RepairingWindows Help and Support Error - Added 11/19/05Make Pictures Smaller Unavailable - Added 8/17/05 Identify Faulty Device Drivers - Added 3/2/05 Operation Was Attempted on Something That Is Not a Socket Error - Added 11/19/04 Autoexec.nt or Config.nt Errors - Added 9/17/04 Windows Explorer Opens Search Companion Rather than the Folder - Added 9/1/04 Running SFC without a CD ROM - Added 6/9/04 Fixing Cryptographic Services Error - Added 12/8/03 Fixing Explorer Searching Rather Than Opening Directories - Added 11/30/03 Repair Install - Added 2/9/03 Missing or Corrupt NTOSKRNL - Added 2/9/03 Missing or Corrupt HAL.DLL - Added 2/9/03 Corrupted or Missing \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG - Added 2/9/03 NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM Not Found - Added 2/9/03 ReInstalling WindowsXP - Added 5/21/02 Startup/ShutdownConfigure for Auto-Logon - Added 11/28/03Not Displaying Logon, Logoff, Startup and Shutdown Status Messages - Added 3/2/03 Bringing Up the Shutdown Dialog Box - Added 1/31/03 Hiding the Last User Logged On - Added 1/4/03 Poweroff at Shutdown - Added 1/4/03 Adding SafeBoot to the Boot Menu - Added 4/23/02 Speeding the Startup of Some CD Burner Programs - Added 4/23/02 No GUI Boot - Added 4/23/02 Getting Rid of Unread Email Messages- Updated 4/20/02 Re-Installing User Login Pictures - Added 4/5/02 Decreasing Boot Time - Added 3/4/02 Hide/Unhide Logon Names - Added 3/3/02 Original NT Style Logon Screen - Updated 1/19/02 Creating a Shutdown/Reboot Icon - Added 11/11/01 Desktop / Toolbar / ExplorerShowing Common Tasks in Window - Added 11/25/05Not Viewing Zip Files as Folders - Added 3/4/04 Restoring Desktop Icon to the Quicklaunch Bar - Added 12/26/03 Remembering Folder Settings - Added 12/21/02 Disable Explorer Thumbnail View - Added 12/4/02 Saving Desktop Settings - Added 9/11/02 Hiding the Windows Version on the Desktop - Added 9/10/02 Controlling the Desktop Cleanup Wizard - Added 7/24/02 Using the Classic Search in Explorer - Added 4/11/02 Search Companion Error - Added 4/1/02 Opening a Command Prompt to a Particular Directory from Explorer - Added 3/18/02 Selecting What Details to Display in the Explorer - Added 2/3/02 Changing the Default Search Settings - Added 11/5/01 Opening an Explorer Window to the Directory You Want - Added 9/4/01 Displaying the QuickLaunch Toolbar - Added 8/16/01 Displaying and Configuring the Classic Start Menu - Added 8/16/01 IPCONFIG Error Added 9/15/07 When you run IPCONFIG and get an error: An internal error occured: The request is not supported. Please contact Microsoft Product Support Services for further help. Additional information: Unable to query routing information You need to copy a clean TCPIP.SYS file to the \windows\system32\drivers directory and reboot. You can download TCPIP.SYS from my site Browse Master MonitorAdded 2/8/07If you have trouble browsing the network with only a few computers, you might check to see what Browse Master they are using. There is a utility from Microsoft that will let you see what each computer is using for a browse master called Browsemon. Download Browsemon Taking Ownership Of a FolderAdded 2/6/07Sometimes when you reinstall WindowsXP, you can receive an Access Denied error when trying to open a previous user's directory. To take ownership of that folder again:
Repairing Damaged Winsock2Updated 2/6/07The symptoms when Winsock2 is damaged shows 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. ----- If you have WindowsXP with Service Pack 2, there is a one line command you can run to reset the winsock2 registry entries netsh winsock reset catalog ------ There are two easy ways to determine if Winsock2 is damaged: From the XP source files, go to the Support / Tools directory Winsock Test Method 1 Run netdiag /test:winsock The end should say Winsock test ..... passed Winsock Test Method 2
MSAFD Tcpip [TCP/IP]If the names are anything different from those in this list, then likely Winsock2 is corrupted and needs to be repaired. If you have any 3rd party software installed, the name MSAFD may be changed. There should be no fewer than 10 sections. To repair Winsock2
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
Task Manager is Menu Bar is MissingAdded 2/6/07If you start the Task Manager and menu bar and tabs are missing, the Task Manager is running in Tiny Footprint mode. To fix this, simply double click on an empty space in the top border Network Connection Always Shows Access DeniedAdded 2/6/07If you are always getting Access Denied errors when trying to connect to a XP computer, and you know you have the correct user names and passwords on the computer, the solution may be a simple registry edit.
