Windows XP tricks and tips

2015-05-05
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Various tested and untested tricks and tips.



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Personally-tested ∞

alg.exe ∞

alg.exe should:

  1. Exist as a file on your hard drive

  2. Not be listening to a port (especially 1033 or 21)

If you notice such a thing listening to a port on your computer, kill the task. I use Karen’s Lan Monitor to learn what is listening to what.

Some have mentioned that it is HS.Hack.34

I’m nuking the app with prejudice.

Tricks I never tried ∞

Creating an Automated Install of WindowsXP ∞

On the WindowsXP CP, in the SUPPORT\TOOLS directory, there is a file called DEPLOY.CAB.

  1. Extract the programs DEPLOY.CHM (help file) and SETUPMGR.EXE (main program)
  2. Run SETUPMGR and answer the prompts.
  3. This will create both a unattend.bat and unattend.txt file you can use for automated installs.

  4. Note: The batch file might need some minor modification for file locations but it is fairly basic.

free up space ∞

(Possible source)

  1. Delete the hidden $NtUninstallKBXXXXXX$ folders from Windows folder.

  2. Additional entries are located in Windows\ie7updates\.

Disable hibernation ∞

If you don’t want to use up the disk space taken by Hibernation, or don’t need to use it at all, you can easily disable it.

  1. Open up the Control Panel / Power Options icon
  2. Click on the Hibernation icon

  3. Uncheck Enable Hibernation

Speed ∞

Disable alt-tab popup ∞

If you installed WindowsXP Power Tools from Microsoft, when you press Alt-Tab to switch between running applications, you get a screen that shows a small graphic of the window that is of that application along with its icon.

This also takes a long time to display. (Or at least longer than I’m comfortable with)

You can speed this up and revert back to previous ways task switching is displayed.

To Turn This Off After Your Reboot:

  1. Run MSCONFIG
  2. Click on the Startup tab
  3. Uncheck Taskswitch
  4. Click on the OK button

  5. If you want to keep working, click on Exit without Restart

To Turn This Off Immediately:

  1. Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete
  2. Click on the Processes tab
  3. Highlight TaskSwitch.exe
  4. Click on the End Process tab

  5. Click on the Yes button

Core system in memory ∞

If you have 512 megs or more of memory, you can increase system performance by having the core system kept in memory.

  1. Start regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\DisablePagingExecutive
  3. Set the value to be 1

  4. Reboot

Analyze boot time ∞

Microsoft has made available a program to analyze and decrease the time it takes to boot to WindowsXP. The program is called BootVis/

(as this is untested, I don’t know where to get “BootVis”.

  1. Uncompress the file.
  2. Run BOOTVIS.EXE
  3. For a starting point, run Trace / Next Boot + Driver Delays
  4. This will reboot your computer and provide a benchmark
  5. After the reboot, BootVis will take a minute or two to show graphs of your system startup.
  6. Note how much time it takes for your system to load (click on the red vertical line)
  7. Then run Trace / Optimize System
  8. Re-Run the Next Boot + Drive Delays
  9. Note how much the time has decreased

  10. Mine went from approximately 39 to 30 seconds.

Set Capslock, Numlock, or Scroll Lock defaults ∞

If you want to set the startup state for any or all of these keys, you just need to edit the registry.

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard\InitialKeyboardIndicators

  3. Change the value to one of the following numbers

    • 0 – All Keys off
    • 1 – Caps Lock on
    • 2 – Num Lock on
    • 4 – Scroll Lock on

  4. For multiple keys, add their values:

    • 3 – Caps Lock and Num Lock on
    • 5 – Caps Lock and Scroll Lock on
    • 6 – Num Lock and Scroll Lock on
    • 7 – Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock on
  5. Turn your keys on manually

  6. Log off and back on again

For all users, make the same change to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard\InitialKeyboardIndicators

Rename the Start Button ∞

To rename the start button, you will need a hex editor. My preference is UltraEdit

  1. Copy the \windows\explore.exe file to a new name (e.g. explorer_1.exe)
  2. With the hex editor, open that file and go to offset 412b6
  3. You will see the word start with blanks between each letter
  4. Edit it be any 5 characters or less
  5. Save the file
  6. Boot to DOS
  7. Copy the existing c:\windows\explorer.exe to explorer.org
  8. Copy explorer_1.exe to explorer.exe

  9. You will also need to replace the explorer.exe in the c:\windows\system32\dllcache file as well with the new one.

Access NTFS partitions from DOS ∞

(DOS)

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

  3. Change the value of Shell from Explorer.exe to explorer_1.exe

Spoof online registration ∞

You can set WindowsXP to assume the online registration has been completed.

