Tech Tips
"Service When You Need It Most" Windows XP Tips Windows XP and .NET: An Overview
The release of Windows XP comes at a time of transition and growing maturity of the Internet.
The Web has grown to include many millions of sites on almost every conceivable topic. Although more information is available than ever before, the opportunities to fully manage and customize it have remained limited. Until now.
The Microsoft .NET initiative aims to change this through a framework built around XML-based Web services that interoperate via existing open Internet protocols such as TCP/IP and HTTP.
And at the heart of the .NET platform for knowledge workers, business users, and consumers lies the new client operating system, Windows XP.
XP bandwidth brouhaha
The newness of Windows XP -- with its sometimes addled approach to licence restrictions, copy protection and security -- lends itself to confusion. Reader Tom Gleason sent me an example, quoting websites that claimed XP needlessly consumes 20% of your PC's network bandwidth.
Like a lot of online talk, this is misinformed. Windows 2000 introduced QoS (quality of service) features using an admission control service and the Internet Engineering Task Force's RSVP signalling. XP doesn't support these two protocols but provides its own QoS components. The QoS packet scheduler dialogue box in XP Professional shows a default "bandwidth limit" of 20%. This created a buzz on the web to the effect that XP artificially withheld a fifth of your bandwidth, even if its packet scheduler was turned off.
Not to worry. There's no restriction unless your network specifically supports XP-style QoS and it's requested by an application, such as a streaming media player. Even then, by default only 20% is set aside. (See Tech TV's website).
Click here for the article.
Microsoft KB article on removing messenger
January 30th 2002-Microsft has releases a knowledge base article(Q302089) on preveting MSN messenegr from running on a windows XP machine. This article describes how to prevent Windows Messenger from running. By default, Windows Messenger is installed by Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition, and the user interface does not provide a way to remove or to uninstall Windows Messenger.
The information in this article applies to Microsoft Windows Messenger 4.0, Microsoft Windows Messenger 4.5, and Microsoft Windows Messenger 4.6 running on Windows XP Professional and Windows XP home edition based computers.
Click here for the article.
How to Install the Netbeui Protocol on a Windows XP-Based Computer
This article describes how to install the NetBEUI protocol on a Windows XP-based computer. This may be useful because the NetBEUI protocol is not included in the list of installable protocols in Windows XP even though the files that are needed to install the protocol are included with the installation CD-ROM. It is important to note that the NetBEUI protocol is not supported on Windows XP.
The Netnbf.inf and Nbf.sys files are the files that are needed to install the NetBEUI protocol. To install the NetBEUI protocol: Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.
Right-click the adapter you want to add NetBEUI to, and then click Properties.
On the General tab, click Install.
Click Protocol, and then click Add.
Click Have Disk, insert your Windows XP CD-ROM, open the Valueadd\msft\net\netbeui folder, click the Netnbf.inf file, and then click Open.
Click OK, and then click OK to complete the installation.
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. Simple as that.
Check Out the Read1st File First
When you’re ready to install Windows XP, what are the first two things you should do? First, place the installation CD into your CD drive, but do not start Setup. Instead, click Browse this CD, open the file named READ1ST.txt, and then go read it. This file contains a variety of useful information including: Last minute information that did not make it into other documentation.
Selected pre-installation information.
A roadmap that will help you find other useful text files. 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, select Start and then Run, then type the following:
gpedit.msc
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.
Want to remove MSN Messenger?
A lot of people want to know how to remove the MSN Messenger service from XP... here's how:
Locate SYSOC.INF in the \Windows\INF folder (hidden file and folder), Open it in Notepad and locate the line: msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
Remove the word "hide" from the line and save the file. You will now have an entry in add/remove programs. Do what you will :)
OR (XP Pro Only) leave it installed, but tell Windows to never let it run. If you're running XP Professional, you can use GPEDIT.MSC to prevent Messenger from loading. Otherwise, even disabling it in startup won't cause it to "always" not run. NOTE: Outlook, Outlook Express and some Microsoft web pages can still make it load.
Start, Run and enter GPEDIT.MSC
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Messenger
You can now modify whether it starts initially and/or whether it's to run at all.
UPDATE: I have recieved some email that say this fix slows down outlook when starting, that is because outlook wants to start messenger when it starts, the easiest and fastest way to disable messenger and still have a quickj starttime with outlook is to rename the exe file, located here c:\program files\messenger\msmsgs.exe, to something other than msmsgs.exe, such as msmsgsnew.exe. Know your rights
Windows XP comes bundled with Windows Media Player 8.0. While Media Player plays just about any digital media file format--it supports 35, including MP3, it records music only in the Windows Media Audio, or WMA, format. The reason? Content protection.
When recording, or ripping, music from CDs, Media Player allows you to make protected recordings so that no one will be able to copy the recording from one computer to another. You can turn copy protection on or off on the Copy Music tab by checking or unchecking the box that says Protect Content.
Protect your identity
Like many other audio players, Windows Media Player rushes out to the Internet to find information for you when you play a CD. Some of this information, such as song titles and album art, is useful, but Media Player also identifies your copy of Media Player to the site where it's getting data. Why? According to the help file, "The server uses this unique identifier to monitor your connection. By monitoring your connection, the server can make adjustments to increase the playback quality and to alert you about events that occur when receiving streams over the Internet."
If you're disturbed by this exchange of information, here's how to stop it. In Windows Media Player, click Tools > Options and go to the Player tab. Notice the option that says "Allow Internet sites to uniquely identify your player?" Turn it off.
Group and Ungroup Similar Taskbar Items
Just open three or four Internet Explorer windows and you won't see them all in a row on your Taskbar, as you did in previous versions of Windows. By default, Windows XP groups similar items on one button. For example, if you have 3 Internet Explorer windows open, you'll see an Explorer item with the number 3 on it. Click it to see a pop-up list of those windows, then select the one you want.
If you would like, Windows XP will display all open windows separately on the Taskbar. Right click a blank area of the Taskbar and select Properties. Under Taskbar Properties, deselect Group Similar Taskbar Buttons, then click OK.
Turn back the clock
Gray is definitely out. The folks at Microsoft bathed Windows XP in color. Don't like XP's look? To switch back to the Classic look that resembles Windows 2000, right-click the desktop, select Properties, click the Themes tab, and choose Windows Classic from the drop-down list. Voilà! You're back to comfy shades of blue and gray--not to mention having all those familiar icons.
Click "Switch to Classic view" in the upper-left corner of the Properties dialog to bring back the familiar Control Panel icons of earlier versions of Windows. To get back to a Start menu that looks more like Windows 2000's, right-click in an empty portion of the Start menu's left-hand column, select Properties, and go to the Start Menu tab. Select Classic Start Menu. To bring the new look back, just reverse these steps.
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, and 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? Go to the General tab, click Clear List, and set the counter to zero.
Swap out the defaults
In XP, your favorite programs are displayed in the top left column of the Start menu. Microsoft starts you off with Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.
Want to display a different set of applications in this spot? Right-click an empty portion of the Start menu's left column and select Properties > Start Menu > Customize. At the bottom, deselect the program you no longer want displayed in the "Show on the Start menu" dialog, and, using Windows Explorer or My Computer, navigate to the program you want instead. Right-click the program and select "Pin to Start menu." To rename the new shortcut, right-click it and select Rename. Note: You can't pin files, just programs.
Organize your desktop
The only default icon on XP's desktop is the Recycle Bin, but we think it's a good idea to add a shortcut to Computer Management, a quick and dirty way to get to such important tools as the Event Viewer, Local Users and Groups, Shared Folders, the Device Manager, and Disk Management. To surface this handy management dialog, click Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Administrative Tools. Right-click the Computer Management shortcut. Select Copy from the dialog menu. Right-click an empty portion of the desktop and select Paste Shortcut. Use this procedure to add shortcuts to anything else; use Windows Explorer or My Computer to find your target
Turn on your firewall
Microsoft included a firewall in Windows XP to keep you safe from hackers while you cruise the Internet. How do you know that the Internet Connection Firewall is on? Go to the Control Panel and double-click the Network Connections icon. In the dial-up, DSL, or cable connection dialog that appears, check the Status column. If your firewall is on, it should say Firewalled. You can turn the firewall off with the check box, but unless you are going to add a third-party firewall for heightened security, it's best to leave it on.
