AXCEL216's MAX Speeed
Comprehensive Windows Registry Guide
+
200+ Ways To Hack Your Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 Registry
©HACKs, Tweaks, Secrets, Speed-Ups, Workarounds + Fixes
Most of these Win9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 Registry ©HACKs are also available at:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/reg.htm
MUST HAVE from SOFTWARE.TXT (included): [99.99% FREE(ware)]
- WINDOWS 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP SYSTEM + REGISTRY TWEAKERS:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/toy.htm#SYS
- WINDOWS 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP SYSTEM + REGISTRY FIXERS:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/toy.htm#FIX
REGISTRY.TXT Contents:
I. COMPREHENSIVE WINDOWS REGISTRY GUIDE [Intro Chapter]:
The Registry
Registry Structure
REG Files
Registry Editing Rules
REGISTRY BACKUP + RESTORE [Win95/98/ME]
Registry Credits + Links
II. THE REGISTRY 200+ ©HACKs LIST
______________________________________________________________________________
I. COMPREHENSIVE WINDOWS REGISTRY GUIDE [Intro Chapter]
The Registry
DEFINITION: The Windows 95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003 Registry (also called
Registration Database) is a complex, unified, system wide, continually
referenced during operation database, used for centrally storing, locating,
editing and administering system, hardware, software and user configuration
information, following a hierarchical structure.
Its role is to replace the text/ASCII based MS-DOS configuration (.BAT, .SYS)
and MS Windows initialization (.INI) files, used by the old MS-DOS 3/4/5/6.xx,
MS Windows 3.xx and MS Windows for WorkGroups 3.1x (REG.DAT) releases.
Most data from the MS-DOS startup configuration files: AUTOEXEC.BAT and
CONFIG.SYS, and from the Windows system initialization files: CONTROL.INI,
SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI, PROTOCOL.INI, NETWORK.INI etc, is now contained into the
Registry, together with most of the other system settings. Most Win32 (32-bit)
and Win64 (64-bit) specific applications store their initialization and
configuration data into the Registry instead of into .INI, .CFG etc files. The
MS-DOS and .INI files are kept only for backward compatibility with older
MS-DOS and Win16 (16-bit) based programs.
The Registry is stored in binary data format (.DAT), and the information it
contains can be accessed (read from/written to) at any time during operation
by any Registry aware Windows programs, as needed.
More info @ Microsoft:
- MSKB: Description of Microsoft Windows Registry:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=256986
- MS TechNet: The Windows Registry:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/win98/maintain/reg.asp
- MS Windows 2000: Registry structure:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/sag_ntregconcepts_mply.htm
- MS TechNet: Windows NT Registry:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/winnt/winntas/manuals/concept/xcpaa.asp
- MSDN: Structure of the Registry:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/sysinfo/base/structure_of_the_registry.asp
- MSKB: Description of Registry Files in Windows 95/98:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=250410
- MSKB: Description of Registry Files in Windows ME:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=266270
- MS TechNet: Windows 98 Registry:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/win98/reskit/part6/wrkc31.asp
- MS TechNet: Windows 95 Registry:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/win95/rk33_reg.asp
- MSDN: Registry Value Types:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/sysinfo/base/registry_value_types.asp
* The Windows 95/98/ME Registration Database is contained in these 5 files,
with the Hidden, Read-only attributes for write-protection purposes, usually
located in the %WinDir% folder (default is C:\Windows) in stand-alone
single-user environments:
- SYSTEM.DAT = stores persistent hardware and software settings related to the
system it resides on, contained in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (Windows 95 and 98
only) and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Hive keys.
- USER.DAT = stores user specific and software settings contained in the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER Hive key. If more than one user, then multiple user profiles
enable each user to have their own separate USER.DAT file, located in
%WinDir%\Profiles\%UserName%. When a user logs on, Windows OS (down)loads both
USER.DAT files: the one from the local machine %WinDir% (global user
settings), and the most recent one from the local machine
%WinDir%\Profiles\%UserName%, or from the central (host) server if user
profiles reside on a network (local user settings).
- CLASSES.DAT = stores persistent data contained in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Hive
key, found only on Windows ME.
- SYSTEM.DA0 + USER.DA0 = automatically created backups of SYSTEM.DAT +
USER.DAT from the last successful Windows GUI startup, and found only on
Windows 95 retail, 95a OSR1, 95B OSR 2.0, 95B OSR 2.1 and 95C OSR 2.5.
This other file usually resides on the central (host) server in multi-user
environments/networks or in %WinDir% on stand-alone multi-user machines:
- POLICY.POL = optional, provides additional info specific to the network, and
can override certain settings in the Registry, allowing network administrators
to control/restrict users access level to the network and/or local computers.
Policy files (.POL) can be created/edited using the Policy Editor tool
(PolEdit.exe), found in %WinDir% only on Windows 95, 95a OSR1, 95B/95C OSR 2.x
and 98/98 SP1/98 SE(U) systems, if installed as an optional component from the
Windows Setup CD-ROM: open Windows Explorer -> right-click on
\Tools\Reskit\Netadmin\Poledit\PolEdit.inf -> select Install.
Microsoft removed the Policy Editor from Windows ME. :(
More info:
- MS TechNet: System Policy Editor Tutorial:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/win98/reskit/part2/wrkc08.asp
- MS TechNet: Protecting Users from Themselves:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/win98/tips/protuser.asp
- Network Computing: Profiles, System Policies and the Registry:
http://www.networkcomputing.com/netdesign/1011part2a.html
- O'Reilly: Windows System Policy Editor Top 10 Tips:
http://windows.oreilly.com/news/syspolicy_0600.html
In Windows 95 retail, 95a OSR1, 95B OSR 2.0, 95B OSR 2.1 and 95C OSR 2.5 the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_USERS Registry Hive keys can be backed up manually
by using the Configuration Backup tool (Cfgback.exe) found on the Windows
Setup CD-ROM in the \Other\Misc\Cfgback subfolder, and also part of Microsoft
Windows 95 CD-ROM Extras:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=135315
Get CFGBACK.EXE [46 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/win95upg/bkup_a/1.0/W95/EN-US/cfgbk.exe
On computers with more than one user only HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is backed up.
More info:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=135120
CfgBack can create up to 9 different compressed Registry backup copies with
the .RBK extension. Registry BacKup files (.RBK) must reside in %WinDir%, and
can be used exclusively by CfgBack to restore an older set of working Registry
Hive keys.
See the "REGISTRY BACKUP + RESTORE" Intro chapter further below to learn how
to backup/restore your entire Registry safely.
MSKB: Confirmed CfgBack BUGs:
- Configuration Backup Tool Does Not Restore All Settings:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=142572
- Configuration Backup Gives Confusing Warning on Restore:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=135121
In Windows 98, 98 SE(U) and ME working Registry files (.DAT) are backed up
automatically upon loading Windows by the Scan Registry tool
(%WinDir%\Scanregw.exe) into compressed Cabinet files (.CAB = Microsoft
proprietary compression technology) found in the %WinDir%\Sysbckup subfolder
(default), and holding 5 (default), up to a maximum of 99 different backup
copies, a new one being created upon the first successful GUI boot of each new
day (the oldest is replaced with the newest). They are named from: RB000.CAB,
RB001.CAB, ... up to RB099.CAB. Check their date/time stamp to determine the
newest backup set.
Windows 98/ME automatic Registry backup is enabled by this command:
C:\Windows\Scanregw.exe /autorun
found as a String Value called "ScanRegistry" under this Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
See "SCANREGW, SCANREG + SCANREG.INI" in TIPS98.TXT (included) for more
details.
In addition, SYSTEM.1ST (Windows 95, 98 and ME) + CLASSES.1ST (Windows ME
only) are found in the %HostWinBootDrv% folder (boot drive/partition root
directory, usually C:\ on uncompressed drives/partitions), as a backup of the
first Win95/98/ME SYSTEM.DAT and WinME CLASSES.DAT respectively, created at
the end of a successful Setup. These are also Hidden, Read-only files.
* The Windows NT/2000/XP Registration Database is contained in these 6 files
located in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder (default is
C:\Winnt\System32\Config for Windows NT or C:\Windows\System32\Config for
Windows 2000/XP):
- DEFAULT = stores the HKEY_USERS\.Default key.
- SAM = stores the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Sam key.
- SECURITY = stores the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Security key.
- SOFTWARE = stores the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software key.
- SYSTEM = stores the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System key and the
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG Hive key.
- USERDIFF = stores the HKEY_CURRENT_USER Hive key with a correspondent
subkey for every registered user,
these 2 files located in the %SystemRoot%\Profiles\%UserName% folder:
- NTUSER.DAT (Windows NT/2000/XP) + USRCLASS.DAT (Windows XP only) = store
the HKEY_CURRENT_USER Hive key,
and their automatically created backups from the last known good booting
process (successful startup):
- SYSTEM.ALT = backup of SYSTEM file above.
- DEFAULT.SAV, SOFTWARE.SAV + SYSTEM.SAV = backups of first Hive keys created
at the end of a successful (text mode) Setup.
In Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP and 2003 the Registry Hive keys can be backed up
or restored manually by using the command line Registry Console tool
(Reg.exe), part of Microsoft Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003 Resource Kits (RKs):
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/reskits/rktmain.asp
More info:
http://www.tburke.net/info/suptools/topics/reg.htm
Registry Structure
The Registry consists of 2 basic components (elements):
1. (Sub)Key: storage container (folder, directory, tree, heading). They
organize the Registry data in a consistent and hierarchical format. Keys can
contain subkeys and values. Each (sub)key name is predefined by the system or
created by users or Win32 (32-bit) programs, and can contain spaces and most
alphanumeric characters. A (sub)key is defined by its complete pathway
starting at the root level (main key = Hive Key = HKEY).
NOTE: These examples of Registry (Sub)Keys and Values follow the .REG file
rules (more on this subject in the "REG Files" Intro chapter below).
- HKEY_KEY_NAME = Root Handle/Hive/Main/Parent Key. The Windows 95/98/ME
Registry contains 6 root keys under the "My Computer" heading (see further
below).
Example:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE]
- HKEY_KEY_NAME\KeyName = Child (Sub)Key.
Example:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software]
2. Value: stores actual Registry data created/modified/used by the system,
users and Registry aware Win32/64 (32/64-bit) applications to control
hardware, software and user settings. Values (like files) are stored inside
(sub)keys (like folders):
"ValueName"=ValueType(API Code #):ValueData
Value Type defines Value Data, displayed in multiple alphanumeric formats.
* There are 3 basic (simple) Registry Value types, valid for all Windows 95,
98, ME, NT, 2000, XP + 2003 releases, and available in both RegEdit and
RegEdt32:
- REG_DWORD [DWORD Value: API code 4] = Double WORD data of 4 bytes (32 bits)
in length, in 3 numeric formats: decimal (base of 10), hexadecimal (base of
16) or binary (base of 2).
Example:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\FileSystem]
"ContigFileAllocSize"=dword:00000800
- REG_BINARY [Binary Value: API code 3] = 8-bit or 16-bit data of any length,
in 2 numeric formats: binary (base of 2) or hexadecimal (base of 16).
Example:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\FileSystem]
"Win31FileSystem"=hex:00
- REG_SZ [String Value: API code 1] = Data of any length, in 3 ANSI or Unicode
formats: simple text/ASCII (fixed string), expanded (%string% variable string)
or extended (multi-string) -> see below for 2nd and 3rd String Value types.
Example:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]
"Version"="Windows ME"
* There are several complex (multiple) Registry Value types (contain multiple
or a list of data types of any length separated and terminated by null
characters), valid only for Windows NT, 2000, XP + 2003, and available only in
RegEdt32:
- REG_EXPAND_SZ [Expanded String Value: API code 2] = in system variable
(%string%) format, stores environment variables within strings, accessed by
substituting variables with actual system path names.
- REG_MULTI_SZ [Multiple String Value: API code 7] = in extended multi-string
format, stores multiple strings into a single Registry entry.
- REG_RESOURCE_LIST [Resource List Value: API code 8] = device driver list of
hardware resources stored under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\ResourceMap
tree.
- REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR [Resource Descriptor Value: API code 9] =
device driver description of hardware resources stored under the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\Description tree.
- REG_RESOURCE_REQUIREMENTS_LIST [Resource Requirements Value: API code 10] =
device driver list of hardware resource requirements stored under the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\ResourceMap tree.
This is the complete list of supported Registry Value types:
Value Type API Code Value Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REG_ERROR -1 Error request value
REG_NONE 0 Null value
REG_SZ 1 Null terminated Unicode fixed
string value
REG_EXPAND_SZ 2 Null terminated unexpanded
Unicode/ANSI environment
string value
REG_BINARY 3 Binary value of any
form/length
REG_DWORD 4 32-bit numerical value
REG_DWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN 4 32-bit numerical value
REG_DWORD_BIG_ENDIAN 5 32-bit reversed numerical
value
REG_LINK 6 Symbolic Unicode link string
value
REG_MULTI_SZ 7 Array of multiple Unicode
strings
separated/ended by null
characters
REG_RESOURCE_LIST 8 Device driver list of hardware
resources in Resource Map tree
REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR 9 List of hardware resources in
Description tree
REG_RESOURCE_REQUIREMENTS_LIST 10 Device driver list of hardware
resource requirements in
Resource Map tree
Unfortunately most Registry elements have fixed limits:
Registry Element MAX Allowed Length/Size
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sub)Key Name 255 characters
Value Name [Win2000/XP/2003] 255 ANSI or 16,383 Unicode characters
Value Name [Win95/98/ME] 255 characters
Value Data [Win2000/XP/2003] Limited by available RAM
Value Data [Win95/98/ME] 16,383 Bytes [16 KB]
All Values within same (Sub)Key 65,535 Bytes [64 KB]
More info @ MSDN:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/sysinfo/base/registry_element_size_limits.asp
Do NOT confuse this with the "RegistrySizeLimit" (RSL) Registry DWORD
[REG_DWORD] Value used to configure paged database memory pools in Windows
NT4/2000, and subsequently removed from Windows XP/2003.
More info @ Windows 2000:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/regentry/46653.asp
When you run the Registry Editor (see the "Registry Editing Rules" Intro
chapter further below), you'll see the following expandable Registry subtrees,
each marked with a plus [+] sign, under the "My Computer" heading (main tree).
To further expand each subtree and view all underlying branches (subkeys),
click on the plus [+] signs of the 6 main Hive keys (HKEY) below.
(Sub)key/(sub)tree/(sub)heading are used here as synonyms.
This layout is a typical example of Windows 95/98/ME Registry:
[+] My Computer
|
|-[+] HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR): Software settings, DDE, OLE, drag-and-drop,
| Win31 backward compatibility, shortcut settings and subkeys for every
| defined file association, also found at
| HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes.
|
|-[+] HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU): Currently logged on user configuration
| settings, also found at HKEY_USERS. Subkeys:
| |
| |-[+] AppEvents: Assigned system and applications sound events
| | settings.
| |
| |-[+] Control Panel: Control Panel settings, similar to those
| | defined in System.ini, Win.ini and Control.ini in Windows/WfWG
| | 3.xx.
| |
| |-[+] Identitites: Created and used by MS Outlook Express 4/5 and
| | its Address Book. [Thank you Ojatex@aol.com!]
| |
| |-[+] InstallLocationsMRU (Most Recently Used): Installation and
| | Startup folders paths.
| |
| |-[+] Keyboard: Current keyboard layout.
| |
| |-[+] Network: Network connection settings.
| |
| |-[+] RemoteAccess: Current log on location settings, if using
| | Dial-Up Networking (DUN).
| |
| *-[+] Software: Software configuration settings for the currently
| logged on user, sorted by vendor/developer.
|
|-[+] HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM): User independent hardware and software
| machine specific information: bus type, device drivers, keyboard
| layout etc. Subkeys:
| |
| |-[+] Config: System and software configuration.
| |
| |-[+] Drivers: Used by the Device Manager to keep track of active
| | loaded drivers for hardware peripherals like: PnP devices, PC
| | cards, PCMCIA etc. [Thank you Ojatex@aol.com!]
| |
| |-[+] Enum: Hardware devices information/settings.
| |
| |-[+] Hardware: Serial communication port(s) information/settings.
| |
| |-[+] Network: Information/settings about network(s) the user is
| | currently logged on to.
| |
| |-[+] Security: Network security information/settings.
| |
| |-[+] Software: Software specific information/settings sorted by
| | developer/vendor, each stored under its own, separate Subkey.
| |
| *-[+] System: System startup, device drivers and operating system
| information/settings.
|
|-[+] HKEY_USERS (HKU): Information about Desktop and user specific settings
| for each user who logs on to the same Windows 9x/ME system. Each user
| has a separate subkey here. If there is only one user, the only subkey
| is ".Default".
|
|-[+] HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC): Information about the current hardware
| profile used by the local computer at startup, pointing to
| HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Hardware Profiles\Current.
|
*-[+] HKEY_DYN_DATA (HKDD): Virtual key (exists only in memory) created
every time Windows 9x/ME initializes: dynamic configuration data about
installed PnP devices. Changes constantly when hardware devices are
added, swapped or removed on-the-fly.
|
|-[+] Config Manager: Hardware problem codes and status.
|
*-[+] PerfStats: System and network performance statistics.
REG Files
Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003 use dedicated files in different (mostly
plain text/ASCII) formats: .HTA (Active HyperText), .INF (INFormation), .REG
(REGistration), .VBS (Visual Basic Script) etc, to import (insert, merge)
and export (save) information into and from the Registry.
Exception: Windows 2000 can import ONLY binary .REG files.
Their purpose is to add, modify or delete Registry (Sub)Keys and/or Values.
See "DELETE REGISTRY KEY/VALUE" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) to learn how to
delete Registry (Sub)Keys and Values in Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.x, 98, 98 SP1,
98 SE(U), ME, 2000, XP and 2003.
This can be achieved by running them directly from the Start -> Run... box,
Windows Explorer (%windir%\Explorer.exe), File Manager (FM =
%windir%\Winfile.exe) or native/real MS-DOS prompt in Windows 95/98/ME (using
%winbootdir%\REGEDIT.EXE command line switches = see the "Registry Editing
Rules" Intro chapter below).
This is possible because in all MS Windows 32/64-bit (Win32/64) OSes REG files
are associated by default with the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) executable,
which resides in the main Windows folder, listed on the system path.
We will discuss here the most well known and easy to create/modify/use, the
"all mighty" .REG file, which can be in:
- plain text/ASCII format in Windows 95/98/ME + NT/2000/XP/2003 or
- binary format in Windows 2000/XP/2003.
Text .REG files can be easily viewed/created/edited by hand using any
text/ASCII editor, like Notepad [%windir%\Notepad.exe, included with all MS
Windows releases, but primitive, and limited to a maximum file size of only 64
KB :(], or any other 3rd party text editor [see "FREE WINDOWS 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP
TEXT EDITORS" in SOFTWARE.TXT (included) for better Notepad replacement tools
= I use Programmer's File Editor, the best in my opinion :)], eventually by
cutting & pasting Registry specific text strings from other sources, like a
fragment of, or entire Registry, saved as plain text .REG file by using a
Registry Editor.
See the "REGISTRY BACKUP + RESTORE" Intro chapter further below to learn how
to backup/restore your entire Windows 95/98/ME Registry safely by
exporting/importing .REG files.
Note that Regedit always saves REG files in plain text/ASCII format in Windows
95/98/ME, but in Windows 2000/XP/2003 they are always exported (default) in
binary format, unless the user selects a different (text/ASCII) file format
from the Export Registry File menu, like the Windows NT4 REG text format,
available to both Regedit and Regedt32 in Windows 2000, XP and 2003.
Text/ASCII .REG file structure:
1. Header line: this FIRST line is mandatory. MUST contain only these exact
words (case sensitive = character capitalization required!):
- REGEDIT4 = for Windows 95/98/ME + NT 4.0 or
- Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 = for Windows 2000/XP/2003.
This is the only way 32/64-bit MS Windows OS can recognize/validate, run/merge
and import/export a .REG file.
2. Empty (blank) line: this second line is optional. Similar to inserting a
carriage return (CR).
3. Remarked (comment) line(s): optional. MUST begin with a semicolon (;) which
may be followed by a space (optional). Can contain Registry (Sub)Keys and
Values (which can be disabled this way) or plain text comments/reminders.
Windows does NOT process (ignores) remarked lines, treating them as comments.
May be inserted anywhere in the .REG file, but NOT before the Header, which
MUST be present as FIRST line.
4. (Sub)Key line: MUST be preceded and terminated by square parentheses ([]).
(Sub)Key name MUST start with the Hive Key name (left end) and MUST contain
entire Subkey pathway leading to the current Subkey name (right end).
Consecutive (Sub)Key names MUST be separated by SINGLE backslash marks (\).
(Sub)Key names not present in the Registry will be automatically created when
the REG file is merged into the Registry. Exception: new Hive (Root) Keys can
be created ONLY in Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003, but NOT in Windows 95/98/ME.
5. Value line: MUST contain these elements in this EXACT order:
- Value name: MUST be preceded and terminated by quotation marks ("").
- Equal mark (=): MUST separate Value name from Value type.
- Value type: MUST be specified: dword: [DWORD = REG_DWORD], hex(#): [Binary =
REG_BINARY] ONLY IF Value type other than String [REG_SZ].
- (API Code #): MUST be specified as alphanumeric hex value: from 2 [hex(2)]
up to 10 [hex(a)] and MUST be preceded and terminated by round parentheses
[()] ONLY IF Value type other than String [REG_SZ] (API Code 1) or DWORD
[REG_DWORD] (API Code 4 or 5).
Refer to the complete list of supported Registry Value types further above for
details.
- Colon mark (:): MUST separate Value type from Value data ONLY IF Value type
other than String [REG_SZ].
- Value data: MUST be in the same format as defined by Value type: text/ASCII,
Unicode/ANSI, (alpha)numeric (decimal, hexadecimal or binary) etc. MUST be
preceded and terminated by quotation marks ("") ONLY IF Value type is String
[REG_SZ]. Syntax:
* String Value [REG_SZ] (API Code 1):
"ValueName"="ValueData"
Value Data is expressed here in Unicode or ANSI formats: simple text/ASCII,
expanded or extended.
- DWORD Value: dword: [REG_DWORD] (API Code 4):
"ValueName"=ValueType:ValueData
Value Data is expressed here in Double WORD (4 bytes = 32 bits) formats:
decimal, hexadecimal or binary.
* Simple (8-bit) or complex (16-bit) Binary (hex) Value of any length: hex(3):
[REG_BINARY] (API Code 3), hex(2): [REG_EXPAND_SZ] (API Code 2), hex(7):
[REG_MULTI_SZ] (API Code 7), hex(8): [REG_RESOURCE_LIST] (API Code 8), hex(9):
[REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR] (API Code 9) or hex(a):
[REG_RESOURCE_REQUIREMENTS_LIST] (API Code 10):
"ValueName"=ValueType(API Code #):ValueData
Large Value Data Strings can span onto more than one line, in which case each
line (except the last one) is terminated by a comma (,) followed by a SINGLE
backslash mark (\) and consecutive lines are separated by carriage returns
(CR):
"ValueName"=ValueType(API Code #):ValueData,ValueData,\
ValueData,ValueData
Value Data is expressed here in numeric: binary or hexadecimal, or
multi-string (complex) formats: binary, hexadecimal, Unicode or ANSI.
Consecutive bit pairs (double digits) of data MUST be separated by a comma
(,).
Separators and delimiters used in REG files on path name lines to separate
drive letters, directory (folder) names and file names, or used on command
line parameters lines etc... MUST be typed as DOUBLE backslash marks (\\).
Here the first backslash is used to tag ("mark") the next character, the
second backslash in this case. Regedit interprets in fact these two
backslashes as a single one, and only the second backslash is processed as
such. The first one is ignored. Similarly, \n is treated as a line feed, also
called carriage return (CR = Enter key press), and \t translates as a Tab key
press.
Exception: Registry (Sub)Key path names used in REG files MUST be separated by
SINGLE backslash marks (\).
When the REG file is merged into the Registry (Sub)Keys and Value names not
present in the Registry will be automatically created. (Sub)Keys and Value
names already present under the same Registry (sub)key(s) but containing
different Value type(s) and/or data will be automatically updated to match the
one(s) in the REG file.
6. Empty (blank) line: this LAST line is mandatory for proper operation.
Similar to inserting a carriage return (CR) to mark the end of file (EOF).
This is how a generic text/ASCII .REG file looks like:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
; This is a comment line.
[HKEY_KEY_NAME\SubkeyName1\SubKeyName2]
; String Value:
"ValueName"="ValueData"
; DWORD or Binary Value:
"ValueName"=ValueType:ValueData
------End cut & paste here------
... And this is an example of actual text .REG file containing real Keys and
Values:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
; First Value below identifies MS Windows OS name:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]
; String Value:
"Version"="Windows ME"
; DWORD Value:
"CacheWriteDelay"=dword:00000320
; Binary Value:
"OldWinVer"=hex:00,02
------End cut & paste here------
FYI: Cut & paste lines are not part of the .REG files, of course. ;)
Registry Editing Rules
To modify the Windows Registry you need to use a Registry Editor:
- Regedit.exe (Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003) = located in %WinBootDir%
(%SystemRoot%),
Get Win98 REGEDIT.EXE modified to work properly with ALL Win95/98 releases
except WinME [53 KB]:
http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~flibble/reg/reg.zip
- Regedt32.exe (Windows NT/2000/XP/2003) = located in %SystemRoot%\System32,
- or a freeware 3rd party Registry editing tool like:
Registrar Lite:
http://www.resplendence.com/reglite/
Registry Commander:
http://www.aezay.dk/aezay/regcmd/
or Registry Explorer Standard:
http://www.regxplor.com/
Microsoft Windows 95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003 Registry Editor is a tool used to
display, search, modify, create, delete, save, import and export Windows
Registry (Sub)Keys and Values.
RegEdit.exe versus RegEdt32.exe side by side comparison:
REGEDIT.EXE REGEDT32.EXE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16-bit Windows + DOS executable 32-bit Windows only executable
Single window display Separate Hive Key window display
Key and Value level Search Key level Search only
Handles only simple Value types Handles also complex Value types
[see "Registry Structure" above] [see "Registry Structure" above]
Only Read and Write mode Optional Read Only mode
No Security mode Optional Permissions Security mode
No Security control Full Security control [Win2000/XP/2003
only]
Text REG files export and import Text REG files export only
No binary REG files export or import Binary REG files export and import
Creates/renames/deletes only Subkeys Creates/renames/deletes also Hive Keys
Opens at last accessed (Sub)Key level Opens at Root level only
[WinME/XP/2003 only]
More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=141377
You can use either RegEdit's (Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003) or RegEdt32's
(Windows NT/2000/XP/2003) interface in protected mode Windows environment from
within Windows GUI, or REGEDIT's DOS based (Windows 95/98/ME) command line
parameters in real/native mode MS-DOS from outside Windows.
To learn how to use the REGEDIT.EXE available DOS mode switches, run:
REGEDIT
from native MS-DOS:
"Imports and exports registry files to and from the registry.
REGEDIT [/L:system] [/R:user] filename1
REGEDIT [/L:system] [/R:user] /C filename2
REGEDIT [/L:system] [/R:user] /E filename3 [regpath1]
REGEDIT [/L:system] [/R:user] /D regpath2
/L:system Specifies the location of the SYSTEM.DAT file.
/R:user Specifies the location of the USER.DAT file.
filename1 Specifies the file(s) to import into the registry.
/C filename2 Specifies the file to create the registry from.
/E filename3 Specifies the file to export the registry to.
regpath1 Specifies the starting registry key to export from.
(Defaults to exporting the entire registry).
/D regpath2 Specifies the registry key to delete." [Win98/ME ONLY!]
/S UNDOCUMENTED [USE WITH CAUTION!]: executes any REGEDIT
command line operation quietly, without asking for
confirmation. Available ONLY in Windows GUI mode!
See "UNATTENDED REGISTRATION" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for
details.
See also this MSKB article for more info:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=131352
RegEdit is NOT installed as a Start Menu shortcut!
To create a RegEdit shortcut: right-click on an empty raised Taskbar spot ->
select Properties -> click Start Menu Programs tab -> click the Add button ->
browse to your main Windows folder -> (double)-click on Regedit.exe -> click
the Next button -> (double)-click: Start Menu -> Programs -> Accessories ->
System Tools -> click the Next button -> in the Select name for the shortcut
box type Registry Editor -> click the Finish button.
If you are NOT familiar/comfortable with "messing around" with your Registry,
do NOT attempt to make ANY changes!
But let's suppose you ARE familiar enough with your system Registry "innards"
and would like to tweak it for MAXimum performance. After all this is *THE*
purpose of this "dissertation". :) So keep reading...
If you don't like to modify your Registry directly, there is an "easier" [:-)]
alternative: use one of these "FREE WINDOWS 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP SYSTEM + REGISTRY
TWEAKERS" from SOFTWARE.TXT (included). My favorite is Xteq X-Setup (freeware
for personal use), the BEST Windows 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003 Registry "hacker"
ever created, capable of tweaking 1200+ Registry, System, Software, User,
Network etc settings:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/x-award.htm
Or better, hack the Registry yourself... like I do. ;-)
In the following Registry ©HACKs (see "THE REGISTRY 200+ ©HACKs LIST" further
below), the subkeys/pathways in the Registry Editor left hand pane point to a
specific Subkey or Value located in the Registry right hand pane, with
complete explanations of what they do, and how/why you may want to
modify/rename/delete them and/or add new ones to customize/speed-up/fix your
MS Windows computer.
WARNING: FIRST BACKUP ALL YOUR HARD DRIVES TO A SAFE LOCATION BEFORE
ATTEMPTING TO MAKE ANY SYSTEM CHANGES! *READ* the "REGISTRY BACKUP +
RESTORE" Intro chapter below for DETAILS!
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!
NOTE: These ©hacks have been tried by others (and most by me), but with NO
guarantee they will also work for YOU!
BEWARE: Whenever using RegEdit or RegEdt32 to MODIFY the Registry in ANY way,
ALL CHANGES TAKE PLACE INSTANTLY, WITHOUT ANY CONFIRMATION PROMPTS!
To learn about Registry editing, run Regedit.exe (or Regedt32.exe) and click
on Help.
To learn MORE about the Registry, (double)-click on the Windows 95/98 Resource
Kit Help file, found on your Windows 9x Setup CD-ROM:
- Win95/OSR1/OSR2: WIN95RK.HLP, in the \Admin\Reskit\Helpfile folder,
- Win98/98 SE(U): WIN98RK.HLP, in the \Tools\Reskit\Help folder,
and READ the Registry related topics!
I also recommend to check frequently the MicroSoft Knowledge Base (MSKB):
http://support.microsoft.com/
for detailed info, updates, patches + bug fixes related to your MS Windows OS
+ MS applications/games.
See "MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE MADE EASY" in TIPS95.TXT (included) for MSKB
access details.
MicroSoft Developer Network (MSDN):
http://msdn.microsoft.com/
and Microsoft TechNet:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/
post periodically detailed info about the Registry for the more technically
inclined [read "geeks" :)].
REGISTRY BACKUP + RESTORE
[Win95/98/ME]
! VERY IMPORTANT! HOW TO BACKUP/EXPORT YOUR REGISTRY *FIRST*:
A. Copy SYSTEM.DAT, USER.DAT (all Win95/98/ME releases) + CLASSES.DAT (WinME
only) to a safe location, such as a BACKUP disk (removable media): cartridge,
optical, (re)writable cd/dvd, tape etc.
NOTE: Registry files are usually too large to fit on a single 1.44 MB floppy
disk, therefore you need to use a different media to back them up!
1. Create a DOS batch file called REGBAKUP.BAT (using Notepad) containing
these lines (example):
@ECHO OFF
SET COPYCMD=/Y
IF NOT EXIST E:\REGBAKUP\*.DAT MD E:\REGBAKUP
ATTRIB.EXE -H -R -S +A %winbootdir%\*.DAT
IF EXIST E:\REGBAKUP\*.DA2 COPY E:\REGBAKUP\*.DA2 E:\REGBAKUP\*.DA3
IF EXIST E:\REGBAKUP\*.DA1 COPY E:\REGBAKUP\*.DA1 E:\REGBAKUP\*.DA2
IF EXIST E:\REGBAKUP\*.DAT COPY E:\REGBAKUP\*.DAT E:\REGBAKUP\*.DA1
COPY %winbootdir%\SYSTEM.DAT E:\REGBAKUP
COPY %winbootdir%\USER.DAT E:\REGBAKUP
IF EXIST %winbootdir%\CLASSES.DAT COPY %winbootdir%\CLASSES.DAT E:\REGBAKUP
EXIT
presuming E is a removable backup drive. Change the paths to match your system
setup.
Note that REGBAKUP.BAT creates up to 4 different copies of your Win9x/ME
Registry files if run more than once: *.DAT (newest = default extension),
*.DA1 (second to newest), *.DA2 (second to oldest) and *.DA3 (oldest).
In case of system lockups/errors/etc due to a corrupted Registry, you can
restore your working (good) Registry files from the most recent backup by
copying the *.DAT files from E:\REGBAKUP back to your Windows folder,
overwriting the ones already there.
In case your E:\REGBAKUP\*.DAT files are also corrupted, rename the *.DA1
files to *.DAT and then copy them to your Windows folder, over the old ones.
Same procedure applies if the E:\REGBAKUP\*.DA1 files are corrupted: rename
the *.DA2 files to *.DAT and then copy them to your Windows folder etc...
You can also modify REGBAKUP.BAT to create more than 4 backups in the same
manner: copy *.DA3 as *.DA4, *.DA4 as *.DA5 etc...
2. Create a shortcut (.PIF file) to REGBAKUP.BAT in the Startup folder
(C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup), to backup the Registry files
automatically (in the background) every time Win95/OSR1/OSR2 loads. Win98/ME
does this automatically upon the first load of each day. See "SCANREGW,
SCANREG + SCANREG.INI" in TIPS98.TXT (included) for Win98/ME Registry backup
details!
B. To BACKUP the ENTIRE Registry to a .REG file (which is a plain text/ASCII
file) from WITHIN Windows:
1. Open the Registry editor (C:\Windows\Regedit.exe).
2. Highlight "My Computer" main tree.
3. Click on the "Registry" menu item.
4. Select "Export Registry File...".
5. Type REGBAKUP.REG (or whatever filename you wish, just keep the .REG
extension) in the "File name" field.
5. Browse to the drive and folder where you want REGBAKUP.REG to reside.
6. Click the Save button.
Then you can open REGBAKUP.REG in a text editor, if you would like to make any
changes. You canNOT use Notepad, because it is limited to a maximum filesize
of only 64 KB. Bummer... :(
Therefore you need to use a better text editor, that can handle very large
text files, like Programmer's File Editor 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP
[608 KB, freeware], the best in my opinion:
http://downloads.planetmirror.com/pub/simtelnet/win95/editor/pfe101i.zip
C. You can also EXPORT the ENTIRE Registry or only the keys/subkeys of your
choice to a .REG file, ONLY from the native MS-DOS mode, using this REGEDIT
command (example):
REGEDIT /E E:\REGBAKUP\REGBAKUP.REG
presuming E is a removable backup drive. Change the paths to match your system
setup.
This exports the ENTIRE Registry to REGBAKUP.REG.
! VERY IMPORTANT! HOW TO RESTORE/IMPORT/MERGE (INTO) YOUR REGISTRY:
A. To RESTORE the Registry files (i.e. after a system crash), FIRST exit
Windows (or reboot) to the native/true/real MS-DOS mode.
IMPORTANT:
* To learn more about these issues, READ these included topics:
- For details on how to boot to the native MS-DOS prompt, read "COMPLETE
MSDOS.SYS REFERENCE" in MYTIPS95.TXT.
- For details on how to exit Windows 9x to MS-DOS, read "EXIT TO DOS" in
TIPS95.TXT.
- For details on more MS-DOS boot options, read "2 DOS OR NOT 2 DOS" in
MYTIPS95.TXT.
- For details on how to PROPERLY recreate (compact/shrink) your Registry from
an exported .REG file in Windows 9x, read "SHRINK THE REGISTRY!" in
MYTIPS95.TXT.
* Download FixReg [51 KB, freeware] to FIX the Windows 9x exported Registry
recreation BUGs:
http://www.walbeehm.com/mrcode.html
1. Create a Registry BACKUP using REGBAKUP.BAT, as explained in the "HOW TO
BACKUP/EXPORT YOUR REGISTRY *FIRST*" topic (paragraph A) further above.
2. Create a DOS batch file (using Notepad) called REGRESTR.BAT, or whatever
else you want (but keep the .BAT extension), containing these lines (example):
@ECHO OFF
MEM.EXE/C | FIND.EXE/I "vmm32">NUL
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO END
SET COPYCMD=/Y
ATTRIB.EXE -H -R -S +A %winbootdir%\*.DAT
IF EXIST %winbootdir%\*.DA0 ATTRIB.EXE -H -R -S +A %winbootdir%\*.DA0
IF EXIST %winbootdir%\*.BAD ATTRIB.EXE -H -R -S +A %winbootdir%\*.BAD
IF EXIST %winbootdir%\*.BAD DEL %winbootdir%\*.BAD
REN %winbootdir%\SYSTEM.DAT SYSTEM.BAD
REN %winbootdir%\USER.DAT USER.BAD
IF EXIST %winbootdir%\CLASSES.DAT REN %winbootdir%\CLASSES.DAT CLASSES.BAD
IF EXIST %winbootdir%\*.DA0 DEL %winbootdir%\*.DA0
COPY E:\REGBAKUP\*.DAT %winbootdir%
:END
EXIT
presuming E is a removable backup drive. Change the paths to match your system
setup.
The newest E:\REGBAKUP\*.DAT Registry backup files are copied back to your
Windows folder, and the corrupted *.DAT files from your Windows folder are
renamed to *.BAD (which you can delete later). Now (re)start Windows by
running WIN.
If your newest *.DAT backup files are also corrupted, follow the steps
outlined in "HOW TO BACKUP/EXPORT YOUR REGISTRY *FIRST*" paragraph A (further
above) to restore your Registry from an older (good) backup.
3. Place REGRESTR.BAT in a folder in your path, specified on your Autoexec.bat
or Config.sys PATH line.
4. Run REGRESTR.BAT ONLY from the native MS-DOS prompt, every time after you
have been locked out of Windows, or experience sudden errors, and you KNOW
this happened because of CHANGES (you or a buggy program/driver/etc) made to
your Registry.
B. To IMPORT a .REG file (back) into the Registry from WITHIN Windows:
1. Open the Registry editor (C:\Windows\Regedit.exe).
2. Click on the "Registry" menu item.
3. Select "Import Registry File...".
4. Browse to the drive and folder where your .REG file resides.
5. Double-click on it, or click the Open button.
6. Answer OK to the confirmation prompt.
C. To IMPORT a .REG file (back) into the Registry, ONLY in native/true MS-DOS
mode OUTSIDE Windows, use this REGEDIT command (example):
REGEDIT E:\REGBAKUP\REGBAKUP.REG
presuming E is a removable backup drive. Change the paths to match your system
setup.
To see all available REGEDIT parameters, run:
REGEDIT
ONLY from the native MS-DOS prompt.
