1. W95-11D.ZIP Driver
2. TIPS2000.TXT File Contents

TIPS2000.TXT Driver File Contents (W95-11D.ZIP)

			   AXCEL216's MAX Speeed
		Windows 2000 ©Tweaks, Secrets, BUGs + FIXes




These topics refer STRICTLY to ALL Microsoft Windows 2000 final (Gold) English
releases, unless specified otherwise!

My Win2000 ©tricks are also available at:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/w2k.htm

WARNING: FIRST BACKUP ALL YOUR HARD DRIVES TO A SAFE LOCATION BEFORE
	 ATTEMPTING TO MAKE ANY SYSTEM CHANGES!
	 Take EXTREME CAUTION when modifying your System settings! Faulty
	 changes may result in computer crashes/lockups/permanent data loss,
	 or might lead to having you REINSTALL the ENTIRE Operating System(s)!
	 YOU are the ONLY one responsible for ANY changes YOU make!
	 ALWAYS HAVE YOUR MOST RECENT SYSTEM BACKUP READY!

BEWARE: These ©tricks have been tried by others (and most by me), but with NO
	guarantee they will also work for YOU!

CREDITS: Some of the following tips I stumbled upon while browsing the
	 Internet, some have been kindly sent by concerned readers (all
	 authors/contributors are acknowledged and reliable sources given
	 proper credit), and some I discovered myself. Enjoy the ride!

NOTE:	Contributed tips (clearly marked) posted here do not necessarily
	reflect the opinion of the author of these files.

Please send me your comments, corrections, tips at:
axcel216@aol.com

MUST HAVE from SOFTWARE.TXT (included):
- WINDOWS 2000 ESSENTIAL FREE UPGRADES + FIXES:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/web.htm#W2K
- INTERNET EXPLORER 4/5/6 ESSENTIAL FREE FIXES + UPDATES:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/ietoy.htm
- FREE WINDOWS NT4/2000/XP/2003 EXTRAS:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/xptoy.htm
- 400+ Windows 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003 Power Toys [99.99% FREE(ware)]:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/toy.htm


TIPS2000.TXT Contents: [New "©tricks" added at the TOP]


