in the last installment of windows tweaks and tricks, we discussed at length why

the heck we put up with windows considering all the bugs and hack attacks. for
readers who missed the enlightenment from winguru fred langa, go here.

basically, hackers (or more properly, crackers) want notoriety so they attack the
most widely-used operating system.

with the introduction of winxp, security flaws were discovered that were so
serious that the fbi got involved prior to msoft even acknowledging it.

"microsoft treats security bulletins as pr problems," according to bruce schneier,

chief technology officer of network protection company counterpane internet
security. "if microsoft had its way and there was bug secrecy, we wouldn't know
that any of this happened."

while no supporter of microsoft myself, it must be acknowledged that most of us

will continue to run windows with in one form or another despite its warts and
flaws although many are taking a hard look at linux.

"microsoft's 92% monopoly of desktop operating systems remains untouchable,

experts say." - the register

no options
so, here's the deal. microsoft is forcing us to upgrade.

what? no gasps of surprise during this pregnant pause?

by the simple act of ceasing support or even acknowledgement that the operating
system is viable, microsoft figures that we'll have no choice but to pony up more
cash for the latest and greatest that they have to offer. the really weird thing?
that's exactly what we do.

if we don't go out and buy the newest version of windows, it'll come pre-loaded on
the next micron or gateway (please, not compaq or hp) that the we buy (i'll build
my own, thanks).

now what if we absolutely must run an early version of windows, say, 95 (which
stopped being supported in november, 2001) or 98/98se (which times out in june of
2003), f'rinstance? no problem says the redding raiders, just send even more cash
for support. read their version of the story here.

what to do?
if the above is true and human nature is to be relied upon, we'll keep running
windows. the software we love (or at least we're used to) runs on windows.
hardware is (mostly) compatible.

so gird your virtual loins and read on. below are windows tweaks and tricks with
many new tips. following this are a ton of winxp tips. enjoy.

system basics

security and reliability. that's what we want. readers who delve into this section
also want flexibility in the way the system operates. it's sensible to first
protect ourselves from the bad guys who would exploit our operating systems.

new windows users should go here to read mark salbert's fine windows primer for
insight about the operating system.

take a look at the security page here at sailcat graphics. at least download and
install zonealarm. i'd never go online without it.

subscribe to fred langa's free newsletter, the langalist to discover the bugs,
security breaches and fixes about a week before you'll see it anyplace else.

also, visit microsoft to get a system check that will reveal what updates are
critical. it's done automatically over the internet without sending any of your
system information. non-critical updates are also listed, as well as the option to
be notified when an important update is available. to do this, click here and
choose 'product update' on the new page that opens.

i have helped many people with problems on their home computers, and not one of
them was protecting themselves with the fast, free product update service from
microsoft. perhaps the people that get the critical updates are the same ones who
don't have computer problems.

win xp users have a new set of security issues, including a plethora of default
settings that cause 'phone home' activity, automatic updates and downloads
without user choice or intervention. the method for disabling these is here. free
software to change these settings easily is here.

have your way with windows

i always enjoy getting email from visitors to this website. the cascade trick has
generated much of the mail i have had the pleasure to receive over the years,
often from users who can't get it to work. hopefully, this explanation will be
clear. if not, you know the routine. click to email the 'cat.

the cascade trick

i have yet to show it to anyone who has seen it previously. why this isn't in the
windows manual is beyond me; it is so much faster than any other method for
displaying the entire contents of a drive. it does require that internet explorer
4.+ is installed on your system, but a tweaker like you surely has the latest
version of ie, right?

the following explanation contains links to some older graphic examples of each
step, but this trick is browser dependent and will work on win 95/98/me/2000/xp.
these desktop images are reduced to 700 x 525 to speed download and will open in a
new window. close the window to return to this text.

left-click and hold the 'my computer' icon (or whatever you've named it). continue
holding with the left button and move it to the left side of the screen, then
release the button. this should instantly produce a menu like this, showing the
contents. then left-click and hold the 'c' drive icon, moving it to the top of the
screen. it will cascade to the right as pictured here, allowing you to click on
the expansion button to the right of this newly-created bar causing it to cascade
downward like this. running the mouse pointer over an folder will show the
contents, as it will the contents of that folder and any folder within. this
picture should clarify. although these screenshots are from a few years ago, the
cascade trick works the same in all windows versions since '95.

