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XP
Tips & Tweaks
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Where
do these tips come from?
These
tips and tweaks have come from hundreds of individuals across the
internet. I have included some of the web sites links (below) that
cover this popular topic.
I
have not tried some of these tips, so let me know if some
don't work or have mistakes.
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Links
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Stop
Jerky Graphics
If you
are connected to a LAN and have problems with jerky graphics, this
might be the solution:
Right-click
"My Computer".
Select
"Manage".
Click
on "Device Manager".
Double-click
on your NIC under "Network Adapters".
In
the new window, select the "Advanced" tab.
Select
"Connection Type" and manually set the value of your
NIC. (Not "Auto Sense" which is default.).
You
should reboot.
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Shutdown
XP Faster
Like
previous versions of windows, it takes long time to restart or
shutdown windows XP when the "Exit Windows" sound is
enabled. To solve this problem you must disable this useless
sound.
Click
Start button.
Go
to settings > Control Panel > Sound, Speech and Audio
devices > Sounds and Audio Devices > Sounds.
Then
under program events and windows menu click on "Exit
Windows" sub-menu and highlight it. Now from sounds you can
select, choose "none" and then click Apply and OK.
Now you
should see some improvements when shutting down your system.
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Speeding
Up Your Pentium 2 by 50%
We all
know that you really shouldn't try to run Windows XP on anything
less that about a Pentium 3 of some sort if you are out for speedy
operations and amazing reaction times, but for those of us with
the good old Pentium 2's who want to see just how well we can run
XP, we have to tweak as much as we can where-ever we can. A real
killer to the system's performance is Windows Media Player.
Although it may look desirable and fancy with it's rounded off
edges and 3rd-Dimensional appearance, the truth is, it takes up a
large amount of that precious processing power. All of these
troubles however, lead to one thing in particular with this
'new-look' over-rated music and video player...the Visualizations.
They look-great I'll admit but like a lot of software these days,
it has no purpose.
If you
run the task manager, and click the Performance tab along the top,
you'll see that when Windows Media Player is running and nothing
else is active, it takes up around 50% of the processors power.
Once these visualizations are turned off, it barely takes up 2-3%
of the processors power, which leaves much more room for other
applications to work efficiently.
Here's
how to disable the feature:
Open
Media Player.
Make
sure the Now Playing tab on the left is selected.
Click
the View menu along the top.
Go
down to Now Playing Tools.
In
the sub-menu that has just 'popped-out', uncheck Show
Visualization.
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Speed
Up Detailed View in Explorer
If you
like to view your files in Windows Explorer using the "Details"
view here is a tweak to speed up the listing of file
attributes:
Viewing files in Windows Explorer using the
"Details" mode shows various attributes associated with
each file shown. Some of these must be retrieved from the
individual files when you click on the directory for viewing. For
a directory with numerous and relatively large files (such as a
folder in which one stores media, eg: *.mp3's, *.avi's etc.),
Windows Explorer lags as it reads through each one. Here's how to
disable viewing of unwanted attributes and speed up file browsing:
Open
Windows Explorer.
Navigate
to the folder which you wish to optimize.
In
"Details" mode right-click the bar at the top which
displays the names of the attribute columns.
Uncheck
any that are unwanted/unneeded.
Explorer
will apply your preferences immediately, and longs lists of
unnecessary attributes will not be displayed. Likewise, one may
choose to display any information which is regarded as needed,
getting more out of Explorer.
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Easily
Disable Messenger
Go into: C:/Program
Files/Messenger. Rename the Messenger folder to "MessengerOFF".
This does not slow down Outlook Express or hinder system
performance.
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Turn
Off System Restore to Save Space
By
default, Windows XP keeps a backup of system files in the System
Volume Information folder. This can eat up valuable space on your
hard drive. If you don't want Windows to back up your system
files:
Open
the Control Panel.
Double-click
on System.
Click
the System Restore tab.
Check
"Turn off System Restore on all drives".
Hit
Apply.
You
may now delete the System Volume Information folder.
Warning!
If you turn this off you will not
be able to use Windows System Restore to restore your system in
case of failure.
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Very
Slow Boot When Networking
On some
XP Pro installations, when connected to a network (peer-peer in
this case), the computer boot time is over 1:40. The system seems
to freeze after logging in and the desktop may not appear or will
freeze for a minute. As timed with the utility, Bootvis.exe, the
problem was with the driver mrxsmb.dll, adding over 67 seconds to
the boot time. Turning off and restoring file and printer sharing
eliminated 65 seconds from the boot time.
Alt-click
(or right-click) on Network Places > Properties.
Alt-click
on Ethernet Adapter connection > Properties.
Un-check
"File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" >
OK.
Reboot.
If
you need file or printer sharing, repeat the above, re-check the
box and re-boot again.
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Easy
Way to Adjust LargeSystemCache
Normally,
the tweak I've seen asks you to go into
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory
Management and change the value to either O or 1 to the adjustment
the LargeSystemCache.
However, in Windows XP, all you have
to do is:
Right-click
My Computer.
Select
Properties.
Click
Advanced.
Choose
Performance.
Click
Advanced again.
Select
either Programs or System Cache under Memory Usage.
Programs
= 0 for the registry tweak equivalent
System Cache = 1 for the
registry tweak equivalent
On
NT Server (in this case XP), the Large System Cache option is
enabled, but disabled on Workstation. The two different settings
effect how the cache manager allocates free memory. If the Large
Cache option is on, the manager marks all the free memory, which
isn't being used by the system and/or applications, as freely
available for disk caching.
