WINDOWS : TIPS AND TWEAKS

Exciting new Skins!!

2009-09-04T16:33:00.001+05:30

Hey Guys, you must have been using many Gadgets or own many of it...You must have a Laptop, a cellphone, an ipod, xbox or other gadgets , isn't it??
Don't you love them.... ?? Surely you do. Even I do. I just saw something very interesting on a website and that really changed the way my Gadgets used to look. Just check out this new laptop skins ... you would love it.. and even would want to change the looks of your same old gadgets... just click here and ENJOY!!

How to clear temporary files from pc

2009-02-19T13:35:00.010+05:30

Temporary files are those files, that gets stored in your computer time by time and uses some space of your computer. This files are of no use and can be deleted whenever you wish to and can save some usable space and clear the junk files.Here is how to clear your temporary files yourself.This is for Windows user.

1. Go to "Start" > Click on "Run...."

2.Type "%temp%" (without quotes),

and hit "Enter" or click at "OK" button.

3. After the above step , a folder will get opened which will contain all the unnecessary temporary files, which you can delete without any hesitation. Now, as you don't need this files any more, in order to delete all the files from this folder, I would recommend you to use the shortcut keys " Shift+Delete " of your keyboard to delete it directly from your computer and without sending the deleted files to go to "Recycle bin" of your computer.

Select all the files from the opened folder with the shortcut key " Ctrl+A" and then to delete all the files use " Shift+Delete " and press "Enter".

That's it, You have successfully deleted your temporary files from your Pc.

You can also search Google for many other such tips and tweaks .......

Speed up viewing shared files across a network

2008-12-19T21:13:00.000+05:30

Windows 2000 & XP machines delay as long as 30 seconds when you try to view shared files across a network because Windows is using the extra time to search the remote computer for any Scheduled Tasks. Here's how to prevent this remote search for Scheduled Tasks:
Open up the Registry and go to :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace

Under that branch, select the key :

{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

and delete it.

If you like you may want to export the exact branch so that you can restore the key if necessary. This fix is so effective that it doesn't require a reboot and you can almost immediately determine yourself how much it speeds up your browsing processes.

Enable / Disable Firewall

2008-12-19T21:12:00.000+05:30

Open Control Panel and double click on Network Connections. In the new box that appears right click on the Connection and click on the Advanced tab. Check or uncheck the box according to your desire.

Change the text in Internet Explorers title bar

2008-12-19T21:11:00.000+05:30

In regedit navigate to this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerMain

change the value of the string "Window Title" to whatever you want on the title bar of Internet Explorer - to have no title except the title of the web pages you are browsing do not enter anything for a value.

Remove Shared Documents in Windows

2008-12-19T21:09:00.002+05:30

Open Regedit(Start- Run- Regedit) and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Explorer My Computer NameSpace DelegateFolders

There will see a sub-key named {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. By Deleting this you can remove the 'Other Files stored on This Computer' group.

How To Enable Hibernation

2008-12-19T21:07:00.001+05:30

Under Windows 98, Me, or 2000 there was an option in the shutdown dialog box to enter the computer into hibernation (where all the content of the RAM is copied to the hard disk). The shutdown dialog box of Windows XP doesn't offer any longer the hibernation button. Some users may get confused about how to enable the hibernation mode. If this mode is supported by your motherboard (ACPI) you have to do the following:

1.Click Start and Shut Down;
2.Point the standby button and maintain the shift key pushed;
3.A new hibernation button appears: click it while still holding the shift key: your PC will hibernate....

Slow Shutdown

2008-12-19T21:05:00.003+05:30

Some people have noticed that they are experiencing a really slow shutdown after installing Windows XP Home or Professional. Although this can be caused a number of ways, the most clear cut one so far is happening on systems with an NVidia card installed with the latest set of drivers. A service called NVIDIA Driver Helper Service is loading up on start up and for whatever reason doesn't shut itself down properly. The service isn't needed and can also increase the amount of memory available to your system. Here is how to disable it....

1: Go into your Control Panel
2: Select Administrative Tools and then click on Services
3: Right click on the file "NVIDIA Driver Helper Service" and then select STOP.
4: To stop this loading up every time you boot up your PC Right click it again and select properties - then where the option "Startup Type" is shown - make sure it is set at Manual like we have shown in the image below.....

Changing The Internet Time Update Synchronisation

2008-12-19T21:04:00.001+05:30

To change the interval that Windows updates the time using the internet time servers via regedit, navigate to:

1. "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services \W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient "

2. Select "SpecialPollInterval"

3. Change decimal value from 604800 to a different value in seconds. i.e.: 172800 (2 Days) or 86400 (1 Day) and so on.

We don't recommend changing this unless you are on a broadband connection......

Getting an Older Program to Run on Windows XP

2008-12-19T21:02:00.002+05:30

1. Right–click the executable or the program shortcut to the executable, and then click Properties.

2. Select the Run this program in compatibility mode check box.

3. 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 you’re finished changing the settings. Adjust the compatibility settings again if the program is still not running smoothly: a program that’s unhappy on Windows 2000 may flourish on Windows 98........

How to Hide 'User Accounts' from users

2008-12-19T20:59:00.002+05:30

Go to Start/Run, and type:

GPEDIT.MSC

Open the path

User Config > Admin Templates > Control Panel

doubleclick "Hide specified Control Panel applets"

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

click Add button,

type "nusrmgt.cpl" into the add box.

Shortcut to disconnect Dial-UP

2008-12-19T00:00:00.003+05:30

To disconnect a call via a shortcut, create a shortcut with the following int the 'Target' field:

C:\WINDOWS\system32\rasdial.exe /disconnect

Then you can assign a shortcut key combination in the 'Shortcut Key' field to disconnect via a keystroke if you like........

