Windows XP Tweaks:: Page 4

1. System Restore (It could save your ass!) ;)

2. Clearing the prefetch shortcuts

3. Using Media Player 6.x in XP

4. Dumping the Search Dog!

5. Bypass the Recycle Bin

6. Ungrouping similar taskbar buttons

7. Installing Backup for XP Home

8. Bypass The Windows logon

9. Quick Edit Mode in Command Prompt

10. Don't use the Recycle Bin?

11. IE Click Sound

What does it do?

Found under System Tools, System Restore allows administrators to restore a PC to a previous state, and how far back depends on a few items. One of them being the space allowed for this feature. I know there's talk out there about disabling System Restore to save both space and CPU cycles, but I think otherwise. Another factor is exactly how much data is contained on a particular system. More data equals less save points. On a system with a 20 GB hard drive, a default size may be around 2.25 GB, plenty for at least a week's worth of save points. Any more than this and you can introduce problems.

What type of problems?

Well, any piece of software or driver changes made since the oldest save point will be wiped clean (almost). Let's take for example you upgrade several drivers and introduce a new piece of hardware between last month and today, the day you decide to restore. Since System Restore only saves certain items I've outlined below, it's possible to make things worse than before restoring. But fear not!! You can always undo a restore.

It's always best to do a restore as soon as a problem starts, instead of waiting a week to do it. By this time, your good restore points may have been overwritten.

Taken from Microsoft:

What is Restored

Registry
Profiles (local only—roaming user profiles not impacted by restore)
COM+ DB
WFP.dll cache
WMI DB
IIS Metabase
Files with extensions listed in the <include> portion of the Monitored File Extensions list in the System Restore section of the Platform SDK

What is not Restored

DRM settings
SAM hives (does not restore passwords)
WPA settings (Windows authentication information is not restored)
Specific directories/files listed in the Monitored File Extensions list in the System Restore section of the Platform SDK
Any file with an extension not listed as <included> in the Monitored File Extensions list in the System Restore section of the Platform SDK
Items listed in both Filesnottobackup and KeysnottoRestore (hklm->system->controlset001->control->backuprestore->filesnottobackup and keysnottorestore)
User-created data stored in the user profile
Contents of redirected folders

Some Points to Keep in Mind!

1. If you should happen to be infected by a virus when a state is saved, and you clean your system of this virus, your saved state is also infected and must be cleaned. (try this to remove it)
2. If you run out of disk space, System Restore will cease to operate until space is freed.
3. System Restore does not back up your hard drive.
4. Consider backing up a System State using backup to save or restore your registry without depending on System Restore.
5. To access settings for System Restore, right-click My Computer, then Properties. Select System Restore, highlight the desired drive and click settings.

Clearing the prefetch shortcuts

XP creates and uses prefetch files to reduce the time needed to start applications. But many times these files are left behind and accumulate.

Just click Start, Run, and type in prefetch, then OK or cruise over to the Windowsprefetch directory. Select your obsolete files and delete.
There's wild claims that this will improve your performance significantly, I failed to see any noticable difference, but if want to rid yourself of unneccessary files, this may be just a drop in the bucket! ;)

Using Media Player 6.x in XP

Dumping the Search Dog!

Let's put him out of our misery!

Go to Run, then Search, and under Change Preferences, choose Without an animated screen character.

(here's one last look at him) ;)

Bypass the Recycle Bin

Ungrouping similar taskbar buttons

Now we're back to enjoying the cluttered taskbar of Windows 9X! ;)

Installing Backup for XP Home

While running XP Home, put your XP CD in the drive, then navigate to VALUEADDMSFTNTBACKUP Look for Ntbackup.msi and double-click it to start the install wizard, and that's it!

Bypass The Windows logon

Up pops a dialog.

Notice the first checkbox, at the top.

"Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer".

Uncheck it & click Apply.

Start ==> All Programs ==> Accessories ==> Command Prompt or simply click Start ==> Run and type cmd and press enter.

On the upper left, right-click on the C: icon ....

...and choose Defaults.

Check off Quick Edit Mode and then OK.

You can now copy and paste from within the command window.

If you find the Recycle bin an annoyance more than anything else, just turn it off!

Right-click the Recycle bin and choose Properties, and check the box entitled, "Do not move files to the recycle bin. Remove files immediately when deleted."

Click OK.

Find it annoying? You know what I mean. When you click a link you hear a distinctive "click". Perhaps you once had it but lost it somehow? Regardless it's easy to remove or enable.
Go to Control Panel ==> & double-click Sound and Audio Devices. Click the Sounds tab and scroll down to Windows Explorer. (yes, Windows Explorer). Highlight Start Navigation and in the drop-down below, either select none for no sound, or Start.Wav for the default.