D. To (RE)CREATE the Registry from scratch using a .REG file that contains
your ENTIRE Registry, ONLY in native/true MS-DOS mode OUTSIDE Windows, use
this REGEDIT command (example):
REGEDIT /C E:\REGBAKUP\REGBAKUP.REG
presuming E is a removable backup drive. Change the paths to match your system
setup.
To see all available REGEDIT parameters, run:
REGEDIT
ONLY from the native MS-DOS prompt.
E. To MERGE (register) a .REG file (back) into the Registry from WITHIN
Windows:
1. Start Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM = %windir%\Winfile.exe).
2. Browse to the .REG file you want to merge.
3. (Double)-click on it.
4. Click Yes to proceed.
5. Answer OK to the confirmation prompt.
FYI: More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=322754
CAUTION: FAULTY CHANGES made to .REG files you import/merge/register into your
Windows Registry may LOCK UP/CRASH your machine, and/or generate UNEXPECTED
system ERRORS!
Registry Credits + Links
As far as I'm aware, this is 1 of the most comprehensive Windows
95/98/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003/IE/OE/AOL/Netscape/etc Registry ©HACKs, Tweaks,
Secrets, Speed-Ups, Workarounds + Fixes databases on the Internet.
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 (clearly marked) while
"messing" with the Registry. 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
The Registry on the Internet:
- John Woram's RegTips, Etc.:
http://www.woram.com/REGTIPS.HTM
- RegTips References:
http://www.regtips.com/
- The Registry @ About.com:
http://windows.about.com/cs/registry/
- Windows 2000 FAQ:
http://www.windows2000faq.com/
- Bob Cerelli's Registry Tips:
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/registry_tips.htm
- Windows Registry Guide:
http://www.winguides.com/registry/
- Windows Registry Guide 2002 (freeware):
http://www.winguides.com/downloads/registry.exe
- WinOSCentral Registry Tweaks:
http://www.winoscentral.com/registry/tweaks.php
- JSI Windows NT/2000/XP Registry Hacks:
http://www.jsiinc.com/reghack.htm
- Wayne's NT/2000/XP Registry Index:
http://www.is-it-true.org/nt/registry/
- Registry Explorer Tweak of the week:
http://www.regxplor.com/tweak_all.html
- PC Forrest Registry Hacks:
http://www.forrestandassociates.co.uk/pcforrest/reg_hacks.html
- ActiveWindows - Registry Tips:
http://www.activewin.com/tips/reg/
- Snakefoot's WinNT/2000/XP Tweaks:
http://snakefoot.fateback.com/tweak/winnt/tweak.html
- Gamefox Windows 2000 Tweaks:
http://www.fox2k.net/2ktweaks/
- New Life for Windows Reg Fixes:
http://www.webtree.ca/newlife/reg_fixes.htm
- WUGNET Tip of The Day:
http://www.wugnet.com/tips/topic.asp
- Mystery Behind Windows Registry:
http://www.systweak.com/winreg/winreg.htm
- PC911 Tips + Tweaks:
http://www.pcnineoneone.com/tweaks/
- Kelly's REG, INF + VBS Files:
http://www.kellys-korner.com/registry_fixes.htm
- Kelly's Registry Edits for Windows XP:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_reg_edits.htm
- James' Win9x/2000/ME/XP Registry Patches:
http://www.aumha.org/regfiles.htm
- Doug's Win9x/2000/ME/XP Tweaks + Fixes:
http://www.dougknox.com/
- Ron's Reg Files:
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/reg_files.html
- Bill's Windows VBScript Tools:
http://www.billsway.com/vbspage/
... Enuff said. Let's have some fun now... ;-)
II. THE REGISTRY 200+ ©HACKs LIST
[New "©hacks" added at the TOP]
SHOW FULL URL [+]
OPTIMAL VIDEO REFRESH RATE [+]
FIX COPY/MOVE/SEND TO [+]
TURN OFF NUMLOCK [+]
KILL IE ABOUT: URLS [+]
FIX TASKBAR BUTTONS [+]
DETONATOR 22.XX BUG + FIX [+]
REAL TIME PRIORITY [+]
NETMEETING ADDRESS LIST [+]
FIX BUTTON SIZE [+]
REENABLE PRINTING [+]
BROWSING SPEEDUP [+]
TIMED SHUT DOWN [+]
CACHE WRITE DELAY [+]
MAXIMIZE NOTEPAD [+]
MORE AIM BUDDIES [+]
CPU PRIORITY [UPDATED 1-31-2001] [+]
NEW IE SEARCH BUTTONS [+]
CUSTOMIZE YAHOO MESSENGER [+]
DELETE OUTLOOK PASSWORD [+]
TWEAK WEB VIEW [+]
ADVANCED OPTIONS GALORE [+]
INCREASE NETBIOS SECURITY [+]
CLEAR MEDIA PLAYER HISTORY [+]
UNKNOWN FILE EXTENSION [+]
REMOVE NETSCAPE AIM [+]
REMOVE SYSTEM FOLDERS [+]
96-BIT VIDEO RESOLUTION [+]
CD-ROM/DVD + HARD DISK MAX CACHE [UPDATED 7-26-2000] [+]
TELNET TWEAKS [+]
FASTER INTERNET [+]
ENABLE EDITFLAGS [+]
ENABLE UDMA/RAID HARD DISK DMA (My ©trick) [+]
DIRECTX TWEAKS (My ©trick) [+]
FREE PROXY [+]
DHCP VULNERABILITY FIX [+]
IE CONTENT ADVISOR PASSWORD FIX [+]
TASKBAR TRAY TEXT [+]
TROJAN INFECTED *.EXE FIX [+]
DIRECTX FIX WITH 2 3D VIDEO CARDS (My ©trick) [+]
DISABLE DEFRAG FILE ORDER [+]
DISABLE NEW SHORTCUT [+]
SAFE MODE ACTIVE DESKTOP [+]
ALL IN ONE SEARCH [+]
RESTORE IE4 NEW WINDOW [+]
WIN2000 COLOR SCHEME [+]
LEGAL NOTICE [+]
DELETE REGISTRY KEY/VALUE [+]
MAX CACHE SPEED (My ©trick) [+]
UNATTENDED REGISTRATION (My ©trick) [+]
FREE DVD PLAYER [+]
METAL BRIEFCASE
UNCHECK OPEN WITH [+]
TOGGLE MENUS [+]
FORCE ICON VIEW [+]
MANAGE YOUR POWER! [+]
DISPLAY CPL + DLL HIDDEN ICONS [+]
TOOLTIP OFF [+]
FASTER 56K MODEM [+]
IE BLANK PAGE OFF [+]
CHANGE OE5 IDENTITY [+]
TAME IE 4/5 CACHE FOLDERS [+]
OUTLOOK EXPRESS 5 FOLDERS [+]
SOUND BLASTER LIVE! REGISTRY BUG [+]
HTTP SERVER REQUESTS [+]
CLEAR IE CACHE [+]
HIDE YOUR DRIVES! [+]
DISABLE OUTLOOK EXPRESS SPLASH [+]
START MENU COLUMNS [+]
CUSTOM IE TOOLBAR [+]
STARTUP ORDER [+]
WRITE BEHIND CACHE [+]
SCREEN SAVER PASSWORD [+]
BROWSER CACHE IN MEMORY [+]
QUICKVIEW ALL FILES [+]
FILE SYSTEM SYNCHRONIZATION [+]
BRANDED MS IE [+]
FORCED EXIT
END TASK TIMEOUT [+]
COOL SWITCH
IBM SCANNER "FIX"
SPEAKER BEEP
MODEM LOG OFF (My ©trick) [+]
TURN OFF DMA! [+]
TAME THE BIN [+]
RESTRICT LOGON ACCESS [+]
ACTIVE WINDOW TRACKING [+]
SAVE SETTINGS - Part 2
RENAME OUTLOOK EXPRESS TITLE [+]
CHANGE TIME ZONE [+]
IE FULL SCREEN BAR [+]
RENAME MS IE TITLE [+]
SYSTEM RESTRICTIONS [+]
OPEN WITH [+]
VANISHING EXPLORER COLUMNS [+]
URL PREFIX FIX [+]
HOW FAST CAN YOU GO? - Part 1 [UPDATED 10-6-1998] [+]
HOW FAST CAN YOU GO? - Part 2 (My ©trick) [UPDATED 10-6-1998] [+]
RIGHT-CLICK CAB EXTRACT [+]
MORE VISIBLE IE4 FONTS (My ©trick) [+]
MOVE PROGRAM FILES (My ©trick) [+]
REMOVE "SHORTCUT TO" [+]
DEFAULT BROWSER - Part 2 [+]
CD-ROM/DVD MAX SPEED (My ©trick) [+]
UNCLUTTER START MENU [+]
IE AUTOSCAN [+]
HIGH COLOR ICONS WITHOUT PLUS!
DITCH THAT SOUND ICON (My ©trick)
APPLICATION PATH
DISABLE DNS FOR WINS RESOLUTION
INSTALL MS PLUS! 95 OVER MS IE 3/4/5 [+]
CD-ROM KEYS
CONTIGUOUS FILE ALLOCATION SIZE [+]
EDIT THE BAT
SOURCE PATH CHANGE
NO MORE "CLICK HERE TO BEGIN"
DELETE DESKTOP ICONS
NEW TCP/IP SETTINGS
ACTIVE CORNERS [+]
WALLPAPER POSITION [+]
SAVE SETTINGS - Part 1
MOVE WITHOUT REINSTALL (My ©trick) [+]
DEFAULT BROWSER - Part 1
NEW START ITEMS
IE FONT FANCY [+]
PASSWORD CACHE... NOT! [+]
TRASH THE BIN [+]
KILL DA BIN! [+]
RENAME RECYCLE BIN [+]
INSTANT REFRESH [+]
KEEP IT SHORT/LONG
CLEAR DOCS & MORE... [+]
RUN! (My ©trick)
PERSONALITY CHANGE [+]
BEWARE, TROJANS!
DUN DIALING
PERMANENT SETTINGS
BLINK... NOT! (My ©trick) [+]
MENUSHOWDELAY [+]
ICON BITMAP [+]
NAMENUMERICTAIL [+ WARNING!]
MIDDLE BUTTON
OPEN NEW WINDOW [+]
NEW MENU [+]
DITCH THOSE ARROWS! [+]
CHANGE ARROWS [+]
DOS MODE OPTIONS
ADD NEW TIPS
ANIMATED WINDOWS
MOVE STARTUP FOLDER
DOCUMENTS OFF!
ADD NEW SOUNDS
REMOVE NETWORK NEIGHBORHOOD
HARD DRIVE THRASHING [UPDATED 2-9-1998]
MODEM INITIALIZATION STRINGS [+]
MODEM TIMEOUT
REMOVE PROGRAMS
RUN COMMAND HISTORY
NEW CONTEXT MENU COMMANDS
DAVID SPENCER'S RIGHT-CLICK MENU COMMANDS .INF SCRIPT
NUMLOCK ON/OFF [+]
NO AGENT LOG (My ©trick)
NOTEPAD FONT
NETWORK SERVER
GET BACK YOUR CD/DVD -> TIPSXP.TXT
TEACH XP NEW TRACKS -> TIPSXP.TXT
STOP MSN MESSENGER -> TIPSXP.TXT
AVOID XP REGISTRATION -> TIPSXP.TXT
WELCOME ADMINISTRATOR! -> TIPSXP.TXT
AUTOREBOOT -> TIPSXP.TXT
COMMENTS? LINK -> TIPSXP.TXT
WMP8 MP3 ENCODING -> TIPSXP.TXT
WINME WBEM BUG + FIX -> TIPSME.TXT
DISABLE SCANDISK ON BOOT-> TIPSME.TXT
SYSTEM RESTORE DISK USAGE> TIPSME.TXT
UNINSTALL PCHEALTH -> TIPSME.TXT
NO POPUPS ON BOOT -> TIPS2000.TXT
REMOVE MOUSE SHADOW -> TIPS2000.TXT
INCREASE DNS CACHE -> TIPS2000.TXT
PRIORITIZE PROGRAMS -> TIPS2000.TXT
FASTER TELNET -> TIPS2000.TXT
CHANGE SYSTEM FONT -> TIPS2000.TXT
DISABLE FILE PROTECTION -> TIPS2000.TXT
ERROR MODE -> TIPS2000.TXT
DISABLE LAST ACCESS -> TIPS2000.TXT
SPLIT WIN2K EXPLORER -> TIPS2000.TXT
OPEN WITH NOTEPAD FIX -> TIPS2000.TXT
WEB BASED FTP -> TIPS2000.TXT
UDMA/66 ALL THE WAY -> TIPS2000.TXT
XDSL/CABLE MODEM SPEEDUP-> TIPS2000.TXT
GRAB THE FOCUS! -> TIPS2000.TXT
KEYBOARD + MOUSE BUFFER -> TIPS2000.TXT
BYPASS AUTOLOGON -> TIPS2000.TXT
DOS NAME COMPLETION -> TIPS2000.TXT
KILLER REPLACEMENTS 98SE-> TIPS98.TXT
REMOVE FIND ITEMS -> TIPS98.TXT
FIX 98 SE USB+SHUTDOWN ERRORS TIPS98.TXT
BRING BACK ATTRIBUTES -> TIPS98.TXT
WIN98 GLOBAL RWIN BUG -> TIPS98.TXT
BACKUP WITH SCANREG -> TIPS98.TXT
FIX DEFRAG -> TIPS98.TXT
ALWAYS UNLOAD DLLS -> TIPS98.TXT
WIN98 LOW DISK SPACE -> TIPS98.TXT
98 SE + NEW IE5 -> TIPS98.TXT
MAPPED DISK CACHE -> TIPS98.TXT
MAP THE CACHE -> TIPS98.TXT
BUGGY TWEAKUI 98 -> TIPS98.TXT
FASTEST INTERNET 98 - #2-> TIPS98.TXT
FASTEST INTERNET 98 - #1-> TIPS98.TXT
FASTER APP LOAD -> TIPS98.TXT
CLEAN DEFRAG -> TIPS98.TXT
WIN98: NO INSTALL CODE! -> TIPS98.TXT
REGISTERED USER? -> TIPS98.TXT
STRETCH WALLPAPER -> TIPS98.TXT
98 ESSENTIALS -> TIPS98.TXT
WIN98 CPU INFO -> TIPS98.TXT
BUS MASTER DMA - #3 -> OSR2TIPS.TXT
BUS MASTER DMA - #4 -> OSR2TIPS.TXT
SHRINK THE REGISTRY! -> MYTIPS95.TXT
SCANDSKW HIDDEN SWITCHES-> MYTIPS95.TXT
9X/2K/NT/ME/XP/3.1 MULTIBOOT MYTIPS95.TXT
WIN.INI DIRECTX + VIDEO -> MYTIPS95.TXT
(FLOPPY) DISK ANNOYANCE -> MYTIPS95.TXT
DATE/TIME FUN -> MYTIPS95.TXT
INF UNINSTALL -> TIPS95.TXT
AOL 4.0/5.0 MTU FIX -> AOLTIPS.TXT
AOL MAXMTU REVISITED -> AOLTIPS.TXT
HEARTS EASTER EGG -> EGGS.TXT
95->98->ME COMPLETE SPECS> WININFO.TXT
WHICH 9X/ME VERSION/BUILD? VERSION.TXT
NOTE:
[+] = Apply also to Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.x, 98/98 SE, ME, NT4, 2000 and/or
XP, and are referred to in OSR2TIPS.TXT, TIPS98.TXT, TIPSME.TXT, TIPSNT4.TXT,
TIPS2000.TXT and/or TIPSXP.TXT respectively (all included).
______________________________________________________________________________
SHOW FULL URL [+]
This fix applies to all Microsoft Internet Explorer (MS IE) 4.0x/5.xx/6.xx and
newer 32-bit releases for Windows 95/98/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/
After you first install MS IE on your computer, you will notice that by
default, when you move your mouse pointer over an internet link (a.k.a. URL =
Uniform Resource Locator) on most web pages [unless the webmaster disabled
this feature on purpose :(], only the web page name is displayed in the status
bar at the bottom of your IE window (example using my home page):
"Shortcut to home.htm"
instead of showing the *full* ftp directory/file or web page location (URL):
"http://members.aol.com/axcel216/home.htm"
But there are 2 methods you can use to FIX this MS annoyance:
1. The easy way [;)]: with MS IE open: click View (IE 4.0x users) or Tools (IE
5.xx/6.xx users) from the top menu -> select Internet Options... -> Advanced
tab -> scroll down to "Show friendly URLs" -> uncheck the box -> click
Apply/OK or hit Enter.
To revert back to Microsoft's default repeat steps above, but this time check
the "Show friendly URLs" box.
2. The hard way [:)]: click the Start menu -> select the Run... box -> type
regedit (case insensitive) -> click OK or press Enter -> go to (if you are the
only user = affects ALL users on your computer!):
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
and to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
or to (if more than one user):
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
and to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
and double-click on each "Show_FullURL" Registry Value, found as:
- DWORD [REG_DWORD] = under the "Internet Explorer" Registry subkeys above.
Type 0 in the Decimal Value Data box.
- String [REG_SZ] = under the "Main" Registry subkeys above. Type no in the
Value Data box.
Then click OK or hit Enter for all Values to save the new settings.
To revert back to Microsoft's default, repeat steps above, but this time type
1 [DWORD] or yes [String], respectively.
Close the Registry Editor when done.
NOTE: In certain cases you may need to do this all over again every time after
installing a new MS IE version/upgrade. :(
OPTIMAL VIDEO REFRESH RATE [+]
Sent courtesy of enZley (enzley@punkass.com), and works with all Windows
95/98/ME releases.
"If you want your video adapter to pump out its optimal refresh rate, there is
an easier way than using Powerstrip or other annoying software tools that cost
money and/or take up precious RAM.
I tested this ONLY with Windows 98 [build 4.10.1998], so try it at your own
risk if you have other versions.
Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Display\0000\DEFAULT
The key 0000 could be a different # (e.g. 0001, 0002 etc), depending on how
many video cards you have installed on your computer. Double-click the
"RefreshRate" String value and change the Value Data to 80 or a higher #.
If it is not present create it: in the right-hand pane -> right-click on an
empty spot -> select New -> String Value -> name it RefreshRate -> click OK ->
right-click on it -> select Modify -> change Value Data to 80 or higher #.
When you change the Value Data for the String value you MUST restart Windows
in order for it to take effect.
IMPORTANT: If after restarting your computer the screen is weird looking, you
have set the refresh rate too high. In this case reboot again by pressing Ctrl
+ Alt + Delete twice. Now hit F8 untill you get the boot menu. Select the Safe
Mode option. Once in Windows, restart Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Display\0000\DEFAULT
and modify the String value "RefreshRate" so that its Value Data is lower than
the one you originally entered. You may have to mess around with different
numbers until you get the optimal refresh rate, but it beats using expensive
or memory hungry 3rd party utilities."
ADD-ON:
To adjust your Desktop refresh rate to automatic, double-click on
"RefreshRate" and change its numerical value to read -1.
Restart Windows when done to apply the new setting.
Any other number corresponds to the actual vertical refresh rate frequency in
Hz (Hertz), and MUST be supported by BOTH your video controller AND your CRT
monitor, otherwise you may DAMAGE one or the other!
Also if you have installed more that one video driver over time (by swapping
video cards or by upgrading to a newer driver version), you may have more than
one subkey under the Display key above, like: 0001, 0002 etc. But keep in mind
that ONLY the most recent of these keys is "active", probably the one bearing
the highest 000n number.
FYI: See also "WIN.INI DIRECTX + VIDEO SETTINGS" in MYTIPS95.TXT (included)
for more details.
UPDATE:
"Under this Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Display\0000\MODES
which can be 0001, 0002 etc..., depending on the Registry key your video
adapter is installed under, you'll see a bunch of subkeys: 8, 16, 32 etc...
for different display settings, and each has subkeys for different
resolutions: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024 etc... Under any of these
subkeys you can set the DEFAULT refresh rate for that specific resolution,
which will also appear on the Display Properties list for further tweaking.
The "ModeRefreshRateList" String Value can include all (and more) of these
numeric values: 60, 70, 72, 75, 85, 100, 120, 140, 144, 150, 170, 200, 240,
but they MUST be ALL supported by YOUR particular monitor!
New refresh rates will appear and can be selected at will from: Desktop ->
Properties -> Settings -> Advanced -> Adapter -> Refresh Rate list, ONLY IF
you have added specific resolutions under the Registry subkeys above!
My monitor is capable of 1280x1024, but I couldn't access that resolution
until I set the "ModeRefreshRateList" and "RefreshRate" @ 60 in the Registry,
so now I'm able to use this setting. :)"
[Thank you Tweb!]
FIX COPY/MOVE/SEND TO [+]
Reports from frustrated users complain about an annoying BUG present in all
Windows XP builds, which seems to plague also some early Windows 9x releases:
one canNOT take advantage of the handy "Copy To", "Move To" and/or "Send To"
context menu (shell) right-click functions available in any My Computer,
Windows Explorer, Drive or Folder browser window/dialog box.
But this can be FIXed by using the Registration (.REG) file below.
MANDATORY:
You MUST log on as Administrator/Sysadmin/Main (Power) user/Owner to be able
to make Registry changes!
Copy & Paste the contents between the lines below into Notepad -> save it with
the REG file extension (file name doesn't matter) -> merge (register) it into
your Registry by double-clicking on it -> answer OK/Yes to all following
prompts -> fire up Windows Explorer -> right-click on any file or folder ->
look for the "Copy To", "Move To" + "Send To" options -> done. :)
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Copy To]
@="{C2FBB630-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Move To]
@="{C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Send To]
@="{7BA4C740-9E81-11CF-99D3-00AA004AE837}"
------End cut & paste here------
Similar fixes in VBS (Visual Basic Script) format:
- Doug's Send To Desktop fix:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/xp_sendtodesktop.htm
- Jason's Copy To + Move To fix:
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/downloads/scripts/Jason%20Levine/Copy%20and%20Move%20To%20Extensions.zip
TURN OFF NUMLOCK [+]
Even if your motherboard BIOS Setup doesn't support/include an option to turn
off the annoying NumLock key upon (re)boot, you can still do this by hacking
your Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003 Registry.
Start by copying & pasting the lines below into a blank Notepad window, then
save this file as NLOCKOFF.REG and finally (double)-click on it from Windows
Explorer or File Manager (FM = %windir%\Winfile.exe = NOT available in
Win2000/XP/2003!) to turn OFF NumLock:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard]
"InitialKeyboardIndicators"="0"
------End cut & paste here------
To turn NumLock back ON, replace the "InitialKeyboardIndicators" value of 0
with 2, save the file as NLOCKON.REG and run it.
TIP: To learn how to turn ON/OFF NumLock in Windows 95/98/ME, see "NUMLOCK
ON/OFF" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file).
KILL IE ABOUT: URLS [+]
THE BUG:
In Windows 98/2000/ME/XP [they all install MS IE 4/5/6 upon initial setup :(]
and in Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2/NT4 with MS IE 4/5/6 installed, there is an
annoying MS Internet Explorer vulnerability. Certain web sites force the
opening of a hidden popup tracking minimized window upon your first visit, or
when you leave their web site, or when you close your browser while one of
their web pages is still displayed.
This is an outrageous invasion of privacy, if you ask me!
They do this by using the little known "about:" browser built-in command into
their HTML/DHTML/XML code.
There is not much you can do, except close it by right-clicking on it and
selecting Close/Exit, or by highlighting it with a single mouse left-click and
then pressing simultaneously Alt + F4. That is if you can detect its small
taskbar icon, because it won't allow to be restored or maximized, unlike the
other well behaved windows. :(
THE FIX:
You can kill ALL MS IE "about:" URLs permanently with this Registry hack.
Create a REG file in Notepad (save it as NOABOUT.REG for example), with these
lines:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\ProtocolDefaults]
"about"=dword:00000004
"about:"=dword:00000004
------End cut & paste here------
Then run NOABOUT.REG from Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM =
C:\Windows\Winfile.exe) to merge (import) this info into your Registry.
This will place all "about:" URLs into the MS IE Restricted Zone "hell", which
means they will not open anymore when using IE to surf the net. :)
UPDATES:
1. "There is a downside to this fix - namely it will disable the MS IE
internet keyword for the www.about.com site, and also, it will kill the use of
a blank page as the startup browser page. There's not a lot that can be done
for the former, as it seems that IE cannot be made to differentiate between
the keyword "about" and one of those annoying about: URLs. However, I've had
good success with fixing the latter by adding "about:blank" both under:
Control Panel -> Internet Options -> click Security tab -> highlight Trusted
sites -> click the Sites... button -> uncheck the "Require server verification
(https:) for all sites in this zone" box -> highlight "Add this Web site to
the zone:"
box -> type about:blank -> click the Add button -> click OK twice, and this
DWORD Value:
"about:blank"=dword:00000003
under the same Registry key above."
[Thank you PC Mechanic (pcmechanic@mypcmechanic.com)!
http://www.mypcmechanic.com/]
2. "This also kills Yahoo Messenger scripting, not allowing users to see any
outgoing or incoming typed text."
[Thank you CC (cctguru@hotmail.com)!]
FIX TASKBAR BUTTONS [+]
Courtesy of Greg (GSigmon@wfubmc.edu).
"I have applied this neat little trick from Virtual Plastic:
http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/task_bar.html#3
to get rid of the text from the Taskbar buttons, leaving only the icons for
all open windows and apps/games.
Works with ALL Windows 95/98/ME releases.
Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
In the right-hand pane -> right-click on an empty spot -> select New (if not
present) -> String Value -> name it MinWidth -> click OK -> right-click on it
(if present) -> select Modify -> give it a value of -270 (which represents
Taskbar size in pixels multiplied by 15) if your Taskbar size is 18 pixels ->
close the Registry Editor.
You can adjust the "MinWidth" numeric value to match your Taskbar size (trial
and error may be necessary):
Taskbar Size MinWidth Value
------------------------------
17 -270
18 -285
19 -300
20 -315
21 -335
Taskbar size can be changed from: Control Panel -> Display -> Appearance ->
Item: -> Active Title Bar -> push the up or down arrows and peek at the Size:
box until it looks to your liking -> click OK/Apply.
Default "MinWidth" setting is either -2310 or -2400 depending on your Windows
version.
You must restart Windows for this change to take effect.
This can be also done by running this REG file (i.e. name it MINWIDTH.REG),
you can create in Notepad (example using -270 for "MinWidth"):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"MinWidth"="-270"
------End cut & paste here------
from Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM = C:\Windows\Winfile.exe) to merge
(import) this information into your Registry.
Another way to achieve this is to use NanoSkin [40 KB, freeware]:
http://www.execulink.com/~tinker/
To (re)order/(re)arrange your Taskbar icons any way you want, get Taskbar
Commander for Windows 9x/ME ONLY WITH MS IE 4/5/6 installed [17 KB,
freeware]:"
http://www.mlin.net/misc.shtml
DETONATOR 22.XX BUG + FIX [+]
This BUG FIX applies to ALL owners of NVidia TNT/2, Vanta, GeForce/2/3/4 or
Quadro/2/3/4 PCI/AGP video controllers using Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.x, 98
retail, 98 SP1, 98 SE(U) or ME who installed NVidia Video Drivers v22.xx.
NOTE: Windows 95 retail (original release) and 95a OSR1 (95 retail upgraded
with SP1) do NOT support AGP based video adapters! Windows 95B OSR 2.0 must be
upgraded to OSR 2.1 with USB Service Update Pack (USBSUP) to add AGP support:
see "OSR2 ESSENTIAL FREE UPGRADES + FIXES" in SOFTWARE.TXT (included) for
download links.
UPDATE:
NVidia Official Detonator Drivers v44.03 for all Win32 OSes are out:
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
BOTH BUGs described here are finally FIXED! Therefore if using Detonators
27.xx or ANY other newer ones, you do NOT need to apply these BUG FIXes!
NVidia released on October 26 2001 yet another unofficial beta Detonator
driver update, v22.80, or 4.13.01.2280 as displayed in Control Panel ->
Display -> Settings tab -> Advanced... button -> GeForce tab -> Driver Version
Information box.
According to hardware dedicated web site reviewers 22.80 Detonators speed up
DirectX 3D and OpenGL apps and games by 5%. Worthy upgrade, if you ask me. ;)
NVidia Corp. Driver Division:
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
is well known for unleashing frequent driver updates, aimed to provide their
customers with better features and increased video performance. This is due in
part to the increasingly tough competition, especially with ATI's Radeon 8500
64 MB DDR AGPx4 flag chipset:
http://www.ati.com/products/pc/radeon8500/
catching up to the PC market leader's GeForce3:
http://www.nvidia.com/?page=geforce3
[code named NV20] "heels". :)
So head on over to 3D Chipset:
http://www.3dchipset.com/drivers/index.php
or Guru 3D:
http://www.guru3d.com/files/
and get the newest Unofficial Beta Detonator drivers [free, unsupported]
designed for all 32-bit Microsoft Windows OSes: 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000 + XP.
And now you're ready to see...
THE BUG:
If you have upgraded your Detonator set from any 21.xx (or older) release
[21.83 seems to be the most stable in these series] to any of the newer 22.xx
(22.40, 22.50 or 22.80) or 23.xx (23.10 or 23.11) drivers, you may [or may
not] have noticed that NVidia changed [maybe on purpose, but I believe this is
a BUG?] these 2 OpenGL settings: Control Panel -> Display icon -> Settings tab
-> Advanced button -> GeForce tab -> Additional Properties button -> OpenGL
Settings tab -> "Enable anisotropic filtering" (moved to a separate
"Anisotropic Filtering" menu in Detonator 22.xx/23.xx) and "Disable support
for enhanced CPU instruction sets" check boxes.
I'll explain here my case, running WinXP Pro in dual-boot with Win98 SE + all
up-to-date patches/fixes/updates/etc on my ol' "trusty" GeForce 256 AGPx2 32
MB DDR SDRAM Annihilator Pro vid card from Creative Labs: in the Detonator
21.83 Display Properties panel I have cleared the "Disable support for
enhanced CPU instruction sets" box (see above) to take advantage of my Pentium
III CPU SSE (Streaming SIMD Extensions) instructions, which includes also the
older MMX (MultiMedia eXtensions) set, built into all older Intel Pentium,
Pentium Pro and Pentium II processors, and upgraded to SSE2 in Pentium IV.
These extra CPU instructions (called 3DNow! if you own an AMD
K7/Athlon/Duron/Iron/Thunderbird/etc CPU) allow all capable multimedia
applications and games using audio, video and movies to use the computer's
hardware (much faster) for processing/rendering the audio/video streams,
instead of relying on the software to perform these CPU cycle consuming tasks
(much slower).
Later I have upgraded to 22.40, 22.50, 22.80 and finally 23.11 Detonator
release, and each time reopened the GeForce Display panel. Guess what? That
$#@& [censored! :)] tick box had a check mark in it! :(
On the other hand, "Anisotropic Filtering" (when enabled) filters out (blends)
uneven, non-uniform 3D textures by calculating the shape of a given area (i.e.
an ellipse), mapping it onto the required texture, and then taking an average
of the colors from up to 32 texels (bilinear textured pixels) within the area,
to determine the final color plotted onto the target surface. Such areas can
have any height / width ratio, depending on the angle they are tilted at from
the viewer standpoint. The sampled texel arrangement is almost always variable
(rarely consists of rows or columns of an equal number of texels), and can be
calculated only at runtime.
This is actually a sophisticated trilinear filtering "fix" for uneven 3D
shapes, and is pretty taxing on the GeForce GPU (Graphics Processing Unit),
thus slowing down screen rendering a bit, depending on the 3D chipset
processing power, because it requires tons of calculations to plot a single
pixel, and until recently was available only on expensive 3D video hardware.
FYI: See anisotropic filtering at work:
- 3D XTC:
http://home1.swipnet.se/~w-12597/3dxtc/articles/anisotropic.htm
- XBit Labs:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/video/gf3-anis-filtering/
- NV News:
http://www.nvnews.net/previews/geforce3/anisotropic.shtml
- Digit Life:
http://www.digit-life.com/articles/digest3d/itogi-video-q3ani.html
Does this mean that 3D anisotropy and my "beloved" P3's SSE extensions have
been disabled by simply installing a new video driver?! No way! I can't allow
that to happen, so I have "readjusted" those 2 settings once again.
And this bug is present ONLY in Win95, 98 and ME, which leads me to conclude
it is an intentional change.
THE FIX:
To avoid this BUG to resurface in the future, whenever I upgrade to a newer
Detonator driver version [just in case NVidia decides not to fix it :)], I
created a REG file for Win98 SE (also valid for ALL Win95, 98 and ME builds)
with these lines, by using Notepad (example):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Display\0001\NVIDIA\OpenGL]
"RenderQualityFlags"=dword:00000011
"ForceGenericCPU"=dword:00000001
------End cut & paste here------
and named it 22XX.REG.
Then I created a shortcut to 22XX.REG with this command line (example):
%windir%\REGEDIT.EXE /S %windir%\CONFIG\22XX.REG
to allow the information in this REG file to be merged (imported) into the
Registry completely unattended.
Finally, I placed this shortcut (.LNK) into my
C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder, to have it run every time
Windows GUI loads, and force these buggy settings to revert back to "normal".
See "UNATTENDED REGISTRATION" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for more details
on how to run your REG files "hands-free".
This actually "translates" into these 2 Win95/98/ME Registry DWORD
[REG_DWORD] Values, valid for all newer Detonator releases, and found under
the Registry subkey above:
* "RenderQualityFlags": "00000011" is necessary to enable "anisotropic
filtering" in Detonator 22.xx/23.xx, opposite to "00000013", which is needed
to properly activate this same setting in all 21.xx and older NVidia drivers.
* "ForceGenericCPU": "00000001" is necessary to enable "enhanced CPU
instructions" in Detonator 22.xx/23.xx, opposite to "00000000", which is
needed to properly activate this same setting in all 21.xx and older NVidia
drivers.
Note that the "0001" Registry subkey above may have different values on
different systems, depending on the location in your Registry where NVidia
drivers are installed. Generic is "00nn", and nn can take any integer value
between 00 and 50.
See "REG Files" [Intro Chapter] further above in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for
more details on how to create/modify/export/import a REG file.
The good news is WinNT4, 2000 and XP Detonators (ALL releases) are NOT
affected by these BUGs!
REAL TIME PRIORITY [+]
... Appears courtesy of Hesham (hesham732@cs.com) and is supported by all
Windows 98/2000/ME/XP releases.
NOTE: To learn how to increase the level of CPU priority used by
foreground/background applications in Win9x/2000/ME/XP see "CPU PRIORITY"
in REGISTRY.TXT (this file).
"To boost dramatically your CPU priority for higher performance, run Regedit
and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\PriorityControl
Create the "PriorityControl" Registry subkey if not present: right-click in
the left hand pane -> select New -> Key. Name this new subkey
"PriorityControl" (no quotes) -> click OK or press Enter.
Highlight this new subkey -> create a new DWORD Value called "IRQ#Priority":
right-click in the right hand pane -> -> create a New DWORD Value named
"IRQ#Priority" -> click OK -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal box ->
type 1 to turn it on -> click OK or press Enter.
To get the actual IRQ# go to: Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager ->
System Devices -> System CMOS/real time clock -> Properties -> Resources tab
-> default IRQ# is 8 on all IBM PC clones [yours included :)]. Therefore you
need to rename the DWORD above to read "IRQ8Priority" (no quotes).
Close Regedit and restart Windows to see the effect.
I have applied this trick to Win95 and WinME, both with great results."
ADD-ON:
You can also do this for other IRQs, looking here especially at the ones that
are shared among multiple hardware devices (see the Device Manager IRQ list
for details specific to your machine), to allow them to take priority over
non-shared IRQs.
More info:
- MSKB: Windows XP + non-PnP ISA devices:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=279256
- MSKB: Windows 2000 + IRQ sharing limitation:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=252420
- PC 911: IRQs:
http://www.pcnineoneone.com/howto/irq1.html
Note that old standard motherboard BIOS supports only up to 16 IRQs: 0-15, an
ancient "DOS days" limitation, but newer ACPI compliant main board BIOS
extends this limit up to 23 or more IRQs.
IMPORTANT:
1. Make sure the PnP OS (or similar) BIOS/CMOS option is turned on.
On Abit motherboards (and other brands) using AWARD BIOSes: at the beginning
of the bootup BIOS POST (Power On Self Test) sequence, when you see the CPU
brand/model/type displayed on your screen -> hit Del to access BIOS Setup ->
"PnP/PCI Configurations" menu -> make sure "PNP OS Installed" is set to "Yes"
-> press F10 to save the change -> type Y for "Yes" -> reboot.
2. To avoid potential IRQ conflicts, especially if more than 1 of your AGP,
PCI, USB, FireWire, built-in (integrated into the motherboard) etc PnP (Plug
and Play) hardware controllers, devices, peripherals, etc share the same IRQ,
make sure IRQ steering is turned on. This is a MS Windows workaround (possible
only in 32-bit virtual protected mode, NOT in 16-bit real DOS mode), which
allows (unfortunately not always!) conflict-free operation by grouping
together at least 2 devices on the same shared IRQ, if the number of installed
devices is larger than the number of available IRQs:
* Windows 98/ME: Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager -> System Devices
-> PCI bus -> IRQ Steering tab -> check the "Use IRQ Steering" box -> OK -> OK
-> reboot.
* Windows 2000/XP: Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager ->
Computer -> IRQ Steering tab -> check the "Use IRQ Steering" box -> OK -> OK
-> reboot.
NETMEETING ADDRESS LIST [+]
Brought to light by Andrew Bourdon (PowerPenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html
This Registry trick works in all Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME releases with MS
NetMeeting installed.
"If you would like to prevent others from seeing the addresses that you've
connected to using Microsoft NetMeeting, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-329068152-507921405-1060284298-500\Software\Microsoft\Conferencing\UI\CallMRU
and delete all "AddrX" String Values.
Optional: right-click on the "Count" Binary Value and select Edit to change it
to 00 00 00 00 to remove the ugly blank spaces from the drop down menu."
FIX BUTTON SIZE [+]
Courtesy of S. Connery (Format Wizard@aol.com).
"The Minimize, Maximize/Restore and Close Taskbar buttons are sometimes too
small to rapidly select them, or too big, and take up a lot of space.
This Windows 9x/ME Registry tweak makes them long and slim, preserving the
open program's Taskbar icon (graphic), while forcing its title (text) to
disappear.
Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
Double-click the "CaptionWidth" String value and change the number to 50. Then
double-click the "CaptionHeight" String value and change the number to -210.
This works great on a screen resolution of 1024x768, with Small Fonts of size
7.
If your screen resolution is 800x600, make "CaptionWidth" 40 and
"CaptionHeight" -165, and use Small Fonts size 6.
You can alter the size of the scroll buttons in the same manner by changing
"ScrollHeight" [String value] to -330 and "ScrollWidth" [String value] to -135
in a resolution of 800x600.
Similarly set "ScrollHeight" to -330 and "ScrollWidth" to -165 if using a
1024x768 resolution."