NO POPUPS ON BOOT [+]
REMOVE MOUSE SHADOW [+]
INCREASE DNS CACHE [+]
PRIORITIZE PROGRAMS
FASTER TELNET
CHANGE SYSTEM FONT
DISABLE FILE PROTECTION [UPDATED 10-12-2002] [+]
ERROR MODE [+]
DISABLE LAST ACCESS [+]
SPEEDUP DOS SESSIONS [+]
SPLIT WIN2K EXPLORER
OPEN WITH NOTEPAD FIX [+]
WEB BASED FTP
UDMA/66 ALL THE WAY [+]
XDSL/CABLE MODEM SPEEDUP [+]
GRAB THE FOCUS! [+]
KEYBOARD + MOUSE BUFFER [+]
BYPASS AUTOLOGON [+]
DOS NAME COMPLETION
SPONTANEOUS REBOOT FIX [+]
GET BACK YOUR CD/DVD	->	TIPSXP.TXT
STOP MSN MESSENGER	->	TIPSXP.TXT
AUTOREBOOT		->	TIPSXP.TXT
SHOW FULL URL		->	REGISTRY.TXT
FIX COPY/MOVE/SEND TO	->	REGISTRY.TXT
TURN OFF NUMLOCK	->	REGISTRY.TXT
KILL IE ABOUT: URLS	->	REGISTRY.TXT
NETMEETING ADDRESS LIST ->	REGISTRY.TXT
BROWSING SPEEDUP	->	REGISTRY.TXT
MORE AIM BUDDIES	->	REGISTRY.TXT
IE CONTENT PASSWORD FIX ->	REGISTRY.TXT
ALL IN ONE SEARCH	->	REGISTRY.TXT
CPU PRIORITY (#2)	->	REGISTRY.TXT
NEW IE SEARCH BUTTONS	->	REGISTRY.TXT
DELETE REG KEY/VALUE	->	REGISTRY.TXT
TWEAK WEB VIEW		->	REGISTRY.TXT
REMOVE NETSCAPE AIM	->	REGISTRY.TXT
96-BIT VIDEO RESOLUTION ->	REGISTRY.TXT
DHCP VULNERABILITY FIX	->	REGISTRY.TXT
TOOLTIP OFF		->	REGISTRY.TXT
REAL TIME PRIORITY	->	REGISTRY.TXT
FREE DVD PLAYER		->	REGISTRY.TXT
HTTP SERVER REQUESTS	->	REGISTRY.TXT
BLINK... NOT!		->	REGISTRY.TXT
THE REGISTRY		->	REGISTRY.TXT [Intro chapter]
REGISTRY STRUCTURE	->	REGISTRY.TXT [Intro chapter]
REG FILES		->	REGISTRY.TXT [Intro chapter]
REGISTRY EDITING RULES	->	REGISTRY.TXT [Intro chapter]
REGISTRY LINKS		->	REGISTRY.TXT [Intro chapter]
BROWSER CACHE IN MEMORY ->	REGISTRY.TXT
BRANDED MS IE		->	REGISTRY.TXT
FORCED EXIT		->	REGISTRY.TXT
END TASK TIMEOUT	->	REGISTRY.TXT
ACTIVE WINDOW TRACKING	->	REGISTRY.TXT
RENAME MS IE TITLE	->	REGISTRY.TXT
IE AUTOSCAN		->	REGISTRY.TXT
MENUSHOWDELAY		->	REGISTRY.TXT
ANIMATED WINDOWS	->	REGISTRY.TXT
REMOVE FIND ITEMS	->	TIPS98.TXT
BUGGY TWEAKUI 98	->	TIPS98.TXT
REGISTERED USER?	->	TIPS98.TXT
BRING BACK ATTRIBUTES	->	TIPS98.TXT
ALWAYS UNLOAD DLLS	->	TIPS98.TXT
9X/2K/NT/ME/XP/3.1 MULTIBOOT	MYTIPS95.TXT
FIND FAST		->	MYTIPS95.TXT
NEW FOLDER ICON		->	MYTIPS95.TXT
NEW DRIVE ICON		->	MYTIPS95.TXT
URL PASSWORD		->	MYTIPS95.TXT
MS IE 5.5 SP2 + 6.0 FIX ->	MYTIPS95.TXT
3D CONTROLS 4 3D EFFECTS->	MYTIPS95.TXT
THE PLUS! PACKS		->	TIPS95.TXT
EXPLORE YOUR ROOTS	->	TIPS95.TXT
NORTON FIREWALL HIDDEN BAR	TIPS95.TXT
PROXY AD BLOCKER	->	TIPS95.TXT
NEW IE/OE BACKGROUND	->	TIPS95.TXT
UNIVERSAL BATCH CLEANER ->	TIPS95.TXT
LOCK DESKTOP ICONS	->	TIPS95.TXT
DO NOT PERSIST!		->	TIPS95.TXT
CUSTOM NETSCAPE THROBBER->	TIPS95.TXT
DELETE MS IE UNINSTALL	->	TIPS95.TXT
NO NETSCAPE AOL AIM	->	TIPS95.TXT
NO NETSCAPE EMAIL ADS	->	TIPS95.TXT
LOVE(LY) VIRUS FIX	->	TIPS95.TXT
BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH	->	TIPS95.TXT
MULTIPLE FILE SEARCH	->	TIPS95.TXT
WINKEY SHORTCUTS	->	TIPS95.TXT
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS	->	TIPS95.TXT
HOT KEYS		->	TIPS95.TXT
QUICK FIX ENGINEERING	->	TIPS95.TXT
MSKB MADE EASY		->	TIPS95.TXT
SUPPORT INFORMATION	->	TIPS95.TXT
NOTEPAD DATE/TIME STAMP ->	TIPS95.TXT
MS IE 5/6 EASTER EGG	->	EGGS.TXT
JSCRIPT RESIZER EASTER EGG	EGGS.TXT
OSR2/NT/2K/ME/XP OPENGL EGG	EGGS.TXT
ANOTHER MS IE EASTER EGG->	EGGS.TXT
OE EASTER EGG		->	EGGS.TXT
SOLITAIRE EASTER EGG	->	EGGS.TXT
MINESWEEPER EASTER EGGS+CHEATS	EGGS.TXT
3D TEXT EASTER EGGS	->	EGGS.TXT
HEARTS EASTER EGG	->	EGGS.TXT
FREECELL EASTER EGGS + CHEATS	EGGS.TXT
IE 4.0X EASTER EGG	->	EGGS.TXT


NOTE:
[+] = Apply also to Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2, 98/98 SE, ME, NT4, XP and/or 2003,
and are referred to in OSR2TIPS.TXT, TIPS98.TXT, TIPSME.TXT, TIPSNT4.TXT
and/or TIPSXP.TXT respectively (all included).
______________________________________________________________________________



NO POPUPS ON BOOT [+]



Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003 systems can be configured to hide all popup error
messages that might show up during the boot login process, especially useful
for computers configured to log on automatically into the GUI [see "BYPASS
AUTOLOGON" in TIPS2000.TXT (this file) for details].
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows
Right-click in the right hand pane -> select New -> DWORD Value [REG_DWORD] ->
right-click on it -> select Rename -> change its name to read NoPopUpsOnBoot
-> click OK -> double-click on it -> select Decimal box -> type 1 -> click OK.
To reenable the display of boot popup error messages, type 0 in the Decimal
box above, or simply delete the NoPopUpsOnBoot DWORD Value.
Close the Registry Editor when done.
The changed setting will take effect next time you (re)boot Windows.

More info @ MS Windows 2000 Resource Kits:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/regentry/46709.asp



REMOVE MOUSE SHADOW [+]



Courtesy of Warren (wjbel@pacbell.net).

"If you don't like the mouse shadow and have disabled it in Windows
2000/XP/2003, you may notice that it's still there during login, before your
personal settings are applied.
To get rid of it for good, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop
Right-click on the "UserPreferenceMask" Binary Value [REG_BINARY] and choose
Modify. In the four sets of numbers after the 0000 place the mouse cursor
behind the first two numbers, hit Backspace once and type in 30. Do the same
with the second set and enter 10. It should read 30 10 00 80. Then hit OK and
close the Registry Editor.
Now the mouse shadow should be gone from the login screen."



