WindowsXP Tips

If you are getting errors similar to:
The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application.

Try copying the file from \windows\repair directory to the one that is in the \windows\system32 directory.

Common Control Panel Applets

The follow are some common Control Panel Applets that are located in the \windows\system32 directory.
If you find yourself using any of these frequently, then you can simply make shortcuts to them on your desktop.

appwiz.cpl	Add/Remove Programs
desk.cpl	Display Properties
firewall.cpl	Firewall Settings
inetcpl.cpl	Internet Options
mmsys.cpl	Sound and Audio
ncpa.cpl	Network Connections
nusrmgr.cpl	User Accounts
powercfg.cpl	Power Options
sysdm.cpl	System Properties
wscui.cpl	Security Center
wuaucpl.cpl	Automatic Updates Configuration

Windows Explorer Opens Search Companion Rather than the Folder

If the Windows Explorer opens up the Search Companion rather than opening up the actual folder, the default setting for opening a folder is changed.

To correct this:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Drive \ shell]
Edit the default value to be explorer or none

Running SFC without a CD ROM

If you run sfc /scannow and get prompted to insert a CD,
there are a couple of changes you might need to make.

Slipstream your copy of WindowsXP with the latest service pack you have applied.
For detailed unstructions on how to do this see:
SlipStreaming a Service Pack into Windows XP

Once these files are on your hard drive, you can simply make a few registry changes to point to those locations.

Start Regedit

Go to the follow locations and change the path to wherever you copied the source files.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\ServicePackSourcePath
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\SourcePath
the last one might not be necessary
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SourcePath

Guest Only Network Access

If you try and connect to an XP computer and are shown a logins screen with only the computername/Guest,
You may need to change one of the Local Security Policies:

Got to Control Panel - Administrative Tools
Go to Local Policies - Security Options
Check teh Network access: Sharing and security model for local accounts
Set it to Classic - local users authenticate as themselves

Repairing Damaged Winsock2

The symptoms when Winsock2 is damaged show when you try to release and renew the IP address using IPCONFIG.

And you get the following error message:
An error occurred while renewing interface 'Internet': An operation was attempted on something that is not a socket.

Also Internet Explorer may give the following error message:
The page cannot be displayed Additionally, you may have no IP address or no Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, and you may be receiving IP packets but not sending them.

There are two easy ways to determine if Winsock2 is damaged:

From the XP source files, go to the Support / Tools directory

Winsock Test Method 1
Run netdiag /test:winsock

The end should say Winsock test ..... passed

Winsock Test Method 2

Run Msinfo32
Click on the + by Components
Click on the by Network
Click on Protocol
There should be 10 sections if the Winsock2 key is ok

MSAFD Tcpip [TCP/IP]
MSAFD Tcpip [UDP/IP]
RSVP UDP Service Provider
RSVP TCP Service Provider
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...
MSAFD NetBIOS [\Device\NetBT_Tcpip...

If the names are anything different from those in this list, then likely Winsock2 is corrupted and needs to be repaired.
If you have any 3rd party software installed, the name MSAFD may be changed.
There should be no fewer than 10 sections.

To repair Winsock2

Run Regedit
Delete the following two registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2

Download Reg file to delete these entries

Restart the computer
Go to Network Connections
Right click and select Properties
Click on the Install button
Select Protocol
Click on the Add button
Click on the Have Disk button
Browse to the \Windows\inf directory
Click on the Open button
Click on the OK button
Highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
Click on the OK button
Reboot

Not Displaying Previous Network Share Shortcuts

By default, when you go to Network Places, it will scan and show shortcuts to previous network shares.
To turn this off and remove any current shortcuts

Open up the Windows Explorer
Go to Tools / Folder Options / View
The top section should be Files and Folders
Uncheck Automatically search for network folders and printers
Then go into Network Neighborhood Select all the previous netowork connections Delete them
Next time you look at the Network Neighborhood, they should not repopulate

Hiding a XP Computer from Network Neighborhood

If you want to share files from a XP computer,
yet want to remove it from showing up in the Network Neighborhood,

Run net config server /hidden:yes

Easy Way to Share Multiple Folders

If you need to share multiple folders, running the program SHRPUBW.EXE will bring up a simple dialog box to let you:

Browse to the folder you want to share
Enter in a Share name
Ender in a Share description
Set permissions. Several choices are available
Restart the process from within the same program

System32 Folder Opens When Logging On

If the System32 folder shows on the desktop, there may be an invalid entry in the Registry

Start Regedit
Go to both:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Double check that the values do not have incorrect, incomplete, or blank entries

Not Viewing Zip Files as Folders

If you want to turn off WindowsXP showing Zip files as folders,
just run:

regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll

Setting Capslock, Numlock, Scroll Lock

If you want to set the startup state for any or all of these keys,
you just need to edit the registry.