ADD-ON:
Depending on your particular program's Title Bar size, you can also tweak the
"MinWidth" setting for more control over the size of your minimized programs'
Taskbar buttons.
Title Bar size can be (re)adjusted from Control Panel -> Display -> Appearance
tab -> Scheme -> Active Title Bar -> increase/decrease the number in the Size
box.
Run Regedit, go to the same Registry subkey used above, and modify the
"MinWidth" String value to read:
=> -285 if Title Bar size is 18.
=> -300 if Title Bar size is 19.
=> -315 if Title Bar size is 20.
Default value is -2310.
REENABLE PRINTING [+]
Courtesy of Diane (gamblingal@att.net).
"You may or may not know that the printing capability is disabled by default
(you usually get a blank page) when trying to print a web page from Windows
Explorer, Express Mail (Exchange), MS IE and OE if you have or have not
installed MS Internet Explorer 5.5 and/or Outlook Express 4.0/5.5 on your
Windows 95/98/ME machine.
But this can be corrected as per MSKB article Q271583:"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=271583
THE FIXES [recommended by Microsoft]:
1. In MS IE, OE or Exchange click the View menu -> point to Encoding ->
clear the Auto-Select box.
2. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
In the right hand pane look for the "Use StyleSheets" String Value.
Create it if not present, or edit it to change its value from no to yes
to enable the use of Style Sheets.
Then try to print a web page from Windows Explorer, MS IE or OE.
If the printing function is still disabled, if you get a blank page, or if
your printed page(s) look garbled, delete the "Use StyleSheets" value
altogether.
Exit the Registry Editor when done.
More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=272518
BROWSING SPEEDUP [+]
... Suggested by Ricky (johnson.ricky@verizon.net).
This tip works on ALL Windows 95/98/ME and NT4/2000/XP systems with MS
Internet Explorer 4/5/6 installed.
This Registry fix speeds up internet/remote (using Windows Explorer and/or
Internet Explorer) browsing process considerably on most MS Windows 32-bit
machines connected to a network and/or remote computer(s).
This actually fixes a BUG in MS Windows OSes that scan shared (remote)
folders/files across the network for Scheduled Tasks, and can add a delay as
long as 30 seconds (!), because it uses extra time to search the remote
computer(s). :(
To do this, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace
In the right hand pane highlight the {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}
Value and delete it: right-click on it -> select Delete -> click OK.
RECOMMENDED: Export (BACKUP) this Registry key to a REG file FIRST, to be able
to restore it (by running the REG file) if necessary. In Regedit: highlight
the key name in the left hand pane -> click "Registry" from the menu -> select
"Export Registry File..." -> type a file name in the "File name" field ->
browse to the destination of your choice -> push the Save button.
This Registry change takes effect immediately.
Just start MS IE while connected to the network/internet to see the
difference. :)
NOTE: Upgrading to a future MS Internet Explorer release or reinstalling it
may add this value to your Registry *again*, therefore you may need to delete
it *again* after (re)installing MS IE. :(
FYI: More info:
- MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=245800
- InfoWorld:
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/01/03/12/010312oplivingston.xml
TIMED SHUT DOWN [+]
This is a three part BUG fix.
1. The first part applies ONLY to Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), and involves
updating 2 BUGgy core files: USER.EXE + USER32.DLL (located by default in
C:\Windows\System), which corrects this issue documented @ MSKB:
Windows Stops Responding During Shutdown with Mapped Drives:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=260067
More info:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=242934
Download and install:
Win98 SE: [v4.10.2227] USER.EXE + USER32.DLL Fix [449 KB, English]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/win98SE/Update/7602/W98/EN-US/260067USA8.EXE
2. The second part [not exactly a fix, more like a workaround :)] comes from
Microsoft, and applies to ALL Windows 95 and 98 releases: they recommend to
upgrade to Windows ME [what, mo' money for a "point upgrade"?!] or to
disconnect ALL mapped network drives before shutting down Windows. :(
3. The third part [THE FIX! :)] applies ONLY to Windows 98 SE, and consists in
creating a Registry Value that allows the updated USER32.DLL + USER.EXE [after
installation and the mandatory reboot :)] enough time (delay) to complete all
pending (queued) broadcast messages (calls) sent by the shut down sequence to
MSGSRV32.EXE, especially when the respective computer is connected to 8 or
more mapped remote (network) drives, just before the kernel shuts down
Windows.
According to Microsoft, this is usually caused by either:
- 16-bit (Win16) applications that initiate the ExitWindows API function with
the EW_RESTARTWINDOWS (Windows restart) flag.
- Restarting Windows after updating video display drivers.
- Restarting Windows after changing display font size.
To do this, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Right-click in the right hand pane -> create a New DWORD Value called
"ShutDownWaitTime" -> click OK -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal box
-> type 3000 (3 seconds delay measured in milliseconds) -> click OK or press
Enter. This interval is optional, and can range anywhere from 1000 ms (1
second) up to 9999 ms (~ 10 seconds). Default value is 1500 ms (1.5 seconds).
CAUTION: Values smaller than 1000 may hang up Windows at the shut down screen!
Close the Registry editor and restart Windows when done.
FYI: See this MSKB article for a fix if using ANY Microsoft screen savers in
Win98 SE:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=280722
CACHE WRITE DELAY [+]
This is a two part BUG fix.
1. The first part applies to ALL Windows 95, 98 and ME releases, and involves
updating a BUGgy IFSMGR.VXD (Installable File Helper ManaGeR Virtual eXtended
Driver) file located by default in %windir%\System\Vmm32 (%windir% is usually
C:\Windows), which corrects these two vulnerability issues:
A. Windows 98 retail, 98 SP1, 98 SE + ME:
Win98 SE + WinME: ScanDisk Runs Even Though Windows Shuts Down Correctly:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=273017
WinME [v4.90.3002] IFSMGR.VXD Fix [224 KB, English]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Update/11956/WinME/EN-US/273017USAM.EXE
Win98 SE [v4.10.2225] IFSMGR.VXD Fix:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/contents/wucritical/q273017/
Direct download [225 KB, English]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/win98SE/Update/11956/W98/EN-US/273017USA8.EXE
Win98 retail and Win98 SP1 [v4.10.2001] IFSMGR.VXD Fix:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=256015
Direct download [222 KB, English]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/win98SE/Update/6467/W98/EN-US/256015USA8.EXE
These patches are also available at Microsoft Windows Update for automatic
installs:
http://www.windowsupdate.com/
FYI: If you have installed Windows 98/ME on a SCSI disk see this MSKB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=290831
B. Windows 95, OSR1 + OSR2:
Fatal Exception 0E With Multiple MS-DOS Device Names In Path:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=256015
Win95 retail and Win95a OSR1 [v4.00.0954] + Win95B/95C OSR2.x [v4.00.1116]
IFSMGR.VXD Fix [260 KB, English]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/win95/Update/6467/W95/EN-US/256015USA5.EXE
2. The second part applies ONLY to Windows 98 SE and ME, and consists in a
workaround, by creating a Registry Value that allocates the updated IFSMGR.VXD
[after installation and the mandatory reboot :)] enough time (delay) to write
(flush) all data stored in the memory cache buffer back to the hard
disk(s)/partition(s) while Windows shuts down.
This happens (according to the Microsoft explanation) because newer (E)IDE/ATA
hard drives (HDs) have their own built-in cache buffer memory [a good thing
;)], which do NOT send proper signals [a bad thing ;(] to the drive controller
[moreover if using a 3rd party proprietary add-on ATA66/ATA100/ATA133/RAID
(E)IDE controller], and therefore their cache will NOT empty (flush) correctly
upon OS shutdown, especially if your CPU clock speed is greater than 600 MHz,
and if your HD(s) built-in cache buffer is equal to or larger than 2 MB.
To do this, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
Right-click in the right hand pane -> create a New DWORD Value called
"CacheWriteDelay" (don't type the quotes) -> click OK -> double-click on it ->
check the Decimal box -> type 2000 (2 seconds delay measured in milliseconds);
if 2000 doesn't work properly on your PC type 4000 (4 seconds delay in
milliseconds) -> click OK or press Enter.
Close the Registry editor and restart Windows when done.
MAXIMIZE NOTEPAD [+]
1. Courtesy of Zazie (zazie.dawson@wanadoo.nl):
http://zazie.huizen.dds.nl/
"Don't you just hate it when you run Notepad and it won't start maximized, no
matter what? Well, I do!
To get Notepad to maximize upon startup, create a batch file with this line:
@START.EXE /MAX %windir%\NOTEPAD.EXE
This will start a DOS box and then Notepad. Call the batch NOTEMAX.BAT or
whatever you like.
Actually you should right-click on the BATch file's shorcut (PIF = MS-DOS
Program Information File), place a check mark in the "Close on exit" box under
the Programs tab, and make sure you run it Minimized. :)
Last step: associate your .INI and .TXT files with NOTEMAX.BAT.
You can do this by editing the Registry. Run Regedit and go to these keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\inifile\shell\open\command
@="%windir%\\NOTEPAD.EXE /n \"%1"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\txtfile\shell\open\command
@="\"%windir%\\NOTEPAD.EXE\" \"%1\""
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\Notepad.exe\shell\edit\command
@="%windir%\\NOTEPAD.EXE %1"
Replace all NOTEPAD.EXE instances under the "(Default)" String Values with
NOTEMAX.BAT, and make sure to type in the full path to your BAT file.
Close Regedit when done."
2. Courtesy of John (brazosjon@mastnet.net).
"Create a shortcut for Notepad. Right-click on it -> click on Properties ->
click on Shortcut tab -> go to Run -> change to Maximized -> hit OK, and
Notepad will open maximized from now on.
This works with most Windows apps."
MORE AIM BUDDIES [+]
Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon (PowerPenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html
"By default, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) allows you to have only a maximum of
160 buddies. While this is more than enough for most people, it is possible to
increase this value. Just run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\America Online\AOL Instant Messenger (TM)\CurrentVersion\Buddy\MaxBuddies
Change its default value of 160 to whatever number you want.
This value can also be lowered to restrict users if your machine is shared."
UPDATE:
"This does NOT work with older AIM v4.3.xxxx releases, but was tested and
works without side effects with ALL AIM v4.4.xxxx versions. I'm using AIM
v4.4.2286.
AIM v4.3.xxxx checks the "MaxBuddies" Registry value as you log on, and
subsequently changes it back to 160 if it is any different. Changing this
value while logged on does not work either. :(
By using this trick with AIM v4.4.xxxx you can open a virtually unlimited
amount of AIM clients and have them all signed on at the same time.
To accomplish this you need a hex editor. I use UltraEdit-32 [shareware, 45
days trial]:
http://www.ultraedit.com/
however ANY hex editor will do.
Exit AIM, and then copy your original AIM.EXE file (located in the root of
your AIM install folder) to something like AIM.OLD by running this command
from any DOS prompt:
COPY AIM.EXE AIM.OLD
Now open AIM.EXE into your favorite hex editor.
Search for the "Oscar_AppMutex" string and change any of its letters, words,
or you can even replace the entire string (don't type the quotes). Examples:
"Bored_ClientUI", "Oscar_TrashCan" etc.
You should now be able to run the newly edited AIM.EXE and sign on.
To have more than 2 clients open, repeat the above process, but change that
string to something different."
[Thank you Dave (exhydra@aol.com)!]
CPU PRIORITY [UPDATED 1-31-2001] [+]
Courtesy of Thomas Tompkins (thomast@ns.sympatico.ca, ICQ# 3001681):
http://www.webcom.com/highwebs/thomast/
1. Windows 95/98/ME users ONLY:
"Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\BIOS
In the right hand pane create a new DWORD Value called "CPUPriority" (no
quotes) -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal box -> type 1 -> click OK
to save.
This will speed things up by using the fastest priority to the CPU when
opening any program, and works on 99% of the PCs I've tried it on.
To reset to Windows 9x/ME default type 3 or delete this Value altogether.
To see your system's real time performance type 0 (NOT recommended by
Microsoft!).
In some cases this Registry BIOS key is absent, because enabling the BIOS
power management feature (APM) and the Win9x/ME ACPI BIOS extentions may
disable it!
Make sure there is a Plug and Play BIOS item listed in Control Panel -> System
-> Device Manager -> System devices.
Here are other DWORD Values (Decimal) you can use to tweak your CPU Priority
even further (under the same Registry key above):
- PCIConcur = 1 (enabled)
- FastDRAM = 1 (enabled)
- AGPConcur = 1 (enabled) [if your video controller is AGP based].
These settings speed up hardware specific operations by allowing installed
devices to use extra CPU cycles: PCI, AGP and/or DRAM based I/O transfers from
the motherboard interface/bus/bridge (PCI, AGP, DRAM) [-> to the motherboard
chipset/bus/bridge where applicable] -> to the CPU, and the other way around."
MEANING:
"CPUPriority" DWORD valid Decimal values:
0 = The foreground (active) app/game is assigned exclusive CPU cycles (real
time priority). WARNING: Use with caution!
1 = All open apps/games (foreground and background) benefit from a few more
CPU cycles than loaded Win32 TSRs/DLLs/Runtimes/APIs.
2 = All open apps/games (foreground and background) benefit from even more CPU
cycles than loaded Win32 TSRs/DLLs/Runtimes/APIs.
3 = All apps/games/TSRs/DLLs/Runtimes/APIs share same CPU cycles (default,
same as "CPUPriority" absent from Registry).
2. Windows NT4/2000/ME/XP users ONLY:
"This Registry hack might fix your CPU Priority if you don't have a PnP BIOS.
Recently I got a new motherboard and CPU: a P3 1 GHz with 512 MB RAM and an
AX34 Pro II black PCB mobo.
When I loaded Windows I noticed I now have ACPI BIOS, and I found out that
this new Registry setting overrides the first one (see "CPUPriority" above),
increasing CPU priority by 50 to 100%.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\PriorityControl
or create it if not present: right-click on an empty spot -> select New -> Key
-> paste "PriorityControl" (no quotes) into the type-in box -> click OK to
save.
Now highlight this key, and in the right hand pane create a new DWORD
[REG_DWORD] Value called "Win32PrioritySeparation" (no quotes) -> double-click
on it -> check the Decimal box -> type 1 -> click OK to save.
When this baby is set to 1, the foreground (active) application has more CPU
power than the background (inactive) apps (if any), and if you set the value
to 2, you get even more power to the foreground app:
0 = Foreground and background applications equally responsive.
1 = Foreground application more responsive than background.
2 = Best foreground application response time.
The maximum value allowed is 26 (Hex) or 38 (Decimal).
See Snakefoot's WinNT4/2000/XP Tweak 13 for more info:
http://snakefoot.fateback.com/tweak/winnt/tweak.html#QUANTUM
Play around with these values till you find your own "sweet spot".
BEWARE: Higher settings will drag down system resources considerably,
especially when doing something big, like saving a huge Photoshop file, but
hey, it saved it pretty darn quick. :)"
More info:
- MSKB: "REG: CurrentControlSet, PART 1":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=102987
- "Inside MS Windows 2000, 3rd Edition: Chapter 6: Processes, Threads and
Jobs (continued)":
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/sampchap/4354.asp
- MS Win2000: "Change the performance of foreground and background programs":
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/sysdm_advancd_perform_usage_assign_resources.htm
FEEDBACK:
1. Some PCs powered by AMD K7 (Athlon) CPUs and AMD compatible chipsets may
NOT have the \VxD\BIOS Registry key installed, and therefore canNOT use the
"CPUPriority" setting. :( [Thank you Peter (phtran@geocities.com)!]
2. "CPUPriority works fine on my PC: AMD K6 450 MHz + 3DNow and Viatech MVP3
chipset." [Thank you Julian White (craniel@netscape.net)!]
3. "I have used the "CPUPriority" setting of 1 on my E-machine box: AMD K6-2
500 MHz (upgraded), Win98 original. For some reason it reverted itself to 0!"
[Thank you Greg (xxxooo27@ix.netcom.com)!]
NEW IE SEARCH BUTTONS [+]
Courtesy of Jsjr (bootdisk@startdisk.com):
http://www.startdisk.com/
"This is an enhancement to a Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5/6 tweak
published at Got Apex:
http://www.gotapex.com/reviews/wintweak/p3.html
that adds new IE buttons to search for your favorite web sites and/or access
your download folder directly (default is C:\Downloads on Win9x/ME systems
with MS IE 4/5/6 installed).
We've enhanced it with animated icons that follow the Microsoft convention of
"greyscale=mouse off" and "color=mouse over".
Plus, we have added a new twist: search up to 14 search engines at one time
(to improve finding what you want) by making a new IE button to link to Kevin
Solway's Internet Search utility (freeware):
http://www.theabsolute.net/sware/#ssearch
Of course, the usual caveats apply to changing the directory references in
both Registry files to point to the correct location of the icons and to the
Solway Search program (%windir% = default is C:\Windows).
After installing the Solway Search tool (make sure Ssearch.exe resides in
your Windows 9x/ME folder), move the 4 icons to your Windows folder, and then
(double)-click on the REG file to merge this info into your Registry.
Then fire up IE and have fun. :)"
Necessary files list (all included):
- DWNLD.ICO Colored Download Icon
- DWNLDBW.ICO Black & White Download Icon
- FIND.ICO Colored Find Icon
- FINDBW.ICO Black & White Find Icon
- DWNLFIND.REG IE Download + Find REG file
CUSTOMIZE YAHOO MESSENGER [+]
Courtesy of Jesse (jzufall1@yahoo.com):
http://www.intelgampa.com/
"In Yahoo Messenger (YM):
http://messenger.yahoo.com/
you can create new (or customize your own) status messages and their icons by
hacking the Registry.
Make sure to replace "UserID" below with your actual user ID.
The "x_DND=dword:xxxxxxxx" lines are for changing the icons, with 00000000
being the smiley face, and 00000001 showing the busy icon.
Here is an example, saved as a REG file, you can merge into your Registry by
(double)-clicking on it. Change the lines you want (or add more) with your
own messages:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Yahoo\Pager\profiles\UserID\Custom Msgs]
"1"="Gone Fishing"
"1_DND"=dword:00000000
"2"="Chasing Mama"
"2_DND"=dword:00000001
"3"="Drunk"
"3_DND"=dword:00000000
"4"="Bored"
"4_DND"=dword:00000001
"5"="Cleaning Up"
"5_DND"=dword:00000000
------End cut & paste here------"
DELETE OUTLOOK PASSWORD [+]
Courtesy of Hwang315 (hwang315@ezwin.net).
"In case you have forgotten or lost your MS Outlook Express (OE) 4/5 identity
password, you can remove it by hacking the Registry, to be able to access OE
again. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider\*Default*\Data\89c39569-6841-11d2-9f59-0000f8085266
or to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider\<UserName>\Data\89c39569-6841-11d2-9f59-0000f8085266
If user profiles are enabled on your computer, go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider\<UserName>\Data\89c39569-6841-11d2-9f59-0000f8085266
Then delete its subkey.
Now open OE and type in a new identity password.
Note that the subkey name and the CLSID are the same. There is difference of
uppercase and lowercase.
If you know your CLSID, go to this Registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{CLSID}
to find out the OE password key name."
FYI: See these MSKB articles:
- "OL2000: (IMO) Save Password Setting Not Saved When Connecting to POP
Server":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=235864
- "OLEXP: Error Message: MSIMN Caused an Invalid Page Fault in Module
DIRECTDB.DLL":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=225867
TWEAK WEB VIEW [+]
Courtesy of Neil (neilturner@myrealbox.com):
http://www.neilturner.me.uk/
"In Windows 95/OSR2 (with MS IE 4/5 installed), 98, ME, 2000 and XP [which
install MS IE 5/6 anyway :)] you can use Web View in Windows Explorer, and if
you do, you'll notice that some folders look and work different (eg. Fonts,
Favorites, Tasks etc). These are all controlled by the Desktop.ini file in
that folder, but this file is usually "masked" so that you can't see it, like
in the Favorites and Fonts folders.
But it's still there, and this Registry hack will let you access it:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\desktop.ini]
@="Edit &Folder Settings"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\desktop.ini\command]
@="NOTEPAD.EXE \"%1\\DESKTOP.INI\""
------End cut & paste here------
Save this REG file as EDITDESK.REG and then (double)-click on it.
Any other text editor will work if you don't care about the (primitive)
Notepad. :)
From now on, whenever you right-click on a folder, you will get a new option
called "Edit Folder Settings". Choosing this will open Desktop.ini in Notepad
for editing.
You can also add these lines to Desktop.ini:
[.ShellClassInfo]
InfoTip=Take a look at this folder...
IconFile=C:\Windows\Winver.exe
IconIndex=0
MEANING:
- InfoTip: a tip that appears in the left portion of the screen, or as a
tooltip when you hover the mouse over the file.
- IconFile: with this you can have special icons for each of your folders. For
example, for "My Pictures" you could use "C:\Program
Files\Accessories\Paint.exe" on the IconFile line, or for "My Music" you could
use "C:\Windows\System\Quartz.dll".
- IconIndex: the icon position (number) inside the DLL/EXE file: first one is
0, second one is 1, third one is 2 etc. This is used when there are more than
1 icons in the file. To use the default icon you should use 0.
Some Desktop.ini files include also other lines, such as CLSID={...}, which
make folder "magic", and some have more sections, such as those where
Thumbnail view is enabled, or those with customized left panels, like the main
Windows folder.
Programs such as Folder Icon Wizard (freeware):
http://ftp.pcworld.com/pub/new/utilities/desktop/cfeicw11.zip
can be used to change these options."
FYI: More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=190355
ADVANCED OPTIONS GALORE [+]
I have been using the "(in)famous" Microsoft TweakUI Power Toy:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
since my early Win95 days, when MS first posted it on their web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/
to be able to customize the GUI "looks", stability, ease of use, performance,
security etc.
But as you all know by now :) [see "BUGGY TWEAKUI 98" in TIPS98.TXT (included)
for details], the (too) many TweakUI consecutive releases [see "FREE WINDOWS
9x/NT/2000/ME/XP SYSTEM + REGISTRY TWEAKERS" in SOFTWARE.TXT (included)]
were/are more or less stable/buggy. So I gave up on using it altogether, in
favor of the most comprehensive, feature loaded, (I consider) the BEST Windows
9x/NT/2000/ME/XP tweaking/hacking power tool ever created... you might have
guessed what I'm talking about if you thought of Xteq X-Setup. :) And to top
it all off, X-Setup is also 100% FREE(ware) for personal use:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/x-award.htm
But the subject of this "rambling" is actually to show you an easy way to
safely implement most of the MS TweakUI features into your "every day" Windows
9x/ME Explorer tool.
If you: open Explorer -> click the View (Win98/ME/IE5/IE6) or Tool (Win95/IE4)
menu item -> click the Folder Options... item at the bottom -> click the View
tab -> look at the Advanced menu -> you'll see there some interface (GUI)
settings you can modify to your heart content by clicking away those check
boxes. If you have never added anything to the Advanced menu, there's not much
you can change there, except: Folder view, File attributes, and a few basic MS
IE options.
To delve (much) deeper into your GUI settings, just open Windows Explorer or
File Manager (FM = C:\Windows\Winfile.exe), (double)-click on ADVANCED.REG
(included), and answer Yes/OK to all nagging prompts.
Now reopen Windows Explorer and access the Advanced menu (see above) again.
You'll see a long list of new hidden options you can "play" with: AutoPlay for
all possible drives in your system, Destop, Tool Bars, Active Desktop,
Documents, Favorites, Logoff, Run, Task Bar, Start Menu, Shell Extensions,
Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer interface/security, Desktop Icons and
Shell Icons display/size, GUI Animation and Update, Mouse and X-Mouse etc.
Note that you need to have MS IE 4/5/6 installed:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/
IF using Win95/OSR1/OSR2 to enable all these options, and the X-Mouse settings
are properly enabled ONLY IF using Win98/98 SE/ME!
CREDITS:
The "Hidden files", "Show all files", "Do not show hidden files" and "Do not
show hidden or system files" options were created by John Woram, MS Windows
expert:
http://www.woram.com/99-02.HTM
FYI:
See this "Options for Explorer, Desktop and Start Menu" page for similar
Advanced Options:
http://www.mvps.org/serenitymacros/explorer.html
Have fun!
INCREASE NETBIOS SECURITY [+]
This workaround applies to ALL Windows 95/98/ME users IF your ONLY connection
is established through dial-up (28.8, 33.6, 56 kbps analog modems) or
broadband (xDSL, Cable, satellite, ISDN modems) over the Internet, and IF NOT
using the NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System) protocol.
More info on NetBIOS:
- MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=128233
- Symantec:
http://security.norton.com/us/NetBIOS_FAQ.asp
WARNING: If (also) using a network/LAN/WAN/peer-to-peer/etc hookup, this
Registry hack may disable/impair your connection(s), especially IF using the
NetBIOS protocol over a network!
ADVANTAGES: Better security and eventually increased transfer speed.
If you meet ALL conditions above, start by BACKING UP these 2 Registry keys as
REG files to a safe location (call them let's say VNETBIOS.REG + VNETSUP.REG):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\VNETBIOS
and:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\VNETSUP
To do this, fire up Regedit: highlight each key name above in the left hand
pane -> click "Registry" from the menu -> select "Export Registry File..." ->
type a file name in the "File name" field -> browse to the destination of your
choice -> click the Save button.
Now you're ready to delete these 2 keys from your Registry: highlight the key
name -> hit Del -> click OK or press Enter.
Then move to the same backup folder these 2 files from your C:\Windows\System
folder: VNETBIOS.VXD + VNETSUP.VXD.
Finally, restart Windows to allow these changes to take effect.
FYI:
- Install ALL CURRENT Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2/98/98 SE/ME Microsoft DUN + TCP/IP
Updates + Patches for optimal performance + security from SOFTWARE.TXT
(included), or go to:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/web.htm
- See this MS Windows Internet Connection Security page:
http://grc.com/su-rebinding9x.htm
- See these Internet security links for more info:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/modem.htm#TS
Whenever you add a new connection/network protocol or make changes to your
network/DUN (Dial-Up Networking) settings, you may need to delete these
Registry keys and files all over again. To save time, run this REG file which
deletes automatically the Registry keys above, every time after such changes
are made to your system:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\VNETBIOS]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\VNETSUP]
------End cut & paste here------
To verify if this workaround makes any difference, perform these free Internet
security checkups (port scans):
- Shields Up!:
https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
- Broadband Reports:
http://www.broadbandreports.com/scan/
BEFORE and AFTER making these system changes.
I have successfully experimented this hack with Win98 SE and WinME, connecting
to the Internet with an ADSL modem provided by Qwest MegaBit DSL service:
http://www.qwest.com/dsl/
using PPTP (Point to Point Tunneling Protocol) and a dynamic IP address, which
allowed my computer's NetBIOS port to remain CLOSED (was OPEN before) to ALL
probing attempts. All other scanned TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) ports are also CLOSED.
Note that I was NOT connected to ANY network and I was NOT using ANY firewall
during these tests!
A MUST: Get a FREE(ware) firewall from this "FREE WINDOWS 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP
INTERNET MONITORS" list in SOFTWARE.TXT (included)!
UPDATE:
"Remove NetBios from TCP/IP without touching the Registry:
1. Open Network Properties.
2. If you have a peer-to-peer network and wish to share files, install
Microsoft NetBeui, and set it as the default protocol.
3. Change the Logon type to Windows Logon.
4. Reboot.
5. Open Network Properties.
6. For EVERY TCP/IP occurrence: select Properties -> Bindings -> uncheck
Microsoft Network and File/Print Sharing EVEN for TCP/IP Dial-Up Adapter.
Windows will complain that you have not bound TCP/IP to anything, but when it
asks if you want to bind it to something, click No.
7. Reboot when prompted.
8. Open Network Properties.
9. Check to make sure that NetBios is unchecked in ALL TCP/IP properties, if
it is checked, uncheck it, and then reboot if necessary.
You have now disabled NetBios support with TCP/IP, and ALL your File/Print
Sharing is done by NetBeui, which is inaccessible from the internet.
Happy (safer) surfing!"
[Thank you Gary!]
CLEAR MEDIA PLAYER HISTORY [+]
Courtesy of Terry (tblount2@flash.net), Crack Talk Newsletter editor:
http://newswork.netfirms.com/
"Microsoft Windows Media Player2 v7.x (WMP7) for Win98/2000/ME [9 MB, free]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/software/playerv7.asp
and MS WMP v6.4 (WMP6) for Win9x/NT4 [3.5 MB, free]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/win32otherx86.asp
both keep a list of recent video/audio files you have played, as well as any
streaming media you have viewed/listened to over the internet.
Anyone with access to your computer can open Media Player and review the last
10 media files you have played. If you share your system with others, you may
not like to have this option enabled. WMP does not offer any way to turn it
off, or even clear it, and I have not found any "history washing" utilities
able to do this either.
So how can we clear the history list? Never fear, I have come up with a
working solution. :) The list of most recent files (maximum 10) played by WMP
is stored under these Registry keys:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[-HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\RecentFileList]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\RecentFileList]
------End cut & paste here------
Paste the text between these lines in Notepad, and save it as NOPLAY.REG.
Replace the ".Default" string above with your Windows OS user's name (if any).
From now on run it from: Start button -> Settings -> Taskbar -> Advanced ->
Add -> type/paste this command line (to import the REG file in "silent" mode):
REGEDIT.EXE /S C:\REGFILES\NOPLAY.REG
then click Next -> scroll down to Startup -> highlight Startup -> click Next
-> click Finish, to empty your recent WMP history every time Windows GUI
loads.
Just make sure you exit WMP first. If WMP is open, it will rewrite the current
history list (kept in memory) into the Registry upon closing.
You can also create a DOS batch file (i.e. NOPLAY.BAT) with these lines:
@%windir%\REGEDIT.EXE /S C:\REGFILES\NOPLAY.REG
@C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\WMPLAYER.EXE
@EXIT
if using WMP7, or with these lines:
@%windir%\REGEDIT.EXE /S C:\REGFILES\NOPLAY.REG
@C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\MPLAYER2.EXE
@EXIT
if using WMP6, place it in C:\REGFILES (example) and then make a shortcut to
it. Change the paths if different on your PC."
UNKNOWN FILE EXTENSION [+]
Courtesy of Neil (neilturner@myrealbox.com):
http://www.neilturner.me.uk/
"This tip allows you to change what Explorer shows as File Type when the file
extension doesn't match any entry in the Registry.
Under normal circumstances, if there is no corresponding entry in the
Registry, Explorer will call unknown files "LOG file" (example), and this
changes depending on what extension each file has (for example "DAT file",
"BIN file" etc). But you change it to something more consistent.
Fire up Regedit, and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown
Here change the "(Default)" String value to whatever name you want. I
recommend something like "Unknown File" (without the quotes).
For ease of use you can create a REG file (in Notepad) called UNKNOWN.REG:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown]
@="Unknown File"
------End cut & paste here------
To revert back to the default behaviour, delete the "(Default)" value.
Although the value itself won't disappear [because it is a default value :)],
its contents is cleared this way, to resurrect the default behaviour.
Restart Windows for the changes to take effect."
REMOVE NETSCAPE AIM [+]
If you have installed any Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.xx browser release
on your Windows 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP machine, you may have noticed that AOL
Instant Messenger (AIM) was also installed as a "mandatory" component [since
America Online Inc. now owns Netscape Communications :(], a new AIM icon was
created on your Desktop, and an AIM link was created in your Start menu ->
Programs -> Netscape Communicator 4.xx folder.
Sure, some of us use AIM to "talk" to their Internet "buddies" who have also
installed the free AIM client, either separately, or "bundled" with other
software packages.
But others [like myself :)] do not use AIM nor intend to use it.
So I found a way to safely remove ALL AIM components/files/settings from my
computer.
You need to close ALL Netscape and AIM instances for this to work.
I started by erasing the entire C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Aim
folder (default installation).
Then I have wiped out Launch.aim, a file residing usually in the
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Users\UserName folder (default
installation). Replace UserName with your actual Netscape email user name.
I've also deleted the AIM icon from my Desktop, and the AIM link from the
C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Netscape Communicator 4.xx folder by
right-clicking on them and selecting Delete.
Last step was to remove ALL AOL Instant Messenger related Registry entries.
To do this I have created the DELETAIM.REG file (using Notepad), containing
these lines (notice the minus signs in front of the key names which delete
the respective keys and ALL their subkeys):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.aim]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\aimfiles]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\America Online\AOL Instant Messenger (TM)]
[-HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\America Online\AOL Instant Messenger (TM)]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\aim.exe]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.blt]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\AOL Instant Messenger.ConfigFile]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"AOL Instant Messenger"=-
------End cut & paste here------
and ran (merged) it from File Manager (FM = C:\Windows\WINFILE.EXE), but you
can also use Windows Explorer for this purpose.
Finally I have restarted Windows.
Done. :)
FYI:
- You can also do this by using TakeAIM [53 KB, freeware]:
http://www.freebrowsers.com/takeaim/takeaimzip.exe
- See this Netscape Help Knowledge Base page for more info:
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19971116-8.html
REMOVE SYSTEM FOLDERS [+]
Try this tip, courtesy of Skyler (NemesisEra@hotmail.com):
http://pcfaqs.20m.com/
"To remove the "Dial-Up Networking" (DUN), "Scheduled Tasks" and "Web Folders"
folders from My Computer (a.k.a. Windows Explorer), follow these directions:
1. Open Regedit.
2. Browse to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace
3. Delete all these subkeys:
{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48} = Dial-Up Networking
{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} = Scheduled Tasks
{BDEADF00-C265-11d0-BCED-00A0C90AB50F} = Web Folders
Some of them may not be listed on your particular system because they are
Windows 98/98 SE and MS IE 5.xx specific.
NOTE: It is recommended to NOT remove the DUN folder, because if you ever want
to (re)configure your current DUN connection, or create a new connectoid, you
won't be able to!"
FYI: See "DELETE DESKTOP ICONS" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for more system
folders.
96-BIT VIDEO RESOLUTION [+]
Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon (PowerPenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html
"By default, Windows 9x/2000 only allows for 32-bit color, which translates
into approximately 32 bits per pixel. This may be OK if you have a standard
PCI/AGP video card, but if you have a more powerful (and expensive) one, you
may not be taking full advantage of its capabilities.
To increase your color depth to a higher value in Windows 9x/ME (usually 64 or
96-bit for high-end controllers at the time of this writing), open Regedit and
go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Display\Settings
There you'll see the "BitsPerPixel" String Value. It probably has a default of
32. Change it to the maximum available for your video card (RTFM = Read The
Freakin' Manual *FIRST* to avoid damaging your video card!) and you're all
set.
There you'll see another String Value named "Resolution". As long as the
width/hight ratio is kept proportional, you can set a screen resolution
HIGHER than the maximum of 1280x1024 allowed by the Display applet (your
mileage may vary depending on your vid card model/features)! Perfect for your
40 inch flat screen. ;-)
There are other values under this Registry key, which control screen position
etc.
The Registry keys for Windows 2000 are somewhat more complicated, as they are
different for each video card (sustitute "CARDNAME" below with your actual
Win2K vid controller name). Open Regedit or Regedt32 and go to:
1. This key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Hardware Profiles\000x\System\CurrentControlSet\SERVICES\CARDNAME\DEVICE0
and change Default.Settings.BitsPerPixel to the highest for your card.
2. Then to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Hardware Profiles\000x\System\CurrentControlSet\SERVICES\CARDNAME\DEVICE0\Mon80000000
and change the same value to your card's highest value.
3. And finally to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Hardware Profiles\000x\System\CurrentControlSet\SERVICES\CARDNAME\VGASAVE\DEVICE0
and change the number from the default of 4 to something like 16.
This is very dangerous, as drivers are being run in "real-mode" at startup!
Changing these settings gives you more control over your display, but if you
don't know EXACTLY what you are doing, you can easily screw things up. :(
Reboot Windows to enjoy the changes."
UPDATE:
"Regarding the way human vision perceives colors rendered on a digital raster
display, 96-bit color depth is a complete non-sequitur. The (average?) human
eye is not capable of distinguishing 96 bits of color depth. This hack only
substantially slows down video performance."
[Thank you Mark Craig (macraig@bigfoot.com)!]
CD-ROM/DVD + HARD DISK MAX CACHE [UPDATED 7-26-2000] [+]
These cool [and completely UNDOCUMENTED!] Win95/98/ME Registry hacks appear
courtesy of Thomas B. Tompkins (thomast@ns.sympatico.ca, ICQ# 3001681):
http://www.webcom.com/highwebs/thomast/
With author's approval I have compiled Thomas' 5 e-mails into this single
article, and added more details and explanations. :) Yo' DA MAN, Thomas!
NOTES:
- See "CD-ROM/DVD MAX SPEED" and "MAX CACHE SPEED" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file)
for more details, and to learn how to MAXimize your CD-ROM/DVD and hard
disk(s) access performance!
- BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES FIRST!
"1. BOOST CD-ROM/DVD READ AHEAD CACHE:
I found out that a Windows 9x/ME cd-rom cache of 8 MB (8192 KB) is a little
over the top. :) I even had it at 64 MB and my machine locked up, so I
"downsized" it to 4 MB (4096 KB) and guess what, it rocks! Caching every CD
folder is like killer open speed!
This is the REG file to create a 4 MB CD-ROM/DVD cache (copy & paste it in
Notepad) by modifying/creating the "Required Pause Tolerance" Binary [hex]
Value:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CD-ROM]
"Required Pause Tolerance"=hex:e7,13,00,00
------End cut & paste here------
NOTE: The "CD-ROM" Registry key above may NOT exist on "clean install" Windows
98/ME systems, in which case you need to create it by running this REG file.
[Thank you Gavin (tip@beesknees.freeserve.co.uk)!]
If you want to use a larger cache, this is how to figure it out:
Create a new "dummy" DWORD Value which you can delete later (the name is of no
importance), and start up with a Decimal Value of 5000. You will see a new
setting: 5 MB (5120 KB) = 5083 in Decimal to be exact. Now use the 4
Hexadecimal double digit groups in reversed order in your "Required Pause
Tolerance" Binary [hex] Value box. Example:
DWORD [Decimal] = 5083
DWORD [Hexadecimal] = 000013db
Binary [hex] = db,13,00,00
Just don't type the commas. :)
You can go on up from there, but BEWARE of using larger values that might slow
down the access, or even generate lockups if your computer has less than 64 MB
RAM!
After applying the desired values by running (merging) your saved REG file
into the Registry (using Explorer or File Manager), a reboot is necessary for
the new settings to take effect.
Now you can even see the change in Control Panel -> System -> Performance tab
-> File System button -> CD-ROM tab -> Settings:
"Windows will use 4096 kilobytes of physical memory to optimize CD-ROM
performance during data access."
This seems to help greatly with CD-R/CD-RW burning, eliminating potential
buffer underruns.
2. BOOST HARD DISK READ AHEAD CACHE:
The best part is that you can also increase the "ReadAheadThreshold" Binary
[hex] Value (which applies to ALL drives installed in your Windows 98/ME
system, NOT available on Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2!) under this Registry key (as
displayed in a REG file):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\FileSystem]
"ReadAheadThreshold"=hex:00,00,00,0f
------End cut & paste here------
In this case the read ahead threshold is set to 1.87 MB (1920 KB).