Restoring the Recycle Bin after deleting it from the registry

2008-12-18T23:56:00.000+05:30

Ok, so I deleted the recycle bin from the system registry, because I wanted it off of my desktop, but now it's gone from my computer! Go to Start < Run < Type regedit
Find [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\
Click Edit < New < Key Then paste {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} and hit enter. Restart.

Restoring Media Player

2008-12-18T23:54:00.001+05:30

To restore Windows Media Player insert the the XP CD into the CD drive (if it autostarts click exit). Open a command window and type the following :

rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection InstallWMP7 132 c:\windows\inf\wmp.inf

Morpheus Max Downloads Tweak

2008-12-18T23:53:00.002+05:30

The max downloads limit in Morpheus is 50,follow these steps to change your downloads limit to anything you like,this will also speed up your downloads.

1. Run regedit.

2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Morpheus/Transfer

3. Right click on Concurrentdownloads and select Modify

4. Click on Decimal and change the limit to anything you like......

Load Applications Faster

2008-12-18T23:50:00.002+05:30

Microsoft has this command in which to start up applications much faster just like Microsoft's Windows Media Player.

1) Choose an application that you want to start up quicker.
2) Create a shortcut and place it on the desktop.
3) Right click the shortcut item and click properties.
4) In the target field you will have it pointing to the location of the application. For Example it will say "C:\Program Files\Washer\washer.exe"
5) Add /prefetch:1 right after the last " marks in the target field. So you will have something that looks like this..
"C:\Program Files\Washer\washer.exe" /prefetch:1
6) Amazingly the application will start up quicker. For some applications like Kazaa Lite and some other 3rd party applicatins, this tweak will not work. You will get an error messege if it doesn't work properly. If you get the error, just simply remove the /prefetch:1 from the target field of the shortcut and the original shortcut will work fine again.

Internet Explorer lightning-fast startup

2008-12-18T23:38:00.001+05:30

Isn't it annoying when you want to go to a new website, or any other site but your homepage, and you have to wait for your 'home' to load?
This tweak tells Internet Explorer to simply 'run', without loading any webpages. (If you use a 'blank' page, that is still a page, and slows access. Notice the 'about:blank' in the address bar. The blank html page must still be loaded..). To load IE with 'nothing' [nothing is different than blank]:
1. Right-click on any shortcut you have to IE[You should create a shortcut out of your desktop IE icon, and delete the original icon]
2. Click Properties
3. Add -nohome [with a space before the dash] after the endquotes in the Target field.
4. Click OKFire up IE from your modified shortcut, and be amazed by how fast you are able to use IE!

Flashget: Bypassing 8 Max Simultaneous Jobs

2008-12-18T23:35:00.001+05:30

Users of Flash get will notice that the maximum number of file splits is 8. This number can be increased by the tweak below:
1. Run regedit.
2. Navigate to [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JetCar\JetCar\General\]
3. Right Click -> Add String Value.
4. Name as MaxSimJobs -> Set the value as what ever number you want.

After a restart you should be able to download with more file splits.

Fix Windows Media Player Library Problems

2008-12-18T23:33:00.001+05:30

If you move your music around on your computer to different location on the hard drive a lot, you will end up with a quite a few broken entries in your Windows Media Player library. When you open up the same music file from a different location, Media Player will think that it is a new song and will add it yet again to your library resulting in various duplicate entries. As you can see, if you move your music around a lot, such as after you organized the file structure, you can end up having duplicate entries in your Windows Media Player libary with some of the entires pointing to files that are now in a different location. To fix this problem, you are going to want to compleatly remove the library file so that it can be automatically regenrated. To do this, follow the steps below:
1.If you have Windows Media Player started, close it so the library file will not be in use.
Navigate to X:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Index with Windows Explorer or using My Computer.
2.Locate the wmlibrary...db file and erase it.
3.Start Windows Media Player once again and hit F3 once it has started up.
4.Enter the location that you music is and Windows Media Player will create a new library.
5.Now you do not have to worry about duplicate entries and entries and point to moved files in your music library.

Easy way to add a link to the start menu

2008-12-18T23:32:00.002+05:30

If you're looking for an easy way to adding your favorite link to the start menu, without editing your registry. Simply copy your favorite link from the 'Favorite'-menu out of Internet Explorer and paste it into the start menu. Done!

Change Internet explorer title

2008-12-18T23:27:00.001+05:30

This will change the title bar in ms internet explorer from: 'Microsoft Internet Explorer'. to anything you want.
1)double-click on my computer
2)navigate to: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\SIGNUP\
3)re-name the file 'INSTALL.INS' to 'INSTALL.txt' and open it in notepad
4)go down to something like the 9th line and it should say something like:'Window_Title=Microsoft Internet Explorer', now replace Microsoft Internet Explorer with anything you want.
5)save the file and re-name it back to 'INSTALL.INS' and then double-click on the file, it will ask you if you want to change your internet settings, Click OK
6)restart your computer and it should have worked!

Change IE Font Size

2008-12-18T23:25:00.002+05:30

You have to have a mouse with a scroll wheel to do this.
When you are on a page, hold down Ctrl and then scroll in or out with your wheel. The font will change.
If it doesn't, make sure the window is active. This may only work with IE 6.0, I haven't tried with 5.0 or below.

Start IE with empty blue page

2008-12-18T23:23:00.002+05:30

Set your default page to about:mozilla and IE will show a nice blue screen upon startup.

Run Explorer Full Screen

2008-12-18T23:17:00.001+05:30

Tired of using "F-11" to make Explorer go Full-Screen? Well this registry tweek will make it run Full-Screen without having to push F-11.
1. go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER,Console,find "fullscreen" modify the value from 0 to 1.
2 go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER,Software,Microsoft,InternetExplorer,Main, "find fullscreen" modify the value from no to yes.
3. reboot your computer.
4. Now everytime you open explorer or IE 6 you'll be running in full screen.