INCREASE DNS CACHE [+]




Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon (PowerPenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html
This Registry hack applies to all Windows 2000 and XP releases.

"When you connect to a web site, your computer is sent DNS -> IP resolver data
from your DNS (Domain Naming System) server. This data is stored in a local
data cache on your machine so that when you go to a web site more than once,
your machine doesn't have to ask for that location every time. Although
Win2000 and XP have a pretty efficient DNS cache, you may want to increase
overall performance by increasing its size. To do this, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters
Modify/create these DWORD [REG_DWORD] values: "CacheHashTableBucketSize",
"CacheHashTableSize", "MaxCacheEntryTtlLimit" and "MaxSOACacheEntryTtlLimit".
The Decimal values that seem to work well are (consecutively): 384, 64000, 301
and 300. There are other parameters within this key, but unless you fully
understand how the TCP/IP and DNS systems function, you should leave them
unchanged."



PRIORITIZE PROGRAMS



Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon (PowerPenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html

"Windows 2000 is designed to run applications and services at different
priorities. System priorities are how much CPU time a program gets. For
example, a high priority program gets more processing time than a low priority
program and will thereby run faster.
While application priorities can be set from the command line by typing:
START /[priority] [program]
I have created an Explorer context menu add-on which allows you to change a
program's priority. Simply save the following as a .REG file, merge it into
the Registry, and then right-click on your desired application to select its
priority level from the menu:

-----Begin cut & paste here-----
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHP]
@="Start &Realtime priority"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHP\Command]
@="%systemroot%\\System32\\CMD.EXE /C START \"XQSHP\" /realtime \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHQ]
@="Start &High priority"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHQ\Command]
@="%systemroot%\\System32\\CMD.EXE /C START \"XQSHP\" /high \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHR]
@="Start &Below Norm priority"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHR\Command]
@="%systemroot%\\System32\\CMD.EXE /C START \"XQSHP\" /belownormal \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHS]
@="Start &Low priority"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHS\Command]
@="%systemroot%\\System32\\CMD.EXE /C START \"XQSHP\" /low \"%1\""

------End cut & paste here------"

WARNING:
This tip may NOT work on Windows 2000 systems updated with Service Pack 2
(SP2) or newer!



FASTER TELNET



Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon (PowerPenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html

"1. Windows 2000 Server: by default, Telnet allows for 63 concurrent data
connections, but this value can be increased or decreased.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TelnetServer\1.0
Modify the "MaxConnections" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value.
This value is also found in Windows 2000 Professional, but makes no
difference, as you are allowed only 2 concurrent connections (hard limit).
2. Windows 2000 Professional + Server: you can increase the actual performance
of your Telnet server by giving it more processing threads.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TelnetServer\1.0\Performance
Modify the "NumThreadsPerProcessor" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value. A good choice is
between 16 and 32."



CHANGE SYSTEM FONT



Courtesy of Devraj (devmoses@yahoo.com).

"The default Windows 2000/XP shell font (for Explorer windows) is Tahoma, and
the default system font (for System Properties, Device Manager etc) is MS Sans
Serif. If you're bored with the defaults, the only way to change them is to
alter the Registry. Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes
Edit the "MS Shell Dlg" String Value [REG_SZ] in the right hand pane and
modify its "Microsoft Sans Serif" default value to match any other font name
installed on your system (i.e. Tahoma).
Then close Regedit and restart your computer for the change to take effect."



DISABLE FILE PROTECTION [UPDATED 10-12-2002] [+]



Microsoft added a new feature to Windows 2000 and XP (all builds) called
Windows File Protection (WFP), part of System File Checker (SFC). The WFP role
is to protect the OS by preventing "misbehaved" applications and unexperienced
users from replacing vital system files with older or incompatible versions.
On the downside, WFP also blocks valid system files replacements, which in
normal conditions do not threaten OS integrity.

FYI: This applies ONLY to the U.S. English final (Gold/RTM) Windows 2000 + XP
releases, NOT beta/RCx, and CAN be achieved EXACTLY as described below,
contrary to this TweakHound article:
http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks5.htm
which unfortunately tries to convince you of the opposite. :(

WARNING: By modifying Microsoft copyrighted files you will BREAK the EULA,
VOID your software warranty and FORFEIT your right to benefit from tech
support!
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!
MAKE A FULL BACKUP OF YOUR WINDOWS 2000/XP SYSTEM BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHER!

To disable WFP in Windows 2000/XP, just follow these 2 steps:

1. First you need to manually "patch" (hex-edit) BOTH SFC.DLL (Win2000 with
SP2) or SFC_OS.DLL (WinXP with or without SP1) files from the
%\systemroot%\System32 folder (default is C:\Windows\System32) AND from
%\systemroot%\System32\Dllcache to effectively disable WFP.
Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1):
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/servicepacks/sp1/
Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 (SP2):
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp2/
Here we go:
- Load SFC.DLL (or SFC_OS.DLL) into your favorite hex editor.
I recommend the excellent XVI32 (freeware):
http://www.chmaas.handshake.de/delphi/freeware/xvi32/xvi32.htm
- SFC.DLL from Win2000 SP2: go to physical offset 00006211 (6211 hex) and
change the 8BC6 bytes to read 9090.
- SFC_OS.DLL from WinXP retail: go to physical offset 0000E2B8 (E2B8 hex) and
change the 8BC6 bytes to read 9090.
- SFC_OS.DLL from WinXP SP1: go to physical offset 0000E3BB (E3BB hex) and
change the 8BC6 bytes to read 9090.
WARNING: If the actual bytes found in your DLL file DO NOT MATCH these values
EXACTLY DO NOT make ANY changes!
- Save your work and exit the hex editor.
- See "MS IE 5.5 SP2 + 6.0 FIX" step 6. SOLUTION in MYTIPS95.TXT (included)
to learn how to replace Windows 2000/XP system files already in use.
- Reboot when done.

