Remove Shortcut AEROS from icons

Open REGEDIT.EXE by writing "regedit" in Start/Run menu
Open the Key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
Open the Key LNKFILE
Delete the value IsShortcut
Open the next Key PIFFILE
Delete the value IsShortcut
Restart the windows.

Adding / Removing Additional Windows Programs

By default, WindowsXP does not display all the programs you can add or remove.
To show this list:

Edit the \Windows\Inf\sysoc.inf file

In the Components section, simply remove the word hide.
This will leave two commas together (like on the rest of the items).
Then you can go to the Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs / Add/Remove Windows Components and the new items will be displayed.

[Components]
NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4
WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7
Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7
Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7
NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7
iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7
com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7
dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7
IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7
TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2
msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6
ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7
fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp40ext.inf,,7
AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
msnexplr=ocmsn.dll,OcEntry,msnmsn.inf,,7
smarttgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msnsl.inf,,7
RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7


Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,,7
AccessUtil=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,accessor.inf,,7
CommApps=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,communic.inf,HIDE,7
MultiM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,multimed.inf,HIDE,7
AccessOpt=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,optional.inf,HIDE,7
Pinball=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,pinball.inf,HIDE,7
MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,HIDE,7
ZoneGames=zoneoc.dll,ZoneSetupProc,igames.inf,,7

How to Reinstall Windows XP Without Formatting Your Hard Drive ?

Some times XP become corrupt or other reason of mistakes XP become unusual.
so what is a solution,you should format your system drive that is where you install XP.
But we loss all of your datas and software installed in that system drive....
So there is a way to reinstall Windows XP without formatting your entire hard drive....
Now see how is it..

While simply installing OVER an old installation may help, folders such as \Windows and \Program Files will become cluttered. This guide explains how to simply delete these folders.

• Get an XP CD, preferably the one you wish to reinstall.
• Reboot and configure your computer to boot from the CD, then enter Windows Setup.
• When all the drivers (including any you might need to specify yourself) have loaded, you should be at the main Windows Setup screen. Note that if you are using a Trial Copy CD, there will be a screen explaining that the copy is a trial, BEFORE the main Setup screen.
• Press "R" to start the Windows Recovery Console.
• Select the partition and Windows installation you wish to modify.
• The Recovery Console will then prompt you for your Administrator password. If you don't have one, or don't know what it is, see the related wikiHows.
• You should now be at a command line. Just like in DOS or the Command Line in Windows, you can use commands to modify, delete, move, etc. files and folders.

If you wish to completely start from scratch, delete the following (with Windows XP). To delete, type -del "path"-, without the dashes.

• \WINDOWS
• \Program Files
• \Documents and Settings\username\Application Data
• \Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings
• \Documents and Settings\username\NTUSER.DAT
• \Documents and Settings\username\ntuser.ini
• \Documents and Settings\username\ntuser.dat.LOG

When this is done, reboot the computer and install a fresh copy of Windows!
You can do much more with the Recovery Console than described here, so look into it. Using the Recovery Console in some situations might be a better alternative to reinstalling Windows completely.

Note:Do not delete anything other than what is told, or anything in the root drive.

What is Boot Sector ?

A boot sector is a sector of a hard disk, floppy disk, or similar data storage device that contains code for booting programs (usually, but not necessarily, operating systems) stored in other parts of the disk.

On a IBM PC compatible machine the BIOS selects a boot device, then it copies the first sector from the device (which may be an MBR, VBR or any executable code), to address location 0x7C00.

Kinds of boot sectors:
There are several major kinds of boot sectors could be encountered on IBM PC compatible hard disks, floppy disks and similar storage devices:

• A master boot record (MBR) is the first sector of a data storage device that has been partitioned. The MBR sector may contain code to locate the active partition and invoke its Volume Boot Record.
• A volume boot record is the first sector of a data storage device that has not been partitioned, or the first sector of an individual partition on a data storage device that has been partitioned. It may contain code to load and invoke an operating system (or other standalone program) installed on that device or within that partition.
• To be a valid boot sector, the two-byte hex word 0xAA55, called the boot sector signature, must exist at the end of the sector; otherwise, either the BIOS or MBR code will report an error message and halt any OS bootstrapping process.
  