On
the flip-side (with a small cache), the manager instead only sets
aside 4MB of memory for disk caching in an attempt to accelerate
the launch of applications. Or in a more technical approach, if
enabled the system will favor system-cache working sets over
process working sets (with a working set basically being the
memory used by components of a process).
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Slow
Start-up When Using Norton Internet Security 2002
If you
are using Norton Internet Security 2002, and are experiencing slow
start-up of XP, (i.e. you can see the desktop with icons etc. but
it takes 30 - 60 sec before you can start using the computer),
this fix might help:
Click
on Start button.
Select
Control Panel.
Open
"Network Connections".
Under
"LAN and High-Speed Internet", right-click on your
"Local Area Connection" and select "Properties".
Under
"General" tab, select "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)"
and select "Properties".
Select
"Use the following IP address:".
Under
"IP address" enter following : 192.168.0.1
Under
"Subnet Mask:" enter following : 255.255.255.0
Click
"Ok".
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Correcting
System Hang at Startup
If your system hangs about 2 or
3 minutes at startup, where you can't access the Start button or
the Taskbar, it may be due to one specific service (Background
Intelligent Transfer) running in the background. Microsoft put out
a patch for this but it didn't work for me. Here's what you do:
Click
on Start/Run, type 'msconfig', then click 'OK'.
Go
to the 'Services' tab, find the 'Background Intelligent Transfer'
service.
Disable it, apply the
changes & reboot.
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Disable
XP Boot Logo
It is
possible to disable the XP splash screen, which will slightly
speed up the overall boot process. Be aware that removing the
splash screen will also cause you not to see any boot-up messages
that might come up (chkdsk, convert ... ), but if your system runs
without any problems then it should not matter.
Upon
restarting, the splash screen will be gone. It can be re-enabled
by removing the new switch.
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Slow
Network Access Not Always Due to Scheduled Tasks
Check
If you
have very slow access to your network computers through "My
Network Places" and have already deleted the Registry entry
calling for a check of Scheduled Tasks on the other network
computers (documented elsewhere on this site) AND you have
multiple network adaptors (i.e. a cable or DSL connection through
one NIC and an internal network using a second NIC) check the
following:
Right-click
on "My Network Places", go to Properties.
Right-click
on the NIC that your cable/DSL connects to, and choose
Properties.
Select
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and click on Properties.
Click
on "Advanced", go to "WINS" tab, and chose
Disable NetBios over TCP/IP.
When
you are back at your Network Connections page, right-click on the
Broadband selection.
Choose
"Properties", click on the Networking tab.
Again,
choose TCP/IP, Properties, Advanced, WINS, and select "disable
NetBios over TCP/IP".
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Turn
Off Indexing to Speed Up XP
Windows
XP keeps a record of all files on the hard disk so when you do a
search on the hard drive it is faster. There is a downside to this
and because the computer has to index all files, it will slow down
normal file commands like open, close, etc. If you do not do a
whole lot of searches on your hard drive then you may want to turn
this feature off:
Open
My Computer.
Right-click
your hard drive icon and select Properties.
At
the bottom of the window you'll see "Allow indexing service
to index this disk for faster searches," uncheck this and
click ok.
A
new window will pop up and select Apply to all folders and
subfolders.
It will
take a minute or two for the changes to take affect but then you
should enjoy slightly faster performance.
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Clean
Your Prefetch to Improve Performance
This is a
unique technique for WinXP. We know that it is necessary to scrub
registry and TEMP files for Win9X/ME/2000 periodically. Prefetch
is a new and very useful technique in Windows XP. However, after
using XP some time, the prefetch directory can get full of junk
and obsolete links in the Prefetch catalog, which can slow down
your computer noticeably.
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Remove
Hibernation File
If you do
not use hibernation, make sure you do not have it enabled, which
reserves disk space equal to your RAM. If you have a hidden file
on the root directory of your C-drive called hiberfil.sys,
hibernation is enabled. To remove that file:
Go
to Control Panel, select Performance and Maintenance, Power
Options, Hibernate tab, and uncheck the Enable hibernation box.
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Performance
Increase Through My Computer
Easy
enough tweak to usually find out about it on your own, but still,
some of us still don't find it right away. So here it is:
Start
> right-click on My Computer and select Properties.
Click
on the "Advanced" tab.
See
the "Performance" section? Click "Settings".
Disable
the following:
Fade or slide menus into view
Fade or
slide ToolTips into view
Fade out menu items after clicking
Show Shadows under menus
Slide open combo boxes
Slide
taskbar buttons
Use a background image for each folder type
Use common tasks in folders
There,
now Windows will still look nice and perform faster.
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Reduce
10 Second Scandisk Wait Time
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DMA
Mode on IDE Devices
Just like
Windows 2000, Windows XP still fails to set the DMA mode correctly
for the IDE device designated as the slaves on the primary IDE and
secondary IDE channels. Most CD-ROMS are capable of supporting DMA
mode, but the default in XP is still PIO. Setting it to DMA won't
make your CD-ROM faster, but it will consume less CPU cycles.
Here's how:
Open
the Device Manager. One way to do that is to right-click on "My
Computer", select the Hardware tab, and select Device
Manager.
Expand
"IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" and double-click on
"Primary IDE Channel".
Under
the "Advanced Settings" tab, check the "Device 1"
setting. More than likely, your current transfer mode is set to
PIO.
Set
it to "DMA if available".
Repeat
the step for the "Secondary IDE Channel" if you have
devices attached to it. Reboot.
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Load
Internet Explorer the Fastest Way Possible
This will
load internet explorer very fast because it does not load a web
page while it is loading. If you want to go to your homepage after
it is loaded, just click on the home button.