2. Modify the "SFCDisable" Registry Value: this step is MANDATORY for BOTH
Windows XP (with or without SP1) AND Windows 2000 (with or without SP2):

A. Manual FIX [courtesy of Franklin (email@lat1.com)]:

"To disable WFP, start Regedit or Regedt32 and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Add/modify the "SFCDisable" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Binary entry to read FFFFFF9D.
Reboot when done.
To (re)enable WFP modify "SFCDisable" to read 0."

These are all allowed "SFCDisable" values:
- 0 = enable WFP/SFC.
- 1 = disable WFP/SFC with nag prompt at (re)boot to reenable it. :(
- 2 = disable WFP/SFC without nag prompt at (re)boot to reenable it. :)
- 4 = enable WFP/SFC but disable all popups.
- FFFFFF9D = disable WFP/SFC completely.

B. Automatic FIX: get WfpAdmin for Windows 2000/XP (shareware):
http://www.collakesoftware.com/CSdownloads.htm#Undocumented Win32 Information and Examples

More info:
- MSKB: Registry Settings for Windows File Protection:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=222473
- Collake Software: Disable Sfc Guide:
http://www.collakesoftware.com/files/sfcinfo.txt
- Collake Software: Sfc Patch Guide:
http://www.collakesoftware.com/sfcpatch.htm
- Ars Technica: Managing + Disabling Windows File Protection:
http://www.arstechnica.com/tweak/win2k/others/disable_sfp-1.html
- Overclockers Club: Disable System File Checker In Windows XP:
http://www.overclockersclub.com/disablesystemfilechecker.shtml
- MSKB: Verify That Windows File Protection Is Running in Windows 2000:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=318767



ERROR MODE [+]



Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon (PowerPenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html

"In Windows NT4, 2000 and XP it is possible to initialize Windows in Error
Mode, a special debugging mode of the "stripped down" Safe Mode.
In Error Mode a small popup window (basically a core dump) shows up whenever
an application crashes, similar (but more detailed) to the well known "This
program performed an illegal operation" error message.
To enable this feature, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows
Modify the "ErrorMode" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Decimal value from 0 to 1.
Reboot when done.
ErrorMode valid Decimal values:
- 0 = both system and program error popups enabled (default).
- 1 = system error popups disabled, program error popups enabled.
- 2 = both system and program error popups disabled."



DISABLE LAST ACCESS [+]



This Windows NT4/2000/XP Registry hack speeds up disk access performance ONLY
IF using the NTFS file system, for disk management applications that list/edit
directory structures, like Windows Explorer, File Manager [FM: located in
%systemroot% = included ONLY with WinNT 3.xx/4.0, but removed by Microsoft
from Win2000/XP :(], the DIR console command etc.
By default every time a directory is accessed or displayed, its "Last Access"
date + time stamp is updated by the OS.
To stop this time wasting annoyance and speed up the interface, run Regedit
and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
In the right hand pane look for the "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate" DWORD
[REG_DWORD] Value.
If present: edit the Decimal Value to read 1.
If absent: create a new DWORD Value: right-click on an empty spot in the right
hand pane -> select New -> DWORD Value -> name it
"NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate" -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal box
-> type 1 -> click OK.
To revert to the OS default setting (always update NTFS "Last Access"): change
1 to read 0 in the Decimal box or delete "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate".
Close the Registry editor and reboot to see the change.



SPEEDUP DOS SESSIONS [+]



If you are using any DOS programs in Windows NT4/2000/XP DOS sessions/boxes,
there are a few things you can do to increase their performance and/or
stability.
These tips are applied by using the respective DOS program's PIF (Program
Information File) Editor: right-click on the "[Shortcut to] MS-DOS Program" of
your choice -> select the Properties tab -> and then:
* Click the Screen tab -> check the "Full-screen" box if your DOS
application's video speed/screen redraw is slow when running in windowed mode.
* Click the Program tab -> uncheck the "Windows NT" box, unless it is required
by your DOS program to run properly.
* Click the Program tab -> uncheck the "Compatible Timer Hardware" box, unless
required by specific DOS programs that access the computer CMOS timer to
function.
* If DOS programs running in windowed mode seem to freeze (pause) periodically
-> click the Misc tab -> disable the "Idle Detection" box.
* If your DOS program allows printing -> select LPTx as Printer port (replace
x with your printer port number, usually LPT1), because most DOS apps access
the printer hardware (through Int17 hex) directly this way.
Finally, click OK/Apply to save the new PIF settings.