Hiding Manage My ComputerAdded 11/25/05If you want to remove Manage My Computer from My Computer
Finding Your XP Product IDAdded 11/25/05There is a great little utility available to help you find your currently installed product ID http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml It also works for Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Office 97, and Office XP Forgotten Admin or User's PasswordAdded 11/25/05You do not need to reinstall if you forgot the admin password. There is a boot disk you can download at: http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/ that will let you reset the password of any account on NT4, Windows2000 or XP. Just follow all the default settings which are for the admin account. Used it many times with great success. They also have a bootable CD image you can download. Showing Common Tasks in WindowAdded 11/25/05When you open a window from My Computer or the Control Panel, and you don't see the blue bar with additional options on the left side, you may simply need to turn on Common Tasks
Renaming Multiple Files in a DirectoryAdded 11/19/05If you want to rename multiple files in the same directory:
Disable Windows TourAdded 11/19/05If you want to disable the Take Tour of Windows XP that comes up after you install WindowsXP:
Windows Help and Support ErrorAdded 11/19/05If you get an error Windows cannot find HELPCTR.EXE, it may be that a registry entry has gotten corrupted.
Speeding Up Network BrowsingAdded 11/14/05There are a lot of things which can negatively impact how fast XP will browse network shares. One has been previously covered regarding browsing to Win9x computers. Other things you can try, especially when there is slow browsing to network shares with a lot of files: 1. Remove current shortcuts in My Network Places 2. Change the registry so shared folders on remote computers are not automatically added to My Network Places when you even open a document from that shared folder
3. Increase the amount of data is buffered at one time to send to a client. On the computer with the shared directory:
Editing the Boot.ini fileAdded 10/18/05The boot.ini file is a simple text file that is on the root of the boot drive. You can edit this with any plain text editor like Notepad (may need to unhide the file first)
Running CHKDSKAdded 8/17/05One way to run a chkdsk (this is like Scandisk that was with Win9X), is to
The following switches are available: /F - fix any errors /R - identifies bad sectors /V - with FAT32, displays a verbose output With NTFS Volumes: /I - Performs simpler check (stage 2) /C - Skips the checking of cycles within folder structures /X - Forces the volume to dismount if necessary. Intended for server administrators and should be avoided for normal use Opening Shared Folders Snap-InAdded 8/17/05To manage all your shared folders, you can run the snap-in directly Start / Run / fsmgmt.msc This will show you all your shared folders in a single window You can also see what other computers are connected and what files they have open Additional UtilitiesAdded 8/17/05On the XP CD in the \Support\Tools directory, there are a lot of additional support and troubleshooting utilities. You can run SETUP from that directory to install them. Just a few are:
Viewing Your IP Address InformationAdded 8/17/05There are several ways you can determine your IP address information: IPCONFIG
But sometimes the window shows show much information you need to scroll around to fine it. VIEW STATUS
Make Pictures Smaller UnavailableAdded 8/17/05When you try and send pictures through e-mail, you should normally be given the option to make them smaller. If this option is not available, a DLL file may need to be registered.