by using this little trick, it is possible to see the entire contents of your
drive and access any portion of it right from your desktop. now, isn't that just
too cool?

speed up your win 9x/me system

here's a few quick tricks to get windows to run faster. the first methods are
better-known, but use all of them to get the most horsepower available without
resorting to system de-stabilizing methods like over-clocking.

right-click on the 'my computer' button and choose 'properties' from the drop-down
menu. left-click on the 'performance' tab, then the 'file system' button. be sure
that the 'read-ahead optimization' slider is all the way to the right, then change
the 'typical role of this computer' from 'desktop computer' to 'network server'.
because of a difference in the manner in which data is handled (cached), you'll
pick up some speed through better efficiency. click ok.

left-click on 'graphics ...' & make sure the slider is set to 'full', then click
ok. click on 'virtual memory' and change the setting to 'let me specify my own
virtual memory settings. set both the minimum and maximum to two and one-half
times the amount of ram on your computer (32mb would be 80, 64mb would be 160,
96mb would be 240 and so on). put the newly created swap-file on an small, unused
drive partition if available. click on ok, ignore and close the scary warning &
re-start your computer.

you'll also want to open the c:\windows\system\system.ini file (it opens in

notepad) and under the [386enh] section, enter: "conservativeswapfileusage=1"
(without the quotes) to prevent the system from using that slower swapfile before
it uses the faster available ram. this will also require a reboot.

quick win 9x/me tips

use the 'start' button for web browsing. enter (or paste) a url in the 'run'
window, press 'enter and the page will open in your browser.

here's a slick trick for ie4+ favorites folders that refuse to stay alphabetized.
first, make certain that your recycle bin is not set to automatically delete. open
c:\windows\favoritites then left-click on 'edit' and choose 'select all'. right-
click on any entry and choose 'delete' to move everything into the recycle bin.
open the recycle bin & choose 'restore' to return everything to its place, nicely
organized.

often, conflicts that arise when from software installation is due to a newer file
(.dll, .ocx or the like) getting overwritten by an older version. to find out, hit
the 'start' button, then 'run' and type "vcmui" (without the quotes). this will
launch windows conflict manager, showing the dates of the files on your system and
allowing instant swapping of old-for-new.

ever wonder when the web page you're viewing was really updated? type
"javascriptalert:(document.lastmodified)" (without the quotes) into the address
bar.

to open a new instance (multiple) of a browser window, just hold down the 'shift'
key when you click on a link.

to find a key word in search engine results or in any text document, hit 'ctlr'
and 'f' simultaneously.

to get an accurate reading of your modem connection speed, open 'my computer',
'dial-up networking' then right-click on your internet connection to access
'properties'. click the 'configure' button, then the 'connection' tab and then
'advanced'. in the "extra settings' window, type "w2" (without the quotes) then ok
your way out. this should show a much more accurate reading that 115,200 or
whatever you saw previously.

you can 'lasso' a number of icons or files simultaneously on your desktop or in

any window by left-clicking and holding the button down near them. then just use
the cursor to draw a rectangle encompassing the items you want to select and have
your way with them (drag, move, send to, or delete).

trivia: the animated gif that changes from a globe to the windows logo in the
upper-right-hand corner of the internet explorer browser is called a 'throbber'.

new win tweaks & tricks

system tips
use the 'wild card' (*) in system searches. it's possible to find all pictures by
using *.jpg, for instance. to list virtually every graphic on your hard drive, try
*.jpg; *.png; *.gif; *.bmp. multiple searches are possible using a semicolon
followed by a space, then the next item. this works foe other file types, too,
like *.doc or *.txt.

the use of shortcut keys instead of mouse clicks is much more efficient. re-
training oneself to do so is a bit more challenging. most folks know that pressing
the ctrl key plus x cuts and item, ctrl+ c copies and ctrl+ v pastes, but don't
forget to 'unload' the clipboard after copying a large graphic or hitting 'print
screen.' just copy something small, like a word of text, to replace that large
load. otherwise it ties up precious memory.

here are some more to try:

ctrl+ a: highlights all text in document
ctrl+ close window closes all windows
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 + tab: move through taskbar buttons
windows + u: open utility manager
and a new one (04/26/02) from mark m.:
ctrl+ z is an unlimited undo

in rich text environments like outlook express or microsoft word, shift will
traditionally 'select' and ctrl will 'move.' ctrl+ backspace will delete entire
words at a time; ctrl+ home will take you to the top of the document; ctrl+ shift
+ home will select all data between your cursor and the top of your document (end
will take you to the end); ctrl+ left cursor will move you one word back (and
right will move you right); shift+ home will select all text in that paragraph or
line.