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Keyboard
Open InitialKeyboardIndicators
Change the value to one of the following numbers
0 - All Keys off
1 - Caps Lock on
2 - Num Lock on
4 - Scroll Lock on
For multiple keys, add their values:
3 - Caps Lock and Num Lock on
5 - Caps Lock and Scroll Lock on
6 - Num Lock and Scroll Lock on
7 - Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock on
Log off and back on again

Running Network Diagnostics

Network Diagnostics scans your system to gather information about your hardware, software, and network connections.

Start / Run / NETSH DIAG GUI

The following is the type of information that can be displayed:

Ping
Connect
Show
Verbose
Save to Desktop
Mail Service
News Service
Internet Proxy Server
Computer Information
Operating System
Windows Version
Modems
Network Clients
Network Adapters
Domain Name System (DNS)
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
Default Gateways
Internet Protocol Address
Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS)

DOS Tips in XP

Windows XP cmd tip (DOS isn’t dead... it just smells funny) Some command-line folder creation examples:

To create multiple folders at once, add them directly to the "md" command:

C:\> md this is a test

To create a folder several folders deep, use:

C:\> md this\is\a\test

Creating a folder with a long name requires the double-quote at the beginning:

C:\> md "this is a test

Bonus tip: Windows XP supports the forward slash "/" as a folder divider. Unix/Linux users: don't let the DOS environment get you down. Use a Unix-style CD command to change your present working directory:

C:\> cd Windows/system32/drivers/etc

Restoring Desktop Icon to the Quick launch Bar

If you mistakenly deleted the icon for the Desktop on the Quicklaunch toolbar

Go to C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
(where user_name is replaced by your login name)

Create a Text file called ShowDesktop.SCF with the following contents:

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

Network Access After Norton Anti-Virus Install

Sometimes you can't access a WinXP computer after installing Norton Anti-Virus.
There might be a variety of errors at the other computer depending on the operating system.
On the XP computer, in the Event Viewer / System log, there will be the following error:
The server's configuration parameter "irpstacksize" is too small for the server to use a local device.

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\parameters
Edit the IRPStackSize
Give it a value of 15
Reboot the computer

Fixing Cryptographic Services Error

If you get an error about the Cryptographic services when trying to apply the Security Updates or Service Pack 1,
run the following from Start / Run - note, you might want to just cut and paste the text.

net stop cryptsvc
ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 oldcatroot2
net start cryptsvc
regsvr32 softpub.dll
regsvr32 wintrust.dll
regsvr32 initpki.dll
regsvr32 dssenh.dll
regsvr32 rsaenh.dll
regsvr32 gpkcsp.dll
regsvr32 sccbase.dll
regsvr32 slbcsp.dll
regsvr32 cryptdlg.dll

Fixing Explorer Searching Rather Than Opening Directories

Sometimes after adding the right click with the Explorer, the default setting for opening a folder is changed.
To correct this:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell
Edit the default value to be explorer or none

Configure for Auto-Logon

If you are the only person using the computer and what to have it automatically log you on,

Start / Run / "control userpasswords2" - no quotes
Uncheck User must enter a user name and password to use this computer

Services You Can Disable

There are quite a few services you can disable from starting automatically.
This would be to speed up your boot time and free resources.
They are only suggestions so I suggestion you read the description of each one when you run Services
and that you turn them off one at a time.

Some possibilities are:

Alerter - Sends alert messages to specified users that are connected to the server computer.
Application Management - Allows software to tap directly into the Add/Remove Programs feature via the Windows Installer technology.
Background Intelligent Transfer Service - The Background Intelligent Transfer service is used by programs (such as Windows AutoUpdate) to download files by using spare bandwidth.
Clipbook - ClipBook permits you to cut and paste text and graphics over the network.
Error Reporting Service - Allows applications to send error reports to Microsoft in the event of an application fault.
Fast User Switching - Windows XP allows users to switch quickly between accounts, without requiring them to log off.
Help and Support - Allows the XP Built-in Help and Support Center to run.
IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service - You don't need this if you have other software to create CDs.
Indexing Service - Indexes contents and properties of files on local and remote computers; provides rapid access to files through flexible querying language.
IP SEC - Manages IP security policy and starts the ISAKMP/Oakley (IKE) and the IP security driver. If you are not on a domain, you likely don't need this running.
Messenger - Transmits net send and Alerter service messages between clients and servers. This is how a lot of pop-up windows start appearing on your desktop.
Net Logon - Supports pass-through authentication of account logon events for computers in a domain. If you are not on a domain, you don't need this running
Network DDE - Provides network transport and security for Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) for programs running on the same computer or on different computers.
NT LM Security Support Provider - Provides security to remote procedure call (RPC) programs that use transports other than named pipes.
Performance Logs and Alerts - Collects performance data from local or remote computers based on preconfigured schedule parameters, then writes the data to a log or triggers an alert. If you don't need to monitor your performance logs, then you don't need this service.
Portable Media Serial Number - Retrieves the serial number of any portable music player connected to your computer
QOS RSVP - Provides network signaling and local traffic control setup functionality for QoS-aware programs and control applets.
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager - Manages and controls Remote Assistance. If you are not using Remote Desktop you don't need this service.
Remote Registry - Enables remote users to modify registry settings on this computer.
Routing & Remote Access - Offers routing services to businesses in local area and wide area network environments. Allows dial-in access.
Secondary Login - Enables starting processes under alternate credentials. This is what allows you to run an application as another user.
Smart Card - Manages access to smart cards read by this computer.
Smart Card Helper - Enables support for legacy non-plug and play smart-card readers used by this computer.
SSDP Discovery Service - Enables discovery of UPnP devices on your home network.
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper - Enables support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service and NetBIOS name resolution. This should not be needed in today's network environment.
Telnet - Enables a remote user to log on to this computer and run programs, and supports various TCP/IP Telnet clients.
Uninterruptible Power Supply Service - Manages an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) connected to the computer.
Universal Plug and Play Device Host - Provides support to host Universal Plug and Play devices
Upload Manager - Manages synchronous and asynchronous file transfers between clients and servers on the network.
Volume Shadow Copy Service - Manages and implements Volume Shadow Copies used for backup and other purposes.
Web Client - Enables Windows-based programs to create, access, and modify non-local files across the Internet.
Wireless Zero Configuration - Provides automatic configuration for the 802.11 adapters
WMI Performance Adapter - Provides performance library information from WMI HiPerf providers.

