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    Boost FPS and Computer speed !!

    Win XP Tweaks

    -----------
    STARTUP
    -----------


    Windows Prefetcher
    ******************
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management \ PrefetchParameters]

    Under this key there is a setting called EnablePrefetcher, the default setting of which is 3. Increasing this number to 5 gives the prefetcher system more system resources to prefetch application data for faster load times. Depending on the number of boot processes you run on your computer, you may get benefits from settings up to 9. However, I do not have any substantive research data on settings above 5 so I cannot verify the benefits of a higher setting. This setting also may effect the loading times of your most frequently launched applications. This setting will not take effect until after you reboot your system.


    Master File Table Zone Reservation
    **********************************
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ FileSystem]

    Under this key there is a setting called NtfsMftZoneReservation, the default setting of which is 1. The range of this value is from 1 to 4. The default setting reserves one-eighth of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 2 reserves one-quarter of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 3 for NtfsMftZoneReservation reserves three-eighths of the volume for the MFT and setting it to 4 reserves half of the volume for the MFT. Most users will never exceed one-quarter of the volume. I recommend a setting of 2 for most users. This allows for a "moderate number of files" commensurate with the number of small files included in most computer games and applications. Reboot after applying this tweak.


    Optimize Boot Files
    *******************
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Dfrg \ BootOptimizeFunction]

    Under this key is a text value named Enable. A value of Y for this setting enables the boot files defragmenter. This setting defragments the boot files and may move the boot files to the beginning (fastest) part of the partition, but that last statement is unverified. Reboot after applying this tweak.

    Optimizing Startup Programs [msconfig]
    **************************************

    MSConfig, similar to the application included in Win9x of the same name, allows the user to fine tune the applications that are launched at startup without forcing the user to delve deep into the registry. To disable some of the applications launched, load msconfig.exe from the run command line, and go to the Startup tab. From there, un-ticking the checkbox next to a startup item will stop it from launching. There are a few application that you will never want to disable (ctfmon comes to mind), but for the most part the best settings vary greatly from system to system.

    As a good rule of thumb, though, it is unlikely that you will want to disable anything in the Windows directory (unless it's a third-party program that was incorrectly installed into the Windows directory), nor will you want to disable anything directly relating to your system hardware. The only exception to this is when you are dealing with software, which does not give you any added benefits (some OEM dealers load your system up with software you do not need). The nice part of msconfig is that it does not delete any of the settings, it simply disables them, and so you can go back and restart a startup application if you find that you need it. This optimization won't take effect until after a reboot.

    Bootvis Application
    *******************
    The program was designed by Microsoft to enable Windows XP to cold boot in 30 seconds, return from hibernation in 20 seconds, and return from standby in 10 seconds. Bootvis has two extremely useful features. First, it can be used to optimize the boot process on your computer automatically. Second, it can be used to analyze the boot process for specific subsystems that are having difficulty loading. The first process specifically targets the prefetching subsystem, as well as the layout of boot files on the disk. When both of these systems are optimized, it can result in a significant reduction in the time it takes for the computer to boot.

    Before attempting to use Bootvis to analyze or optimize the boot performance of your system, make sure that the task scheduler service has been enabled – the program requires the service to run properly. Also, close all open programs as well – using the software requires a reboot.

    To use the software to optimize your system startup, first start with a full analysis of a fresh boot. Start Bootvis, go to the Tools menu, and select next boot. Set the Trace Repetition Settings to 2 repetitions, Start at 1, and Reboot automatically. Then set the trace into motion. The system will fully reboot twice, and then reopen bootvis and open the second trace file (should have _2 in the name). Analyze the graphs and make any changes that you think are necessary (this is a great tool for determining which startup programs you want to kill using msconfig). Once you have made your optimizations go to the Trace menu, and select the Optimize System item. This will cause the system to reboot and will then make some changes to the file structure on the hard drive (this includes a defragmentation of boot files and a shifting of their location to the fastest portion of the hard disk, as well as some other optimizations). After this is done, once again run a Trace analysis as above, except change the starting number to 3. Once the system has rebooted both times, compare the charts from the second trace to the charts for the fourth trace to show you the time improvement of the system's boot up.

    The standard defragmenter included with Windows XP will not undo the boot optimizations performed by this application.



    -----------------------------------
    General Performance Tweaks
    -----------------------------------


    IRQ Priority Tweak
    ******************
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl]

    You will need to create a new DWORD: IRQ#Priority (where # is the number of the IRQ you want to prioritize) and give it a setting of 1. This setting gives the requisite IRQ channel priority over the other IRQs on a software level. This can be extremely important for functions and hardware subsystems that need real-time access to other parts of the system. There are several different subsystems that might benefit from this tweak. Generally, I recommend giving either the System CMOS or the video card priority. The System CMOS generally has an IRQ setting of 8, and giving it priority enhances the I/O performance of the system. Giving priority to the video card can increase frame rates and make AGP more effective.

    You can give several IRQs priority, but I am not entirely certain how the system interacts when several IRQs are given priority – it may cause random instabilities in the system, although it is more likely that there's a parsing system built into Windows XP to handle such an occurrence. Either way, I would not recommend it.

    QoS tweak
    *********
    QoS (Quality of Service) is a networking subsystem which is supposed to insure that the network runs properly. The problem with the system is that it eats up 20% of the total bandwidth of any networking service on the computer (including your internet connection). If you are running XP Professional, you can disable the bandwidth quota reserved for the system using the Group Policy Editor [gpedit.msc].

    You can run the group policy editor from the Run command line. To find the setting, expand "Local Computer Policy" and go to "Administrative Templates" under "Computer Configuration." Then find the "Network" branch and select "QoS Packet Scheduler." In the right hand box, double click on the "Limit Reservable Bandwidth." From within the Settings tab, enable the setting and then go into the "Bandwidth Limit %" and set it to 0%. The reason for this is that if you disable this setting, the computer defaults to 20%. This is true even when you aren't using QoS.

    Free Idle Tasks Tweak
    *********************

    This tweak will free up processing time from any idle processes and allow it to be used by the foreground application. It is useful particularly if you are running a game or other 3D application. Create a new shortcut to "Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks" and place it on your desktop. Double-click on it anytime you need all of your processing power, before opening the application.

    Windows Indexing Services
    Windows Indexing Services creates a searchable database that makes system searches for words and files progress much faster – however, it takes an enormous amount of hard drive space as well as a significant amount of extra CPU cycles to maintain the system. Most users will want to disable this service to release the resources for use by the system. To turn off indexing, open My Computer and right click on the drive on which you wish to disable the Indexing Service. Enter the drive's properties and under the general tab, untick the box for "Allow the Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching."

    Priority Tweak
    **************
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl]

    This setting effectively runs each instance of an application in its own process for significantly faster application performance and greater stability. This is extremely useful for users with stability problems, as it can isolate specific instances of a program so as not to bring down the entire application. And, it is particularly useful for users of Internet Explorer, for if a rogue web page crashes your browser window, it does not bring the other browser windows down with it. It has a similar effect on any software package where multiple instances might be running at once, such as Microsoft Word. The only problem is that this takes up significantly more memory, because such instances of a program cannot share information that is in active memory (many DLLs and such will have to be loaded into memory multiple times). Because of this, it is not recommended for anyone with less than 512 MB of RAM, unless they are running beta software (or have some other reason for needing the added stability).

    There are two parts to this tweak. First is to optimize XP's priority control for the processes. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl and set the "Win32PrioritySeparation" DWORD to 38. Next, go into My Computer and under Tools, open the Folder Options menu. Select the View tab and check the "Launch folder windows in separate process" box. This setting actually forces each window into its own memory tread and gives it a separate process priority.