• CD-ROMs usually have their own structure of boot sectors, for IBM PC compatible systems this is subject to El Torito specifications.
• Non IBM PC compatible systems may have different boot sector formats on their disk devices.
  

Boot sector viruses :
Since code in the boot sector is executed automatically, boot sectors have historically been a common attack vector for computer viruses. To combat this behavior, the BIOS often includes an option to prevent writing to the boot sectors of attached hard drives.


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...

10 Expert Tricks for Ubuntu & Linux

These tips aren't Ubuntu-specific, but they've been tested on Ubuntu, and I can't guarantee they'll work on other distros. You might already know about some or all of them them, but resist the temptation to gloat about this in the comments. You're just extra clever, OK?

With that said, let's start!

1. Open a Superuser Run Programs Dialog

You probably already know that hitting Alt+F2 will cause a "Run Programs" dialog box to appear. Here you can type any program name to run it -- I often use it to run gconf-editor, which hasn't got a menu entry, for example. However, if you type gksu into a terminal window (with nothing following), a similar dialog box appears, but this time it will let you run the program as root (or any other user on the system). You can bind the gksu command to a keyboard shortcut (perhaps Shift+Alt+F2) using System, Preferences, Keyboard Shortcuts, to effectively produce a "superuser" Run Programs dialog.

2. Install Packages Quickly With GDebi

I spent a long time ignoring the GDebi program. To remind you, this is a GUI application that allows the installation of packages you've manually downloaded. It attempts to resolve dependencies using the repositories, which is a very useful feature. However, I've always preferred the good old-fashioned dpkg command. Then one day I tried GDebi at the command line and was shocked to find it also runs in a fuss-free non-GUI mode (i.e. sudo gdebi package.deb ), yet still has the ability to resolve dependencies. Give it a try. Once you do, you may never want to use dpkg -i again.

3. CD Tricks

I'm sure that even bash experts occasionally slap themselves on the forehead and say, "Wow! I never knew you could do that!". Recently I learned two tricks for the cd (change directory) command that had passed me by until now. Typing cd on its own will switch you back to your /home directory (i.e. the equivalent of cd ~). Typingcd - will switch you to the last directory you were browsing before you switched to the current one.

4. Add Directories To the Directory Stack With PUSHD

While we're on the subject of directories, let's talk about the directory stack. Quite simply, this is a list of directories stored by bash. The currently-browsed directory always tops the list, but the list is otherwise empty until you add a new directory, which you can do using the pushd command. For example, pushd /usr/bin will add /usr/bin. It will also switch you to that directory, so you could use it instead of cd to navigate (the -ncommand option will let you add a directory but stay where you are). The dirs command will show the directory list (remember that the currently-browsed directory will always be at the top). popd deletes the topmost entry in the list, and switches you to the next in the list. Give the directory list a try. It can be very useful if you're administering a system and have to leap from directory to directory, and are inclined to forget where important things are.

5. Kill Processes Quickly With PKILL

To kill a process I've always either used top, or the kill or killall commands along with ps| aux to discover process numbers/names. However, the pkill command removes a lot of work -- pkill firefox, for example, will search the list of processes for anything matching firefox, and then kill it (i.e. send a SIGTERM). pstree is also a pretty cool command, and will show all the processes in a family-tree arrangement, organized by who owns them.

6. Customize Gnome With Gnome Control Center

For those who have trouble giving up their Windows cravings, and who want a nice organized Control Panel-like experience, consider using gnome-control-center for your system configuration needs. Adding a desktop shortcut to this program can help newbies get to grips with Ubuntu, giving them a familiar Windows-like experience, and avoid forcing them to explore the scary System menu.

7. Launch OpenOffice.org Faster

If you use OpenOffice.org a lot, you might be frustrated at how long it takes to start each time. To get around this, open the Sessions program (called Startup Manager in Jaunty; whatever the case, click System, Preferences, Startup Applications to find it) and add a new entry. In the Command field, type openoffice -nodefault -nologo. Then reboot. This will cause OpenOffice.org to be cached when the Gnome desktop starts up, so starting any OO.org application in the future will happen in a split second. Effectively, you're moving the OpenOffice.org startup delay to initial boot-up, but you'll hardly notice it.