Now that you know that your firewall is on, how do you know that it's doing its job? Test it with ShieldsUp, the free testing service sponsored by Gibson Research. According to our tests, XP's Internet Connection Firewall kept the computer in full stealth mode. Hackers could not break in and couldn't even see the computer online.
But, given the latest security problems with USB 2.0, etc, you should always go to Windows Update to make sure you have the latest patches, no matter what operating system you use.
Microsoft Narrator
Want to hear your computer talk? Select Start, Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, Narrator. Or press the Windows key plus the letter "U" to open the Utility Manager. Microsoft Narrator, an accessibility option designed to assist readers who are blind or have impaired vision, starts automatically.
Once you've read through the intro screen (or let the Narrator do it), click OK and you'll see a dialog box of Narrator options. Assuming you want to leave Narrator running, select the desired options, then minimize its dialog box. And if you've opened the Utility Manager, feel free to close it.
To turn Narrator off, click the Exit button or right-click its taskbar item and select Close.
Internet Connection Sharing Enable 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, and 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.
Watch your cookies
In XP, the Documents And Settings folder holds all user information, including configuration settings, favorites, and cookies. The Documents And Settings\Username\Cookies folder is where XP stashes cookies. How do you control the number of cookies you allow on your system? Click Start > Control Panel > Network And Internet Connections > Internet Options. Click the Privacy tab, then use the slider bar to modify your cookie settings. For instance, you can block cookies from sites that use personal identification without your consent. To increase your security, try out the other privacy settings in this dialog. The lowest level is Accept All Cookies while the highest is Block All Cookies, with low, medium, medium-high, and high settings in between. (An explanation of each appears as you move between settings.) Keep in mind that rejecting cookies may limit your actions on some Web sites, and some sites use cookies to track how many times you see a popup, for example, on this website, if you blocked cookies, you would see a popup on every page. The omnipotent Administrator
When you use Windows XP, you belong to one of two groups: Administrators or Users. Administrators are all-powerful: if you have a so-called Admin account, you can make systemwide changes and change other users' accounts. While this power is a boon to the ego, it's also dangerous. If, for example, you encounter a virus, a Trojan horse, or a worm while you're logged on as Administrator, you could wreck all the accounts on your entire system. Log in as User, on the other hand, and any damage you cause will be less extensive, because ordinary users are prevented from making systemwide changes. A word to the wise: Do your everyday computing as a regular user and log on as Administrator only when it's absolutely necessary, such as when adding a new user or changing security settings. To sign on as User, use the Run As command: just right-click a shortcut and select Run As. As long as you know the username and password, you can sign on as another user.
Reduce Temporary Internet File Space
The temporary internet files clutter your hard drive with copies of each page visited. These can build up over time and take up disk space. Even more bothersome is that instead of getting new pages each time IE often takes the page out the temp internet files. This can be a problem if you are viewing a website that is updated all the time. If you are on a slow connection such as a 56K or lower then this can be good but if you are on a fast broadband connection, like me, then you can get away with decreasing the size of your temp internet files to just one meg without any performance decrease. Launch Internet Explorer.
Select the Tools from the menu bar. Then select Internet Options... from the drop down menu. Once the internet options has loaded click on the general tab. Under the temporary internet files section click the settings button. A settings window will load. Slide the slider all the way to the left so the size indicated in the text box on the right is one. Click OK Click Ok Turn Off System Recovery
Right click on My Computer and choose Properties. Click on the System Restore tab and check the box Turn off System Restore. (This will increase Windows performance & save disk space) Enable / Disable Firewall
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. Win XP Won’t Completely Shutdown
Goto Control Panel, then goto 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. WinXP Clear Page file on shutdown
Go to Control panel Administrative tools, local security policy. then goto local policies ---> security options. Then change the option for "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile" Turn off hibernation
Control Panel-Screen Saver Power-Hibernate Tab-uncheck hibernation box-reboot and hiberfil.sys is no more. 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)
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
Click OK Close Multiple Windows : Note works in all versions of 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. Hold down the Shift key as you click the X caption button in the upper-right corner of the last window opened. Doing so closes that window and all windows that came before it.
Remove shortcut arrow from desktop icons
Here's how you can remove those shortcut arrows from your desktop icons in Windows XP. Start regedit.
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTlnkfile
Delete the IsShortcut registry value.
You may need to restart Windows XP. Remove Shared Documents
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. Change the text in Internet Explorers title bar to anything you want
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. Easy sendto menu modification
first open - X:Documents and SettingsusernameSendTo (it is hidden) where X is your drive letter and username is your username make and delete shortcuts to folders at will 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
Turn of 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->gpedit.msc
Computer Config -> Administrative Template -> System
Double click Turn off Autoplay
Enable it.
Getting MP3 ripping to work in Windows Media Player 8 in XP
Enter the following in the registry : [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE
MicrosoftMediaPlayerSettingsMP3Encoding] "LowRate"=dword:0000dac0 "MediumRate"=dword:0000fa00 "MediumHighRate"=dword:0001f400 "HighRate"=dword:0002ee00 This corresponds to 56, 64, 128 and 192 Kbps. You can change this to your liking using the following dword hex values : 320 Kbps = dword:0004e200 256 Kbps = dword:0003e800 224 Kbps = dword:00036b00 192 Kbps = dword:0002ee00 160 Kbps = dword:00027100 128 Kbps = dword:0001f400 112 Kbps = dword:0001b580 64 Kbps = dword:0000fa00 56 Kbps = dword:0000dac0 Increase BROADBAND
This is for broad band connections. I didn’t try it on dial up but might work for dial up. make sure your logged on as actually "Administrator". do not log on with any account that just has administrator privileges.
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, this is no big deal and most programs do not request it. So, although QOS has caused a big stink because people think it reserves 20% of their bandwidth, you can still disable it, just to be sure, hehe.
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 will probably work with networked machines as well but I haven't tried it in that configuration. This is for windows XP only, it does not work on win2000.
I use 3 Com cards so I don't know how it works on others at this point. It does not involve editing the registry. 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 responsivness 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 seperate 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.
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.
Right–click 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.
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: Right–click 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.
Add a Map Drive Button to the Toolbar
Do you want to quickly map a drive, but can’t 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) Click Start, and right-click My Computer.
Click Map Network Drive. If you place your My Computer icon directly on the desktop, you can make this move in only two clicks!
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 you’re 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 won’t be popping up when you least want to see it.
Speed up the Start Menu
You can use this tip to speed up the Start Menu in Windows XP release candidate 1. You can customize the speed of the Start Menu by editing a Registry Key. Click Start, and then click Run.
Type Regedit in the box, and then click OK.
Expand the menu in the left panel and select the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop folder.
Scroll down in the right panel and double click on the MenuShowDelay file.
In the Value Data box, change to default value for the menu speed from 400 to a lesser number, such as 1.
Click OK.
Caution: Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on your computer.
Use the Windows Classic Look
More comfortable performing a task with the familiar Windows Classic user interface? You can quickly switch the user interface to the familiar Windows Classic appearance on your computer if it helps you remember a task in your operating system or program. You can go back to the original Windows look with a couple clicks. Right-click on your desktop, and then click Properties.
Click the Appearance tab.
On the Windows and Buttons menu, select Windows Classic. Click OK.
There you go, now you can feel right at home with the old look, and you'll still get the best out of Windows XP, new look or old.
Add Familiar Icons back to your desktop
It’s the case of the missing icons. Many of you may be wondering where all the icons from your desktop are in Windows XP? Well if you're like me, you like to have at least My Computer, My Network Places, and My Documents on the desktop.
To do this: Right-click on the desktop, and then click Properties.
Click the Desktop tab and then click on Customize Desktop.
Put a check mark in the box next to My Document, My Computer, My Network Places, or Internet Explorer, to add those familiar icons to your desktop. Unlock Toolbars to Customize Them
Windows XP now features locking toolbars, and you can adjust them. You can customize a lot of the Windows XP features such as the Taskbar, Start Menu, and even toolbar icons in Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Remember your right-click: Right-click on a toolbar, and then click Lock the Toolbars to remove the check mark.
Right-click on the toolbar again, and then click Customize.
You can add and remove toolbar buttons, change text options and icon options. When you've got the toolbar customized, click Close.