    Powertweak application
    **********************
    xxx.powertweak.com

    Powertweak is an application, which acts much like a driver for our chipsets. It optimizes the communication between the chipset and the CPU, and unlocks several "hidden" features of the chipset that can increase the speed of the system. Specifically, it tweaks the internal registers of the chipset and processor that the BIOS does not for better communication performance between subsystems. Supported CPUs and chipsets can see a significant increase in I/O bandwidth, increasing the speed of the entire system. Currently the application supports most popular CPUs and chipsets, although you will need to check the website for your specific processor/chipset combo – the programmer is working on integrating even more chipsets and CPUs into the software.

    Offload Network Task Processing onto the Network Card
    *****************************************************
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ Tcpip \ Parameters]

    Many newer network cards have the ability of taking some of the network processing load off of the processor and performing it right on the card (much like Hardware T&L on most new video cards). This can significantly lower the CPU processes needed to maintain a network connection, freeing up that processor time for other tasks. This does not work on all cards, and it can cause network connectivity problems on systems where the service is enabled but unsupported, so please check with your NIC manufacturer prior to enabling this tweak. Find the DWORD "DisableTaskOffload" and set the value to 0 (the default value is 1). If the key is not already available, create it.

    Force XP to Unload DLLs
    ***********************
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer]
    "AlwaysUnloadDLL"=dword:00000001

    XP has a bad habit of keeping dynamic link libraries that are no longer in use resident in memory. Not only do the DLLs use up precious memory space, but they also tend to cause stability problems in some systems. To force XP to unload any DLLs in memory when the application that called them is no longer in memory, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer and find the DWORD "AlwaysUnloadDLL". You may need to create this key. Set the value to 1 to force the operating system to unload DLLs.

    Give 16-bit apps their own separate processes
    *********************************************
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ WOW]
    "DefaultSeparateVDM"="Yes"

    By default, Windows XP will only open one 16-bit process and cram all 16-bit apps running on the system at a given time into that process. This simulates how MS-DOS based systems viewed systems and is necessary for some older applications that run together and share resources. However, most 16-bit applications work perfectly well by themselves and would benefit from the added performance and stability of their own dedicated resources. To force Windows XP to give each 16-bit application it's own resources, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ WOW and find the String "DefaultSeparateVDM". If it is not there, you may need to create it. Set the value of this to Yes to give each 16-bit application its own process, and No to have the 16-bit application all run in the same memory space.

    Disable User Tracking
    *********************
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer]
    "NoInstrumentation"=dword:00000001

    The user tracking system built into Windows XP is useless to 99% of users (there are very few uses for the information collected other than for a very nosy system admin), and it uses up precious resources to boot, so it makes sense to disable this "feature" of Windows XP. To do so, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer and find the DWORD "NoInstrumentation". You may need to create this key if it is not there. The default setting is 0, but setting it to 1 will disable most of the user tracking features of the system.

    Thumbnail Cache
    ***************
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced]
    "DisableThumbnailCache"=dword:00000001

    Windows XP has a neat feature for graphic and video files that creates a "thumbnail" of the image or first frame of the video and makes it into an oversized icon for the file. There are two ways that Explorer can do this, it can create them fresh each time you access the folder or it can load them from a thumbnail cache. The thumbnail caches on systems with a large number of image and video files can become staggeringly large. To disable the Thumbnail Cache, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced and find the DWORD "DisableThumbnailCache". You may need to create this key. A setting of 1 is recommended for systems where the number of graphic and video files is large, and a setting of 0 is recommended for systems not concerned about hard drive space, as loading the files from the cache is significantly quicker than creating them from scratch each time a folder is accessed.

    Boost FPS and Computer speed !!
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    Services to turn off:
    Alerter
    Application Management
    Automatic Updates
    ClipBook
    Distributed Link Tracking Client
    Error Reporting Service
    Fast User Switching Compatibility
    Messenger
    Portable Media Serial Number Service
    Remote Registry
    Routing and Remote Access
    Task Scheduler
    Telnet
    TPC/IP NetBIOS Helper
    Uninterruptible Power Supply


    Change "Recycle Bin" size to 1%


    Registry Hacks:

    Auto Sort Start Menu
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder
    Go to Edit/Permissions, click Advanced, clear the "Inherit From Parent" check box, click Copy from the dialog box, click OK and then clear the "Full Control" for your account and now Windows will autp sort the start menu, but you can still do it too

    Disable User Tracking
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
    Add or Edit DWORD = NoInstrumentation, Value = 1
    Disables Windows user tracking; better performance, much better privacy

    Cache Thumbnails
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
    Add or Edit DWORD = DisableThumbnailCache, Value = 1
    Disables thumbnails in Windows, saving hard drive space

    Kill Chrashed Apps Quicker
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
    Add or Edit Sring = HungAppTimeout, Value = 1000-5000
    Cuts time for Windows to recongize a crashed application and allow you to kill it; default is 5000(for 5 seconds)

    Faster Start Menu
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
    Add or Edit Sring = MenuShowDelay, Value = 0 - 400
    Changes the delay that for Windows to show a menu in the start menu; value is in ms

    Network Intelligently
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
    Add or Edit String = DisableTaskOffload, Value = 1
    Frees processor from doing network-card work

    Browse the Network Faster
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComp uter\NameSpace
    Delete subkeys {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D} and {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}
    Speeds up network browsing of old Windows machines on the LAN by ignoring their scheduled tasks and printers


    Remove Compression Option In Disk Cleanup
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCach es\Compress old files
    Delete the Default Value Key and the next time you start Disk Cleanup, it will skip the compression analyisis


    Windows XP Startup and Performance Tweaks

    Windows XP is now the predominant consumer OS of both gamers and power users. Sure, many of us still dual-boot with Win9x, because it is faster for many games, but the joy of a true 32-bit operating system with full consumer support is too much for many of us to remain loyal to NT 4.0 or Windows 2000. Now that Windows XP has matured past its infancy and many (but by far not all) of the bugs have been shaken out of it, Ars Technica brings you the first in a series of tweak guides for this illustrious and yet somewhat finicky OS.

    This first guide aims to cover two main areas of contention: the boot process (sans the system services, which are an entire guide of their own) and a mishmash of general computing tweaks. The boot tweaks will be comprised of not only system settings, but also several under-utilized applications that can dramatically reduce load time. The general performance tweaks are simply various tweaks that do not quite fit in with the theme of this article, but still have a significant effect on system startup performance (because most any tweaks that one performs should have some kind of effect on the startup time of the system).

    Before we begin, several pieces of laundry need to be aired out. To begin with, if you have already tweaked the services on the computer in question, please return them to the default settings. One of the applications I am recommending requires that several systems be enabled that most power users frequently disable (e.g., Task Scheduler). Once you have completed the tweaks mentioned in this guide, feel free to return said services back to your preferred settings, as they only need to be enabled for a short time.

    View

    Windows XP Tweaking – Startup and General Performance Tweaks: Page 1


    -All Copy Pasted<

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    Windows Xp: Speed Up Your, Speed Up Your Network and Internet Access

    I have a dial up connection and it improve my speeds about 25% in surfing the internet. give it a try. Im IT , only do it if you feel comfortable with changing registry.

    Increasing network browsing speed

    Does your computer slow down when you browse your local area network and connect to other computers that are sharing data? One of the most common causes of this slowdown is a feature of Windows Explorer that looks for scheduled tasks on remote computers. This effort can take some time on some computers and can really slow down your browsing. The window with which you are browsing the network may appear to freeze momentarily, as the system is waiting for a response from the remote computer.

    Windows XP: Speeding Disk Access

    Although this problem is a complex one, the solution is very simple. Instead of having to wait for the remote scheduled tasks, which is useless information to anyone who is not a system administrator remotely configuring scheduled tasks, you can disable this feature.