The beauty is that Windows uses this memory dynamically to read ahead, only
when opening files/folders, returning it back to the system afterwards.
As far as I'm aware these are the maximum values allowed by Windows 9x/ME for
"ReadAheadThreshold", "NameCache" and "PathCache" (save this as a REG file):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]
"ReadAheadThreshold"=hex:00,00,00,ff
"NameCache"=hex:00,ff,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:ff,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Maximum Performance]
@="Maximum Performance"
"NameCache"=hex:00,ff,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:ff,00,00,00
------End cut & paste here------
In this case Windows will cache up to 65280 files (the "NameCache" Value) and
up to 255 folders (the "PathCache" Value).
WARNINGS:
- Together the settings above will "eat up" up to 64 MB of your system memory!
Use them ONLY IF your computer has at least 128 - 256 MB RAM!
- If using an AGP video controller you may also need to decrease the "AGP
Aperture/Memory Size/Range" setting in the BIOS (the name depends on
motherboard/BIOS manufacturer) to 32 MB, or 16 MB (which actually disables the
use of system memory for video tasks through the AGP bus), or even lower
(minimum allowed is 4 MB). Otherwise you may experience machine lockups!
If you decide to use them [with CAUTION!]: after merging this REG file into
your Registry, start using the "Maximum Performance" setting from: Control
Panel -> System -> Performance tab -> File System button -> Hard Disk tab ->
Select "Maximum Performance" in the "Typical role of this computer" box ->
click OK/Apply twice -> reboot when prompted."
UPDATE:
"SmartBuffer [shareware, $10 :(]:
http://www.smartalec2000.com/
can also set the HD cache buffer in the Registry, which maxes out at 2 MB:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]
"DriveWriteBehind"=hex:ff,ff,ff,ff
"NameCache"=hex:ff,ff,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:ff,00,00,00
"ReadAheadThreshold"=hex:ff,ff,ff,ff
"ContigFileAllocSize"=dword:00000200
------End cut & paste here------"
[Thank you sToRmMoNkEy (d_lamar@hotmail.com)!]
TELNET TWEAKS [+]
... Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon (powerpenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html
"There are still a lot of people who use Windows Telnet to access remote
computers. It seems slow, ugly, and a general pain in the neck.
Luckily, while I was tweaking my *very* old x486 laptop, I discovered some
interesting Registry keys. Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Telnet
There you will see several DWORD and String Values which should be fairly
self-explanatory. Here are a few helpful settings:
"CursorEditFlags"="3" -> This defines how many flags are used when editing a
Telnet session. Try different values until you find one you like.
"Machine1"="xx.x.xxx.xxx" -> Defines the default IP address of the computer
you are contacting (changes after successful logon).
"WinPosLeft"="16" -> Defines how far to the left the session box is placed.
"WinPosTop"="16" -> Defines how far from the top the session box is placed.
"SmoothScroll"="1" -> Win98 Smooth Scrolling does not work for Telnet, but
setting this key to 1 (default is 0) will enable Telnet smooth scrolling."
FASTER INTERNET [+]
... As brought to you courtesy of Richard (richardng@maxis.net.my).
"It seems that in addition to the new entry for the "WIN98 GLOBAL RWIN
TCP/IP BUG" fix from TIPS98.TXT (included) in the MSTCP parameters, as well
as all the described Registry fixes in your other articles, not only
improved the speed of my Internet connection, but also dramatically improves
my browsing speed if you add these three new entries under the "MSTCP"
Registry key, as shown in this REG file:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP]
"Tcp1323Opts"="1"
"SackOpts"="1"
"BSDUrgent"="1"
------End cut & paste here------
Copy this text in Notepad, save it with the .REG extension, then
right-click on it in Explorer and select Merge.
These are ALL String Values, and the recommended numeric value is 1 for ALL
three.
All above settings (and more) are described in this MSKB article:"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=158474
NOTE: MSKB incorrectly lists "Tcp1323Opts" as DWORD Value for Win9x/ME.
[Thank you Ashley (ashdaw@optushome.com.au)!]
ENABLE EDITFLAGS [+]
Courtesy of Neil (neilturner@myrealbox.com):
http://www.neilturner.me.uk/
"This is a list of "EditFlags" functions to control how items appear in the
Windows Explorer Folder Options dialog:
"01 00 00 00" = Allows all commands to be altered (like most other file
types).
"d8 07 00 00" = Doesn't allow user to change the default action, or delete
existing actions (like MS-DOS Batch Files).
"d2 01 00 00" = Only allows a few options to be changed (like Drive).
"d0 04 00 00" = Item appears in list, but can't be edited or deleted at all
(like Applications).
"02 00 00 00" = Disables changing of MIME types (like AudioCD and URL
Protocols).
"00 00 00 00" = Item doesn't appear on list (like .DLL files, or "Application
Extensions" as Microsoft likes to called them).
Here is a list of File Types which Windows 9x/ME "hides" by default:
- .386 = Virtual Device Drivers.
- .DLL = Application Extensions.
- .DRV = Virtual Device Drivers.
- .LNK = Shortcuts. The "EditFlags" here is a DWORD Value.
- .PIF = Shortcut to MS-DOS Programs.
- .SYS = System Files.
- .VXD = Virtual Device Drivers.
Example of Registry key containing the "EditFlags" Binary [hex] Value, as it
appears in a .REG (registration, plain text) file:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
@="exefile"
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,01,00
------End cut & paste here------
A known "issue" with these is that changing the value for Applications (.EXE
files) has no effect. I haven't checked some of the other executable types.
These Registry tweaks are also available as separate plug-ins (6 plug-ins,
each covering one file type: .386, .CPL, .DLL, .DRV, .PIF, .SYS and .VXD) for
XTeq X-Setup, the best Win9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 power user system tweaker
(freeware for personal use):"
http://www.xteq.com/products/xset/
FYI: More info:
- MSKB: "Internet Explorer Opens .exe Files Instead of Downloading Them":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=140991
- MSKB: "Cannot Run Shortcuts from the Start Menu or from the Desktop":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=172223
- Bud's RegTips:
http://www.wintrouble.net/discus/messages/62/2159.html
- Registry EditFlags:
http://www.cpcug.org/user/clemenzi/technical/WinExplorer/WinExplorerEditFlags.htm
- Serenity Macros: File Types in Folder Options:
http://www.mvps.org/serenitymacros/rightclick.html
ENABLE UDMA/RAID HARD DISK DMA (My ©trick) [+]
This tweak applies to ALL Windows 95/98/ME users who own add-on/3rd
party/proprietary UDMA/UATA 66/100/133 EIDE and (most likely, because the
principle is the same) RAID hard disk controllers installed into their PCs.
FYI: You may not observe any disk access improvement (and you do NOT need to
alter your Registry) with some UDMA/66/100/133 controllers, like the ones
manufactured by Promise Technology:
http://www.promise.com/
because these have the DMA setting enabled by default into the drivers.
[Thank you Bob (am_dew@primenet.com)!]
I'm not going to detail here the meaning of U(ltra)DMA/U(ltra)ATA/66/100/133,
EIDE or RAID, because it is not the purpose of this article. ;) See
GLOSSARY.TXT (included) for info.
I have tested and am using successfully this Registry workaround with my High
Point Technologies UDMA66 IDE hard disk controller model HPT366:
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/hpt366.htm
(running Win98 SE) built into my Abit BE6-II Pentium II/III Slot 1 PCI/AGP
motherboard:
http://www.abit-usa.com/products/mb/products.php?model=119
The HPT366 updated drivers [v1.25, current as of 4-19-2000] for Windows
95/98/ME can be downloaded from High Point Tech:
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/366drivers.htm
and also from Abit [v70 driver, current as of 12-3-2001]:
http://fae.abit.com.tw/eng/download/bios/be6ii.htm
So far so good. But what I didn't quite like is that after properly installing
the HPT366 drivers (any version!) in Windows 98 SE, the DMA option, usually
available for all (E)IDE drives (hard disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R(W)s, DVDs etc)
connected to the standard motherboard (E)IDE controller (NOT add-on!), which
can be enabled in: Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager tab -> Disk
drives (or CDROM) -> Your "Drive Name + Model Number" here -> Settings tab ->
DMA toggle check box, was NOT present!
Not a problem though. I've found a simple way [read Registry tweak :)] to
bring back the DMA setting for both my IBM Deskstar 22GXP UDMA66 (22 GB) EIDE
hard drives, hooked up to the HPT366 ATA/66 controller.
Fire up Regedit and go to the add-on disk controller Registry key(s), in this
case the HPT366 "SCSIAdapter" key(s):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\SCSIAdapter\0001
and:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\SCSIAdapter\0002
which MUST show the respective adapter name on the "DriverDesc" String Value,
in this case: "Highpoint Technology Inc. HPT366 Ultra DMA 66 Controller".
There are two keys here because I have two UDMA66 EIDE hard drives connected
to my add-on adapter. You might have only one key if using only one drive
[jumpered as master, of course :)].
In the right hand pane of both keys above: right-click -> select New -> Binary
Value -> name it "IDEDMADRIVE0" (don't type the quotes) -> click OK ->
double-click on it -> type 01 -> click OK. This will enable the DMA box on the
master (single or primary in 2 drives setup) hard drive. I have two, so I
created another Binary Value (by performing same steps) named "IDEDMADRIVE1"
(secondary or slave in 2 drives setup), and I gave it the same value: 01.
Then you need to point Regedit to the HKLM\Enum\PCI\ and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\SCSI\ keys that contain the "incriminated" add-on bus
adapter and disk subsystem registered vendor serial numbers (refering here to
the same example above):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\PCI\VEN_1103&DEV_0004&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_01\BUS_00&DEV_13&FUNC_01
and respectively:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\SCSI\IBM-DJNA-372200_________J\PCI&VEN_1103&DEV_0004&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_01&BUS_00&DEV_13&FUNC_0000
which MUST show the respective adapter name on the "DeviceDesc" String Value,
in this case: "Highpoint Technology Inc. HPT366 Ultra DMA 66 Controller".
In the right hand pane: right-click -> select New -> Binary Value -> name it
"DMACurrentlyUsed" (don't type the quotes) -> click OK -> double-click on it
-> type 01 -> click OK.
Close Regedit when done and restart Windows.
Now go to: Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager tab -> Disk drives ->
Your "Drive Name + Model Number" here -> Settings tab -> DMA box -> left-click
it once to place a checkmark in it -> click OK/Apply twice. Repeat these steps
for ALL your drives connected to the add-on adapter -> reboot your system when
prompted.
Voila!
DIRECTX TWEAKS (My ©trick) [+]
Below are listed most of the DirectX DirectDraw 5/6/7/8/9 2D + 3D video
settings that allow maximum performance and/or stability under Windows
95/98/ME, all of which can be tweaked also by using:
- Directx.cpl, part of MS DirectX 9.0 SDK (Software Developers Kit) [222 MB,
free]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/0/e/80ebbf72-fc51-4799-a2f4-7fcca37b8bb3/dx9sdk.exe
- Dxdiag.exe (located in C:\Windows\System), part of MS DirectX 8/9 APIs
[free]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads/
- Dxinfo.exe (obsolete, located in C:\Program Files\Directx), part of the
older MS DirectX 5/6 APIs, and
- DirectControl DirectX tweaking tool for Win9x/ME [106 KB, 3rd party
freeware], which can also handle 3D/A3D Audio, HD Cache/Vcache, CD/DVD
Cache/Prefetch etc settings:
http://downloads.planetmirror.com/pub/3dfiles/utility/bgr/setupdcontrol.exe
Grab the "forbidden" DX 5/6/7/8/9 Control Panel applets (CPLs) [196 KB, free,
right-click to save!]:
http://www.freewebz.com/firecat/archive/dx_cpc.zip
Install the current Microsoft DirectX APIs + Drivers to take advantage of all
these settings in Windows 98/ME:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads/
NOTE: DX9 does NOT support Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2. If using any of these OSes,
get MS DirectX 8.0a APIs [11 MB, free]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Update/8.0a/W9XMe/EN-US/DX80eng.exe
But enuff talking... let's see the "goods"! :)
Fire up Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectDraw
Under this Registry key you can add/modify the following DWORD values (listed
here as they would show in a REG file).
To create a new DWORD value: right-click -> New -> DWORD -> Name it to one of
the values listed below.
To modify one of these DWORD values: right-click on the one you want -> select
Modify -> check the Decimal box -> give it a value of 1 or 0 to enable or
disable it, except "ForceRefreshRate", which requires an integer number to
match the video card AND monitor frequency.
All changes to these settings become effective immediately.
CAUTION: BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES FIRST!
Here they are:
"ForceNoSysLock"=dword:00000000
Enables [1] or disables [0] NoSysLock on Lock for lower resolution 3D video
modes.
"DisableNoSysLock"=dword:00000000
Enables [0] or disables [1] NoSysLock on Lock for lower resolution 3D video
modes.
"DisableMMX"=dword:00000000
Enables [0] or disables [1] extra MMX extensions support for Intel Pentium,
Pentium Pro, Pentium II, Pentium III and Pentium IV CPUs.
"DisableWiderSurfaces"=dword:00000000
Enables [0] or disables [1] 3D Wide Surfaces support on newer/faster PCI/AGP
video controllers that support this feature, like: 3dfx
Banshee/Voodoo3/Voodoo4/Voodoo5/Voodoo6, NVidia
TNT/TNT2/GeForce/Geforce2/GeForce3, S3 Savage, Matrox G200/G400/G440/G450, ATI
Rage/Fury/MAXX/Radeon etc.
"EnablePrintScreen"=dword:00000001
Enables [1] or disables [0] the use of the Print Screen key to capture current
window/full screen, which can be afterwards pasted and saved as
JPG/BMP/GIF/etc into any OLE2 capable graphics program like MS Paint, Adobe
PhotoShop, JASC Paint Shop Pro, IrfanView, XNview, LView Pro etc.
"DisableInactivate"=dword:00000000
Enables [1] or disables [0] Multi-Monitor Debugging for troubleshooting
purposes, if using a dual-monitor head capable video controller.
"ShowFrameRate"=dword:00000000
Enables [1] or disables [0] the display of frame rate for 3D apps/games that
support this feature, and available only on 3D video cards.
Note that this setting may slow down slightly your Direct3D programs.
"ModeXOnly"=dword:00000000
Enables [0] or disables [1] ModeX support for 320x200 (EGA) on older/slower
video cards that may present incompatibilities in this low resolution mode.
"EmulationOnly"=dword:00000000
Enables [1] or disables [0] Software Emulation Layer (SEL) for slower
performance but better stability on older/slower (i.e. 2D only) video cards.
Newer AGP/PCI 3D video cards use by default Hardware Emulation Layer (HAL),
thus it is recommended to disable this setting for maximum "velocity". :)
"DisableAGPSupport"=dword:00000000
Enables [0] or disables [1] AGP Support, ONLY IF supported by motherboard,
video hardware AND video driver.
"ForceRefreshRate"=dword:00000064
Forces [hex number: 60 - 300 decimal in Hz (100 Hz used in this example)]
custom 2D (and 3D if supported by the video card) video Refresh Rate (redraw
vertical frequency) for BOTH the multi-scan CRT monitor AND the graphics
accelerator in current video mode [1024x768 in 65,000 colors (16-bit) used
here].
Note that selected frequency MUST be supported by BOTH video card AND monitor,
otherwise you may DAMAGE one or the other!
That's why it is VERY IMPORTANT to select the appropriate monitor type in:
Control Panel -> System applet -> Device Manager tab -> Monitors -> Your
Monitor Name -> Driver tab -> Update Driver...!
With the Registry Editor open, go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Direct3D
Here you'll find:
"DisableDP2"=dword:00000000
Enables [0] or disables [1] enhanced DirectX 6/7/8 3D features on ALL PCI/AGP
3D video accelerators. It is strongly recommended to keep this setting enabled
for maximum performance in Direct3D apps/games.
Then go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Direct3D\Drivers
The only setting of interest here is:
"SoftwareOnly"=dword:00000000
Enables [0] or disables [1] the use of Hardware Acceleration on ALL PCI/AGP 3D
video cards. It is strongly recommended to enable this feature for optimal
performance.
FYI: See "WIN.INI DIRECTX + VIDEO SETTINGS" in MYTIPS95.TXT (included) for
more DirectX + video settings.
FREE PROXY [+]
... Appears courtesy of Andrew Bourdon (PowerPenguin@techie.com):
http://educ8search.tripod.com/hacking.html
"Try this if you want to set up a proxy, or are having problems with your
current one.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Config\0001\Software\Microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
First, set "EnableAutodial" to 1 if you use a dialup proxy service. Next,
double-click "ProxyEnable" and replace the Decimal value of 0 with 1.
Your proxy is now fully enabled!"
DHCP VULNERABILITY FIX [+]
This is an Internet security risk that affects ANY Windows 9x/2000 computer
configured as a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) client, and exposes
the user to different type of attacks (spoofs): web page hacks, stealing
credentials/private information, altering data etc.
The "IRDP Router Advertisments spoof" (IRDP = ICMP Router Discovery Protocol,
ICMP = Internet Control Message Protocol) was first discovered by L0pht Heavy
Industries: read their 8-19-99 advisory:
http://www.l0pht.com/advisories1999.html
This text file explains all the details:
http://www.l0pht.com/advisories/rdp.txt
Further more, Microsoft acknowledged this as a potential security risk:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=216141
has posted a Registry and a VBS (Visual Basic Script) workaround, but has NOT
posted an official OS patch.
According to L0pht, most cable modem DHCP clients and large internal
organizations are at risk.
The purpose of this article is to show you how to implement the FIX:
1. Install and run the freeware DHCP Fix tool:
http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/system/dhcpfix.htm
2. Or if you like to hack the Registry [like I do :)], run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans
Expand the "NetTrans" key -> look in the left hand pane at the 000n subkeys
(where n can be any integer number from 0 up to 50) -> click on each one of
them -> create a new DWORD Value -> right-click in the right hand pane ->
select New -> DWORD -> name it "PerformRouterDiscovery" (no quotes) ->
double-click on it -> check the Decimal box -> type 0 (zero) -> hit OK. Now
repeat this under ALL your 000n keys (most likely you'd have more than one).
Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows. Done.
IE CONTENT ADVISOR PASSWORD FIX [+]
The MS Internet Explorer 4/5/6 Content Advisor Password is kept under this
Registry key accessed by running Regedit, valid for all Windows
9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP releases:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ratings
Look for the "Key" Binary (hex) value in the right hand pane, which holds the
encrypted password.
By normally uninstalling MS IE 4/5/6 and then reinstalling it will NOT clear
this password box!
But you can (re)set the Content Advisor Password back to none (blank) by
deleting the "Key" value: right-click on it -> select Delete -> click OK ->
close the Registry Editor -> done. :)
If you don't need to use an Advisor Password, you can also delete (or move to
another folder) the RATINGS.POL file from %windir%\SYSTEM (Win9x/ME) or
%systemroot%\SYSTEM32 (WinNT4/2000/XP), by running these commands from any
DOS prompt (Win9x/ME example):
ATTRIB -H %winbootdir%\SYSTEM\RATINGS.POL
DEL %winbootdir%\SYSTEM\RATINGS.POL
To (re)enable the Content Advisor Password on your computer, either copy
RATINGS.POL [if you backed it up :)] back to your Windows System(32) folder,
or create a new one: start Control Panel -> Internet Options -> Content tab
-> Content Advisor area Enable button -> type your password -> confirm it ->
click OK.
More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=155609
TASKBAR TRAY TEXT [+]
... Brought to you by Lanetouchet (lanetouchet@yahoo.com).
"In Windows 95/98/ME you can put your name or any other text string in the
Taskbar tray next to the Time/Date display.
Run Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International
Right-click in the right hand pane -> choose New -> String Value -> name it
s1159. Then right-click on it -> Modify -> type/paste whatever text you want.
Now right-click again in the right hand pane -> select New -> String Value ->
name it s2359. Then double-click on it -> put the same text here.
Close the Registry Editor, restart Windows, and you'll see your text exactly
as you entered it at the right of the Time in the Taskbar tray."
ADD-ON:
The maximum number of allowed characters is 13 (anything beyond that is not
displayed), and all ISO8859-1 (Latin-1) characters (even special symbols) are
accepted:
http://www.ramsch.org/martin/uni/fmi-hp/iso8859-1.html
This can also be done from Control Panel -> Regional Settings -> Time tab ->
AM and PM symbol boxes -> type any letters, but restricted here to a maximum
of 8 characters (numbers and certain special symbols are not accepted,
especially if entered as the first character) -> click OK/Apply.
TROJAN INFECTED *.EXE FIX [+]
... Appears thanks to VV (anonymous).
"Many of VirtualDr's posters have been hit by Trojans and Worms. As a result,
they can't use some program fixes which contain the *.exe extension. Nor can
they get into the Registry to make necessary corrections, because the Registry
is really Regedit.EXE! Unfortunately, all versions of the Registry stored by
Scanreg [Win98/98 SE users] can also be infected, so restoring an older
version is not always an option.
This Registry fix is also detailed here:
http://discussions.virtualdr.com/Archives/Archive-000004/HTML/20000621-2-008985.html
My thinking was that the *.REG file extension was unaffected. All the affected
posters needed to do was to create a file (using Notepad) named EXE.REG with
the lines below, and then double-click on it to merge its info into the
Registry. Then they would be able to access the Registry again.
Many of our posters have been helped by this fix.
Obviously, all Trojans are different, and some also require System.ini and
Win.ini edits, as well as native/true DOS file deletions and extractions.
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"
@="exefile"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
"EditFlags"=hex:d8,07,00,00
@="Application"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]
@=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]
@=""
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.exe]
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"
@="exefile"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\exefile]
"EditFlags"=hex:d8,07,00,00
@="Application"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\exefile\shell]
@=""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\exefile\shell\open]
@=""
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"
------End cut & paste here------"
UPDATES:
1. "I have experienced this problem myself. REG files require Regedit.exe to
run in order to be merged. But if you rename Regedit.exe to REGEDIT.BAT you
can still use .REG files: Registry -> Import Registry File.
[Thank you David (dsnedecor@computron.net)!]
2. "Here's a couple of items I found useful when I exposed my system to a
virus which modified the Registry, and Windows could not run exe programs.
This includes, of course, Regedit.exe!
Both .EXE and .COM files are loaded as EXEcutables if the "MZ" signature is
present, and as COMmand files otherwise, regardless of whether the file
extention is .COM or .EXE. By renaming Regedit.exe to Regedit.com it ran as
normal, by bypassing the corrupt exe file Registry key.
Also, my Desktop icon for MS IE (which appears to be neither a program nor a
shortcut, but a Registry generated icon) worked even with the corrupt exe
file key! This is very useful for browsing virus update sites to find the
key(s) to modify and repair the Registry. :)"
[Thank you chogg@arq.net!]
DIRECTX FIX WITH 2 3D VIDEO CARDS (My ©trick) [+]
Do you have two 3D video controllers (i.e. a 3dfx Voodoo/Voodoo2 add-on 3D
only PCI accelerator besides the primary AGP or PCI 2D+3D video adapter)
installed on your computer? If you do, I'm sure you have run into this BUG:
some (older?) DirectX 3D games insist on using your secondary (3D only)
adapter, even if your newer primary video card handles 3D/DirectX/OpenGL tasks
better/faster.
It is well known that older 3dfx based accelerators (Voodoo, Voodoo2, Voodoo3,
Banshee) canNOT display 3D in 32-bit modes [16.7 milion colors]. Sure, the new
generation of 3dfx VSA-100 chipset (code named "Napalm"), is the first
"incarnation" of their long awaited 32-bit color 3D controller. But if you
don't have one of these multi-chipset, SLI-on-a-single-card AGP video boards
(Voodoo4/Voodoo5/Voodoo6), we still need to use our old Voodoos to play those
"3dfx only" games... like I do. :)
And of course, there are freeware tools that can switch back and forth from
one adapter to another, like 3D Control Center [42 KB]:
http://downloads.planetmirror.com/pub/3dfiles/utility/3dcc.zip
or DirectControl [106 KB]:
http://downloads.planetmirror.com/pub/3dfiles/utility/bgr/setupdcontrol.exe
But these "fixes" do NOT work with some (read "buggy") Direct3D games/apps,
which are NOT able to properly detect your primary video driver, when a
secondary 3D video card is installed. Such games include Prince Of Persia 3D
by Red Orb:
http://www.princeofpersia3d.com/
and Klingon Honor Guard by Microprose:
http://www.ina-support.com/faq/klingon_pc.asp
both coincidentally using the Unreal 3D Game Engine. :)
I found out that these games work ONLY AFTER applying the Registry fix below,
regardless of installing (or not) their current patches:
- Prince Of Persia 3D Patch v1.1 [6.2 MB, free]:
http://www.3dgamers.com/games/princepersia3d/
- Klingon Honor Guard Patch v1.1 [2.3 MB, free]:
http://www.ina-support.com/faq/klingondownloads_pc.asp
So here we go...
First you MUST install the current release of Microsoft DirectX 9.0 APIs on
your Win98/ME system [32 MB, free]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads/
If using Win95/OSR1/OSR2, get the older MS DirectX 8.0a APIs [11 MB, free]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Update/8.0a/W9XMe/EN-US/DX80eng.exe
Then fire up Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\hardware\DirectDrawDrivers
There you'll see 1 or 2 long 16-bit alphanumeric keys, which may be different
on your machine, depending on installed video hardware. This is mine, saved as
a REG file (I named it DX2ON.REG):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\hardware\DirectDrawDrivers\472BEA00-40DF-11D1-A9-DF-00-60-97-C2-ED-B2]
"Description"="Voodoo2 DirectX 7 Driver"
"DriverName"="3dfxV2"
------End cut & paste here------
Note that the name of my secondary (3D only) adapter is found under the
"Description" String value, and its installed driver name shows under the
other two String values (1st key above). This information is usually updated
in the Registry every time you update/install different drivers for your
add-on 3D only controller, or sometimes when running these DirectX tools
provided freely by Microsoft:
- DirectX Diagnostic [DXDiag.exe] located in C:\Windows\System.
- The "forbidden" DirectX Control [Directx.cpl], as part of MS DirectX 9.0 SDK
(Software Developers Kit) [222 MB, free]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/0/e/80ebbf72-fc51-4799-a2f4-7fcca37b8bb3/dx9sdk.exe
Grab the DX9 Control Panel here [58 KB]:
http://www.3dcenter.org/downloads/directx-9.0-control-panel.php
Therefore you need to delete those Registry values AGAIN every time this
happens. :(
Note also that sometimes these keys are NOT updated after properly
uninstalling the video drivers, or after physically removing the video card
from your computer case.
Now double-click on each of these 3 Strings under the 1st Registry key above,
delete their entire text strings (leave those lines blank), and then click OK
to save. Repeat this operation for all Strings found under the 2nd Registry
key above (if any).
Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows when done so these changes can
take effect.
To do this the easy way, all you have to do is save the "incriminated" key as
a plain text REG file (let's call it DX2OFF.REG), and place it in your
Startup folder under C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, to have Windows
"adjust" these values automatically every time it loads.
You also need to apply the hack explained in "UNATTENDED REGISTRATION" from
REGISTRY.TXT (this file), to eliminate all those annoying prompt dialog boxes
Regedit pops up whenever you try to merge a REG file into the Registry. :)
This is my DX2OFF.REG file (example):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\hardware\DirectDrawDrivers\472BEA00-40DF-11D1-A9-DF-00-60-97-C2-ED-B2]
"Description"=""
"DriverName"=""
------End cut & paste here------
Final step: from now on whenever you start your favorite "buggy" game, the
primary Direct3D video driver will be selected by default, and if your game
allows, you can play it on the 3D accelerator of your choice. :)
On the other hand, the majority of Direct3D games require these Registry
entries to be present, in order to detect your secondary 3D card, if you
choose to select it within the game's Options/Video Menu.
Therefore you can start ONLY your "buggy" DX3D games from a plain DOS batch
file, which begins by disabling the DirectDraw Drivers REG entries (by running
DX2OFF.REG above), runs the game executable (with your 3D only card selected),
and finally reenables DirectDraw on the secondary adapter upon exiting, using
DX2ON.REG above (Prince Of Persia 3D used here as example). I named this batch
POP3D.BAT, and placed it together with both REG files in the game directory:
@ECHO OFF
C:\POP3\DX2OFF.REG
START.EXE /W C:\POP3\POP3D.EXE
C:\POP3\DX2ON.REG
You also need to edit the PIF file you created as shortcut to POP3D.BAT
(right-click on it and select Properties) to "Close on exit" (the Program
tab). Also make sure to uncheck the "Warn if still active" box (the Misc tab).
Click Apply/OK when done.
Depending on how many "buggy" Direct3D/3Dfx games you have, you can use
similar batch files only for the ones that require these REG entries disabled.
FYI:
Here are the 2 video accelerators + drivers I use:
- Primary [2D+3D]: Chaintech A-GT60 AGP NVidia GeForce4 Ti 4600:
http://www.chaintechusa.com/tw/eng/product_spec.asp?PISNo=33
with 128 MB DDR SDRAM, using the NVidia GeForce4 NV25 chipset.
Driver: NVidia Unified GeForce/2/3/4/FX Win9x/ME Direct3D/OpenGL ICD
4.13.01.4403 Detonator Drivers Release v44.03 with FSAA (Full Screen
Anti-Aliasing), S3TC (S3 Texture Compression) and DirectX 9.x support:
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
If you own an NVidia GeForce/2/3/4/FX card this FAQ is A MUST:
http://www.technologyvault.co.uk/geforce/faq.php?list=all&prog=gef&lang=en
- Secondary [3D only]: Quantum3D Obsidian2 X-24 Voodoo2 SLI PCI TV:
http://www.gamersdepot.com/oldsite/rev-quantum3d-obsidian.htm
with 24 MB EDO DRAM, using two 3dfx Voodoo2 3D chipsets in SLI (Scan Line
Interleave).
Driver: 3dfx Voodoo2 Unified Win9x/ME Direct3D/OpenGL ICD [+ 3dfx MiniGL
v1.47] Drivers Release v3.02.02:
http://www.voodoofiles.com/1843
DISABLE DEFRAG FILE ORDER [+]
Sometimes Windows 9x/ME Defrag takes way too long to completely rearrange all
files on your fixed drive(s)/partition(s), especially if your disks are
"cluttered" with tons of files, because more files you have, slower it
performs. [Duh! :)]
But you can modify the way the Defrag tool works, and set it to NOT reorder
all files by file use (by default most recent accessed files are placed at
the beginning of the partition, on the outer clusters).
FIRST BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES!
Then start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Defrag\Settings\method
In the right hand pane -> double-click on the "(Default)" String -> change the
"FULL" [file reorder enabled = default] value to read "FULLNOAPPLOG" [file
reorder disabled] -> click OK.
Then go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Defrag\Settings\scandisk
In the right hand pane -> double-click on the "(Default)" String -> change the
"FALSE" [file order enabled = default] value to read "TRUE" [file order
disabled] -> click OK.
Then go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Defrag\AppStartRegions
Delete ALL values found in the right hand pane: highlight each one ->
right-click on it -> select Delete -> click OK.
CAUTION:
Deleting the drive letter Binary [hex] values under the Registry key above
WILL DISABLE the Win98/ME "Rearrange program files so my programs start
faster" option!
Win98/ME users: see these TIPS98.TXT (included) topics to learn how to make
Defrag perform at MAXimum speed: "MAP THE CACHE", "FIX DEFRAG" and "CLEAN
DEFRAG".
DISABLE NEW SHORTCUT [+]
If you work/play in a multiuser computing environment, and own the Windows 9x
computer, you might like to "scare away" casual users by disabling the GUI
capability of creating new Shortcuts/Folders on your Desktop.
Just run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellNew
The New Shortcut Wizard is handled by the "Command" String value (Win9x
default shown here):
RunDLL32 AppWiz.Cpl,NewLinkHere %2
Double-click on "Command" -> highlight and delete the entire text string ->
click OK.
Close Regedit when done.
From now on, when somebody tries to right-click on the Desktop and selects New
-> Shortcut, this will create an empty (blank, useless) icon on the Desktop,
followed by a benign error message which can be safely dismissed.
Alternatively you can change the "Command" default string to point to any
another program, to start that particular application instead. But in this
case make sure to keep the %2 entry at the end of the command call (preceded
by a space), regardless if your program has or has not any command input
abilities, to allow the "New" context menu wizard to perform correctly.
SAFE MODE ACTIVE DESKTOP [+]
... As tweaked by The Captain, and works with all Windows 95/98/ME releases,
ONLY with MS Internet Explorer 4/5/6 installed.
"Hit Start -> click Run -> type Regedit -> press Enter -> go to:
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Desktop\SafeMode\General
The "Wallpaper" String Value should read (standard example):
C:\Windows\Web\SafeMode.htt
But you can change the page displayed on your Desktop background, useful if
your Win9x/ME + MS IE 4/5/6 "combo" crashes a lot, and which normally canNOT
be changed in the user interface.
This requires MS IE 4/5/6 with the "Windows Desktop Update" (Active Desktop)
installed.
The file type must be in .HTM, .HTML or .HTT format."
ALL IN ONE SEARCH [+]
This MS IE 4/5/6 for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP tip sent courtesy of Ian
(hawthorn@waikato.ac.nz).
"It is well known that you can change which Search engine pops up when you hit
the Search button in MS IE 4/5/6 by editing the Registry, and changing the
value of "Search Bar" under (IE 4.xx):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
or [IE 5.xx/6.xx = Thank you Glenn Enright (genright@ihug.co.nz)!]:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search
You could point it to your favorite Search engine, but if you want a choice of
several Search engines, the ideal would be a list which you could control and
which is stored locally, no time waiting for it to load, no ads, no fees paid
to Microsoft to direct you there, total freedom.
If you know some HTML you can whip up your own Index page and point the key at
it. But even if you are an HTML whiz, there is still a bit of work involved,
and editing the list is a pain. Here is the easy solution:
Create an empty subfolder called "Search Engines" under your Windows folder,
and change the value of the Registry key above to read (replace %windir% with
your real Windows folder name):
%windir%\\Search Engines
From now on, when you click that Search button, this empty folder will open in
the Search pane.
All the hard work is done, we just need to fill it with Search engines. For
this go to:
http://www.allonesearch.com/
Start by dragging this URL from the Address bar into the Search pane. A link
to this web page will be created in the Search pane. Browse through the list
of Search engines there, and simply drag the URLs of the ones you like into
the Search pane. You can rename them, customize the folder's appearance,
delete them by right-clicking, change their icons, and generally do all the
drag-and-drop natural Windows GUI things to them that you wish.
NOTE: The only thing that doesn't work well is using subfolders (they don't
behave nicely), however you can work around this by using a modified internet
shortcut (via Notepad), to point to a folder instead (it will open in the main
window), if you want to create a hierarachy of specialized Search engines."
RESTORE IE4 NEW WINDOW [+]
This is a BUG in some Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0x releases: when you try
to right-click on a link, and then select Open in New Window, nothing
happens. :(
But it can be easily fixed by copying the lines below (using Notepad) into a
REG file, I called OPENNEW.REG [the name doesn't matter, as long as you keep
the .REG extension :)]:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{79eac9c2-baf9-11ce-8c82-00aa004ba90b}\ProxyStubClsid32]
@="{B8DA6310-E19B-11D0-933C-00A0C90DCAA9}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{79eac9c3-baf9-11ce-8c82-00aa004ba90b}\ProxyStubClsid32]
@="{B8DA6310-E19B-11D0-933C-00A0C90DCAA9}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{79eac9c4-baf9-11ce-8c82-00aa004ba90b}]
@="IHlinkTarget"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{79eac9c4-baf9-11ce-8c82-00aa004ba90b}\ProxyStubClsid32]
@="{B8DA6310-E19B-11D0-933C-00A0C90DCAA9}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{79eac9c5-baf9-11ce-8c82-00aa004ba90b}\ProxyStubClsid32]
@="{B8DA6310-E19B-11D0-933C-00A0C90DCAA9}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{7BF80981-BF32-101A-8BBB-00AA00300CAB}]
@="Picture"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{7BF80981-BF32-101A-8BBB-00AA00300CAB}\ProxyStubClsid32]
@="{00020420-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
------End cut & paste here------
When done, close ALL IE instances, and (double)-click on OPENNEW.REG in
Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM = %windir%\WINFILE.EXE), to merge this
information into your Registry.
Now (re)start IE and test the "new" right-click function. :)
WIN2000 COLOR SCHEME [+]
Courtesy of Casper (casperfriispedersen@usa.net).
WARNING: This REG tweak works ONLY with Windows 98/98 SP1/98 SE/ME, NOT with
Windows 95/95a OSR1/95 B/C OSR 2.x!
"Windows Display Properties won't let you change the colors of all Desktop
elements. However, you can easily customize the appearance of ALL Windows 9x
Desktop elements from Regedit, under this Registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors
Here all elements are represented by a String value and corresponding RGB
color codes. Simply use the Color option in Display Properties -> Appearance
to find the RGB value of a given color. When you're done you can save your
new customized color scheme from within Display Properties. If you want to
export a scheme, you'll find it in the Registry as a Binary value under this
key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Appearance\Schemes
Highlight the Binary scheme name you want, and export it as a REG file.
As always, BACKUP your Registry BEFORE changing anything!
Below is one of my own customized color schemes - Windows 2000 - as example:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Appearance\Schemes]
"Windows 2000"=hex:04,00,00,00,77,2f,2c,c3,01,00,00,00,10,00,00,00,10,00,00,00,\
12,00,00,00,12,00,00,00,f5,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,bc,\
02,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,4d,53,20,53,61,6e,73,20,53,65,72,69,66,00,\
00,00,28,2f,00,00,1f,04,5f,01,bf,00,00,00,00,58,9e,b7,0f,00,00,00,0f,00,00,\
00,fb,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,4d,53,20,53,61,6e,73,20,53,65,72,69,66,00,00,00,28,2f,00,00,1f,\
04,5f,01,bf,00,00,00,00,58,9e,b7,12,00,00,00,12,00,00,00,f5,ff,ff,ff,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,4d,53,20,\
53,61,6e,73,20,53,65,72,69,66,00,00,00,28,2f,00,00,1f,04,5f,01,bf,00,00,00,\
00,58,9e,b7,f5,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,4d,53,20,53,61,6e,73,20,53,65,72,69,66,00,00,00,28,2f,\
00,00,1f,04,5f,01,bf,00,00,00,00,58,9e,b7,f5,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,4d,53,20,53,61,6e,73,20,\
53,65,72,69,66,00,00,00,28,2f,00,00,1f,04,5f,01,bf,00,00,00,00,58,9e,b7,f8,\
ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,4d,53,20,53,61,6e,73,20,53,65,72,69,66,00,63,00,6f,01,14,88,d7,2d,00,\
00,00,10,04,00,d7,2d,00,00,d4,d0,c8,00,3a,6e,a5,00,0a,24,6a,00,80,80,80,00,\
d4,d0,c8,00,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,ff,ff,ff,00,d4,\
d0,c8,00,c0,c0,c0,00,80,80,80,00,00,00,80,00,ff,ff,ff,00,d4,d0,c8,00,80,80,\
80,00,80,80,80,00,00,00,00,00,c0,c0,c0,00,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,d4,d0,c8,\
00,00,00,00,00,ff,ff,e1,00,d4,d0,c8,00,00,00,ff,00,a6,ca,f0,00,c0,c0,c0,00
------End cut & paste here------"
NOTE: The blank (empty) line at the end of the REG file is necessary for
proper operation!
