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• Login panel
  
• Multi-monitor wallpapers
  
• Microsoft PowerShell
  
• Network Monitor Capture Utility
  
• Time Server
  
• Removing Entires from Add/Remove Programs
  
• Disable the Shared Documents Folder
  
• Multi-monitor wallpaper
  
• EXE and LNK corruption
  
• Reinstall without activating
  
• How do I backup Outlook Express?
  
• Can't send/receive over VPN - MTU size
  
• Safe mode
  
• CLI reference
  
• Web tab on desktop properties
  
• Shutdown without logging on
  
• Remote Desktop Connection over the Internet
  
• Disable all startup programs temporarily
  
• NTP update interval
  
• ClearType Wizard
  
• Windows focus and z-order
  
• MS Java in Windows XP
  
• Task scheduler log
  
• Chkdsk on the next boot
  
• Svchost.exe
  
• Computer won't shut down
  
• Logon to XP without a password
  
• Installing NetBEUI on XP
  
• Ultimotion codec
  
• Windows key
  
• Clock auto synchronization
  
• Change the colors of the command prompt
  
• Automatic updates
  

Login panel

When your system is a member of a domain, the login panel is the standard three-field one with userid, password and domain. If your system isn't a member of a domain, by default you see the Welcome screen and you see a list of local users to click.

To change XP so that the login dialog is shown instead of the Welcome screen, do the following:

1. Open Control Panel
2. Open User Accounts
3. Under Pick a task, click Change the way users log on or off
4. Uncheck Use the Welcome screen.
5. Click Apply Options

In addition, this change also means that when you press Ctrl-Alt-Del, you will now see the 6-button Windows Security dialog instead of the Task Manager.

Multi-monitor wallpapers

See:

http://www.9xmedia.com/Pages-Downloads/2000-Backgrounds.html
http://digitalblasphemy.com

Microsoft PowerShell

Microsoft PowerShell fits the Bill for Command Line Lovers

The GUI is great, but some computer users never got over their first love: the command line interface. Sure, there are hundreds of tasks you can perform at the command line in Windows, but some want even more. For command line lovers, Microsoft has developed PowerShell (formerly known as Monad), which gives you a more power at the command line. It runs on XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Longhorn Server, and it's a free download at

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/management/powershell/default.mspx

Network Monitor Capture Utility

How to use Network Monitor Capture Utility to capture network traffic information

You can use Netcap.exe, a utility included with XP, to find out network traffic information for troubleshooting performance problems. This is useful to determine which computer (source or destination) is causing slow network transfer performance. Netcap.exe is a command line tool. For instructions on how to use it, see KB article 924037 at

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924037/en-us

Note: Netcap is installed when you install the Support tools that are on the Windows XP CD-ROM.

Time Server

How to Configure an Authoritative Time Server

You can configure the Windows Time Service in XP to use an internal hardware clock and an external time source by editing the registry. KB article 314054 contains the instructions and discusses recommendations for how to best configure the Time Server. Check it out here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314054/en-us

Removing Entires from Add/Remove Programs

Such problem happens if the uninstallation is not properly done or the corresponding uninstaller is not capable of removing the corresponding entries properly,i.e. defective. You can delete the entries from the registry using the key:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Just delete the entries you wish to remove. You may also be able to use Tweak UI from Powertools.

Disable the Shared Documents Folder

If there are two or more local user accounts created on your Windows XP Professional computer, a folder called Shared Documents is created, which can be used by all users on the computer and by default, it's shared so that it can be accessed by other computers on the network. To get rid of it, follow these steps:

1. Open your favorite registry editor.
2. Navigate to the following key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows|CurrentVersion|Policies\Explorer.
3. Click Edit | New | DWORD value.
4. Name the new value NoSharedDocuments.
5. Double click the new value and in the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, change the value data field to 1.
6. Reboot the computer to make the change take effect.

Multi-monitor wallpaper

Some extra wide wallpaper graphics for multi-monitor support:

http://www.9xmedia.com/Pages-Downloads/2000-Backgrounds.html

EXE and LNK corruption

From: http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

Apply the EXE and LNK fixes

If your EXE file associations are corrupted, it can be difficult to open REGEDIT, or to even import REG files.  To work around this:

1. Press CTRL-ALT-DEL and open Task Manager
2. Click File, then hold down the CTRL key and click New Task (Run). 
3. This will open a Command Prompt window. 
4. Enter REGEDIT.EXE and press Enter.
   

Reinstall without activating

How to reinstall Windows without reactivating

Need to format your hard drive and reinstall XP, and don't want to have to go through the product activation process again? You can save the activation status info and then restore it after you reinstall the operating system, as long as you haven't made any changes to the hardware. Here's how:

1. Before reformatting, in My Computer, double click the drive letter on which you installed XP, and navigate to WINDOWS\System32.
2. Click "Show the contents of this folder" if necessary.
3. Copy the following files to a floppy, USB drive, CD/DVD or network location: wpa.dbl and wpa.bak.
4. After reformatting and reinstalling XP, select NO when asked if you want to activate Windows now.
5. Restart in Safe Mode.
6. In My Computer, open the WINDOWS\System32 folder and rename the existing wpa.dbl and wpa.bak files (if you have them).
7. Now copy your old wpa.dbl and wpa.bak files to the System32 folder.
8. Restart and you should not be requested to activate again. This only works when you reinstall Windows on the same computer and the hardware remains the same.
   

