Increase the speed of each disk operation by avoiding the updating of access time on each file reference.  Of course this only works for NTFS drives.  To do this edit this registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

Set the Value name:  ‘NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate’ to 1.

To backup the Zone information, use Regedit to Export:

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones

To save specific security settings, Export:

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap

To restore, double-click the .REG file(s).

Indexing Service creates indexes of the contents and properties of documents on local and network drives.  It's quite similar to "Find Fast" that ships with Microsoft Office.  Indexing Service runs continuously.  Turning this off may increase performance.  Go to:   My Computer|right click on a Drive icon|select Properties.  Remove the checkmark from "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching".  Click Apply.  Be sure to select "Apply changes to <driveletter>:\, subfolders and files" before clicking OK in the new window.

Click on  Start|Run|and enter:  C:\WinNT\System32\Dcomcnfg.exe  Then click on the Applications tab.  Many programs "support" Distributed Communication (DCOM) but hardly ever use it.  This includes such programs as Windows Media and Wordpad, which are designed to be used across a network.  As you scan this tab, look for third-party applications that might actually require network support, as opposed to those that simply support it.  To determine if these programs really require DCOM, you must disable it, run those programs, and see what happens.  Note that it is probably only necessary to look at third-party programs here;  Microsoft programs designed to run on a non-networked, stand-a-lone computer (Office, etc.) are usually written to support but not require DCOM.  To disable DCOM, go to the Default Properties tab and uncheck the box labeled "Enable Distributed COM on this computer".

Reboot, and try running the third-party programs noted as above.  Chances are good that everything will still run correctly.  If not, go back and enable DCOM again.  As you re-enable it, also go to the Default Protocols tab and remove all protocols except "Connection-oriented TCP/IP".  This won't make your system much safer, but it will reduce the number of connection methods you have to keep an eye on.

If you do not have to re-enable DCOM again, then on the Default Protocols tab remove all protocols.  You won't need them, and that should stop the OS from listening on Port 135 (unless you have other programs that are forcing it open).

Steps in Windows 2000 Professional, SP2:

1.  Open Computer Management

2.  Click on Device Manager

3.  Select View:  Show Hidden Devices

4.  Click on Non-Plug and Play Drivers

5.  Open Properties for NetBIOS over TCPIP

6.  Click on Disable

7.  Reboot per prompt

You will get an event in Event ID entry if you do not also disable the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Service service.  You can Disable this service in Administrative Tools|Services if desired.

Ed. Note:  This tweak will prevent the DHCP Client service from running properly.  Most Cable ISPs require the use of DHCP.  If your ISP requires DHCP, you will NOT be able to use this tweak.  Please see below.

Access the following Registry Key:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon

Set the Value name: ‘SFCDisable’ to 0 (zero) to Enable, and to 'ffffff9d' to Disable.  When booting with this value in the ‘SFCDisable’ Value name, an event will be written to the system log, ID 64032 from Windows File Protection, with the description:  "Windows File Protection is not active on this system".

NOTE:  This procedure only works on Windows 2000 WITHOUT Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed.

To disable System File Checker AFTER installing SP2:

1.  Load the file SFC.DLL into your favorite hex editor.

2.  Go to offset 6211h and you should see '8B' and 'C6' at offsets 6211h and 6212h.  If the two bytes are not these values DO NOT proceed.

3.  Change both bytes to read '90'.

4.  Save your changes.

Now the 'ffffff9d' regkey tweak will work again.

Improve System Performance in Windows NT/2000 on systems with large amounts of RAM.  This tweak can be used to force the Windows system core files to be kept in memory and not paged to disk.

Open the registry and find this key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

For the Value name:  ‘DisablePagingExecutive’, Data Type: REG_DWORD, change the value to 1 to enable the tweak and stop the core process from being paged, or set it to 0 for the default.

If you type in a folder or filename using all CAPS, Windows ‘helpfully’ pretty prints the name, changing the case to uppercase for the first letter and lowercase for the rest.  If you want to turn off the pretty printing, you can use the following Windows NT/2000 Registry hack.  Without it, for example, Windows converts ‘MYFOLDER’ to ‘Myfolder’.

Open the registry and find this key:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Change or add the Value name:  ‘DontPrettyPath’, Data Type: REG_DWORD, Value: 1 to leave case as entered.

To disable the keyboard Windows Key in Windows NT/2000, use Regedit to navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout

Change or add the Value name:  ‘Scancode Map’, Data Type: REG_BINARY,
Value:  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 00 00 5B E0 00 00 5C E0 00 00 00 00

To see the charge level of your battery(s):

1.  Go to Control Panel|Power Options|Power Meter.
2.  Check the “Show details for each battery” box.
3.  Select the Advanced tab.
4.  Check the “Always show icon on the taskbar” box.
5.  Press Apply and OK.

When the computer is on a single battery, placing the curor over the taskbar battery icon will display the state of charge.  When the computer is on AC power, a power cord icon is displayed when the battery is fully charged.  A power cord with a lightning bolt indicates the battery is charging.  To see the charge level, double-click the power cord.

NOTE:  If your Windows 2000 laptop can install 2 batteries, Windows 2000 may NOT run the low or Critical battery alarm, as set in Control Panel|Power Options|Alarms.  The problem is caused by Windows 2000 improperly calculating the remaining time when 2 batteries are installed, and AC power is unplugged.

How fast or slow submenus appear when your mouse is over a menu, is dependent on the ‘MenuShowDelay’ value.  For faster fly-out menus, reduce the delay interval at the following Windows NT/2000 Registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Change or add the Value name:  ‘MenuShowDelay’, Data Type: REG_DWORD, Value:  400  ms is the default.