LEGAL NOTICE [+]
If you work/play in a multiuser computing environment, and own the Windows
9x/ME computer, you might like to "scare away" casual users by adding a text
caption notice which will pop up just before the logon screen.
To do this run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Right-click in the right hand pane -> select New -> String -> call it
"LegalNoticeCaption" -> click OK. Right-click again -> New -> String ->
create another value called "LegalNoticeText" -> click OK. Just don't type
the quotes. Then double-click on "LegalNoticeCaption" -> type in the title
you wish for your logon box -> click OK. Double-click on "LegalNoticeText"
-> type in the text that will appear in the logon dialog box -> click OK.
From now on, the next time someone boots into Windows, a new dialog box with
a (legal) warning message will show up before anyone can logon into your
computer. The user will be required to enter the correct login password to
proceed, if system access is password protected.
DELETE REGISTRY KEY/VALUE [+]
This works with ALL Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.x, 98, ME, 2000, XP and 2003
releases, but does NOT work with Windows 95 retail or 95a OSR1.
You don't need to use Regedit's Windows GUI or its native/real MS-DOS mode
(available only in Win95/98/ME) counterpart:
REGEDIT /D [regkeyname]
to manually delete a Registry key/subkey/value.
All you need is create a plain text/ASCII registration file with the .REG
extension (file name doesn't matter):
1. Delete an entire Registry key/subkey:
A. By using Notepad (generic):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[-HKEY_KEY_NAME\KeyName\SubKeyName1\SubKeyName2\etc...]
------End cut & paste here------
B. Or by running Regedit and exporting the desired (sub)key to a REG file:
Highlight a (sub)key name -> click "Registry" from the menu -> select
"Export Registry File..." -> Type the filename you wish in the "File name"
field -> browse to the destination of your choice -> click the Save button.
Then open the saved REG file in Notepad and add a minus (-) mark in front of
the respective key name (right after the left square parenthesis) you want
erased from your Registry (example):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Config\0000\Display\Settings]
------End cut & paste here------
2. Delete a Registry value:
A. By using Notepad (generic):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_KEY_NAME\KeyName\SubKeyName1\SubKeyName2\etc...]
"ValueName"=-
------End cut & paste here------
B. Or by running Regedit and exporting the desired (sub)key to a REG file:
Highlight a (sub)key name -> click "Registry" from the menu -> select
"Export Registry File..." -> Type the filename you wish in the "File name"
field -> browse to the destination of your choice -> click the Save button.
Then open the saved REG file in Notepad and add a minus (-) mark after the
respective value name [right after the equal (=) sign] you want erased from
your Registry (example):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Config\0000\Display\Settings]
"DesktopPos"=-
------End cut & paste here------
Finally run (merge) your REG file from Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM =
%windir%\WINFILE.EXE) to delete the "marked" key/subkey/value.
CAUTION:
- This way (see paragraph #1 above) ALL adjacent subkeys AND values will also
be deleted!
- Do NOT delete ANY of the 6 root/hive/main Registry keys, as they are ALL
needed for proper operation! See the "Registry Structure" Intro chapter in
REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for details!
- BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES!
MAX CACHE SPEED (My ©trick) [+]
Another Windows 95/98/ME limitation squashed! 1 down, 1 zillion to go...
Ouch! ;)
Forget what I told you about setting your Windows 9x/ME File System cache to
"Network Server", detailed in "NETWORK SERVER", part of REGISTRY.TXT (this
file). Those are only the maximum ALLOWED values from: Control Panel ->
(double)-click System applet -> Performance tab -> File System button -> Hard
Disk tab -> "Typical role of this computer" box -> "Network Server", and
respectively "Read-ahead optimization" slider -> Full -> click OK twice ->
reboot. This setting (highest available) allocates about 40 KB of RAM to cache
the last 64 accessed directory paths and the last 2729 accessed files.
But you can further increase these settings BEYOND the Win9x/ME GUI limit, to
the next level, otherwise unavailable from the System applet, to have your
computer cache up to 3 (THREE) times more files and directories, and speed up
hard disk performance substantially.
The only disadvantage is that this way Windows will allocate up to 3 times
more physical RAM to the file cache, which is taken from the available memory
pool, normally used by applications/games. Therefore I recommend doing this
ONLY IF your system has at least 32 MB of installed RAM. This works best on
computers with 64 MB and up... and who cares about RAM "shortage" if you
happen to have 128 MB or more? :-)
And now let's see the "goodies". :)
Copy & paste the text below in Notepad to create a REG file, and save it for
example as MAXCACHE.REG:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates]
@="Max Cache"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Super Cache]
@="Super Cache"
"NameCache"=hex:00,ff,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:ff,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Max Cache]
@="Max Cache"
"NameCache"=hex:00,18,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:c8,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Huge Cache]
@="Huge Cache"
"NameCache"=hex:80,13,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:90,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Large Cache]
@="Large Cache"
"NameCache"=hex:a0,0f,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:80,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Medium Cache]
@="Medium Cache"
"NameCache"=hex:20,0f,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:50,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\FileSystem]
"NameCache"=hex:00,18,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:c8,00,00,00
------End cut & paste here------
CREDITS:
1. "Super Cache" settings appear courtesy of Thomas (thomast@ns.sympatico.ca),
and THESE ARE THE MAXimum values accepted by Windows 9x/ME!
2. "Large Cache" settings appear courtesy of Dave (kavaston@csolve.net).
Now all you have to do is (double)-click on MAXCACHE.REG in Windows Explorer
or File Manager (FM = %windir%\WINFILE.EXE) to merge this information into
your Registry, and then restart Windows so the changes can take effect.
From now on you can select among 5 (FIVE) new options ("Max Cache" setting is
used here), besides the 3 "classic" Win9x/ME choices: "Network Server",
"Desktop Computer" and "Mobile or Docking System", when you decide the
"Typical role of this computer", as explained at the top of this article:
[... life in the fast lane, baby! :)]
REG File Above "NameCache" "PathCache" Memory (RAM) Used
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW Setting Cached Files Cached Directories KiloBytes [KB]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Super Cache 65280 255 2170 KB (2.1 MB)
Max Cache 6144 200 150 KB
Huge Cache 4992 144 108 KB
Large Cache 4000 128 80 KB
Medium Cache 3872 80 64 KB
MEANING ["Max Cache" used as example]: this allocates about 150 KB of RAM to
cache the last 200 accessed directory paths and the last 6144 accessed files.
Compare to: [... join the slow moving crowd! :)]
Default "NameCache" "PathCache" Memory (RAM) Used
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
OLD Setting Cached Files Cached Directories KiloBytes [KB]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Network Server 2729 64 40 KB
Desktop Computer 677 32 16 KB
Mobile/Docking 160 16 4 KB
Experiment with each setting, see which one suits your purpose better,
depending on what you use your machine for: business, graphics rendering, CAD,
animation/video editing, software development, desktop publishing, 3D gaming,
Internet, CD burning etc.
Just remember to restart Windows after each change. ;)
FYI:
- Use the "Super Cache" settings ONLY IF your have at least 128 MB RAM!
- See "CD-ROM/DVD + HARD DISK MAX CACHE" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) to learn
how to boost your read-ahead hard disk cache buffer and CD/CD-R/CD-RW/DVD
drive performance to the MAX!
- "CacheMan for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP [no nag shareware] can also set your
hard disk/CD/DVD cache to higher values, including different options you can
customize, depending on your computer's memory and used software:"
http://www.outertech.com/product.php?product=3
[Thank you James (jckirby@gateway.net) for the reminder!]
UNATTENDED REGISTRATION (My ©trick) [+]
Are you annoyed by the two nagging prompt dialog boxes that require you to
click the OK button or hit Enter each time you register (merge) a REG file
into your Registry?
I know I am, so I found the workaround, which can be achieved 2 ways:
1. Open Explorer -> click View -> click Folder Options [Win98/ME] or Options
[Win95/OSR2] -> select the File Types tab -> scroll down to the "Registration
Entries" item -> double-click on it -> double-click on Merge, which should be
the default action (marked in bold) -> type C:\WINDOWS\REGEDIT.EXE /S "%1" in
the "Application used to perform action" box (quotes must be included, all
characters are case insensitive) -> click OK or press Enter 3 times.
Change the Windows folder name if different on your computer.
Note that you only need to add the /S parameter to the command line, and you
can skip the path altogether, because Regedit.exe resides in the Windows
folder, therefore in the path. I added it only to prevent the GUI from
spending a few extra milliseconds searching for the file. :)
2. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\open\command
Double-click on the "(Default)" String in the right hand pane -> type the same
REGEDIT.EXE command line above -> click OK -> close Regedit.
WARNING:
From now on when you (double)-click on a REG file in Windows Explorer or File
Manager (FM = %windir%\WINFILE.EXE), the information it contains will be
merged (registered) directly into your Registry WITHOUT ANY CONFIRMATION!
TIP:
If you ever need to disable the merging of Registration (REG) files into your
Registry altogether, especially useful in multiuser environments as a security
measure, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\open\command
There double-click on the "(Default)" String in the right hand pane -> change
the command line to read
C:\WINDOWS\NOTEPAD.EXE /P "%1"
-> click OK.
From now on when someone double-clicks on a REG file, it will open in Notepad
for printing.
FREE DVD PLAYER [+]
This tip applies ONLY to Microsoft Windows Media Player2 v6.4 (WMP6)!
Do you have a DVD-ROM/DVD-R(W)/DVD-RAM drive properly installed and properly
configured in your Windows 95/98/NT4/2000/ME computer?
If you do, here is a little Registry hack which allows you to play your DVD
movies using WMP6 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4 [3.5 MB, free]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/win32otherx86.asp
If you are using Microsoft Windows Media Player2 v7.0/7.1 (WMP7) 32-bit for
Windows 98/2000/ME [10 MB, free]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/software/playerv7.asp
note that the DVD play feature has been DISABLED. :(
You need to get Windows Media Player2 v9.0 (WMP9) 32-bit for Windows 98
SE/2000/ME/XP:
http://www.windowsmedia.com/9series/
or the freeware Media Player Classic (MPC) 32-bit for Windows
9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP:
http://www.gabest.org/mpc.php
to be able to play DVDs without modifying your Registry. :)
After installing WMP6 run Regedit and go to (all users):
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\Settings
and to (current user):
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\Settings
Right-click in the right hand pane -> select New -> String Value -> name it
EnableDVDUI. Double-click on it -> type yes (case insensitive) in the Value
data box -> click OK.
Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows when done.
From now on you can open WMP -> click File -> Open -> select DVD -> finally
hit the Play button.
You'll also notice a new DVD icon which pops up a DVD menu when left-clicked.
UPDATES:
1. "This is true, you do get a DVD player, but it's very restricted. The DVD
is totally hardware oriented, not software bound like PowerDVD, WinDVD or
CineMaster."
[Thank you Andreas (disobay@telia.com)!]
2. You can also use the Microsoft free dedicated DVD Player included on the
Windows 98/98 SE(U) Setup CD-ROM. Pop in your Setup CD (replace the ROM/DVD
drive letter if different on your system) and then run:
EXTRACT /A /L %temp% D:\WIN98\BASE4.CAB DVD*.*
Now you should see these 5 files extracted into your TEMP directory (default
is C:\Windows\Temp): DVDPLAY.CHM, DVDPLAY.CNT, DVDPLAY.EXE, DVDRGN.EXE +
DVDPLAY.HLP. Move the .CHM, .CNT and .HLP files to C:\Windows\Help and the 2
executables (.EXE) to C:\Windows\System (if you installed Windows 98/98 SE
into C:\Windows, otherwise sustitute the folder names to match yours).
Create a shortcut to Dvdplay.exe, eventually on your Desktop, especially if
you watch a lot of DVD movies. :)
Note that you also need to install the 32-bit DVD Drivers/Codecs, i.e.
Microsoft DirectX Media 6:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=11771
or CineMaster:
http://www.ravisent.com/products/
to be able to use ANY DVD player.
DVDPlay is a primitive (lacks custom controls like brightness, color etc), but
software based DVD player, and requires a fast CPU (Intel Pentium
Pro/II/III/IV/Celeron/Xeon or AMD K6/K7/Athlon/Duron/Thunderbird) for optimal
performance.
[Suggested by Terry (fish_butt@hotmail.com)!]
FYI:
- DVD InfoMatrix: Win98 DVD Player:
http://www.inmatrix.com/review/win98dvdreview.shtml
- DVD InfoMatrix: PC DVD FAQ:
http://faq.inmatrix.com/
- DVD Demystified: DVD FAQ:
http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html
METAL BRIEFCASE [+]
... As sent by Jon (castor0004@netzero.net).
"I got tired of that ugly brown Briefcase icon. This Registry tweak allows you
to change it to a nice metal briefcase icon, for your viewing pleasure.
Start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon
Double-click on the right hand pane "Default" value -> it should show
"syncui.dll,0" -> change it to "syncui.dll,1" (don't type the quotes).
Syncui.dll (located in C:\Windows\System) stores several icons but only 2 of
them are briefcases: icon 0 represents the brown briefcase (default) and icon
1 represents the metal (aluminum) briefcase.
Close Regedit and press F5 on the Desktop to refresh when done."
UNCHECK OPEN WITH [+]
... Brought to you thanks to Debash (debash@msn.com).
"This tweak permanently unchecks the "Always use this program to open this
file type" checkbox from the "Open With" dialog box, when opening a
non-associated file type. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell\openas\command
Modify the "(Default)" String value as shown here:
Rundll32.exe Shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1 %2
Close Regedit when done and press F5 to refresh the Desktop."
TOGGLE MENUS [+]
This Registry hack is reproduced from PC Forrest's Tips + Help site:
http://www.forrestandassociates.co.uk/pcforrest/reg_hacks.html#menucols
and applies to all Windows 98/ME releases and to Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2, but
ONLY with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5/6 or newer installed.
BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FIRST!
To merge (register) MENUCOLS.REG into your Registry: open Windows Explorer or
File Manager (FM = %windir%\WINFILE.EXE) and (double)-click on it.
"MENUCOLS.REG adds a toggle option to Explorer's View -> Folder Options ->
View menu, to switch between multi-column Windows 95 style menus, and
scrollable Windows 98/ME style menus."
Copy + Paste lines below in Notepad and save the file as MENUCOLS.REG:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced\StartMenu\MCSM]
"Type"="checkbox"
"Text"="Multi-Column Start Menu [Win98/ME or Win95/OSR2 + MS IE 4/5/6 ONLY]"
"HKeyRoot"=dword:80000001
"RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced"
"ValueName"="StartMenuScrollPrograms"
"CheckedValue"=dword:00000000
"UncheckedValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000
"HelpID"="IEXPLORE.HLP#50107"
------End cut & paste here------
... or download MenuCols.ZIP [free]:
http://www.forrestandassociates.co.uk/pcforrest/zip/menucols.zip
FYI: See also "START MENU COLUMNS" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file).
FORCE ICON VIEW [+]
It has been brought to my attention, time and again, that Windows 9x can
sometimes get "weary" about "remembering" the Explorer icon view, after
changing it: open an Explorer window -> click View -> select one of these
items: Large Icons, Small Icons, List or Details. The display will always show
the one you select, but in some cases [Win9x/IE buggy installations or beta
releases?] will revert back to the previous (or default) setting next time you
restart Explorer. :( To "cure" this you need to hack the Registry.
But first let's see the Binary values you need to use for each setting
(referenced further below):
Setting Value
---------------------
Large Icons 01
Small Icons 02
List 03
Details 04
Now run Regedit and go to:
1. Explorer icon view key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ExpView
In the right hand pane you'll notice the "Settings" Binary value. Double-click
on it. On the 6th row from the top, start at the left and go to the 4th group
of 2 digit numbers. Place the cursor to the left of this group (between the
3rd and the 4th), and hit Delete. Now type in one of the values above
(example: 04 for Details) to force Explorer to display its icons the way you
want. Click OK.
2. Control Panel icon view key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams
In the right hand pane you'll notice the "Settings" Binary value. Double-click
on it. On the first row from the top, start at the left and go to the 5th
group of 2 digit numbers. Place the cursor to the left of this group (between
the 4th and the 5th), and hit Delete. Now type in one of the values above
(example: 01 for Large Icons) to force Control Panel to display its icons the
way you want.
Click OK.
Close the Registry Editor. Done.
MANAGE YOUR POWER! [+]
If you:
* encounter random system errors while trying to open a program,
* see a yellow exclamation sign next to one of these Control Panel -> System
-> Device Manager items: "Advanced Power Management support", "Display
adapters", "Modem", "Network adapters", "PCMCIA devices", "Universal Serial
Bus controllers" etc, even if you know there are NO IRQ/DMA/COMmunication
port conflicts,
* are bothered by intermittent CRT display flicker upon "waking up" after
being in "stand by"/"suspend" mode (which may in time wear off your monitor),
* get knocked out frequently from your otherwise functional
Internet/modem/network hookup,
* experience (too) long delays when your monitor/hard disk(s) "wake up" after
"hibernation" mode,
you may want to turn off completely ALL your Windows 9x/ME power management
features (like I did).
NECESSARY STEPS:
1. First enter your BIOS/CMOS Setup by pressing the appropriate key (usually
Del) specified in your computer/motherboard manual during the bootup POST
(Power On Self Test) screen, and DISABLE ALL (Advanced) Power Management
(APM/ACPI) settings, like: "Doze Mode", "Standby Mode", "Suspend Mode", "HDD
Power Down", "Video Off" etc. Save your changes and reboot.
2. After your Windows GUI comes up: open Control Panel -> Power Management ->
select the "Always on" Power scheme -> make sure the "Turn off monitor" and
"Turn off hard disks" boxes show "Never" -> click OK/Apply to save changes.
3. Edit your SYSTEM.INI file (found in your Windows folder) with Notepad or
Sysedit (but BACKUP IT UP FIRST!) -> go to the:
A. [boot] section -> look for the "power.drv" entry on the "drivers=" line ->
move it to a new line of its own starting with a semicolon (;) to disable it
(example):
[boot]
drivers=mmsystem.dll whatever.vxd etc...
; power.drv
DO NOT remark/disable ANY other filenames on the "drivers=" line!
B. [386enh] section -> look for the "device=*vpowerd" line -> disable it by
placing a semicolon (;) in front of it (example):
[386enh]
; device=*vpowerd
Save your file.
4. BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES: SYSTEM.DAT, USER.DAT + CLASSES.DAT (WinME
only)!
5. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
and then to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\VCOMM
Under each key above -> double-click on the "EnablePowerManagement"
DWORD/Binary (depending on your Win9x/ME release) Value in the right hand pane
-> change ALL characters to read 0 (zero) -> click OK/press Enter.
Click Edit from the Regedit menu -> select Find -> start 3 separate Registry
searches: type "power.drv", "vpower" and "vpowr" respectively (no quotes) in
the "Find what..." box -> delete ALL found keys/values/entries.
6. Move to a safe BACKUP location these 2 files from C:\Windows\System:
POWER.DRV + VPOWERD.VXD.
7. Disable ANY Power Management entries from the System Agent (Task Scheduler)
list.
8. Restart Windows.
9. Done.
Your Windows machine should perform significantly smoother from now on,
without annoying interruptions and/or intermittent errors. :)
DISPLAY CPL + DLL HIDDEN ICONS [+]
I am bored already with the generic [read "ugly" :)] icons assigned to .CPL
(Control Panel Library) applets and .DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files in
Windows 9x/ME Explorer. So I searched the Registry for a fix. Here it is...
1. Change the default CPL Explorer icon: run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\cplfile\DefaultIcon
Double-click the right hand pane "(Default)" String Value and modify it to
read "%1" (no quotes).
2. Change the default DLL Explorer icon: go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\dllfile\DefaultIcon
Double-click the right hand pane "(Default)" String Value and modify it to
read "%1" (no quotes).
3. Close the Registry Editor... done.
From now on when you look at a folder listing these file types you'll see
some cool (hidden) icons. :)
The only disadvantage is that files that don't contain ANY icons will still
display the default "unknown type" icon. :(
Alternatively, and especially if you dislike "messing" with the Registry, you
can run [(double)-click in Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM =
%windir%\Winfile.exe)] the .REG file below (copy & paste its lines in Notepad
and save it for example as OWNICON.REG), to achieve all this in one "swift"
move:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\cplfile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\dllfile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"
------End cut & paste here------
And the beauty is that you can do this for other file types too, like: .ACM,
.AX, .BMP, .DRV, .EXE, .GIF, .JPG, .OCX, .SCR, .VBX, .VXD etc.
FYI: See "ICON BITMAP" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for more details.
TOOLTIP OFF [+]
Apply these two Registry hacks to completely disable the annoying tooltips
("mini-help" boxes) that pop up whenever you place the mouse cursor over
objects/buttons/boxes/etc, supporting this feature in Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP
and MS Internet Explorer 3/4/5/6:
1. Hack #1 appears courtesy of Casper (casperfriispedersen@usa.net):
"Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Modify/create the "ShowInfoTip" DWORD Value (no quotes) and give it a value of
0 in the Decimal box. To restore the tooltips change its Decimal value to 1.
The Start button tooltip still pops up though. :("
2. Hack #2: start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop
Backup this key FIRST to be able to restore the tooltips later on: click the
Registry item from the Menu -> select "Export Registry File..." -> browse to
the folder of your choice -> type TTIPON.REG (or whatever name you want, but
keep the REG extension) -> click the Save button.
Now scroll to the "UserPreferencemask" Binary Value in the right hand pane.
Double-click on it -> delete the first 2 digits by placing the cursor after
the second character (there are a total of 8 editable digits there) -> hit
Backspace twice -> type 3e (case insensitive) -> click OK or press Enter.
You can also use this REG file (copy the lines bellow in Notepad and save it
as TTIPOFF.REG), if you dislike "messing" with the Registry:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop]
"UserPreferencemask"=hex:3e,00,00,00
------End cut & paste here------
To restore the tooltips to the previous state, just run TTIPON.REG.
More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=186385
FASTER 56K MODEM [+]
If you have a newer external 56K analog or ISDN modem (dial-up), you may be
able to take advantage of a little extra speed boost in Windows 95/98/ME.
Modern external dial-up modems have their own built-in CPU, which runs usually
at 25 MHz (higher than internal modems' CPUs, rated at 8-20 MHz). Good
examples are most 3COM/US Robotics Sportster and Courier models. Such modems
have the capability of internal data transfers (COMmunication port to modem)
up to 230400 bps, or even higher: maximum allowed is 921200 bps.
This tweak applies also to 56K/ISDN modems connected to internal ISA (PnP)
serial I/O add-on cards equiped with faster UARTs: 16650 or 16750, designed to
transfer data between the COM port and the modem up to 921200 bps. Wow! This
makes regular ISDN look like a slow poke. :)
If you wanna get one of these internal high speeed UART I/O cards, check out
Pacific Commware's TurboExpress Port 920:
http://www.turbocom.com/texport.html
But this canNOT be achieved without a Registry tweak, because the maximum
transfer speed (default) allowed by Windows 9x/ME is 115200 bps, enabled from:
Control Panel -> Modems -> Your Modem Name -> Properties -> General tab ->
Maximum speed -> 115200 -> OK -> OK.
To enable and use this higher speed, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000
Note that your modem might be installed under the 0001, 0002 etc keys, not
necessarily under 0000. Highlight the appropriate one. In the right hand pane
double-click the "Properties" Binary value. You'll notice that the 7th up to
the 10th digits on the 4th row (the one that begins with 0018) show C2 01 (or
84 03), which corresponds to a maximum connection speed of 115200 (or lower)
bps. Highlight and replace them with 10 0E to bump it up to 921200.
Geek speak: replace the 24th up to the 27th byte (0x18h) as shown above.
Do NOT change anything else there! Click OK when done and close the Registry
Editor.
For convenience you can use the REG file below to do this without having to
alter the Binary value. Just make sure the modem key matches the one in your
Registry (replace 0000 with 0001 or 0002 etc if necessary):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000]
"Properties"=hex:80,01,00,00,ff,00,00,00,ff,00,00,00,07,00,00,00,0f,00,00,00,\
77,07,00,00,00,10,0e,00,00,fa,00,00
------End cut & paste here------
Paste the lines between cut & paste into Notepad (the empty line at the end is
necessary!) and save this file as 921200.REG. Then (double)-click on it in
Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM = %windir%\WINFILE.EXE) to merge it into
your Registry.
Now if you open Control Panel -> Modems... and follow the same steps above,
you can see that 3 new settings are available: 230400, 460800 + 921600.
Reset your modem's "Maximum speed" to one of these new values (some
experimenting might be necessary depending on your hardware specs), save your
changes, and finally, connect to the Internet as usual. I'm sure you'll notice
the speed boost. :)
CAUTION:
If you try this on internal 56K modems, your connection may lock up, and/or
experience various errors while using any communications apps or the Internet,
which may also occur if your external modem does NOT have a 25 MHz or faster
CPU! If that is the case, reset the "Maximum speed" (see above) back to
115200.
TIPS:
- See "FAST, FAST, FAST" in MYTIPS95.TXT (included) to learn how to
"overclock" your COMmunication port(s) in Windows 9x/ME.
- Check out this web page for more details on different UARTs used in computer
motherboards, and to download the modem driver patcher specific to your
system:
http://www.devdrv.com/shsmod/
UPDATE:
"My US Robotics Sportster external modem shuts down and is not recognized by
the PC when I set it to any speed above 115200. :("
[Thank you Brian (ganymede@uniserve.com)!]
IE BLANK PAGE OFF [+]
I got bored with the default Microsoft Internet Explorer blank page that pops
up every time I try to access a web page that doesn't exist anymore due to an
invalid link, or if the connection is broken because of a (temporary)
server/network downtime.
The MS IE default blank page exists as BLANK.HTM in C:\Windows\System.
But you can make it go away, or change it to something else, a little more
pleasurable to the eye.
NOTE: This should work with all MS IE releases.
1. To make BLANK.HTM disappear automatically, open it with Notepad, and modify
it so it looks like this:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
<html>
<head>
<title>Microsoft Internet Explorer</title>
</head>
<body>
<script language="JavaScript">
window.close("blank.htm", "Microsoft Internet Explorer")
</script>
</body>
</html>
------End cut & paste here------
JavaScript MUST be enabled in IE for this to work.
Save your file, exit Notepad, and then start IE.
2. To force MS IE to load another HTML document (web page) instead of its
default BLANK.HTM, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
In the right hand pane double-click on "Local Page" and replace
C:\Windows\System\blank.htm with the filename of the HTML document you want,
found preferably on your local computer, so you won't have to wait for a
remote web page to load off the Internet. Make sure to type the full path to
your file (drive letter and folder name) in the "Value data:" box.
I use a simple web page which displays a cool JPG. Example of creating such an
HTM document in Notepad (save it as 1STPIC.HTM, or whatever other name you
wish, just keep the HTM extension):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
<html>
<head>
<title>1st Pic</title>
</head>
<body>
<center>
<img src="file:///C|/pics/1stpic.jpg" border=0>
</center>
</body>
</html>
------End cut & paste here------
Note that 1stpic.jpg resides in this case in C:\Pics.
You can modify the page title/layout, JPG filename/path to your liking, or
replace it with your favorite GIF.
Exit Regedit when done, start IE and surf away.
NOTES:
- If MS IE does NOT display a blank page properly on your Win9x system, see
this MSKB troubleshooting article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=231917
- On certain Win9x systems MS IE 5.xx canNOT be forced to display a custom
Blank.htm page. [Thank you Paul Barker (pawl@brunnet.net)!]
CHANGE OE5 IDENTITY [+]
This is Nathan's (shakester@cyberjunkie.com) "small" contribution to these
files. :) Many thanks!
"I don't know if you (or anybody else) have seen this, but I discovered this
technique, and have written a dedicated Xteq X-Setup plugin, available from
the Xteq web site soon:
http://www.xteq.com/products/xset/plugs/
It allows changing the current and default identities in Outlook Express 5
without knowing the password. Useful if you've forgotten your password, or
you want to look at other peoples' e-mail. :)
Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
which is the base Registry key for all this. Here you'll find a bunch of
LUID/GUID subkeys. Each of them holds the value "Username". If you look at
the "Username" of each LUID/GUID key, you can find which account you are
interested in. For example, my LUID/GUID key
{23AE6B7B-34B3-11D3-93C9-C38154464F49} has the Username value "My Account".
Copy this LUID/GUID key to "Last User ID" or "Default User ID" (see below),
to change the current or default user to this identity without having to know
the password.
Here is a snapshot (.REG file) containing the keys mentioned above:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities]
"Last Username"="My Account"
"Last User ID"="{23AE6B7B-34B3-11D3-93C9-C38154464F49}"
"Default User ID"="{23AE6B7B-34B3-11D3-93C9-C38154464F49}"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{23AE6B7B-34B3-11D3-93C9-C38154464F49}]
"Username"="My Account"
"User ID"="{23AE6B7B-34B3-11D3-93C9-C38154464F49}"
------End cut & paste here------
You can make these changes by editing the Registry using Regedit, or by
merging such a .REG file into the Registry by (double)-clicking on it in
Explorer or File Manager.
Backup the Registry FIRST to revert back to original when you're done, to
allow other users to access their OE e-mail accounts, if you're not the
only one using that computer. :)
You have to exit and restart OE5 to see the effect."
TAME IE 4/5 CACHE FOLDERS [+]
Thanks a bunch VV! I'm sure many will enjoy your smart tip.
"MS IE 3/4/5 and MS RegClean have a bug which prevents having the same
internet cache as Netscape. MS puts a Cache subfolder within Netscape's Cache
folder. I hate Microsoft's four folder Internet Cache arrangement, and I only
want one internet cache, so I do the following:
1. Reboot to native MS-DOS mode: hold F8 (in Win95/OSR2) or Ctrl (in Win98) at
the bootup BIOS POST screen to bring up the Startup Menu -> select the
"Command prompt only" option -> press Enter.
2. Delete MM256.DAT and MM2048.DAT from IE Cache Folders 1-4.
I hate cookies and don't want a History so I removed these files from
C:\Windows\History and from C:\Windows\Favorites as well.
3. I use Regedit to edit the Registry so that Microsoft's four (4) Cache paths
and Netscape's one (1) cache path are the same.
4. MS calls for an "e74" cache limit. I multiply this by 4 and use "e296".
5. MS IE's Internet connection Icon still shows an incorrect Registry setting
of my cache:
F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName
instead of:
F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache
But Explorer and the Registry are correct.
6. This a modified copy (saved as CACHE.REG) of this Registry branch:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths]
"Directory"="F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache\\"
"Paths"=dword:00000004
"NewDirectory"=""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\Path1]
"CachePath"="F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache\\"
"CacheLimit"=dword:00001e296
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\Path2]
"CachePath"="F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache\\"
"CacheLimit"=dword:00001e296
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\Path3]
"CachePath"="F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache\\"
"CacheLimit"=dword:00001e296
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\Path4]
"CachePath"="F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache\\"
"CacheLimit"=dword:00001e296
------End cut & paste here------
Substitute all UserName strings above with your real user name.
Change the drive letters and/or folder names if different on your machine.
Then double-click on CACHE.REG to merge this information into your Registry."
CAUTION: BACKUP your Registry files FIRST!
OUTLOOK EXPRESS 5 FOLDERS [+]
This great OE5 Registry trick appears courtesy of Ojatex (Ojatex@aol.com).
Many thanks for sharing!
"Here's a Registry tip for users of Outlook Express v5 who use a non-default
location to store their mail & news folders, particularly if that location is
on a portable/removable disk. If Outlook Express is opened and the portable
disk holding the mail & news folders is not mounted, Outlook Express will
create a set of default [and empty] folders in the default location:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express,
rather than notify the user that windows can't locate the users folders, which
are correctly pathed in the Registry under this Key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0
The tip-off that all is not well is finding the sole mail message in the new
Inbox folder is the default "Welcome to Outlook Express" message. At this
point it is wise for the user to close Outlook Express without
downloading/sending any messages to avoid splitting their data between two
sets of folders. The simple fix is to remount the portable disk containing the
users mail/news folders and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0
in order to repath the default location of the Store Root string from
C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express to the
physical location which can be something like
F:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express, where
F is the drive letter where the user's mail/news folders are located. Also the
user should delete the newly created "dbx" folders in
C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express."
SOUND BLASTER LIVE! REGISTRY BUG [+]
This FIX applies to ALL Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! PCI sound board
owners (Full, Value, OEM, Platinum, X-Gamer, MP3 etc) who installed the
Live!Ware 2.0 Update and/or 2.1 Patch drivers/tools. If you already installed
the newer Live!Ware 3.0 driver release you do NOT need this FIX! If you have
installed Live!Ware 2.0/2.1 it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to upgrade to version
3.0 to avoid this BUG altogether!
This one has hit me unprepared [well, not quite :)], and it hit me hard. :(
Why? Because of a careless software vendor who didn't take in consideration a
Windows 9x Registry limitation. Let me explain.
THE BUG:
The BUG I'm refering to is that the MS Windows 9x Registry canNOT be recreated
(compacted, reconstructed, shrunk, or whatever else you want to call it) from
a .REG file in native/true/real MS-DOS mode, by running either REGEDIT.EXE
(all Win9x releases) or SCANREG.EXE (all Win98 releases), IF (and this is
where the big WARNING comes in) ANY of the 6 main Registry keys (hives = HKEY)
are too large to fit in memory, by containing too many subkeys!
[Thank you Nomad (axisrecord@aol.com) for your thorough investigation!]
See the "Registry Structure" Intro chapter in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for
details, and read these MSKB articles to learn about the REGEDIT
recreation/import BUG:
- "REGEDIT May Not Be Able to Import Registry with Large Keys":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=132064
- "How to Troubleshoot Registry Errors":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=131431
- "Using Registry Editor in Real Mode":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=131352
In ANY such cases the Registry recreation will FAIL, or the newly created
Registry will become CORRUPTED, and Windows 9x will NOT start, will lock up or
will keep rebooting the computer!!!
And the ONLY solution is to restore the Registry from the most recent backup
to be able to get back into Windows!
These are the necessary command lines for recreating the Registry from a saved
.REG file (I called mine SAVEDREG.REG), ONLY from native MS-DOS (examples):
- Windows 95 and 98 users:
REGEDIT /C drive:\path\SAVEDREG.REG
- Windows 98 users only:
SCANREG /FIX
Read these topics for more details: "SHRINK THE REGISTRY!" in MYTIPS95.TXT
(included), "REGISTRY BACKUP + RESTORE" [Intro chapter] in REGISTRY.TXT (this
file) + "SCANREGW, SCANREG + SCANREG.INI" in TIPS98.TXT (included).
But this is where my luck comes in... :) I ALWAYS BACKUP THE REGISTRY BEFORE
MAKING ANY CHANGES TO MY SYSTEM! Otherwise I would still be locked out of the
Windows 98 GUI. :(
This applies to ALL Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! PCI sound card owners,
and the BUG appears ONLY IF you upgraded to SB Live! Windows 95/98 drivers:
Live!Ware 2.0 [28 MB!, free], and its newer "patch": Live!Ware 2.1 [1.9 MB,
free]:
http://www.soundblaster.com/drivers/
The newest driver set, currently Live!Ware 3.0, does NOT exhibit this BUG!
The Setup routine included with 2.0/2.1 driver upgrades writes more than 190
(ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY!) new keys to the Registry, most of which deal with
the surround sound presets for popular games, a new feature introduced
beginning with the Live!Ware 1.2 driver release.
After installing these drivers, I've tried to "shrink" the Registry, which has
grown to a whooping 12 MB in size (from 8 MB before installation). Guess what?
The recreation process failed, no matter which method I used (see above),
forcing me to restore the Registry from backups.
But this BUG hit me even harder when I installed Windows 98 SEU (Special
Edition Updates) cd-rom. After Setup completed and rebooted my machine,
Windows kept freezing at the blue screen of death (BSOD). Ouch! So I had to
restore from backups once again! :(
THE FIX:
The only solution I found is detailed below step by step:
1. BACKUP your Registry: copy SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT to a safe location.
2. Move the DEVCON32.DLL file from C:\Windows\System to a safe location,
BEFORE installing Win98 SEU (or upgrading to any other newer MS Windows
release), or BEFORE compacting your Registry. Otherwise the buggy "Devcon"
key will be RECREATED the next time you start the Windows GUI!
To move DEVCON32.DLL you need to boot to native MS-DOS FIRST: hold F8 (in
Win95/OSR2) or Ctrl (in Win98/98 SE) at the bootup BIOS POST screen to bring
up the Startup Menu -> select the "Command prompt only" option -> press
Enter. Then run (example):
MOVE %winbootdir%\SYSTEM\DEVCON32.DLL E:\BACKUPS
3. Export the incriminated [read "BUGgy" :)] Registry key containing a ton of
subkeys and values to a registration (.REG) file I called DEVCON.REG. To do
this, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Creative Tech\Devcon
Highlight the key above -> click "Registry" from the menu -> select "Export
Registry File" -> type a name in the "File name" field (DEVCON.REG in this
case) -> Browse for a destination -> click the Save button.
My DEVCON.REG is 11 MB in size, and the Registry was reduced from 12 MB to
only 8 MB! Talk about "bloatware". :)
4. Delete the "Devcon" key BEFORE installing Win98 SEU and/or shrinking your
Registry: highlight it in Regedit -> hit Del -> press Enter or click Yes.
5. Restart Windows.
6. Install Win98 SEU.
7. BACKUP your Registry: copy SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT to a safe location.
8. OPTIONAL: if using "REGEDIT /C" (see above) to recreate your Registry, do
this FIRST: save your entire Registry as a .REG file (I called it
SAVEDREG.REG): run Regedit -> highlight "My Computer" -> click "Registry"
from the menu -> select "Export Registry File..." -> type SAVEDREG.REG in the
"File name" field -> Browse for a destination -> click the Save button.
9. Reboot to native MS-DOS: see paragraph #2 above.
10. Compact your Registry using REGEDIT or SCANREG as described above.
11. Type WIN and press Enter to start Windows.
12. Move DEVCON32.DLL back to C:\Windows\System.
13. Merge (register) the "Devcon" key you saved to DEVCON.REG back into your
Registry: highlight DEVCON.REG in Explorer or File Manager -> (double)-click
on it -> answer Yes/OK to the confirmation prompts.
My "shrunk" Registry files (SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT) occupy now 10 MB.
14. Restart Windows one more time.
End of story. :)
UPDATES:
A. "Holy $#@&. I think you just figured out why I (and many others according
to DejaNews) are unable to upgrade to Win98 SE. Does this sound like what
happened to you:
1. You start the upgrade (from DOS or Windows) and all goes well...
2. ... Until the reboot. Then you get a message (in DOS) that the Registry is
corrupt.
3. The DOS Scanreg "fixes" System.dat by emptying it altogether (new one is 16
KB).
