Xp Tricks

in the last installment of windows tweaks and tricks, we discussed at length why the heck we put up with windows considering all the bugs and hack attacks. for readers who missed the enlightenment from winguru fred langa, go here. basically, hackers (or more properly, crackers) want notoriety so they attack the most widely-used operating system. with the introduction of winxp, security flaws were discovered that were so serious that the fbi got involved prior to msoft even acknowledging it. "microsoft treats security bulletins as pr problems," according to bruce schneier, chief technology officer of network protection company counterpane internet security. "if microsoft had its way and there was bug secrecy, we wouldn't know that any of this happened." while no supporter of microsoft myself, it must be acknowledged that most of us will continue to run windows with in one form or another despite its warts and flaws although many are taking a hard look at linux. "microsoft's 92% monopoly of desktop operating systems remains untouchable, experts say." - the register no options so, here's the deal. microsoft is forcing us to upgrade. what? no gasps of surprise during this pregnant pause? by the simple act of ceasing support or even acknowledgement that the operating system is viable, microsoft figures that we'll have no choice but to pony up more cash for the latest and greatest that they have to offer. the really weird thing? that's exactly what we do. if we don't go out and buy the newest version of windows, it'll come pre-loaded on the next micron or gateway (please, not compaq or hp) that the we buy (i'll build my own, thanks). now what if we absolutely must run an early version of windows, say, 95 (which stopped being supported in november, 2001) or 98/98se (which times out in june of 2003), f'rinstance? no problem says the redding raiders, just send even more cash for support. read their version of the story here. what to do? if the above is true and human nature is to be relied upon, we'll keep running windows. the software we love (or at least we're used to) runs on windows. hardware is (mostly) compatible. so gird your virtual loins and read on. below are windows tweaks and tricks with many new tips. following this are a ton of winxp tips. enjoy.

system basics security and reliability. that's what we want. readers who delve into this section also want flexibility in the way the system operates. it's sensible to first

protect ourselves from the bad guys who would exploit our operating systems. new windows users should go here to read mark salbert's fine windows primer for insight about the operating system. take a look at the security page here at sailcat graphics. at least download and install zonealarm. i'd never go online without it. subscribe to fred langa's free newsletter, the langalist to discover the bugs, security breaches and fixes about a week before you'll see it anyplace else. also, visit microsoft to get a system check that will reveal what updates are critical. it's done automatically over the internet without sending any of your system information. non-critical updates are also listed, as well as the option to be notified when an important update is available. to do this, click here and choose 'product update' on the new page that opens. i have helped many people with problems on their home computers, and not one of them was protecting themselves with the fast, free product update service from microsoft. perhaps the people that get the critical updates are the same ones who don't have computer problems. win xp users have a new set of security issues, including a plethora of default settings that cause 'phone home' activity, automatic updates and downloads without user choice or intervention. the method for disabling these is here. free software to change these settings easily is here.

have your way with windows i always enjoy getting email from visitors to this website. the cascade trick has generated much of the mail i have had the pleasure to receive over the years, often from users who can't get it to work. hopefully, this explanation will be clear. if not, you know the routine. click to email the 'cat. the cascade trick i have yet to show it to anyone who has seen it previously. why this isn't in the windows manual is beyond me; it is so much faster than any other method for displaying the entire contents of a drive. it does require that internet explorer 4.+ is installed on your system, but a tweaker like you surely has the latest version of ie, right? the following explanation contains links to some older graphic examples of each step, but this trick is browser dependent and will work on win 95/98/me/2000/xp. these desktop images are reduced to 700 x 525 to speed download and will open in a new window. close the window to return to this text. left-click and hold the 'my computer' icon (or whatever you've named it). continue holding with the left button and move it to the left side of the screen, then release the button. this should instantly produce a menu like this, showing the contents. then left-click and hold the 'c' drive icon, moving it to the top of the screen. it will cascade to the right as pictured here, allowing you to click on the expansion button to the right of this newly-created bar causing it to cascade downward like this. running the mouse pointer over an folder will show the