BONUS [;-)]:
If connected to a network, and would like your DOS applications to be able to
print to a network printer, add this command line to the batch file used to
start your DOS program, or type this into a DOS box before running your DOS
app:
NET USE LPTx: \\ComputerName\ShareName /PERSISTENT:YES
Replace "x" with your printer port number, "ComputerName" with your computer
name and "ShareName" with your shared name for the specific network you are
logging into... and don't type the quotes. :)



SPLIT WIN2K EXPLORER



Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon (PowerPenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html

"This tip explains how to run Windows Explorer as a separate proccess in
Windows 2000.
As many people know, Explorer is both a Windows shell as well as a file
manager. While this is a good design in terms of usability, it's not so good
when it comes to memory usage. Under normal usage, Explorer may take as much
as 8 MB of vital RAM from your Win2000 system. This is due to a memory
allocation problem in which Windows uses twice the total memory for Explorer
because it thinks it's using two separate programs. :( To solve this
"integration" problem, you need to make Explorer run as two separate
proccesses instead of one. To do this, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Look for the "SeparateProcess" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value. Change its value from
0 to 1. After rebooting, Explorer will now run the shell and its file manager
as two separate proccesses and will not try to allocate more memory than
neccesary."

UPDATE:
"There's an easier/safer way to do this without modifying the Registry: in
Windows Explorer -> Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Advanced Settings ->
check the "Launch folder windows in a separate process" box."
[Thank you Julio (jsaravi@yahoo.com)!]



OPEN WITH NOTEPAD FIX [+]



Courtesy of Damian (deadfred@paradise.net.nz).

"The "Open with Notepad" Registry trick [see "OPEN WITH" in REGISTRY.TXT
(included) for details]: adding a shell\Notepad command under this Registry
key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*
does NOT work properly in Windows 2000/XP.
The entry shows up, but the generic "Open with..." insists on being the
default. :(
But if you open Regedit, navigate to the CLSID listed at:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\OpenWith
and delete or rename the "MayChangeDefaultMenu" subkey, then Notepad becomes
the default file opener."



WEB BASED FTP



... And how to do it, courtesy of Andrew Bourdon (PowerPenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html

"By default, Windows (and every other OS) uses port 21 for FTP transfers. For
most people, this is perfectly fine. But if you run an FTP Server like I do,
problems could arise from conflictions.
To resolve port conflicts, you'll want to enable "Web Based FTP". Basically
this means that MS Windows/MS IE will use the HTTP port 80 to access FTP, as
will programs which take port settings directly from the system itself.
To do this, open Regedit (or Regedt32) and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Ftp
There locate the "Use Web Based FTP" String value. Change its value from "no"
(default) to "yes" [no quotes].
After rebooting, your port problems should be taken care of."

UPDATE:
"This is slightly incorrect. Web Based FTP means that when you go to an FTP
site, Internet Explorer connects (on the regular FTP port) and gets whatever
directory listing you need, then renders an HTML page with the proper links
automagically and displays it. This is compared to getting a DOS box with the
ftp command running, or, if you have the "Folder View of FTP sites" installed,
Explorer style View. In other words, this setting will not cause any conflicts
with local ftp servers.
Example: when you make a client connection to a port, let's say, 21, the
actual connection isn't from your port 21 to their port 21. There is a random
local port chosen, generally one above 10,000. For example when I open a SSH
connection, the actual connection I make is from me.foo.net:37388 to
ssh.mysite.org:22 ."
[Thank you Matt!]



UDMA/66 ALL THE WAY [+]



This Registry tweak works ONLY on Windows 2000, XP and 2003 systems, NOT on
Windows NT.
This Ars Technica article:
http://www.arstechnica.com/tweak/nt/udma.html
details how to enable the UDMA setting in Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5
(SP5) or newer installed.
If you have any ATA/66 (UDMA/66), or even better, any newer ATA/100 (UDMA/100)
or ATA/133 (UDMA/133) EIDE hard disk(s) properly connected (using good quality
80 conductor IDE DMA66 ribbon cables) to the UltraDMA EIDE controller on your
motherboard, it is strongly recommended to enable this setting, to take full
advantage of the faster transfer rates these drives are capable of, which are
(theoretically) close to 66 (ATA/66), 100 (ATA/100) or 133 (ATA/133)
MB/second.

NOTE: This does NOT work with SCSI controllers/hard drives OR IF your
(E)IDE/(U)ATA hard disks are connected to 3rd party/add-on/proprietary
(E)IDE/(U)ATA/RAID drive controllers!

You must be logged on as Administrator to be able to do all this.
This option is disabled by default in all Win2000/XP releases, no matter what
(Intel X86 platform) controller/chipset you have.
Note that this setting is NOT activated just by enabling the DMA item from:
right-click on your My Computer icon -> click Properties -> Hardware tab ->
Device Manager -> IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers item -> select Primary and/or
Secondary IDE Channel Properties -> click Advanced Settings tab -> look under
Transfer Mode for the "DMA if available" setting (you must also have "Ultra
DMA Mode" active under Current Transfer Mode for this to work). Then you need
to repeat these steps for ALL your other IDE Devices (drives) found here,
numbered this way: Device 0, Device 1 etc. If you only have one IDE Device,
select "None" for all others to decrease bootup time. Now reboot when done, so
the change(s) can take effect.
To activate the ATA/66 (UDMA/66) setting, you need to run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0000
Note that the "0000" key above might show as "0001", "0002" and/or "0003" on
your machine, depending on your particular hardware settings. Select the
key(s) appropriate to your case.
Right-click to create a new DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value, call it "EnableUDMA66"
(no quotes), and type 1 in the Decimal box to enable ATA/66 (UDMA/66) support.
To disable it, change the Decimal value to 0, or delete "EnableUDMA66"
altogether.
IMPORTANT:
You also need to make sure the "EnableBigLba" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value is
turned ON under this Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Atapi\Parameters
If "EnableBigLba" is set to 0, run Regedit, right-click on it and modify the
Decimal box to read 1.
This requires 48-bit LBA (Logical Block Addressing) motherboard BIOS support!
Reboot when done.