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Remove
Messenger
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Auto
Login
Go
to Start/Run, and type 'control userpasswords2'.
From
Users Tab, Uncheck "Users must enter ...."
A
dialog will allow setting a user and password to be used
automatically.
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Turn
Off Autoplay for Program CDs
How can
you stop Windows XP from launching program CDs?
Click
Start, click Run, type GPEDIT.MSC to open Group Policy in the
Microsoft Management Console.
Double-click
Computer Configuration, double-click Administrative templates,
double-click System, and then click Turn off autoplay.
The
instructions on your screen describe how to configure this
setting. Click Properties to display the setting dialog.
Click
Enabled, and choose CD-ROM drives, then click OK, to stop CD
autoplay.
This
setting does not prevent Autoplay for music CDs.
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Change
Drive Letters in Windows XP
When you
add drives to your computer, such as an extra hard drive, a CD
drive, or a storage device that corresponds to a drive, Windows
automatically assigns letters to the drives. However, this
assignment might not suit your system; for example, you might have
mapped a network drive to the same letter that Windows assigns to
a new drive. When you want to change drive letters, follow these
steps:
Right-click
My Computer, and then click Manage.
Under
Computer Management, click Disk Management. In the right pane,
youll see your drives listed. CD-ROM drives are listed at the
bottom of the pane.
Right-click
the drive or device you want to change, and then click Change
Drive Letter and Paths.
Click
Change, click Assign the following drive letter, click the drive
letter you want to assign, and then click OK.
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Synchronize
Your Computer Clock with an Internet Time
Server
Does your
computer have the right time? If your computer is not part of a
domain, you can synchronize your computer clock with an Internet
time server. To do so:
Doubleclick
the time on your task bar.
Click
the Internet Time tab.
Select
the time server you want to use and make sure to select the
Automatically synchronize with an Internet time
server check
box.
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Do
Not Highlight Newly Installed Programs
Tired of
that annoying little window that pops up to tell you that new
software is installed? If it gets in the way when youre logging
off, turn it off completely. To do this:
Click
Start, right-click at the top of the Start menu where your name
is displayed, and then click Properties.
In
the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, on the Start
Menu tab, click Customize.
Click
the Advanced tab, and then clear the Highlight newly installed
programs check box.
Click
OK, and then click OK again.
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Change
the Default Opening Folder in Windows Explorer
By
default, Windows Explorer opens showing the My Documents folder.
To change the default setting so that all toplevel drives and
folders are shown, follow these steps:
Click
Start > Programs > Accessories, then rightclick Windows
Explorer, and click Properties.
Under
Target field, which reads %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe, add to make
the line read:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe
/n, /e, /select, C:\
Click
OK.
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You
Can Bypass the Recycle Bin On the Fly
To bypass
the Recycle Bin on a one-time basis, when you are deleting a file
(or a group of selected files):
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Identify
a 16-bit Program
Use
Windows Explorer to open the folder that contains the program's
executable (.exe) file.
Right-click
the .exe file, and then click Properties.
A
16-bit program does not have a Version tab in this dialog box.
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Use
the Desktop Cleanup Wizard in Windows XP
To start
the Desktop Cleanup Wizard:
Click
Start , and then click Control Panel.
In
Control Panel, click Appearance and Themes under Pick a category.
Under
or pick a Control Panel icon , click Display. The Display
Properties dialog box is displayed.
In
the Display Properties dialog box, click the Desktop tab, and
then click Customize Desktop. The Desktop Items dialog box is
displayed.
Under
Desktop cleanup , click to clear the Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard
every 60 days check box if you do not want the Desktop Cleanup
Wizard to automatically start every 60 days.
Click
Clean Desktop Now. The Desktop Cleanup Wizard starts.
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Remove
Unwanted Shortcuts
In
the Welcome to the Desktop Cleanup Wizard dialog box, click Next.
In
the Shortcuts dialog box, a list of shortcuts are displayed in
the Shortcut to Clean Up list. The shortcuts that you click are
removed from the desktop and placed in the Unused Desktop
Shortcuts folder on the Windows desktop.
If
you do not want a shortcut to be removed from the desktop, click
to clear the check box for that shortcut, and then click Next
when you are finished.
In
the Completing the Desktop Cleanup Wizard dialog box, view the
items in the Shortcuts box to confirm that you want them removed
from the desktop, and then click Finish.
The
Desktop Cleanup Wizard moves the selected shortcuts to the Unused
Desktop Shortcuts folder and then quits.
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Restore
Shortcuts
If a
shortcut that you want is removed, follow these steps to restore
the shortcut:
On
the Desktop, double-click the Unused Desktop Shortcuts folder.
The Unused Desktop Shortcuts dialog box is displayed.
Note:
If the Unused Desktop Shortcuts
dialog box is maximized, click the Restore Down button (appears
to the left of the red Close button).
Drag
the shortcut that you want to the Windows desktop.
Close
the Unused Desktop Shortcuts dialog box.
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How
to Turn On Automatic Updates
Click
Start , click Control Panel , and then double-click System.
Click
the Automatic Updates tab, and then click one of the following
options:
- Download the updates automatically and notify
me when they are ready to be installed. (This is the default
setting.)
- Notify me before downloading any updates and
notify me again before installing them on my computer.
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How
to Turn Off Automatic Updates
Click
Start , click Control Panel , and then double-click System.
Click
the Automatic Updates tab, and then click Turn off automatic
updating. I want to update my computer manually.