contents, as it will the contents of that folder and any folder within. this picture should clarify. although these screenshots are from a few years ago, the cascade trick works the same in all windows versions since '95. by using this little trick, it is possible to see the entire contents of your drive and access any portion of it right from your desktop. now, isn't that just too cool? speed up your win 9x/me system here's a few quick tricks to get windows to run faster. the first methods are better-known, but use all of them to get the most horsepower available without resorting to system de-stabilizing methods like over-clocking. right-click on the 'my computer' button and choose 'properties' from the drop-down menu. left-click on the 'performance' tab, then the 'file system' button. be sure that the 'read-ahead optimization' slider is all the way to the right, then change the 'typical role of this computer' from 'desktop computer' to 'network server'. because of a difference in the manner in which data is handled (cached), you'll pick up some speed through better efficiency. click ok. left-click on 'graphics ...' & make sure the slider is set to 'full', then click ok. click on 'virtual memory' and change the setting to 'let me specify my own virtual memory settings. set both the minimum and maximum to two and one-half times the amount of ram on your computer (32mb would be 80, 64mb would be 160, 96mb would be 240 and so on). put the newly created swap-file on an small, unused drive partition if available. click on ok, ignore and close the scary warning & re-start your computer. you'll also want to open the c:\windows\system\system.ini file (it opens in notepad) and under the [386enh] section, enter: "conservativeswapfileusage=1" (without the quotes) to prevent the system from using that slower swapfile before it uses the faster available ram. this will also require a reboot. quick win 9x/me tips use the 'start' button for web browsing. enter (or paste) a url in the 'run' window, press 'enter and the page will open in your browser. here's a slick trick for ie4+ favorites folders that refuse to stay alphabetized. first, make certain that your recycle bin is not set to automatically delete. open c:\windows\favoritites then left-click on 'edit' and choose 'select all'. rightclick on any entry and choose 'delete' to move everything into the recycle bin. open the recycle bin & choose 'restore' to return everything to its place, nicely organized. often, conflicts that arise when from software installation is due to a newer file (.dll, .ocx or the like) getting overwritten by an older version. to find out, hit the 'start' button, then 'run' and type "vcmui" (without the quotes). this will launch windows conflict manager, showing the dates of the files on your system and allowing instant swapping of old-for-new. ever wonder when the web page you're viewing was really updated? type "javascriptalert:(document.lastmodified)" (without the quotes) into the address bar. to open a new instance (multiple) of a browser window, just hold down the 'shift' key when you click on a link. to find a key word in search engine results or in any text document, hit 'ctlr'

and 'f' simultaneously. to get an accurate reading of your modem connection speed, open 'my computer', 'dial-up networking' then right-click on your internet connection to access 'properties'. click the 'configure' button, then the 'connection' tab and then 'advanced'. in the "extra settings' window, type "w2" (without the quotes) then ok your way out. this should show a much more accurate reading that 115,200 or whatever you saw previously. you can 'lasso' a number of icons or files simultaneously on your desktop or in any window by left-clicking and holding the button down near them. then just use the cursor to draw a rectangle encompassing the items you want to select and have your way with them (drag, move, send to, or delete). trivia: the animated gif that changes from a globe to the windows logo in the upper-right-hand corner of the internet explorer browser is called a 'throbber'.

new win tweaks & tricks system tips use the 'wild card' (*) in system searches. it's possible to find all pictures by using *.jpg, for instance. to list virtually every graphic on your hard drive, try *.jpg; *.png; *.gif; *.bmp. multiple searches are possible using a semicolon followed by a space, then the next item. this works foe other file types, too, like *.doc or *.txt. the use of shortcut keys instead of mouse clicks is much more efficient. retraining oneself to do so is a bit more challenging. most folks know that pressing the ctrl key plus x cuts and item, ctrl+ c copies and ctrl+ v pastes, but don't forget to 'unload' the clipboard after copying a large graphic or hitting 'print screen.' just copy something small, like a word of text, to replace that large load. otherwise it ties up precious memory. here are some more to try: ctrl+ a: highlights all text in document ctrl+ close window closes all windows windows: display the start menu windows + d: minimize or restore all windows windows + e: display windows explorer windows + f: display search for files windows + ctrl + f: display search for computer windows + f1: display help and support center windows + r: display run dialog box windows + break: display system properties dialog box windows + shift + m: undo minimize all windows windows + tab: move through taskbar buttons windows + u: open utility manager and a new one (04/26/02) from mark m.: ctrl+ z is an unlimited undo in rich text environments like outlook express or microsoft word, shift will traditionally 'select' and ctrl will 'move.' ctrl+ backspace will delete entire words at a time; ctrl+ home will take you to the top of the document; ctrl+ shift