Creating a Suspend ShortcutSubmitted 3/2/05If you would like to create an icon to suspend your computer,
Changing the User TypeAdded 3/2/05Normally in XP Pro, through the Control Panel / User Accounts icon, you are only allowed to create administrators or limited users. If you want to create
Determining Which Services are Associated with SVCHOSTAdded 3/2/05Since so many critical services are run with each svchost, You can see which ones are being used by opening a cmd prompt and running: tasklist /svc /fi "imagename eq svchost.exe" Note: This is available only with XP Pro Identify Faulty Device Drivers3/2/05If you are having problems with lockups, blue screens, or can only get to safe mode, often the problem is due to a faulty device driver. One way to help identify them is through the use of the Verfier program
Viewing Installed DriversAdded 3/2/05If you want to see a list of installed drivers, you can run the driverquery program There are a lot of available switches to view different types of information. On use can be to export to a CSV file for viewing in Excel An example would then be: Driverquery /v /fo csv > drivers.csv Operation Was Attempted on Something That Is Not a Socket ErrorAdded 11/19/04If you get this error when you try and renew your IP address, Likely the winsock2 registry entries are corrupted. The basic steps to fix this are:
Opening Ports or Adding Allowed Programs with SP2's FirewallAdded 9/30/04
Autoexec.nt or Config.nt ErrorsAdded 9/17/04If 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 AppletsAdded 9/17/04The 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.
Windows Explorer Opens Search Companion Rather than the FolderIf 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:
Running SFC without a CD ROMAdded 6/9/04If 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 AccessAdded 4/11/04If 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:
Not Displaying Previous Network Share ShortcutsAdded 3/26/04By 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
Hiding a XP Computer from Network NeighborhoodAdded 3/26/04If 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 FoldersAdded 3/26/04If you need to share multiple folders, running the program SHRPUBW.EXE will bring up a simple dialog box to let you:
System32 Folder Opens When Logging OnAdded 3/26/04If the System32 folder shows on the desktop, there may be an invalid entry in the Registry
Not Viewing Zip Files as FoldersAdded 3/4/04If you want to turn of WindowsXP showing Zip files as folders, just run: regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll Setting Capslock, Numlock, Scroll LockAdded 3/4/04If you want to set the startup state for any or all of these keys, you just need to edit the registry.
Running Network DiagnosticsAdded 3/4/04Network 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:
DOS Tips in XPSubmitted 3/4/04Windows 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 Submitted by Bob and Tina Restoring Desktop Icon to the Quicklaunch BarAdded 12/26/03If you mistakenly deleted the icon for the Desktop on the Quicklaunch toolbar Go to C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch (where user_name is replaced by your login name) Create a Text file called ShowDesktop.SCF with the following contents: [Shell] Command=2 IconFile=explorer.exe,3 [Taskbar] Command=ToggleDesktop You can also DOWNLOAD a file, uncompress it, and copy to the toolbar or wherever you would like. Network Access After Norton Anti-Virus InstallAdded 12/9/03Sometimes 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.
Fixing Cryptographic Services ErrorAdded 12/8/03If 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 DirectoriesAdded 11/30/03Sometimes after adding the right click with the Explorer, the default setting for opening a folder is changed. To correct this:
Configure for Auto-LogonAdded 11/28/03If you are the only person using the computer and what to have it automatically log you on,
Services You Can DisableUpdated 10/30/03There 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:
Stopping the Messenger ServiceAdded 6/21/03To remove the ability for anyone in the world to pop up messages on your computer, you can disable the Messenger service.
Faster DOS PrintingSubmitted 6/21/03If you are experiencing slow printing for DOS programs with Windows2000
Cleaning the Prefetch DirectoryAdded 3/2/03WindowsXP 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:
Not Displaying Logon, Logoff, Startup and Shutdown Status MessagesAdded 3/2/30To turn these off:
Accessing Non-Listed Display ConfigurationsAdded 3/2/03If you want to access display configurations not normally listed (e.g. 256 colors)
Repair InstallAdded 2/9/03If 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.
NTOSKRNL Missing or CorruptAdded 2/9/03If you get an error that NTOSKRNL not found:
HAL.DLL Missing or CorruptAdded 2/9/03If 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
Corrupted or Missing \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIGAdded 2/9/03If 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
NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM Not FoundAdded 2/9/03If 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:
Bringing Up the Shutdown Dialog BoxAdded 1/31/03
Adding TCP/IP PrintersAdded 1/7/02To create a connection to a printer connected to your network:
Increasing the Folder CacheAdded 1/6/02The default setting for WindowsXP is to cache the Explorer settings for 400 folders. To increase it:
1000 - 3e8You can Dowload a reg file that will set it for 5000 Hiding the Last User Logged OnAdded 1/4/03If you use the standard NT style of login and want to hide the last user:
Poweroff at Shutdown1/4/03If 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.
