Windows

Controlling the Desktop Cleanup Wizard

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

1. Right click on the desktop.
2. Select Properties
3. Click on the Desktop tab

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Adding Environment Variables

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

1. Right click on My Computer
2. Select Properties

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Disable Shared Documents

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

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \

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Hiding the Last User Logged On

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

1. Start the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
2. Go to Computer Configuration / Windows Settings

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Stop Password Expiration

If 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:

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Adding TCP/IP Printers

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

1. Start to add a new printer through the control panel.
2. Select Local Printer / Next

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Bringing Up the Shutdown Dialog Box

1. Create a new txt file somewhere on your system, open it and put in this one line:
   (new ActiveXObject("Shell.Application")).ShutdownWindows();

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Corrupted or Missing \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG

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

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key

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Repair Install

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

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Accessing Non-Listed Display Configurations

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

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

Cleaning the Prefetch Directory

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

1. Star / Run / Prefetch
2. Press Ctrl-A to highlight all the files
3. Delete them

Faster DOS Printing

If you are experiencing slow printing for DOS programs with Windows2000

1. Go Start | Run | Regedit
2. Click Hkey_Local_Machine
3. Click on System
4. Click CurrentControlSet
5. Click Control
6. Go to the bottom of this part of the list and click WOW
7. Click LPT timeout and change it to a 3

Stopping the Messenger Service

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

1. Click Start->Settings ->Control Panel
2. Click Performance and Maintenance
3. Click Administrative Tools

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Services You Can Disable In Windows Xp

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

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