8. Clear Up Disk Clutter In a Jiffy

Running short of disk space? Try typing sudo apt-get autoremove and then sudo apt-get clean into a terminal window. The first command removes any unused (redundant) dependencies from the system. The second removes all cached package files. Both are harmless. On a well-used system that's been updated a couple of times, you could free-up as much as a gigabyte using these methods. (Compare before and after using the df -h command.)

9. Figure Out Missing File Extensions

Been sent a file without an extension by e-mail? No idea what type of file it is? (Mac users are particularly guilty of the sin of considering file extensions optional.) Try the file command. Just specify the filename straight afterwards. Also, give the strings command a try. This will show any "printable strings" within a binary file (i.e. anything that isn't unprintable, which usually indicates data). The type of file is usually listed right at the top, so it's a good idea to pipe the output of strings into head (i.e. strings filename|head).

10. Don't Forget Your Man Pages

Check out these interesting but not-widely-read man pages: intro -- a beginner's guide to the command-line;hier -- a rundown of the filesystem hierarchy; builtins -- mini man pages for miscellaneous commands that don't have man pages of their own (including pushd, popd and dirs, as discussed above).

Win Key Shortcuts

There are many useful shortcuts in the world of PCs. One of my favorite ways of saving a trip from my keyboard to the mouse is to use the Windows Run dialog box. The quickest way to open it up is by pressing Windows key + R. With Run you can open up most anything, below is a list of some regularly used applications. If you know the file name for the program you want to open, just try typing it in and hitting enter.

calc - Windows Calculator
notepad - Text Editor
cmd - Command Prompt (use command for Win95-WinME)
msconfig - Configure Various System settings like startup
msinfo32 - Displays Windows XP System Information
regedit - Windows Registry Editor
winipcfg - IP Configuration for Win95-WinME

iexplore - Internet Explorer
msimn - Outlook Express
outlook - MS Outlook
winword - Microsoft Word

dvdplay (uses Windows Media Player for DVD playback)
sol - Solitaire
freecell - FreeCell
mshearts - MS Hearts

I might also mention some of the Windows key's other great uses:
Windows key + d - Takes you to the desktop and back
Windows key + e - Opens Windows Explorer
Windows key + f - Run a search
Windows key + l - Logout or Lock your Windows Session (WinXP)
Windows key + Pause/Break - Opens System Properties

Basic Linux Tips and Tricks

As a relative Linux Newbie I have a lot yet to learn about our favorite open-source OS. I can however share a few of the tips and tricks I have found so far while working/playing with Linux.

While in a console window:
The Tab key - you can use the Tab key to autocomplete a command. For example if you have a file "thisisareallylongfilename.txt" and in the command line you type "pico thisis" and press tab it will complete the command to "pico thisisareallylongfilename.txt" for you.
Up Arrow - scrolls through previously entered commands
top - similar to Windows Task Manager, makes it easy to see and kill process.
pstree - prints the system tree of processes
cal - Displays a calendar, other options to try: cal -3, cal 7 1776
use echo and python as a scientific calculator: echo 'print (148+25)/(100E6)' | python
wget - a good quick downloader: wget http://...../file.ext
Use a stack to hold directory locations:
pushd . - pushes current directory to top of a stack
popd - pops and switches to the directory at the top of the stack
time cat - Start a stopwatch type Ctrl-D to stop and display time, to time how long a process takes just place time in front of the command.
man "command" - If you are unsure of how to use a command, man (manual) will display the documentation for that command. For example you could type man man to get the manual's manual.

These are just a few of the many many commands that can make using Linux easier, for more information on basic Linux, check outLinux.com and Unix Guide.

Take care...

Change Drive icons as u like

To change the icons used for specific drives in explorer:

• Open regedit by typing regedit into start->run..