Stopping the Messenger Service

To remove the ability for anyone in the world to pop up messages on your computer,
you can disable the Messenger service.

Click Start->Settings ->Control Panel
Click Performance and Maintenance
Click Administrative Tools
Double click Services
Scroll down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties
Click the STOP button
Select Disable or Manual in the Startup Type scroll bar Click OK

Faster DOS Printing

If you are experiencing slow printing for DOS programs with Windows2000

Go Start | Run | Regedit
Click Hkey_Local_Machine
Click on System
Click CurrentControlSet
Click Control
Go to the bottom of this part of the list and click WOW
Click LPT timeout and change it to a 3

Cleaning the Prefetch Directory

WindowsXP has a new feature called Prefetch. This keeps a shortcut to recently used programs.
However it can fill up with old and obsolete programs.

To clean this periodically go to:

Star / Run / Prefetch
Press Ctrl-A to highlight all the shorcuts
Delete them

Not Displaying Logon, Logoff, Startup and Shutdown Status Messages

To turn these off:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
If it is not already there, create a DWORD value named DisableStatusMessages
Give it a value of 1

Accessing Non-Listed Display Configurations

If you want to access display configurations not normally listed (e.g. 256 colors)

In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Settings tab.
Click the Advanced button.
Click the Adapter tab,
Click the List all modes button.
Select the resolution, color depth, and refresh rate that you want and click OK.

Repair Install

If XP is corrupted to the point where none of the previous solutions get it to boot,
you can do a Repair Install that might work as well as keep the current settings.
Make sure you have your valid WindowsXP key.
The whole process takes about half an hour depending on your computer
If you are being prompted for the administrator's password, you need to choose the 2nd repair option, not the first.

Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD
At the second R=Repair option, press the R key
This will start the repair
Press F8 for I Agree at the Licensing Agreement
Press R when the directory where WindowsXP is installed is shown. Typically this is C:\WINDOWS
It will then check the C: drive and start copying files
It will automatically reboot when needed. Keep the CD in the drive.
You will then see the graphic part of the repair that is like during a normal install of XP (Collecting Information, Dynamic Update, Preparing Installation, Installing Windows, Finalizing Installation)
When prompted, click on the Next button
When prompted, enter your XP key
Normally you will want to keep the same Workgroup or Domain name
The computer will reboot
Then you will have the same screens as a normal XP Install
Activate if you want (usually a good idea)
Register if you want (but not necessary)
Finish
At this point you should be able to log in with any existing accounts.

NTOSKRNL Missing or Corrupt

If you get an error that NTOSKRNL not found:

Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
Change to the drive that has the CD ROM.
CD i386
expand ntkrnlmp.ex_ C:\Windows\System32\ntoskrnl.exe
If WindowsXP is installed in a different location, just make the necessary change to C:\Windows
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

HAL.DLL Missing or Corrupt

If you get an error regarding a missing or corrupt hal.dll file, it might simply be the BOOT.INI file on the root of the C: drive that is misconfigured

Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
Type bootcfg /list to show the current entries in the BOOT.INI file
Type bootcfg /rebuild to repair it
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Corrupted or Missing \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG

If you get the error:
Windows could not start because the following files is missing or corrupt
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM or \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE

Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
Enter in the administrator password when requested
cd \windows\system32\config
Depending on which section was corrupted:
ren software software.bad or ren system system.bad
Depending on which section was corrupted
copy \windows\repair\system
copy \windows\repair\software
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM Not Found

If you get an error that NTLDR is not found during bootup,

If you have FAT32 partitions, it is much simpler than with NTFS.
Just boot with a Win98 floppy and copy the NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM files
from the i386 directory to the root of the C:\ drive.

