Customized Windows XP Tips & Tricks

Tip 1: Remove windows messenger from WinXP forever

Go to Run box and type next:

runDll32 advpack.dll, LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf, BLC.Remove

Tip 2: Disable XP Error Reporting

Right click on MyComputer choose Properties

In System Properties click on Advenced

In Advenced click on Error Reporting

Check "Disable error reporting"

Leave unchecked field "But notify me when critical errors occur"

Tip 3: Hide 'User Accounts' from users

Go to Start/Run, and type: GPEDIT.MSC

Open the path

User Config > Admin Templates > Control Panel

Double click "Hide specified Control Panel applets"

Put a dot in 'enabled', then click 'Show"

Click Add button,

Type "nusrmgt.cpl" into the add box

Tip 4: Create Your Own Logon Message

Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.

In the Registry Editor, drill down to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Right-click LegalNoticeCaption, click Modify, type My Windows XP Machine, and then click OK.

Right-click LegalNoticeText, click Modify, and then type your message.

Close the editor and your new message will appear at every log on.

This tip applies to computers that are part of a domain. For stand-alone or peer-to-peer networks, the custom screen appears just before the Welcome screen.

Tip 5: Disable balloon tips

Run regedit and Navigate to Key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion \Explorer\Advanced

Then set the value of 'EnableBalloonTips' to 0.

Tip 6: Create your own popup menu in the taskbar

Put all the shortcuts to the applications that you want to popup in a folder.

Then right click on taskbar ->toolbars ->new toolbar -> and select the folder.

Tip 7: Reset Your Password On XP

Restart you computer

When booting, press F8 and select "Safe Mode"

After getting to the user menu. Click on a user and this time it will not ask you for a password

Go to Start>Run and type "CMD" (without the quotes).

At command prompt type in "cd C:WindowsSystem32" (without the quotes), I am assuming C is your System/Windows Drive

For safety purposes first make a backup of your Logon.Scr file.. You can do this by typing in "Copy to Logon.scr to Logon.bak" (without the quotes)

Then type "copy CMD.EXE Logon.scr"(without the quotes)

Then type this command, I will assume that you want to set Administrator's password to "MyNewPass" (without the quotes)

Now, type this in (I am assuming that you are still in the directory C:WindowsSystem32) , "net user administrator MyNewPass" without the quotes

You will get a message saying that it was successful, this means Administrator's new password is "MyNewPass" (without the quotes)

Restart the PC and you will login as Administrator (or whatever you chose to reset) with your chosen password

Tip 8: Create your own Internet Explorer Toolbar

First, create your HTML file and place it in whatever folder is easiest for you to remember. ( I have a folder on my D drive called Desktop Toolbars.)

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AboutURLs

Create a new String Value with an easy to remember name.

Ex: TopToolbar ,BottomToolbar ,GoogleSearchPage

In the data for the new string value you've created, put the COMPLETE address for the HTML page you want to display in a toolbar.

Like this: D:\Desktop_Toolbars\TopBar.html

To show your new toolbar, right-click on your taskbar and choose "Toolbars" > New Toolbar.

In the box labeled Folder:, type about_: with the name of the string value you created that represents the HTML file you want to see in your toolbar.

Like this:

about_:TopBar

will display your D:\Desktop_Toolbars\TopBar.html in your taskbar.

about_:BottomBar

about_:GoogleSearchPage

Tip 9: Shutting down WinXP faster

When a user shuts down Windows XP, first the system has to kill all services currently running. Every once in a while the service does not shut down instantly and windows give it a change to shut down on its own before it kills it. This amount of time that windows wait is stored in the system registry. If you modify this setting, then windows will kill the service earlier. To modify the setting, follow the directions below:

Click on Start, and then goto run, type REGEDIT

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control.

Click on the "Control" Folder.

Select "WaitToKillServiceTimeout"

Right click on it and select Modify. Set it a value lower than 4000

Tip 10: Disable the SP antivirus and firewall functions

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center]

"AntiVirusDisableNotify"=dword :00000001

"FirewallDisableNotify"=dword:00000001

; don't monitor firewall and antivirus

"AntiVirusOverride"=dword:00000001

"FirewallOverride"=dword:00000001

Tip 11: Turn off Auto Updates

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Au to Update]

"AUOptions"=dword:00000001

;disable Auto Update

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Microsoft\Security Center]

"UpdatesDisableNotify"=dword:00000001

Tip 12: Turn off the SP2 firewall

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Win dowsFire wall\DomainProfile]

"EnableFirewall"=dword:00000000

Tip 13: Turn off firewall policy for domain profile

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Win dowsFire wall\StandardProfile]

"EnableFirewall"=dword:00000000

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