Outlook Express will not remember the e-mail password,
which would then need to be entered in each time.
To solve the problem:
Submitted by Naste
Added 1/26/02
If you want to turn off the firewall for your computer:
Added 1/26/02
When you open more than one document in the same program and then minimize
each document,
rather that showing separate icons on the taskbar for each document,
WindowsXP groups them under a single icon for that application.
If you want to group, or ungroup, similar taskbar buttons,
Added 1/22/02
For security purposes, you might want to turn off the Guest account
Updated 1/19/02
If you want to have the original NT style windows logon screen with XP,
simply hold the Ctrl-Alt keys and press the delete key twice.
The following Update Submitted by:
Steven Pennypacker
To make a permanent change so the logon screen is always like the traditional NT4/2000 style:
Added 1/15/02
If you want to turn off the ability to using the built-in CD burner software that comes with WindowsXP:
Added 1/10/02
With WindowsXP, you can manually select how you want individual icons in the System Tray to be displayed.
Added 1/6/02
If you installed WindowsXP Power Tools from Microsoft, when you press Alt-Tab
to switch between running applications,
you get a screen that shows a small graphic of the window that is of that
application along with its icon.
This also takes a long time to display. (Or at least longer than I'm comfortable
with)
You can speed this up and revert back to previous ways task switching is displayed.
To Turn This Off After Your Reboot:
To Turn This Off Immediately:
Added 1/5/02
While there are a lot of command line utilities in WindowsXP, here are some that I have been using lately.
bootcfg - Configures, queries, or changes Boot.ini file settings.
driverquery - Displays a list of all installed device drivers and their properties.
getmac - Returns the media access control (MAC) address and list of network protocols associated with each address for all network cards in each computer
gpresult - Displays Group Policy settings and Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP) for a user or a computer
netsh - You can use commands in the Netsh Interface IP context to configure the TCP/IP protocol
schtasks - Schedules commands and programs to run periodically or at a specific time
systeminfo - Displays detailed configuration information about a computer and its operating system
Added 12/5/01
By default, WindowsXP will request to report application errors to Microsoft.
To turn this off:
Added 11/27/01
If you create a batch file that might take a while to run,
you can add a title to the command prompt title bar it by simply adding the
line:
title YOUR TEXT
where YOUR TEXT would be replaced by whatever text you want to show.
Added 11/27/01
By default, WindowsXP turns on a lot of shadows, fades, slides etc to menu
items.
Most simply slow down their display.
To turn these off selectively:
Added 11/12/01
On the WindowsXP CP, in the SUPPORT\TOOLS directory,
there is a file called DEPLOY.CAB.
Added 11/11/01
WindowsXP has a program called SHUTDOWN.EXE which allows you to easily create icons to shutdown or restart your computer.
To create a shutdown shortcut on the desktop:
For a reboot, enter "shutdown -r -t 00"
Shutdown [{-l|-s|-r|-a}] [-f] [-m [\\ComputerName]] [-t xx] [-c "message"] [-d[u][p]:xx:yy]
Parameters
Added 11/11/01
To get a quick help for all the commands you can enter from WindowsXP,
simply create a shortcut:
hh.exe ms-its:C:\WINDOWS\Help\ntcmds.chm::/ntcmds.htm
Added 11/11/01
You can run the System File Checker to verify protected system files.
Command line switches are:
sfc [/scannow] [/scanonce] [/scanboot] [/revert] [/purgecache] [/cachesize=x]
Added 11/9/01
To turn off balloon tips in applications that support XP Themes:
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\
Create a DWORD value of EnableBalloonTips
Give it a value of 0
Added 11/8/01
An easy way to speed up the display of the Start Menu Items is to turn off the menu shadow.
Right click on an open area of the Desktop
Select Properties
Click on the Appearance tab
Click on the Effects button
Uncheck Show shadows under menus
Added 11/7/01
Microsoft no longer supports the NetBEUI protocol as part of WindowsXP.
You can add it as a installable protocol by going to the
VALUEADD \ MSFT \ NET \ NETBEUI
directory on the CD ROM.
Note: %SYSTEMROOT% refers to the drive and directory where you
installed WindowsXP.
Typically this is in the C:\WINDOWS directory
I included a zipped file with the above files and a simple batch file to copy both to the appropriate directories
This is only if you absolutely need NetBEUI. It is not at all a necessary requirement for most networks.
Added 11/5/01
You can set your system clock to a time server on the Internet.
Added 11/5/01
In case you forget your password, you can create a password recovery floppy disk beforehand to help you out of this problem.
Added 11/5/01
By default, when you start a search,
you are prompted for what you want to search for.
(e.g. Pictures, Documents, Files, Computers)
To change the preferences, simply click on Change preferences
From here you can:
Added 9/4/01
If you want to create a shortcut for the Explorer to a specific directory,
include the directory you want in the Target.