For NTFS:

Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
Enter in the administrator password when requested
Enter in the following commands (X: is replaced by the actual drive letter that is assigned to the CD ROM drive.
COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C\:
COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Bringing Up the Shutdown Dialog Box

Create a new txt file somewhere on your system, open it and put in this one line:
(new ActiveXObject("Shell.Application")).ShutdownWindows();
Save and Close the file. Change the extension to js and your got it.
You can make a shortcut to that file to make it easy to shut down your system.

Adding TCP/IP Printers

To create a connection to a printer connected to your network:

Start to add a new printer through the control panel.
Select Local Printer / Next
Instead of a LPT port, check Create a new port at the bottom on the window
Scroll to Standard TCP/IP Port
Keep going and enter the IP address of the printer.

Increasing the Folder Cache

The default setting for WindowsXP is to cache the Explorer settings for 400 folders.
To increase it:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam
Change the vaule of BagMRU to whatever size you want (hex)

1000 - 3e8
2000 - 7d0
3000 - bb8
4000 - fa0
5000 - 1388

Hiding the Last User Logged On

If you use the standard NT style of login and want to hide the last user:

Start the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
Go to Computer Configuration / Windows Settings / Security Settings / Local Policies / Security Options
Scroll down to Interactive logon: Do not display last user name
Set it to Enable

Poweroff at Shutdown

If your computer does not turn off the power when doing a shutdown,
you may need to edit the registry. I have all the correct BIOS and Power settings and still needed to do this.

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Edit the key PowerOffActive and give it a value of 1
You can do the same in HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

Remembering Folder Settings

If XP does not remember your folder settings, delete or rename the following registry keys

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags]

Stop Password Expiration

If you want to do this for all users, enter:

Start / Run / net accounts /maxpwage:unlimited

If you are getting an error message that your password is about to expire:

Right click on the My Computer icon
Select Manage
Go to Local Users and Groups / Users
Right-click on the user you want to change
Select Properties
On the General tab, check Password never expires
Click OK

Installing Java Virtual Machine

If you are getting errors when browsing the web to install Java Virtual Machine,

You can still download it from Microsoft (version 3810)
If this link is removed by MS or is too slow you can download it here

If you need a previous version, you can download 3805

It is now included in Service Pack1

You can also download Sun's version

Preventing Applications from Stealing the Focus

To prevent applications from stealing the focus from the window you are working

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop
Edit the key ForegroundLockTimeout
Give it a value of 00030d40

Disable Explorer Thumbnail View

If you want disable the Explorer's ability to show the Thumbnail View ,

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced \
Change ClassicViewState to 1

Adding Environment Variables

Since any version of NT does not use an autoexec.bat file,
to add environment variables to WindowsXP:

Right click on My Computer
Select Properties
Click on the Advanced tab
Click on the Environment Variables button
From here you can change it for the system or just the current user.

Disable Passport Pop-Up

Normally, WindowsXP will prompt you 10 times that You Need a Passport to use WindowsXP Internet communication features...

To disable this

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ MessengerService
Edit the binary key PassportBalloon
Give it a value of 0A (0A 00 00 00)

Show Hidden Devices

You can show hidden devices in the Device Manager. One way is by making a simple registry change. The other is through a batch file.

Registry Change:

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ ControlSet001 \ Control \ Session Manager \ Environment
Create a string DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES
Give it a value of 1

Batch File

@Echo Off
Prompt $p$g
set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
start devmgmt.msc
exit

Spell Check Not Working With Outlook Express and Office97

This is simply due to a missing or corrupted DLL file

Go to the i386 directory of your XP source files
Run Expand csapi3t1.dl_ csapi3t1.dll (Note: If your source files are on a CD, you will need to put a path before the csapi3t1.dll since you can't write to the CD).
Copy the file to the Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Proof directory
You can also download the file from my site.

Disable Shared Documents

To disable the Shared Documents folder that shows up on the network

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer \
Create a new DWORD Value
Give it the name NoSharedDocuments
Give it a value of 1
Log off or reboot

Disable the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon's menu

To Disable the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon's menu:

Start regedit.exe
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Conferencing\Mcpt
Create a new string value (Click on Edit > New > String Value).
Name the value Nx
Double-click on it and set it's value to 1
Close the registry

Now the menu options will be grayed out.

Prevent the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon from appearing in the notification tray

To Prevent the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon from appearing in the notification tray:

Click Start, then Run.
Type services.msc and then click ok.
Scroll down until you find the NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing service
Double-click on it.
Click on the Log On tab.
Uncheck Allow service to interact with desktop
Click OK then close the services window.
Reboot (You must reboot).