Getting the best speed from your DSL

2008-12-18T23:16:00.000+05:30

As most of us who have DSL know, it is a vulnerable technology. Speed can be affected by an array of factors. To get the best speed out of a DSL connection, all telephones on that same line should be filtered. The best way to have your DSL wired is with twisted pair wiring (i.e. CAT3, CAT5, etc.) directly from your NID, (network interface device) which is usually a box that is placed on the outside of your premises where the phone line from the pole or ground makes a demarc point between telco responsibility and customer resposibility. Twisted pair wiring enables your connection to be less suceptable to frequency lost, which basically means an optimal DSL connection. You want to make sure that your phone cord is as short as possible from your DSL modem to the wall jack. Just that information will make for the best speeds. Also, a good cat3 (twisted pair) phone cord will help out a lot. You also want to make sure that your DSL modem is not too close to any sources of interference such as computers or other electrical equipment.
Also, an external POTS splitter would be optimal if you have many telephones. This device basically lets you run any telephones to a device placed next to and wired to the NID. You can run a dedicated Data wire from this device as well. More information on POTS splitter installation can be found at www.dslreports.com or elsewhere.
I'm not sure if this information will help anyone out. This is all in regards to any physical connections and how they will increase reliability and speed for DSL connections, in most cases. I work at an ISP that provides DSL access and let me tell you, these few things do help.

Get rid of history

2008-12-18T23:10:00.004+05:30

Get rid of that history. There is no good that can come of it. It will only take up space and allows any cleaver person to find out exactly what web sites you have visited.
1.Launch Internet Explorer.
2.Select the Tools from the menu bar.
3.Then select Internet Options... from the drop down menu.
4.Once the internet options has loaded click on the general tab.
5.Under the history section change the days to keep in history to 0.
6.I would also click the clear history button to get rid of everything else.
7.Click OK

Adjust Browser Cache Sizes

2008-12-18T23:08:00.001+05:30

The maximum size of your Internet Explorer browser cache is ### megabytes. Generally, cache sizes above 80 megabytes waste disk space and can actually cause slower performance.SolutionsHow to adjust the IE cache sizeStart Internet Explorer Select Tools Internet Options General tab Under Temporary Internet Files click the Settings button. In the box for the amount of disk space to use, enter a value between 5 and 80 megabytes. Click OK to accept the changes.
Editor Note: Since I have a very fast Internet Connection I have found that setting my temp Internet Files to one Megabyte gives me the best performance.

Speed-up log-in tremendously!

2008-12-18T23:04:00.000+05:30

If like me you've tried everything else and your log-in and log-off to XP is still tremendously slow then you might try this little trick. First, if there are any other users on your computer see if they have a similarly long log-in. If they don't the problem might be your roaming profile, which is a folder where XP stores your settings you can access them from anywhere in the network. Since these profiles can get really bloated(as in my case) and are not really necessary unless you log-in from different computers in a large network, you should disable it. Here's how:
1. Right click on My Computer, select the Manage option.
2. From the Management Console, select the Local Users and Groups option.
3. Double-Click on the Users folder that appears on the right panel.
4. Right click on the account with the slow log-in and select Properties.
5. Click on the Profile tab of the Properties Window.
6. Erase(but keep note a not of this) whatever path appears for Profile Path under User Profile and Local Path under Home Folder: LEAVE THESE LINES BLANK.
7. Reboot. Try to log-in into the problematic account, you should see a significant speed-boost, the computer might warn you once or twice that your Roaming Profile is not available, ignore it and it will go away, good luck!
Note: You also will not have your settings and files that a roaming profile provides across a network.

Speed up web browsing with OpenDNS

2008-12-18T22:57:00.002+05:30

When you type in a domain name such as wingeek.com in your browser the computer must resolve the friendly name into an IP address of the server to download the web page and supporting files. Windows uses a DNS (domain name system) server to lookup this information. By default, Windows uses your ISP’s DNS server. Depending on your provider, the performance of their DNS resolving server varies. Some large national providers are known to provide unreliable and slow DNS servers.
The performance of the DNS server you are using is one component that affects the speed of your internet browsing. Since each domain name you type in must be resolved into an IP address, the amount of time that takes will delay the loading of any web page. Some users with overloaded ISP DNS servers can see delays in multiple seconds before web pages start to load.
OpenDNS provides free alternative DNS servers that anyone can use with any internet provider. Unlike many national internet providers, OpenDNS’s DNS servers are very fast and reliable. Using OpenDNS servers instead of your ISP servers will help you speed up your internet browsing by cutting down on the delay between resolving a domain name and getting the IP address so your browser can start loading the web page.
Configuring your computer to use OpenDNS servers instead of your ISP’s is a simple change that works in both Windows XP and Windows Vista:
1.Click on the Start Button and type in ncpa.cpl and hit Enter. In Windows XP Click on the Start Button, click Run and then type in ncpa.cpl
2.Right click on your active network connection that you use to connect to the Internet and select Properties.
3.On the Networking / General tab, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) (version 4 on Windows Vista) and hit Properties.
4.On the properties screen, select Use the following DNS server addresses and then type in 208.67.222.222 in the preferred and 208.67.220.220 in the alternate boxes.

5.Hit OK twice and you are finished.

Visit OpenDNS.com to learn more about some of the advanced features of OpenDNS on top of the speed benefits.

How to Remove start-up items

2008-12-18T22:53:00.002+05:30

Having programs run when windows loads slows down your start.
There are two ways do disable programs that may be in your startup (like icq, messanger)

The easiest is to do the following:

1. start --> run --> msconfig
2. Click on the "startup" tab (furthest right)\
3. Unclick any items you don't want to load when windows starts.