+ home will select all data between your cursor and the top of your document (end will take you to the end); ctrl+ left cursor will move you one word back (and right will move you right); shift+ home will select all text in that paragraph or line. want more? search "keyboard shortcuts" on your own computer. font stuff i download everything to my desktop, including true type fonts (ttf). when it comes time to install them, just open the control panel & drag 'em, over to the 'fonts' icon. afterwards, delete the ttf files from your desktop. windows will help if you fonts are getting out of hand. in the fonts folder, select 'view' then 'list fonts by similarity.' this option will allow you to weed out some excess baggage which will marginally improve performance. these little things add up to overall improvement in speed.

internet & email express notes if you're using outlook express (as most of us do), you are most vulnerable to viruses and worm attacks. there are two things that we all should do to reduce the chance of exposure: 1) click on 'view' on the toolbar across the top of the outlook window, choose 'layout' from the dropdown menu and uncheck 'view preview pane.' this will prevent some problems from emails that fire off html code just by being viewed. 2) in order to see the contents (and nature of attachments) of emails, right-click on an unopened message, choose 'properties from the drop-down menu, then the 'details' tab at the top of the resultant window, then the 'message source' button. this is best viewed if expanded to full screen, the contents are harmless as the email is not really open. if anything looks even slightly suspicious, delete it, then (and perhaps most importantly) delete it again from the 'deleted items' file. find 'em easily planning to meet an email contact in real life? if you have outlook express 6.0 installed (as with winxp and included with ie 6.x) and their street address, just open up their listing in your address file and click on 'view map' to view the location at expedia.com. "how do i get to your office...?" worth a thousand words often, explaining a situation, problem or error can be challenging. why not take a picture & email it? just hit the 'prt scr' button, then open any graphics or paint program and paste it. be sure to crop it to a minimum size for emailing. if compression is available, use it since high-quality isn't necessary. zip it before attaching. incidentally, with any attachment, hanging it on an email is as easy as dragging the file to the massage area in outlook express (or 'most any email client). this may be done from explorer, or, if the email program isn't open in a full window, from the desktop or any drive.

keep attachments small and don't send over 100kb without your recipient's permission. protect other's privacy here's a tip that everyone should learn before being allowed near an email program. when sending to multiple recipients who aren't known to one another, address the email to yourself, then use the bcc: (blind carbon copy) function to add addresses rather than cc:. your emails will still arrive at the proper destinations, but no recipient will be able to see any email address other than yours. track spammers it's very likely that your email address will be required for registration at some websites. while a 'throwaway' address (at yahoo, hotmail, etc.) can be used, you'll be able to tell who's selling addresses with this little trick. use a plus sign (+) after your address with something that will identify where you've registered. instead of [email protected], use [email protected]. if you get spam with this address, you'll know they're bad guys. turn 'em into the ftc. re-linker the only browser most of us use is internet explorer. like democracy, it's not perfect, just the best there is. here's a trick when it starts popping blank pages where there should be websites, either from url or email links. close the browser and hit the 'start' button, then 'run' and enter the following: regsvr32 urlmon.dll a message will pop up telling you the procedure was successful. then fire up ie & go to 'tools,' then 'internet options,' then 'programs.' click on 'reset web settings' and everything should be back to nearly perfect. get the picture? searching for a particular image on the internet can be daunting, but there are methods that will produce what's needed efficiently. alta vista allows for 'field-supported' searches. try prefacing your search with image:, as in image:horse. even better, though, is the google image search engine. to try it, click here. remember to respect those copyrights! not forgotten where do websites go to die? the internet, of course! that cool site is gone, just when you needed a reference for your term paper (or to win an email argument, or just because). well, maybe not. search up the missing website in google (gotta love it) and click on the 'cached' link. viola! at least usually, but if it ain't here, it ain't anywhere.