There you go. When you return, RDS will work, but there will be no icon in the notification area.

Printing a Directory

WindowsXP does not allow you to use previously describe methods for printing the contents of a directory.
To do this requires the creation of a small batch file which is then added to your right-click options.

Batch File

On the root of the C: drive, create a batch file called print_directory.bat with the following lines:

@echo off
dir %1 /o:g > c:\directory.txt
start /w notepad /p c:\directory.txt
del c:\directory.txt
exit

Note: dir %1 /o:g will print with any directories listed first. You can add whatever other switches you like

Adding to the Explorer Right Click

Start the Explorer
Go to Tools / Folder Options
On the File Types tab, click File Folder.
Click Advanced button and then click New.
In the Action box, type Print Directory (or whatever text you want to appear).
In the Application used to perform action box, type C:\print_directory.bat, and then click OK.
Click OK, click OK, and then click Close

Fixing the Registry

Sometimes after adding the right click with the Explorer, the default setting for opening a folder is changed.
To correct this:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell
Edit the default value to be explorer or none

Removing Thumbs.db Files

Added 11/12/02

When viewing a folder with the Thumbnail view, WindowsXP creates a thumbs.db file.
This is a cache of the current pictures in that directory.
If you want to turn this feature off and save a little disk space

Start the Windows Explorer
Go to Tools / Folder Options / View
In the first section under Files and Folders, check Do not cache thumbnails
Now you can search for the thumbs.db file on your computer and remove them. No more should be created.

Enable / Disable the Task Manager

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Create the Dword value DisableTaskMgr
Give it a value of 0 to enable it
Give it a vaule of 1 to disable it

Saving Desktop Settings

If you desktop or folders on your desktop do not retain their settings:

Start Regedit

Go go HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Program Manager\Restrictions
Create or edit the DWORD value NoSaveSettings
Give it a value of 0

Hiding the Windows Version on the Desktop

If your version of WindowsXP is displaying on the desktop and
you would like to remove it:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop
Edit or Create the DWORD entry PaintDesktopVersion
A value of 0 will hide the version from the desktop
Logoff or reboot

To make this change for all future users, edit
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop in the same manner.

Using Media Player 6.4

If you want to use the older version of Microsoft Media Player 6.4, it is still on your computer.

Make a shortcut on your desktop to the:
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\mplayer2.exe file

You can also change the file associations from this program to set it as the default for all media types.

Controlling the Desktop Cleanup Wizard

By default, the Desktop Cleanup Wizard will pop up every 60 days to cleanup your desktop.

To stop this:

Right click on the desktop.
Select Properties
Click on the Desktop tab
Click on the Customize Desktop button
Uncheck Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard

Clearing the Page File on Shutdown

Another way to set the computer to clear the pagefile without directly editing the registry is:

Click on the Start button
Go to the Control Panel
Administrative Tools
Local Security Policy
Local Policies
Click on Security Options
Right hand menu - right click on "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile"
Select "Enable"
Reboot

If you want to clear the page file on each shutdown:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\ClearPageFileAtShutdown
Set the value to 1

Restoring Access to CD ROMs

If after you remove CD Burning software, you can no longer access your CD ROM's,
the following registry keys need to be deleted:

Locate and delete the UpperFilters and LowerFilters values under the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

ReInstalling WindowsXP

If you need to reinstall WindowsXP and want to keep all your current installed applications and settings:

Start WindowsXP
Go to the location of your source files
Run WINNT32 /unattend

I've often need to do this to repair something that had gotten corrupted and didn't want to do a clean install.

Setting the Dir Command to Display Filenames on the Left

Previous versions of Windows displayed the filenames on the left hand side when you run the dir command.
WindowsXP changes this and the default it to put it on the right.

To change this back:

Right click on My Computer
Click on Properties
Click on the Advanced tab
Click on the Environment Variables button
Click on New button
Enter the Variable name: dircmd
Enter the Variable value: /-n

Dell Computer Not Keeping Correct Time

If your Dell computer is loosing time while the computer is turned on,
You can run the following commands:

Start / Run / CMD
Net stop w32time
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register
Net start w32time

Fix Browsing Delay to Win98/ME Computers

If you experience a 30 second or so delay when browsing to Windows98 or WindowsME computers,
delete the following registry key on the Windows2000 or WindowsXP computer.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / Software / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Explorer / RemoteComputer / NameSpace {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

Formatting a Partition Greater than 32 GIGs with FAT32

WindowsXP will only format a partition greater than 32 GIGs as NTFS.
If you want to format it with FAT32:

You can use a regular Win98 Boot disk and use that version of FDISK to create the partition (with Large Hard Drive Support)
Reboot with the same boot disk and format
WindowsXP will then be able to use the partition with no problems