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How
to Update Your Files Manually by Using Windows
Update
If you
choose not to use automatic updating, you can still install
specific updates from the Windows Update Web site. Windows Update
is a catalog of items such as drivers, security fixes, critical
updates, the latest Help files, and Internet products that you can
download to keep your computer up-to-date.
Click
Windows Update in Help and Support Center.
On
the Windows Update home page, click Scan for updates.
Click
Yes when you are prompted to install any required software or
device drivers.
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How
to Have Windows Remind You About Pending Updates
Click
Remind Me Later in the Automatic Updates dialog box before you
download or install the update.
In
the Reminder dialog box, you can specify the amount of time
Windows should wait before reminding you.
If
the reminder is for downloading, Windows reminds you only when
you are connected to the Internet.
If
the reminder is for installing, Windows reminds you according to
the schedule that you specify.
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How
to Download Available Updates
If you
configured automatic updating to notify you before downloading any
updates, an icon is displayed in the notification area each time
new updates are found.
Double-click
the icon in the notification area.
Do
either of the following steps:
If you want Windows to
download an update, make sure that the check box beside it is
selected.
-or-
If you do not want Windows to
download an update, click to clear the check box beside it.
Your
selected updates are downloaded in the background; this behavior
allows you to continue working uninterrupted. Downloading does not
interfere with or slow down other network activity, such as
Internet browsing.
When downloading is finished, the icon
is displayed in the notification area to notify you that updates
are ready to be installed.
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How
to Pause or Resume Downloading
After the
download process has started, you can pause or resume downloading
at any time. If you close your Internet connection or restart your
computer after pausing a download process, Windows automatically
resumes the download process the next time you are connected to
the Internet.
During
the download process, click the icon that is displayed in the
notification area, and then click Pause.
When
you are ready for Windows to start downloading again, click the
Automatic updating icon, and then click Resume.
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Restore
an Update that You Previously Declined
If you
decide not to download a specific update, you can prompt Windows
Update to offer that update again.
Click
Start , click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
Click
the Automatic Updates tab, and then click Restore Declined
Updates.
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Change
Out Your Pointer Scheme
Tired of
seeing your pointer as an arrow or an hourglass all the time?
Windows XP offers a number of alternative pointer schemes, such as
Dinosaur, Ocean and Sports:
Open
the Control Panel, double-click Mouse, and select the Pointers
tab. (If you start in Category view, select Appearance and
Themes, then click Mouse Pointers under "See Also").
Next
to Schemes, click the down arrow and select a scheme to preview
its pointers.
Click
OK to apply the scheme to your desktop.
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Use
the Ultimate Configuration Tool (Professional Edition
Only)
One of
the most full featured Windows XP configuration tools available is
hidden right there in your system, but most people don't even know
it exists. It's called the Local Group Policy Editor, or gpedit
for short.
To invoke
this editor:
After you
hit Enter, you'll be greeted by gpedit, which lets you modify
virtually every feature in Windows XP without having to resort to
regedit.
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Customize
the Start menu
The Start
menu gets more real estate in XP than in previous versions, and
it's more customizable. To make the Start menu display only the
applications you want, rather than the default determined by
Microsoft:
Right-click
in an empty section of the Start menu's left column.
Select
Properties > Start Menu > Customize. Here you'll find a
list of your most frequently used programs. (XP keeps track of
what you use and what you don't, then updates this list
dynamically).
Don't
want your boss to know that Pinball, Solitaire, and Quake all make
your list?
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Internet
Connection Sharing
To enable
Internet Connection Sharing on a network connection:
Open
Network Connections.
Click
the dial-up, local area network, PPPoE, or VPN connection you
want to share.
Then,
under Network Tasks, click Change settings of this connection.
On
the Advanced tab, select the Allow other network users to connect
through this computer's Internet connection check box.
If
you want this connection to dial automatically when another
computer on your home or small office network attempts to access
external resources, select the Establish a dial-up connection
whenever a computer on my network attempts to access the Internet
check box.
If
you want other network users to enable or disable the shared
Internet connection, select the Allow other network users to
control or disable the shared Internet connection check box.
Under Internet Connection Sharing, in Home networking connection,
select any adapter that connects the computer sharing its
Internet connection to the other computers on your network.
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Win
XP Wont Completely Shutdown
Go
to Control Panel, then go to Power Options.
Click
on the APM tab, then check the "Enable Advanced Power
Management support."
Shut
down your PC.
It should
now successfully complete the Shut Down process.
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Adjust
Various Visual Effects
Open
up the Control Panel.
Go
under System and click on the Advanced tab.
Click
settings under Performance options.
You can
now change various graphical effects (mainly animations and
shadows).
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Disable
Error Reporting
Open
Control Panel.
Click
on Performance and Maintenance.
Click
on System.
Then
click on the Advanced tab.
Click
on the error-reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
Select
Disable error reporting.
Click
OK, then click OK again.
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Close
Multiple Windows
If you
just opened a number of separate, related windows (a folder inside
a folder, and so on), there's an easier way to close them all than
one-at-a-time:
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Enable
Clear Type
Easy way:
Click on or cut and paste link below:
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/cleartypeactivate.htm?fname=%20&fsize=
or
Right-click
on a blank area of the Desktop and choose Properties.
Click
on the Appearance tab; click effects.
Check
the box: Use the following method to smooth edges of screen
fonts.
In
the drop down box select: Clear Type.
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Turn
Off CD Auto Play
Open
My Computer.
Right-click
on your CD-ROM and choose Properties.
Click
on the Auto Play tab.
In
the drop down box you can choose the action for each choice shown
in the drop down box.
or
Go to Start > Run > type gpedit.msc
Go
to Computer Config > Administrative Template > System.