Now right-click on the toolbar and then click Lock the Toolbars to lock them in place. Display Your Quick Launch Toolbar
Is your Quick Launch toolbar missing from the taskbar? To display your familiar 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. 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. Right-click the link to your favorite program on the Start menu and select Pin to Start Menu. Your program will be moved permanently to the top part of the list, just below your browser and e-mail programs.
Use the Address Bar to Launch Programs or Web Pages
Windows XP Professional enhanced the functionality of the Address bar to make it easier to launch your favorite programs. You can add the Address bar to the taskbar on the bottom of your desktop. Then you can launch programs simply by entering their names in the Address bar. For example, to launch Calculator, simply enter calc in the Address bar. Anything you would normally enter in the Run box on the Start menu can be entered in the Address bar. The Address bar also lets you quickly go to any Web page you specify.
To add the Address bar to the taskbar: Right-click an empty area on the taskbar.
Point to Toolbars, and then click Address.
Open the Address bar by double-clicking it. 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. 14 days in advance, Windows will start warning you of this fact. If you do not want your passwords to expire: Go to Start > Run and in the Open: box 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)
Safely Remove Hardware Icon?
If you have an USB device attached to your system, you will notice an icon in the Notification area, which - when clicked - will give you the option to Stop your hardware, before you unplug it.
It is possible that you never unplug this hardware. So how do you get rid of the icon? As far as I know the only way is to right-click the notification area, and selecting Properties. Under the Notification area heading, click Customize. Find the Safely Remove Hardware icon and select Always hide in the Behavior column next to it (press OK and Apply to back out). Multiuser features
Like Windows 2000, but unlike Windows 95, 98, and Me, the ability to log in multiple users simultaneously plays a big role in Windows XP. There is a default Administrator account set up when Windows XP is first installed, but you can create as many accounts as you need later, depending on how many people will be using the machine. Each user, once he or she has an account, can customize XP to his or her liking. Individual users get their own subfolders in the Documents And Settings folder; this folder serves as a centralized location for most personalized information, such as the Start Menu, Favorites, and Documents settings.
Missing Administrator account
Once you have created regular user accounts, the default Administrator account vanishes from the Welcome screen, which you see when the computer starts up. Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at the Welcome screen to retrieve the standard logon dialog. You can log on as Administrator from here. To switch among accounts, just click the Log Off button on the Start menu. You'll then see the Log Off Windows dialog box. Click the Switch User button, and you'll be taken to the Welcome screen where you can select and log on to other accounts.
Show yourself
Only the Administrator can set up new user accounts (go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Create A New Account). You can select a picture to identify the account. When you're logged on to the system under your username, this picture, along with your username, peeks out at you from the top of the Start menu. There are a slew of 48x48-pixel bitmap images to choose from within XP. They're housed in D:\Documents And Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures. But why limit yourself? You can also copy any graphic you want into this folder or browse for another from your hard drive. Usable file types are BMP, GIF, JPEG, or PNG. However, always use a square picture, to limit the white space on the side. Your image can be any size but will be displayed as 48x48-pixel image, so a close-up works best.
Hide yourself
Once you've created a user account, password-protect it to keep other users from viewing your files, Favorites, and cookies. Why? You may not want your child to see the note that you're sending to his or her teacher, or you may be planning someone's surprise party. (Note: Anyone with an Administrator account can still see them.)
Worried about remembering your password? Create a hint to help you when you initially create it by following the prompts during setup. XP stores the password hints in the Registry at Hkey_local_machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Hints.
What if the hint doesn't help? Any user or Administrator can create a password reset disk, which you can use to log on and create a new password. Go to Control Panel > User Accounts and select "Prevent a forgotten password" in the Related Tasks box on the left. Follow the wizard's instructions. After creating the disk, find a safe place for it. Don't forget the password or where you put the disk. Someone else could use it to change your password without you knowing it.
Not A Tweak, But A Double XP Surprise!
Neither Win2K nor WinME has the ability to create a simple, basic, DOS- based boot floppy (a "startup disk") unless you jump through hoops or do things in nonstandard ways. Because XP is the fusion of Win2K and Win9x/ME, I assumed it would follow the same "no boot floppy" tack. But instead, I was surprised to poke around in XP and see that the format option there does indeed offer a "Create MS-DOS Startup Disk."
As an experiment, I created a startup disk, and all went smoothly. I was able to use the disk to boot my PC without any problems. But when it started up, I got the second surprise. The DOS boot message showed "Microsoft Windows Millennium." To confirm this, I typed "Ver" to see what version of DOS was running, and the screen showed: Windows Millennium [Version 4.90.300]
Although it's very strange to see the WinME startup message on an XP-created floppy, all this means is that Microsoft cribbed a few essential DOS boot files from WinME, and made it so XP can drop them onto a freshly- formatted floppy for you. I'm glad they did: It's a very good thing that Microsoft restored the ability to make a simple boot disk.
Fast Boot /Fast Resume Design
Customer research shows a frequently requested feature that users want from their PCs is fast system startup, whether from cold boot or when resuming from standby or hibernation. The Windows development team at Microsoft has taken bold steps in making fast startup PCs a reality with the Microsoft Windows XP operating system.
The design goals for Windows XP on a typical consumer PC are: Boot to a useable state in a total of 30 seconds
Resume from Hibernate (S4) in a total of 20 seconds
Resume from Standby (S3) in a total of 5 seconds
Boot and resume times are measured from the time the power switch is pressed to being able to start a program from a desktop shortcut. Click here to go to Microsoft's development center and learn how, download boot tools and read white papers on the subject.
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!
Speed up the Start Menu
The default speed of the Start Menu is pretty slow, but you can fix that by editing a Registry Key. Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ MenuShowDelay
By default, the value is 400. Change this to a smaller value, such as 0, to speed it up.
If this doesn't work for some reason, then you might try the following: Navigate to Display Properties then Appearance then Advanced and turn off the option titled Show menu shadow. You will get much better overall performance.
Automatically defrag drives with a new context menu item
Create a new Registry import file named context_defrag.inf in Notepad (be sure to save with it with the Save as type set to All Files and not Text Documents) and place the following text inside:
; context_defrag.INF
; Adds Defrag to the right click context menu in Windows XP
[version]
signature="$CHICAGO$"
[DefaultInstall]
AddReg=AddMe
[AddMe]
HKCR,"Drive\Shell\Defrag\command",,,"DEFRAG.EXE %1"
Then, right-click and choose Install. This will add a context menu to XP that allows you to automatically defrag drives, using the command line version of the built-in defragmentation utility. To use it, navigate to a drive in My Computer, right-click, and choose Defrag. A command line window will appear, and that drive will be defragged. When it's complete, the window just disappears.
Display the Sharing Tab in Folder Properties
In Windows 2000, getting to the Sharing options for a folder was simple: Just right-click, choose Properties, and you'd see a Sharing tab. In Windows XP, this feature is missing by default, but you can make the system display the Sharing tab if desired. Simply open up Folder Options (My Computer, then Tools, Folder Options) and navigate to the View tab. In the Advanced Settings section, scroll down to the bottom and uncheck Use simple file sharing (Recommended), a Mickey Mouse feature if there ever was one. Now share your folders on the LAN as you would in Windows 2000.
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. Here is how to enable it: Click - Start - Control Panel - Performance and Maintenance - Power Options Tab
Then click APM - Enable Advanced Power Management Support Create a Password Reset Disk
Microsoft has enhanced security features in XP including the the ability to create a floppy diskette to recover your password incase it is forgotten.
Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click 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. It is different if you are part of a domain, see next tip.
How to Create a Password Reset Disk for computers that are part of a domain
Note that this procedure requires one blank, formatted floppy disk.
To create a password reset disk for your local user account: Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE. The Windows Security dialog box appears.
Click Change Password . The Change Password dialog box appears.
In the Log on to box, click the local computer. For example, click Computer (this computer) .
Click Backup . The Forgotten Password Wizard starts.
On the "Welcome to the Forgotten Password Wizard" page, click Next .
Insert a blank, formatted disk in drive A, and then click Next .
In the Current user account password box, type your password, and then click Next . The Forgotten Password Wizard creates the disk.
When the progress bar reaches 100 percent complete, click Next , and then click Finish . The Forgotten Password Wizard quits and you return to the Change Password dialog box.