    In order to do this, you will have to change the System Registry and delete a reference to a key so that this feature will not be loaded. To do this, follow these steps:

    1. Open up the Registry Editor by clicking the Start Menu and selecting Run. Then type regedit in the text box and click the OK button.

    2. Once the Registry Editor has loaded, expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key.

    3. Next, expand Software and then Microsoft.

    4. Locate Windows and expand that as well.

    5. You will want to be editing the main system files, so expand CurrentVersion.

    6. Because this feature is a feature of the Windows component known as Explorer, expand the Explorer key.

    7. Next, you will want to modify the remote computer settings, so expand the RemoteComputer key and then expand the NameSpace key to show all of the features that are enabled when you browse to a remote computer.

    8. In the NameSpace folder you will find two entries. One is "{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}" which tells Explorer to show printers shared on the remote machine. The other, "{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}," tells Explorer to show remote scheduled tasks. This is the one that you should delete. This can be done by right-clicking the name of the key and selecting Delete.

    Tip:
    If you have no use for viewing remote shared printers and are really only interested in shared files, consider deleting the printers key, "{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}", as well. This will also boost your browsing speed.

    Once you have deleted the key, you just need to restart and the changes will be in effect. Now your network computer browsing will be without needless delays.

    Hacking Windows XP Registry



    Structure of Windows XP Registry :


    When you will open the Windows XP Registry , you will see it's divided into two panes. On the left side there are Five main
    Keys as shown below. These can be expanded to several Sub-Keys, which further has many Sub-Keys.

    +HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

    +HKEY_CURRENT_USER

    +HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

    +HKEY_USERS

    +HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG







    Before you try out the Tweaks, learn how to Backup and Restore Windows XP Registry.
    Types of Registry Backups :
    It?s very important that before you do editing you make a backup of the current registry. If you ignore this warning, it might prove deadly for you?so better listen to me J
    Open your registry. Go to Start>Run , type regedit . When you invoke the Export function from File>Export, you are given a choice of different file types that can be saved :
    Registration Files (*.reg)
    Registry Hive Files (*.*)
    Text Files (*.txt)
    Win9x/NT 4 Registration Files (*.reg)
    All Files

    Each one of the different file types above plays an important role in how the data you export is saved. Choosing the wrong type can give you unexpected results. So let me explain you quickly these file types.

    Registrations Files : The Registration Files option creates a .reg file. This is the most well known file format used for backing up the registry. The Registration File can be used in two ways. As a text file it can be read and edited using Notepad outside of Registry Editor. Once the changes have been made and saved, right clicking the file and using the [Merge] command adds the changed file back into the registry. If you make additions to the registry using regedit and then merge the previously saved Registration File, anything that you've added via regedit will not be removed, but changes you make to data using regedit that previously existed in the saved Registration File will be overwritten when it is merged

    Registry Hive Files : Unlike the Registration Files option above, the Registry Hive Files option creates a binary image of the selected registry key. The image file is not editable via Notepad nor can you view its contents using a text editor. However, what the Registry Hive Files format does is create an image perfect view of the selected key and allow you to import it back into the registry to insure any problematic changes you made are eliminated.

    Text Files : This option does just as the name suggests. It creates a text file containing the information in the selected key. It's most useful purpose is creating a record or snapshot of a key at a particular point in time that you can refer back to if necessary. It cannot be merged back into the registry like a Registration File.

    Win9x/NT 4 Registration Files : This option creates a .reg file in the same manner used by the Registration Files option. It's used by previous Windows versions and serves no purpose in XP unless you want to merge a key from XP into a previous version of Windows.

    Out of the give above choices , the safest method of backing up registry is to use Registry Hive Files option. No matter what ever you do or goes wrong in editing, importing the image of the key will eliminate all changes.

    **Note-> I have included the exact name/value between [ ] brackets. [ & ] should be ignored, only the data inside them should be considered.



    1. Customize Windows Media Player Title Bar

    Change the title bar to read Windows Media Player provided by <your text>, so if I had entered text ?Abhishek Bhuyan? , it would read: Windows Media Player provided by Abhishek Bhuyan

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft
    Create the Key [WindowsMediaPlayer]
    Create String value named [TitleBar]

    Data Type: REG_SZ // Value Name: TitleBar
    Double click TitleBar and Enter the text to be displayed in the title bar.

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    2. Minimize Outlook 2002 to the System Tray

    If you frequently access Outlook during the day it?s more convenient to have it minimized to the system tray rather than invoking it each time you need to send/receive e-mail. This tweak minimizes Outlook 2002 to the system tray:

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Preferences

    Modify/Create Data Type DWORD named [MinToTray]
    Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    3. Specify Default IE Download Directory

    This tweak changes the default directory where downloads initiated in Internet Explorer are stored on the system.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer

    Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [Download Directory]
    Value Data: [Enter Path to Directory to be Assigned as Defualt for Downloads]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    4. Force Use of Classic Start Menu

    This tweak loads the Classic Start Menu and makes it impossible to change back to the Windows XP version

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

    Modify/Create the DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoSimpleStartMenu]
    Value Data: [0 = Default / 1 = Force Classic Start Menu]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    5. Hide/Show Internet Explorer Desktop Icon

    By default, Windows XP does not show the Internet Explorer icon on the Windows desktop. Using the registry tweak below allows you to control whether or not the Internet Explorer icon is displayed.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoInternetIcon]
    Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    6. Increase Menu Display Speed

    When you click on the Start Menu there is some delay to display the contents , just for no reason. Effects are pretty though. The default speed can be adjusted with a quick registry entry.

    The default value is 400. Set it to 0 and the delay is gone. If you are not able to adjust pick a number that suits your style and make the change.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

    Modify/Create String value of Data type REG_SZ Named [MenuShowDelay]

    Value Data: [Default = 400 / Adjust to Preference]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    7. Change the Location of Special Folders

    This tweak allows changing the location of special folders on the system. Any of the folders listed in the registry key may be moved.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to : HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserShell Folders

    Modify/Create String value of Data type REG_SZ Named [Various Folder Names]

    Data Type: REG_SZ [String Value] // Value Name: Consult RegEdit for Folder Names

    Value Data: [Move the folder to the new desired location using explorer, and then edit the matching folder in RegEdit to reflect the new folder location]

    Exit Registry and Reboot

    8. Faster Browsing in Windows Explorer on Network Computers

    By default, a Windows XP machine connecting to a Windows 95/98/Me computer will search for scheduled tasks or enabled printers on the remote computer. Two sub-keys control this behavior. Deleting them will speed up browsing on the remote computer.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComp uter\NameSpace

    To Disable Scheduled Task Checking
    Value Name: {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}
    Delete the sub-key in the left pane of Registry Editor

    To Disable Printer Checking
    Value Name: {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
    Delete the sub-key in the left pane of Registry Editor

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    9. Add Administrator Account to Log In Screen

    When Windows XP is first installed it requires you to enter at least one name of a user who will access the computer. Once you create this name the default Administrator account vanishes. To access it, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at the Welcome screen to retrieve the standard Windows 2000 logon dialog. Log on as Administrator from this point. To log the Administrator off, click [Start] [Log Off] and [Log Off] when the [Log Off Windows] selection box appears. The Log On screen with the available users will be displayed.

    To Make the Administrator Account Always Visible on the Login Screen use this Registry Tweak.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCALMACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Administrator]
    Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    10. Increase Internet Download Connections

    Increase Simultaneous Internet Download Connections. Increases the number of allowed simultaneous connections to ten (10).