want more? search "keyboard shortcuts" on your own computer.

font stuff
i download everything to my desktop, including true type fonts (ttf). when it
comes time to install them, just open the control panel & drag 'em, over to the
'fonts' icon. afterwards, delete the ttf files from your desktop.

windows will help if you fonts are getting out of hand. in the fonts folder,
select 'view' then 'list fonts by similarity.' this option will allow you to weed
out some excess baggage which will marginally improve performance. these little
things add up to overall improvement in speed.

internet & email

express notes
if you're using outlook express (as most of us do), you are most vulnerable to
viruses and worm attacks. there are two things that we all should do to reduce the
chance of exposure:

1) click on 'view' on the toolbar across the top of the outlook window, choose
'layout' from the dropdown menu and uncheck 'view preview pane.' this will prevent
some problems from emails that fire off html code just by being viewed.

2) in order to see the contents (and nature of attachments) of emails, right-click

on an unopened message, choose 'properties from the drop-down menu, then the
'details' tab at the top of the resultant window, then the 'message source'
button. this is best viewed if expanded to full screen, the contents are harmless
as the email is not really open. if anything looks even slightly suspicious,
delete it, then (and perhaps most importantly) delete it again from the 'deleted
items' file.

find 'em easily

planning to meet an email contact in real life? if you have outlook express 6.0
installed (as with winxp and included with ie 6.x) and their street address, just
open up their listing in your address file and click on 'view map' to view the
location at expedia.com. "how do i get to your office...?"

worth a thousand words

often, explaining a situation, problem or error can be challenging. why not take a
picture & email it? just hit the 'prt scr' button, then open any graphics or paint
program and paste it. be sure to crop it to a minimum size for emailing. if
compression is available, use it since high-quality isn't necessary. zip it before
attaching.

incidentally, with any attachment, hanging it on an email is as easy as dragging

the file to the massage area in outlook express (or 'most any email client). this
may be done from explorer, or, if the email program isn't open in a full window,
from the desktop or any drive.
keep attachments small and don't send over 100kb without your recipient's
permission.

protect other's privacy

here's a tip that everyone should learn before being allowed near an email
program.

when sending to multiple recipients who aren't known to one another, address the
email to yourself, then use the bcc: (blind carbon copy) function to add addresses
rather than cc:.

your emails will still arrive at the proper destinations, but no recipient will be
able to see any email address other than yours.

track spammers
it's very likely that your email address will be required for registration at some
websites. while a 'throwaway' address (at yahoo, hotmail, etc.) can be used,
you'll be able to tell who's selling addresses with this little trick.

use a plus sign (+) after your address with something that will identify where
you've registered. instead of you@home.com, use you+them@home.com. if you get spam
with this address, you'll know they're bad guys. turn 'em into the ftc.

re-linker
the only browser most of us use is internet explorer. like democracy, it's not
perfect, just the best there is.

here's a trick when it starts popping blank pages where there should be websites,
either from url or email links.

close the browser and hit the 'start' button, then 'run' and enter the following:
regsvr32 urlmon.dll

a message will pop up telling you the procedure was successful.

then fire up ie & go to 'tools,' then 'internet options,' then 'programs.' click
on 'reset web settings' and everything should be back to nearly perfect.

get the picture?

searching for a particular image on the internet can be daunting, but there are
methods that will produce what's needed efficiently.

alta vista allows for 'field-supported' searches. try prefacing your search with
image:, as in image:horse.

even better, though, is the google image search engine. to try it, click here.
remember to respect those copyrights!

not forgotten
where do websites go to die? the internet, of course!

that cool site is gone, just when you needed a reference for your term paper (or
to win an email argument, or just because).

well, maybe not. search up the missing website in google (gotta love it) and click
on the 'cached' link. viola! at least usually, but if it ain't here, it ain't
anywhere.
ie stuff
when you're bombarded by flashing banners and irritating wigglies, try this. once
a page is fully loaded, hit the 'esc' key to freeze every animated gif.

don't put up with the names that others lay on you for the websites you've saved
in your 'favorites' folder. just like any other shortcut, you can re-name those
babies.