Remove, and then label the password reset disk. Store the disk in a safe place.
In the Change Password dialog box, click Cancel .
In the Windows Security dialog box, click Cancel.
If you forget your password, you can log on to the computer with a new password that you create by using the Password Reset Wizard and your password reset disk.
To gain access to your local user account on a computer that is a member of a domain, or has been disconnected from a domain: In the Welcome to Windows dialog box, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
In the Log On to Windows dialog box, type an incorrect password in the Password box, and then click OK .
In the Logon Failed dialog box that appears, click Reset . The Password Reset Wizard starts. The Password Reset Wizard lets you create a new password for your local user account.
On the "Welcome to the Password Reset Wizard" page, click Next .
Insert the password reset disk in drive A, and then click Next .
On the "Reset the User Account Password" page, type a new password in the Type a new password box.
Type the same password in the Type the password again to confirm box.
In the Type a new password hint box, type a hint that will help you remember the password if you forget it. NOTE : This hint is visible to anyone who attempts to log on to the computer by using your user account.
Click Next , and then click Finish . The Password Reset Wizard quits and you return to the Log On to Windows dialog box. The password reset disk is automatically updated with the new password information. You do not have to create a new password reset disk.
In the Log On to Windows dialog box, type your new password in the Password box.
In the Log on to box, click the local computer. For example, click Computer (this computer) , and then click OK . You are logged on to the local computer with your local account information.
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.
To control or disable automatic updating, 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.
Try automatic camera recognition in windows xp
If you have a digital camera, try this trick for downloading pictures to your machine. Don't load any of the drivers or software that comes with your digital camera. Instead--if your camera supports USB--connect your camera via a USB port. There's a good chance that Windows XP will recognize the digicam. After a few moments, the Scanner And Camera Wizard should start up and walk you through the steps involved in copying your pictures from the camera to a folder of your choice on your computer--much faster than doing it manually. You may still need to install your camera's software if it provides configuration controls you can't access in any other way, such as those for changing the picture resolution on your camera or the software's special editing functions.
HOW TO: Use Automatic Completion with a Command Prompt in Windows XP
To Activate Automatic Completion
For example, to change to the Program Files folder, you can type cd \pro control_character. Or, to display the contents of the Myfile.txt file, you can type type myf control_character. If there are multiple folders or files that match the characters you type, typing the control character again displays the next matching instance. When the correct folder or file is displayed, press ENTER to complete the command. If no folder of file matches the characters that you type, you hear a beep. You can activate or deactivate this feature for a computer, for a user, or for only the current command session.
Click here for the article from Microsoft.
Easy CD Creator 5.0 Does Not Function In Windows XP
When you try to use Roxio Easy CD Creator 5.0, any of the following symptoms may occur:
Your computer may stop responding (hang) or may stop functioning correctly.
You may receive an error message on a blue screen. The error message may be similar to:
Stop 0x00000050: PrtSeqRd deferencing null device object
After you receive this error message, your computer restarts.
You may receive an error message that is similar to:
Createcd50.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
Click here for the article from Microsoft.
Damaged Registry Repair and Recovery in Windows XP
When a registry hive becomes damaged, your computer may become unbootable, and you may receive one of the following Stop error messages on a blue screen:
Unexpected Shutdown
Stop:0xc0000135
Registry damage often occurs when programs with access to the registry do not cleanly remove temporary items that they store in the registry. This problem may also be caused if a program is terminated or experiences a user-mode fault.
Click here for the article from Microsoft.
"Setup Cannot Upgrade Some Settings" Error Message When You Reinstall Windows XP
When you try to reinstall Windows XP, Windows Setup may repeatedly start and stop, and then you receive an error message similar to the following:
Setup cannot upgrade some settings. After setup completes, you may need to reinstall one or more programs.
Also, the Setup error list may contain the following error messages:
IE Migration: No Rating Migration
Private.inf does not exist.
MigMainInit:MemDbload would not load C:\Windows\setup\ntsetup.dat (ERROR=3)
W95UpgNt_Migrate: MigMain_Init failed (ERROR=3)
As a result, you cannot log on to Windows or complete Windows XP Setup.
Click here for the article.
Morpheus.exe Causes an Error Message in Windows XP (Q320210)
When you try to use the StreamCast Networks Morpheus version 1.0.0.1 program, you may receive an error message that is similar to the following error message, or your computer may become unstable:
Crash caused by MORPHEUS.EXE!0x00072da3 -> AESP1XML: Crash caused by MORPHEUS.EXE!0x00072da3
If you view the data that the error report contains, the following error signature information may be displayed:
App name App version Module name Module version Offset
-----------------------------------------------------------------
morpheus.exe 1.0.0.1 morpheus.exe 1.0.0.1 00072da3
Click here for the article.
Microsoft KB article on removing messenger
January 30th 2002-Microsft has releases a knowledge base article(Q302089) on preveting MSN messenegr from running on a windows XP machine. This article describes how to prevent Windows Messenger from running. By default, Windows Messenger is installed by Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition, and the user interface does not provide a way to remove or to uninstall Windows Messenger.
The information in this article applies to Microsoft Windows Messenger 4.0, Microsoft Windows Messenger 4.5, and Microsoft Windows Messenger 4.6 running on Windows XP Professional and Windows XP home edition based computers.
Click here for the article.
HOW TO: Manage Devices in Windows XP (Q283658)
If the status is Disabled, that is usually the result of user action, and does not necessarily mean that the device has a problem. However, sometimes users disable a device because it was causing a problem, and you should try enabling it to see if it impacts another device negatively.
If the device is experiencing a problem, the Device Status box displays the type of problem. You may see a problem code, or number (or both) and a suggested solution. If you call a support line, this number can be useful for determining and diagnosing the problem.
Troubleshooting a device requires steps specific to that device. If the Device Status box displays a problem, click Troubleshoot to launch the Windows XP troubleshooter for this device type. Supply information and answer questions as prompted.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
CD-R Drive or CD-RW Drive Is Not Recognized As a Recordable Device. (Q316529)
When you attempt to record (burn) data to a compact disc recordable (CD-R) drive or compact disc rewritable (CD-RW) drive, you may not have the option to send data to the CD-ROM drive.
When you view the properties of the CD-R drive or CD-RW drive, you may notice that the Recording tab is not displayed in the CD Drive ( drive_letter :) Properties dialog box, where drive_letter is the letter of the CD-R drive or CD-RW drive.
NOTE : To view the CD Drive ( drive_letter :) Properties dialog box, click Start , click My Computer , right-click the CD-R drive or CD-RW drive that you want, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu that appears.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
INFO: Windows NT/2000/XP Uses KnownDLLs Registry Entry to Find DLLs (Q164501)
Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP uses the KnownDLLs registry entries to search for either 32-bit or 16-bit DLLs when loading the DLL. For 32-bit DLLs the KnownDLLs registry entry only affects the search for implicitly loaded DLLs. For 16-bit DLLs the KnownDLLs registry entry affects the search for both implicitly and explicitly loaded DLLs. If you incorrectly include a DLL name in the KnownDLLs registry entry, the LoadLibrary in Windows NT/2000/XP WOW fails to load a DLL located in the application's current directory.
Windows NT/2000/XP uses the KnownDLLs registry entry to determine which DLL an application will use. There are two different KnownDLLs registry entries: one that affects the loading of 32-bit DLLs, and one that affects the loading of 16-bit DLLs. A DLL listed in the KnownDLLs registry entry is sometimes referred to as a "KnownDLL" in this article.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
How to Send a Full or Kernel Dump to Microsoft Windows Online Crash Analysis (Q316450)
This article is intended for customers who have submitted a crash report to the Windows Online Crash Analysis Web site.
Thank you for submitting this event report to Microsoft Windows Online Crash Analysis. We have analyzed your report and have determined that we require additional information before we can identify the cause of this crash event. A complete memory dump records the entire contents of your operating system memory when the crash event occurs; it should contain the information we need to debug the crash. This article contains instructions for finding the complete or kernel memory dump on your computer and uploading it to Microsoft. That article also contains instructions for configuring your computer for a complete or kernel dump if the file does not exist.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
You Receive a "System Has Recovered from a Serious Error" Message After Every Restart (Q317277)
If Windows XP restarts because of a serious error, the Windows Error Reporting tool prompts you to report the problem to Microsoft for troubleshooting purposes. Windows may begin prompting you to report this information every time you restart the computer, even if no error occurred during the previous session. After this problem begins to occur, you are prompted to send the information after every restart, even if you choose not to send the information.