4. Win98 SE of course can't boot.
5. If you try to reboot with the "unfixed" System.bad as your System.dat, you
receive the BSOD complaining with several Vwin32 exception errors, followed by
more exception errors in other DLLs.
That's what happened to me, but only when I tried to upgrade my existing Win98
setup. I finally ended "manually" upgrading by overlaying a new 98 SE install
over my existing Win98 and (painfully!) importing selected Registry keys from
the fresh install.
I still have a backup up of my original 98, so out of curiosity I'm gonna see
if I can upgrade successfully after removing the Live! branch."
This update courtesy of Stephen (smiths@imagesoftcorp.com).
B. This other SB Live! BUG fix comes from Mondak (mondak2@pdq.net):
"Here's what I did (running Win98 SE):
1. Deleted the "Devcon" Registry key (mine was about 7 MB).
2. When rebooted, SYSTEM.DAT was still the same size, almost 11 MB.
3. Rebooted to DOS mode.
4. Ran SCANREG /FIX.
5. After that received message the Registry was successfully fixed.
6. Rebooted into Win98 SE and checked SYSTEM.DAT size: was now about 5.5 MB.
7. Went to Surround Mixer/w presets shown.
8. Checked Environmental Audio, nothing there, so I imported just the items I
wanted.
9. All the other junk is gone, Registry size cut in half, and system resources
jumped from 88% to 92%.
This seems an easier way to accomplish the Registry cleanup.
I didn't notice before doing this, but in the Surround Mixer there is a button
to delete presets, which I suppose (?) should do the same as removing them
from the Registry one at a time. After that you can do the SCANREG /FIX
thing."
HTTP SERVER REQUESTS [+]
This Registry hack works with ALL Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0x, 5.xx and
6.xx 32-bit releases for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003. [Thank you Harry
(hfisher@csinet.net) for sending the correct Registry key!]
First exit ALL MS IE instances.
Then open Regedit and go to (current user):
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
or to (all users):
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
if you are the main or only user on this computer.
In the right hand pane you need to create these 2 DWORD [REG_DWORD] Values
because they are not present by default [don't type the quotes though :)]:
- "MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server": defines the number of simultaneous requests to
a single HTTP 1.0 server. Double-click on it and type any integer value
between 8 and 32 (I use 16) in the Decimal box. Default is 4.
- "MaxConnectionsPerServer": defines the number of simultaneous requests to a
single HTTP 1.1 server. Double-click on it and type any integer value between
4 and 24 (I use 8) in the Decimal box. Default is 2.
Close the Registry Editor when done.
Now hook up to the internet, fire up MS IE and surf away.
CAUTION: Requesting too many connections at the same time can slow down your
browser, even if you're surfing on broadband (Cable, xDSL or Satellite).
More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=183110
CLEAR IE CACHE [+]
Courtesy of Jorma (posti@angelfire.com).
"Automatic MS IE cache clear:
Make sure Internet Explorer (IE) is not running.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache
Double-click on the "Persistent" value in the right hand pane, and:
- if DWORD [IE 3/4]: type 0 or 1 in the Decimal box, or
- if Binary (hex) [IE 5/6]: delete the first two digits, and then type 0 or
01.
Click OK.
Where:
0 = clears the cache every time IE closes.
1 = saves IE's cache."
ADD-ON:
These entries look like this on the Regedit screen:
1. MS IE 3.0x and 4.0x [DWORD]:
"Persistent"=0x00000000 (0)
or:
"Persistent"=0x00000001 (1)
2. MS IE 5.0x and 6.xx [Binary]:
"Persistent"=00 00 00 00
or:
"Persistent"=01 00 00 00
And this is how they appear in a .REG file:
1. MS IE 3.0x and 4.0x [DWORD]:
"Persistent"=dword:00000000
or:
"Persistent"=dword:00000001
2. MS IE 5.0x and 6.xx [Binary]:
"Persistent"=hex:00,00,00,00
or:
"Persistent"=hex:01,00,00,00
NOTE: If your IE cache folders contain lots of files, it may take a while to
delete them all upon exit, depending on your CPU and hard disk speed.
HIDE YOUR DRIVES! [+]
To prevent a drive or any combination of drives from appearing in My Computer,
Windows Explorer and/or Internet Explorer, for security purposes in a
multiuser environment, if you own the computer or have Administrator
privileges, add/modify the "NoDrives" (don't type the quotation marks) Binary
[hex] value under this Registry key, using Regedit:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Give it a value from the list below to hide the individual drive of your
choice (don't type the spaces):
A = 01 00 00 00
B = 02 00 00 00
C = 04 00 00 00
D = 08 00 00 00
E = 10 00 00 00
F = 20 00 00 00
G = 40 00 00 00
H = 80 00 00 00
I = 00 01 00 00
J = 00 02 00 00
K = 00 04 00 00
L = 00 08 00 00
M = 00 10 00 00
N = 00 20 00 00
O = 00 40 00 00
P = 00 80 00 00
Q = 00 00 01 00
R = 00 00 02 00
S = 00 00 04 00
T = 00 00 08 00
U = 00 00 10 00
V = 00 00 20 00
W = 00 00 40 00
X = 00 00 80 00
Y = 00 00 00 01
Z = 00 00 00 02
Example: to hide drives D, E, Y and Z give "NoDrives" this value:
18 00 00 03
Where: D + E = 18 and Y + Z = 03 (cumulative values).
NOTE: These numbers are in HEXadecimal. Example: to hide drives A, B, C and D,
use 0F, NOT 15, when cumulating multiple drives.
Show all drives (A to Z) "NoDrives" value:
00 00 00 00
Hide all drives (A to Z) "NoDrives" value:
FF FF FF 03
You can also do this by using TweakUI, one of the Microsoft Power Toys for
Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME [110 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
Use TweakUI with caution, ONLY AFTER BACKING UP YOUR REGISTRY!
Open Control Panel -> TweakUI -> My Computer tab -> check to show or uncheck
to hide the desired drive boxes -> click OK/Apply.
Windows 9x default is to show ALL local and remote (network) drives: A to Z.
Have fun.
TO DO:
- All these settings apply also to the "NoDriveTypeAutoRun" Binary [hex]
value, to enable/disable the AutoRun feature on selected drives (useful for
disabling AutoRun on CD-ROMs/DVD-ROMs), and found also at:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
More info:
http://snakefoot.fateback.com/tweak/windows/tips.html#AUTORUN
- See "SYSTEM RESTRICTIONS" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) to learn how to
enable/disable more Win9x/ME security features on your machine.
- See this MSKB article for more info:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=179221
DISABLE OUTLOOK EXPRESS SPLASH [+]
Perform the Registry edit below that applies to your MS OE version to disable
the Microsoft Outlook Express startup splash screen (thanks a lot guys!), but
exit OE first:
1. MS OE v4.0 "no splash" tip was sent by Akmal Khamis (kamis@pc.jaring.my):
"Use Regedit to go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express
Modify or create a new DWORD called "NoSplash" (no quotes) and give it a value
of 1 in the Decimal box."
2. MS OE v5.0 "no splash" tip was sent by Bo (boimakra@hotmail.com):
"Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0
or:
HKEY_USERS\Default\Your_User_ID\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0
or:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Identities\{6E709CC0-7461-11D3-9B66-861126026B25}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0
Modify or create a new DWORD called "NoSplash" (no quotes) with a Decimal
value of 1."
UPDATE:
Check out these comprehensive OE User Tips pages:
http://www.okinfoweb.com/moe/
START MENU COLUMNS [+]
Courtesy of Elli.
This tip applies to ALL Windows 98/ME machines, and also to Windows
95/OSR1/OSR2, but ONLY with MS Internet Explorer 4/5/6 or newer installed.
"To switch back to multiple column lists in the Start button Menus:
1. Click Start -> Run -> type Regedit -> click OK.
2. In the Registry Editor, click the plus signs to expand the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced
and also to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
or to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
if you are the only (default) user on your computer.
3. Right-click an unoccupied area in the right hand pane -> click New -> DWORD
Value.
4. In the name box that appears type StartMenuScrollPrograms (all one word) ->
press Enter.
5. Right-click the name you just created -> click Modify -> in the Decimal
Value Data box type 0 (zero) -> click OK.
6. Click Registry -> Exit to close the Registry Editor.
NOTE: If this doesn't work, create StartMenuScrollPrograms as String Value ->
hit Enter -> right-click on it -> click Modify -> in the Value Data box type
false (case insensitive) -> click OK.
It should not be necessary to restart Windows. When you click the Start button
and then Programs, your menu should now show multiple columns side by side,
instead of a single column with top and bottom scrolling arrows, assuming you
have a Programs list longer than your Desktop screen height, otherwise your
menus won't look any different. :)
To revert back to Windows default (scrolling Start Menu list), just delete the
StartMenuScrollPrograms Value."
FYI: See also "TOGGLE MENUS" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file).
CUSTOM IE TOOLBAR [+]
The "stock" Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5/6 releases (obtained from
Microsoft) do not display a Toolbar background bitmap (default). But if you
installed a "branded" IE version, usually distributed by 3rd party search
engines, news sites, ISPs etc, you may see a company logo instead of the plain
gray Toolbar background. You can have MS IE display your favorite picture as
Toolbar background, replace the one already installed, or revert to default.
[read "boring"... :)]
First close ALL IE instances. Then open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
Look in the right hand pane for the "BackBitmap" String (IE4).
1. If it is blank (default), IE4's Toolbar is bright gray, or whatever color
you have changed it to in Display Properties -> Appearance tab -> Menu Color
(no picture).
2. If this value shows something like:
"BackBitmap"="C:\PICS\MYPIC.BMP"
then IE4's Toolbar is "branded" ("customized").
To replace IE4's bitmap: double-click on "BackBitmap" -> type in the graphic
path and name of your choice -> click OK.
MS IE 5/6 users need to modify the "BackBitmapIE5" String instead.
The ONLY supported graphic file format is .BMP (Windows Bitmap).
3. To revert back to the default background (no bitmap), just double-click on
"BackBitmap" (IE4) or "BackBitmapIE5" (IE 5/6) and delete the entire string.
MS IE 5/6 USERS ONLY: Download and install the Toolbar Wallpaper web accessory
[170 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/webaccess/tbwlpapr.exe
one of the IE 5/6 Power Toys:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/webaccess/
From now on you can change your IE 5/6 background bitmap by clicking on its
Tools menu -> select Toolbar Wallpaper -> Browse to your favorite .BMP file ->
click OK -> restart IE.
NOTE: The background bitmap is NOT displayed when IE runs in full screen
(kiosk) mode. Press F11 to toggle between window and full screen.
To further customize your MS IE interface, see "BRANDED MS IE" in REGISTRY.TXT
(this file).
FYI:
- Get Throb Off (freeware) to turn off MS IE spinning logo (throbber):
http://www.toastytech.com/files/throboff.html
- Customize MS IE throbber:
http://snakefoot.fateback.com/tweak/windows/tips.html#IE_BRANDING
STARTUP ORDER [+]
By default Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5/6 and Windows 98/ME GUI list all
Start Menu icons/folders in alphabetical order. That is until you or a newly
installed app creates new shortcuts. You can manually drag any shortcut/folder
from a drive, folder, Desktop etc, and drop it onto the Start Menu, into the
folder of your choice. These shortcuts are not listed in alphabetical order
anymore after such manual "rearrangements", but in the order in which you have
dropped them. Further more, new shortcuts added after this are now listed at
the bottom of the menu.
NOTE: This feature works ONLY IF Active Desktop (Web View) is installed.
Now let's presume some day you get bored with this new arrangement, and would
like to restore the entire Startup menu back the old fashion way: listed
alphabetically. You can do this [again :(] manually, dragging them one at a
time, or much easier, by editing the Registry. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Start Menu\Menu
to restore the Start Menu folder listing, then to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Start Menu\&Programs\Menu
to restore the Programs folder listing, then to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Favorites\Menu
to restore the Favorites folder listing etc... You get the idea. :)
Look in the right hand pane for a Binary value called "Order". Right-click on
it and select Delete, or highlight it and press Del. Then click OK or press
Enter to confirm.
Exit the Registry Editor and restart Windows when done. It will scan the
Registry and recreate the default "Order" values (alphabetical listing) next
time it starts. To rearrange any icon/folder again, just drag & drop the
desired item into a new position. This way you can even move them among
folders.
That's it.
CAUTION: BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES!
See these MSKB articles for more details:
- "Start Menu and Favorites Menu Not Listed in Alphabetical Order":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=177482
- "How to Add or Remove Windows Desktop Update":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=165695
UPDATE:
"SortMenu (freeware program):
http://downloads.planetmirror.com/pub/simtelnet/win95/win98/sortmn20.zip
forces Windows 98/ME to sort the Start Menu whenever you want or every time
Windows starts."
This update courtesy of Diego (diegoam@flashmail.com).
WRITE BEHIND CACHE [+]
By default Windows 9x/ME is set to use write behind caching, which means it
writes data back to the fixed disks while proceeding to the next operation,
for increased performance.
Further more, Windows 98/ME takes another step and enables this mode also on
all your removable drives: Control Panel -> System -> Performance tab -> File
System... button -> Removable Disk tab -> "Enable write-behind caching on all
removable disk drives" check box (checked by default).
The disadvantage is that in case of a sudden power outage or any other system
failure, some data might not be completely written back to disk, resulting in
data loss, or worse, system lockups/errors, and/or disk errors (lost clusters,
surface defects), on subsequent (re)boots.
Therefore you may want to disable the write behind cache function, especially
if you own system critical applications, and ALWAYS shut down Windows AFTER
closing ALL running programs!
This means all data will be immediately written to disk, bypassing the cache.
To do this on:
1. Removable drives [Windows 98/ME ONLY]: uncheck the "Enable write-behind
caching on all removable disk drives" box, click OK/Apply twice, and finally
restart Windows (which you will be prompted to do anyway).
2. Fixed (hard) drives [ALL Windows 9x/ME releases]: run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
In the right hand pane look for the "DriveWriteBehind" Binary value.
It should read something like:
01 00 00 00
meaning write behind is enabled on drive C, or:
00 00 00 80
meaning write behind is enabled on drives/partitions C, D, E and F (in my
case).
To completely disable write behind on ALL your fixed local/network drives,
double-click on "DriveWriteBehind", and change its value to read (don't type
the spaces):
00 00 00 00
To enable write behind on ALL local/remote drives (C to Z), change it to:
FF FF FF 03
Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows when done.
If write behind cache is disabled, overall system performance will decrease
slightly, depending mainly on your CPU, RAM and hard disk subsystem speed, but
it will allow you to "play safe".
If you are the lucky owner of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) unit,
turning off write behind cache becomes obsolete.
SCREEN SAVER PASSWORD [+]
Have you ever forgotten your screen saver password, not being able to return
to "normal operation" in Windows 9x?
Well, there is a way to completely delete the screen saver password, allowing
you to get your system back, that is if you are using a "protected" screen
saver.
Just fire up Regedit and go to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop
In the right hand pane look for the "ScreenSave_Data" String value.
Highlight it and hit the Delete key.
Exit the Registry Editor when done. Voila!
Of course, everybody who has been "playing" with personal computers for a
while has learned the "easy way" around this: press and hold Ctrl+Alt+Delete
simultaneously, followed by/or Ctrl+Esc. This "classic" trick works with all
Windows/WfWG 3.xx releases, WinNT 3.xx, Windows 95 retail and Win95a OSR1.
Doesn't seem to work with Win95B/95C OSR 2.x, Win98, WinNT 4.0 or Win2000
though. Talk about "OS security"... :)
Screen savers are not necessary anymore for protecting your monitor from
screen burn-in these days, because newer CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes) are equiped
with good quality phosphor and anti-static coating layers.
Use screen savers only as a primitive (easy to bypass) security shield, or if
you just like looking at a "pretty" desktop when not using your computer. :)
TIP: Read "BYPASS SAVER PASSWORD" in MYTIPS95.TXT (included) to learn about
another screen saver password bypassing method.
BROWSER CACHE IN MEMORY [+]
To improve Internet browsing speed noticeably, you can use a temporary RAM
(memory) drive to store the Temporary Internet Cache Files (TIF, as they are
called if using MS IE), Cookies, Favorites (optional) and History folders,
with both Netscape and Microsoft web browsers, all releases beginning with
version 3.0.
This applies to ALL Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP builds, and specific procedures
are detailed step by step separately below.
But first let's see the...
PROs:
- Can be used for storing ALL browser cache AND cookie files.
- Cuts down on hard disk activity noticeably.
- Provides much greater file storage efficiency, because a RAM drive uses 512
Byte size clusters, smaller even than the FAT32 file system (limited to a
minimum of 1 KB default cluster size, on drives/partitions smaller than 512
MB).
- Avoids cluttering your hard disks with zillions of small temporary files.
- Cached web sites are accessed a lot faster.
- The Windows GUI provides full 32-bit driver support for RAM drives.
CONs:
- By using Microsoft's DOS mode RAMDRIVE.SYS your CD-ROM/DVD drive letter will
be shifted upwards by 1 letter. Example: if you have 1 hard drive (single
partition) and 1 CD-ROM/DVD drive, the RAM drive will take letter D, and will
shift the CD-ROM/DVD drive to letter E, in both DOS and Windows modes.
Therefore you will need to update ALL your CD-ROM/DVD based applications/links
to point to the new letter!
- MS RAMDRIVE.SYS can create a RAM disk of only 32 MB maximum size.
See XMS/EMS RAMdisk further below for a better RAM Drive replacement: maximum
RAM disk size 2 GB!
- The ENTIRE contents of a RAM drive is GONE upon rebooting!
- You need at least 32 MB of memory (RAM) installed in your computer (64 MB
recommended) to use this trick!
- WARNINGS:
* If using Microsoft Internet Explorer 3/4/5/6 you will NOT be able to
download files larger than the RAM disk size, because MS IE downloads ALL
files from the Internet into its cache (TIF) folders! Therefore you need to
create a dedicated DOS batch file [HINT: using for example the MS-DOS XCOPY
command for this job] to copy all cached files from the RAM disk to your local
hard disk, and eventually delete them all afterwards [HINT: using the MS-DOS
DELTREE/Y command] from your RAM drive, to make more room for further
downloads, BEFORE shutting down or rebooting Windows.
* If you decide to relocate your Windows OS TEMP(orary) folder (governed by
the TEMP and TMP environment variables = see futher below for details) to a
RAM drive, you will NOT be able to install ANY program/game/update using
file(s) LARGER than your RAM disk free space!
Necessary steps for creating a properly configured RAM drive to use as
browser cache/cookie folder:
* WINDOWS 95/98/ME:
1. Get XMS/EMS RAMdisk v1.9i 16-bit DOS TSR improved Microsoft RAMDRIVE.SYS
replacement for MS-DOS 5/6 and Windows 9x/ME/3.1x [74 KB, freeware]:
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/files/xmsdsk.zip
or XMS/EMS RAMdisk v1.9i with installer/uninstaller for Windows 9x/ME [114 KB,
freeware]:
http://www.speedcorp.net/downloads/ramdrive.exe
Install and configure XMS/EMS RAMdisk to load every time with Windows.
Do NOT reboot yet. Skip to paragraph 3 below to learn how to change the
location of your web browser(s) cache/cookie folders to point to the RAM
drive.
If using MS RAMDRIVE.SYS: add this line (example) to your Config.sys file to
create a new temporary drive in your computer's memory (RAM):
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 4096 /E
This creates a new 4 MB RAM drive in extended memory, but you can specify a
different size (in KiloBytes), depending on the desired cache folder size,
and your installed RAM. To load RAMDRIVE.SYS in the Upper Memory Area (UMA),
you need to use an upper/extended/expanded memory manager in Config.sys, like
EMM386.EXE (bundled with MS Windows 9x/ME), with the NOEMS (to enable extended
memory only) or RAM (to also enable expanded memory) switch.
Example:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE I=C800-EFFF I=B000-B7FF RAM D=256 AUTO
Change the Windows folder name if different on your system.
TIP: See my "Complete UMBPCI.SYS Guide":
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/umb.htm
to learn how to use a better and faster (freeware) memory manager (provides
ONLY upper, NOT expanded memory) in your Config.sys, in order to load
XMSDSK.EXE or RAMDRIVE.SYS in the UMBs, thus saving conventional RAM.
2. Create a new temporary directory on the RAM drive to store all browser
cache/cookie files, by adding this line to your Autoexec.bat file (example):
MD D:\TEMP
presuming you have only 1 hard disk/partition and 1 CD-ROM drive. Change this
letter if you have more drives to the next available letter AFTER the last
letter taken by your hard disks/partitions, and BEFORE the CD-ROM drive
letter.
DO NOT allow your browser to use the root directory on the RAM drive as its
cache folder, because the RAMDRIVE.SYS root directory can ONLY hold up to 512
files, because it uses the obsolete FAT12 (used on floppy disks) as its
default File System!
FYI: FAT16 also supports ONLY maximum 512 root entries, and newer FAT32 allows
unlimited root entries.
3. Modify your web browser settings to point to the new cache/cookie folder:
A. Netscape Navigator/Communicator 4.xx: click Edit -> Preferences ->
double-click Advanced -> select Cache -> adjust the "Disk Cache Folder" to
point to the directory you created on the RAM drive, then adjust the "Disk
Cache" to match the size of the RAM drive -> click OK.
Netscape/Mozilla 4.xx/6.xx browsers use the C:\Netscape\Users\Your_Email_Name
folder (default) for storing cookies. But you can change the COOKIES.TXT file
location to the drive/partition + folder of your choice, thanks to Tom Cathey
(tcathey@erols.com):
"Open Start Menu -> Netscape -> Utilities -> User Profile Manager -> create a
NEW profile -> enter the disk + folder location when requested -> browse to
your RAM disk drive letter and select the TEMP directory (example).
From now on your ENTIRE profile (including COOKIES.TXT) will go there."
IMPORTANT:
The downside is that you need to SAVE this entire folder contents to your hard
disk EVERY TIME BEFORE shutting down or rebooting your PC (eventually using a
dedicated DOS batch file shortcut), otherwise it will be wiped out. :(
For this purpose, use Notepad to create a file with the .BAT extension for
complete automation, using E as RAM drive, E:\TEMP as new profile location and
C:\TEMP as hard drive destination folder for saving and restoring your profile
every time before opening your browser and after closing it, and including a
command line for starting Netscape.exe in between (example):
@ECHO OFF
XCOPY.EXE/E/H/I/R/Y C:\TEMP E:\TEMP
START.EXE /W NETSCAPE.EXE
XCOPY.EXE/E/H/I/R/Y E:\TEMP C:\TEMP
EXIT
If any of these drive letters and/or folder names are different on your
system, change them accordingly.
Last step is to create a shortcut for this BAT file into the Start Menu folder
of your choice, and from now on just run Netscape from this new shortcut. Make
sure your MS-DOS PIF (Program Information File) shortcut is set to close at
the end: right-click on it -> select Properties -> Program tab -> check the
"Close on exit" box -> click OK -> done. :)
UPDATE:
"There is no Preferences option to move the Netscape 6.xx (Mozilla 1.0) Cache
folder location to a RAM (or any other) drive and/or directory.
But you can achieve this without creating a new profile on your new target
(RAM) drive and then copying this profile to and from the RAM disk every time
you restart the computer.
Just open the Prefs.js file (located in
%windir%\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\UserName\xxxxxxxx.slt = replace
UserName with your actual user name) in Notepad and modify this line to
whatever you wish:
user_pref("browser.cache.disk.parent_directory", "X:\\Cache");
Replace X with your desired drive/partition letter and Cache with your folder
name (long file names are accepted).
Save your work and exit Notepad.
FYI: This tweak is found at Mozilla.org:"
http://www.mozilla.org/
[Thank you Biolex (romanyshyn@shaw.ca)!]
B. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5/6: click Tools -> Internet
Options/Properties -> click the Settings button in the "Temporary Internet
Files" area -> click the "Move folder" button -> browse to and select the
directory you created on the RAM drive, then "Adjust the amount of disk space
to use" to match the size of the RAM drive -> click Apply/OK.
In case MS IE won't allow moving its cache folder from the Internet Properties
applet, you can still force it to do so by merging the IECACH9X.REG (included)
REG file into your Registry by (double)-clicking on it in Windows Explorer or
File Manager (FM = C:\Windows\Winfile.exe), but BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FIRST!
IECACH9X.REG contains also the necessary Registry keys for redirecting IE's
Cookies, History, URL History and Favorites folders to the TEMP directory on
your RAM disk. This is cool if you have no use for them, and would prefer to
"clean up" your hard disk(s) a bit, like I do. :)
Some of these key names may differ slightly depending on your MS IE built,
like the "5.0" Cache keys that are used only by IE 5.xx/6.xx.
Open IECACH9X.REG in Notepad and replace the RAM drive letter (E in this
example) if different on your computer.
4. OPTIONAL: Redirect your TEMPorary folders location to the RAM disk by
adding/changing these lines in your Config.sys file (located in C:\ root) with
Notepad/Sysedit:
SET TEMP=E:\TEMP
SET TMP=E:\TEMP
IMPORTANT:
Windows ME users MUST apply the Unofficial Real DOS-Mode Patch [9 KB,
freeware]:
http://www.geocities.com/mfd4life_2000/
which modifies COMMAND.COM + IO.SYS (from C:\Windows\Command\EBD) +
REGENV32.EXE (from C:\Windows\System), in order to be able to boot to native
MS-DOS and use DOS mode startup files (AUTOEXEC.BAT + CONFIG.SYS), the Windows
95/98 style.
5. Reboot.
6. Done. :)
Another way to redirect (and empty periodically by deleting all temporary
files) your MS IE 4/5/6 Cache, Cookies, Favorites and History folders to a
different (single) location (i.e. a RAM disk) is to use these 98lite
CacheCloak INF files [freeware]:
http://w3.swi.hu/kesro/w98lite/CacheCloak.zip
UPDATE:
"There is a much better DOS based RAM Drive called XMS/EMS RAMdisk (freeware):
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/files/xmsdsk.zip
which does NOT shift drive letters, also available with automated
install/uninstall [114 KB, freeware]:
http://www.speedcorp.net/downloads/ramdrive.exe
I have 128 MB and I use a RAM disk of 46 MB, which can be extended to up to 2
GB, depending on how much memory you have.
These 2 RAMdisk drivers can load in either extended (XMS) or expanded (EMS)
memory. Example: place a line for the XMS driver in your Autoexec.bat:
LH XMSDSK.EXE 46080 E: /C1 /T /Y
LH (LOADHIGH for short) loads it in upper memory, if you have an upper memory
manager present in your Config.sys, like MS EMM386.EXE (found in your main
Windows 9x/ME folder) or UMBPCI.SYS (freeware, the BEST in the business):
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/umb.htm
Meaning:
46080 = RAM disk size in KB.
E: = desired drive letter.
/C1 = cluster size set to 512 Bytes. /C2 = 1024, /C4 = 2048 (ONLY doubling
works: 2, 4, 8 etc, NOT 3, 5, 7 etc).
/T = use RAM from top in 1 block (highly recommended!).
/Y = to disable the confirmation prompt for uninterrupted operation.
If using a folder other than the root folder of your RAM drive (recommended!)
for the MS IE temporary cache files, you need to add another Autoexec.bat line
below the line that loads XMSDSK to create the respective directory (example
using the same RAM drive letter above):
MD E:\TEMP
You can turn off your RAMdisk by running XMSDSK again with the /U switch:
XMSDSK.EXE /U /Y
or you can disable it altogether by typing a double colon (::) or REM in front
of the XMSDSK Autoexec.bat line.
I load and save the MS IE cache files to disk by using 2 DOS BATch files, but
this can be also automated by Netlaunch (freeware):
http://www.blackcastlesoft.com/netlaunch/
at the beginning and at the end of a dialing session.
You can also use Netsonic Pro (shareware):
http://www.web3000.com/
and put the Netsonic cache in RAM to get a browsing speed you never thought
of, it's like having a T1.
The only disadvantage is that RAMdisk cannot be resized at will."
[Thank you Sven (backend@gmx.de)!]
* WINDOWS NT4/2000/XP:
1. Get AR RAM Disk for Windows NT4/2000/XP [93 KB, freeware] max RAM drive
size 2 GB, includes tweaking Control Panel applet (.CPL), highly customizable:
http://www.arsoft-online.com/products/product.php?id=1
2. To install AR RAM Disk: log on as Administrator -> unZIP RAMDISK.ZIP -> run
SETUP.EXE -> do NOT reboot yet!
3. (Double)-click on IECACHXP.REG (included) to move all MS IE temp folders to
the newly created RAM disk: E:\TEMP used here, change if necessary to match
your particular settings.
4. OPTIONAL: The extra lines at the bottom of IECACHXP.REG relocate all
TEMPorary files created by the OS to the RAM disk E:\TEMP target directory.
Open IECACHXP.REG in Notepad and change the drive letter and/or folder name to
match your particular/desired settings, or REMark (disable) them by preceding
each line with a semicolon (;), if you don't want to move the TEMP and TMP
folders to the RAM drive.
Note that the RAM disk will occupy the next available letter after the last
local drive/partition already installed in your system, excluding eventual
network/remote drives, which are usually positioned towards the end of the
alphabet (e.g. M-Z). In case your network drives follow immediately after the
local drive letters, you need to count them all in.
To find out your RAM disk drive letter, open Windows Explorer, scroll down to
the last (local) drive/partition letter and add 1 to it.
When done, run IECACHXP.REG to relocate all MS IE 4/5/6 Cache, Cookies,
Favorites and History folders to the newly created RAM drive.
If you don't want to move your Favorites folder to the RAM disk, open the REG
file in Notepad, and REMark (disable) all "Favorites" lines from IECACHXP.REG
by preceding each of them with a semicolon (;).
5. Customize your RAM drive size following the same rules as described above
(depending on how much memory your PC has), by using the included Control
Panel applet installed by AR RAM Disk.
6. See paragraphs 3A & 3B under the "WINDOWS 95/98/ME:" subtitle above to find
out how to change the location of Cache and Cookies folders in Microsoft and
Netscape browsers without modifying the Registry.
7. Reboot.
8. Done. :)
FYI: See these pages for more details:
- Using a RAM drive:
http://home7.inet.tele.dk/batfiles/b4ustart/ramdrive.htm
- Windows 2000 RAMDISK Guide:
http://www.jsiinc.com/subh/tip3500/rh3515.htm
- Improve your internet performance with Ramdrive in Windows 2000/XP:
http://www.cyberwizardpit.com/article3.htm
QUICKVIEW ALL FILES [+]
I'm sure you have certain file types that do not list a QuickView option when
you right-click on them to make their context menu pop up in Explorer.
But you can add the QuickView selection to ALL files by editing the Registry.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*
Highlight it -> right-click -> select New -> Key. Name this new subkey
"QuickView" (no quotes). Now highlight QuickView -> double-click on its
"(Default)" String in the right hand pane -> type an asterisk (*) -> click OK.
Exit the Registry Editor. Now open Explorer and right-click on a file, any
file. You'll notice the new QuickView command.
Have fun.
UPDATE:
"There are a few little other tweaks for file viewers:
1- If one uses an enhanced viewing program, such as Quick View Plus, the
viewer will default to the Plus program which is already on the FILE and Right
Click menus. [A search of the Registry shows "Quick View Plus" has taken over
the original "QuickView" key and the latter is now relegated to a key named
"QuickView.Original".]
2- "Quick View" will not appear on the File or Right Click menus for
non-extensioned files such as the ones named "axcel216" or "ojatex" in the
Organize sub-folder of the AOL program. However, Quick View Plus will appear
in those menus. One can make Quick View appear in the Right Click menus if one
uses a program such as "Mlaunch.dll" by adding "QuikView.exe" via the
Properties Tab.
{Note: Any AOL screen name longer than eight characters [10 is the max], has a
period placed after the eighth character in the file directory, which gives
the file an "extension".}
3- When one tries to open a file such as "axcel216" or "ojatex" with Quick
View Plus it seems to work fine unless that file has become quite large [since
the owner has not cleaned out their AOL Personal File Cabinet in a long time
-- I'm taking the 5th on this one]. At some point of "largeness", apparently
Quick View Plus balks and returns a "Whoops" message. But there is a
workaround for this too [we won't have to clean up just yet]. One can open
these files with a word processing program - they won't look as nice as the
Quick View rendition, but the files are viewable."
This update courtesy of Ojatex (Ojatex@aol.com).
FILE SYSTEM SYNCHRONIZATION [+]
You might own certain applications that may need the asynchronous buffer
commit function enabled in Windows 9x/ME to operate properly. This feature was
introduced with the release of Windows/WfWG 3.11, and was enabled there by
default, thus speeding disk access. But you can also do this in Windows 9x/ME,
and speed up disk intensive applications noticeably.
In asynchronous mode, the Windows 32-bit file system starts immediately the
next disk operation without checking if the data from the last operation was
written correctly to disk, thus decreasing (by 10% in most cases) the time it
takes to perform an I/O (Input/Output) read/write disk function.
Some programs specify if this is recommended or necessary in their
documentation, but most don't. :(
But changing the default might prove unsafe if the hard disk presents surface
defects/lost clusters, which errors can be easily corrected by running
ScanDisk with the "Thorough (performs Standard test and scans disk surface for
errors)" option turned on. Also, some disk intensive applications might not
"like" the asynchronous mode, and will "complain" by issuing warning messages,
or even "behave" improperly. The worst case is a sudden power surge, when the
information stored into the memory cache buffer cannot be written properly
back to disk, resulting in data loss.
Therefore you may need to return to the default mode: synchronous buffer
commit, which allows the file system to always check the data to be correctly
written to disk from the memory buffer.
Now BACKUP YOUR SYSTEM FILES BEFORE PROCEEDING FURTHER!
Then open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
In the right hand pane you should see the "AsyncFileCommit" DWORD (Win95/98)
or Binary (WinME) Value.
Create it if not present: right-click -> select New -> DWORD (Win95/98) or
Binary (WinME) Value -> name it "AsyncFileCommit" (no quotes) -> double-click
on it -> check the DWORD Decimal box (Win95/98) -> type 1 (for asynchronous
mode) or 0 (for synchronous mode), or type in the Binary (WinME) Value box:
01000000 (for asynchronous mode) or 00000000 (for synchronous mode).
Close Regedit and restart Windows.
From now on watch for any weird error messages generated by your programs
while in asynchronous mode. If you DO get any, reset back to synchronous mode
(default), as described above.
This can be also achieved the easy way [but that's no fun :)] by running
Control Panel -> System -> Performance tab -> File System button ->
Troubleshooting tab -> place (asynchronous mode) or remove (synchronous mode)
the check mark in the "Disable synchronous buffer commit" box -> restart
Windows.
Note that Microsoft suggests altering this setting ONLY for troubleshooting
purposes.
BRANDED MS IE [+]
This trick applies to ALL MS Internet Explorer 4/5/6 and newer 32-bit
releases.
If you have downloaded/installed Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 Public
Release (example used here) from ANY other web site than Microsoft's, you may
have a so-called "branded" IE5 version, which might have a different name
and/or spinning logo, usually displaying that company's name or logo.
But if you want your "original" (unmodified) IE copy back, there are a few
things you can do:
1. First, make sure to close ALL IE browser windows.
2. Even if you have already installed a "branded" copy of IE5, you can always
reinstall it. Open the folder IE5's installation files reside into, and move
the Branding.cab file to another location. Now download Microsoft's original
Branding.cab for [right-click to save!]:
- MS IE 5.x [10 KB, free]:
http://softserv.murdoch.edu.au/pub/mswin/InternetExplorer/IE55SP2/WIN32/EN/BRANDING.CAB
- MS IE 6.0 [8 KB, free]:
http://www.gwdg.de/samba/windows/ie60e/BRANDING.CAB
Place it into your IE Setup folder. Reinstall IE. No need to uninstall it
beforehand, ONLY IF you first installed the current version: IE5 Public
Release 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4 (Intel platforms), build 5.00.2314.1000
(second "silent" release), BUG fixed. To tell exactly your IE vesion/build,
open your IE folder and right-click on Iexplore.exe. Select Properties and
click the Version tab.
3. To revert IE's title to its original, run Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
and to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
Look in the right hand pane for the "Window Title" String Value. You can
either modify it to show the original name (Microsoft Internet Explorer),
customize it to your heart's content, or simply delete it.
4. To get back the MS IE spinning (globe) logo, run Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
In the right hand pane: double-click on the "BrandBitmap" String and delete
its value, or delete the entire "BrandBitmap" String. Do the same with
"SmBrandBitmap".
5. Alternative method without modifying the Registry: click the Start button
-> Run... box -> type the command line below -> click OK or hit Enter:
rundll32.exe iedkcs32.dll,Clear
6. Restart IE. Voila! The original title and logo have been restored. :)
FYI:
To further customize your MS IE interface, see "CUSTOM IE TOOLBAR" in
REGISTRY.TXT (this file).
FORCED EXIT
Sometimes when you try to shut down/reboot/restart your Windows
9x/NT/2000/ME/XP computer, you might get an error message like:
"PROGRAM.EXE is still running. Close all programs first, and then exit
Windows."
This is because once in a while [and more often than we'd like :(] certain
buggy [especially older, 16-bit (Win16) or poorly written] programs/games
hang, not allowing you to exit the Windows GUI.
One (temporary) solution is to perform the "three finger salute" (Alt + Ctrl
+ Del) and click End Task (or terminate the non-responding program/process)
to force the incriminated (locked up) application to exit, and then shut
down/restart Windows as usual.
But I found a better (permanent) solution, valid for ALL Win32 releases: NT4,
95, 98, 2000, ME and XP. Run Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
In the right hand pane look for the "AutoEndTasks" String Value. Create it if
not present: right-click -> select New -> String Value -> name it
"AutoEndTasks" (without quotes).
Now double-click on "AutoEndTasks" and give it the value of 1 to enable the
"forced program exit" feature.
From now on, whenever you want to shut down/restart/reboot Windows, you won't
be "greeted" by those error messages anymore. :)
You can also disable the "forced exit" by giving "AutoEndTasks" the value of
0, or by simply deleting it.
These Registry changes do not require a system restart.
More info @ MS TechNet:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/maintain/featusability/systeman.asp
END TASK TIMEOUT [+]
One of the advantages using a 32-bit (Win32) OS (Windows 9x, NT, 2000, ME and
XP), is that all 32-bit applications/games start in protected mode, and
furthermore, in Windows NT/2000/XP (true 32-bit multitasking multithreading
OSes) they are alloted a separate memory space, thus making them less prone to
crash/lock up.
On the other hand, older 16-bit Windows apps (Win16) and DOS programs [these
are all 16-bit :)] running in a dedicated Virtual DOS Machine (VDM, a.k.a. DOS
session/box/window) are more likely to freeze Windows, especially upon shut
down.
But who hasn't seen a Windows program that didn't lock up once in a while?
Fortunately, there is a way to shut down an "offending" application, by
performing the "three finger salute" (Alt + Ctrl + Del) and then clicking End
Task (Windows 9x/ME only), or run System Manager and terminate the
non-responding program/process (Windows NT4/2000/XP).
The only disadvantage using this feature is that sometimes Windows waits a
long time (sometimes more than a minute) to finally acknowledge that a
particular program is "Not responding" to the shutdown call, and only after
that allowing you to manually shut it down by clicking the End Task button.