The second is by deleting registry entrys, this can be done the following way:

1. Start --> run --> regedit
2. Navigate to : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
3. Delete any entry's that you don't want to load up

***NOTE***Deleting keys from the registry will not allow you to set them to startup again if you change your mind.

Increase speed by tweaking prefetcher settings

2008-12-18T22:52:00.000+05:30

This is an unique technique for XP, which could improve the performance significantly by tweaking the prefetcher (which is a cache folder).
1. run "regedit";2. goto [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\EnablePrefetcher];3. Set the value to either 0-Disable, 1-App launch prefetch, 2-Boot Prefetch, 3-Both ("3" is recommended). 4. reboot.It should decrease the boot time and the time it takes to load programs.

How to free-up some more disk space

2008-12-18T22:50:00.000+05:30

Windows XP uses a file called hiperfil.sys to save everything it needs when Windows XP goes into hibernation. If you are like me, and never use the hibernate function, you can turn it off. By turning hibernate off, Windows XP deletes the hiberfil.sys. This can free up the as much disk space as the amount of ram that you computer has.
Go to Control Panel/Power Options/Hibernation and untick the box. It's as easy as that. Now you will have plenty more disk space to install those mega programs!

Disable unnecessary services to free system resources

2008-12-18T22:44:00.003+05:30

Services are programs that run when the computer starts up and continue to run as they aid the operating system in functionality. There are many services that load and are not needed which take up memory space and CPU time. Disabling these services will free up system resources which will speed up your overall computer experience. I recommend that you sort through the list and read the descriptions to decide if you need that service depending on what you want to do with your computer. Remember, you can always turn the service back on if you find that you need it in the future. Below is the procedure to turn off a service.

Click the start button.
Select run from the bottom of the right column.
Then type services.msc in the box and click ok.
Once the services window has loaded we are ready to turn off unneeded services.
For instructional purposes we are going to turn off the Portable Media Serial Number service.
Find this service in the list and select it with the mouse.
Right click and select Properties.
Once the properties windows has loaded locate the Start up type drop down box and select disable.
Then just click ok and the next time the computer starts the service will not be loaded.

Correcting System Hang at Startup

2008-12-18T22:41:00.000+05:30

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:1. Click on Start/Run, type 'msconfig', then click 'OK'.2. Go to the 'Services' tab, find the 'Background Intelligent Transfer' service, disable it, apply the changes & reboot.

This problem with the Background Intelligent Transfer Service should have been corrected in Windows update Q 314862, part of Service Pack 1. (yoyo)

Convert FAT32 To NTFS File system

2008-12-18T22:39:00.001+05:30

To change from FAT 32 to NTFS file system for more stability, security and less fragmentation, open the command prompt and type:
Convert C: /FS:NTFS
"C" being the drive you wish to convert. Make sure there is a space between the C: and the foward slash (/). Once you press enter it will ask you for confirmation and press Y. Then press Y and enter once more to reboot.. This also works for windows XP Home.

Renew IP address

2008-12-17T19:51:00.004+05:30

Often using a LAN inside a home, users will encounter one or more PC's that refust to renew the IP address and bring the network back to a fully usable state. However this took care of that problem for us I hope it will for other XP home and PRO users.

Releasing and Renewing an IP address on Windows NT/2000/XP
Click the Start menu in the lower left hand part of the screen.
Click Run.
In the space provided type "ipconfig /release" and click OK. Note that there is a space between ipconfig and the /release.
To renew the IP address from the DOS prompt, type "ipconfig /renew". Note that there is a space between ipconfig and the /renew.

Releasing and Renewing an IP address on Windows XP
Click the Start menu in the lower left hand part of the screen.
Click Run.
In the space provided type "ipconfig /release" and click OK. Note that there is a space between ipconfig and the /release.
Type "ipconfig /renew". Note that there is a space between ipconfig and the /renew.

Kill Yahoo Chatroom ads

2008-12-17T19:47:00.003+05:30

found a simple Tweak to rid Yahoo Chat Room windows from those pesky ad banners... wish I could do the same for the huge ad when you first enter chat.

Create a new text document, copy and paste the following...

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Yahoo\Pager\yurl]"Finance Disclaimer"="http://msg.edit.yahoo.com/config/jlb" "Chat Adurl"=http://chat.yahoo.com/c/msg/tabs.html?spaceid=21501837

Doesn't matter what ya name it, as long as you change it from .txt to .reg. It works well with my Yahoo, should work the same for everyone eles as well. Happy Tweaking!

Load Internet Explorer the fastest way possible

2008-12-17T19:46:00.001+05:30

Edit your link to start Internet Explorer to have -nohome after it. For Example: "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" -nohomeThis will load internet explorer very fast because it does not load a webpage while it is loading. If you want to go to your homepage after it is loaded, just click on the home button.

Stop Jerkey Graphics

2008-12-17T19:44:00.001+05:30

I have for a long time had problems with "jerky" graphics in some 3d games and 3dmark, and have had relativly high cpu loads in idle condition.The cpu load would pulse from 1-2% up to 10-12%-load with about three-five seconds intervals...(in idle)The jerking has not been due to low perfomance hardware or old drivers and I have had the problems on two seperate systems.If you are connected to a LAN and have similar problems, this might be the solution:

1.RightClick "MyComputer"
2.Select "Manage"
3.Click on "Device Manager"
4.DoubleClick on your NIC under "Network Adapters"
5.In the new window, select the "Advanced" tab
6.Select "Connection Type" and manuelly set the value of your NIC. (Not "Auto Sense" which is default.)
7.You should reboot...On my systems the "jerking" in 3D games was completly gone, and so was the high idle cpu load.
This tip also applies to Win2K.