This problem occurs because after a Minidump (or memory dump) file is written, the paging file continues to have a flag set that indicates that a memory dump file needs to be written.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console (Q314058)
This article describes the functionality and limitations of the Windows Recovery Console. The Windows Recovery Console is designed to help you recover if your Windows-based computer does not start properly or does not start at all.
When you use the Windows Recovery Console, you can obtain limited access to NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 volumes without starting the Windows graphical user interface. In the Windows Recovery Console, you can: Use, copy, rename, or replace operating system files and folders.
Enable or disable service or device startup when you next start your computer.
Repair the file system boot sector or the Master Boot Record (MBR).
Create and format partitions on drives.
Note that only an administrator can obtain access to the Windows Recovery Console so that unauthorized users cannot use any NTFS volume.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
How to Determine Which Video Driver Is Loading in Windows XP (Q314854)
This article describes procedures that you can follow to troubleshoot difficulties with video drivers when you start your computer in Windows XP. Specifically, the article describes how to find out which video drivers are loading.
If the video driver is not loading correctly, another program may have replaced some files. These symptoms point to that cause:
The system continues to default to VGA mode or only boots in VGA mode from the Boot menu.
The video driver is not loading properly.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
Windows XP: Kernel Improvements Create a More Robust, Powerful, and Scalable OS
SUMMARY The Windows XP kernel includes a number of improvements over Windows 2000 that promote better scalability and overall performance. This article covers these changes and explains how they improve startup time, increase registry size limits, and promote more efficient disk partitioning. Windows XP provides support for 64-bit processors, which is covered here along with a discussion of how side-by-side assemblies end DLL Hell. Also new in the Windows XP kernel is a facility that will roll back driver installations to the Last Known Good state of the registry, making driver installation safer. Other topics include the new volume shadow copy facility, which provides for more accurate backups and improvements in remote debugging.
Click here for a nice article from Microsoft.
HOW TO: Troubleshoot the Video Adapter Driver in Safe Mode in Windows XP (Q292460)
This article shows shows you methods of troubleshooting Safe-Mode video problems. In Safe mode, the computer does not start the video adapter driver that is used during normal operations, so you need to use Device Manager to discover, update, roll back, or uninstall the video driver instead of accessing the Display properties.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
Win-XP kills Verizon DSL
Note: Really nice article on theregus.com. On Friday morning my Verizon DSL Internet access died. This was hardly unusual, so I paid it no mind and simply took an unscheduled long weekend. But Saturday morning it was still dead, and there were no reports of service outages in my area. Clearly this would require some looking into.
I experimented a bit and came to suspect that the issue was on Verizon's side. And so it was, with an interesting twist courtesy of Microsoft, I eventually confirmed; but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
It's a good thing I didn't have any social obligations until Saturday night; when all was said and done, Verizon had taken seven hours of my time in exasperating, repetitive, futile interactions with their tech support staff, and no doubt a few months off my lifespan.
Click here for more. The next article is a link to Microsoft that discusses the "hack" for the fix.
How to Establish the Allowable MTU Size When You Are Using Internet Connection Sharing on PPPoE (Q314100)
IMPORTANT : This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.
This article describes how to establish the maximum transmission unit (MTU) size for using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) if your outbound connection uses Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE). If the setting for MTU size is too high, clients that are using the ICS connection may not be able to browse some Web sites or send messages that contain attachments.
PPPoE is a method for establishing Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connections through Ethernet network adapters. PPPoE requires that, on all client computers, you lower the setting for maximum transmission unit (MTU) size to a value no higher than 1,492. (The default is 1,500.) In some cases, a value lower than 1,492 may be necessary.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
HOW TO: Restore the Operating System to a Previous State in Windows XP (Q306084)
This article describes how to use the System Restore tool to return your computer to a previous working state. System Restore takes a "snapshot" of critical system files and some program files and stores this information as restore points. You can use these restore points to return Windows XP to a previous state. The article discuses restore without being able to start Windows XP and restore while be able to start Windows XP.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
Start the System Restore Tool from a Command Prompt in Windows XP
Windows XP includes the System Restore tool, but you cannot start the System Restore tool from a Recovery Console prompt. Because of this, it may be useful to start the System Restore tool when you are unable to start your Windows XP-based computer normally or in Safe mode. This article describes how to start the System Restore tool when you are unable to start your Windows XP-based computer normally or in Safe mode.
Starting System Restore Tool from Command Prompt Start your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt. NOTE : You must log on as the administrator or a user that has administrator rights.
At the command prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe , and then press ENTER.
Follow the instructions on the screen to begin restoring your computer to a previous, functional state. Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
Troubleshooting System Restore in Windows XP (Q302796)
This article describes how to perform basic troubleshooting for issues that involve the System Restore tool in Windows XP.
To troubleshoot System Restore issues, try one or more of the following steps
If you receive an error message that is related to System Restore, always make sure that you first record the error message and follow the instructions that the error message contains to try to resolve the issue. Most System Restore issues generate an error message that contains a description of the issue and suggestions for how to resolve the issue.
Make sure that you have enough disk space on all of the drives on which System Restore is enabled.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
Information on System Restore and Password Restoration (Q295050)
This article describes how the restoration of passwords is managed by System Restore on a Windows XP-based computer, and describes which types of passwords are restored and which are not restored.
Passwords That Are Not Restored
Windows XP passwords and hints are not restored. This behavior is by design to prevent confusion and to prevent you from getting locked out of your computer because the restore point includes an old password that you do not remember.
Microsoft Internet Explorer and Content Advisor passwords and hints are not restored. This behavior is by design to prevent confusion and to prevent problems that could occur when you browse the Internet, in the event that you restore your system to a point with an old password that you do not remember.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
How to Turn On and Turn Off System Restore in Windows XP (Q310405)
This article explains how to turn on and turn off System Restore in Windows XP. CAUTION : When you turn off System Restore, all existing restore points are removed, and you are no longer able to track or undo changes to your computer. To continue to use System Restore to restore your computer to a previous state, do not turn off System Restore.
System Restore is the feature that allows a computer system to be "rolled back", or restored, to a point in time before certain events took place, for example, prior to specific software or hardware installations. System Restore monitors changes to the system and some application files, and automatically creates restore points. You can also create your own restore points at any time.
In Windows XP, System Restore is enabled by default. It is a powerful tool, which in most cases, should not be turned off.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
Improper Shutdown May Affect System Restore (Q283096)
When you use System Restore to perform a restoration to your system, System Restore may not restore all files as expected. You may also receive the following error message when you restart the computer after the restore process:
System Restore
Restoration Incomplete
Your computer cannot be restored to:
Date
Restore Point Name
This restoration is incomplete. It was interrupted by an improper shutdown. You should undo this restore or choose another restore point.
To choose another restore point, restart System Restore.
This behavior can occur when the computer is not shut down properly. For example, this issue occurs when there is an accidental or intentional improper shutdown during the restoration process.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft.
Device Settings Are Hard to Find in Windows XP (Q310751)
When you attempt to configure the direct memory access and programmed input/output (DMA/PIO) settings for a device on a Windows XP-based computer, you do not find the settings in the Properties dialog box for the device. In addition, Help does not provide the location of the settings.
This behavior occurs because the DMA/PIO settings are configured for each controller instead of for each device.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft
I've read of some people having trouble with their dvd drive after an xp upgrade, and it's because XP treated it as an DMA(Direct Memory Access) device when it probably should've been PIO(programmed input/output).
Alphabetize your start menu
Don't you hate how Windows adds new programs to the end of the start menu? The fix is quick and simple, right click on the menu and select sort by name. Ah isn't that better?
Error Message: The Recycle Bin on C:\ Is Corrupt or Invalid. Do You Want to Empty the Recycle Bin for this... (Q297760)
When you perform delete operations on files or folders, you may receive the following error message:
The Recycle Bin on drive letter :\ is corrupt or invalid. Do you want to empty the Recycle Bin for this drive?