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server]
    Setting for Value Data: [0000000a]

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [MaxConnectionsPerServer]
    Setting for Value Data: [0000000a]

    Exit Registry / Reboot


    11. Connected Web Files and Folders

    Connecting web files and folders allows a primary .htm or .html file to be moved in conjunction with files associated with the primary document. Once the primary document has been defined, create a sub-folder using the same name as the primary document but assign it a .files extension. Whenever the primary file is moved, the sub-folder will also move and remain as a sub-folder of the primary.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoFileFolderConnection]
    Setting for Value Data: [0 = Enabled (Default) / 1 = Disabled]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    12. Hide/Show My Documents Folder on Desktop

    By default, Windows XP does not show the My Documents folder on the Windows desktop. Using the registry tweak below allows you to control whether or not My Documents is displayed.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CLSID\{450D 8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\ShellFolder

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Attributes]
    Setting for Value Data: [Default = 0xf0400174 / Hidden = 0xf0500174]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    13. Create a Hidden User Account

    This tweak allows an account that is normally displayed on the Welcome screen to be hidden from view. To log on using the account it's necessary to use the Log On To Windows dialog box similar to the one in Windows 2000 i.e. press CTRL+ALT+DEL twice.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialA ccounts\UserList

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Type Name of Account to be Hidden]
    Setting for Value Data: [0 = Account is Hidden / 1 = Enabled]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    While the account is hidden on the Welcome screen, note that the account profile will be visible in C:\Documents and Settings or wherever user profiles are stored as well as in Local Users and Groups.

    14. Create Legal Notice Logon Dialog Box

    In situations where you need users to read a legal notice before logging on, this tweak will create the caption for the notice.

    Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

    Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LegalNoticeCaption]
    Value Data for LegalNoticeCaption: [Type the Caption for the Dialog Box]

    Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LegalNoticeText]
    Value Data for LegalNoticeText: [Type the Data for the Legal Notice]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    15. Manage Internet Explorer Error Reporting

    This tweak removes the IE Error Reporting tool from appearing with the option to send browser debugging reports to Microsoft.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

    Note:- Create both values listed below and set according to the bold type for the tweak to function properly.

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [IEWatsonEnabled]
    Value Data: [0 - Disabled / 1 - Enabled]

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [IEWatsonDisabled]
    Value Data: [0 - Disabled / 1 - Enabled]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    16. Customize Logon and Security Dialog Title

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\Winlogon

    Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [Welcome]
    Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    17. Customize Logon Box Message

    This is the message displayed on the Classic Logon box, not the XP ?Welcome? logon screen

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\Winlogon

    Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LogonPrompt]
    Value Data: [Enter the text of the message]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    18. Welcome Screen Logon Vs Classic Logon

    This tweak specifies whether the Welcome screen or the Classic logon will be used to access Windows XP.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [LogonType]
    Value Data: [0 - Classic Mode / 1 - Welcome Screen]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    19. QoS (Quality Of Service) Bandwidth Reserve Setting

    By default, Windows XP reserves 20% of the connection bandwidth for QoS traffic. This tweak allows the setting to be altered to a different percentage of connection bandwidth. If the system uses more than a single adapter for network connections, each adapter may be set individually by navigating to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Psched\Parameters\Adapters\ {Adpater-ID} rather than HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Psched

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Psched

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NonBestEffortLimit]
    Setting for Value Data: [Enter as a Percentage / Default Value = 20]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    20. Enable/Disable Save Password in DUN

    This tweak saves user passwords for Dial Up Networking so they do not have to be re-entered each session.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RasMan\Parameters

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [DisableSavePassword]
    Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled (Passwords Saved) / 1 = Enabled (Passwords Not Saved)]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    21. Change the Registered Organization/Owner of Windows XP

    This tweak allows modification of the registered owner and organization of the Windows XP software.

    Note:- This tweak has nothing to do with Windows Product Activation (WPA) and will not allow you to register illegal XP software.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    aGo to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

    Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [RegisteredOrganization] or [RegisteredOwner]
    Setting for Value Data: [Modify the Values to Reflect Current Information]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    22. Remove Links Folder in Favorites

    The Links folder is part of Favorites whether it's being accessed through Internet Explorer or the Favorites menu in the Start Menu. This tweak will remove it from those locations.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar

    Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LinksFolderName]
    Value Data: [Set the String Value to a blank string]

    Open Internet Explorer and manually delete the Links folder from Favorites Menu.
    The Links folder will not be recreated.

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    23. Enable/Disable Active Window Tracking to Mouse Movements

    When the mouse is moved over an open window it automatically sets the focus to that particular window. It does not bring the window to the foreground of the open windows.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [ActiveWindowTracking]
    Setting for Value Data: [0 = ActiveWindowTracking Disabled / 1 = ActiveWindowTracking Enabled]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    24. Auto Disconnect for Internet Explorer

    Use this edit to automatically disconnect from Internet Explorer after a specified length of time has elapsed. Use this trick on anyone whom you don?t like using your computer with net J

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Autodisconnect]
    Value Data: [Enter a new disconnect time. Use Hexadecimal if you are unfamiliar with Binary]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    25. Auto Reboot on System Crash

    By default, when the Windows XP operating system crashes an automatic reboot of the system occurs. While this behavior can be convenient, the downside is the error message accompanying the crash is not visible. Often times this information can be a great help in troubleshooting the source of the crash. This behavior can be modified in two ways; via the registry or using the System Properties property sheet.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [AutoReboot]
    Setting for Value Data: [0 = AutoReboot Disabled / 1 = AutoReboot Enabled]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    Open System Properties via Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > System

    [System Properties may also be opened using the WinKey+Pause key combination]

    Select the Advanced tab and then click Settings in the Startup and Recovery section

    In System Failure section, clear the checkbox next to Automatically Restart

    Click OK and OK to exit

    26. Modify Control Panel Categories

    Even if you like the new style for Control Panel, you might at times wish you could shift some items around into a different category. It's possible.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Choose one of the applets with .cpl extension]

    Setting for Value Data: [Select the value from table below]

    Other Control Panel Options 0
    Appearance and Themes 1
    Printers and Other Hardware 2
    Network and Internet Connections 3
    Sounds, Speed, and Audio Devices 4
    Performance and Maintenance 5
    Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options 6
    Accessibility Options 7
    Add or Remove Programs 8
    User Accounts 9

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    To further customize the items that appear in the new Control Panel, do a search of your system for all files that end in .cpl extension. If they aren't already listed, you can add them with a new DWORD value and then assign them to a category of your choosing.

    27. Enable/Disable Run Commands Specific to the Registry

    This tweak controls the use of the Run command on the local machine

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Policies\Explorer

    Create a DWORD value of Data Type REG_DWORD for each Run function that will be disabled.

    Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableLocalMachineRun]
    Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableLocalMachineRunOnce]

    Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableCurrentUserRun]
    Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableCurrentUserRunOnce]

    Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    28. Enable/Disable System Properties Access from My Computer

    This tweak removes access to System Properties via My Computer as well as via Control Panel.

    [Start] [Run] [Regedit]

    Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

    Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoPropertiesMyComputer]
    Value Data: [0 - Display Properties / 1 - Hide Properties]

    Exit Registry / Reboot

    29. Uninstall Programs Manually

    Just because Windows XP has the Add/Remove Programs feature it doesn't mean your application will appear in the list. Furthermore, even if it does appear, it's no guarantee that the uninstall feature will work. When you run across one of these situations the items listed below will help in getting rid of the application. Be aware that these steps may not remove everything associated with the application and can impact other applications on the computer. Have a backup or restore point and use caution.

    Find the directory for the application and delete all the files in the directory. Delete the directory.

    Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.

    Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.

    To remove the application entry from Add/Remove Programs (if present) open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.

    Some applications have Services attached to them. If this is the case, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services, locate and delete the service.

    In Windows Explorer, navigate to the individual user settings and delete program references. Common places to check would be:

    C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs and delete relevant entries.

    C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and delete relevant entries.

    C:\Documents and Settings\%YourUserID%\Start Menu\Programs and delete relevant entries.

    [Do this for each User ID listed]

    C:\Documents and Settings\%YourUserID%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and delete relevant entries.