ie stuff when you're bombarded by flashing banners and irritating wigglies, try this. once a page is fully loaded, hit the 'esc' key to freeze every animated gif. don't put up with the names that others lay on you for the websites you've saved in your 'favorites' folder. just like any other shortcut, you can re-name those babies. to determine your own ip address on a dial-up connection (which changes every time you connect), just hit 'start,' then 'run' and enter "winipcfg.exe" (without the quotes). to get the really big picture, it's possible to launch ie 4.0 or higher in an ultra-full screen 'kiosk' mode, without toolbars or navigation controls. hit 'start/run' and type "iexplore -k www.webaddress.com" without the quotes and substituting 'webaddress' for whatever you wish. make a note of the keyboard shortcuts, below, 'cause even your taskbar will be hidden.* ** ctrl+a: select all (editing) alt+left arrow: back alt+right arrow: forward esc: stop f5: refresh ctrl+b: organize favorites ctrl+x: cut (editing) ctrl+c: copy (editing) ctrl+v: paste (editing) ctrl+f: find (on current page) ctrl+h: view history folder ctrl+l: open location dialog box ctrl+n: new window (opens in non-kiosk mode) ctrl+o: open location dialog box (same as ctrl+l) ctrl+p: print ctrl+r: refresh ctrl+s: save ctrl+alt+shift+f4: close all windows (thanks, wingman!) ctrl+w close (same as alt+f4) this last cool ie tweak is from david prager of techtv screensavers. to find out some other cool stuff that can be done in this mode, go here. *correction! thanks to 'wdj' who sent this: "in kiosk mode , you can hit the window key + m to display the taskbar." thanks! **wingman reminds us that the full-screen mode can be accessed by hitting f11 while internet explorer is open. this will allow a view nearly as large as kiosk, but leaves naviogation elements in a strip across the top. thanks, bro'.

as discussed in the windows tweaks section, 92% of us run windows and microsoft is gradually ceasing the support (and updates) for earlier versions of windows. hence, we're forced to upgrade. the newest system from redding is winxp, a leap i chose to take at the earliest opportunity. there's a lot to like as well as some downsides.

in the plus column, winxp is stable. restarts occur only when called for by software installation rather than as the system slows with use (as occurs with win9.x/me). it's also visually stunning, the most esthetically exciting windows ever, with more options for customization and personalization than any previous system, and this right out of the box without additional software. one strike against upgrading now to xp is that some legacy (particularly prewin2000) hardware may not work and drivers will never become available for older stuff. tip: occasionally, non-functioning or untested hardware will work with winxp if installed in the safe mode. the major objection (and the first addressed in the tips below) is windows product activation (wpa). after 30 days, microsoft must be contacred for an activation code. enter it incorrectly and your computer will lock you out making data inaccessible. this system has been cracked and may yet be abandoned or modified due to public outcry in resistance to the system. the wpa system is still in its infancy and it remains to be seen where it goes from here. special winxp note: while allowing windows (any flavor) to 'auto-update' is distasteful to most users who want control over their own systems, checks should be made with microsoft regularly for critical updates, and such updates should be downloaded and installed. it is the consensus of experienced winxp users, however, that the drivers updates offered for xp users are frequently determined in error and cause problems. get 'em from a more reliable source like the manufacturers or chipmakers.

win xp tips activate once forever windows will require re-activation if several pieces of hardware are changed at one time. it makes sense to try to spread these installations out to avoid the hassle. but what if the winxp os must be re-installed on the same system? to avoid having to re-activate, keep a copy of wpa.dbl from the system32 folder with your backups. make sure to create a fresh copy with any hardware upgrade. upon re-installing winxp, just copy wpa.dbl back to the system32 folder to skip activation. deactivate winxp 'spyware' although mentioned on the windows tweaks page, it's worth repeating here if you missed it. win xp users have a new set of security issues, including a plethora of default settings that cause 'phone home' activity, automatic updates and downloads without user choice or intervention. the method for manually disabling these is here. free software to change these settings easily is here. winxp power toys this versatile (unsupported) collection of goodies from microsoft includes: tweak ui: provides access to system settings that are not exposed in the windows xp default user interface, including mouse settings, explorer settings, taskbar