Double-click
Turn off Autoplay.
Enable
it.
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Increase
BROADBAND
This is
for broad band connections, though it might work for dial up.
Make
sure your logged on as actually "Administrator".
Start->Run->type
gpedit.msc
Expand
the "Local Computer Policy" branch.
Expand
the "Administrative Templates" branch.
Expand
the "Network Branch".
Highlight
the "QoS Packet Scheduler" in left window.
In
right window double-click the "Limit Reservable Bandwidth"
setting.
On
setting tab check the "Enabled" item.
Where
it says "Bandwidth limit %" change it to read 0.
Effect is
immediate on some systems, some need to re-boot. This is more of a
"counter what XP does" thing. In other words, programs
can request up to 20% of the bandwidth be reserved for them, even
with QoS disabled.
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Increase
Your Cable Modem or DSL Speed in XP
This
tweak is for broad band cable connections on stand alone machines
with WinXP professional version - might work on Home version also.
It may also work with networked machines as well.
This
tweak assumes that you have let WinXP create a connection on
install for your cable modem/NIC combination and that your
connection has tcp/ip - QoS - file and print sharing - and client
for Microsoft networks , only, installed. It also assumes that
WinXP will detect your NIC and has in-box drivers for it. If it
doesn't do not try this.
In
the "My Network Places" properties (right-click on the
desktop icon and choose properties), highlight the connection
then at the menu bar choose "Advanced" then "Advanced
Settings". Uncheck the two boxes in the lower half for the
bindings for File and Printer sharing and Client for MS networks.
Click OK.
From
the Windows XP CD in the support directory from the support cab,
extract the file netcap.exe and place it in a directory on your
hard drive or even in the root of your C:\ drive.
Next,
open up a command prompt window and change directories to where
you put netcap.exe. then type "netcap/?". It will list
some commands that are available for netcap and a netmon driver
will be installed. At the bottom you will see your adapters. You
should see two of them if using a 3Com card. One will be for LAN
and the other will be for WAN something or other.
Next
type "netcap/Remove". This will remove the netmon
driver.
Open
up Control Panel->System->Dev Man and look at your network
adapters. You should now see two of them and one will have a
yellow ! on it. Right-click on the one without the yellow ! and
choose uninstall. YES! You are uninstalling your network adapter,
continue with the uninstall. Do not restart yet.
Check
your connection properties to make sure that no connection
exists. If you get a wizard just cancel out of it. Now re-start
the machine.
After
re-start go to your connection properties again and you should
have a new connection called "Local area connection 2".
Highlight the connection, then at the menu bar choose "Advanced"
then "Advanced Settings". Uncheck the two boxes in the
lower half for the bindings for File and Printer sharing and
Client for MS networks. Click OK.
Choose
connection properties and uncheck the "QOS" box.
Re-start
the machine.
After
restart enjoy the increased responsiveness of IE, faster page
loading, and a connection speed boost.
Why it
works, it seems that windows XP, in its zeal to make sure every
base is covered installs two separate versions of the NIC card.
One you do not normally see in any properties. Remember the
"netcap/?" command above showing two different adapters?
The LAN one is the one you see. The invisible one loads everything
down and its like your running two separate cards together,
sharing a connection among two cards, this method breaks this
"bond" and allows the NIC to run un-hindered.
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Use
a Shortcut to Local Area Network Connection
Information
Something
new in Windows XP, instead of using the command line program and
typing ipconfig to find local area network information, you can
use the following shortcut:
Click
Start, point to Connect to, and then click Show All Connections.
Rightclick
the connection you want information about, and then click Status.
In
the Connection Properties dialog box, click the Support tab. For
even more information, click the Advanced tab.
To
automatically enable the status monitor each time the connection
is active, in the Connection Properties dialog box, select the
Show icon in taskbar notification area when connected check box.
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Change
the Start Menu Style
Does the
new Windows XP Start menu take up too much space on your desktop?
You can easily change the look back to the Windows Classic Start
menu by following these steps:
Rightclick
the Start button, and then click Properties.
Click
Classic Start menu.
Click
the Customize button to select items to display on the Start
menu.
By
default, selecting the Classic Start menu also adds the My
Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, and Internet Explorer
icons to your desktop.
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Add
a Map Drive Button to the Toolbar
Do you
want to quickly map a drive, but cant find the toolbar button? If
you map drives often, use one of these options to add a Map Drive
button to the folder toolbar.
Option
One (Long Term Fix):
Click
Start, click My Computer, right-click the toolbar, then unlock
the toolbars, if necessary.
Right-click
the toolbar again, and then click Customize.
Under
Available toolbar buttons, locate Map Drive, and drag it into the
position you want on the right under Current toolbar buttons.
Click
Close, click OK, and then click OK again.
You now
have drive mapping buttons on your toolbar, so you can map drives
from any folder window. To unmap drives, follow the above
procedure, selecting Disconnect under Available toolbar buttons.
To quickly map a drive, try this option:
Option
Two (Quick Fix):
If you
place your My Computer icon directly on the desktop, you can make
this move in only two clicks!
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Do
Not Highlight Newly Installed Programs
Tired of
that annoying little window that pops up to tell you that new
software is installed? If it gets in the way when youre logging
off, turn it off completely.
To do
this:
Click
Start, right-click at the top of the Start menu where your name
is displayed, and then click Properties.
In
the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, on the Start
Menu tab, click Customize.
Click
the Advanced tab, and then clear the Highlight newly installed
programs check box.
Click
OK, and then click OK again.
Now that
message wont be popping up when you least want to see it.