NOTE:  Setting ‘MenuShowDelay’ too low, can actually hurt performance if Windows is using too many cycles creating and destroying undesired menus.  This is a personal preference item.  Experiment to see what value works best for you.

You can use the System File Checker, SFC.exe, to scan all protected files to verify their version and to check and repopulate the Dllcache folder.  SFC supports the following switches:

/Scannow     - Scans all protected systems files immediately

/Scanonce    - Scans all protected system files once, at the next restart

/Scanboot    - Scans all protected system files every time you start your computer

/Cancel      - Cancels all pending scans of protected system files

/Quiet       - Replaces all incorrect file versions without prompting the user

/Enable      - Enables Windows File Protection for normal operation

/Purgecache  - Purges the file cache and scans all protected system files

/Cachesize=n - Sets the file cache size

When you select a folder object in Windows Explorer to create a new sub-directory, you must move the mouse to File/New/Folder or key-in ALT+FWF to create a new folder.  Wouldn't it be nice to just right click and choose ‘NewFolder’?  While there might be a real way to do this, here is a method that works:

1.  In Windows Explorer select:  Tools|Folder Options|File Types
2.  Scroll to Folder and select it
3.  Press Advanced and then New
4.  Type NewFolder in ‘Action:’
5.  In ‘Application used to perform action:’...., type:

c:\winnt\system32\cmd.exe /c MD """%1\NewFolder"""

6.  OK out of the dialogue

Now when you select a folder object and right-click, you can choose NewFolder.  A sub-directory named NewFolder is created which you can rename.

%SystemRoot%\System32\Svchost.exe is a generic process name for service groupings that run from DLLs.  When you start your Windows 2000 computer, it checks the registry at:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Svchost

for each Value Name.  How many Value Names you have, depend upon whether you are running W2K Pro or one of the Servers, and what is installed.  Multiple groups allow better control and debugging.  If you look at:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\<Service Key>\Parameters

you will see that only services with a populated ServiceDll value name have an entry in a Svchost Value Name.  This is a type REG_MULTI_SZ data type, so you should use Regedt32 to view it.  Click in the MULTI-STRING Editor to deselect the entries, or you may destroy them while looking.

To turn on verbose boot, shutdown, logon, and logoff error messages in Windows 2000, start Regedit and navigate to:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system

Add or modify the Value Name:  ‘VerboseStatus’, Data Type: REG_DWORD, Value: 1 (default = 0)

You can avoid modifying the Registry by using a group policy setting:

=  Open a policy in Group Policy Editor

=  Expand Computer Configuration, Administrative Tools, System

=  Double-click Verbose vs normal status messages

=  Set option to Enabled or Disabled.

=  Click OK

=  Close GPE

The supported dual-boot configurations are:

Personal Oper System   Professional Oper System   Professional Oper System

 Windows Me             and Windows 2000           or Windows NT 4.0

 Windows 98 SE          and Windows 2000           or Windows NT 4.0

 Windows 98             and Windows 2000           or Windows NT 4.0

 Windows 95 OEM         and Windows 2000           or Windows NT 4.0

 Windows 95             and Windows 2000           or Windows NT 4.0

Microsoft does NOT support dual-booting between multiple personal operating systems.

Microsoft does NOT support triple-booting Windows NT, Windows 2000, and a personal operating system.

Multiple operating systems on the same partition are NOT supported.

Microsoft recommends that you install the personal operating system first.

The C: partition must use a file system that each operating system can boot from.

The Show Desktop feature minimizes or restores all your open programs and makes it easy to view your desktop.  When you press the Show Desktop icon on the ‘Quick Launch’ toolbar, Windows 2000 toggles between minimizing all open programs or restoring all minimized programs.

NOTE:  If you are running in full-screen mode, first press the Windows key or CTRL+ESC.

NOTE:  You can Press the Windows Key + D to toggle Show Desktop.

NOTE:  Programs may be restored in reverse order.

NOTE:  If your Show Desktop icon is missing, see the following tip.

If you lost your Show Desktop icon, you can re-create it using Notepad.  Open Notepad and copy the following text:

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

Save the file as:  Show Desktop.scf in the:

  %USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch  folder.

The location of the Quick Launch shortcuts is discussed in the following tip.

You can manually manage the Quick Launch toolbar by adding or removing shortcut icons at:

%USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

To find this location in your system, type:  set UserProfile  at a CMD prompt.  It will return: 

USERPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\<UserName>

WinInet will limit the number of simultaneous connections that it will make to a single HTTP server.  If you exceed this limit the requests will block until one of the current connections has completed.  This is by design and is in agreement with the HTTP specifications and industry standards.

WinInet will limit connections to a single HTTP 1.0 server to four simultaneous connections.  Connections to a single HTTP 1.1 server will be limited to two simultaneous connections.  The HTTP 1.1 specification (RFC 2068) mandates the two connection limit while the four connection limit for HTTP 1.0 is a self-imposed restriction which coincides with the standard used by a number of Web browsers.

You can elect to configure WinInet to exceed this limit by creating and setting the following Registry entries:

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings

The sub-key:  ‘MaxConnectionsPerServer’, Data Type: REG_DWORD, Value: 2  (is the default)  sets the number of simultaneous requests to a single HTTP 1.1 Server.

The sub-key:  ‘MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server’, Data Type: REG_DWORD, Value: 4  (is the default)  sets the number of simultaneous requests to a single HTTP 1.0 Server.

NOTE:  By changing these settings you are causing WinInet to break the HTTP protocol specification for your application and any other WinInet applications running on your machine, including Internet Explorer.