This problem is more likely to occur if your computer has drive letters that have been created by using the Subst.exe tool.
This problem can occur when the logical drive that is referenced is an NTFS drive and there was an error in a permissions-compare operation.
Click here for the kb article from Microsoft
Getting older programs to run on Windows XP
Most programs run properly on Windows XP. The exceptions are some older games and other programs that were written specifically for an earlier version of Windows. To run your program on Windows XP, you can try the following, Run the Program Compatibility Wizard. As an alternative, you can set the compatibility properties manually. Update your program, drivers, or hardware. These options are covered in detail below.
The Program Compatibility Wizard
This wizard prompts you to test your program in different modes (environments) and with various settings. For example, if the program was originally designed to run on Windows 95, set the compatibility mode to Windows 95 and try running your program again. If successful, the program will start in that mode each time. The wizard also allows you to try different settings, such as switching the display to 256 colors and the screen resolution to 640 x 480 pixels. If compatibility problems prevent you from installing a program on Windows XP, run the Program Compatibility Wizard on the setup file for the program. The file may be called Setup.exe or something similar, and is probably located on the Installation disc for the program. To run the Program Compatibility Wizard click Start, click Help and Support, click Find compatible hardware and software for Windows XP, and then, under See Also in the navigation pane, click Program Compatibility Wizard.
Set the compatibility properties manually
As an alternative to running the Program Compatibility Wizard, you can set the compatibility properties for a program manually. The settings are the same as the options in the Program Compatibility Wizard. To set the compatibility properties for a program manually Right-click the program icon on your desktop or the shortcut on the Start menu for the program you want to run, and then click Properties. Click the Compatibility tab, and change the compatibility settings for your program.
The Compatibility tab is only available for programs installed on your hard drive. Although you can run the Program Compatibility Wizard on programs or setup files on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, your changes will not remain in effect after you close the program. For more information about an option on the Compatibility tab, right-click the option and then click What's This.
Update your program or drivers
If your program does not run correctly after testing it with the Program Compatibility Wizard, check the Web for updates or other fixes, as follows:
Check the Web site of the program's manufacturer to see if an update or patch is available.
Check Windows Update to see if a fix is available for the program.
Click Home on the menu bar of Help and Support Center, then click Windows Update in the right pane.
If the program is a game that uses DirectX, ensure that you are using the latest version of DirectX. In addition, check the Web site of the manufacturer of your video card or sound card to see if newer drivers are available for either of them.
Dual booting with Windows XP
Been browsing Microsoft's website a lot here lately, looking for some good information that I can pass on too you all. Found a series of how to articles, one of interest in particular, dual booting, or multibooting as they call it, with Windows XP, a subject I haven't covered much yet. From their site, "You can install two or more operating systems on your computer, and then choose the one that you want to use each time you restart. This is known as multibooting. You can configure your computer to start Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT, and either Windows 95 or Windows 98 or Windows ME." Here is the link to the main page, here is the article for installing Windows 2000 and Windows XP, this article is for Windows NT Workstation 4.0 and Windows XP, and this article is for dual booting MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME and Windows XP, be aware that each of these links are for different pages of the same article, so if you just want to read the whole thing and not a particular setup, then start here. In almost all cases, Windows XP must be installed last, and in the case of pc's that participate in Windows domains, each installation must use a different computer name, because a unique security identifier (SID) is used for each installation of Windows XP on a domain, the computer name for each installation must be unique—even for multiple installations on the same computer.
Here is some more info, an article on multibooting made easy, here is a link to a knowledge base article(Q255867) on partioning your hard drives, and here is knowledge base HOW TO: Create a Multiple-Boot System with Windows XP (Q306559), which contains tons of info on reformatting and repairing hard drives, precautions, installing programs on more than one operating system, to specifying the default operating system for startup, good stuff indeed.
Windows XP Professional Utility: Setup Disks for floppy boot install.
The Windows XP startup disk allows computers without a bootable CD-ROM to perform a new installation of the operating system. The Windows XP startup disk will automatically load the correct drivers to gain access to the CD-ROM drive and start a new installation of Setup. You cannot upgrade from a Windows XP startup disk.
Windows XP Home Edition startup disks will not work for Windows XP Professional installations and vice-versa.
Windows XP Professional floppy boot disk here and Windows XP home edition floppy boot disk here.
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 fine–tune settings in Windows XP Professional to improve performance: Right–click 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.
Roll Back to the Previous Version of a Driver
Have you ever installed a device driver that makes your system unstable? I know I have. 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, and then click Control Panel.
Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click Administrative Tools.
Double–click Computer Management, and then click Device Manager in the left pane.
Right–click 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.
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. Right–click 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 you’ll 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. Microsoft Magnifier
Microsoft Narrator is an accessibility option designed for blind or visually-impaired users. Another tool that assists with on-screen viewing is Microsoft Magnifier. It's like holding a magnifying glass up to the screen.
To open Microsoft Magnifier, select Start, Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, Magnifier. Click OK to close the informational dialog box. You'll now see a magnified area at the top of the screen. What you see here will vary depending on the options selected in the Magnifier Settings dialog box. Don't like the Magnifier's behavior? Feel free to change it using the Magnifier Settings dialog box.
For example, If you want the magnified area to follow your mouse, select "Follow mouse cursor." Or, if you find it confusing to see an exact duplicate of what you're working on at the top of the screen, try selecting Invert colors.
Want to zoom in on something even closer? Increase the magnification level from the default 2.
To turn off the magnifier, click the Exit button. Or, right-click its Taskbar item and select Close.
Changing Thumbnail Options
You can change the size of the Thumbnails view in My Computer by opening up the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) and navigating to the following location:
Current user only:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer
All users:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer
Add a new DWORD value called ThumbnailSize and give it a hexidecimal value that is between 32 and 256, inclusive (that is, the lowest possible value is 32 and the highest is 256): A value of 32 will give you the smallest possible thumbnails, and 256 will give you the biggest. Experiment a bit to find your sweet spot.
Get Rid of Unwanted Balloon Tips
Open up the Registry Editor and expand the tree to display the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced
Then, created a new DWORD value named EnableBalloonTips and set it to 0x00000000.
Windows XP Upgrade Advisor Warning About the IrDA Protocol (Q308368)
When you upgrade from Windows Millennium Edition (Me) to Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional, Upgrade Advisor may display a warning message about the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) Infrared Communications protocol:
This version of IrDA Protocol will not work with Windows XP
This warning appears only on computers that have an installed infrared port. Laptop computers often have an infrared port.
In most cases, it is safe to ignore this warning. The Windows Me IrDA protocol stack is removed by Windows XP during the upgrade process; the IrDA protocol stack is replaced with a new version of the IrDA protocol stack automatically. There is no need to download or install any additional software or patches.
Some older, third-party, IrCOMM-protocol programs that were written for Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me may not run correctly on Windows XP. If this issue occurs, it does not prevent Windows XP from running properly, but the IrCOMM program will not work until you obtain a version of the program that is compatible with Windows XP.
Click here for more.
Don't Ignore the Windows Logo Key
The Windows logo key, located in the bottom row of most computer keyboards is a little-used treasure. Don't ignore it. It is the shortcut anchor for the following commands: Windows: Display the Start menu
Windows + D: Minimize or restore all windows
Windows + E: Display Windows Explorer
Windows + F: Display Search for files
Windows + Ctrl + F: Display Search for computer
Windows + F1: Display Help and Support Center
Windows + R: Display Run dialog box
Windows + break: Display System Properties dialog box
Windows + shift + M: Undo minimize all windows
Windows + L: Lock the workstation
Windows + U: Open Utility Manager Use the On-Screen Keyboard
An on–screen keyboard is built into Windows XP. It can be useful if you have mobility impairments, if you are using a tablet PC, or if your keyboard goes down. To access the keyboard, go to Start, then click Run, and type osk. Now the keyboard opens on your computer screen, featuring three typing modes you can use to type data: Clicking mode, you click the on–screen keys
Scanning mode, you press a hot key or use a switch–input device to type highlighted characters
Hovering mode, you use a mouse or joystick to point to a key, which is then typed
To make a shortcut icon on your desktop to the on–screen keyboard: Right–click the desktop.
Point to New, and then click Shortcut.
Type osk, click Next.
Type a name for the shortcut, and then click Finish.