to determine your own ip address on a dial-up connection (which changes every time
you connect), just hit 'start,' then 'run' and enter "winipcfg.exe" (without the
quotes).

to get the really big picture, it's possible to launch ie 4.0 or higher in an
ultra-full screen 'kiosk' mode, without toolbars or navigation controls. hit
'start/run' and type "iexplore -k www.webaddress.com" without the quotes and
substituting 'webaddress' for whatever you wish. make a note of the keyboard
shortcuts, below, 'cause even your taskbar will be hidden.* **

ctrl+a: select all (editing)

alt+left arrow: back
alt+right arrow: forward
esc: stop
f5: refresh
ctrl+b: organize favorites
ctrl+x: cut (editing)
ctrl+c: copy (editing)
ctrl+v: paste (editing)
ctrl+f: find (on current page)
ctrl+h: view history folder
ctrl+l: open location dialog box
ctrl+n: new window (opens in non-kiosk mode)
ctrl+o: open location dialog box (same as ctrl+l)
ctrl+p: print
ctrl+r: refresh
ctrl+s: save
ctrl+alt+shift+f4: close all windows (thanks, wingman!)
ctrl+w close (same as alt+f4)

this last cool ie tweak is from david prager of techtv screensavers. to find out
some other cool stuff that can be done in this mode, go here.

*correction! thanks to 'wdj' who sent this: "in kiosk mode , you can hit the
window key + m to display the taskbar." thanks!

**wingman reminds us that the full-screen mode can be accessed by hitting f11
while internet explorer is open. this will allow a view nearly as large as kiosk,
but leaves naviogation elements in a strip across the top. thanks, bro'.

as discussed in the windows tweaks section, 92% of us run windows and microsoft is
gradually ceasing the support (and updates) for earlier versions of windows.
hence, we're forced to upgrade.

the newest system from redding is winxp, a leap i chose to take at the earliest
opportunity. there's a lot to like as well as some downsides.
in the plus column, winxp is stable. restarts occur only when called for by
software installation rather than as the system slows with use (as occurs with
win9.x/me).

it's also visually stunning, the most esthetically exciting windows ever, with
more options for customization and personalization than any previous system, and
this right out of the box without additional software.

one strike against upgrading now to xp is that some legacy (particularly pre-
win2000) hardware may not work and drivers will never become available for older
stuff. tip: occasionally, non-functioning or untested hardware will work with
winxp if installed in the safe mode.

the major objection (and the first addressed in the tips below) is windows product
activation (wpa). after 30 days, microsoft must be contacred for an activation
code. enter it incorrectly and your computer will lock you out making data
inaccessible.

this system has been cracked and may yet be abandoned or modified due to public
outcry in resistance to the system. the wpa system is still in its infancy and it
remains to be seen where it goes from here.

special winxp note: while allowing windows (any flavor) to 'auto-update' is

distasteful to most users who want control over their own systems, checks should
be made with microsoft regularly for critical updates, and such updates should be
downloaded and installed. it is the consensus of experienced winxp users, however,
that the drivers updates offered for xp users are frequently determined in error
and cause problems. get 'em from a more reliable source like the manufacturers or
chipmakers.

win xp tips

activate once forever

windows will require re-activation if several pieces of hardware are changed at
one time. it makes sense to try to spread these installations out to avoid the
hassle.

but what if the winxp os must be re-installed on the same system? to avoid having
to re-activate, keep a copy of wpa.dbl from the system32 folder with your backups.
make sure to create a fresh copy with any hardware upgrade. upon re-installing
winxp, just copy wpa.dbl back to the system32 folder to skip activation.

deactivate winxp 'spyware'

although mentioned on the windows tweaks page, it's worth repeating here if you
missed it. win xp users have a new set of security issues, including a plethora of
default settings that cause 'phone home' activity, automatic updates and
downloads without user choice or intervention. the method for manually disabling
these is here. free software to change these settings easily is here.

winxp power toys

this versatile (unsupported) collection of goodies from microsoft includes:

tweak ui: provides access to system settings that are not exposed in the windows
xp default user interface, including mouse settings, explorer settings, taskbar
settings, and more.

super-fast user switcher: switch between users without having to go through the
logon screen (see quick tips, below, for another way).

open command window here: adds an "open command window here" context menu option
on file system folders.