    [Do this for each User ID listed]

    If no entries were found in the previous step and the application launches automatically, navigate to

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows

    and delete the entry.

    30. Create a right-click command prompt option

    You can right-click a folder to get a list of actions you can apply to it. Here?s a way to create an action on that right-click menu that opens a command prompt window with that folder as the current directory. In a text editor such as Notepad, type the following exactly:

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\Cmd Here]

    @=?Command &Prompt Here?

    [HKEY_CLASSES-ROOT\Folder\shell\Cmd Here\command]

    @=?cmd.exe /k pushd %L?



    Save the file with any name you want, with a .reg extension. Then double-click the saved file and choose Yes to merge the file?s information into the Registry. You can delete the file. Right-click any folder and you?ll see the CommandPrompt Here option.

    31. Adjusting System Restore values

    The new System Restore feature in Windows XP automatically backs up a snapshot of your system, including your Registry, every 24 hours. It also saves restore points for 90 days. Neither of these values is directly editable in the System Restore program, but you can change them in the Registry. Go to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore

    You?ll find an assortment of settings here. To change the interval between automatically created restore points, change the RPGlobalInterval setting. To change the number of days that a restore point is retained, change the RPLifeInterval setting.

    System Restore time intervals are measured in seconds, not days, so you must convert the number of days you want into seconds. There are 86,400 seconds in a day, so multiply 86,400 by the number of days you want to determine the value. (There are 3,600 seconds in an hour, I hope you know)

    32. Erase the swap file at shutdown

    You might be concerned about someone browsing your users? swap files and gathering up little bits of their sensitive data. A remote possibility, to be sure, but it could happen. For that extra measure of security, go to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

    Set the ClearPageFileAtShutdown DWORD to 1. This will make shutdowns take longer, because it overwrites everything in the swap file with zeroes. Don?t turn this feature on unless you have a serious security threat.

    33. Delete the Files Stored on This Computer category in the My Computer window

    In Windows XP, the My Computer window?s listing is broken down by categories: Hard Disk Drives, Devices with Removable Storage, and so on. One of these categories is Files Stored on This Computer, which appears at the top of the My Computer window. If a user doesn?t need it , you can get rid of it. To do so, go to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer \
    NameSpace\Delegate Folders

    Delete the {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c55595fe6b30ee} subkey to remove the category.

    34. Change the desktop cleanup frequency

    Through Display Properties (Desktop tab, Customize Desktop button, General tab), you can turn on and off a feature that runs the Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days. You don?t have an option to set a different interval there, but you can change the interval in the Registry. To do so, go to:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\Cle anupWiz

    Change the Days Between Clean Up Value to some other number of days (in decimal format).

    35. Sort menus alphabetically

    When you install a new program for a user, it doesn?t find its place in the alphabetical Start menu hierarchy right away; it hangs out at the bottom for a little while. If your users employ the Classic Start menu, they can re-alphabetize it manually by right-clicking the taskbar and choosing Properties, clicking the Customize button next to the Classic Start Menu, and clicking the Sort button. With the Windows XP style of Start menu, however, you don?t have an equivalent button. To make Windows always alphabetize the list, remove the permissions from the Registry key that controls the sort order for the Start menu. To do so, go to:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder

    Choose Edit | Permissions and click the Advanced button. Deselect the Inherit From Parent The Permission Entries That Apply To Child Objects check box and then click Copy when the Security dialog box pops up. Click OK and clear the Full Control entry for your account and all security groups you are a member of. Leave only Read permission.

    36. Prevent programs from loading at startup

    Remember back in the good old days of Windows 3.1 when you could open up the Win.ini file in a text editor and remove an item from the RUN= line to disable it from running at startup? With Windows 9x and above, the Win.ini file became less useful because 32-bit programs were set to run at startup from within the Registry instead.

    One way to selectively disable programs from loading at startup is to use MSCONFIG (from the Run command) to deselect certain items. Another way to remove them is to edit the Registry directly. Consider the following locations:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

    for applications that start up for all users

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

    for applications that start up when the current user logs on

    Remove the entry for a program by right-clicking it and selecting Delete to prevent it from loading.

    37. Change categories in the Control Panel

    Windows XP?s Control Panel is broken down by category in the default Category view, but the group to which an item belongs is not always obvious. If you disagree with Microsoft?s assignments, you can switch them around. To assign a different category to an item, go to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\
    {305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2

    Find the item you want to change and double-click it to bring up a dialog box. Change the item?s DWORD value to your preference. Use the Table given below as a guide (shown with decimal numbers, which is the way you should enter them).

    DWORD value to set

    Other Control Panel Options 0

    Appearance and Themes 1

    Printers and Other Hardware 2

    Network and Internet Connections 3

    Sounds, Speed, and Audio Devices 4

    Performance and Maintenance 5

    Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options 6

    Accessibility Options 7

    Add or Remove Programs 8

    User Accounts 9

    38. Grouping multiple open windows

    Windows XP will group multiple open windows (IE windows for example) into one group on the task bar to keep the taskbar clear. This can be annoying at times - especially when comparing different web pages because you have to go back to the task bar, click on the group and then click on the page you want and then you only get one page because you have to click on each one separately. I think the default for this is 8 windows - any combination of apps or utilities open.

    You can modify this behavior by adding this registry key at:

    HKEY_CURRRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\

    add a Dword value of type REG_DWORD named [TaskbarGroupSize]

    modify "TaskbarGroupSize" entry to be the number of windows you want open before XP starts to group them on the task bar.

    A value of 2 will cause the Taskbar buttons to always group

    Another tweak is to disable or enable recent documents history. This can be done at:

    HKEY_CURRRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\

    this key should already be present - if it isn't you'll need to add it:

    Add a Binary value of type REG_BINARY named [NoRecentDocsHistory]

    modify it so that value reads 01 00 00 00

    39. Disable Tips

    To disable Ballon tips in Windows XP do this registry tweak

    Go to : HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

    Create a new DWORD value, name it EnableBalloonTips, and set it equal to 0. If EnableBalloonTips is already there and equal to 1, set it equal to 0. Quit the registry editor, log off, and log back on. Voila! Your computer will stop talking down to you.

    40. Add/Remove optional features of Windows XP

    To dramatically expand the list of applications you can remove from Windows XP after installation, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf and open the sysoc.inf file. {Opps , if you didn?t find the inf directory, you are right. It?s a hidden folder, so go to Tools>Folder Options> View , enable Show Hidden Files & Folders.}

    [Version]

    Signature = "$Windows NT$"

    DriverVer=07/01/2001,5.1.2600.0

    [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

    RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7

    IEAccess=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,ieaccess.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

    [Global]

    WindowTitle=%WindowTitle%

    WindowTitle.StandAlone="*"

    The entries that include the text hide or HIDE will not show up in Add/Remove Windows Components by default. To fix this, do a global search and replace for ,hide and change each instance of this to , (a comma). Then, save the file, re launch Add/Remove Windows Components,

    41. Remove Windows Messenger

    It seems that a lot of people are interested in removing Windows Messenger for some reason, though I strongly recommend against this: In Windows XP, Windows Messenger will be the hub of your connection to the .NET world, and now that this feature is part of Windows, I think we're going to see a lot of .NET Passport-enabled Web sites appearing as well. But if you can't stand the little app, there are a couple of ways to get rid of it, and ensure that it doesn't pop up every time you boot into XP. The best way simply utilizes the previous tip:

    If you'd like Windows Messenger to show up in the list of programs you can add and remove from Windows, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf and open sysoc.inf (see the previous tip for more information about this file). You'll see a line that reads:

    msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7

    Change this to the following and Windows Messenger will appear in Add or Remove Programs, then Add/Remove Windows Components, then , and you can remove it for good:

    msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,7

    42. Rename multiple files ( it is not a Registry tweak though. I thought this to be really cool, so I have put it here)

    A new, small, neat feature for Windows XP deals with renaming files. I personally have always wanted the OS to include a way to do a mass file renaming on a bunch of files. You can now rename multiple files at once .Its really simple:

    Select several files in Explorer, press F2 and rename one of those files to something else. All the selected files get renamed to the new file name (plus a number added to the end). Simple J




    I hope you enjoyed the above Registry tricks ! May be next time I?ll come up with more. That's all for now .
    To know more tricks + topics on Hacking, Security, Programming.