A MUST:
To properly enable the UDMA/66 setting you MUST have your ATA/66/100/133
capable drive(s) hooked up to a SEPARATE IDE channel, OTHER than the one your
older (E)IDE fixed/CD/DVD/removable drive(s) [even if ATA/33 (UDMA/33)
capable] are connected to (if any)!

More info + fixes:
- Get Microsoft Windows NT4/2000/XP DMACHECK tool [27 KB, free]:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=191774
- Install Windows XP (E)IDE/ATA(PI) Hard Disks > 137 GB Fix:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=305098
Get 48bitLba.inf [205 B, right-click to save!]:
http://fae.abit.com.tw/download/utilities/48bit-lba/48bitLba.inf
Right-click on 48bitLba.inf -> select Install -> restart Windows.
Requires 48-bit LBA (Logical Block Addressing) motherboard BIOS support!
More info:
http://club.aopen.com.tw/forum/viewmessage.asp?forumID=17&MessageID=9296
- Install Windows 2000 ATA/100 (UDMA Mode 5) Hot Fix, also included in
Service Packs 2 and 3 (SP2 + SP3):
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=260233
- Install Win2000 SP3:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp3/
- Enable "DMA Mode for ATA/ATAPI Devices in Windows XP":
http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/tech/storage/ide-dma.asp
- "Device Manager Lists ATA-100 Device Incorrectly as Using PIO Instead of
UDMA":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=269555
- "DMA-Capable ATAPI Device Driver for Windows NT":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=182532
- "Enabling UDMA66 Mode on Intel Chipsets":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=247951



XDSL/CABLE MODEM SPEEDUP [+]



Courtesy of Captain SiskoX:
http://members.fortunecity.com/computingx/
Works with all Windows 2000 and XP releases.

"I have a cable modem, but this also works great with xDSL modems.
I used the Registry values below (and then rebooted for the new settings to
take effect) to boost my modem throughput performance over the Internet
(TCP/IP).
Previously I was getting approximately 2500 kb/sec using Windows default
values.
My current tweaked settings [as shown in a REG file]:

-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
"SackOpts"=dword:00000001
"TcpWindowSize"=dword:0005ae4c
"Tcp1323Opts"=dword:00000003
"DefaultTTL"=dword:00000040
"EnablePMTUBHDetect"=dword:00000000
"EnablePMTUDiscovery"=dword:00000001
"GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize"=dword:0005ae4c

------End cut & paste here------

To benchmark the modem speed gain I used this online Speed Test:"
http://computingcentral.msn.com/internet/speedtest.asp



GRAB THE FOCUS! [+]



Thank you Pierre Szwarc (pierre.szwarc@laposte.net) for your cool trick!

"I found these settings by playing with Microsoft TweakUI Power Toy for
Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME [110 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
I used Windows 2000 Professional in these examples, but this works also with
Windows XP and ME.
To do this, run Regedit (or Regedt32) and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Purpose: application window grabbing focus.
When a window that doesn't have the focus (in the background) is updated by
its parent program, Win2K by default prevents it from becoming the topmost
window. Instead it flashes the taskbar button. This is governed by these
DWORD [REG_DWORD] Values:
- ForegroundLockTimeout :
Value 200000 [Decimal]: background window not allowed to grab the focus
(default behaviour).
Value 0 [Decimal or DWORD]: allows the background window to grab the focus
(become topmost/foreground).
- ForegroundFlashCount :
Value 0 [Decimal or DWORD]: taskbar flashes until clicked.
Value x [Decimal]: taskbar flashes x times (default is 3)."



KEYBOARD + MOUSE BUFFER [+]



While using Windows NT 3.51 [ONLY IF upgraded with SP5], NT 4.0 [ONLY IF
upgraded with SP6a], 2000 or XP, you may have encountered random "Keyboard
(and/or mouse) ring buffer overflow" error messages in the System Log event
viewer, spurious key clicks, or even sudden machine lockups, due to the
(too) small keyboard and/or mouse queue buffer, because each hold only a
maximum of 100 characters or clicks respectively (system default).
But all this can be fixed by tweaking the Registry... :)

1. To increase the keyboard buffer size, run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Kbdclass\Parameters

Look for (or create if not present) the "KeyboardDataQueueSize" DWORD
[REG_DWORD] Value in the right hand pane -> double-click on it -> check the
Decimal box -> double the value shown there (default is 100) -> type in the
new integer number -> click OK.
Then, under the same Registry key, find/create the "PollStatusIterations"
DWORD Value, and increase it from 1 (default) to 2 or 4, by performing same
steps above, until your keyboard no longer exhibits interruptions.