taskbar magnifier: magnify part of the screen from the taskbar.

power calculator: graph and evaluate functions as well as perform many different
types of conversions.

image resizer: resize one or many image files with a right-click.

cd slide show generator: view images burned to a cd as a slide show.

virtual desktop manager: manage up to four desktops from the windows taskbar.
multi-monitors is much better.

webcam timershot: lets you take pictures at specified time intervals from a webcam
connected to your computer and save them to a location that you designate.

html slide show wizard: helps you create an html slide show of your digital
pictures, ready to place on your web site.

microsoft pulled power toys for winxp to de-bug them, and re-released them on
april 23, 2002. this time, these proggies are available seperately which is a good
thing. click here to see 'em.

don't forget ie powertoys, a cool collection of enhancements designed for ie5.x

but which work beautifully with ie6.x. find it on the internet page. useful, fun
and the price is right.

hide recycle bin

yes, there's a registry or 'inf' file hack for this, but why? download tweakui,
above, change the recycle bin to a folder (so you can move it off the desktop,
like into my documents), eliminate the icon and revel in your pristine desktop,
without an icon to be seen (if you choose). hey, your wallpaper looks great!

remove 'shortcut to' prefix and arrow

see tweakui, above. don't hack the registry unnecessarily.

dig into the system

while there is a code that can be entered at a command-line prompt (ipconfig)
which will display or allow configuration of ip information, but a sweeter
solution is the gui goodness of the familiar winipcfg from win 9.x/me. download it
from microsoft here, install it, then just hit, start/run, type winipcfg and hit
'enter.' you're so clever.

to access information on your entire system, including hardware, installed

software application info and more, hit start/run and type winmsd. to access more
information as well as change default startup items (harmlessly), try start/run
msconfig.

task manager in winxp is a versatile tool which displays running applications and
processes (ala ctrl/alt/del in win 9.x/me) as well as graphical display of
performance items like cpu, page file usage and networking information. right-
click on the taskbar and select 'task manager (keyboard shortcut ctrl/shift/esc),
try it & see.

to configure virtually any aspect of winxp hardware, software and behavior, hit
start/run, type gpedit.msc and hit 'enter' to access the group policy editor. this
is where you can turn off 'autoplay' for cd-roms if you wish. have fun in there.

those nasty balloon tips

these things are like the neighbor's wind chimes; an annoyance foisted upon us
against our will that only gets more irritating with time. the quick, easy method
of disposal is with 'group policy editor, above. no third-party software or
registry hacking is necessary. choose' disable balloon tips' and breathe a sigh of
relief. too bad there's no 'delete' button for annoying neighbors.

winxp quick tips

there are several methods (some involve risky and unnecessary registry hacks) for
removing the persistent and annoying msn messenger. hit 'start/run' then copy and
paste the following: 'rundll32 advpack.dll,launchinfsection
%windir%\inf\msmsgs.inf,blc.remove' (without the quotes). hit enter and it's gone.

to enable sending items wherever you wish on your computer easily, enable hidden
and systems folders in the 'view' folder settings, open
c:\documents and settings\your_user_name\sendto\ and add shortcuts to whatever
locations you wish.

instantly switch between users by depressing the win key and 'q' simultaneously.
after a moment, all users appear. keep hitting 'q' to rotate between them.

you will use far less memory if you keep multiple applications minimized rather
than in open windows.

to create a keyboard shortcut from a desktop shortcut, right-click on the

shortcut, choose properties and enter the combination in the shortcut key box,
including two of the following: ctrl, alt, and/or shift. ok out and it's done.

to eliminate the annoying question "are you sure?" when you delete an item, right-
click on the recycle bin icon, choose 'properties' and remove the (default)
checkmark from 'display delete confirmation dialog.'

prefetch works great to speed up operations in winxp, but the default folder needs
a cleanout every few weeks or the clutter will actually slow the system. open the
'prefetch' folder in c:\windows, left-click 'edit,' choose 'select all,' right
click on any item in the folder and choose 'delete' to dump everything.

unless you spend most computer time doing searches, this tweak will add a little
speed to your system. open my computer, right-click on c:\ and select
'properties.' uncheck 'allow indexing service to index this disk for faster
searches.' uncheck this ok out. select 'apply to all folders and subfolders' in
the pop-up window.