Shutdown XP Faster

2008-12-17T19:43:00.001+05:30

1) Start - Run - RegeditNavigate to the following Registry key:HKEY CURRENT USER\Control Panel\DesktopDouble click on the AutoEndTasks entry and replace the 0 with a 1 in the Value data text box
For the next two, if the dword value indicated does not exist, create it:
Double click on the WaitToKillAppTimeout entry in the right pane and change the Value data to 2000
Double click on the HungAppTimeout entry in the right pane and change the Value data to 1000
Reboot
If still having a problem, make the next change:
2) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ControlRight-click on WaitToKillServiceTimeout and change it to 2000
NOTE: The lowest value Windows will recognize is 1000 (1 second)

Make icons in windows appear quicker

2008-12-17T19:40:00.002+05:30

In Windows XP everytime you open My Computer to browse folders XP automatically searches for network files and printers. This causes a delay in displaying your icons. You probably see the "default" windows icon and as you scroll it changes to the correct icon. This is how to stop that...
1. Open My Computer
2. Click on the Tools menu and select Folder Options...
3. Under Folder Options select the view tab.
4. Uncheck the very first box that reads "Automatically search for network folders and printers".
5. Click "Apply" or "OK"You should see a dramatic increase in speed when Windows displays your icons.

XP Game Compatibility

2008-12-14T02:56:00.004+05:30

You want to know if all your favorite games are still going to run under Windows XP. Remember what happened when we tried to run games on our Windows 2000 machines? Sometimes we were a little disappointed. Windows 2000 was made more for corporate applications than "Quake," but true techno-geeks know they don't have to sacrifice death matches for a robust business environment -- at least not anymore.
Windows XP has shown an impressive track record of game compatibility. We ran a number of standard games, such as "Tiger Woods Golf," "NHL 2001," "Max Payne," and "Unreal" on our Windows XP Professional machine. Some of these games were specifically slated for Windows 95 and 98, and were shown not to work in Windows 2000. The installation in XP was as smooth as silk. The games ran quickly and beautifully -- not a problem in sight (except for my bad chip shot -- Tiger was hanging his head in shame).
Some less-sophisticated programs may not run as smoothly, and we found that some older applications, such as the Atari 2600 Classic Game Collection, did not appreciate the Windows XP environment. In this case you can use the Application Compatibility Wizard, found in the accessories menu. XP includes integrated compatibility layers to mimic older versions of Windows, so if your program does not work in Windows XP, the compatibility wizard will walk you through the process of getting even your favorite DOS games up and running. In this case, we ran the Atari Classic Game Collection in the Windows 95 environment, at 256 colors and 640x480 screen resolution. Then we set XP to always run our Atari application in this environment, and everything was smooth sailing after that.One final tip about compatibility: Don't run the compatibility wizard if your program appears to be running well in the normal environment, as the wizard will give you an error message. In general, XP has great program compatibility, so you can upgrade your operating system without giving up all your old favorites.

Recycle as Much as You Want

2008-12-14T02:51:00.004+05:30

You can increase and decrease the size of the Recycle Bin. There are some size limitations with Recycle Bin size, its default size is equivalent to 10 percent of the drive size. But if you delete a larger size file accidentally, you can retrieve this file from Recycle Bin that is why you should set the maximum storage size of the Recycle Bin.
>First Right click on the Recycle Bin icon on the Desktop of your computer then go to Properties.
>Adjust the slider bar in the center of the screen from 10% to maximum size as you want.
>Then click OK button to save your new sitting and exit the Recycle Bin Properties Window.
>After change reboot your computer to have Windows fully initiate the necessary changes to your system.

BDV-568040-BDV

How to Close All Windows Programs quickly?

2008-12-14T02:50:00.003+05:30

A cool tip to minimize and maximize all your active windows programs. You can do all using your mouse, but if you want to do this with keyboard then simply press Windows key+M to minimize all active programs and later maximize it using Windows key+Shift+M.
If you want to minimize the all active windows programs one by one then use the shortcut by pressing Alt+Space+N keys and sequentially maximize the active windows programs using shortcut Alt+Space+X keys.

How to start windows programs quickly with Run Command?

2008-12-14T02:47:00.005+05:30

The run option of Start menu is used to run a program or to open a document directly. If you do not know the exact location of the program or document then click on Start button to open Run and type the programs shortcut name to open it directly.
Run Commands
appwiz.cpl -- Used to run Add/Remove wizard
Calc --Calculator
Cfgwiz32 --ISDN Configuration Wizard
Charmap --Character Map
Chkdisk --Repair damaged files
Cleanmgr --Cleans up hard drives
Clipbrd --Windows Clipboard viewer
Control --Displays Control Panel
Cmd --Opens a new Command Window
Control mouse --Used to control mouse properties

Remove shortcut arrow from desktop icons

2008-12-14T02:39:00.004+05:30

Here's how you can remove those shortcut arrows from your desktop icons in Windows XP.

1. Start regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTlnkfile

3. Delete the IsShortcut registry value.
You may need to restart Windows XP.

Disable System Restore

2008-12-14T02:38:00.001+05:30

You can gain a lot of drive space by disabling System Restore. (You should already have a backup regimen in place before you do this.) In Vista, right-click My Computer, select Advanced system settings, click the System Protection tab, and uncheck any drives. In XP, right-click My Computer, then under System Tasks, click on "View system information." Click on the System Restore tab and click the box next to "Turn off System Restore on all drives" to disable it.

Configure Windows Update

2008-12-14T02:37:00.001+05:30

Windows Update is great, but if it's set on autopilot, it will download updates that require a reboot, then pester you forever to install them, and eventually reboot on its own. Change the Windows Update settings (in the Windows Security section of the Control Panel) to download updates but ask you whether to install them.

Disable Delete Confirmation

2008-12-14T02:36:00.003+05:30

You can disable the confirmation that pops up whenever you delete something by right-clicking the Recycle Bin and selecting Properties. Uncheck the delete confirmation box, click Apply and then OK, and you're done. Also, you can bypass the Recycle Bin entirely by holding down the Shift key while deleting files.