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    Windows Xp Tips 'n' Tricks, Windows XP Tips 'n' Tricks

    Please note that some of these tips require you to use a Registry Editor (regedit.exe), which could render your system unusable. Thus, none of these tips are supported in any way: Use them at your own risk. Also note that most of these tips will require you to be logged on with Administrative rights.

    Unlocking WinXP's setupp.ini
    ============================


    WinXP's setupp.ini controls how the CD acts. IE is it an OEM version or retail? First, find your setupp.ini file in the i386 directory on your WinXP CD. Open it up, it'll look something like this:

    ExtraData=707A667567736F696F697911AE7E05
    Pid=55034000

    The Pid value is what we're interested in. What's there now looks like a standard default. There are special numbers that determine if it's a retail, oem, or volume license edition. First, we break down that number into two parts. The first five digits determines how the CD will behave, ie is it a retail cd that lets you clean install or upgrade, or an oem cd that only lets you perform a clean install? The last three digits determines what CD key it will accept. You are able to mix and match these values. For example you could make a WinXP cd that acted like a retail cd, yet accepted OEM keys.

    Now, for the actual values. Remember the first and last values are interchangable, but usually you'd keep them as a pair:

    Retail = 51882 335
    Volume License = 51883 270
    OEM = 82503 OEM

    So if you wanted a retail CD that took retail keys, the last line of your setupp.ini file would read:

    Pid=51882335

    And if you wanted a retail CD that took OEM keys, you'd use:

    Pid=51882OEM



    How do I get the "Administrator" name on Welcome Screen?
    ========================================================

    To get Admin account on the "Welcome Screen" as well as the other usernames, make sure that there are no accounts logged in.

    Press "ctrl-alt-del" twice and you should be able to login as administrator!

    finally worked for me after i found out that all accounts have to be logged out first



    Fix Movie Inteferance in AVI files
    ==================================

    If you have any AVI files that you saved in Windows 9x, which have interference when opened in Windows XP, there is an easy fix to get rid of the interference:

    Open Windows Movie Maker.
    Click View and then click Options.
    Click in the box to remove the check mark beside Automatically create clips.

    Now, import the movie file that has interference and drag it onto the timeline. Then save the movie, and during the rerendering, the interference will be removed.



    Create a Password Reset Disk
    ============================

    If you’re running Windows XP Professional as a local user in a workgroup environment, you can create a password reset disk to log onto your computer when you forget your password. To create the disk:

    Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
    Click your account name.
    Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password.

    Follow the directions in the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk.

    Store the disk in a secure location, because anyone using it can access your local user account



    Change Web Page Font Size on the Fly
    ====================================

    If your mouse contains a wheel for scrolling, you can change font size on the fly when viewing a Web page. To do so:

    Press and hold Ctrl. Scroll down (or towards yourself) to enlarge the font size. Scroll up (or away from yourself) to reduce the font size.

    You might find it useful to reduce font size when printing a Web page, so that you can fit more content on the page.


    WinXP Clear Page file on shutdown
    =================================

    WINXPCPS.REG (WinXP Clear Page file on shutdown)

    This Registration (.REG) file clears the Page file when you power off the computer.
    Restart Windows for these changes to take effect!
    ALWAYS BACKUP YOUR SYSTEM BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES!

    Browse to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management

    and add the DWORD variable "ClearPageFileAtShutdown"=dword:00000001

    You can also do this without reg hacking.
    Go to Control panel Administartative tools, local security policy. then goto local policies ---> security options.
    Then change the option for "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile"


    Group Policy for Windows XP
    ===========================

    One of the most full featured Windows XP configuration tools available is hidden right there in your system, but most people don't even know it exists. It's called the Local Group Policy Editor, or gpedit for short. To invoke this editor, select Start and then Run, then type the following:

    gpedit.msc

    After you hit ENTER, you'll be greeted by gpedit, which lets you modify virtually every feature in Windows XP without having to resort to regedit. Dig around and enjoy!


    Forgetting What Your Files Are?
    ===============================

    This procedure works under NTFS.

    As times goes along you have a lot files on your computer. You are going to forget what they are. Well here is way to identify them as you scroll through Windows Explorer in the future.

    This procedure works under NTFS.

    1.. Open up a folder on your system that you want to keep track of the different files you might one to identify in the future.

    2.. Under View make certain that you set it to the Details.

    3.. Highlight the file you want to keep more information on. Right click the file and you will get a pop up menu. Click on properties.

    4.. Click on the Summary Tab (make sure it says simple not advanced on the button in the box), You should now get the following fields,

    Title,Subject, Author, Category, Keywords, Comments

    You will see advanced also if you have changed it to simple, Here will be other fields you can fill in.

    5.. Next you can fill in what ever field you want.

    6.. After you finished click the apply button then OK.

    7.. Next right click the bar above your files, under the address barand you should get a drop down menu. Here you can click the fields you want to display.

    8.. You should now see a list with the new fields and any comments you have done.

    9.. Now if you want to sort these just right click a blank spot and then you sort the information to your liking.


    Temporarily Assign Yourself Administrative Permissions
    ======================================================

    Many programs require you to have Administrative permissions to be able to install them. Here is an easy way to temporarily assign yourself Administrative permissions while you remain logged in as a normal user.

    Hold down the Shift key as you right-click on the program’s setup file.

    Click Run as.

    Type in a username and password that have Administrative permissions.

    This will also work on applications in the Start menu.


    Create a Shortcut to Lock Your Computer
    =======================================

    Leaving your computer in a hurry but you don’t want to log off? You can double-click a shortcut on your desktop to quickly lock the keyboard and display without using CTRL+ALT+DEL or a screensaver.

    To create a shortcut on your desktop to lock your computer:

    Right-click the desktop.
    Point to New, and then click Shortcut.

    The Create Shortcut Wizard opens. In the text box, type the following:
    rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

    Click Next.

    Enter a name for the shortcut. You can call it "Lock Workstation" or choose any name you like.

    Click Finish.

    You can also change the shortcut's icon (my personal favorite is the padlock icon in shell32.dll).

    To change the icon:

    Right click the shortcut and then select Properties.
    Click the Shortcut tab, and then click the Change Icon button.

    In the Look for icons in this file text box, type:
    Shell32.dll.

    Click OK.

    Select one of the icons from the list and then click OK

    You could also give it a shortcut keystroke such CTRL+ALT+L. This would save you only one keystroke from the normal command, but it could be more convenient.



    Create a Shortcut to Start Remote Desktop
    =========================================

    Tip: You can add a shortcut to the desktop of your home computer to quickly start Remote Desktop and connect to your office computer.

    To create a shortcut icon to start Remote Desktop

    Click Start, point to More Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click on Remote Desktop Connection.

    Click Options.

    Configure settings for the connection to your office computer.

    Click Save As, and enter a name, such as Office Computer. Click Save.

    Open the Remote Desktops folder.

    Right-click on the file named Office Computer, and then click Create Shortcut.

    Drag the shortcut onto the desktop of your home computer.

    To start Remote Desktop and connect to your office computer, double-click on the shortcut


    Instantly Activate a Screensaver
    ================================

    Turn on a screensaver without having to wait by adding a shortcut to your desktop:

    Click the Start button, and then click Search.
    In the Search Companion window, click All file types.