For example:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e, d:\internet
would open the Explorer to the D:\INTERNET directory
Added 8/20/01
If you don't want to use up the disk space taken by Hibernation, or don't
need to use it at all,
you can easily disable it.
Added 8/19/01
There are two ways you can lock the workstation.
Added 8/19/01
You can change the picture that gets displayed for a particular user
Added 8/16/01
By default, WindowsXP does not show the QuickLaunch toolbar.
To enable it again:
Now you can add programs like with Win98
Added 8/16/01
If you have 512 megs or more of memory, you can increase system performance
by having the core system kept in memory.
Added 8/16/01
If you want to remove the MSN Messenger from always starting in the system tray, do
To remove it completely, see the section Adding / Removing Additional Programs
Remove the hide from the line:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
Added 8/16/01
WindowsXP comes with quite a few console utilities you can easily run from the command line:
Computer Management - compmgmt.msc
Disk Managment - diskmgmt.msc
Device Manager - devmgmt.msc
Disk Defrag - dfrg.msc
Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc
Shared Folders - fsmgmt.msc
Group Policies - gpedit.msc
Local Users and Groups - lusrmgr.msc
Performance Monitor - perfmon.msc
Resultant Set of Policies - rsop.msc
Local Security Settings - secpol.msc
Services - services.msc
Component Services - comexp.msc
Added 8/16/01
Added 8/16/01
Added 8/16/01
To change visual effects such as fade menus, mouse shadow, visual styles on buttons, drop shadows for icons, slide open boxes and buttons etc.:
Added 8/16/01
By default, WindowsXP uses a large amount of hard drive space for storing
system restore points.
If this is not necessary, you can change the settings.
Added 8/16/01
WindowsXP has firewall capabilities built into the operating system.
Added 8/16/01
WindowsXP has a similar program, MSCONFIG, that was available in
Windows98.
This allows you to view and change what programs are automatically started each
time you log in.
The new version also allows you to view and edit the boot.ini file (as well as check for errors and use several advanced switches)
Added 8/16/01
By default, WindowsXP does not display all the programs you can add or
remove.
To show this list:
Edit the \Windows\Inf\sysoc.inf file
In the Components section, simply remove the word hide.
This will leave two commas together (like on the rest of the items).
Then you can go to the Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs / Add/Remove
Windows Components and the new items will be displayed.
[Components]
NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4
WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7
Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7
Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7
NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7
iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7
com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7
dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7
IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7
TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2
msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6
ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7
fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp40ext.inf,,7
AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
msnexplr=ocmsn.dll,OcEntry,msnmsn.inf,,7
smarttgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msnsl.inf,,7
RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7
Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,,7
AccessUtil=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,accessor.inf,,7
CommApps=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,communic.inf,HIDE,7
MultiM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,multimed.inf,HIDE,7
AccessOpt=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,optional.inf,HIDE,7
Pinball=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,pinball.inf,HIDE,7
MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,HIDE,7
ZoneGames=zoneoc.dll,ZoneSetupProc,igames.inf,,7
Added 8/16/01
If you prefer the original Start Menu, you can easily switch it back.
Added 8/16/01
To increase the amount of memory Windows will locked for I/O operations:
4096 - 32megs of memory or less
8192 - 32+ megs of memory
16384 - 64+ megs of memory
32768 - 128+ megs of memory
65536 - 256+ megs of memory
Added 8/16/01
To have numlock turned on for each user:
You may get one of these errors depending on the following situations:
The Microsoft Office Startup folder or the Microsoft Excel Startup folder contains either, or both, of the following Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker add-in template files:
Pdfmaker.dot and/or Pdfmaker.xla You may also get this error if you have Norton AntiVirus installed.To fix this error try the following solutions:
1. Download the latest version of the add-in for Adobe Acrobat 5.0 from
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/update.html2. Move the Pdfmaker.dot file and the Pdfmaker.xla file from the Office or Excel Startup folder to a different folder on your hard disk. (Steps may vary depending on your version of Windows and Office)
1. Click on Start, Search, and then click For Files or Folders.
2. In the Search for file or folders named box, type pdfmaker.dot pdfmaker.xla.
3. In the Look In box, click the C drive and then click Search Now.The Pdfmaker.dot file is located in one of the following folders:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Startup (Word 2000)
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Startup (Word 2002)
C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\StartupThe Pdfmaker.xla file in located in one of the following folders:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Xlstart (Excel 2000)
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlstart (Excel 2002)
C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\Xlstart
4. In the Search Results window, right-click the file for each file that is found, and then click Cut.
5. On your desktop, right-click the My Documents folder, and then click Paste. You can also paste them in a different location if you wish.