20% Faster Internet

2008-12-14T02:34:00.002+05:30

This is for broad band connections. I didn’t try it on dial up but might work for dial up.1.make sure your logged on as actually "Administrator". do not log on with any account that just has administrator privileges.
2. start - run - type gpedit.msc
3. expand the "local computer policy" branch
4. expand the "administrative templates" branch
5. expand the "network branch"
6. Highlight the "QoS Packet Scheduler" in left window
7. in right window double click the "limit reservable bandwidth" setting
8. on setting tab check the "enabled" item
9. where it says "Bandwidth limit %" change it to read 0reboot if you want to but not necessary on some systems your all done. Effect is immediate on some systems. some need re-boot. I have one machine that needs to reboot first, the others didn't. Don't know why this is.This is more of a "counter what XP does" thing. In other words, XP seems to want to reserve 20% of the bandwidth for its self. Even with QoS disabled, even when this item is disabled. So why not use it to your advantage. To demonstrate the problem with this on stand alone machines start up a big download from a server with an FTP client. Try to find a server that doesn't max out your bandwidth. In this case you want a slow to medium speed server to demonstrate this. Let it run for a couple of minutes to get stable. The start up another download from the same server with another instance of your FTP client. You will notice that the available bandwidth is now being fought over and one of the clients download will be very slow or both will slow down when they should both be using the available bandwidth. Using this "tweak" both clients will have a fair share of the bandwidth and will not fight over the bandwidth.

Get rid of Windows Messenger

2008-12-14T02:32:00.003+05:30

Start->Run->"gpedit.msc""-Computer Configuration-Administrative Templates-Windows Components-Windows Messenger
Here you can enable"Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run"and"Do not automatically start Windows Messenger initially"

Turn off Welcome screen

2008-12-14T02:30:00.001+05:30

Open User Accounts in Control Panel.
Click Change the way users log on or off

Disable Error Reporting

2008-12-14T02:28:00.001+05:30

1. Open Control Panel
2. Click on Performance and Maintenance.
3. Click on System.
4. Then click on the Advanced tab
5. Click on the error-reporting button on the bottom of the windows. 6. Select Disable error reporting.
7. Click OK
8. Click OK

Make your Folders Private

2008-12-14T02:27:00.001+05:30

•Open My Computer •Double-click the drive where Windows is installed (usually drive (C:), unless you have more than one drive on your computer). •If the contents of the drive are hidden, under System Tasks, click Show the contents of this drive. •Double-click the Documents and Settings folder. •Double-click your user folder. •Right-click any folder in your user profile, and then click Properties. •On the Sharing tab, select the Make this folder private so that only I have access to it check box.
Note
•To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My Computer. •This option is only available for folders included in your user profile. Folders in your user profile include My Documents and its subfolders, Desktop, Start Menu, Cookies, and Favorites. If you do not make these folders private, they are available to everyone who uses your computer. •When you make a folder private, all of its subfolders are private as well. For example, when you make My Documents private, you also make My Music and My Pictures private. When you share a folder, you also share all of its subfolders unless you make them private. •You cannot make your folders private if your drive is not formatted as NTFS For information about converting your drive to NTFS

How to use Windows Update Properly

2008-12-14T02:26:00.002+05:30

If you want to save your files to your hard drive, so after a format you dont have to download them all again, here's How:
- Logon to Windows Update
- Choose Windows Update Catalogue (left hand pane)
- Choose Find updates for Microsoft Windows operating systems (right hand pane)
- Choose your version and language then Search
- Choose one the following:
- Critical Updates and Service Packs - Service Packs and Recommended Downloads - Multi-Language Features (0)
- Once chosen simply click on what you want to download and then back at the top click Review Download Basket
- You are taken to the next page where at the top you can specify where the downloads are to be saved.
- Click Download now. Each patch will make a directory under the root of the folder you saved them to. Once finished you need to go to where you saved the file (s) to and then simply install all your patches.

Type With an Onscreen Keyboard

2008-12-14T02:24:00.002+05:30

Whether you have trouble with your hands or you just prefer using the mouse, typing with Windows' onscreen keyboard can be a great convenience. Navigate to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Accessibility, and click "On-Screen Keyboard." Click OK to clear the dialogue box and then start "typing"—you can even change the settings to "press" keys just by hovering your mouse over the letter you want (enable this feature by selecting "Typing Mode" from the Settings menu).

Change What Programs Start When Windows Does

2008-12-14T02:24:00.001+05:30

You can prevent a lot of apps forcing Windows into chilled-molasses boot times—without uninstalling anything. Click Start, then "Run...," and type msconfig. This brings up the System Configuration Utility window. Click on the Startup tab to see a list of all the apps slated to start when you boot up Windows. Click the check mark next to any you don't want, and then click OK to save your choices.

Shut Down from Your Desktop

2008-12-14T02:22:00.002+05:30

If you're trying to eliminate every extraneous mouse click, you can shut down your computer with an icon on the desktop. Right-click on your desktop, click "New," and then click "Shortcut." In the "Type the location of the item" field, type "shutdown -s -t 00" to give you a way to shut down the computer immediately. (Change the -s to -r to create a reboot shortcut instead.)

Fit More Icons on Your Desktop

2008-12-14T02:21:00.001+05:30

If your screen is so cluttered with Word documents and program shortcuts that you can't see the rolling meadows of your wallpaper, you don't need to move piles of stuff to the Recycling Bin. Just change the amount of space between icons. Right-click on the desktop, select Properties, then click on the Appearance tab, and click the Advanced button. In the "Item" drop-down, scroll down to Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing (Vertical); changing the value in the "Size" field will move icons closer together (while increasing the number will move them farther apart). When you're done, click OK. To make your existing icons follow these rules, right-click on the desktop, select "Arrange Icons By" and then click Align to Grid, then go back to the same menu and click "Auto Arrange."