settings, and more. super-fast user switcher: switch between users without having to go through the logon screen (see quick tips, below, for another way). open command window here: adds an "open command window here" context menu option on file system folders. taskbar magnifier: magnify part of the screen from the taskbar. power calculator: graph and evaluate functions as well as perform many different types of conversions. image resizer: resize one or many image files with a right-click. cd slide show generator: view images burned to a cd as a slide show. virtual desktop manager: manage up to four desktops from the windows taskbar. multi-monitors is much better. webcam timershot: lets you take pictures at specified time intervals from a webcam connected to your computer and save them to a location that you designate. html slide show wizard: helps you create an html slide show of your digital pictures, ready to place on your web site. microsoft pulled power toys for winxp to de-bug them, and re-released them on april 23, 2002. this time, these proggies are available seperately which is a good thing. click here to see 'em. don't forget ie powertoys, a cool collection of enhancements designed for ie5.x but which work beautifully with ie6.x. find it on the internet page. useful, fun and the price is right. hide recycle bin yes, there's a registry or 'inf' file hack for this, but why? download tweakui, above, change the recycle bin to a folder (so you can move it off the desktop, like into my documents), eliminate the icon and revel in your pristine desktop, without an icon to be seen (if you choose). hey, your wallpaper looks great! remove 'shortcut to' prefix and arrow see tweakui, above. don't hack the registry unnecessarily. dig into the system while there is a code that can be entered at a command-line prompt (ipconfig) which will display or allow configuration of ip information, but a sweeter solution is the gui goodness of the familiar winipcfg from win 9.x/me. download it from microsoft here, install it, then just hit, start/run, type winipcfg and hit 'enter.' you're so clever. to access information on your entire system, including hardware, installed software application info and more, hit start/run and type winmsd. to access more information as well as change default startup items (harmlessly), try start/run msconfig. task manager in winxp is a versatile tool which displays running applications and processes (ala ctrl/alt/del in win 9.x/me) as well as graphical display of performance items like cpu, page file usage and networking information. right-

click on the taskbar and select 'task manager (keyboard shortcut ctrl/shift/esc), try it & see. to configure virtually any aspect of winxp hardware, software and behavior, hit start/run, type gpedit.msc and hit 'enter' to access the group policy editor. this is where you can turn off 'autoplay' for cd-roms if you wish. have fun in there. those nasty balloon tips these things are like the neighbor's wind chimes; an annoyance foisted upon us against our will that only gets more irritating with time. the quick, easy method of disposal is with 'group policy editor, above. no third-party software or registry hacking is necessary. choose' disable balloon tips' and breathe a sigh of relief. too bad there's no 'delete' button for annoying neighbors. winxp quick tips there are several methods (some involve risky and unnecessary registry hacks) for removing the persistent and annoying msn messenger. hit 'start/run' then copy and paste the following: 'rundll32 advpack.dll,launchinfsection %windir%\inf\msmsgs.inf,blc.remove' (without the quotes). hit enter and it's gone. to enable sending items wherever you wish on your computer easily, enable hidden and systems folders in the 'view' folder settings, open c:\documents and settings\your_user_name\sendto\ and add shortcuts to whatever locations you wish. instantly switch between users by depressing the win key and 'q' simultaneously. after a moment, all users appear. keep hitting 'q' to rotate between them. you will use far less memory if you keep multiple applications minimized rather than in open windows. to create a keyboard shortcut from a desktop shortcut, right-click on the shortcut, choose properties and enter the combination in the shortcut key box, including two of the following: ctrl, alt, and/or shift. ok out and it's done. to eliminate the annoying question "are you sure?" when you delete an item, rightclick on the recycle bin icon, choose 'properties' and remove the (default) checkmark from 'display delete confirmation dialog.' prefetch works great a cleanout every few 'prefetch' folder in click on any item in

to speed up operations in winxp, but the default folder needs weeks or the clutter will actually slow the system. open the c:\windows, left-click 'edit,' choose 'select all,' right the folder and choose 'delete' to dump everything.

unless you spend most computer time doing searches, this tweak will add a little speed to your system. open my computer, right-click on c:\ and select 'properties.' uncheck 'allow indexing service to index this disk for faster searches.' uncheck this ok out. select 'apply to all folders and subfolders' in the pop-up window. to prevent the operating system from asking for the winxp disk during installations, copy the i386 folder from the xp cd and paste in into the c:\ drive. that'll stop it. what? you actually used the briefcase in win9.x/me? ok, to get it back on the desktop in xp, go to c:\windows\system32\dllcache and double click on 'syncapp' to place it on your desktop.