    In the file name box, type *.scr

    In the Look in box, choose Local Hard Drives (C or the drive where you have system files stored on your computer.

    Click Search.

    You will see a list of screensavers in the results. Pick a screensaver you want. You can preview it by double-clicking it.

    Right click on the file, choose Send To, and then click Desktop (create shortcut).

    To activate the screensaver, double-click the icon on your desktop


    Add a Map Drive Button to the Toolbar
    =====================================

    Do you want to quickly map a drive, but can’t find the toolbar button? If you map drives often, use one of these options to add a Map Drive button to the folder toolbar.

    Option One (Long Term Fix)

    Click Start, click My Computer, right-click the toolbar, then unlock the toolbars, if necessary.

    Right-click the toolbar again, and then click Customize.

    Under Available toolbar buttons, locate Map Drive, and drag it into the position you want on the right under Current toolbar buttons.

    Click Close, click OK, and then click OK again.

    You now have drive mapping buttons on your toolbar, so you can map drives from any folder window. To unmap drives, follow the above procedure, selecting Disconnect under Available toolbar buttons. To quickly map a drive, try this option.

    Option Two (Quick Fix)

    Click Start, and right-click My Computer.
    Click Map Network Drive.

    If you place your My Computer icon directly on the desktop, you can make this move in only two clicks!


    Software not installing?
    ========================

    If you have a piece of software that refuses to install because it says that you are not running Windows 2000 (such as the Win2K drivers for a Mustek scanner!!) you can simply edit HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/ProductName to say Microsoft Windows 2000 instead of XP and it will install. You may also have to edit the version number or build number, depending on how hard the program tries to verify that you are installing on the correct OS. I had to do this for my Mustek 600 CP scanner (compatibility mode didn''t help!!!) and it worked great, so I now have my scanner working with XP (and a tech at Mustek can now eat his words).

    BTW, don''t forget to restore any changes you make after you get your software installed

    You do this at your own risk.


    Use your Windows Key
    ====================

    The Windows logo key, located in the bottom row of most computer keyboards is a little-used treasure. Don''t ignore it. It is the shortcut anchor for the following commands:

    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 + L: Lock the workstation
    Windows + U: Open Utility Manager
    Windows + Q: Quick switching of users (Powertoys only)
    Windows + Q: Hold Windows Key, then tap Q to scroll thru the different users on your pc



    Change your cd key
    ==================

    You don't need to re-install if you want to try the key out ... just do this:

    1. Go to Activate Windows
    2. Select the Telephone option
    3. Click "Change Product Key"
    4. Enter NOT ALLOWED ~ Zabref
    5. Click "Update"

    Now log off and log back in again. It should now show 60 days left, minus the number of days it had already counted down.

    Note: If your crack de-activated REGWIZC.DLL and LICDLL.DLL, you are going to have to re-register them.



    Remove the Shared Documents folders from My Computer
    ====================================================

    One of the most annoying things about the new Windows XP user interface is that Microsoft saw fit to provide links to all of the Shared Documents folders on your system, right at the top of the My Computer window. I can't imagine why this would be the default, even in a shared PC environment at home, but what's even more annoying is that you cannot change this behavior through the sh*ll
    : Those icons are stuck there and you have to live with it.
    Until now, that is.

    Simply fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ My Computer \ NameSpace \ DelegateFolders

    You'll see a sub-key named {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. If you delete this, all of the Shared Documents folders (which are normally under the group called "Other Files Stored on This Computer" will be gone.

    You do not need to reboot your system to see the change.


    Before: A cluttered mess with icons no one will ever use (especially that orpaned one). After: Simplicity itself, and the way it should be by default.


    This tip For older XP builds
    ===================

    Edit or remove the "Comments" link in window title bars

    During the Windows XP beta, Microsoft has added a "Comments?" hyperlink to the title bar of each window in the system so that beta testers can more easily send in a problem report about the user interface. But for most of us, this isn't an issue, and the Comments link is simply a visual distraction. And for many programs that alter the title bar, the Comments link renders the Minimize, Maximize, and Close window buttons unusable, so it's actually a problem.
    Let's get rid of it. Or, if you're into this kind of thing, you can edit it too.

    Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following keys:
    My Computer \ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ LameButtonEnabled
    My Computer \ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ LameButtonText

    The first key determines whether the link appears at all; change its value to 0 to turn it off. The second key lets you have a little fun with the hyperlink; you can change the text to anything you'd like, such as "Paul Thurrott" or whatever.

    Editing either value requires a restart before the changes take effect.


    Before: An unnecessary hyperlink. Have some fun with it! Or just remove it entirely. It's up to you.



    Rip high-quality MP3s in Windows Media Player 8
    ================================================

    The relationship between Windows Media Player 8 and the MP3 audio format is widely misunderstood. Basically, WMP8 will be able to playback MP3 files, but encoding (or "ripping" CD audio into MP3 format will require an MP3 plug-in. So during the Windows XP beta, Microsoft is supplying a sample MP3 plug-in for testing purposes, but it's limited to 56 Kbps rips, which is pretty useless. However, if you have an externally installed MP3 codec, you can use WMP8 to rip at higher bit rates. But you'll have to edit the Registry to make this work.
    Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ MediaPlayer \ Settings \ MP3Encoding

    Here, you'll see sub-keys for LowRate and LowRateSample, which of course equates to the single 56 Kbps sample rate you see in WMP8. To get better sampling rates, try adding the following keys (Using New then DWORD value):

    "LowRate" = DWORD value of 0000dac0
    "MediumRate" = DWORD value of 0000fa00
    "MediumHighRate" = DWORD value of 0001f400
    "HighRate" = DWORD value of 0002ee00

    Now, when you launch WMP8 and go into Tools, then Options, then Copy Music, you will have four encoding choices for MP3: 56 Kbps, 64 Kbps, 128 Kbps, and 192 Kbps. Note that you will not get higher bit rate encoding unless you have installed an MP3 codec separately; the version in Windows Media Player 8 is limited to 56 Kbps only.


    Find the appropriate location in the Registry... ...add a few DWORD values... ...And then you'll be ripping CDs in higher-quality MP3 format!



    Speed up the Start Menu
    =======================

    The default speed of the Start Menu is pretty slow, but you can fix that by editing a Registry Key. Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ MenuShowDelay

    By default, the value is 400. Change this to a smaller value, such as 0, to speed it up.



    Speed up the Start Menu (Part two)
    ==================================

    If your confounded by the slow speed of the Start Menu, even after using the tip above, then you might try the following: Navigate to Display Properties then Appearance then Advanced and turn off the option titled Show menu shadow . You will get much better overall performance.



    Speed up Internet Explorer 6 Favorites
    ======================================

    For some reason, the Favorites menu in IE 6 seems to slow down dramatically sometimes--I've noticed this happens when you install Tweak UI 1.33, for example, and when you use the preview tip to speed up the Start menu. But here's a fix for the problem that does work, though it's unclear why:
    Just open a command line window (Start button -> Run -> cmd) and type sfc, then hit ENTER. This command line runs the System File Checker, which performs a number of services, all of which are completely unrelated to IE 6. But there you go: It works.


    Do an unattended installation
    =============================

    The Windows XP Setup routine is much nicer than that in Windows 2000 or Windows Me, but it's still an hour-long process that forces you to sit in front of your computer for an hour, answering dialog boxes and typing in product keys. But Windows XP picks up one of the more useful features from Windows 2000, the ability to do an unattended installation, so you can simply prepare a script that will answer all those dialogs for you and let you spend some quality time with your family.
    I've written about Windows 2000 unattended installations and the process is pretty much identical on Windows XP, so please read that article carefully before proceeding. And you need to be aware that this feature is designed for a standalone Windows XP system: If you want to dual-boot Windows XP with another OS, you're going to have to go through the interactive Setup just like everyone else: An unattended install will wipe out your hard drive and install only Windows XP, usually.