Remove the Recycle Bin from the Desktop

2008-12-14T02:20:00.002+05:30

If you don't use the Recycle Bin to store deleted files , you can get rid of its desktop icon all together.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/explorer/Desktop/NameSpace
Click on the "Recycle Bin" string in the right hand pane. Hit Del, click OK.

Search For Hidden Or System Files In Windows XP

2008-12-14T02:19:00.002+05:30

The Search companion in Windows XP searches for hidden and system files differently than in earlier versions of Windows. This guide describes how to search for hidden or system files in Windows XP.
Search for Hidden or System Files By default, the Search companion does not search for hidden or system files. Because of this, you may be unable to find files, even though they exist on the drive.
To search for hidden or system files in Windows XP: Click Start, click Search, click All files and folders, and then click More advanced options.Click to select the Search system folders and Search hidden files and folders check boxes.
NOTE: You do not need to configure your computer to show hidden files in the Folder Options dialog box in Windows Explorer to find files with either the hidden or system attributes, but you need to configure your computer not to hide protected operating system files to find files with both the hidden and system attributes. Search Companion shares the Hide protected operating system files option (which hides files with both the system and hidden attributes) with the Folder Options dialog box Windows Explorer.

How to make your Desktop Icons Transparent

2008-12-14T02:17:00.003+05:30

Go to ontrol Panel > System, > Advanced > Performance area > Settings button Visual Effects tab "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the Desktop"

Speed Up Browsing

2008-12-14T02:14:00.002+05:30

When you connect to a web site your computer sends information back and forth. Some of this information deals with resolving the site name to an IP address, the stuff that TCP/IP really deals with, not words. This is DNS information and is used so that you will not need to ask for the site location each and every time you visit the site. Although Windows XP and Windows XP have a pretty efficient DNS cache, you can increase its overall performance by increasing its size. You can do this with the registry entries below:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters]"CacheHashTableBucketSize"=dword:00000001"CacheHashTableSize"=dword:00000180"MaxCacheEntryTtlLimit"=dword:0000fa00"MaxSOACacheEntryTtlLimit"=dword:0000012d
Make a new text file and rename it to dnscache.reg. Then copy and paste the above into it and save it. Merge it into the registry.

Increase your Download speed

2008-07-20T17:26:00.006+05:30

FlashGet is a leading download manager and has the highest amount of users on the internet. It uses MHT(Multi-server Hyper-threading Transportation) technique, supports various protocols and has excellent document management features. FlashGet is a freeware without any adware or spyware. Those who have got fed up with your downloading speed now Download at a good spped with Flashget.

Enhance your PC's Music Quality

2008-07-20T16:45:00.005+05:30

DFX® is the best audio enhancer to improve the sound quality of MP3, Windows Media, Internet radio, and other music files.

CNET Editor's Review"Makes your MP3s sound way better. Hear its magical effect on your music." 5 Stars (Top Rating)

Softpedia Pick AwardRated 5 out of 5 stars on Softpedia.com

Softwares Update Checker

2008-07-20T16:39:00.004+05:30

What is it?

The Update Checker will scan your computer for installed software, check the versions and then send this information to FileHippo.com to see if there are any newer releases. These are then neatly displayed in your browser for you to download. Its free and simple to use. Download the update checker and make your pc more faster, as updated softwares give a better performance.

Get Your Xp a new Cool Look with Vistamizer

2008-07-20T00:35:00.004+05:30

VistaMizer description

Change the appearance of your Windows XP by giving it the Vista look!

VistaMizer modifies your system files, so that when you reboot after installing VistaMizer, you won't even remember how your old desktop looked like.

With VistaMizer you are now able to transform your Windows XP, MCE or Server 2003 by giving it the look of Windows Vista. Therefore over 380 files with new Icons, pictures as well as videos are modified.

This means that VistaMizer does not provide own files and change your system files. That has the advantage that VistaMizer works with each language and no changes of the language specifics are made.

The installer is so developed that you have completely the change which will be modified and which not. Even
if you select files, which are possibly not at all on your system available or not compatible, the application recognizes this and jumps over these. This ensures that the system does not become unstable because of wrong modification.

After updates if your system data are overwritten, then a renewal of these is possible by using an extra program that is linked by the VistaMizer. The application examines thereby, which files are updated and re-modify only these. This means a very fast re-modification and it is always the current data in the Backup.

However if the result of the installation should not assure to you, you have the possibility to get back the old system by an un-installation. If newer files are already present in the system by updates, this is recognized by the un-installer and only the modified files will be replaced.

Here are some key features of "VistaMizer":

· Vista-Look for Windows XP, MCE or Server 2003

· Modification of the own system files

· multilingual

· completely free choice for the modification files

· check the files for compatibility during the installation

· backup from the original system files

· re-modification of the system files after Windows Updates · rebuilding of the original system files with un-installation.

Solve most of the basic PC problems

2008-07-05T12:37:00.008+05:30

Most of the basic PC problems like slow Internet connection , frequent hangs of Window, memmory optimisation,etc and much more makes Your PC's performance deteoriate.
But the problem , this problems are too complicated too solve yourself if You don't have enough knowledge about computers. Here is a software that'll surely help you of getting rid of most of PC problems- Tune Up Utilities.
TuneUp Utilities 2009 is a complete Windows optimization package.

It has a 30-days trial perioad. So I have got the registration key for you -

Name-Tanja Wirtz Key:MAHQF-GBXAS-SWNHH-DGSPS-WLXQB-JLRWC TTJTC-YXJSC-KBMUB-UTSSS-EDJUF-BBKDU

Immediate Shutdown Trick

2008-07-04T01:49:00.010+05:30

If ever you are in a great hurry and you have no time to normally shutdown your computer, then I have got a trick for You. Just open task manager either be Alt+Ctrl+Delete or by Right click at toolbar and then selecting Task Manager. There will be a option of shutdown , click that , then there you will find a option "Turn off", but DON'T CLICK that now. Now press and hold Ctrl and now click at "Turn off". Your computer will be Shutdowned immediately.... No worries, it doesn't harm your PC anyhow!!