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Display
Your Quick Launch Toolbar
Right-click
an empty area on the taskbar, click Toolbars, and then click
Quick Launch.
Easy
as that your Quick Launch bar appears.
To
add items to your Quick Launch toolbar, click the icon for the
program you want to add, and drag it to the Quick Launch portion
of the taskbar.
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Keep
Your Favorite Programs Near the Top of the Start
Menu
Do you
have a favorite program that you frequently use? Elevate its
priority on the Start menu by putting it at the top of the list.
This ensures that the program will remain on the Start menu and
cannot be bumped by other programs, even if you use the others
more frequently.
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Stop
Password Expiration
After you
have run Windows XP for a while, you may receive this message when
you log on: "Your password will expire in 14 days.....".
By default, Windows XP is set up with passwords which will expire
after 42 days. And 14 days in advance, Windows will start warning
you of this fact.
Go
to Start > Run > type control userpasswords2
Select
the Advanced tab in the User Accounts window.
Press
the Advanced button below the Advanced user management header.
Select
Users in the Local Users and Groups.
In
the right pane, right-click the user name for which you want to
change the setting, and select Properties.
On
the General tab, check Password never expires.
Click
Apply and OK (all the way out).
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Display
Hibernate Option on the Shut Down dialog
For some
reason, Hibernate isn't available from the default Shut Down
dialog. But you can enable it simply enough, by holding down the
shift-key while the dialog is visible. Now you see it, now you
don't!
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My
Computer Won't Shut Down Itself After Installing XP
There are
a number of users who have been complaining that their PC will no
longer automatically power down/shut off without pressing the
power off button on the computers unlike in Windows Me/95/2000.
There could be a number of reasons for this, but the main one
seems to be that ACPI is not enabled on the computer or in Windows
XP:
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Create
a Password Reset Disk
Microsoft
has enhanced security features in XP including the ability to
create a floppy diskette to recover your password in case it is
forgotten.
Click
Start > Control Panel >
User Accounts.
Click
on the account which you want to create a password disk.
Click
Prevent a forgotten password which starts the Forgotten Password
Wizard . This is found under Related Tasks.
Insert
a blank, formatted disk into drive A, and click Next.
Enter
the password in the Current user account password box.
To use
the recovery disk, at the Welcome screen:
Click
the user name whose password is on the recovery disk.
Click
the question mark button, this
causes the "Did you forget your password message" to
appear.
Click
use your password reset disk. This will start the Password Reset
Wizard.
From this
point, just follow the wizard's instructions and you will be able
to set a new password.
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|
Modify
Settings to Improve Performance
Windows
XP uses processor time to handle system performance according to
default settings, which can be adjusted for your computing needs.
Also, settings that govern visual effects enhance the appearance
of the Windows XP interface, but can slow down performance. You
can finetune settings in Windows XP Professional to improve
performance:
Rightclick
My Computer, and then click Properties.
Click
the Advanced tab, and in the Performance area, click Settings.
On
the Visual Effects tab, click the Custom radio button, and then
select which UI features to disable to improve performance.
Click
the Advanced tab, and in the Processor scheduling area, click the
Background services radio button. Selecting this option means
that background tasks that you want to run while you work, such
as backup utilities or print jobs, will share processor time
equally with programs.
You may
need to be logged on as an Administrator to make these changes.
Note that applying these settings may change your current desktop
theme.
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|
Roll
Back to the Previous Version of a Driver
Have you
ever installed a device driver that makes your system unstable?
Well, in Windows XP you can roll back such a change if it causes
you problems! To go back to the previous driver for a device:
Click
Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance >
Administrative Tools.
Doubleclick
Computer Management, and then click Device Manager in the left
pane.
Rightclick
the device for which you'd like to roll back the drivers, and
then click Properties.
On
Driver tab of the Properties dialog box, click Roll Back Driver,
and follow the wizard's instructions.
It's that
simple, although you need to be an administrator or a member of
the Administrators group to complete this procedure.
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Create
a Personal Screen Saver
For a
great way to put your digital photos to work, try creating a slide
show presentation for use as a screen saver.
Rightclick
an empty spot on your desktop, and then click Properties.
Click
the Screen Saver tab.
In
the Screen saver list, click My Pictures Slideshow.
Click
Settings to make any adjustments, such as how often the pictures
should change, what size they should be, and whether youll use
transition effects between pictures, and then click OK.
Now your
screen saver is a random display of the pictures taken from your
My Pictures folder.
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|
Disable
Automatic Windows Update
Windows
XP is configured out of the box to routinely scan for and download
updates to Windows XP automatically. While this can be somewhat
convenient for those with very fast Internet connections and those
who would otherwise forget to check for updates, it can be a
nuisance for the rest of us, who are still using 56k or, even
worse 33k modem connections.
Open
the System icon in Control Panel (or right-click My Computer and
select Properties), and choose the Automatic Updating tab.
To
check for updates manually, open Internet Explorer and select
Windows Update from the Tools menu.
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How
to Perform Disk Error Checking in Windows XP
This
article describes how to check the integrity of the hard disk
drive in Windows XP. After you install Windows XP, the Scandisk
command is not available.
Double-click
My Computer, and then right-click the hard disk drive that you
want to check.
Click
Properties, and then click Tools.
Under
Error-checking, click Check Now.
Click
Start.
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Creating
a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition
This
article describes how to create a Windows boot disk to access a
drive with a faulty boot sequence on an Intel x86-processor-based
computer.
This Windows boot disk can access a drive that
has the Windows NT file system (NTFS) or File allocation table
(FAT) file system installed. The procedures in this article can be
useful to work around the following boot problems:
Corrupted
boot sector.