if you've removed the recycle bin from the desktop (see registry hacks, below), you can access it by either from a 'desktop' toolbar added by right-clicking on the taskbar and choosing 'toolbars' and putting a checkmark by that setting or by opening 'my documents' & going up one level. if you don't want xp to display the programs in the start menu that it determines are used most frequently, right-click in the empty space on the left side of the menu, choose 'properties' then 'start menu' and customize. click on 'clear list' and set number to zero. right�click my computer, and then click 'properties' then 'advanced.' from here you can choose for what functions the greater portion of processing and power is used and set virtual memory if you're so inclined. to place the programs you want permanently on the start menu, right-click on the program from the pop-up menu and choose 'pin to start menu.' for a quick desktop shortcut to any folder, file or application, find the target on your hard drive, right-click and choose 'send to desktop.' new tips for june, 2002 shutting down winxp is a three-click process, but it's easy to make it a singleclick process, either from a desktop or taskbar icon. right-click on the desktop, choose 'new' then 'shortcut. a window will pop up with a dialog box for the shortcut path. type this exactly: c:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -s -t 00 keeping in mind that the last character is a zero, not a capital o (to make a similar shortcut for restart, substitute /r for /s). choose 'next' and type in a name for your new shortcut. right-click on your new shortcut, choose 'properties' then 'change icon' to make it attractive. leave it on your desktop or drag it to your taskbar. if you haven't already found it, making the text background that appears beneath desktop icons transparent is a snap. go to the control panel, choose 'system' then 'advanced'. click on the 'performance' tab then 'settings' and put a check in the 'use drop shadows' box. voila! to keep those ugly lines from forming beneath the text on your desktop icons, go to the control panel and choose 'folder options' to be certain that 'underline icon titles consistent with my browser' is checked. open 'internet options' then the 'advanced' tab. under 'browsing' look for 'underline links' and choose 'never.' now, doesn't that look better? now that the 'official' release of winxp has passed the six-month mark, some of you may be experiencing some performance degradation, the source of which can't be traced. before resorting the the sure-fire re-format and re-install, try this simple procedure. create a new user name (with administrator rights). see if this 'new user' experiences better performance. if so, switch to your original user name, transfer settings and accounts to the 'new user' and enjoy the improved performance. once you're satisfied that all settings and accounts have transferred properly, eliminate your old user name and run regcleaner to eliminate outdated settings. boot disk returns unlike win2000 or winme, winxp can and will produce a boot disk. stuff a floppy into the drive, open 'my computer' then '3 1/2" floppy drive,' right click and choose 'format'. from the drop-down menu, choose 'create startup disk.'

microsoft sez: "customer research shows a frequently requested feature that users want from their pcs is fast system startup, whether from cold boot or when resuming from standby or hibernation." if you're not booting in less than 30 seconds, go here & get the msoft tool that will speed up boot times with varying but (to my knowledge) never negative results save streaming media it's cool to listen to mp3s (or watch movies) over the internet. often, saving this media, however, seems impossible. hey, if it plays on your computer, it's on your hard drive. once the file is fully loaded and with folder view set to show hidden and systems folders, search for the media (.mp3 or .mpg). there it is! ie 6 stuff new security features in ie 6.x are cool, but if you'd rather not have the web pages you've viewed to be stored on your computer, you have to choose the option manually. from the 'tools' menu, select 'internet options,' then 'advanced.' under 'security,' check 'empty temporary internet files folder when browser is closed.' if you prefer google (as most do) as the search engine of choice, put the page on your hard drive ('file/save as' from ie 6.x), then open the saved with the browser and from 'tools/internet options/general,' choose 'use current' to have ie load instantly and already googlized.