2. To make your rodent "behave" by increasing its buffer size (with the
Registry editor open), go to one of the following keys, depending on your
installed mouse type(s):

- ALL Mice:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Mouclass\Parameters
- Serial Mice:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Sermouse\Parameters
- PS/2 Mice:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters
- Bus Mice:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Busmouse\Parameters
- InPort Mice:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Inport\Parameters
- Microsoft Mice with IntelliPoint software:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\msi8042\Parameters
- USB Mice:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\mouhid\Parameters

In the right hand pane, find (or create if not present) the
"MouseDataQueueSize" DWORD Value -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal
box -> double the value shown there (default is 100) -> type in the new
integer number -> click OK.
Also, if you notice that your mouse clicks randomly WITHOUT you touching it,
find/create the "MouseSynchIn100ns" DWORD Value -> double-click on it -> check
the Decimal box -> increase the value shown (default is 20000000 = 2 seconds)
to let's say 30000000 (3 seconds), or even higher if necessary -> type in the
new integer number -> click OK.

3. To enable all buttons if using a 3 button mouse, edit (or create if not
present) the "NumberOfButtons" String [REG_SZ] Value to read 3, under the
appropriate Registry key(s) above, depending on your installed mouse type(s):
Serial, PS/2, Bus, InPort, MS IntelliPoint or USB.

4. Close the Registry editor and reboot when done.

FYI: More info @ MSKB:
- "REG: Device Driver Entries, PART 2--Mouse/Keyboard Driver":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=102989
- "REG: Device Driver Entries, PART 3--Mouse/Keyboard Driver":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=102990



BYPASS AUTOLOGON [+]



This Registry tweak works with all Windows NT 4.0, 2000 and XP releases.
If you own the Windows computer, have Administrator privileges, work/play in a
single-user/stand-alone environment, and would like to speed up the bootup
process, you can automate the way the OS handles the password dialog box,
bypassing the mandatory Ctrl-Alt-Del login prompt.

CAUTION: This will affect system security, leaving your computer unprotected!
Start by BACKING UP your Registry files!

Then run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
In the right hand pane look for the "AutoAdminLogon", "AutoLogonCount" {DWORD
[REG_DWORD] Value}, "DefaultDomainName", "DefaultUserName" and
"DefaultPassword" String [REG_SZ] Values.
Highlight "AutoAdminLogon" -> right-click on it -> select Modify -> change its
value to 1 -> click OK.
Highlight "AutoLogonCount" -> right-click on it -> select Modify -> check the
Decimal box -> change its value to 4294967295 (maximum allowed) -> click OK.
This is MANDATORY to be able to take advantage of the auto login feature more
than once. [4294967295 times should be plenty. :)]
Now highlight "DefaultUserName" -> right-click on it -> select Modify ->
change the text to match your UserName (default is "Administrator" if you
haven't changed it) -> click OK.
Repeat same steps for "DefaultPassword". [Choose your Password wisely! :)]
If you are not logging into or do not have a (Network) Domain account, you can
leave the "DefaultDomainName" String Value empty, or delete it altogether.
If any of these Strings do not exist, you need to create them: right-click on
an empty spot in the Regedit right hand pane -> select New -> String or DWORD
Value -> assign it one of the names above -> press Enter -> right-click on it
-> type in the appropriate text string (as described above) -> click OK ->
restart Windows when done.

If you are unwilling to "mess" with your Registry, you can also achieve this
by using one of these Registry tweaking tools:

1. ALL WinNT4/2000/XP users: log on as Administrator -> click Start -> Run...
-> type (case insensitive):
control userpasswords2
Hit Enter or click OK -> make sure there is NO check mark beside Users ->
enter the User Name and Password you wish -> click Apply/OK/Yes until all
following dialog boxes are closed -> restart Windows.

2. ALL WinNT4/2000/XP users: get Xteq X-Setup, the best Registry and System
tweaker ever created [freeware for personal use]:
http://www.xteq.com/products/xset/
Install X-Setup -> start the main UI -> Network -> Auto Login -> Windows
NT/2K/XP -> General + Settings plug-ins -> enable/fill in all appropriate
Auto login boxes -> Apply changes -> close X-Setup -> restart Windows.

3. WinNT4/2000 users ONLY: get the MS TweakUI Power Toy for Windows
9x/NT4/2000/ME + MS IE 4/5/6 [110 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
Run the executable you downloaded from URL above -> right-click on
TweakUI.inf in Windows Explorer -> select Install -> open Control Panel ->
select TweakUI -> click the Logon tab -> check the "Log on automatically at
system startup" box -> type a User Name and a Password -> click OK/Apply ->
close TweakUI -> restart Windows.

4. WinXP users ONLY: get the MS TweakUI Power Toy for Windows XP + MS IE 6
[147 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/c/a/fca6767b-9ed9-45a6-b352-839afb2a2679/TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe
Install TweakUI by running the executable you downloaded from URL above ->
run TweakUI -> scroll down to the Logon section -> set the default User Name
and Password you want to use -> click OK/Apply -> close TweakUI -> restart
Windows.