to prevent the operating system from asking for the winxp disk during
installations, copy the i386 folder from the xp cd and paste in into the c:\
drive. that'll stop it.

what? you actually used the briefcase in win9.x/me? ok, to get it back on the
desktop in xp, go to c:\windows\system32\dllcache and double click on 'syncapp' to
place it on your desktop.
if you've removed the recycle bin from the desktop (see registry hacks, below),
you can access it by either from a 'desktop' toolbar added by right-clicking on
the taskbar and choosing 'toolbars' and putting a checkmark by that setting or by
opening 'my documents' & going up one level.

if you don't want xp to display the programs in the start menu that it determines
are used most frequently, right-click in the empty space on the left side of the
menu, choose 'properties' then 'start menu' and customize. click on 'clear list'
and set number to zero.

right�click my computer, and then click 'properties' then 'advanced.' from here
you can choose for what functions the greater portion of processing and power is
used and set virtual memory if you're so inclined.

to place the programs you want permanently on the start menu, right-click on the
program from the pop-up menu and choose 'pin to start menu.'

for a quick desktop shortcut to any folder, file or application, find the target
on your hard drive, right-click and choose 'send to desktop.'

new tips for june, 2002

shutting down winxp is a three-click process, but it's easy to make it a single-
click process, either from a desktop or taskbar icon. right-click on the desktop,
choose 'new' then 'shortcut. a window will pop up with a dialog box for the
shortcut path. type this exactly: c:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -s -t 00
keeping in mind that the last character is a zero, not a capital o (to make a
similar shortcut for restart, substitute /r for /s). choose 'next' and type in a
name for your new shortcut. right-click on your new shortcut, choose 'properties'
then 'change icon' to make it attractive. leave it on your desktop or drag it to
your taskbar.

if you haven't already found it, making the text background that appears beneath
desktop icons transparent is a snap. go to the control panel, choose 'system' then
'advanced'. click on the 'performance' tab then 'settings' and put a check in the
'use drop shadows' box. voila!

to keep those ugly lines from forming beneath the text on your desktop icons, go
to the control panel and choose 'folder options' to be certain that 'underline
icon titles consistent with my browser' is checked. open 'internet options' then
the 'advanced' tab. under 'browsing' look for 'underline links' and choose
'never.' now, doesn't that look better?

now that the 'official' release of winxp has passed the six-month mark, some of
you may be experiencing some performance degradation, the source of which can't be
traced. before resorting the the sure-fire re-format and re-install, try this
simple procedure. create a new user name (with administrator rights). see if this
'new user' experiences better performance. if so, switch to your original user
name, transfer settings and accounts to the 'new user' and enjoy the improved
performance. once you're satisfied that all settings and accounts have transferred
properly, eliminate your old user name and run regcleaner to eliminate outdated
settings.

boot disk returns

unlike win2000 or winme, winxp can and will produce a boot disk. stuff a floppy
into the drive, open 'my computer' then '3 1/2" floppy drive,' right click and
choose 'format'. from the drop-down menu, choose 'create startup disk.'
microsoft sez:
"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." if you're not booting in less than 30 seconds, go here & get the
msoft tool that will speed up boot times with varying but (to my knowledge) never
negative results

save streaming media

it's cool to listen to mp3s (or watch movies) over the internet. often, saving
this media, however, seems impossible. hey, if it plays on your computer, it's on
your hard drive. once the file is fully loaded and with folder view set to show
hidden and systems folders, search for the media (.mp3 or .mpg). there it is!

ie 6 stuff
new security features in ie 6.x are cool, but if you'd rather not have the web
pages you've viewed to be stored on your computer, you have to choose the option
manually. from the 'tools' menu, select 'internet options,' then 'advanced.' under
'security,' check 'empty temporary internet files folder when browser is closed.'

if you prefer google (as most do) as the search engine of choice, put the page on
your hard drive ('file/save as' from ie 6.x), then open the saved with the browser
and from 'tools/internet options/general,' choose 'use current' to have ie load
instantly and already googlized.

appearance & esthetics

"an ounce of appearance is worth a pound of production." ok, maybe not, but since
i work for myself, i'm my own boss. what am i going to do, fire me? not likely.

there are numerous options to dress up, customize and personalize winxp that were
not available in previous windows versions. here's a bunch of them. i'll add more
as they're revealed to me.