Remembering Folder SettingsAdded 12/21/02If 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] Download reg file Stop Password ExpirationUpdated 12/21/02If you want to do this for all users, enter: Start / Run / net accounts /maxpwage:unlimited Added 3/18/02 If you are getting an error message that your password is about to expire:
Installing Java Virtual Machine
Updated 12/21/02
If you are getting errors when browsing the web to install Java Virtual Machine,
You can still download it from Microsoft (version 3810)
If this link is removed by MS or is too slow you can download it here
If you need a previous version, you can download 3805
It is now included in Service Pack1
You can also download Sun's version
Preventing Applications from Stealing the Focus
Added 12/14/02
To prevent applications from stealing the focus from the window you are working
Disable Explorer Thumbnail View
Added 12/4/02
If you want disable the Explorer's ability to show the Thumbnail View ,
Adding Environment Variables
Added 12/04/02
Since any version of NT does not use an autoexec.bat file,
to add environment variables to WindowsXP:
Disable Passport Pop-Up
Added 11/26/02
Normally, WindowsXP will prompt you 10 times that You Need a Passport to use WindowsXP Internet communication features...
To disable this
Show Hidden Devices
Submitted 11/26/02
You can show hidden devices in the Device Manager. One way is by making a simple registry change. The other is through a batch file.
Registry Change:
Download reg file
Batch File
@Echo Off
Prompt $p$g set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1 start devmgmt.msc exit
Submitted by Michael Kinsel
Spell Check Not Working With Outlook Express and Office97
Added 11/23/02
This is simply due to a missing or corrupted DLL file
Disable Shared Documents
Added 11/23/02
To disable the Shared Documents folder that shows up on the network
Disable the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon's menuSubmitted 11/23/02To Disable the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon's menu:
Submitted by Justin Herron
Prevent the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon from appearing in the notification traySubmitted 11/23/02To Prevent the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon from appearing in the notification tray:
Submitted by Justin Herron
Printing a Directory
Added 11/12/02
WindowsXP does not allow you to use previously describe methods for printing the contents of a directory.
To do this requires the creation of a small batch file which is then added to your right-click options.
Batch File
On the root of the C: drive, create a batch file called print_directory.bat with the following lines:
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
Fixing the Registry
Sometimes after adding the right click with the Explorer, the default setting for opening a folder is changed.To correct this:
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
Enable / Disable the Task Manager
Added 10/17/02
Saving Desktop Settings
Added 9/11/02
If you desktop or folders on your desktop do not retain their settings:
Start Regedit
Hiding the Windows Version on the Desktop
Added 9/10/02
If your version of WindowsXP is displaying on the desktop and
you would like to remove it:
To make this change for all future users, edit
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop in the same manner. Using Media Player 6.4
Added 9/10/02
If you want to use the older version of Microsoft Media Player 6.4, it is still on your computer.
Make a shortcut on your desktop to the:
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\mplayer2.exe file
You can also change the file associations from this program to set it as the default for all media types.
Controlling the Desktop Cleanup WizardAdded 7/24/02By default, the Desktop Cleanup Wizard will pop up every 60 days to cleanup your desktop. To stop this:
Clearing the Page File on ShutdownUpdated 7/24/02Another way to set the computer to clear the pagefile without directly editing the registry is:
Added 8/16/01 If you want to clear the page file on each shutdown:
Restoring Access to CD ROMs
Added 5/22/02
If after you remove CD Burning software, you can no longer access your CD ROM's,
Locate and delete the UpperFilters and LowerFilters values under the following key in the registry: the following registry keys need to be deleted: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} Download Reg File ReInstalling WindowsXP
Added 5/21/02
If you need to reinstall WindowsXP and want to keep all your current installed applications and settings:
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
Added 5/10/02
Previous versions of Windows displayed the filenames on the left hand side when you run the dir command.