• Then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer
  
• Now create a key(KEY not VALUE!!) called DriveIcons under Explorer...
  
• Now within DriveIcons, create another key with the drive letter you want to change (e.g.,HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\K)...
  
• Create another key within the drive letter key called DefaultIcon...
  
• Now set the default String value equal to the icon you want to use.
  
• If you have a file that has more than one icon in it, such as a DLL file, use the standard C:\full_path\icon_file.dll,n ) where n is the number of the icon within the file icon_file.dll...

Take care...

Shortcut to Re-start XP

You can restart a Windows XP Pro and Home machine easily by creating a shortcut with following path. (Assume you installed Windows XP on your C: Partition)

• "c:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -r -f -t 00" -r is for restarting the computer.
  

• -f is to force close all programs without saving.
  

• -t 00 is used to restart in zero seconds. i.e. as soon as you D.Click on the shortcut.
  

• You can log off from a Windows XP Professional or Home edition by running "C:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -l -f -t 00".
  

• Also you can shutdown a Windows XP Home or Professional edition by running "c:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -s -f -t 00".
  

• You always have to turn from the CPU after running this command. (Same with AT and ATX powered machines.)
  

• If you want to turn down power of ATX machine automatically, run "c:\windows\system32\tsshutdn.exe 00 /POWERDOWN /DELAY:00" This is used to turn off a server.
  

• Even though your computer will be shutdown completely, this whole operation will take 30 seconds to finish. Even though you don't have networked computers attached to your computer, this works.
  

Lock ur PC yourself

This will Lock ur pc.. :

Open notepad copy and paste the script below and save it *.VBS extention

This wil create a shortcut.. run(click) it

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(wshShell.SpecialFolders("Desktop") & "\LockWorkstation.lnk")

oShellLink.TargetPath = "%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe"

oShellLink.Arguments = "user32.dll,LockWorkStation"

oShellLink.Save

Avoid virus spreading through USB drive☺

☺Avoid virus spreading through USB drive☺

• Virus & worms are easily spread by carrying it on a removable medium

such as ,USB drive , I-Pod, CD, Floppy

• USB drive is otherwise called as “Flash Drive”,”Thumb Drive” ,”Memory

stick” ,”External USB Hard Disk”.

• Even though we have very good Antivirus , New Viruses are one step

Ahead than Antivirus

• We cannot restrict USB Drive , but we can avoid spreading of virus &

worms through USB Drive.

• So we have to be little bit careful while working with USB Drive,some

precautionary steps are follows

How to avoid ???

• Don’t allow the USB Drive to Auto Play after plug in, cancel it.

• Go to My computer

• Devices with Removable storage

• Do not Double click the USB Drive

• Note the drive letter assigned to USB Drive as mentioned in the Fig

• Here E:

• Go to Start =>  Run => Type E:

• Now you can view the Contents of your USB Drive

• Copy the necessary files

• Repeat the Process while using USB Drive

• Now your Laptop is free from viruses & worms.

• It is a time consuming process, but no other way to avoid the virus.

HOW TO FIND USB DRIVE AFFECTED WITH VIRUS ???

• After inserted USB drive
• Enable Hidden files & folders

This screen shot shows the USB drive

which is affected with virus

After Enabled the hidden files you can view the virus in the USB drive

There is a autorun.inf and script EXE file try to delete dont OPen it!!!!!!!!!

Take care...

Increase Your Bandwidth By 20%!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Increase your Bandwidth by 20%~

• Windows uses 20% of your bandwidth! Get it back
  
• A nice little tweak for XP. M*crosoft reserve 20% of your available bandwidth for their own purposes (suspect for updates and interrogating your machine etc..)
  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Here's how to get it back~

• Click Start-->Run-->type "gpedit.msc" without the "
  
• This opens the "group policy editor" .
  
• Then go to:Local Computer Policy-->Computer Configuration-->Administrative Templates-->Network-->QOS Packet Scheduler-->Limit Reservable Bandwidth
  
• Double click on Limit Reservable bandwidth. It will say it is not configured, but the truth is under the 'Explain' tab :
  

"By default, the Packet Scheduler limits the system to 20 percent of the bandwidth of a connection, but you can use this setting to override the default."