Corrupted
master boot record (MBR).
Virus
infections.
Missing
or corrupt NTLDR or Ntdetect.com.
Incorrect
Ntbootdd.sys driver.
This boot
disk can also be used to boot from the shadow of a broken mirror,
although you may need to change the Boot.ini file to do that. This
Windows boot disk cannot be used for the following problems:
To work
around or fix these problems, run the Emergency Repair disk, load
the last known good control set, or reinstall Windows, if
necessary.
The Windows floppy disk must include the files
NTLDR, Ntdetect.com, Boot.ini, and the correct device driver for
your hard drive.
Note: The
NTLDR, Ntdetect.com, and Boot.ini files usually have their file
attributes set to System, Hidden, and Read-Only. You do not need
to reset these attributes for this disk to work properly.
Method
1: You Do Not Have Access to a Computer Running Windows
Create
a copy of the first Windows Setup disk using the diskcopy
command, and then delete all files on the new disk.
Copy
the Ntdetect.com and NTLDR files from the i386 folder on the
CD-ROM to the new disk.
Rename
the NTLDR file to "Setupldr.bin".
Create
a Boot.ini file. The following example works for a single
partition SCSI drive with Windows installed under \WINNT;
however, the exact value in the [operating systems] section
depends upon the configuration of the Windows System you want to
boot:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
Default=
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt
[operating
systems]
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Windows
NT"
If
your computer boots from an IDE, EIDE, or ESDI hard drive or a
SCSI adapter that does not have a built in BIOS, replace the
scsi(0) with multi(0).
If you are using scsi(x) in the
Boot.ini file, copy the correct device driver for the SCSI
controller in use on the computer, and then rename it to
Ntbootdd.sys. If you are using multi(x) in the Boot.ini, you do
not need to do this.
Start
your computer using the floppy disk, and then log on to Windows.
Method 2: You Have
Access to a Computer Running Windows
Format
a floppy disk using the Windows format utility.
Copy
NTLDR from the Windows Setup CD-ROM, Windows Setup floppy disk,
or from a computer running the same version of Windows as the
computer you want to access with the boot floppy. You may need to
expand this file from NTLDR._ to NTLDR by using the following
command line:
expand
ntldr._ ntldr
Copy
the Ntdetect.com file to the disk.
Create
a Boot.ini file or copy one from a running Windows computer, and
then modify it to match the computer you are trying to access.
The following example works for a single partition SCSI drive
with Windows installed under \WINNT; however, the exact value in
the [operating systems] section depends upon the configuration of
the Windows computer you are trying to access:
[boot
loader]
timeout=30
Default=
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt
[operating
systems]
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Windows
NT"
If
your computer starts from an IDE, EIDE, or ESDI hard drive,
replace the scsi(0) with multi(0).
If
you are using scsi(x) in the Boot.ini, copy the correct device
driver for the SCSI controller in use on the computer, and then
rename it to Ntbootdd.sys. If you are using multi(x) in the
Boot.ini, you do not need to do this.
Start
using the floppy disk, and then log on to Windows.
Troubleshooting
You
may encounter one or more of the following problems when you
attempt to start your computer using your Windows boot floppy
disk:
If the
path pointing to the system files is incorrect or includes the
drive letter, you may receive the following error message:
Windows
could not start because of the following ARC firmware boot
configuration problem: Did not properly generate ARC name for HAL
and system paths. Please check the Windows (TM) documentation
about ARC configuration options and your hardware reference
manuals for additional information. Boot Failed.
If an
incorrect SCSI driver has been selected or the Ntbootdd.sys file
does not exist, you may receive the following message:
Windows
could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration
problem. Could not read from selected boot disk. Check boot path
and disk hardware. Please check the Windows (TM) documentation
about hardware disk configuration and your hardware disk
configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional
information. Boot Failed.
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Change
the Logon Window and the Shutdown Preferences
in Windows XP
Setup
configures Windows XP to use the friendly Welcome logon screen and
the shutdown buttons, if your computer is installed as a home
computer (a computer where a network domain has not been
specified).
This article describes how you can enable the
classic logon screen used by Windows XP Server that resembles the
following example:
Log On to
Windows:
User name:
_____________
Password: _____________
To
temporarily use the classic logon screen, press Ctrl+Alt+Del twice
on the Welcome logon screen.
To configure Windows XP to use the
classic logon and shutdown screens for every logon session, do the
following:
Click
Start, and then click Control Panel.
Double-click
User Accounts.
Click
Change the way users log on or off.
Click
to clear the Use the Welcome screen check box.
Note:
If you disable the Welcome logon
screen, you also disable the Fast User Switching option.
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Hard
Disk Performance Is Slower Than You Expect
Symptoms
After
you install Microsoft Windows XP, hard disk performance may be
slower than you expect.
Note:
Hard disk performance may be even slower when your
computer performs many small hard disk read/write operations.
Cause
This
behavior may occur in the following situation:
You use
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) hard disks in the
computer.
-and-
The hard
disks are formatted as NTFS.
Resolution
A
supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only
intended to correct the problem described in this article and
should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific
problem. This fix may receive additional testing at a later time,
to further ensure product quality. Therefore, if you are not
severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you
wait for the next Windows XP service pack that contains this
fix.
To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft
Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of
Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information
about support costs, please go to the following address on the
World Wide Web:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS
Note:
In special cases,
charges that are normally incurred for support calls may be
canceled, if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a
specific update will resolve your problem. Normal support costs
will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not
qualify for the specific update in question.