WindowsXP changes this and the default it to put it on the right.
To change this back:
Dell Computer Not Keeping Correct Time
Added 5/5/02
If your Dell computer is loosing time while the computer is turned on,
You can run the following commands:
Fix Browsing Delay to Win98/ME ComputersAdded 5/18/01If 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} Download reg file Formatting a Partition Greater than 32 GIGs with FAT32
Added 4/27/02
WindowsXP will only format a partition greater than 32 GIGs as NTFS.
If you want to format it with FAT32:
Adding SafeBoot to the Boot MenuAdded 4/23/02You can add Safeboot as an option to the normal XP boot screen
No GUI BootAdded 4/23/02If you don't need to see the XP boot logo,
Speeding the Startup of Some CD Burner ProgramsAdded 4/23/02If you use program other than the native WindowsXP CD Burner software, you might be able to increase the speed that it loads.
Getting Rid of Unread Email MessagesUpdated 4/20/02To remove the Unread Email message by user's login names:
Using the Internet Explorer Classic SearchAdded 4/20/02If you want to use the classic search engine in the Internet Explorer
Logging in as AdministratorAdded 4/11/02If you want to log in as Administrator, but it is not show on the Welcome screen,
Correcting Fast User Switching ErrorAdded 4/11/02If you are getting an error that: A recently installed program has disabled the Welcome screen and Fast User Switchingwith a reference to CSGina.DLL
Using the Classic Search in ExplorerAdded 4/11/02If you prefer to use the classic search style in Explorer,
No To All When Overwriting FilesAdded 4/5/02When 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 PicturesAdded 4/5/02Normally 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 XPAdded 4/1/02If you like the graphic IP configuration program that comes with Windows98, you can download a similar one for WindowsXP or Windows2000 from Microsoft at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/wntipcfg-o.asp The actual file is at: WntIpcfg_setup.exe Search Companion ErrorAdded 4/1/02When doing a file search, if you get the error A File That Is Required to Run Search Companion Cannot Be Found
Installing the Backup Program on the Home VersionAdded 4/1/02By default, the NTBACKUP program is not installed on the home version. You can find it on the CD in the \VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP directory Since not all vendors include the actual source code for XP, you can download a copy Changing Drive LettersAdded 3/30/02If you want to change the letters assigned to your fixed or removable drives:
Turn off the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer as the Default Image ViewerUpdated 3/29/02You can also change the file associations for the specific file types you want.
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.
Allowing Network Access with Blank PasswordsAdded 3/23/02Although 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:
Changing the Default DOS Window PropertiesAdded 3/22/02If you want to change the default DOS windows properties like:
Changing the Registered OwnerAdded 3/20/02
Opening a Command Prompt to a Particular Directory from ExplorerAdded 3/18/02If you want to open a command prompt to a directory that is selected in the Explorer:
Adding Time ServersAdded 3/18/02With 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:
Creating a Boot FloppyAdded 3/14/02To create a bootable floppy from within WindowsXP:
Changing the Login Screen SaverAdded 3/8/02If you want to change the screen saver that runs at the login prompt: Start Regedit
Running NetMeetingAdded 3/8/02To run NetMeeting:
Set the Online Registration as Being CompletedAdded 3/4/02You can set WindowsXP to assume the online registration has been completed.
Decreasing Boot TimeAdded 3/4/02Microsoft has made available a program to analyze and decrease the time it takes to boot to WindowsXP The program is called BootVis
Re-Enabling System RestoreAdded 3/3/02If 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:
Hide/Unhide Logon NamesAdded 3/3/02If you want to hide or unhide the names of users that are displayed on the initial logon screen:
Reinstalling the TCP/IP ProtocolAdded 3/2/02If 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 ButtonAdded 2/25/02To rename the start button, you will need a hex editor. My preference is UltraEdit
Rollback a Device DriverAdded 2/18/02If you install a device drive that does not work correctly, you can restore the previous one fairly easily.