Adding SafeBoot to the Boot Menu

You can add Safeboot as an option to the normal XP boot screen

Open a command prompt
Copy the current c:\boot.ini to another name (just in case)
With your favorite text editor, edit c:\boot.ini
Copy then edit the current boot line to another line. For example:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
might copy and then change to:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Safeboot" /fastdetect
Start MSCONFIG
Click on the BOOT.INI tab
Highlight the second line with the additional name of Safeboot
Check the /SAFEBOOT box with option you want
Minimal - Minimal set of drivers
Network - With Network Support
Dsrepair - Directory Services Repair
Minimal (Alternate Shell) - Standard Explorer Desktop
You will now have this option every time you start XP

No GUI Boot

If you don't need to see the XP boot logo,

Run MSCONFIG
Click on the BOOT.INI tab
Check the box for /NOGUIBOOT

Speeding the Startup of Some CD Burner Programs

If you use program other than the native WindowsXP CD Burner software,
you might be able to increase the speed that it loads.

Go to Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Services
Double-click on IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service
For the Startup Type, select Disabled
Click on the OK button and then close the Services window
If you dontYou should notice

Getting Rid of Unread Email Messages

To remove the Unread Email message by user's login names:

Start Regedit
For a single user: Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail
For all users: Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail
Create a DWORD key called MessageExpiryDays
Give it a value of 0

Using the Internet Explorer Classic Search

If you want to use the classic search engine in the Internet Explorer

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
If it is not there, create a String Value of Use Search Asst
Give it a value of no

Logging in as Administrator

If you want to log in as Administrator, but it is not show on the Welcome screen,

Hold the Ctrl-Alt key and press Del twice.
This will bring up the normal login and you can log on as Administrator

To unhide the Administrator account so it does show up:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon \ SpecialAccounts \ UserList
Unhide the Administrator key by giving it a value of 1

Correcting Fast User Switching Error

If you are getting an error that:
A recently installed program has disabled the Welcome screen and Fast User Switching
with a reference to CSGina.DLL

Start Regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Delete the key GinaDLL

Using the Classic Search in Explorer

If you prefer to use the classic search style in Explorer,

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState
Add a String Key called Use Search Asst
Give it a value of no

No To All When Overwriting Files

When overwriting files in the Windows Explorer, there is an option for Yes To All.
This would overwrite any files you would normally be prompted for.

To have No To All, simply hold down the Shift key while you click on the No option.

Re-Installing User Login Pictures

Normally WindowsXP shows assigned pictures for each user on the system.
If you have deleted your user pictures, want to know the location, or need to reinstall them,
they are stored in the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures
directory.

If you need to reinstall them, they can be expanded from the source CD. The actual files are:
airplane.bmp
astronaut.bmp
ball.bmp
butterfly.bmp
cat.bmp
fish.bmp
pink flower.bmp
guitar.bmp
snowflake.bmp
beach.bmp
car.bmp
chess.bmp
dirt bike.bmp
dog.bmp
drip.bmp
duck.bmp
frog.bmp
horses.bmp
kick.bmp
lift-off.bmp
palm tree.bmp
red flower.bmp
skater.bmp

WINIPCFG for XP

If you like the graphic IP configuration program that comes with Windows98,
you can download a similar one for WindowsXP or Windows2000 from Microsoft at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/wntipcfg-o.asp

Search Companion Error

When doing a file search, if you get the error A File That Is Required to Run Search Companion Cannot Be Found

Log on as an Administrator
Click Start
Select Run
Enter in the command - %systemroot%\inf
Right-click the Srchasst.inf file
Click Install

Installing the Backup Program on the Home Version

By default, the NTBACKUP program is not installed on the home version.

You can find it on the CD in the \VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP directory

Changing Drive Letters

If you want to change the letters assigned to your fixed or removable drives:

Right Click on My Computer
Select Manage
Select Disk Management

For a Fixed Disk:

Select it
Right click
Select Change Drive Letter and Path
Click on the Edit button
Enter in the letter you want to use

For a Removable Disk:

In the lower, right hand panel, right click on the Disk or CD ROM #
Select Change Drive Letter and Path
Click on the Edit button
Enter in the letter you want to use

Turn off the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer as the Default Image Viewer

You can also change the file associations for the specific file types you want.

Open the Windows Explorer
Go to Tools / Folder Options / File Types
Scroll down to the extension you want to change
Click on the Change button
Select the program you want to associate with that extension
Click on the OK button

If the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer is set as the default for many of your graphic file types,
you can remove it so other graphics programs can be used.

Run Regedit
Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT / SystemFileAssociations / image / ShellEx / ContextMenuHandlers
Delete the key ShellImagePreview

Allowing Network Access with Blank Passwords

Although you can log in locally without a password, by default, WindowsXP Pro does not allow network users to access the computer without a password. Typically you will receive an Unknown error 31 if this is the case.