So the trick is to ENABLE reservable bandwidth, then set it to ZERO. This will allow the system to reserve nothing, rather than the default 20%.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

works on XP Pro, and 2000

other OS not tested.

Take care...

Making Windows 60% Faster

~ Making Windows 60% Faster ~

Stopping Unneeded Startup Services :

Along with the core operating system and programs that Windows XP runs when it starts, there is also a host of services involved. Many of these services are necessary for Windows XP to operate correctly. However, many of them are for features in Windows XP that you may not use at all. You can peruse the services and disable any service that you do not want to run. The fewer services that run, the more quickly Windows XP will boot.

Caution: Exercise caution when stopping services. If you do not know what a service does or are unsure of the ramifications of stopping the service, leave it alone. Some services are critical to Windows XP's operations, so make sure you understand what the service is before you disable it.

To reduce the number of services that start on bootup, you can access two different areas of Windows XP. The first is the System Configuration Utility. The Services tab shows you the services that start when the computer boots.

You can stop a service from starting by simply clearing the check box next to the service and clicking OK. However, before you do so, there is another way to disable services that you may prefer because the interface gives you more information about the service in question.

Open Control Panel/Administrative ToolsServices or else select Start/Run, type services.msc, and click OK. Either way, you see the Services console.

I prefer to use the Services console instead of the System Configuration Utility because it describes what the service does. Additionally, you can double-click a service and examine its properties.

Notice the Startup Type column in Figure 4-2. This information lists whether the service is automatic or manual. Manual services are only started in Windows XP when you start a process that requires the service. Some other process may require the service that has a "dependency" relationship with it; in this case, the dependency service will start, as well. Because these services do not start automatically when you boot Windows XP, you do not need to do anything with manual services.

However, all services listed as automatic start when Windows XP boots. These are the services that increase boot time. As I have mentioned, many of them are necessary and important, so you should not stop automatic services from booting unless you are sure of the ramifications. You can get this information by looking at the Description column. Here's a quick look at common services you may want to live without:

Automatic Updates: This service enables Windows XP to check the Web automatically for updates. If you don't want to use Automatic Updates, you can disable the service. You can always check for updates manually at the Windows Update Web site.

Computer Browser: If your computer is not on a network, you don't need this service. If you are on a network, leave it alone.

DHCP Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are on a small workgroup, you can still increase boot time by configuring manual IP addresses (which I explore later in this chapter).

DNS Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are, leave it alone.

Error Reporting and Event Log: You don't have to use these services but they can be very helpful, so I would leave them configured as automatic.

Fax: If you don't use your computer for fax services, you can disable this one.

Help and Support: If you never use the Windows XP Help and Support Center (found on the Start menu), you can disable this service.

IMAPI CD-Burning COM: This service enables you to burn CDs on your computer. If you never burn CDs, you can disable the service.

Indexing Service: Your computer keeps an index of files but if you rarely search for files, the service is just a resource hog. You can stop it and turn the service to manual.

Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing: If you do not use these features, you can disable them.

Infrared Monitor: If you do not use infrared devices, you can disable this service.

Messenger: This service sends alert messages on a local area network (it is not the same as Windows Messenger). If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

Print Spooler: If you do not do any printing from the computer, you can disable this service. If you print, make sure you leave it as automatic.

Remote Registry: This service allows remote users to modify the Registry on your computer. If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

System Restore Service: This service allows you to use System Restore. If you have turned off System Restore anyway, you do not need to turn off the service. If you do, you turn off System Restore.

Themes: If you do not use themes, you can disable this service.

Windows Image Acquisition: If you do not use scanners or digital cameras, you can disable this service.

Wireless Zero Configuration: If do not use wireless networking devices, you can disable this service.

You may have a number of other automatic services, depending on software and other configurations on your computer. So it's a good idea to look through the services and learn more about them. If you double-click a service, a Properties dialog box appears

Notice that on the General tab, you see a Startup Type drop-down menu. If you want to change an automatic service to manual, select Manual here and click OK. As a general rule, don't disable a service unless you are sure you will never use it. However, manual configuration allows the service to be started when you find it necessary, thus speeding up your boot time.