Selecting What Details to Display in the ExplorerAdded 2/3/02To add or remove items to be displayed in the Explorer when using the Details View
Closing Multiple Taskbar ItemsSubmitted 2/3/02If you hold down the Control Key when you click on the taskbar icons, it selects multiple tasks. Then you can simply right-click on the selected items and choose close group. This tip works with all windows, not just one applications. If you have the cal, ie, notepad and solitaire open, it will close them all, unlike the group similar items command that only lets you close all of one type (ex: all IE or all notepads). Submitted by Terry Cadieux Remembering Outlook / Outlook Express PasswordSubmitted 1/26/02On 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:
Turning Off the FirewallAdded 1/26/02If you want to turn off the firewall for your computer:
Grouping Similar Taskbar ButtonsAdded 1/26/02When 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,
Turning Off the Guest AccountAdded 1/22/02For security purposes, you might want to turn off the Guest account
Original NT Style Logon ScreenUpdated 1/19/02If you want to have the original NT style windows logon screen with XP, simply hold the Ctrl-Alt keys and press the delete key twice. The following Update Submitted by: Steven Pennypacker To make a permanent change so the logon screen is always like the traditional NT4/2000 style:
Turning Off the Built-In CD BurnerAdded 1/15/02If you want to turn off the ability to using the built-in CD burner software that comes with WindowsXP:
Hiding System Tray IconsAdded 1/10/02With WindowsXP, you can manually select how you want individual icons in the System Tray to be displayed.
Faster Task SwitchingAdded 1/6/02If 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:
WindowsXP Command Line UtilitiesAdded 1/5/02While 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 ReportingAdded 12/5/01By default, WindowsXP will request to report application errors to Microsoft. To turn this off:
Adding a Title for the Command Prompt Title BarAdded 11/27/01If you create a batch file that might take a while to run, you can add a title to the command prompt title bar it by simply adding the line: title YOUR TEXT where YOUR TEXT would be replaced by whatever text you want to show. Increasing Graphics PerformanceAdded 11/27/01By default, WindowsXP turns on a lot of shadows, fades, slides etc to menu items. Most simply slow down their display. To turn these off selectively:
Creating an Automated Install of WindowsXPAdded 11/12/01On the WindowsXP CP, in the SUPPORT\TOOLS directory, there is a file called DEPLOY.CAB.
Creating a Shutdown/Reboot IconAdded 11/11/01WindowsXP has a program called SHUTDOWN.EXE which allows you to easily create icons to shutdown or restart your computer. To create a shutdown shortcut on the desktop:
Shutdown [{-l|-s|-r|-a}] [-f] [-m [\\ComputerName]] [-t xx] [-c "message"] [-d[u][p]:xx:yy] Parameters
Command Line Help ReferenceAdded 11/11/01To get a quick help for all the commands you can enter from WindowsXP, simply create a shortcut: hh.exe ms-its:C:\WINDOWS\Help\ntcmds.chm::/ntcmds.htm Using the System File CheckerAdded 11/11/01You can run the System File Checker to verify protected system files. Command line switches are: sfc [/scannow] [/scanonce] [/scanboot] [/revert] [/purgecache] [/cachesize=x]
Disabling Balloon Tips
Added 11/9/01
To turn off balloon tips in applications that support XP Themes:
Speeding Up the Display of Start Menu Items
Added 11/8/01
An easy way to speed up the display of the Start Menu Items is to turn off the menu shadow.
Installing the NetBEUI Protocol
Added 11/7/01
Microsoft no longer supports the NetBEUI protocol as part of WindowsXP.
You can add it as a installable protocol by going to the VALUEADD \ MSFT \ NET \ NETBEUIdirectory on the CD ROM.
Note: %SYSTEMROOT% refers to the drive and directory where you installed WindowsXP.
Typically this is in the C:\WINDOWS directory
This is only if you absolutely need NetBEUI. It is not at all a necessary requirement for most networks. Setting System Time Over the Internet
Added 11/5/01
You can set your system clock to a time server on the Internet.
Creating a Password Recovery Disk
Added 11/5/01
In case you forget your password, you can create a password recovery floppy disk beforehand to help you out of this problem.