How do I backup Outlook Express?

Two resources:

http://www.iopus.com/guides/oe-backup.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q270670

Can't send/receive over VPN - MTU size

If you're connecting to a Notes server via a VPN (eg via the AT&T Dialer), you will need to set the MTU size of your Ethernet adapter to 1427. Use DrTCP or similar utilities to make this change then reboot. [21-Apr-05]

Safe mode

To start Windows in Safe Mode, you need to press F8 just as Windows starts. You may be prompted to press F8. If you aren't prompted, then start tapping F8 as soon as the computer's BIOS has finished loading (ie, just as Windows starts). Keep tapping F8 until the Advanced Options window appears.

If that doesn't work you can configure Windows to boot to Safe mode next time you boot, as follows:

1. Launch msconfig
2. Click the BOOT.INI tab.
   
   
   
3. If it isn't already highlighted, select the entry under [operating systems].
4. Click the checkbox /SAFEBOOT.
5. Click Network.
6. Click OK and reboot the machine. The system will enter Safe mode automatically

To undo this, repeat the steps and remove the check mark next to /SAFEBOOT.

For information about the options in the above window, review KB315222.

CLI reference

The Windows XP Command Line Reference lists all the built-in commands that you can execute on the command prompt. [15-Mar-05]

Web tab on desktop properties

On Dad's new PC (running Windows XP Home), the Web tab was missing from Desktop Properties (right click on the desktop > Properties > Desktop tab > Customize Desktop button).

A suggested solution which didn't work on his machine is by modifying the registry. Go to  http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm and check item 177 in the list (or search on Web using Ctrl-F)

The solution that did work is from WinXPtutor which says to modify the registry by going to:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

In that key look for NoActiveDesktopChanges & NoActiveDesktop and set both to 0. Reboot wasn't required, but I did have to set this on all users separately.

Dad's computer only had NoActiveDesktop and it was set to 1. Strangely the key was (perhaps incorrectly) in HKLM and not HKCU. Perhaps that's why it had to be set separately on every user. See also the Microsoft online documentation for NoActiveDesktop.

Shutdown without logging on

As a domain user, when you're at the login panel there is a greyed-out button Shutdown. To enable this button so that you can shut the machine down without first logging, do the follow:

1. Open REGEDIT and display HKLM\software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
2. Set ShutdownWithoutLogon to 1

Remote Desktop Connection over the Internet

To configure your router to allow the use of Windows XP Remote Desktop Connection over the Internet, you have to open TCP port 3389 and redirect it to the NAT-assigned address of the computer on your house LAN you want to control (eg 192.168.1.100). Both of these should be configurable in the router (eg Linksys). [19-Feb-05]

Disable all startup programs temporarily

If there are shortcuts to programs in your Startup folder, those programs will automatically load when you boot XP. Sometimes you might want to prevent those programs from loading - without permanently removing them from the Startup folder.

1. Click Start > Run and enter MSCONFIG to open the System Configuration Utility
2. Click the General tab and click Selective Startup.
3. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Load Startup Items.
4. Click OK.

Now when you reboot, the startup programs won't load. To return to loading them when you boot, simply repeat the procedure and check the checkbox.

NTP update interval

How to Change the Interval for Updating the Computer's Clock

By default, XP updates the computer's clock by synchronizing with an Internet time server at one hour intervals. If you'd like Windows to synch the time more or less frequently, you can change the interval by editing the registry. Here's how:

1. In Regedit, navigate to the following key in the left pane:

   HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient

2. Double click the entry SpecialPollInterval.
3. Select the Decimal radio button.
4. Enter the desired interval in seconds (3600 = 1 hour, 1800 = 30 minutes, 86400 = 24 hours, and so forth).

ClearType Wizard

If you run Windows XP on an LCD display, get the ClearType Tuner, one of the XP PowerToys, to configure ClearType to display text to your liking. [29-Oct-04]

Windows focus and z-order

Windows 2000 and XP don't allow a backround task to instantly steal focus. Two REG_DWORD values control the process. Use Regedt32 to navigate to:

HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop

There are two keys there:

• ForegroundLockTimeout defaults to 200000 milliseconds. It specifies that time period, after user input, during which the system won't allow an application to force itself into the foreground.
• ForegroundFlashCount is the number of flashes the system will use to notify you that a backround tasks wants focus. If ForegroundLockTimeout has elapesed since the last user input, the window will automatically be brought to the foreground.

Tip: Use decimal to view/change these values.

Some applications may choose to modify these values without you knowing. If you think they have been changed used Regmon to monitor these two keys (use Regmon's filter capability).

Tweak UI can also set these values, but it doesn't let you change ForegroundLockTimeout - it just sets it to 200000.