However, before you change a service to manual, look at the Dependencies tab (see Figure 4-4). This tab shows you which other services depend upon the service you are considering changing.

Keep in mind that services are necessary for the vast functionality you get with Windows XP. Change only those services that you understand and do not use. How you use your Windows XP computer should be the best guide in terms of optional startup services.

Tip: The Indexing service and the System Restore service take up a lot of disk space and system resources across the board. You can live without the Indexing service but I suggest that you keep using System Restore. It works great when you are in a bind and this is one case where the loss of speed may not be worth the ramifications of not using System Restore.

Speed Tips and Tricks for Windows XP Startup

Aside from startup programs, services, and the Prefetch folder, there are a number of other startup procedures and issues you can modify to help Windows XP start faster. The following sections explore those tips and tricks.

Manual IP Addressing on Small Office/Home Networks: Windows XP is configured to help you take care of networking. It uses the TCP/IP protocol for networking in workgroups, or what you might call small office or home networks that do not use a dedicated server. The problem is that automatic IP addressing can be slow. When your computer boots, it has to query the network to see what IP addresses are already in use and then assign itself one. If you want to speed up the boot time a bit, consider manually assigning IP addresses to all computers on the network. This way, the network computers do not have to worry about locating an automatic IP address. Because one is manually configured, the operating system doesn't have to spend time solving this problem.

This isn't a networking book, however, so I won't delve into the implications of using a manual IP address, but if you are using a computer that functions as a host computer to the Internet (using Internet Connection Sharing [ICS]), you can get into connectivity problems if you change the configuration of the IP address. However, you can still work around this problem by starting with the ICS host computer.

Select Start/Connect To/Show All Connections. Right-click your network adapter card and click Properties. On the General tab, select TCP/IP in the list of services and click the Properties button.

In the TCP/IP properties, you can see if you use an automatic or manual IP address. In the example in Figure 4-5, I have configured a manual IP address of 90.0.0.1 and a default subnet mask. The other computers on my office network each use a different IP address in the same class, such as 90.0.0.2, 90.0.0.3, 90.0.0.4, and so on. This way, each computer has a permanent IP address, which helps increase boot time. Note that if you change the IP addresses of your computers, they must all use the same subnet mask. A default subject mask of 255.255.255.0 will keep you in good shape.

Make sure you understand the implications of changing IP addresses on your network. If you have no networking experience at all, you may be wiser to leave the automatic IP addressing as is and try to gain some speed using the additional suggestions in this chapter.

Disabling Recent Documents History: Windows XP includes a feature that keeps track of all recent documents you have opened or used. The idea is that you can select Start/Recent Documents History and quickly reopen any document you have recently used. I use many documents each day and never use the feature myself. In my opinion, I can keep up with what I want to use without Windows XP doing it for me.

The bad thing about Recent Documents History is that Windows XP has to calculate what should be put there each time you boot Windows, which can slow things down. So, if you never use the Recent Documents History, it's a good idea to disable it.

Here's how:

1) Open the Registry Editor (select Start/Run, type regedit, and click OK).

2) Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mcft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer.

3) Create a NoRecentDocsHistory D_WORD key. Double-click the value to open it once it is created.

4) Set the Data Value to 1 to enable the restriction.

5) Click OK and close the Registry Editor. You'll need to restart the computer for the change to take effect.

Disabling the Boot Logo: You can remove the boot logo that appears when you start Windows XP. This little tweak probably shaves only a few seconds off your boot time but seconds count if you are serious about trying to get Windows XP up and running as quickly as possible. The only negative is that if you remove the boot logo, you will also not see any boot messages, such as check disk. (But if you are not having problems with your computer, this isn't such a big deal.)

To remove the boot logo, follow these steps:

1) Select Start/Run, type msconfig, and click OK.

2) In the System Configuration Utility, click the BOOT.INI tab.

3) On the BOOT.INI tab, click the NOGUIBOOT check box option. Click OK.