please note that appearance options are an antithesis to performance options. this
is a personal choice, but if you've got the horsepower you can have both. a
processor over over a gig with half a gig of ram won't see much of a performance
hit from dressing up the desktop, although you might want to drop some advanced
graphic options for a fragfest.

one-button adjustment
to change the built-in functions for either speed or visual effects, right-click
on the 'my computer' icon, then 'properties' and the 'advanced' tab. hit the
'settings' button and choose either 'adjust for best appearance' or 'adjust for
best performance' to flip the switch on all of the graphical enhancements.

folder icons
for all folders except thumbnails, pictures may be added or different icons may be
chose, either from those in shell32.dll (default) or from any icon collection on
your hard drive. just right-click on the folder, choose 'properties' then the
'customize' tab & browse away.

clear type innovation

this little goody, originally developed for laptops, will enhance your experience,
both on and off the internet. hey. don't take my word for it, go here, say 'yes'
for the little program install the tune and tweak to you heart's content. you will
enjoy the results.

change is good and so easy

the quickest way to change your user name and the picture that appears next to it
on the start menu is to double-click on that picture. from the menu that appears,
you can change lotsa stuff. pick a new picture. the pictures are 48 x 48 by
default, but windows xp will resize whatever you choose. the closer to the default
size (and square), the better your results will be. scan your face. have fun with
it. you can also prevent the irritating highlighting of newly-installed programs.
leave the option 'set up my account to use .net passport' alone 'cause it's a
security nightmare.

your desktop - your choices

right-click on the desktop. select 'properties' then the 'desktop' tab.
hit the 'customize desktop' button and select which icons you want to appear.

in order to allow items (like custom shortcuts) to be added to the taskbar, just
right-click on it, choose 'toolbars' then 'quick launch.' delete any icons you
don't want, drag shortcuts from the desktop to this new area.

folder options
each folder can use its own display properties, set from the 'view' drop-down
menu. thumbnails makes sense for folders that contain images, of course. to speed
the loading of this option go to the control panel and click 'folder options.'
under the 'view' tab, be certain that 'do not cache thumbnails' is not checked.

the ultimate appearance tweak

microsoft sez: "you can connect up to 10 monitors to your windows xp-based
computer and display numerous programs or windows at one time. you can use your
mouse to move items from one monitor to
another. you can open a different file on each monitor. or several. or you can
stretch one item across several monitors; so for example, you can see more columns
in a microsoft excel spreadsheet, or the entire layout of a web page, without
scrolling." consider it. monitors and pci video cards are pretty cheap now.
windows recognizes the addition & allows easy adjustments on the 'display
properties/settings' menu.

registry hacks

editing the windows registry, while much more common now than in years past, is
still not to be entered into lightly. you can break windows, cause boot failure,
yada, yada. i know you're gonna do it anyway; why else would you be reading this.
just be careful, ok?

these are few because, for the most part winxp can be customized through the
interlace or with third-party freeware (as above).

all of the tips below require running regedit. to do so, hit 'start/run' then type
'regedit' and follow the instructions.

naturally, i take no responsibility for any damage or loss of data incurred in

the remote possibility that something goes terribly wrong.
outlook explorer splash
if it's important enough to you to edit the registry in order to get rid of the oe
splash page, here's how. with regedit open, go to
hkey_current_user\identities\{long number here will
vary}\software\microsoft\outlook express\5.0. left-click on 5.0 then right-click
on a blank space in the pane on the right side. choose 'new' dword and name it
nsplash with a value of 1.

unload dlls
to prevent windows from caching dlls after the program using them has closed,
follow this procedure: navigate to
hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\ then left-click on
explorer. right-click (as above) and create the dword alwaysunloaddll with a value
of 1. this requires a reboot to take effect. this will allow memory to be used
more efficiently.

hack ie title bar

this can be an impressive bit of personalization. use your name or moniker to
brand internet explorer. go to
hkey_current_user\software\microsoft\internet explorer\ and left-click on main to
change the string "window title" to whatever you wish.

encode mp3s with wimp

install an mp3 codec (compression/decompression, required for this operation). you
can download it here. once installed, navigate to the following string in regedit:

hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\mediaplayer\settings\ then to mp3encoding

and set the following:
"lowrate"=dword:0000dac0
"mediumrate"=dword:0001f400
"mediumhighrate"=dword:0003e800
"highrate"=dword:0004e200
after reboot, you'll be in the mp3 business without third-party software.