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Compress
Files and Folders in Windows XP
Running
out of room on your hard disk? Need some extra space to install a
new program? Don't worry, Windows XP comes to the rescue. Both
Windows XP Professional and Home Edition now include a zip
compression utility that you can use to compress files and folders
on your hard disk.
This will
make a compressed folder, identified by a zipper icon, which
displays the same name as the file you compressed. You can also
make a compressed folder from scratch, by following these steps:
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Enable
Services to Work Through Internet Connection
Firewall
When
people are having trouble getting to specific programs or services
on your Windows XP machine after you enable Internet Connection
Firewall (ICF), you may need to enable the program or service to
work through the firewall.
Click
Control Panel > Network and Internet Connections > Network
Connections.
Right-click
your Internet connection, and then click Properties.
Click
the Advanced tab in the Properties dialog box.
Click
Settings, and the Advanced Settings dialog box opens.
From
there you can enable most common services just by clicking them,
or add your own by clicking the Add button.
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Getting
an Older Program to Run on Windows XP
If an
older application gives you trouble when running Windows XP, you
can set the compatibility properties manually so that the program
runs in a different mode, such as Windows 95, or in a different
display or resolution setting.
Rightclick
the executable or the program shortcut to the executable, and
then click Properties.
Select
the Run this program in compatibility mode check box.
From
the list, select an operating system that the program runs in
comfortably.
If
necessary, also change the display settings and/or resolution, or
disable the Windows XP visual themes.
Run the
program again when youre finished changing the settings. Adjust
the compatibility settings again if the program is still not
running smoothly: a program thats unhappy on Windows 2000 may
flourish on Windows 98.
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Fix
Movie Interference in AVI Files
If you
have any AVI files that you saved in Windows 9x, which have
interference when opened in Windows XP, there is an easy fix to
get rid of the interference:
Open
Windows Movie Maker.
Click
View and then click Options.
Click
in the box to remove the check mark beside Automatically create
clips.
Now,
import the movie file that has interference and drag it onto the
timeline. Then save the movie, and during the rerendering, the
interference will be removed.
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One-Click
Shutdown
If you
have Clean Sweep Deluxe, you should disable it before proceeding.
Follow these directions to create a one-click shutdown shortcut:
Navigate
to your Desktop.
On
the Desktop, right-click and go to New, then to Shortcut (in
other words, create a new shortcut).
You
should now see a pop-up window instructing you to enter a command
line path.
Enter one of these as the path: SHUTDOWN
-s -t 01
If
the C: drive is not your local hard drive, then replace "C"
with the correct letter of the hard drive.
Click
the "Next" button.
Name
the shortcut and click the "Finish" button.
Now
whenever you want to shut down, just click on this shortcut and
you're done. Also, if you want to make life better and faster, you
can right-click the new shortcut you just made, go to Properties,
and type in X (or whatever letter) in the Shortcut Key box.
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Move
the Paging File in Windows XP
This
article describes how to change the location of the paging file in
Windows XP.
The paging file is the area on the hard disk
that Windows uses as if it were random access memory (RAM) This is
sometimes known as "virtual memory." By default, Windows
stores this file on the same partition as the Windows system
files. You can increase the performance of Windows, and increase
free space on the boot partition, by moving this file to a
different partition.
Log
on to the computer as Administrator.
Click
Start, and then click Control Panel.
Click
Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
Click
the Advanced tab, and then under Performance, click Settings.
Click
the Advanced tab, and then under Virtual memory, click Change.
In
the Drive [Volume Label] list, click a drive other than the one
on which Windows is installed (Windows is usually installed on
the drive C). Under Total paging file size for all drives, note
the value that is displayed next to Recommended.
Click
Custom size, and then type the recommended value in the Initial
size (MB) box.
Type the maximum size that you want to allow
for paging in the Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set.
In
the Drive [Volume Label] box, click the drive on which Windows is
installed (usually the drive C), and then use one of the
following steps:
If
you do not want a paging file on the drive, click No paging file,
and then click Set. A message similar to the following message
appears:
If
the pagefile on volume C: has an initial size of less than 126
megabytes, then the system may not be able to create a debugging
information file if a STOP error occurs.
Continue
anyway?
Click
Yes.
If
you want to keep the minimum size of the paging file on the
drive, click Custom size, and then type a value that is equal to
or greater than the amount of RAM in the computer in the Initial
size (MB) box. Type that same value in the Maximum size (MB) box,
and then click Set.
The following message appears:
The
changes you have made require you to restart your computer before
they can take effect.
Click
OK, click OK, click OK.
Then
click Yes when you are prompted to restart the computer.
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|
Disable
Error Reporting
You can
get rid of the Windows XP error report messages if you don't want
to send another one in.
Click
Start, and then click Run.
Type
msconfig to open the System Configuration Utility.
Click
the Services tab.
Clear
the Error Reporting Service check box, and then click OK.
Hit
Restart to reboot your system.
Your
computer will now start without loading the error reporting
service.
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Use
Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
in
Windows XP
This
article describes how to use Backup Utility for Windows (included
with Windows XP) to back up files and folders on your computer.
The Backup tool in Windows XP helps you protect your data
in case your hard disk fails or files are accidentally erased. By
using Backup, you can create a duplicate copy of all of the data
on your hard disk and then archive it on another storage device,
such as a hard disk or a tape.
If the original data on
your hard disk is accidentally erased or overwritten, or becomes
inaccessible because of a hard-disk malfunction, you can easily
restore the data from the disk or archived copy by using the
Restore Wizard or Automated System Recovery Wizard.
Note:
You must have permissions as an
administrator or a bac |