To change this setting:

Run gpedit.msc
Go to Computer Configuration / Windows Settings / Security Settings / Local Policies / Security Options
Double click on Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console login only
Disable this option

Changing the Default DOS Window Properties

If you want to change the default DOS windows properties like:

Size
Color
Font
Buffer Size
Window / Full Screen

Open up a DOS window
Right click on the Title Bar
Select Defaults
Make any of the changes you like
All subsequent DOS windows will assume these defaults

Changing the Registered Owner

Start Regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
From there you can edit the name in the Registered Owner key

Opening a Command Prompt to a Particular Directory from Explorer

If you want to open a command prompt to a directory that is selected in the Explorer:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell
Create a new key called Command
Give it the value of the name you want to appear in the Explorer. Something like Open DOS Box
Under this create a new key called command
Give it a value of cmd.exe /k "cd %L"
Now when you are in the Explorer, right click on a folder, select Open DOS Box, and a command prompt will open to the selected directory.

Adding Time Servers

With WindowsXP, you can double-click on the time in the System Tray and connect to Time Servers on the Internet to synchronize with.
To add to the list of available servers:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers
Add new string keys named 2, 3, etc. with a value of the time server you want to use.

Creating a Boot Floppy

To create a bootable floppy from within WindowsXP:

Insert a floppy into the A: drive
Open the Explorer
Right click on the A: Drive
Select Format
Check Create an MS-DOS startup disk
Click on the Start button
This will create a Millennium boot disk

Changing the Login Screen Saver

If you want to change the screen saver that runs at the login prompt:

Start Regedit

Go to HK_USERS / .DEFAULT / Control Panel / Desktop
Double click on SCRNSAVE.EXE
Enter in the screen saver you want to use

Running NetMeeting

To run NetMeeting:

Do a Start / Run
Enter conf
Answer the prompts along the way for name, e-mail etc.

Set the Online Registration as Being Completed

You can set WindowsXP to assume the online registration has been completed.

Run Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion
Create a String Value called RegDone
Give it a value of 1

Decreasing Boot Time

Microsoft has made available a program to analyze and decrease the time it takes to boot to WindowsXP
The program is called BootVis

Uncompress the file.
Run BOOTVIS.EXE
For a starting point, run Trace / Next Boot + Driver Delays
This will reboot your computer and provide a benchmark
After the reboot, BootVis will take a minute or two to show graphs of your system startup.
Note how much time it takes for your system to load (click on the red vertical line)
Then run Trace / Optimize System
Re-Run the Next Boot + Drive Delays
Note how much the time has decreased
Mine went from approximately 39 to 30 seconds.

Re-Enabling System Restore

If you previously disabled system restore through the Group Policy Editor,
the option to start it again does not show in the System Properties.
You can re-enable it again by:

Run the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
Go to Computer Configuration / Administrative Templates / System / System Restore
Set Turn off System Restore and Turn off Configuration to Disable
Right click on My Computer
Select Manage
Go to Services and Applications / Services
Scroll down to System Restore Service
Set it for Automatic
Click on the Start button to start the service
Close down this window
Go back to the Group Policy Editor and configure both to Not configured
Now when you right click on My Computer, there should be a tab for System Restore and you can configure how much space will be used.

Hide/Unhide Logon Names

If you want to hide or unhide the names of users that are displayed on the initial logon screen:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon \ SpecialAccounts \ UserList
Add a DWORD with the name of the user account you want to hide
Make sure it has a value of 0
If there is an existing account, you can unhide it by giving it a value of 1

Reinstalling the TCP/IP Protocol

If you've worked on previous versions of Windows,
there are times when you need to completely reinstall the TCP/IP protocol stack.
This is typically due to corrupted files.

To do this with XP,
you need to run a small script:

netsh int ip reset [ log_file_name ]

the log_file_name needs to be specified.

e.g.
netsh int ip reset ip_reset.txt

Renaming the Start Button

To rename the start button, you will need a hex editor.
My preference is UltraEdit

Copy the \windows\explore.exe file to a new name (e.g. explorer_1.exe)
With the hex editor, open that file and go to offset 412b6
You will see the word start with blanks between each letter
Edit it be any 5 characters or less
Save the file
Boot to DOS
Copy the existing c:\windows\explorer.exe to explorer.org
Copy explorer_1.exe to explorer.exe
You will also need to replace the explorer.exe in the c:\windows\system32\dllcache file as well with the new one.

Note: If the partition is NTFS and you can't access the files from DOS:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon.
Change the value of Shell from Explorer.exe to explorer_1.exe

Rollback a Device Driver

If you install a device drive that does not work correctly,
you can restore the previous one fairly easily.