Optionally, if you need to log on into a NetWare Domain/Network, go to (using
Regedit):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Novell\NWGINA\Login
In the right hand pane look for the "NetWareAutoAdminLogon",
"DefaultNetWareUserName" and "DefaultNetWarePassword" String Values.
Repeat the same operations above for these entries: type 1 in the
"NetWareAutoAdminLogon" box, and respectively your NetWare UserName and
Password. Restart Windows when done.

BEWARE that all these Password strings are kept in the Registry as plain text:
unencrypted! Therefore anybody with access to your computer, who knows how to
change the Registry [this includes you now :)], CAN alter/delete them at will!

UPDATE:
"There is another way to accomplish the same task without modifying the
Registry: Start menu -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Users and Passwords. Here
you will find the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this
computer" option. When this is checked the user must enter a user name and
password every time to access the computer. If unchecked the user will be
required to enter a user name and password only once after which the computer
will use this as the default and automatically log on for you."
[Thank you Al Miguez!]



DOS NAME COMPLETION



The file completion Registry tweak works also in Windows NT 4.0.
Are you still using the DOS prompt box in Windows 2000? If your answer is yes,
keep reading...
The Command Prompt box allows you to type only the first or the first few
characters of a file or directory, and then if you hit the proper "hot key",
all matching files/folders full names show up.
The default "hot key combo" is Ctrl+D (for directories only) and Ctrl+F (for
both files and directories). For example, type this in the DOS prompt box:
CD DO
and then hold Ctrl and hit D. All directories containing D and O as their
first 2 letters will be listed (if any).
Run:
CMD /F:ON
to enable file/directory name completion temporarily, only for the current DOS
session.
To disable this feature for the current DOS session, type:
CMD /F:OFF
To enable this feature permanently for all DOS sessions, you need to run
Regedit or Regedt32, and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor
for the current user on your machine, or to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor
for all users on your computer. First Registry key above takes precedence.
Now look in the right hand pane for these two DWORD [REG_DWORD] values (create
them if not present): "CompletionChar" and "PathCompletionChar". These contain
the hex values for the custom "key combos" to use as file (1st DWORD above)
and respectively directory (2nd DWORD above) completion hot keys.
Default values are (you may need to type them in if not present): 0x4 (to use
Ctrl+D for file completion) and 0x6 (to use Ctrl+F for directory completion).
A value of 0 turns them off. Any other value (ranging from 0x1 to 0x1F, to
match the ASCII code of a valid key) turns them on.
It is possible to use other key combos, or even single keys to perform this
function. Example: type 0x9 to use the Tab key.
If there are more than one file/directory match on your system, the first one
is displayed when you activate the key "combo". If you press the hot key(s)
again, the next match appears, and so on.
To cycle backwards through multiple matches, use Shift+F or Shift+D, if you
are using the default DWORD values (see above).



SPONTANEOUS REBOOT FIX [+]



This is valid for all Windows 2000/XP/2003 releases, and brought to you by Ray
(rgress77@strato.net):
http://members.tripod.com/PrzWrshp/frame.html

"I have spent 2 weeks, countless hours, and $20 on a new sound card, and then
jockeying cards around trying to "debug" the cause of spontaneous reboots on
my Win2000 Pro PC.
Turns out there is a setting in: Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System
-> Advanced -> Start Up and Recovery -> uncheck Automatically Reboot (on
system failure), that may be the culprit.
PS: I am using WinMag Wintune:
ftp://ftp.sac.sk/pub/sac/utildiag/wt98_43.zip
video test features to torture test and attempt to cause another spontaneous
reboot. Before clearing this checkbox, I could force a reboot just by loading
Wintune's system and video benchmarks.
Haven't gotten this to work again since I cleared the checkbox so I may be on
to something."

UPDATES:
1. "This setting only controls if your system will automatically reboot on a
BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) or not, it doesn't cause or stop spontaneous
reboots which are usually caused by buggy drivers.
Using this tip will just cause the system to sit there at a BSOD instead of
rebooting. Useful for trying to figure out why the system crashed, but it
won't stop it from happening."
[Thank you Asymmetric (all@biosys.net)!]
2. "This doesn't turn out to be entirely helpful because it only disables the
reboot and not the problem itself. The problem lies within the BIOS.
Most mainboards have an option to enable a 15-16 MB memory hole to enable
faster ISA performance with older hardware devices. This prompts Windows 2000
to reboot the computer for no apparent reason.
THE FIX: Go into your BIOS CMOS Setup and disable the "Memory Hole".
All mobo brands are different. AWARD BIOSes have this setting located under
the "Chipset Features Setup" or "Advanced Chipset Features" menu."
[Thank you Andrew (PowerPenguin@techie.com)!]
3. "I temporarily removed the modem from my Win2000 system (powered off) and
installed it in my older box. Later I put it back in my Win2000 PC (never
powered on since I removed the modem). Since I planned to keep my Win2000 PC
powered off until after the modem was back in its original position, I didn't
touch the Add/Remove Hardware Control Panel. All the advice I found on this
subject said that such should not be required for a PnP device.
Approximately every 30 minutes thereafter I experienced Win2000 spontaneous
reboots. A typical error message stated that a device driver was corrupting
the memory.
The fix that worked (with the modem physically installed) was to use Control
Panel to "permanently remove" the modem and then to "reinstall" it."
[Thank you John (jr@jrshelby.com)!]