    To perform an unattended installation, you just need to work with the Setup Manager, which is located on the Windows XP CD-ROM in D:\SupportTools\DEPLOY.CAB by default: Extract the contents of this file and you'll find a number of useful tools and help files; the one we're interested in is named setupmgr.exe. This is a very simple wizard application that will walk you through the process of creating an answer file called winnt.sif that can be used to guide Windows XP Setup through the unattended installation.

    One final tip: There's one thing that Setup Manager doesn't add: Your product key. However, you can add this to the unattend.txt file manually. Simply open the file in Notepad and add the following line under the [UserData] section:

    ProductID=RK7J8-2PGYQ-P47VV-V6PMB-F6XPQ

    (This is a 60 day cd key)

    Then, just copy winnt.sif to a floppy, put your Windows XP CD-ROM in the CD drive, and reboot: When the CD auto-boots, it will look for the unattend.txt file in A: automatically, and use it to answer the Setup questions if it's there.

    Finally, please remember that this will wipe out your system! Back up first, and spend some time with the help files in DEPLOY.CAB before proceeding.


    For Older builds or not using setupreg.hiv file
    ===============================================

    Remove the Desktop version text

    During the Windows XP beta, you will see text in the lower right corner of the screen that says Windows XP Professional, Evaluation Copy. Build 2462 or similar. A lot of people would like to remove this text for some reason, and while it's possible to do so, the cure is more damaging than the problem, in my opinion. So the following step will remove this text, but you'll lose a lot of the nice graphical effects that come in Windows XP, such as the see-through icon text.

    To remove the desktop version text, open Display Properties (right-click the desktop, then choose Properties) and navigate to the Desktop page. Click Customize Desktop and then choose the Web page in the resulting dialog. On this page, check the option titled Lock desktop items. Click OK to close the dialog, and then OK to close Display Properties. The text disappears. But now the rest of your system is really ugly. You can reverse the process by unchecking Lock desktop items.

    There's also a shortcut for this process: Just right-click the desktop and choose Arrange by then Lock Web Icons on the Desktop.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Enable ClearType on the Welcome Screen!
    =======================================

    As laptop users and other LCD owners are quickly realizing, Microsoft's ClearType technology in Windows XP really makes a big difference for readability. But the this feature is enabled on a per-user basis in Windows XP, so you can't see the effect on the Welcome screen; it only appears after you logon.

    But you can fix that. Fire up the Registry Editor and look for the following keys:

    (default user) HKEY_USERS \ .Default \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ FontSmoothing (String Value)
    HKEY_USERS \ .Default \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ FontSmoothingType (Hexadecimal DWORD Value)

    Make sure both of these values are set to 2 and you'll have ClearType enabled on the Welcome screen and on each new user by default.



    Stop Windows Messenger from Auto-Starting
    =========================================

    If you're not a big fan of Windows Messenger simply delete the following Registry Key:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\MSMSGS


    Display Hibernate Option on the Shut Down dialog
    ================================================

    For some reason, Hibernate may not be available from the default Shut Down dialog. But you can enable it simply enough, by holding down the SHIFT key while the dialog is visible. Now you see it, now you don't!


    Add album art to any music folder
    =================================

    One of the coolest new features in Windows XP is its album thumbnail generator, which automatically places the appropriate album cover art on the folder to which you are copying music (generally in WMA format). But what about those people that have already copied their CDs to the hard drive using MP3 format? You can download album cover art from sites such as cdnow.com or amguide.com, and then use the new Windows XP folder customize feature to display the proper image for each folder. But this takes time--you have to manually edit the folder properties for every single folder--and you will lose customizations if you have to reinstall the OS. There's an excellent fix, however.

    When you download the album cover art from the Web, just save the images as folder.jpg each time and place them in the appropriate folder. Then, Windows XP will automatically use that image as the thumbnail for that folder and, best of all, will use that image in Windows Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) if you choose to display album cover art instead of a visualization. And the folder customization is automatic, so it survives an OS reinstallation as well. Your music folders never looked so good!


    Album cover art makes music folder thumbnails look better than ever!


    Change the location of the My Music or My Pictures folders
    ==========================================================

    In Windows 2000, Microsoft added the ability to right-click the My Documents folder and choose a new location for that folder in the sh*ll
    . With Windows XP, Microsoft has elevated the My Music and My Pictures folders to the same "special sh*ll
    folder" status of My Documents, but they never added a similar (and simple) method for changing those folder's locations. However, it is actually pretty easy to change the location of these folders, using the following method.

    Open a My Computer window and navigate to the location where you'd like My Music (or My Pictures) to reside. Then, open the My Documents folder in a different window. Drag the My Music (or My Pictures) folder to the other window, and Windows XP will update all of the references to that folder to the new location, including the Start menu.

    Or use Tweak UI


    Add/Remove optional features of Windows XP
    ==========================================

    To dramatically expand the list of applications you can remove from Windows XP after installation, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf (substituting the correct drive letter for your version of Windows) and open the sysoc.inf file. Under Windows XP Professional Edition RC1, this file will resemble the following by default:

    [Version] Signature = "$Windows NT$"
    DriverVer=06/26/2001,5.1.2505.0

    [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

    [Global]
    WindowTitle=%WindowTitle%
    WindowTitle.StandAlone="*"

    The entries that include the text hide or HIDE will not show up in Add/Remove Windows Components by default. To fix this, do a global search and replace for ,hide and change each instance of this to , (a comma). Then, save the file, relaunch Add/Remove Windows Components, and tweak the installed applications to your heart's content.


    Cool, eh? There are even more new options now under "Accessories and Utilities" too.


    Remove Windows Messenger
    ========================

    It seems that a lot of people are interested in removing Windows Messenger for some reason, though I strongly recommend against this: In Windows XP, Windows Messenger will be the hub of your connection to the .NET world, and now that this feature is part of Windows, I think we're going to see a lot of .NET Passport-enabled Web sites appearing as well. But if you can't stand the little app, there are a couple of ways to get rid of it, and ensure that it doesn't pop up every time you boot into XP. The best way simply utilizes the previous tip:

    If you'd like Windows Messenger to show up in the list of programs you can add and remove from Windows, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf (substituting the correct drive letter for your version of Windows) and open sysoc.inf (see the previous tip for more information about this file). You'll see a line that reads:

    msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7

    Change this to the following and Windows Messenger will appear in Add or Remove Programs, then Add/Remove Windows Components, then , and you can remove it for good:

    msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,7


    Collected By Caliga. Text of wall. I have done em all! That incrased my fps 20 to 78 in Age of Conan.

  5. #5
    Judoka's Avatar Active Member
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    crits of text!!!

  6. #6
    mmhelm's Avatar Member
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    Wall of text kills computer and speeds up system.

  7. #7
    Moffeman's Avatar Contributor

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    hmm, nice copy paste...

  8. #8
    NUcC's Avatar Member
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    i like it, +rape

  9. #9
    Loathing's Avatar Member
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    Wow... this is the biggest copy paste thread I have ever seen... O.o

  10. #10
    bashy's Avatar Active Member
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    WoW if this doesn't deserve +rep I don't know what does.

  11. #11
    geenstijled's Avatar Member
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    You know, just giving the links would have been a lot easier..

    The world calls.. and I answer.

  12. #12
    aabbcc's Avatar Member
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    this is the first thread that took me 30 mins to scroll down Lol

  13. #13
    Caliga's Avatar Contributor
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    I used that, +40 fps in aoc. Not bad ya.

  14. #14
    unitzero89's Avatar Member
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    dude way too complex to sit through and read
    just skimming through it was harsh
    do you have the link?
    the grey text is bad for the eyes =[

  15. #15
    Xubi's Avatar Member
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    I think i got hit by a wall of words...and i think it killed my computers speed to 0

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