Removing Unwanted Fonts:

One trick that increases your boot time a bit is to lose any fonts in the Fonts folder in Control Panel that you never use. The more fonts you have, the more processing Windows XP has to do to prep all of those fonts for use. You must be a bit careful here to not remove fonts that you might want, but there is a good chance that you can live without many of them. For instance, you may have foreign language fonts and other symbol fonts (such as Wingdings) that you never use.

To delete unneeded fonts, follow these steps:

1) Open the Fonts folder in Control Panel.

2) Select Edit/Select All and then Edit/Copy.

3) Create a new folder on your desktop, open it, and select Edit/Paste.

4) In this new folder, delete any of the fonts you do not want.

5) Return to the Fonts folder in Control Panel. Right-click the selected fonts and click Delete.

6) Go back to your new desktop folder and click Edit/Select All.

7) Return to your Fonts folder and click Edit/Paste. You now have only the desired fonts in the Fonts folder.

Tip:

You can directly delete fonts from the Fonts folder without creating the secondary folder. However, I recommend the preceding steps to help ensure that you do not make a mistake in the deletion process.

Stopping Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Sharing: In Windows XP Professional, you have two remote networking features called Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Sharing. These remote networking features are very helpful in a variety of situations but if you don't use them, it is good idea to disable them to save boot time. You can always enable them later if you want to use them.

Note: If you are interested in using Remote Desktop or Remote Assistance, see book Windows XP for Power Users: Power Pack published by John Wiley & Sons.

1) Open the Start menu, right-click My Computer, and choose Properties.

2) Click the Remote Tab.

3) Clear both check boxes to disable Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop.

Speeding Up the Dual-Boot Timeout

If you dual-boot your computer with Windows XP and another operating system, you see an operating system selection menu on startup. If you typically boot into Windows XP and not the other operating system, you can speed up the dual-boot timeout value so that you do not wait so long for the boot process to select your default operating system and continue with the boot process. The default timeout value is 30 seconds but you can change this setting to 10. This gives you enough time to select the alternate operating system if you want but also speeds up the boot process. You can skip this section if you do not use a dual-boot configuration.

Follow these steps:

1) Locate the boot.ini file on your computer. It is a hidden file by default; mine is located in C:\boot.ini.

2) Open the file with Notepad (which is what opens it by default).

3) Change the Timeout value to 10 (see Figure 4-11).

4) Select File/Save and close Notepad.

Speeding Up Your PPPoE Connection: If you use a Point-to-Point Protocol connection over Ethernet (PPPoE), you may notice a delay in using the PPPoE connection after startup. By default, there is a 120 second delay but you can stop this behavior by manually configuring an IP address for the network adapter card. If you do not use a PPPoE connection, you can skip this section.

1) Select Start/Connect to/Show All Connections.

2) Open the TCP/IP properties for your LAN network interface card.

3) Manually set the IP address on the TCP/IP properties to an appropriate IP address and subnet mask for your network.

Reducing the Wait Time: When you start to shut down Windows XP, it has to quit, or "kill," any live applications or processes that are currently running. So close all applications first. However, some applications and processes are always running in the background. You can reduce the amount of time that Windows XP waits for those applications and processes to close before Windows XP kills them. Edit three different Registry settings to change this:

1) Open the Registry Editor.

2) Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Select WaitToKillAppTimeout and set the value to 1000.

3) Select the HungAppTimeout value and set it to 1000 as well.

4) Navigate to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop. Set the WaitToKillAppTimeout and set the value to 1000. Select the HungAppTimeout \newline value and set it to 1000 as well.

5) Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Contro l. Select the WaitToKillServiceTimeout value and set it to 1000.

6) Close the Registry Editor.

Automatically Killing Tasks on Shutdown

You know the drill. You start to shut down the computer, you wait a few moments, and then you see a dialog box asking if you want to kill an application or service that is running. Instead of prompting you, you can make Windows XP take care of the kill task automatically. Here's how:

1) Open the Registry Editor.

2) Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.

3) Highlight the value AutoEndTasks and change the value to 1.

4) Close the Registry Editor.

Take Care,

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