Changing the Default Search SettingsAdded 11/5/01By default, when you start a search, you are prompted for what you want to search for. (e.g. Pictures, Documents, Files, Computers) To change the preferences, simply click on Change preferences From here you can:
Opening an Explorer Window to the Directory You WantAdded 9/4/01If you want to create a shortcut for the Explorer to a specific directory, include the directory you want in the Target. For example: %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e, d:\internet would open the Explorer to the D:\INTERNET directory Disabling HibernationAdded 8/20/01If you don't want to use up the disk space taken by Hibernation, or don't need to use it at all, you can easily disable it.
Locking the WorkstationAdded 8/19/01There are two ways you can lock the workstation.
Changing the Picture Displayed for a UserAdded 8/19/01You can change the picture that gets displayed for a particular user
Displaying the QuickLaunch ToolbarAdded 8/16/01By default, WindowsXP does not show the QuickLaunch toolbar. To enable it again:
Increasing System PerformanceAdded 8/16/01If you have 512 megs or more of memory, you can increase system performance by having the core system kept in memory.
Removing the MSN MessengerAdded 8/16/01If you want to remove the MSN Messenger from always starting in the system tray, do
Remove the hide from the line: msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7 Common Command Console UtilitiesAdded 8/16/01WindowsXP comes with quite a few console utilities you can easily run from the command line: Computer Management - compmgmt.msc Disk Managment - diskmgmt.msc Device Manager - devmgmt.msc Disk Defrag - dfrg.msc Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc Shared Folders - fsmgmt.msc Group Policies - gpedit.msc Local Users and Groups - lusrmgr.msc Performance Monitor - perfmon.msc Resultant Set of Policies - rsop.msc Local Security Settings - secpol.msc Services - services.msc Component Services - comexp.msc Automatically Ending Non-Responsive TasksAdded 8/16/01
Changing the Internet Explorer TitleAdded 8/16/01
Changing Visual EffectsAdded 8/16/01To change visual effects such as fade menus, mouse shadow, visual styles on buttons, drop shadows for icons, slide open boxes and buttons etc.:
Changing System Restore SettingsAdded 8/16/01By default, WindowsXP uses a large amount of hard drive space for storing system restore points. If this is not necessary, you can change the settings.
Configuring the FirewallAdded 8/16/01WindowsXP has firewall capabilities built into the operating system.
Changing Programs That Start AutomaticallyAdded 8/16/01WindowsXP has a similar program, MSCONFIG, that was available in Windows98. This allows you to view and change what programs are automatically started each time you log in. The new version also allows you to view and edit the boot.ini file (as well as check for errors and use several advanced switches) Adding / Removing Additional ProgramsAdded 8/16/01By default, WindowsXP does not display all the programs you can add or remove. To show this list: Edit the \Windows\Inf\sysoc.inf file In the Components section, simply remove the word hide.This will leave two commas together (like on the rest of the items). Then you can go to the Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs / Add/Remove Windows Components and the new items will be displayed. [Components] NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4 WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7 Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7 Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7 NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7 iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7 com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7 dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7 IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7 TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2 msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6 ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7 fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp40ext.inf,,7 AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7 msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7 msnexplr=ocmsn.dll,OcEntry,msnmsn.inf,,7 smarttgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msnsl.inf,,7 RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7 Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,,7 AccessUtil=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,accessor.inf,,7 CommApps=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,communic.inf,HIDE,7 MultiM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,multimed.inf,HIDE,7 AccessOpt=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,optional.inf,HIDE,7 Pinball=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,pinball.inf,HIDE,7 MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,HIDE,7 ZoneGames=zoneoc.dll,ZoneSetupProc,igames.inf,,7 Displaying and Configuring the Classic Start MenuAdded 8/16/01If you prefer the original Start Menu, you can easily switch it back.
Increasing File System CachingAdded 8/16/01To increase the amount of memory Windows will locked for I/O operations:
8192 - 32+ megs of memory 16384 - 64+ megs of memory 32768 - 128+ megs of memory 65536 - 256+ megs of memory Enabling NumLock on by DefaultAdded 8/16/01To have numlock turned on for each user:
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Tuesday 31 January 2012
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