Log in with an administrator account
Right click on My Computer
Select Properties
Click on the Hardware tab
Click on the Device Manager button
Go to the device you want to reconfigure
Click on the Driver tab
Click on the Roll Back Drive button

Selecting What Details to Display in the Explorer

To add or remove items to be displayed in the Explorer when using the Details View

Start the Explorer
Go to View / Choose Details
Right click on the columns by Name and check or uncheck any item you want displayed

Available options are:

Owner
Name
Size
Type
Date Modified
Status
Attributes
Author
Title
Subject
Category
Pages
Comments
Copyright
Date Created
Date Accessed
Attributes
Artist
Album Title
Year
Track Number
Genre
Duration
Bit Rate
Protected
Camera Model
Date Picture Taken
Dimensions
Company
Description
File Version
Product Name
Product Version

Closing Multiple Taskbar Items

If you hold down the Control Key when you click on the taskbar icons,
it selects multiple tasks. Then you can simply right-click on the selected items and choose close group.

This tip works with all windows, not just one applications. If you have the cal, ie, notepad and solitaire open, it will close them all, unlike the group similar items command that only lets you close all of one type (ex: all IE or all notepads).

Remembering Outlook / Outlook Express Password

On systems, Outlook or Outlook Express will not remember the e-mail password,
which would then need to be entered in each time.

To solve the problem:

Open Registry Editor
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft
Right Click Protected Storage System Provider
Choose the Permissions option
Click the Advanced box near the bottom right hand corner. This should open another box, Towards the bottom of this box there should be two tick boxes, make sure that both of them are ticked. Click Apply, another box will open Click Yes, then Click OK and OK again.
Left Click the + next to Protected Storage System Provider and Delete any sub folder in this tree. (Right clicking and choose the delete option or press the delete key and choosing yes to delete)
Shutdown and Restart Computer.

Turning Off the Firewall

If you want to turn off the firewall for your computer:

Go to Start / Settings / Network Connections
Right click on the network connection you want to change
Select Properties
Click on the Advanced tab
Uncheck the box in Internet Connection Firewall

Grouping Similar Taskbar Buttons

When you open more than one document in the same program and then minimize each document,
rather that showing separate icons on the taskbar for each document, WindowsXP groups them under a single icon for that application.

If you want to group, or ungroup, similar taskbar buttons,

Right click on the Taskbar
Select Properties
Check or Uncheck Group similar taskbar buttons

Turning Off the Guest Account

For security purposes, you might want to turn off the Guest account

Open up the Control Panel
Click on User Accounts
Click on Change an account
Click on the Guest account
Click Turn off the guest account

Original NT Style Logon Screen

If you want to have the original NT style windows logon screen with XP,
simply hold the Ctrl-Alt keys and press the delete key twice.

To make a permanent change so the logon screen is always like the traditional NT4/2000 style:

Go to the Control Panel
Open up User Accounts
Click Change the way users log on and off
Uncheck Use the Welcome screen
Click on Apply Options

Turning Off the Built-In CD Burner

If you want to turn off the ability to using the built-in CD burner software that comes with WindowsXP:

Open up the Explorer
Right click on the drive that is your CD burner
Select Properties
Click on the Recording tab
Uncheck Enable CD recording on this drive

Hiding System Tray Icons

With WindowsXP, you can manually select how you want individual icons in the System Tray to be displayed.

Right click on the Taskbar
Select Properties
Check Hide inactive icons
Click on the Customize button
This will bring up a dialog box that will allow you to select one of three options for your applications:
Hide when inactive, Always hide, or always show
Highlight current or past applications and make any changes you like.
A small arrow will now appear in the System Tray that will allow you to show or hide these icons.

Faster Task Switching

If you installed WindowsXP Power Tools from Microsoft, when you press Alt-Tab to switch between running applications,
you get a screen that shows a small graphic of the window that is of that application along with its icon.
This also takes a long time to display. (Or at least longer than I'm comfortable with)

You can speed this up and revert back to previous ways task switching is displayed.

To Turn This Off After Your Reboot:

Run MSCONFIG
Click on the Startup tab
Uncheck Taskswitch
Click on the OK button
If you want to keep working, click on Exit without Restart

To Turn This Off Immediately:

Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete
Click on the Processes tab
Highlight TaskSwitch.exe
Click on the End Process tab
Click on the Yes button

WindowsXP Command Line Utilities

While there are a lot of command line utilities in WindowsXP, here are some that I have been using lately.

bootcfg - Configures, queries, or changes Boot.ini file settings.

driverquery - Displays a list of all installed device drivers and their properties.

getmac - Returns the media access control (MAC) address and list of network protocols associated with each address for all network cards in each computer

gpresult - Displays Group Policy settings and Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP) for a user or a computer

netsh - You can use commands in the Netsh Interface IP context to configure the TCP/IP protocol

schtasks - Schedules commands and programs to run periodically or at a specific time

systeminfo - Displays detailed configuration information about a computer and its operating system

Disabling Error Reporting

By default, WindowsXP will request to report application errors to Microsoft.
To turn this off:

Right click on the My Computer icon on the desktop
Select Properties / Advanced
Click on the Error Reporting tab
Check Disable error reporting

Adding a Title for the Command Prompt Title Bar

If you create a batch file that might ta