But this can be changed in ALL Win32 releases: NT4, 95, 98, 2000, ME and XP.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Create two new String Values in the right hand pane:
1. Right-click -> select New -> String Value -> call it "HungAppTimeout" (no
quotes). Double-click on "HungAppTimeout" and give it a value of 1000 (default
is 5000 milliseconds = 5 seconds).
This value sets the manual timeout until a program is terminated by using
System (Task) Manager.
2. Right-click -> select New -> String Value -> call it "WaitToKillAppTimeout"
(no quotes). Double-click on "WaitToKillAppTimeout" and give a value of 2000
(default is 20000 milliseconds = 20 seconds).
This value sets the automatic timeout until Windows shuts down/restarts, while
trying to close all open programs.
An additional Registry setting, valid ONLY for Windows NT4/2000/XP, allows the
administrator/sysadmin/main user to control the timeout delay all open
services, apps, DLLs, VXDs etc... take to close and "clean up" after
themselves and/or save any cached data to disk(s) before complete system shut
down. At the end of this interval, the remaining open services will be
automatically shut down by Windows.
If your server is running lots of services, this may take a looong while. :(
But you can decrease the default "killing" time delay alloted to each service
by starting Regedit and going to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
Right-click on the "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" String value in the right hand
pane -> select Modify -> type any integer number between 1000 and 20000 (I
use 2000 = 2 seconds) -> click OK -> close the Registry Editor.
In case your Registry doesn't have the "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" String,
create it: right-click on an empty spot in the Regedit window -> select New ->
String -> name it WaitToKillServiceTimeout.
Default value (or if not present) is 20000 milliseconds = 20 seconds.
Restart Windows when done so all these changes take effect.
CAUTION:
You can try different values here to find your optimal timeouts. Minimum in
all 3 cases is 1 millisecond (1/1000 of a second), but it's more than likely
Windows will hang! :)
If using any time sensitive or critical applications (i.e. MS Exchange, DNS,
SQL), you may want to increase or leave those numbers unchanged, to avoid
possible system errors, lockups, and/or data loss.
More info:
- MS TechNet Windows 2000:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/maintain/featusability/systeman.asp
- MSKB Q305788:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=305788
- MSKB Q146092:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=146092
COOL SWITCH
When you press Alt + Tab you access the so called "cool switch" feature,
which allows you to switch among all open applications, and restore or
maximize the one you want, by highlighting its icon.
To permanently enable this feature, start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Create a new String in the right hand pane: right-click -> select New ->
String -> call it "CoolSwitch" (don't type the quotes).
Now double-click on "CoolSwitch" and give it the value of 1, to enable it.
To disable it (for security purposes in multiuser computing environments),
give it the value of 0.
This setting works ONLY on Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2 systems ONLY WITHOUT MS IE
4/5/6 installed!
The following "cool switch" Registry settings work ONLY with Windows 98/ME
systems (all these install MS IE 4/5 by default), and let you adjust the width
(number of columns) and height (number of rows) of the Alt + Tab dialog box.
Just open Regedit again, and go to the same key above.
Create two new DWORD Values in the right hand pane:
1. Right-click -> select New -> DWORD -> call it "CoolSwitchColumns" (no
quotes). Double-click on "CoolSwitchColumns" and select the Decimal box.
Give it any integer value between 1 and 99 (default column size is 7).
2. Right-click -> select New -> DWORD -> call it "CoolSwitchRows" (no quotes).
Double-click on "CoolSwitchRows" and select the Decimal box.
Give it any integer value between 1 and 99 (default row size is 3).
These settings will resize the "cool switch" box to whatever you want.
To restore the Windows defaults, just delete both DWORD values above.
IBM SCANNER "FIX"
Got an IBM scanner? Read and learn. Keep'em coming, Ojatex!
"Here's a tip for those users at the "low" end of the Power Scale which saves
me 3% System Resources on Bootup [plus a lot of hard drive space for those in
the C:\ squeeze]. This tip was discovered when I installed an IBM colour
scanner.
1. Install the scanning and OCR software to a portable drive to save 53.6MB of
hard drive space. [IBM Tech Support frowns on this practice.] This step is
optional depending on your available hard drive space.
2. From the Registry, backup then delete from:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
the string which reads:
"InstantAccess"="D:\\XEROX\\BIN\\INSTAN~1.EXE /h"
Substitute the proper drive letter for D depending on the location of the
software. Now on Bootup, Instant Access won't load automatically. For those
who need to husband their system resources carefully, after Bootup do a
Ctrl+Alt+Del just to see what can be done away with.
3. Make a shortcut in the START Menu to the program whose string was deleted
when you need to use the program.
BTW: IBM's Tech Help will not divulge how to disable "Instant Access" loading
on Bootup. HA! And they were on my short list when I replace this old Compaq.
PS: MS Money99 is another candidate on the "resource hog list". It loads a
program called "loadwc" on bootup and it is a real resource drainer. Users
complain in the Newsgroups, but the MS MVPs won't tell them how to stop this
resource gobble.
Ojatex [who needs every little bit of system resources]"
SPEAKER BEEP
Another cool tip from The Captain...
"Configuring Internal PC Speaker Beeps
You can use this tip to enable or disable the internal PC speaker in Windows
95, 98 or NT 4.0:
1. Click Start -> Run -> Type Regedit. Then press ENTER or click OK.
2. Browse to this Registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Sound
3. Find the Beep value in the right hand pane, or create it if it doesn't
exist, by clicking Edit -> New -> String Value and naming it "Beep" (no
quotes).
4. Double-click on Beep and change its value to "Yes" (no quotes) if you want
PC speaker beeping turned on, or "No" to have the beep sounds turned off."
NOTE: This topic is part of Captain's TRICKS98.TXT (included).
MODEM LOG OFF (My ©trick) [+]
You can turn off modem logging in Windows 9x.
By default all modem activity is logged into a text file called after your
modem's name installed in Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager -> Modem
-> Your modem name. This file is located in your Windows folder (default),
and has the .LOG extension.
Example: if the name of your installed modem is "US Robotics 56K Fax INT
PnP", then your modem's log file name would be:
- Long File Name (LFN):
US Robotics 56K Fax INT PnP.log
- short file name (8.3):
USROBO~1.LOG
But you can disable ALL modem logging by applying a simple Registry change.
First, make sure your modem is completely disconnected (offline). Then run
Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000
Your modem might be found under the 0001, 0002, 0003 etc keys, depending on
your particular setup, and on how many modems were installed on your system
(i.e. if you replaced your old modem with a new one).
The String to modify is "LoggingPath". Double-click on it and delete ALL
characters found there. Exit the Registry Editor, and press F5 on the
Desktop to make the change "stick" (refresh).
You also need to delete your (now useless) modem log file from C:\Windows.
Similarly, you can change the path of your modem log file to anything you
want, also by editing the "LoggingPath" String value above, and typing a
new path: drive letter and folder name.
Only make sure you BACKUP your Registry BEFORE making ANY changes!
TURN OFF DMA! [+]
If you have been "locked out" out of Win95 OSR2 or Win98 after you have
enabled the DMA feature for your hard/cd-rom/dvd drives, there is still a way
to get back into Windows.
Just follow these easy steps:
1. Hold down F8 (in OSR2) or Ctrl (in Win98) to bring up the Startup Menu.
2. Use your numeric keys or up/down arrow keys to select the "Command prompt
only" choice, and then press Enter. It is option #5 if not using a Network or
TCP/IP, or option #6 if connected to a Network or/and using TCP/IP protocol.
3. Run this command from the DOS prompt:
REGEDIT C:\NODMA.REG HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ENUM\ESDI
to save (export) the HKLM Registry key above to a plain text file
(NODMA.REG). The .REG extension is necessary in case you would like to
reenable the DMA feature again (with CAUTION!), by merging (registering) the
info contained in NODMA.REG back into your Registry.
4. Edit NODMA.REG with EDIT.COM (the default MS-DOS text/ASCII editor,
located in C:\Windows\Command), by running this command:
EDIT C:\NODMA.REG
5. Change ALL these lines (you probably have more than one, depending on how
many types of drives are installed on your machine):
"DMACurrentlyUsed"=hex:01
to read:
"DMACurrentlyUsed"=hex:00
6. Save your file, and then import (merge) it into your Registry, by running:
REGEDIT C:\NODMA.REG
This turns off the DMA support on all your drives, allowing the Windows 9x
GUI to load once again.
7. Now start Windows by running:
WIN
Done.
To turn on the DMA feature in Windows 98/OSR2: open Control Panel -> System
-> Device Manager -> Disk drives/CDROM -> Properties -> Settings tab ->
check the DMA box -> reboot.
But keep NODMA.REG handy, just in case you need to do this again on a dark,
cloudy day. :(
TAME THE BIN [+]
You can use the .REG files below to add/change the default Registry
keys/values, thus making the Recycle Bin "behave" the way you want.
BUT FIRST (in case you want to restore it later to its default), save the
strings between the "cut & paste" lines below as RECYCLE.REG (using Notepad),
and keep it handy:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}]
@="Recycle Bin"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,00,20
------End cut & paste here------
Restoring Recycle Bin's icon after deletion requires a screen refresh: press
F5 after left-clicking on an empty Desktop area.
Save all Registry edits below between the "cut & paste" lines as .REG files,
using Notepad.
Then merge (register) the information into the Registry by (double)-clicking
on the respective .REG file in Explorer or File Manager.
And now let's have some fun:
1. Add Delete and Rename to Recycle Bin's right-click (context) menu:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:70,01,00,20
------End cut & paste here------
Adding Delete and Rename takes effect instantly.
2. Dim (disable) Recycle Bin's desktop icon:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,08,20
------End cut & paste here------
3. Add Copy, Cut and Paste to Recycle Bin's right-click (context) menu:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:47,01,00,20
------End cut & paste here------
RESTRICT LOGON ACCESS [+]
If you work [play :)] in a multiuser computing environment, and you have full
(administrator level) access to your computer, you might want to restrict
unauthorized access to your "sensitive" files under Windows 95/98.
One way is to disable the Cancel button in the Logon dialog box.
Just run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon
Create the "Logon" subkey if it is not present on your machine: highlight the
Network key -> right-click in the left hand Regedit pane -> select New -> Key
-> name it "Logon" (no quotes) -> press Enter. Then add/modify a DWORD value
and call it "MustBeValidated" (don't type the quotes). Double-click it, check
the Decimal box and type 1 for value.
Now click the Start button -> Shut Down (Log off UserName) -> Log on as a
different user, and you'll notice that the Logon Cancel button has been
disabled.
ACTIVE WINDOW TRACKING [+]
These Registry tweaks apply to ALL Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP builds.
To make your trusty rodent act in Unix X-Windows mouse style, without having
to install any additional software, start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse
or to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Mouse
if you are the only user on this computer.
In the right hand pane, right-click to create a new DWORD Value (or modify it
if already present) named "ActiveWindowTracking" (don't type the quotes) and
set its Decimal value to 1 to enable it.
Now create (or modify if already present) another DWORD Value called
"SnapToDefaultButton" (no quotes) and set its Decimal value to 1, to have
your mouse "snap" to the active window default button.
In Windows 2000/XP "SnapToDefaultButton" is a String Value.
To disable these features set the Decimal values to 0 or delete these Values
altogether.
MEANING:
- AutoRaise: Your mouse controls window activation by moving the mouse
pointer over any open window, which automatically becomes the active
(foreground) window.
- Mouse Focus: Your mouse moves automatically ("snaps") to the top of the
default (highlighted) button of the active window.
This procedure is similar to using the Microsoft TweakUI Power Toy for
Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME X-Mouse settings [110 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
Install TweakUI by right-clicking on TweakUI.inf and selecting Install.
Click TweakUI's Mouse tab and check the "Activation follows mouse (X-Mouse)"
and "Autoraise when activating" boxes. Make sure the "Activation delay (ms)"
box is set to ANY value other than zero (0), otherwise this won't work!
Click OK when done. You may have to restart Windows to see these effects.
BUG: Netscape browsers menus may stop working if AutoRaise is turned ON!
FYI: Get XMouse 2000 improved Microsoft XMouse replacement for Windows
98/2000/ME [9 KB, freeware]:
http://members.aol.com/maxspeeed/XMOUSE2K.ZIP
which sets: Mouse Focus, AutoRaise and proper Delay.
SAVE SETTINGS - Part 2
This tip appears courtesy of Valerio (vmorgan@tin.it). Many thanks!
"This is my tip for fixing the window size and position Win95 bug.
I'm running Win95 with IE 4.01, which allows to store into the registry the
size and position of 99 windows, in addition to the "Desktop" window.
Nevertheless, my PC sometimes loses my preferred window size and position.
I've solved the problem this way:
1. Open and resize/re-position all the windows you usually use and
wouldn't like to change: Desktop, My Computer, Control Panel, Network
Neighborhood etc.
2. Launch RegEdit and select:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams
and export it to a file called "MyWindows1.reg" (don't type the quotes).
3. Launch RegEdit and select:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StreamMRU
and export it to a file called "MyWindows2.reg".
4. In Notepad, open "MyWindows2.reg", select all text except the first line
(REGEDIT4), and press Ctrl+C to copy the selected text to the clipboard.
5. In Notepad, switch to "MyWindows1.reg", go to the end of the text, and
press Ctrl+V to paste the text copied from "MyWindows2.reg".
6. In Notepad, save the modified "MyWindows1.reg" to a directory on the hard
disk. Eventually, change its name to "MyWindows.reg", or any other name you
like.
From now on, every time Win95 loses your preferred window size and position,
simply double-click on "MyWindows.reg", and all of your windows will return
to their (your) best-preferred state.
PS: Don't leave any blank spaces within .REG file names, otherwise Win95 will
be unable to restore the information from the file by double-clicking on it."
NOTE: Read "SAVE SETTINGS - Part 1" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for an
alternative Registry fix to keep your most used window positions in Windows
95/OSR1.
RENAME OUTLOOK EXPRESS TITLE [+]
This cool Registry tip was sent by Akmal (kamis@pc.jaring.my).
"Use Regedit to go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express
Modify or create a new String Value called "WindowTitle" and give it anything
you want as its value, i.e. "My Email Program" (no quotes).
This will change your MS Outlook Express title bar text."
FYI: Check out these comprehensive OE User Tips pages:
http://www.okinfoweb.com/moe/
CHANGE TIME ZONE [+]
This cool Registry tweak appears thanks to Akmal (kamis@pc.jaring.my).
"Change the "Current Time Zone" in Date/Time Properties in Control Panel. The
old name for my Current Time Zone was Taipei Standard Time. Well that is far
away from Malaysia. But a little tweak can fix this. Use Regedit to browse to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\TimeZoneInformation
Modify/create a string called "StandardName" and give it the value "Malaysian
Standard Time" (no quotes please).
Next time you open Control Panel's Date/Time applet it will display "Malaysia
Standard Time"."
IE FULL SCREEN BAR [+]
This tip applies to ALL Microsoft Internet Explorer releases beginning with
version 4.00 (separate install), Windows 98 (installs MS IE 4.01), Windows 98
SE (installs MS IE 5.0), Windows ME (installs MS IE 5.5), and including MS IE
5.xx/6.xx (separate install).
I have been using MS IE 4.01 in full screen mode for some time, but I have
never been able to adjust IE's menu bar to include all basic items, like:
File, Home, Back, Forward, Reload, Full screen, Help etc, and the same time
display the URL address bar and get rid of IE's annoying title bar.
Until now... :)
IMPORTANT:
BACKUP the Registry key that will be modified further below:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
Start Regedit, highlight the Registry key above, click the "Registry" menu
item, select "Export Registry File", type IE4OLD.REG in the "File name"
field, Browse for a destination, and finally click the Save button.
Then close all open IE instances. Now create (using Notepad) a Registration
file (with the .REG extension, which is actually a plain text file), and call
it IE4BAR.REG. Cut & paste the lines below into IE4BAR.REG EXACTLY as they
appear:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar]
"Theater"=hex:0c,00,00,00,4c,00,00,00,74,00,00,00,18,00,00,00,1b,00,00,00,5c,\
00,00,00,01,00,00,00,e0,00,00,00,a0,0f,00,00,05,00,00,00,22,00,00,00,26,00,\
00,00,02,00,00,00,21,00,00,00,a0,0f,00,00,04,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,a0,0f,00,\
00,03,00,00,00,08,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
------End cut & paste here------
Save the file and close Notepad. In Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM =
C:\Windows\Winfile.exe), (double)-click on IE4BAR.REG to merge (register)
this information into your Registry.
Now restart IE in full screen mode (this also works in windowed mode though),
et voila, no more title bar, a slick menu bar and a full sized address bar!
RENAME MS IE TITLE [+]
This tip applies to Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2/NT4 systems ONLY IF you installed MS
IE 4/5/6 or newer, and to Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, which come all with MS IE
4/5/6 "built-in" [NO choice here! :(], but you can upgrade later to the newest
MS IE release (MS IE 6.0 SP1 is current as of this writing), to benefit from
all those "nifty" bug fixes and CRITICAL security patches: [:)]
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/web.htm#BRO
You can change the Internet Explorer title bar name to whatever you want.
Just start Regedit and go to (all users):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
and/or to (if only one user):
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
or to (currently logged on user):
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
Modify (or create if not present) the "Window Title" String Value in the right
hand pane (don't type the quotes) to show the name of your choice: right-click
in the right hand pane -> select New -> String Value -> name it "Window Title"
(no quotes) -> double-click on it -> type your own, customized MS IE title bar
name (for example I use IE6) -> click OK or press Enter.
Default is "Microsoft Internet Explorer".
To revert to default, simply delete the "Window Title" String Value.
Close the Registry Editor and open an Iexplore.exe window to see the change.
BTW: If you prefer to open IE in full screen (kiosk) mode (e.g. by hitting F11
when NOT full screen) you won't see the title bar though. :(
More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=176497
SYSTEM RESTRICTIONS [+]
You can control the way your Windows 95/98/ME system and MS Internet Explorer
[unfortunately integrated into the OS :(] restricts/allows access to certain
areas or features (especially useful on multiuser machines) without having to
mess with PolEdit (Policy Editor = %windir%\Poledit.exe), the default Windows
administrative control tool, which needs to be installed separately from your
Win9x Setup CD.
And the bad news is Microsoft removed PolEdit from Windows ME anyway. :)
See "The Registry" [Intro chapter] in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for more info.
FYI: Some of these security issues are detailed @ MSKB:
- Internet Explorer: Limit User Access to Local Computer or Hard Disks:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=179221
- Windows XP: Policy Settings for Start Menu:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=292504
All you have to do is modify the Registry Values listed below, either manually
using the Registry Editor (%windir%\Regedit.exe), or save them as text .REG
files (in Notepad) for future use, eventually on more than one computer. I
named mine RESTRICT.REG (example).
Without further ado, start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
Look in the left hand pane for these subkeys: Explorer, Network, Ratings,
System, ActiveDesktop + WinOldApp. If they are not present, create them:
right-click -> New -> Key -> Name it to one of the values listed above.
Now you need to create (or modify if already there) the following DWORD values
listed further below under the subkeys above. To create a new DWORD value:
right-click -> New -> DWORD -> name it to one of the values listed further
below.
To modify one of these DWORD values: right-click on the one you want -> select
Modify -> check the Decimal box -> give it a value of 1 (to disable access to
a certain system feature/area), or a value of 0 (to enable access to a certain
system feature/area).
These are the valid DWORD values (if not specified otherwise) you can change
under the following subkeys:
1. Explorer subkey:
- ClearRecentDocsOnExit = enable/disable Clear of Recent Documents upon exit
- DisableRegistryTools = enable/disable Registry Editing tools
WARNING: IF you disable the Registry Editor GUI mode, you will NOT be able to
modify ANY Registry settings anymore, and the ONLY way to disable system
restrictions is to run/merge/register/install a .REG/.INF/.VBS/.HTA file from
the command line!
- NoAddPrinter = enable/disable addition of new printers
- NoClose = enable/disable System Shutdown
- NoDeletePrinter = enable/disable existent printers deletion
- NoDesktop = enable/disable ALL Desktop items and Desktop right-click menu
- NoDevMgrUpdate = enable/disable Windows 98/ME Web Update Manager
- NoDrives [hex] = enable/disable ANY Drives in My Computer/Explorer/IE
CAUTION: See "HIDE YOUR DRIVES!" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for details!
- NoFind = enable/disable Find command
- NoInternetIcon = enable/disable Internet Icon on Desktop
- NoLowDiskSpaceChecks = enable/disable low disk space warnings (Win2000/XP
ONLY)
- NoNetHood = enable/disable Network Neighborhood
- NoRecentDocsHistory = enable/disable Recent Documents in Start Menu
(Win98/ME + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
- NoRun = enable/disable Run command
- NoSaveSettings = enable/disable Save Settings upon exit
- NoSetFolders = enable/disable Folders in Start Menu -> Settings
- NoSetTaskbar = enable/disable Taskbar in Start Menu -> Settings
- NoSMMyDocs = enable/disable My Documents folder in Start Menu (Win98/ME
ONLY)
- NoSMMyPictures = enable/disable My Pictures folder in Start Menu (Win98/ME
ONLY)
"NoSMMyDocs" + "NoSMMyPictures" courtesy of David
(DavidAPoole@DartonHigh.freeserve.co.uk).
- NoWindowsUpdate = enable/disable Windows 98/2000/ME/XP Web Update
2. System subkey:
- NoAdminPage = enable/disable Remote Administration tab
- NoConfigPage = enable/disable Hardware Profiles tab
- NoControlPanel [hex] = enable/disable Control Panel
- NoDevMgrPage = enable/disable Device Manager tab
- NoDispAppearancePage = enable/disable Appearance Display tab
- NoDispBackgroundPage = enable/disable Background Display tab
- NoDispCPL = enable/disable Display Properties applet
- NoDispScrSavPage = enable/disable Screen Saver Display tab
- NoDispSettingsPage = enable/disable Settings Display tab
- NoFileSysPage = enable/disable File System button
- NoPwdPage = enable/disable Password Change tab
- NoProfilePage = enable/disable User Profiles tab
- NoSecCPL = enable/disable Password applet
- NoVirtMemPage = enable/disable Virtual Memory button
3. Network subkey:
- DisablePwdCaching = enable/disable Password Caching
- HideSharePwds [hex] = enable/disable Shared Passwords
- NoEntireNetwork = enable/disable Entire Network
- NoNetSetup = enable/disable Network applet
- NoNetSetupIDPage = enable/disable Network Identification tab
- NoNetSetupSecurityPage = enable/disable Network Access tab
- NoFileSharing = enable/disable Network File Sharing button
- MinPwdLen = set Minimum Password Length (integer number: 0 - 99)
- NoPrintSharing = enable/disable Network Print Sharing button
- NoWorkgroupContents = enable/disable Network Workgroup
4. ActiveDesktop subkey (Win98/ME + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY):
- NoAddingComponents = enable/disable adding components to Active Desktop
- NoChangingWallpaper = enable/disable changing of Desktop wallpaper
- NoCloseDragDropBands = enable/disable closing of shell toolbars
- NoClosingComponents = enable/disable closing of Active Desktop components
- NoComponents = enable/disable ALL Desktop components
- NoDeletingComponents = enable/disable deleting of Active Desktop components
- NoEditingComponents = enable/disable editing of Active Desktop components
- NoHTMLWallPaper = enable/disable Desktop HTML wallpaper display
- NoMovingBands = enable/disable moving of shell toolbars
5. WinOldApp subkey:
- Disabled = enable/disable MS-DOS Prompt
- NoRealMode = enable/disable Real MS-DOS Mode reboot option (Win95/98 ONLY)
Similar settings for Explorer, Network, System and ActiveDesktop can also be
found under these Registry keys:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
and:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
If there is only one user, the ".Default" key above contains all global system
settings. If more than one user, each user has its own subkey here, named
after the User Name(s) found in Control Panel -> Users, and the Registry
settings located under a user's subkey are valid only for that specific user.
If you double-click on any of these keys, you'll see 3 subkeys in the left
hand pane: Explorer, Network and System.
Create (or modify if already present) the following Binary [hex] values listed
below under the subkeys above. To create a new Binary value: right-click ->
New -> Binary -> Name it to one of the values listed below.
To modify one of these Binary [hex] values: double-click on the one you want
-> give it a value of 01 00 00 00 (to disable access to a certain system
feature/area), or a value of 00 00 00 00 (to enable access to a certain system
feature/area). Don't type the spaces, they will be inserted automatically.
* Explorer subkey valid DWORD values (if not specified otherwise) that can be
changed (some are valid ONLY for Win98/ME and/or MS IE 3/4/5/6):
- CDRAutoRun [hex] = enable/disable CD-R(W)/DVD-R(W) drive(s) AutoRun command
NOTE: This setting needs specific CD-R(W)/DVD-R(W) software installed, like
Roxio (Adaptec) Easy CD Creator:
http://www.roxio.com/
- ChannelNotify = enable/disable Channel Notification (Win98/ME + IE4/IE5/IE6
ONLY)
- ClassicShell [hex] = enable/disable Active Desktop shell interface (Win98/ME
+ IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
FYI:
- MSKB: "Quick Launch Toolbar Icons Are Missing or Unavailable":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=273785
- John Woram: "Who Hid the IE5 Toolbars?":
http://www.woram.com/REGTIPS.HTM#TWEAKUI
- ClearRecentDocsOnExit = clear/don't clear Recent Docs upon exit
- EditLevel = set security editing level. Integer number: 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4: 0 =
lowest security level (full editing allowed)... 4 = highest security level (no
editing allowed)
CAUTION: You may lock yourself out of your own computer if EditLevel = 4 !
- EnforceShellExtensionSecurity = self explanatory :)
- ForceCopyACLWithFile = enable/disable file copy with NTFS permissions
(WinNT4/2000/XP + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
- IgnoreLinkInfo = enable/disable Link info display
- LinkResolve = enable/disable Link display
- MyDocsOnNet = enable/disable My Documents on Internet
- NoActiveDesktop = enable/disable Active Desktop
- NoActiveDesktopChanges = enable/disable Active Desktop changes
- NoAddPrinter = enable/disable addition of new printers
- NoChangeStartMenu = enable/disable Start Menu changes
- NoClose = enable/disable closing IE GUI
- NoCommonGroups = enable/disable Start Menu Common Program Groups
(WinNT4/2000/XP + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
- NoCustomizeWebView = enable/disable Web View customization
- NoDeletePrinter = enable/disable existent printers deletion
- NoDeskTop = enable/disable ALL Desktop items and Desktop right-click menu
- NoDevMgrUpdate = enable/disable Windows Web Update Manager
(Win98/ME/2000/XP ONLY)
- NoDrives [hex] = enable/disable ALL Drives in My Computer/Explorer/IE
CAUTION: See "HIDE YOUR DRIVES!" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for details!
- NoDriveTypeAutoRun [hex] = enable/disable CD/DVD Drives Autorun
NOTE: See "HIDE YOUR DRIVES!" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for details.
- NoEditMenu = enable/disable Start Menu editing
- NoFavoritesMenu = enable/disable Favorites folder display
- NoFileMenu = enable/disable Explorer/IE File Menu
- NoFileUrl = enable/disable local URL files access
- NoFind = enable/disable Find command
- NoFolderOptions = show/don't show Folder Options Menu in Explorer
- NoForgetSoftwareUpdate = enable/disable Windows Software Updates
(Win98/ME/2000/XP ONLY)
- NoHelp = show/don't show Help Menu
- NoInternetIcon = show/don't show Internet icon on Desktop
- NoLogOff = show/don't show Logoff Menu in Start Menu
- NoMSAppLogo = show/don't show Microsoft Logo (Win98/ME/2000/XP ONLY)
- NoNetConnectDisconnect = enable/disable DUN Connect/Disconnect
- NoNetHood = enable/disable Network Neighborhood
- NoRecentDocsHistory = enable/disable Recent Documents in Start Menu
(Win98/ME + IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
- NoRecentDocsMenu = show/don't show Recent Documents Menu in Start Menu ->
Settings
- NoResolveSearch = enable/disable Internet Search (Win98/ME + IE4/IE5/IE6
ONLY)
- NoResolveTrack = enable/disable Internet Address Tracking (Win98/ME +
IE4/IE5/IE6 ONLY)
- NoRun = enable/disable Run command
- NoSaveSettings [hex] = enable/disable Save Settings upon exit
- NoSetActiveDesktop = enable/disable Active Desktop settings
- NoSetFolders = enable/disable Folder settings
- NoSetTaskbar = enable/disable Taskbar settings
- NoSettingsWizards = enable/disable Settings Wizards (Win98/ME + IE4/IE5/IE6
ONLY)
- NoStartBanner [hex] = enable/disable Logo banner upon IE start
- NoStartMenuSubFolders = show/don't show subfolders on Start Menu
- NoTrayContextMenu = show/don't show Context Menu for Tray items
- NoViewContextMenu = show/don't show Context Menu
- NoWebMenu = show/don't show Web Menu (Win98/IE 4.0x and newer ONLY)
- NoWindowsUpdate = enable/disable Windows Web Update (Win98/ME/2000/XP ONLY)
- NoWinKeys = enable/disable Windows (Win + Menu) logo keys on 104+ keyboards
See "WINKEY SHORTCUTS" in TIPS95.TXT (included) for details.
- RestrictRun = enable/disable Run Menu
Some of these values are also found under:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Example:
- NoControlPanel [hex] = enable/disable Control Panel
Most of the "CURRENT_USER" settings, especially the ones that affect the
entire system, change automatically when you modify the similar values under
the "LOCAL_MACHINE" Registry key (see above). Most of these values affect ONLY
Internet Explorer versions 3, 4, 5 and 6, and CAN be changed separately in the
"CURRENT_USER" key, without influencing the overall system operation.
ANY changes to these settings under ANY of these Registry keys require a
Windows restart to take effect.
The MS Internet Explorer 4.0x/5.xx/6.xx restrictions are found under these
Registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions
and:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions
if there is only one user. If more than one user, the ".Default" key above is
replaced with each "UserName" key. All Values are in DWORD format. Type in the
Decimal box for the desired Value: 1 to disable or 0 to enable the respective
function/key combo:
- NoBrowserContextMenu = enable/disable HTML context menu
- NoBrowserClose = enable/disable Close/Exit in File Menu and Alt+F4
- NoBrowserSaveAs = enable/disable Save and Save As in File menu
- NoBrowserOptions = enable/disable Internet Options/Properties in View menu
- NoFavorites = enable/disable Favorites in File Menu and Alt+A
- NoFileOpen = enable/disable Open in File menu, Ctrl+O and Ctrl+L
- NoFileNew = enable/disable New in File Menu and Ctrl+N
- NoFileUrl = enable/disable local URL files access
- NoFindFiles = enable/disable Find Menu and F3
- NoSelectDownloadDir = enable/disable Save As dialog box upon file download
- NoTheaterMode = enable/disable Full Screen (kiosk mode) and F11
The Internet Properties restrictions for MS Internet Explorer 4.0x/5.xx/6.xx
(also found as a Control Panel applet) are located under this Registry key:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel
if there is only one user. If more than one user, the ".Default" key above is
replaced with each "UserName" key. All Values are in DWORD format. Type in the
Decimal box for the desired Value: 1 to disable or 0 to enable the respective
tab/setting/button.
Changing ANY of these settings does NOT require restarting Windows:
- Accessibility = enable/disable Accessibility settings
- Advanced = enable/disable Advanced settings
- AdvancedTab = enable/disable Advanced tab
- Autoconfig = enable/disable Autoconfig settings
- Cache = enable/disable Cache settings
- CalendarContact = enable/disable Contact settings
- Check_If_Default = enable/disable Check if IE default browser setting
- Connection Settings = pretty obvious :)
- Certificates = enable/disable Certificates settings
- CertifPers = enable/disable Personal Certificates settings
- CertifSite = enable/disable Certificates Publishers settings
- Colors = enable/disable Colors settings
- Connection Wizard = self explanatory :)
- ConnectionsTab = enable/disable Connections tab
- Connwiz Admin Lock = enable/disable Connection Wizard administrative lockout
- ContentTab = enable/disable Content tab
- Fonts = enable/disable Fonts settings
- FormSuggest = enable/disable Forms suggest setting
- FormSuggest Passwords = enable/disable Passwords suggest setting
- GeneralTab = enable/disable General tab
- History = enable/disable History settings
- HomePage = enable/disable Home Page settings
- Languages = enable/disable Languages settings
- Links = enable/disable Links settings
- Messaging = enable/disable MS Messaging settings
- Profiles = enable/disable Profiles settings
- ProgramsTab = enable/disable Programs tab
- Proxy = enable/disable Proxy settings
- Ratings = enable/disable Ratings settings
- ResetWebSettings = enable/disable Reset Web settings
- SecAddSites = enable/disable Security Add sites settings
- SecChangeSettings = enable/disable Security changes
- SecurityTab = enable/disable Security tab
- Settings = enable/disable Settings boxes
- Wallet = enable/disable MS Wallet settings (MS IE 5.xx and newer ONLY)
The policy restrictions for MS Net Meeting/Conferencing reside under this
Registry key:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Conferencing
if there is only one user. If more than one user, the ".Default" key above is
replaced with each "UserName" key. All Values are in DWORD format. Type in the
Decimal box for the desired Value: 1 to disable or 0 to enable the respective
restriction.
Changing ANY of these settings does NOT require restarting Windows:
- CallSecurity = enable/disable call security
- IntranetWebDirURL = enable/disable intranet web directory
- MaximumBandwidth = enable/disable max bandwidth
- NoAddingDirectoryServers = enable/disable adding directory servers
- NoAdvancedCalling = enable/disable advanced calling
- NoAllowControl = enable/disable control
- NoAppSharing = enable/disable app sharing
- NoAudio = enable/disable audio
- NoAudioPage = enable/disable audio control
- NoChangeDirectSound = enable/disable changing DirectSound
- NoChat = obvious :)
- NoDirectoryServices = enable/disable directory services
- NoFullDuplex = enable/disable full duplex
- NoGeneralPage = enable/disable general control
- NoNewWhiteBoard = enable/disable new white board
- NoOldWhiteBoard = enable/disable old white board
- NoReceivingVideo = enable/disable receive video
- NoSecurityPage = enable/disable security control
- NoSendingFiles = enable/disable send files
- NoSendingVideo = enable/disable send video
- NoSharing = enable/disable sharing
- NoSharingDesktop = enable/disable sharing Desktop
- NoSharingDosWindows = enable/disable sharing DOS + Windows
- NoSharingExplorer = enable/disable sharing Explorer
- NoTrueColorSharing = enable/disable sharing true color video
- NoVideoPage = enable/disable video control
- NoWebDirectory = enable/disable web directory
- Use AutoConfig = enable/disable auto config
MS IE 4.0x/5.xx/6.xx Web Check tool (%windir%\System\Loadwc.exe launched by
%windir%\System\Webcheck.dll) Registry Values are stored under:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Webcheck
if only one user. If more than one user, the ".Default" key is replaced by
each "UserName" key. Both Values are DWORDs. Decimal box values: 1 (disables)
and 0 (enables) each function.
Changes to these settings take effect without restarting Windows:
- NoChannelLogging = enable/disable channels logging
- NoScheduledUpdates = enable/disable scheduled updates
FYI: See these topics for more restriction settings: "HIDE YOUR DRIVES!",
"UNCLUTTER START MENU" + "NO MORE CLICK HERE TO BEGIN" in REGISTRY.TXT (this
file), and "LOCK UP THE DOS BOX" in MYTIPS95.TXT (included).
Have fun!
OPEN WITH [+]
To permanenly add the needed "Open with..." command to all the right-click
file context menus, you need to apply this Registry tweak.
Launch Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell\openas\command
In the right hand pane, you can see the "(Default)" string which has this
command line as value:
rundll32.exe shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1
Double-click on "(Default)", hold the CTRL key and press C (or right-click
and select Copy) to copy this entire command line to the clipboard, and then
click Cancel.
Don't make ANY changes at this point!
Now go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*
and highlight the "*" key (asterisk). Right-click on it and select New Key.
Name this new subkey "shell".
NOTE: Don't type the quotes for any of the keys or values mentioned here.
Right-click on the "shell" key and add a new subkey named "openas".
Right-click on "openas" and add a new subkey named "command". Now
double-click on the "(Default)" string in the right hand pane, hold the Ctrl
key and press V (or right-click and select Paste) to paste here the command
line you have copied earlier.
Click OK and close the Registry editor.
From now on a new "Open with..." context menu selection will appear whenever
you right-click on any highlighted file.
UPDATE:
"After implementing this Registry tweak all my MS Office Shortcut Bar buttons
were broken. Every time I clicked one I would get the "Open with" dialog box."
[Thank you Meteor (landscience@earthlink.net)!]
VANISHING EXPLORER COLUMNS
BUG:
Open an Explorer window (full screen) and left-drag the left edge of the
Modified column header to cover the Type column entirely. Release the mouse,
and left-drag the Modified column to cover the Size column. Release the
mouse again, and left-drag the Modified column to cover the Name column.
This way your Explorer display has been reduced to a column of File
Date/Time stamps!
FIXES:
To recover the Explorer missing columns, apply one of these methods:
1. Using the mouse dragging function: with an Explorer window open at full
screen, place your mouse at the left edge of the Modified column header and
left-drag this header to the right. Do this again, until the rest of the
missing columns are exposed. When all columns are visible again, you can
(re)size them to your liking.
2. Modifying the Registry: Close ALL Explorer windows FIRST. Then start
Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
This is the place where Explorer stores its column layouts.
Select the Explorer key (above).
In the right hand pane, you can see a list of values (strings), including
"DirectoryCols". Right-click on "DirectoryCols" and choose "Delete". Answer
"Yes" to the confirmation prompt, and close Regedit.
Now open Explorer again. You should be able to see ALL the details columns
again, sized at their default widths.
3. "Open Explorer, left-click once in the right hand pane, and then press
Ctrl and + (the plus key on the Keypad) the same time, to "auto-resize" and
"auto-fit" the file content."
Third fix courtesy of Joker_98@hotmail.com.
URL PREFIX FIX [+]
It has been brought to my attention that many AOLers cannot access AOL members
web sites located by default on the AOL members.aol.com or users.aol.com
servers. But this "BUG" affects all Internet surfers using ANY MS IE 3/4/5/6
free web browser releases.
This is due to the "smart" URL (Uniform Resource Locator) completion feature
(in this case a limitation), part of the newer 32-bit "fancy" web browsers,
which include both Microsoft Internet Explorer (beginning with version 3.0),
and Netscape Navigator/Communicator (beginning with version 3.0).
And since AOL 3/4/5/6/7 32-bit software versions ALL have MS IE 3/4/5/6
built-in, many frustrated AOLers encountered this "BUG".
All these browsers assume that an incompletely typed-in URL must have the
www. prefix (stands for "world wide web" naming convention) added before the
domain name (i.e. aol), and the default .com (stands for "commercial") suffix
added after the domain name.