appearance & esthetics "an ounce of appearance is worth a pound of production." ok, maybe not, but since i work for myself, i'm my own boss. what am i going to do, fire me? not likely. there are numerous options to dress up, customize and personalize winxp that were not available in previous windows versions. here's a bunch of them. i'll add more as they're revealed to me. please note that appearance options are an antithesis to performance options. this is a personal choice, but if you've got the horsepower you can have both. a processor over over a gig with half a gig of ram won't see much of a performance hit from dressing up the desktop, although you might want to drop some advanced graphic options for a fragfest. one-button adjustment to change the built-in functions for either speed or visual effects, right-click on the 'my computer' icon, then 'properties' and the 'advanced' tab. hit the 'settings' button and choose either 'adjust for best appearance' or 'adjust for best performance' to flip the switch on all of the graphical enhancements. folder icons for all folders except thumbnails, pictures may be added or different icons may be chose, either from those in shell32.dll (default) or from any icon collection on your hard drive. just right-click on the folder, choose 'properties' then the 'customize' tab & browse away. clear type innovation this little goody, originally developed for laptops, will enhance your experience, both on and off the internet. hey. don't take my word for it, go here, say 'yes'

for the little program install the tune and tweak to you heart's content. you will enjoy the results. change is good and so easy the quickest way to change your user name and the picture that appears next to it on the start menu is to double-click on that picture. from the menu that appears, you can change lotsa stuff. pick a new picture. the pictures are 48 x 48 by default, but windows xp will resize whatever you choose. the closer to the default size (and square), the better your results will be. scan your face. have fun with it. you can also prevent the irritating highlighting of newly-installed programs. leave the option 'set up my account to use .net passport' alone 'cause it's a security nightmare. your desktop - your choices right-click on the desktop. select 'properties' then the 'desktop' tab. hit the 'customize desktop' button and select which icons you want to appear. in order to allow items (like custom shortcuts) to be added to the taskbar, just right-click on it, choose 'toolbars' then 'quick launch.' delete any icons you don't want, drag shortcuts from the desktop to this new area. folder options each folder can use its own display properties, set from the 'view' drop-down menu. thumbnails makes sense for folders that contain images, of course. to speed the loading of this option go to the control panel and click 'folder options.' under the 'view' tab, be certain that 'do not cache thumbnails' is not checked. the ultimate appearance tweak microsoft sez: "you can connect up to 10 monitors to your windows xp-based computer and display numerous programs or windows at one time. you can use your mouse to move items from one monitor to another. you can open a different file on each monitor. or several. or you can stretch one item across several monitors; so for example, you can see more columns in a microsoft excel spreadsheet, or the entire layout of a web page, without scrolling." consider it. monitors and pci video cards are pretty cheap now. windows recognizes the addition & allows easy adjustments on the 'display properties/settings' menu.

registry hacks editing the windows registry, while much more common now than in years past, is still not to be entered into lightly. you can break windows, cause boot failure, yada, yada. i know you're gonna do it anyway; why else would you be reading this. just be careful, ok? these are few because, for the most part winxp can be customized through the interlace or with third-party freeware (as above). all of the tips below require running regedit. to do so, hit 'start/run' then type 'regedit' and follow the instructions. naturally, i take no responsibility for any damage or loss of data the remote possibility that something goes terribly wrong.

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outlook explorer splash if it's important enough to you to edit the registry in order to get rid of the oe splash page, here's how. with regedit open, go to hkey_current_user\identities\{long number here will vary}\software\microsoft\outlook express\5.0. left-click on 5.0 then right-click on a blank space in the pane on the right side. choose 'new' dword and name it nsplash with a value of 1. unload dlls to prevent windows from caching dlls after the program using them has closed, follow this procedure: navigate to hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\ then left-click on explorer. right-click (as above) and create the dword alwaysunloaddll with a value of 1. this requires a reboot to take effect. this will allow memory to be used more efficiently. hack ie title bar this can be an impressive bit of personalization. use your name or moniker to brand internet explorer. go to hkey_current_user\software\microsoft\internet explorer\ and left-click on main to change the string "window title" to whatever you wish. encode mp3s with wimp install an mp3 codec (compression/decompression, required for this operation). you can download it here. once installed, navigate to the following string in regedit: hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\mediaplayer\settings\ then to mp3encoding and set the following: "lowrate"=dword:0000dac0 "mediumrate"=dword:0001f400 "mediumhighrate"=dword:0003e800 "highrate"=dword:0004e200 after reboot, you'll be in the mp3 business without third-party software.