That's it! When you need it, the shortcut to the on–screen keyboard utility is right on your desktop.
Unlocking WinXP's setupp.ini
WinXP's setupp.ini controls how the CD acts. IE is it an OEM version or retail? First, find your setupp.ini file in the i386 directory on your WinXP CD. Open it up, it'll look something like this:
ExtraData=707A667567736F696F697911AE7E05
Pid=55034000
The Pid value is what we're interested in. What's there now looks like a standard default. There are special numbers that determine if it's a retail, oem, or volume license edition. First, we break down that number into two parts. The first five digits determines how the CD will behave, ie is it a retail cd that lets you clean install or upgrade, or an oem cd that only lets you perform a clean install? The last three digits determines what CD key it will accept. You are able to mix and match these values. For example you could make a WinXP cd that acted like a retail cd, yet accepted OEM keys. Now, for the actual values. Remember the first and last values are interchangable, but usually you'd keep them as a pair:
Retail = 51882 335
Volume License = 51883 270
OEM = 82503 OEM
So if you wanted a retail CD that took retail keys, the last line of your setupp.ini file would read:
Pid=51882335
And if you wanted a retail CD that took OEM keys, you'd use:
Pid=51882OEM
Windows XP Security Patch: Unchecked Buffer in UPnP can lead to system compromise
This update resolves the “Unchecked Buffer in Universal Plug and Play Can Lead to System Compromise” security vulnerability in Windows XP. Download now to prevent a malicious user from compromising your computer, or using it to interfere with another computer's operation. The vulnerability results because the Windows XP Universal Plug and Play feature does not correctly validate inputs before using them. The patch also eliminates the vulnerability discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS01-054.
For More Information - Click here.
Windows XP Bliss Screen Saver
Remember when you were a kid, lying on your back in a big grassy field and watching the clouds roll by? It was pure Bliss. Now you can enjoy the Bliss scenery from your Windows XP desktop background as a screen saver when your computer is idle. Get your copy here.
XP successor Longhorn goes SQL, P2P - Microsoft leaks
Sources close to Microsoft confirm that The Beast is set to include a new relational file store at the core of its next version of Windows. Some roadmap slippage has apparently occurred, too, as the database core will be introduced into Longhorn, and Blackcomb has been pushed further back. That leaves a gap for a point revision of XP next year, although there's no sign of this on the roadmap just yet. Despite the annual revisions being named as users' number one bugbear, Microsoft hasn't let a year go by without releasing a new version of Windows since 1997, when it was fighting the browser wars.
The final feature set for Longhorn - the codename for the successor to Windows XP - hasn't been nailed down yet, and the database core had been rumored for inclusion in Blackcomb, the next Windows after Longhorn.
Click here for more.
Creative Labs Audigy Registration Program Causes an Error Message in Windows XP
When you try to run the Creative Labs product registration program, you may receive the following error message:
InetReg.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
If the error message is still displayed and you want to see the data that the error report contains, click the click here link at the bottom of the message box. You then see error signature information that may be similar to the following:
App name App version Module name Module version Offset
---------------------------------------------------------------
InetReg.exe 1.4.2.1 InetReg.exe 1.4.2.1 0001c71e
Clickhere for the article.
Maintain Security with Windows XP
With support for the latest security standards and enhanced virus protection, Windows XP protects you from many common types of Internet attacks. As new viruses and problems arise, Microsoft is committed to delivering timely updates to help maintain the security of your computer. Here's how you can stay on top of the latest updates from Microsoft.
Clickhere for the article.
Using Remote Desktop on Windows XP
With the Remote Desktop feature in Windows XP Professional, you can remotely control your computer from another office, from home, or while traveling. This allows you to use the data, applications, and network resources that are on your office computer, without being in your office.
To use Remote Desktop, you need the following:
Windows XP Professional installed on your office computer, or whichever computer you plan to operate remotely. This computer is known as the host.
A remote computer running Windows 95 or a more recent version of Windows. This computer is known as the client and it must have the Remote Desktop Connection client software installed.
A connection to the Internet. A broadband Internet connection improves performance, but it is not necessary because Remote Desktop transfers only the minimal data (such as display data and keyboard data) to remotely control your host computer. Therefore, even low–bandwidth Internet connections allow you to remotely control your office computer.
Clickhere for the article.
HOW TO: Use the System Restore Utility with Windows Management Instrumentation in Windows XP (Q295299)
This article describes how you can use the System Restore utility to create, enumerate, and restore previously created restore points by using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI).
To run WMI, you must have administrator privileges. You can use System Restore by means of WMI and the Srclient.dll file.
The following VBScript code excerpts are minimal examples. This code must not be implemented without prior error checking and full testing.
Clickhere for the article.
How to Disable the System Restore Configuration User Interface (Q283073)
This article describes how to locally disable the System Restore Configuration user interface to prevent users from modifying System Restore settings, or from turning this feature on or off for the system and non-system drives. This is the only way to disable configuration changes and leave the filter and the service on. It may be particularly useful for computers with multiple users or for multiple-partition computers.
NOTE : You must be an administrator or owner, or have administrative privileges to perform these tasks.
Clickhere for the article.
HOW TO: Use Windows XP to Create a RAID-5 Volume on a Remote Windows 2000 Computer (Q309043)
Wow, sounds pretty important doesn't it.
This article describes how to create a RAID-5 volume on a remote Windows 2000 Server-based computer by using the Disk Management snap-in in Microsoft Windows XP.
A RAID-5 volume is a fault-tolerant volume in which data and parity is striped across three or more physical disks. If part of one physical disk fails, you can recover the data on the failed disk by using the data and parity information on the functioning disks.
RAID-5 volumes are not available on computers running Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional. However, you can use a computer running Windows XP Professional to create RAID-5 volumes on remote computers that are running Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, or Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. You must have administrative privileges on the remote computer in order to do this.
Clickhere for the article.
HOW TO: Create a Mirrored Volume in Windows XP (Q307880)
This step-by-step article describes how to create a mirrored volume on a remote Windows 2000 Server-based computer by using the Disk Management snap-in in Microsoft Windows XP. You can use the Disk Management snap-in to create a mirrored volume from unallocated disk space on a dynamic disk, or mirror an existing simple volume on a dynamic disk.
A mirrored volume, also known as a RAID-1 volume, is a fault-tolerant volume that duplicates data on two different physical disks. Mirrored volumes are supported on dynamic disks, and provide data redundancy by using two identical copies (mirrors) of the volume.
You cannot create mirrored volumes on computers that are running Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition. However, you can use a computer that is running Windows XP Professional to create mirrored volumes on remote computers that are running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, or Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. You must have administrative privileges on the remote computer to do this.
Clickhere for the article.
Netdom.exe Cannot Join a Windows XP Professional-Based Computer to a Domain (Q294355)
When you use the Netdom.exe utility to join a Windows XP Professional-based computer to a domain, you may receive the following error message:
The specified network password is not correct.
The command failed to complete successfully.
This problem occurs because, by default you can only successfully run this command if you run it locally on the workstation.
To resolve this problem, run the command on the workstation for the netdom join command to be successful (by default, local administrative access is not limited). Another alternative is to disable the restriction to only allow guest access when connecting from the network. To do this, you need to modify the Forceguest registry value.
Clickhere for the article.
HOW TO: Manage Stored User Names and Passwords on a Computer in a Domain in Windows XP (Q306992)
This article describes how to manage stored user names and passwords on a computer that is a member of a domain.
Stored User Names and Passwords is a secured store for password information. With this feature, you can enter user names and passwords for various network resources and applications (such as e-mail) once, and then have Windows automatically supply that information for subsequent visits to those resources without your intervention.
When you first log on to a server or a Web site, you are prompted for your user name and password. When you type your user name and password for the resource, and then click to select the Remember my password check box, your logon information is stored with your user account. When you next connect to the same resource, these stored credentials are used to automatically authenticate you.
Clickhere for the article.
HOW TO: Manage Stored User Names and Passwords on a Computer That Is Not in a Domain in Windows XP (Q306541)
This article describes how to manage stored user names and passwords on a computer that is not a member of a domain.
When you log on to a Windows XP-based computer, you can supply a user name and password, which becomes your default security context for connecting to other computers on networks and over the Internet. However, this user name and password may not provide access to all desired resources. The Stored User Names and Passwords feature provides a way to store additional user names and passwords as a part of your profile.