MS Java in Windows XP

Windows XP no longer contains the Microsoft Java runtime. If you want to install it, download MSJAVX86.EXE from http://www.java-virtual-machine.net/download.html. Install this update, reboot, then run Windows update to install the latest patches and updates to it. Internal to IBM, it is also available from http://dwwatts.userv.ibm.com. [29-Oct-04]

Task scheduler log

Scheduled Tasks maintains a log file (Schedlgu.txt), in the c:\Windows folder. You can view the log from the Scheduled Tasks window by clicking View Log on the Advanced menu. The log file size is 32 KB, and when the file reaches its maximum size, it automatically starts to record new information at the beginning of the log file and writes over the old log file information. [29-Oct-04]

Chkdsk on the next boot

If you want Windows XP to do a chkdsk on the C drive, you'll need to do the check disk on the next boot. Go to a command prompt and issue

chkdsk c: /f

You'll get the following message:

Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another
process.  Would you like to schedule this volume to be
checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)

Press Y and upon the next boot, chkdsk will be performed.

Svchost.exe

To find out about svchost.exe and what it does, review this Microsoft Knowledge Base article. [2-Jun-04]

Computer won't shut down

From WinXPnews

Question: I upgraded my computer to Windows XP and I love it, but I have one problem. In Windows ME, when I selected Shut Down from the menu, the computer would turn off completely; I didn't have to press the power button. Now it won't do that. How can I make it automatically power off (or can I)?.

Answer: The most common reason for this problem is that ACPI (the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) isn't enabled. To enable it:

1. Open Control Panel, select Performance and Maintenance.
2. Click the Power Options tab.
3. Select APM - Enable Advanced Power Management Support.
4. Click OK.

Logon to XP without a password

From WinXPnews...

It is possible to start Windows XP without having to type in a password. You can set the system up to automatically log in your account when XP starts, as long as your computer is not a member of a Windows domain. Only XP Pro computers can be domain members, but they don't have to be. Here's the process for auto logon:

1. First, make sure the Welcome screen is being displayed at startup. If it's not, click Start > Control Panel and double click User Accounts. Click Change the way users log on or off, then select Use the Welcome screen for fast and easy logon and click OK.
2. Next, you have to turn off the Guest account if it's turned on. To do so, from Control Panel, double click User Accounts. Select the Guest account and click Turn off Guest access.
3. Finally, you must set your account to have no password. From User Accounts. Select your user account that you want to log on automatically. Select Remove my password. You'll be prompted to type your current password, then click Remove Password.

Installing NetBEUI on XP

NetBEUI is not installed by default in Windows XP. You will need to install it manually from the VALUEADD directory on the installation CD, as described in this Microsoft Knowledgebase article. [16-Nov-03]

Ultimotion codec

If you have some AVI movies that were created using the OS/2 Ultimotion codec, you won't be able to see the video in Windows Media Player - all you'll get is the audio. To see the video, you'll need to install a codec that supports Ultimotion. IBM employees can download it from:

http://w3.alphaworks.ibm.com/techs/overview.jsp?tech=ultimotiondecoder

It is also available from:

http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/cgi-bin/h-viewer?sh=1&fname=/pub/windows/ultimo.zip
or directly: http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/windows/ultimo.zip

The codec was written by Eric Ball of IBM Canada. He can also convert these to an MPG format that Media Player can display natively.

Windows key

Shortcuts using the Windows key (ÿ):

• ÿ+E: Launch Explorer
• ÿ+D: Show desktop (and restore if pressed a second time)
• ÿ+R: Run dialog
• ÿ+L: Lock Windows
• ÿ+M: Minimize all windows (no restore)
• ÿ+F1: Windows Help

Clock auto synchronization

Windows XP has a built in NTP client. This means that, if enabled, the operating system will keep your PC's clock accurate by regularly checking the time with a time server. You can activate this by double clicking the clock in the Start bar (bottom right corner, in the system tray). After a few seconds (perhaps up to 5 seconds), a third tab appears:

This dialog is also accessible from the Control Panel via the Date and Time applet.

To enable the automatic update of your clock, check the box and either select a time server from the list or enter your own. For North Carolina, I use clock1.unc.edu. Search Google for other NTP Servers.

Change the colors of the command prompt

From WinXPNews: Would you like to change the appearance of the command prompt window to suit your tastes? Because I do a lot of screenshots of the command window for books and articles, I like the characters to appear as a bright white against the black background, instead of the subdued gray that's the default. But you might like a whole different look - maybe blue letters on a white background, for example. You can have the look you want. Just follow these steps:

1. Open a command prompt
2. Right click the title bar and select Properties.
3. Click the Colors tab.
4. Click the Screen Text button and then select a color for the text.
5. Click the Screen Background button and then select a color for the background.

Using the Properties dialog box, you can also change the width of the cursor, the font, the default window size and position, and more. [3-Oct-03]

Automatic updates

You can configure Windows to automatically download and even install Critical Updates. You set this:

• In Windows 2000 and earlier, via the Automatic Updates control panel applet

• In Windows XP, via the Automatic Updates tab in My Computer properties

If the options are greyed out, the following are possible reasons:

• The services Automatic Updates and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service are not started and set to automatic

• For message "Windows Update was disabled by your system administrator", see http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326686