  1. Run Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion
  3. Create a String Value called RegDone

  4. Give it a value of 1

Open a command prompt in current explorer directory ∞

If you want to open a command prompt to a directory that is selected in the Explorer:

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell
  3. Create a new key called Command
  4. Give it the value of the name you want to appear in the Explorer. Something like Open DOS Box
  5. Under this create a new key called command
  6. Give it a value of cmd.exe /k "cd %L"

  7. Now when you are in the Explorer, right-click on a folder, select Open DOS Box, and a command prompt will open to the selected directory.

Use the graphic IP configuration from Windows 98 ∞

If you like the graphic IP configuration program that comes with Windows98, you can download a similar one for WindowsXP or Windows2000 from Microsoft at:

https://web.archive.org/web/20081013010406/http://www.microsoft.com/WINDOWS2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/wntipcfg-o.asp

The actual file is at:

https://web.archive.org/web/20160310193757/http://download.microsoft.com/download/win2000platform/wntipcfg/1.00.0.1/nt5/en-us/WntIpcfg_setup.exe

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures

Overwrite files “No to all” ∞

When overwriting files in the Windows Explorer, there is an option for Yes To All.

This would overwrite any files you would normally be prompted for.
To have No To All, simply hold down the Shift key while you click on the No option.

Use classic search in explorer ∞

If you prefer to use the classic search style in Explorer,

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState
  3. Add a String Key called Use Search Asst

  4. Give it a value of no

Log in as the administrator (if it’s hidden) ∞

If you want to log in as Administrator, but it is not show on the Welcome screen,

  1. Hold the Ctrl-Alt key and press Del twice.

  2. This will bring up the normal login and you can log on as Administrator

Un-hide the administrator account ∞

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

  3. Unhide the Administrator key by giving it a value of 1

Display filenames on the left ∞

Previous versions of Windows displayed the filenames on the left hand side when you run the dir command.
WindowsXP changes this and the default it to put it on the right.

To change this back:

  1. Right click on My Computer
  2. Click on Properties
  3. Click on the Advanced tab
  4. Click on the Environment Variables button
  5. Click on New button
  6. Enter the Variable name: dircmd

  7. Enter the Variable value: /-n

ReInstalling WindowsXP ∞

If you need to reinstall WindowsXP and want to keep all your current installed applications and settings:

  1. Start WindowsXP
  2. Go to the location of your source files

  3. Run WINNT32 /unattend

I’ve often need to do this to repair something that had gotten corrupted and didn’t want to do a clean install.

Disabling NetBIOS ∞

https://web.archive.org/web/20140618055237/http://www.petri.co.il:80/disable_netbios_in_w2k_xp_2003.htm

NetBIOS is an ancient session-level interface and transport protocol developed by IBM to network together PCs. It is a broadcast-based, non-routable and insecure protocol, and it scales poorly mostly because it was designed with a flat namespace. Since the late 1980s Microsoft has adopted NetBIOS for their LAN Manager product, and from there it found its way into early versions of Windows and all the way into Windows NT.

Computers that are running an operating system prior to Windows 2000 will be unable to browse, locate, or create file and print share connections to a Windows 2000/XP/2003 computer with NetBIOS disabled.

  • XP needs to be rebooted for this to take effect.

QoS ∞

(Noted 2007-10-11)

QoS (Quality of Service) is a networking subsystem which is supposed to insure that the network runs properly. The problem with the system is that it eats up 20% of the total bandwidth of any networking service on the computer (including your internet connection). If you are running XP Professional, you can disable the bandwidth quota reserved for the system using the Group Policy Editor [gpedit.msc].