How can You make Windows XP boot faster?

2008-07-04T00:55:00.008+05:30

You can make Windows XP boot faster by 5 - 15 seconds (on some machines).
To do so do the following:
1> Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
2>Locate the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\MemoryManagement\PrefetchParameters
3> Make sure you backup the keys by exporting them to a .reg file.
4>On the EnablePrefetcher value, change the setting from 3 to 5 (decimal).
5>Close the registry editor.
6>Restart your computer.
Note: Whatever you do DO NOT install a tool called BOOTVIS from Microsoft, unless you're absolutely sure of what you're doing and have good knowledge of the tool and it's use.

5 reasons for slow Internet connection

2008-07-03T21:39:00.004+05:30

Doesn't it happens sometime that our internet speed goes slow or don't give its optimum performance and we feel like breaking the monitor.Internet seems running slow lately, after doing some research, It has been found that there are 5 major reasons why do we have a slow Internet connection, let me share it with you:
Reason #1 - Infected by Virus and Spyware, and they constantly consume my Internet bandwidth to send private information or establish a connection to the hacker's computer, this will breach Windows firewall because a port has been open and used to allow the hacker to gain access to your computer anytime!
Reason #2 - Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) does not provide enough bandwidth as according to the agreement, you can always use some bandwidth testing website to verify the actual bandwidth you have, most ISP already provided such service, just look for the bandwidth testing feature or ask them to check for you.
Reason #3 - Your Windows or router is not compatible with each other, causing extra overheads and slow down internet access dramatically. Vista has been reported to be incompatible with old router, if you have a router older than 2 years, there is a great chance your router is not compatible, prepare to replace it.
Reason #4 - Your Internet browser was hijacked by unauthorized BHO (Browser Helper Object), and using the bandwidth to send your privacy data to the hacker. The constant connection or detect for connection will dominate your computer bandwidth and eventually freeze up during Internet connection!
Reason #5 - Internet Explorer 7 is not optimized, too many checking and fancy features delays everything, you may want to use a faster browser!
Hope these 5 reasons did help you determine the real cause behind the slow internet access and cure it easily.

Speed up your Pc , really works!!

2008-07-03T21:25:00.006+05:30

Slow PC's can be quite frustrating. It's even worse when they end up crashing on you. It's a good thing that you don't have to spend a lot of money to fix PC's. You can now take care of simple PC problems on your own. All you have to do is find the reason why your PC is slowing down just by doing a process of elimination.
1.) Your processor could be overheating.
>Because modern processors tend to generate a lot of heat, the system tends to slow down when the temperature increases and goes over the normal specifications. If this is the case, you should clean up your fan. Dust maybe preventing it from spinning smoothly. You can also examine your fan motor and check if its bearings are already loose. You can also get some equipment that can track the temperature of your processor.
2.) Your RAM is not working properly.
>This can happen when it is not compatible with your PC and the RAM timing is slower than the ideal machine specification. This can also be brought about by defects that are quite common in most cheap RAM chips. Another thing that you should consider is getting an extra fan because your RAM chips maybe overheating. This usually happens to newer RAM types like the SDRAM.
3.) Your hard disk could be failing.
>Some symptoms of a failing hard disk include slow access times on the affected drive, an increase in the number of bad sectors reported when running scandisk and chkdsk, intermittent boot failures and unexplained blue screens.
4.) Your BIOS settings may not be compatible with your optimal machine configuration.
>In order to make your computer run faster, you should look for the optimal BIOS settings online. You just need to run a Web search on your motherboard name and BIOS in order to find the correct settings.

5.) Your motherboard may not support your new drive.
>In order to find out if your motherboard supports a drive, you should check what type of IDE interface it supports. Adding a PCI add-on card can help you get around this problem.
6.) Too many Windows Services are activated in your computer.
>Although some of the services are not really needed to run your computer, they are automatically enabled and may cause your computer to slow down. You can go to the Administrative Tools menu and use the services applet to find out which services are running. Just right-click My Computer and click on Manage. If you are sure that the service is not needed is to click the Stop button or set the service to Disabled.
7.) Your disk maybe too full.
>Disk fragmentation happens when files are added, deleted or changed on a disk and the contents of the file spreads across sectors in the disparate regions of the disk. This is usually caused by full disks. Because most operating systems do not include a defragmenting software, installing Executive Software's Diskeeper, can be the best solution. Also, in order to make sure that your defragmenter's capacity to defrag a disk is optimum, you can consider minimising file fragmentation by keeping 20 to 25% of your hard disk space free.

Genuine Microsoft XP without a penny!!!!

2008-07-02T13:25:00.003+05:30

Readers, its truth , You can have genuine microsoft Xp without spending a money. Most of the users run pirated Windows XP and end up with problems of "unable to update, can't install softwares requiring Genuinity validation like Windows media player 11, windows defender, etc.
Even many of us can't afford that much money to spend and get a genuine copy and thus can't enjoy its advantage.
Guys, I personally uploaded the tool so to make it available for you.

(its a zipped file with .rar extension , you can unzip it with winrar, it has a "readme" file inside which will explain the procedure, Enjoy !!)

Ever thought to extend your softwares's trial period??

2008-07-02T13:17:00.006+05:30

Well, "Datecracker2000" is a software that can extend your software's trial period to the date you want, almost all the commercial softwares asks for key or online purchase option after a definite period. Now, this won't be a problem any more.
You can find Datecracker2000 easily on google or any search engine and you can download it .
Or even you can download it from this link directly-

Its simple and user friendly.