Stored User Names and Passwords is a secured store for password information. With this feature, you can type user names and passwords for various network resources and applications (such as email) one time, and then have Windows automatically supply that information for subsequent visits to those resources without your intervention.
Clickhere for the article.
You Receive a Remote Assistance Error Message Stating That the User Has Closed Connection to Your Computer (Q300067)
After you receive an invitation from a user that is asking for Remote Assistance over email, you open the invitation, and then you attempt to make the connection, you may receive the following error message:
Username has closed connection to your computer.
On the client computer to which you are trying to connect, there is no indication that the user was trying to connect by using the Remote Assistance invitation.
This behavior can occur if a user removes the Authenticated Users and Interactive groups from the Users local group. To successfully run the Remote Assistance service account must have the privileges of the Users local group. By removing both Authenticated Users and Interactive groups from the Users local group, the removal of these privileges from the Remote Assistance service account also occurs.
Clickhere for the article.
Resources to Help Troubleshoot Shutdown Problems in Windows XP (Q308029)
This article refers to resources that you can use to troubleshoot shutdown problems in Windows XP. After you follow the steps in each article in a section, determine if you have resolved the problem by either shutting down or restarting your computer. If you still cannot shut down or restart your computer, continue to the next section in order. Try to shut down or restart your computer at the end of each section.
Clickhere for the article.
Resources for Troubleshooting Startup Problems in Windows XP (Q308041)
This article shows you how to troubleshoot startup problems in Windows XP. After you follow the articles or steps in each section, try to start your computer to determine if the problem is resolved. If you still cannot start your computer, continue to the next section of the article.
Clickhere for the article.
A Description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP (Q315222)
This article discusses the several Safe Boot options that Windows supports. These options load a minimal set of drivers. You can use these options to start Windows so that you can modify the registry or load or remove drivers.
To use a Safe Boot option, follow these steps: Restart your computer and start pressing the F8 key on your keyboard. On a computer that is configured for booting to multiple operating systems, you can press the F8 key when you see the Boot Menu.
When the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, select an option, and then press ENTER.
When the Boot menu appears again, and the words "Safe Mode" appear in blue at the bottom, select the installation that you want to start, and then press ENTER. Clickhere for the article.
How to Perform Disk Error Checking in Windows XP (Q315265)
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.
Clickhere for the article.
Msbb.exe May Cause an Error Message in Windows XP (Q317714)
While you are using Msbb.exe version 3.1.0.0 or earlier by 180Solutions, Inc., you may receive the following error message:
Msbb.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
This is a known issue that occurs if certain versions of Msbb.exe (a component of the 180Solutions software) runs in conjunction with certain versions of the new.net software.
Clickhere for the article.
Description of the Dynamic Update Feature in Windows XP Setup (Q311220)
Windows XP Setup includes the Dynamic Update feature. Dynamic Update downloads and uses critical content to enhance the Setup program. If the computer can connect to the Internet during Windows XP Setup, Dynamic Update prompts you to download critical content. You have the option to skip Dynamic Update during Setup.
Clickhere for the article.
Explorer.exe Command-Line Options for Windows XP (Q314853)
This article lists the command-line options that you can use with Windows Explorer (Explorer.exe).
Clickhere for the article.
How to Use the SPCheck Tool in Windows XP (Q312646)
This article describes how to use the SPCheck.exe tool in Windows XP to determine the service pack level of installed components on a file-by-file basis. SPCheck.exe is included with the Windows XP Support Tools package.
You can use SPCheck to determine the service pack level of various installed components on Windows XP-based computers. SPCheck generates a report that lists the origin of each file for each installed component.
Clickhere for the article.
Picture Tasks in folders
The My Pictures folder includes properties which provide information to tools so that you can view, print, and manipulate images, and publish images on the Internet. To perform these tasks, you can use the Picture Tasks section in the left pane in the Web view window, or you can use the Image preview functionality. You can also click the View menu, and then click Filmstrip or Thumbnails.
These properties are passed on to new created folders that have nothing else in them, or if you copy the My Pictures folder somewhere else, which enables you to store images in folders other than My Pictures, and still maintain the advantages of the My Pictures environment. If you copy an image to an existing folder that already contains other file types, the Picture Tasks options may not be displayed in the Web view window, and if you create a folder and the first file is an image file, the picture tasks options are added, but if you remove the image files, the picture tasks options will remain in the left pane.
Creating a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition (Q311073)
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.
NOTE : The procedure for RISC-based computers is different and not documented in this article.
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.
Clickhere for the article.
HOW TO: Change the Logon Window and the Shutdown Preferences in Windows XP (Q291559)
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: _____________
Clickhere for the article.
User Accounts That You Create During Setup Are Administrator Account Types (Q293834)
After you install Windows XP, you have the option to create user accounts. If you create user accounts, by default, they will have an account type of Administrator with no password.
Clickhere for the article.
Cannot Change the Password for the Administrator Account in User Accounts in Control Panel (Q298252)
After you log on as an administrator to a computer that is not a member of a domain, when you double-click User Accounts in Control Panel to change the password for the built-in Administrator account, the Administrator account may not appear in the list of user accounts. Consequently, you cannot change its password.
Clickhere for the article.
General USB Troubleshooting in Windows XP (Q310575)
Because USB devices are Plug and Play devices, there is little that you can do to control or configure them. However, you can trace most USB problems to one of the following conditions:
Malfunctioning or incorrectly configured hardware
Malfunctioning, incorrectly configured, or missing device driver
Mismatched cabling
Out-of-date firmware or basic input/output system (BIOS)
Improperly configured root hub You can use the following troubleshooting tips to check for each of these conditions to help you resolve USB device issues.
Clickhere for the article.
ACC2002: Updated Version of Microsoft Jet 4.0 Available in Download Center (Q282010)
The Microsoft Office XP and Microsoft Access 2002 Setup programs only update system files in certain situations and to a certain level. Therefore, after you install Access you may not have the latest version of the Microsoft Jet 4.0 database engine. To obtain the latest update for the Microsoft Jet 4.0 database engine, download and install Microsoft Jet 4.0 Service Pack 6 (SP6).
If you have installed Jet 4.0 SP6 for Access 2000 or another application that uses the Jet 4.0 engine, you do not have to reinstall Jet 4.0 SP6 for Access 2002.
There are four versions of the Jet 4.0 SP6 download. The first download is only for computers that are running Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. The second download is only for computers that are running Microsoft Windows 2000. The third download is only for computers that are running Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition. The fourth download is only for computers that are running Microsoft Windows XP. Each download contains updated versions of several .dll files that are included with Microsoft Access 2002, Microsoft Office XP Developer, Microsoft Visual Basic version 6.0 or later, and other Microsoft products that incorporate Microsoft Jet database engine 4.0.
Clickhere for the article.
No Password Expiration Notice Is Presented During the Logon Process (Q313194)
Windows XP may not display a notice to a user that the user's password is about to expire. This problem may occur if the user logs on to a Microsoft Windows 2000-based domain from a Windows XP Professional-based computer on which the user has previously logged on, and the user's password will expire in the specified expiry period.
The following policy determines whether Windows XP waits for the network during startup and the user logon process:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon: Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon
Clickhere for the article.
HOW TO: Prepare to Upgrade Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition to Windows XP (Q316639)
This step-by-step article describes how to prepare to upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition (Me) to Windows XP. The information in this article may be useful to help you to avoid some common upgrade-related issues.
For information about compatible hardware for Windows XP, view the Windows Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). This list is a compilation of computers and computer hardware that have been extensively tested with Windows for stability and compatibility. Microsoft Product Support Services uses the HCL to determine whether or not a computer is supported for use with Windows. The latest HCL is available from the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.tipsdr.com/axs/ax.pl?http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/default.asp
Clickhere for the article.
Windows Media Player Causes an Error Message in Windows XP (Q319871)
If your computer has a version of Microsoft Windows Media Player that is earlier than version 7.1, you may receive the following error message:
Iexplore.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
If the error message is still displayed and you want to see the data that the error report contains, click the click here link at the bottom of the message box. You then see error signature information that may be similar to the following:
App name App version Module name Module version Offset
----------------------------------------------------------------- |