You can run the group policy editor from the Run command line. To find the setting, expand “Local Computer Policy” and go to “Administrative Templates” under “Computer Configuration.” Then find the “Network” branch and select “QoS Packet Scheduler.” In the right hand box, double click on the “Limit Reservable Bandwidth.” From within the Settings tab, enable the setting and then go into the “Bandwidth Limit %” and set it to 0%. The reason for this is that if you disable this setting, the computer defaults to 20%. This is true even when you aren’t using QoS.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140519021943/http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q316666

Clarification about QoS in End Computers That Are Running Windows XP

As in Windows 2000, programs can leverage QoS through the QoS application programming interfaces (APIs) in Windows XP. One hundred percent of the network bandwidth is available to be shared by all programs unless a program specifically requests priority bandwidth. This “reserved” bandwidth is still available to other programs unless the requesting program is sending data. By default, programs can reserve up to an aggregate bandwidth of 20 percent of the underlying link speed on each interface on an end computer. If the program that reserved the bandwidth is not sending enough data to utilize it completely, the unused portion of the reserved bandwidth is available for other data flows on the same host.

2005-01-30 or earlier, probably for XP ∞

  • I want to be able to bring up a list of all the locked files and the processes which have them locked, so I can kill a process to be able to work with the file.

—

Programs replaced
Documents not used
Settings found
Find replaced (sorta)
Help winhelp.exe <*.hlp>
Run To be replaced
Shut Down replaced

  • Autologins for win2k are covered by the various Tweak UI-type tools.

  • People are forced to log in when browsing to a windows 2000 shared folder. I know of no way to relax security to remove logins.

    • 2k (and possibly NT/2003) – when sharing a folder, remove inheritable permissions to allow a lesser station log in. Namely windows 98 was sabotaged so that it wouldn’t play nice.
      — This doesn’t appear to be the answer I’m looking for. Neither is completely breaking all security and allowing anything full access to a folder. Interesting.

execute program manager to figure out how to access some programs ∞

del \WINDOWS\*.grp
del \WINDOWS\progman.*
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.exe /n,/e,C:\

  • figure out all the explorer switches!

    • /? doesn’t work.

Give your Ethernet card more memory ∞

(source unknown)

I have no idea how useful this is, or if it’s a hoax:

  • right-click on My Computer, select properties, select device manager.
  • Click on “Computer” and click properties.
  • Find the IRQ of your NIC
  • Run sysedit from the start menu, select system.ini and scroll down to [386enh]
  • Add this line to the bottom of the list Irq5=4096
  • Replace the 5 with the number of the IRQ your NIC is on, chances are your Nic is on 5 or 11.

  • Save, exit and reboot.

Your NIC now has a 4 meg dedicated data buffer, enjoy

Clearing Past Items from the Notification Area ∞

“Hide inactive icons” has “Customize notifications” which has a history of everything you’ve ever run. Isn’t that nice?

How to Clear Past Items from the Notification Area – previously Q283084

To clear the Past Items list, perform the following steps:

  • Start > Run
  • type regedit
  • Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TrayNotify
  • Delete IconStreams
  • Delete PastIconsStream
  • Exit out of any explorer windows you may have open.

  • Open the Task Manager:

    • Either control-alt-delete and select Task Manager
    • Or right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager
  • End the explorer.exe task
  • File > Run

  • type explorer

Notes:

This is an inadequate solution.

  • Killing and restarting the explorer process will hide the display of some currently active tray icons. The apps are still there but are without a tray icon. This is true of EasyPHP.
  • I presently know of no way to selectively clear this list.

  • Removing PastIconsStream would presumably remove just the “past icons” section, but it doesn’t.

Automatically Kill Processes via Registry ∞

From 2009-08-24

You can also modify a registry key so that Windows will automatically kill any process that is hung. This will ensure Windows will shutdown or restart when you ask it to. Open the registry by clicking on Start, then Run and typing in regedit.

Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\CONTROL PANEL\DESKTOP

In the right-hand pane, double click on AutoEndTasks and change the value from 0 to 1.

Now simply reboot your machine and hung processes will be ended automatically when you restart or shutdown your computer.

Footnotes


  1. was www.onecomputerguy.com/windowsxp_tips.htm/ [ ↩ ]
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