Example: if you type this URL in the Internet address box:
aol
your browser assumes that you want to access the America Online web site, and
"completes" the URL to point to:
www.aol.com
actually displayed in your browser's URL address box as:
http://www.aol.com/
Well, the reality is that not all web sites contain the www. prefix or/and the
.com suffix into their URL notation. Examples of such web sites:
members.aol.com/axcel216/
or:
users.aol.com/axcel216/
in which case adding the www. prefix is incorrect. Therefore the
members.aol.com or users.aol.com servers cannot be accessed if typed as shown
above, because the www.members.aol.com and www.users.aol.com host names do
not exist. :-)
WORKAROUNDS:
1. TEMPORARY FIX: Type the complete URL. Examples:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/
or:
http://users.aol.com/axcel216/
to avoid having your browser add the "www." prefix.
But I'm not happy (are you?) with this "quick" fix because many other web site
URLs have the same "problem".
2. PERMANENT FIX: Win95/98/ME with MS Internet Explorer 4/5/6 (or newer) users
can apply this Registry workaround to force IE to access such "non-standard"
URLs correctly.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\URL\Prefixes
In the right hand pane you'll find a list of most used URL prefixes, which
are added by IE to a "truncated" URL, to match a real server name:
home
home.
mosaic
mosaic.
www
www.
Note that they all have "http://" assigned as their value.
You can add your own prefixes to this list. Right-click and select New ->
String. Name this new string "members" (no quotes). Double-click on "members"
and give it the value "http://" (no quotes). Then add 3 more new Strings,
name them respectively: "members.", "users", and "users.", and then give them
the same value: "http://" (don't type the quotes).
Close the Registry editor when done.
3. NETSCAPE FIX?: Unfortunately I haven't found a way [yet :(] to "patch"
Netscape Navigator/Communicator 3/4/6 (or newer) to recognize "non-standard"
incomplete URLs. If you find a Netscape URL fix, please let me know:
axcel216@aol.com
HOW FAST CAN YOU GO? - Part 1 [UPDATED 10-6-1998] [+]
These Registry tweaks apply to ALL 28 - 56 kbps analog modem owners, to enable
the fastest Internet transfer speeds supported by these modems, connecting
through the TCP/IP protocol and using Dial-Up Networking (DUN) in Windows
95/OSR1/OSR2, ONLY WITHOUT the Microsoft Dial-Up Networking v1.4 Upgrade
installed [1.8 MB, free]:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285189
Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2 users who installed MS DUN v1.4 Upgrade AND Windows 98/98
SE users: READ "FASTEST INTERNET 98 - Part 1" and "FASTEST INTERNET 98 - Part
2" in TIPS98.TXT (included), to learn how to improve your dial-up Internet
performance by tweaking the "IPMTU" Registry values.
You need an Internet/Online Service Provider to connect to the Internet.
DEFINITION:
Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) or packet size of a Network/ISP is the largest
amount of data that can be transferred in one physical frame on that Network.
Fragmentation will occur if a packet is sent across a Network that has a MTU
smaller than the packet's frame length. This leads to lower performance as
fragments need to be reassembled. The workaround in this case is to decrease
the Winsock's MTU value to match the minimum MTU of ALL intervening Networks.
Since it is virtually impossible to determine the minimum MTU of so many
Networks, trial and error is almost always the best choice. Start by trying to
match your MTU value with your Network/ISP's MTU. Typical cases:
- Ethernet networks: MTU = 1500
- SLIP servers: MTU = 1006
- PPP protocol (Internet TCP/IP): MTU = 576.
See also Microsoft's explanation of (Max)MTU:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=140375
NOTE: MaxMTU [Win95], IPMTU [Win98], DefaultRcvWindow [RWIN], DefaultTTL
[TTL] and cachesize [NDI] are NOT present in your Registry if you have never
used a "MTU tweaker" like EasyMTU, or added them yourself using a Registry
editor like Regedit.
* Tweak "MaxMTU":
There are two ways of doing this, but NOT BEFORE BACKING UP YOUR REGISTRY
FILES:
- THE EASY WAY [USE THE REG FILE]:
All necessary settings can be implemented by using the included file:
MAXMTU95.REG (or restored by using DEFMTU95.REG, also included). But FIRST
open these .REG files in Notepad and compare the Registry keys listed there
with yours. To view/edit your Win95 Registry, run the Registry editor
(REGEDIT.EXE, located in your Win95 folder), and scroll to the keys listed in
MAXMTU95.REG and DEFMTU95.REG. The "DriverDesc"="TCP/IP" NetTrans keys: 0000,
0001, 0002 might have different values on your system. You may have more than
one "00nn" NetTrans keys ("nn" is an actual number, ranging anywhere from 00
up to 50, depending on your system's Network/Dial-Up settings). If that is
true, you HAVE TO REPLACE THEM with the ones found in YOUR Registry!
The value in MAXMTU95.REG is MaxMTU = 576. Modify it if your ISP/Online
Service uses different MTU values at server end.
After modifying the MAXMTU95.REG and DEFMTU95.REG keys to match YOURS,
(double)-click on MAXMTU95.REG in Explorer or File Manager, to merge
(register) the new settings. Then restart Win95, log on to the Internet as
usual, and notice any differences in access speed.
- THE HARD WAY :) [MODIFY THE REGISTRY MANUALLY]:
Run the Registry editor (REGEDIT.EXE, located in your Win95 folder) and set
MaxMTU to 576 (Win95 default MaxMTU value is 1500) into ALL your TCP/IP
NetTrans Registry keys (these are the SLIP/PPP protocol keys). You may have
more than one.
Examples (these are ONLY my TCP/IP NetTrans registry keys, you MUST
customize YOURS to get similar results):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0000
"MaxMTU"="576"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0001
"MaxMTU"="576"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0002
"MaxMTU"="576"
MEANING:
"MaXMTU" = Maximum Transmission Unit, or MTU (packet size in bytes).
Valid values: MTU = MSS + 40.
Respectively: 256, 576, 1006, 1500 (other values are valid as well, depending
on the MTU used by different ISPs).
Default: 1500.
Recommended: 576.
Data type: string:
"MaxMTU"="576"
To determine EXACTLY which NetTrans keys you need to alter (and NO others),
bear in mind that you MUST have this entry:
"DriverDesc"="TCP/IP"
under EACH of your NetTrans keys you want to modify! Change/add the MaxMTU
string ONLY under your NetTrans keys that have "TCP/IP" on the "DriverDesc"
line!
You may have more than one "00nn" NetTrans keys ("nn" is an actual number,
ranging anywhere from 00 up to 50, depending on your system's
Network/Dial-Up settings).
Here there are two possibilities:
A. If you already have a "MaxMTU" entry: double-click on the right hand pane
"MaxMTU" string, and type in 576. Click OK.
B. If you don't have a "MaxMTU" entry: you can add it manually, by
double-clicking on EACH of your left hand pane TCP/IP NetTrans 000n/00nn
keys and then selecting New -> String value. Name the new string MaxMTU.
Double-click on it and give it a value of 576.
Repeat the steps above for ALL your TCP/IP NetTrans keys, to include the
recommended values for MaxMTU.
Restart Windows 95 when done so all changes can take effect.
NOTE: Some ISPs use a default packet size (MaxMTU) value of 1500, so it's a
trial-and-error game. To make sure your Win95 Registry TCP/IP settings match
the ones used by your Internet provider, you may need to contact your ISP's
support line or e-mail service, and ask them the exact values used for MaxMTU.
Also, read "ISPS KNOWN MTU VALUES" in MYTIPS95.TXT (included).
Then modify your Registry settings accordingly, to obtain maximum
performance.
MANDATORY UPGRADES:
You might also see modem speed improvements over the Internet by installing
these free Microsoft communications upgrades:
- ALL Windows 95/98 users: Dial-Up Networking (DUN) v1.4:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285189
- ONLY Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2 users: Windows Sockets (Winsock) v2.0:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=182108
MS Winsock 2.0 MUST be installed BEFORE MS DUN 1.4!
UPDATES:
1. I recommend using Rob Vonk's EasyMTU v3.0, the first, the best and the only
FREEware AOL/MTU/TTL/RWIN/COMBoostTime/cachesize/etc tweaking tool [360 KB]:
http://www.rob.cybercomm.nl/easymtu.zip
EasyMTU 3.0 includes FindMTU [a PING tool] to determine EXACTLY the MTU value
used by your ISP/Online Service (i.e. AOL).
Rob Vonk's EasyMTU home:
http://www.rob.cybercomm.nl/easymtu/
2. ONLY for AOL users: To MAXimize your AOL performance, read "AOL MAXMTU
REVISITED" in AOLTIPS.TXT (included).
3. For extensive details/specs on analog/digital modems, Win95/98
communications, TCP/IP, DUN and more MTU/TTL/RWIN/etc tweaking programs, check
out these reference links:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/modem.htm
3. Read the "Windows TCP/IP Registry Entries" MSKB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=158474
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"I feel the neeed... for speeed!" ... And don't type the quotes! :-)
HOW FAST CAN YOU GO? - Part 2 (My ©trick) [UPDATED 10-6-1998] [+]
I was only tinkering [... yeah, yeah :-)] with the Registry (using good ol'
RegEdit), when I stumbled into a few Registry keys/strings, and I thought I
might improve my DUN (Dial-Up Networking) connection (Win95/98 TCP/IP standard
using an analog modem), by modifying them. Even with a 56 kbps modem, I still
have to wait a long time to access some web sites (especially those loaded
with large graphics: GIFs, JPGs etc), or to download huge files (ZIPs, MP3s
etc) from the Internet.
IMPORTANT: BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES FIRST!
Here are the Registry keys I'm talking about (modified to improve my modem
access speed):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP
"DefaultRcvWindow"="2144"
"DefaultTTL"="128"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NETBEUI
"default"="16"
"ncbs"="16"
"sessions"="10"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NETBEUI\Ndi\params\ncbs
"default"="32"
"max"="255"
"min"="8"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NETBEUI\Ndi\params\sessions
"default"="32"
"max"="117"
"min"="4"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NWLink\Ndi\params\maxconnect
"default"="64"
"max"="128"
"min"="2"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NWLink\Ndi\params\maxsockets
"default"="255"
"max"="1020"
"min"="16"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NWLink\Ndi\params\cachesize
"default"="16"
MEANING:
"DefaultRcvWindow" = Receive Window (RWIN = machine's Network fill buffer in
Bytes).
Valid values: MSS x n = (MTU - 40) x n, where n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 16.
Respectively: 1072, 2144, 3216, 4288 etc.
Default: 8192.
Recommended: 2144 (if MTU=576).
Data type (16-bit number):
- DWORD (Win95):
"DefaultRcvWindow"=dword:00000860
- String (Win98):
"DefaultRcvWindow"="2144"
"DefaultTTL" = Time To Live TTL (TTL = going over Net hops until destination
is reached in milliseconds).
Valid values: 32, 64, 128.
Default: 32.
Recommended: 128.
Data type: String (Win95 and 98):
"DefaultTTL"="128"
"cachesize" = NDI Cache Size for NetBeui protocol (in KiloBytes).
NOTE1: If NetBeui protocol is NOT enabled "cachesize" is NOT used.
NOTE2: NetBeui protocol is NOT necessary for TCP/IP connections (Internet).
Valid values: 0, 16, 32, 64.
Default: 0.
Recommended: 16.
Data type: String (Win95 and 98):
"default"="16"
NOTE: MaxMTU [Win95], IPMTU [Win98], DefaultRcvWindow [RWIN], DefaultTTL
[TTL] and cachesize [NDI] are NOT present in your Registry if you have never
used a "MTU tweaker" like EasyMTU, or added them yourself using a Registry
editor like Regedit.
You can do this two ways:
- THE EASY WAY [USE THE REG FILE]:
In Explorer or File Manager, (double)-click on MAXSPEED.REG, the registration
file included here, to apply all above Registry tweaks the easy way.
Then you need to restart Windows so the changes can take effect!
To restore all these Win95/98 Registry keys to their DEFAULT values, in case
you don't see any improvements using the new ones, just open Explorer or File
Manager, and (double)-click on DEFSPEED.REG (also included).
RECOMMENDED: You can also open these two REG files in Notepad, in case you'd
like to modify the values in MAXSPEED.REG yourself to get better performance
on your system. It's only a trial-and-error game, and you need to fiddle with
these settings yourself until you find the optimal values to match your own
system specs, depending in part on your modem, ISP connection and CPU speed.
After applying the new changes, I restarted Win95/98, and poof!, my web
browser started to boldly soar through web pages like never before!
I've also seen some noticeable speed improvement with my AOL 32-bit version
3.0 software, configured to connect through TCP/IP protocol (I connect to AOL
using my primary ISP).
- THE HARD WAY :) [MODIFY THE REGISTRY MANUALLY]:
* Tweak "DefaultRcvWindow":
Start Regedit (found in your Windows folder) and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP
In the right hand pane, look for (or create it if it's not present) this
string:
"DefaultRcvWindow"="2144"
The number you should have is 2144 (Win95/98 default value is 8192).
The principle behind this setting is to calculate the optimal value for the
DefaultRcvWindow string with this formula:
DefaultRcvWindow = (MTU - 40) x n = MSS x n
Where "n" is anything between 2 and 8 (fiddle with it and find out the best
value for your machine, depending on your modem speed and your custom ISP
settings). I used MTU = 576 in this example:
DefaultRcvWindow = (576 - 40) x 4 = 2144
respectively:
DefaultRcvWindow = 536 x 4 = 2144
Right-click on the above string, click Modify, and change the number to read
2144, which will default to the recommended calculated value.
Exit Regedit and restart Windows when done.
If you find out (after connecting to your ISP with your modem, using the
TCP/IP protocol, and then accessing some graphics intensive web sites, and
downloading a few large files from the Internet) that a DefaultRcvWindow
value of 3216 or 4288 works better on your system, please modify your
Registry DefaultRcvWindow key accordingly.
* Tweak "DefaultTTL":
Run Regedit and look under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP
for the string below:
"DefaultTTL"="128"
Create the "DefaultTTL" string if it's not already present, and assign it the
value of "128" (Win95/98 default is 32). Experiment with your Internet hookup
and lower the "DefaultTTL" value to 64 if you get better results. Do NOT type
the quotes!
Exit the Registry Editor and restart Windows.
Happy tinkering!
MANDATORY UPGRADES:
You might also see modem speed improvements over the Internet by installing
these free Microsoft communications upgrades:
- ALL Windows 95/98 users: Dial-Up Networking (DUN) v1.4:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=285189
- ONLY Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2 users: Windows Sockets (Winsock) v2.0:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=182108
MS Winsock 2.0 MUST be installed BEFORE MS DUN 1.4!
UPDATES:
1. I recommend using Rob Vonk's EasyMTU v3.0, the first, the best and the only
FREEware AOL/MTU/TTL/RWIN/COMBoostTime/cachesize/etc tweaking tool [360 KB]:
http://www.rob.cybercomm.nl/easymtu.zip
EasyMTU v3.0 includes FindMTU [a PING tool] to determine EXACTLY the MTU value
used by your ISP/Online Service (i.e. AOL).
Rob Vonk's EasyMTU home:
http://www.rob.cybercomm.nl/easymtu/
2. ONLY for AOL users: To MAXimize your AOL performance, read "AOL MAXMTU
REVISITED" in AOLTIPS.TXT (included).
3. For extensive details/specs on analog/digital modems, Win95/98
communications, TCP/IP, DUN and more MTU/TTL/RWIN/etc tweaking programs, check
out these reference links:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/modem.htm
3. See the "Windows TCP/IP Registry Entries" MSKB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=158474
RIGHT-CLICK CAB EXTRACT [+]
This excellent tip was sent by Muhamad (joker_98@hotmail.com).
NOTES:
Cut & paste the lines between the marks below, and then save them as REG files
(i.e. RIGHTCAB.REG). Then modify the "C:\\Windows" strings in these REG files
to match your installation, if your Windows 9x/ME path is different. Then
(double)-click on the REG file you want to use in Explorer or File Manager (FM
= C:\Windows\Winfile.exe) to merge the settings into your Registry, BUT BACKUP
YOUR REGISTRY FILES FIRST!
"Extract CABinet files with right-click:
Find the program where your Cabinet Files (*.CAB) are registered to, then go
to that program's key in the Registry. Then add, better if you have the latest
Extrac32.exe, or you can get it from CabPack [470 KB, freeware] that supports
the LZX compression (~ 30% more powerful than ZIP):
http://home.t-online.de/home/lars.hederer/
Or you can use Extrac32.exe, usually located in your Windows folder.
TIP: Rename your original Extrac32.exe to something like ExtrEc32.exe, so you
don't have to delete it.
KNOWN BUG: The machine will STOP RESPONDING if the files you want to extract
already exist!
CAUSE: Extrac32.exe CANNOT REPLACE existent files.
To do this:
1. If XXX is the program your *.CAB files are associated with, use this REG
file:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.cab]
@="XXX"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\XXX\shell\Extrac32]
@="Extract Cabinet 32 bit"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\XXX\shell\Extrac32\command]
@="C:\\Windows\\Extrac32.exe /E /A \"%1\""
------End cut & paste here------
2. Or if you use CabView from the Power Toys:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/
use this REG file:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.cab]
@="CLSID\\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\shell\Extrac32]
@="Extract Cabinet 32 bit"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\shell\Extrac32\command]
@="C:\\Windows\\Extrac32.exe /E /A \"%1\""
------End cut & paste here------"
MORE VISIBLE IE4 FONTS (My ©trick) [+]
Q [platypus@ida.net]:
"Win98 Font Selection
Perhaps you can help me with a problem I am having. I work with people who
have physical handicapps --most of them are or were very active and well
respected professionals until a sudden accident or illness struck-- now they
feel left out of the mainstream, many because of limited vision.
Here is the question:
Is there any way to re-set the proportional and fixed fonts for IE4 to be BOLD
(like Arial Bold for proportional and Courier New Bold for fixed)?
The size limitations (sm, med, large etc) are ok but the letter density is too
light. The Arial Black in Med or Large runs the text too close together.
They can manage with the light type for composing e-mail etc, but the reading
of INCOMING is almost impossible."
A [axcel216@aol.com]:
"Re: Win98 Font Selection
I'm afraid the answer to your problem offers only a partial solution.
Here it goes:
1. Right-click on an empty spot on the Desktop -> Properties -> Appearance ->
press the B (bold) button for ALL items below (you can select them from the
drop-down list under "Scheme"):
- Menu
- Message box
- Selected items
- 3D buttons
- Active title bar
- Inactive title bar
Click Apply/OK when done.
2. Start Notepad and take a look at the two included Registry files:
IE4BOLD.REG and IE4MINE.REG. IE4BOLD.REG sets IE4's display fonts to Bold into
the Registry keys described at paragraph #3 below. IE4MINE.REG contains my
system's IE4 font settings, you can view as example.
3. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\International\1252
and respectively:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles
Use Regedit's "Export Registry File" menu to backup each of the Registry keys
above, and name the 2 saved files something like IE4-1252.REG and respectively
IE4STYLE.REG. Keep them for restoring purposes in case something goes wrong.
[Everything should be OK, but with Windows you never know... :-)]
NOTE:
The "1252" IE registry key above implies that you are using the US English
Language (code 1252). If you use a different language on your computer, you
need to make similar changes and backup the appropriate Registry keys into
your currently used language code key: determine your IE4 language by running
the Internet Properties applet: right-click on your Internet [Explorer]
desktop icon -> select Properties -> click the General tab -> click the
Languages button, and then add it (using Regedit's "Export Registry file"
function to save it to a REG file) to the supplied IE4BOLD.REG file, by
editing IE4BOLD.REG with Notepad: cut and paste the entire language key from
the new file you have saved into IE4BOLD.REG on a line of its own. Then
replace the font names on the "IEFixedFontName" and "IEPropFontName" lines
(under the new language key you have added) with "Arial Bold", a popular font,
installed on all Windows systems. Your custom IE4 language key added to
IE4BOLD.REG should look something like this:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\International\xxxx]
"IEFixedFontName"="Arial Bold"
"IEPropFontName"="Arial Bold"
"Script"="Western"
"Default_Encoding"="Windows-xxxx"
"Default_InternetEncoding"=hex:e4,04,00,00
"IEFontSize"=hex:0b,00,00,00
where all xxxx instances must be replaced with your current language code!
NOTE: I have set the "IEFontSize" hex value above to 11.
You can reset this value to one of these values: Smaller, Small, Medium,
Larger or Largest, by running the Internet Properties applet (as described
above) -> select the General tab -> click Fonts -> scroll the drop-down "Font
size" menu.
TO DO:
Read also "IE FONT FANCY" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for more IE font
tweaks.
Now connect to your ISP/LAN/etc, start IE, and browse away to see if all
this made any difference.
NOTE: This tip works with Windows 95 (all releases) ONLY with MS IE 4/5
installed, and with Windows 98 systems.
I haven't tested this workaround on Win95 machines with MS IE 3.0x
installed."
MOVE PROGRAM FILES (My ©trick) [+]
Windows 95, 98, NT4, all install some of their utilities, like: MS Paint,
WordPad, MS Backup etc, into the C:\Program Files\Accessories folder.
All MS Plus! Package releases: Plus! 95, Plus! for Kids, Plus! 98, install
into the C:\Program Files\Plus! subfolder, if you let them use the default
destination.
Most applications (and some hardware drivers) also place at least some of
their shared or system files, or even entire program subfolders and files in
C:\Program Files, in subdirectories they create at the time of installation
by default.
The principle behind having "all eggs in one basket" is good, making it
easier to manage and find files/directories under a single parent folder,
than having your apps scattered throughout your hard drive(s).
But on the other hand, having a huge number of files piling up on your C
drive is not fun, because one day you'll run out of space. :-(
A possible solution is to change this default if you have another physical
drive (hard disk or removable) or partition available, and divert most
application installations somewhere else.
Besides gaining valuable disk space on your main drive, you'll also spend
less time accessing and defragmenting it, and also making incremental
backups of your most recent files/directories, because the datafiles
created would be on another drive, not in the gargantuelian C:\Program
Files folder.
On my machine the size of the C:\Program Files folder has grown over time
larger than my C:\Windows directory, to a humongous 300 MB!
Enough blabbering, let's get on with the solution... :)
A. Fire up Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
You'll see many entries in the right hand pane. Pick "ProgramFilesDir",
double-click on it, and modify C:\Program Files to read something like
D:\Programs. This is just an example, you can choose the destination of
your apps (drive/path) depending on how many drives/partitions you have.
This was the easy part. :-)
B. Now comes the tough part:
1. You need to uninstall ALL apps from C:\Program Files, by opening Control
Panel -> Add/Remove Programs and then reinstall them into the new folder
(D:\Programs in the above example).
2. Another way is to manually edit the Registry by using Regedit and
replace all C:\Program Files instances with D:\Programs, but this is a
DANGEROUS procedure, and I do NOT recommend it if you're not experienced
messing with the Registry! Anyway, BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES FIRST!
3. An easier way is to simply open Explorer, drag and drop the Program Files
folder from C to D, then switch to your D drive, rename it to Programs, and
then finally delete C:\Program Files.
In this last case, some of your apps might not work properly because they
had Registry, System.ini, Win.ini etc (and possibly other .INI, .CFG, .DAT
etc files) settings pointing to C:\Program Files which is not there anymore.
Therefore some Registry editing is also in order here to reestablish your
apps' correct settings.
Also read "MOVE WITHOUT REINSTALL" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for more
details and an example of how to move an app without losing its custom
Registry settings.
4. The most "elegant" solution (which requires a lot of time though) is to
reformat your C drive, reinstall Windows, and then modify the Registry as
described at paragraph A above BEFORE installing any apps or 3rd party
drivers.
UPDATE:
"Your multiple solutions work fine depending on the computer savvy of the
user. When installing a new program I find the best result for the portable
drive user, is a direct install to a separate folder of its own on the drive
of choice. When moving a program off of C:\, it is sometimes not possible to
do a re-install because the original Setup.exe is not available or it is too
time consuming. I have found the cut/paste method the easiest [as long as
any shortcuts are re-targeted] when Mlaunch.dll is used that adds a Tab to
the Properties Menu [resulting in a Registry entry] for related file
extensions. Using this method, multiple programs are attached to one
extension; for example, an htm file is easily opened by various browsers as
well as text editors, word processors etc. via the right-click menu
regardless of the location where the program was originally installed or
subsequently moved."
This update courtesy of Ojatex (Ojatex@aol.com).
Good luck!
REMOVE "SHORTCUT TO" [+]
To remove the "Shortcut to..." text string instances from ALL your existing
and ANY new Shortcuts you will create from now on, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
In the right hand pane create a new Binary [hex] value called "Link":
right-click on an empty spot -> select Binary Value -> name it "Link" (no
quotes).
If "Link" is already present: double-click on it -> type as many zeroes as
necessary until it reads:
00 00 00 00
Click OK. Don't type the spaces.
Now apply the same trick under this Registry key:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
to affect ALL users on your Windows 95/98/ME computer.
Restart Windows to make the changes take effect.
You can also achieve this by using the TweakUI Power Toy [110 KB, free,
unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
FYI: More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=253212
DEFAULT BROWSER - Part 2 [+]
To replace Microsoft Internet Explorer 3/4/5/6 as your default web browser
with Netscape Navigator/Communicator 3.xx/4.xx/6.xx:
http://www.netscape.com/download/
you need to enable the pop-up confirmation message box for Netscape.
Start Regedit and go to:
1. MS Internet Explorer entry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
2. Netscape Navigator/Communicator entry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\Netscape Navigator\Main
First make sure you exit ALL your browsers COMPLETELY.
For both these browsers you need to modify (or add if not present) two
String Values under the "Main" header: "Check_Associations" and
"IgnoreDefCheck".
To create a new String Value -> click on an empty spot in the right hand pane
-> right-click -> select New -> String. Name it "Check_Associations". Repeat
these steps for "IgnoreDefCheck" (don't type the quotes).
Notice that IE's "Check_Associations" String has a default value of "yes".
On the other hand, Netscape's "Check_Associations" String value is "no".
Right-click on IE's "Check_Associations" String, select Modify, and replace
yes with no. Also modify IE's "IgnoreDefCheck" String to read "yes".
Similarly, right-click Netscape's "Check_Associations" string, select
Modify and replace no with yes, and then modify Netscape's "IgnoreDefCheck"
string to read "no".
Now start Netscape Navigator/Communicator and answer "yes" when asked if
you want to make it your default browser.
NOTE: You may also need to apply these fixes: "DEFAULT BROWSER" in TIPS95.TXT
(included) and "DEFAULT BROWSER - Part 1" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) to make
this trick work properly.
CD-ROM/DVD MAX SPEED (My ©trick) [+]
Right-click on My Computer -> select Properties -> Performance tab -> click
File System -> select the CD-ROM tab. Look at the "Supplemental cache size:".
When you move this slider all the way up to the right, Windows 95/98/ME
allocates a maximum of 1238 KB (1.2 MB) from your computer's memory (RAM) to
the CD/DVD cache. You can also select "Quad-speed or higher" in the "Optimize
access pattern for:" box to maximize the size of the read-ahead buffer
Windows allocates to your CD-ROM/CD-R(W)/DVD-ROM/DVD-R(W)/DVD-RAM drive.
NOTES:
- See "CD-ROM/DVD + HARD DISK MAX CACHE" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for more
details on MAXimizing your CD-ROM/DVD and hard disk access performance!
- More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=184410
- The best part is that you don't have to pay for shareware products like
WinBoost [http://www.magellass.com/prod-wb.html] or TweakXP
[http://www.totalidea.de/frameset-tweakxp.htm] as others may advise you:
http://www.mods4me.com/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=15&page=3
to achieve MAXimum CD/DVD performance... just apply these Registry hacks.
FYI: WinBoost's authors copied some of its tweaks (including CD/DVD cache
settings) from this article anyway. ;)
According to Microsoft these are the maximum values allowed by Windows
95/98/ME... NOT! :) You can further increase them to optimize your CD/DVD
performance, also depending on your optical drive(s) physical speed(s),
transfer rate(s) and seek time(s), well beyond Windows 9x/ME GUI limitations.
Now BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES before going any further!
There are two hex (Binary) or on some older Win95 (retail) machines DWORD
values, you can change to speed up your CD/DVD access, under this Registry
key (maximum values allowed by Windows shown here):
1. The hex values:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\FileSystem\CDFS
"CacheSize"=hex:6b,02,00,00
"Prefetch"=hex:e4,00,00,00
2. The DWORD values:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\FileSystem\CDFS
"CacheSize"=dword:0000026b
"Prefetch"=dword:000000e4
To do this you need to run Regedit.
If you choose to do this manually, it may take some time to become familiar
with the way the hex and DWORD values work and how to modify them properly.
The table below shows all the "CacheSize" and "Prefetch" values you need to
modify for cd-roms/dvds of different speeds, starting with 4x (maximum
allowed by Windows) and all the way up to 72x: [High enough for you?! :)]
1. CD-ROM/CD-R(W)/DVD-ROM/DVD-R(W)/DVD-RAM "CacheSize" Registry values:
Cache Size Decimal [KB] Hex DWORD
--------------------------------------------------------
Small [Default] 619 [1238] 6b,02,00,00 0000026b
Medium 1238 [2476] d6,04,00,00 000004d6
Large 2476 [4952] ac,09,00,00 000009ac
2. CD-ROM/CD-R(W) "Prefetch" Registry values:
CD-ROM Speed Decimal Hex DWORD
--------------------------------------------------------
4x [Default] 228 e4,00,00,00 000000e4
8x 448 c0,01,00,00 000001c0
12x 672 a0,02,00,00 000002a0
16x 896 80,03,00,00 00000380
20x 1120 60,04,00,00 00000460
24x 1344 40,05,00,00 00000540
32x 1792 00,07,00,00 00000700
40x 2240 c0,08,00,00 000008c0
44x 2462 a0,09,00,00 000009a0
48x 2688 80,0a,00,00 00000a80
52x 2912 60,0b,00,00 00000b60
60x 3372 2c,0d,00,00 00000d2c
72x 4104 08,10,00,00 00001008
CREDITS:
12x, 20x, 44x and 52x values courtesy of Spiny (spiny@lost.fsnet.co.uk).
And a little "bonus" [:)]: optimal read-ahead buffer size values for all
DVD-ROM/DVD-R(W)/DVD-RAM drives up to 16x speed:
3. DVD-ROM/DVD-R(W)/DVD-RAM "Prefetch" Registry values:
DVD Speed Decimal Hex DWORD
--------------------------------------------------------
1x 448 c0,01,00,00 000001c0
2x 896 80,03,00,00 00000380
4x 1792 00,07,00,00 00000700
6x 3584 80,0a,00,00 00000a80
8x 4096 00,10,00,00 00001000
10x 5376 00,15,00,00 00001500
12x 6400 00,19,00,00 00001900
16x 8192 00,20,00,00 00002000
Larger cache/buffer size means using more memory (RAM). Make sure you leave
Windows with enough memory to operate properly (it's only a trial-and-error
game), especially if you're RAM "challenged". :)
But if you prefer to do this the easy way, take your pick... ALL Registry
files listed here are included for your pleasure. :)
To choose your cd-rom/dvd speed and/or buffer size, just (double)-click on
the correspondent .REG file below in Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM =
C:\Windows\Winfile.exe) to merge the changes into your Registry:
1. REG files for cache size:
Cache Size hex REG file DWORD REG file
----------------------------------------------
Small [Default] n/a n/a
Medium MEDIHEX.REG MEDIDWRD.REG
Large LARGHEX.REG LARGDWRD.REG
2. REG files for read-ahead buffer:
CD-ROM Speed hex REG file DWORD REG file
----------------------------------------------
4x [Default] n/a n/a
8x CD8HEX.REG CD8DWRD.REG
16x CD16HEX.REG CD16DWRD.REG
24x CD24HEX.REG CD24DWRD.REG
32x CD32HEX.REG CD32DWRD.REG
40x CD40HEX.REG CD40DWRD.REG
52x CD52HEX.REG CD52DWRD.REG
[Default] means the maximum values allowed by Windows 95/98/ME in System
Properties -> Performance -> File System -> CD-ROM -> "Supplemental cache
size" -> Large (referred to as Small in the tables above!) and respectively
"Optimize access pattern" -> "Quad-speed or higher" settings, the equivalent
of a 4x speed cd-rom, and you don't need custom REG files for them (therefore
the "n/a" statements above!).
I didn't provide any REG files for DVD drives, but I'm sure you can easily
create your own using Notepad. :)
HINTS:
- Your cd-rom/dvd drive needs to be properly configured in Windows 9x/ME, and
CDFS (32-bit Compact Disc File System) has to be enabled!
If your cd-rom/dvd runs in "MS-DOS compatibility mode", none of these work!
To check if your cd-rom/dvd is recognized by Windows, open the System
Properties Control Panel applet, click the Device Manager tab, and make sure
your CD-ROM Drive item is present.
- See also "PLAY AUDIO CDS" in MYTIPS95.TXT (included) to learn how to
properly configure your cd/dvd drive in Windows 9x/ME.
- You MUST have at least 32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended!) to benefit from
increasing the CD-ROM/DVD cache size beyond the maximum allowed in Windows.
You can experiment selecting any combination of settings by using any REG
files above, until you're satisfied with your cd-rom performance.
Restart Windows after each change, so the new settings can take effect.
You may see noticeable speed improvement when playing a video clip (AVI, MOV,
MPEG etc), running multimedia apps, or copying large files from your
cd-rom/dvd drive(s).
But if you play graphics intensive (e.g. 3D DirectX/OpenGL) games, the speed
increase might not be so obvious, because most newer games use their own disk
read-ahead technologies, which work independently from the Windows preset CD
buffer/cache.
To compare your cd-rom/dvd speed before and after making such changes, and to
see which are the optimal settings in your case, run one of the benchmark
tools listed under "SPEEEDUP + BENCHMARK TOOLS" from SOFTWARE.TXT (included).
FYI:
Use DirectControl DirectX tweaking tool for Windows 9x/ME (freeware) to
configure your CD-ROM Cache and Prefetch sizes, among many other DirectX,
2D/3D Video, 3D/A3D Audio, Disk Cache/Vcache etc settings for MAXimum
performance:
http://downloads.planetmirror.com/pub/3dfiles/utility/bgr/setupdcontrol.exe
Full speeed ahead!
UNCLUTTER START MENU [+]
These Registry hacks work with Win95/OSR1/OSR2 ONLY IF upgraded with MS IE 4
or newer, and with Win98/98 SP1/98 SE/ME. Win98 + ME install MS IE anyway, no
choice there. :(
To unclutter your Start Menu, and to enable only the items you want listed
when you click the Start button, run Regedit (found in your Windows folder)
and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
1. To make the "Log Off" prompt disappear from your Start Menu, look in the
right hand pane for the "NoLogOff" entry. Create it if not present, by
right-clicking in the left hand pane, and then selecting New -> Binary
Value. Name it NoLogOff. Double-click it and assign it the Value Data below
(don't type the spaces):
01 00 00 00
Don't worry about the other zeroes already present, the values you typed are
inserted automatically.
Click OK to save your change. Close Regedit and then restart your computer.
To reenable the Log Off menu, change "NoLogOff" to read (this is the default):
00 00 00 00
or delete it entirely.
You only need (or have installed) the Log Off prompt if your machine is
connected to a network, thus enabling different users to log on under their
own separate system configurations (mainly for security purposes), in which
case it's wise to keep it on the Start Menu.
2. This one is for users who don't like using the IE Favorites folder outside
the IE interface (the only difference is when you open the Favorites menu from
the Start button, it displays its contents in the same window). It also takes
quite a while to "dig" through all your Favorites folders and subfolders to
get to the link you're looking for, if you have a load of them, like I do.
To make the Favorites item disappear from your Start Menu, run Regedit and
look in the right hand pane of the same Registry key (shown above) for the
"NoFavoritesMenu" entry.
If it's not there, create it: right-click and choose New -> DWORD Value.
Rename it to read "NoFavoritesMenu" (no quotes). Now double-click on it and
give it a Value Data of 1. Click OK to save it. Now close Regedit and restart
Windows.
You can still access the Favorites menu from any Explorer window, but not from
your Start Menu from now on.
3. Want to further slim down your Start Menu? Well then, I have another one
for you.
To disable the Documents menu from the Start button AND to "annihilate" the
\Windows\Recent subfolder, go to the Registry key mentioned above, and search
in the right hand pane for the "NoRecentDocsHistory" entry. If you can't find
it, create it. Right-click it and select New -> Binary Value.
Name it NoRecentDocsHistory. Double-click on it and type in the Value Data
field:
01 00 00 00
Don't type the spaces though. Click OK or press Enter to save.
Now you need to repeat the steps above to add/modify another Binary Value
called "NoRecentDocsMenu" (don't type the quotes), and then give it the same
numeric value, but don't type the spaces:
01 00 00 00
Close the Registry Editor and restart your system.
You'll notice that the Documents item is now absent from your Start Menu, and
your \Windows\Recent folder has disappeared. Hocus-pocus, all gone!
NOTE: Win98/ME and Win95/OSR1/OSR2 users who installed MS IE 4/5/6 can also
access some of these settings (and much more) by using TweakUI [110 KB, free,
unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
Right-click on Tweakui.inf and select Install. Then run TweakUI from Control
Panel.
IE AUTOSCAN [+]
This excellent tip for ALL Microsoft Internet Explorer 3/4/5/6 or newer
releases running on Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP was submitted by Johan
(schutte_johan@wxs.nl):
"When you have AutoScan/AutoSearch/AutoComplete enabled in MS IE, and you want
to load a national domain (for example a Dutch domain which ends in .nl),
AutoScan will only look at: .edu, .org, .net + .com. To add extra domain names
to the default MS IE search list, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\UrlTemplate
and ad two or more strings for each new domain. I have added "www.%s.nl" and
"%.nl" (don't type the quotes). Now I can just type a name in the URL Address
box and IE is looking at the .nl sites first."
This is an example of custom MS IE "UrlTemplate" Registry key saved as a .REG
file:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\UrlTemplate]
"1"="www.%s.com"
"2"="%.com"
"3"="www.%s.org"
"4"="%.org"
"5"="www.%s.net"
"6"="%.net"
"7"="www.%s.edu"
"8"="%.edu"
"9"="www.%s.gov"
"10"="%.gov"
"11"="www.%s.ca"
"12"="%.ca"
"13"="www.%s.co.uk"
"14"="%.co.uk"
"15"="www.%s.de"
"16"="%.de"
"17"="www.%s.nl"
"18"="%.nl"
------End cut & paste here------
Just copy the lines between cut & paste strings above in Notepad, save it as
URLTEMPL.REG, and then register (merge) this info into your Registry by
(double)-clicking on it in Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM =
%windir%\WINFILE.EXE).
UPDATE:
"I assume that the order of the templates is the order in which AutoSearch
works, so IE will use www.%s.com first, www.%s.org second etc...
More AutoSearch templates you have, slower the search process will be. :("
[Thank you James (jaa@arfa.clara.net)!]
TIP:
AutoComplete may become slow, especially if your History folder contains a
lot of URLs. To speed it up, delete the ones you don't need, or better,
delete the entire History folder. Don't worry, it will be recreated every
time IE starts. :)
This can be also done using Microsoft TweakUI [110 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
Click TweakUI's Paranoia tab -> check the "Clear Internet Explorer history
at logon" box -> click OK/Apply.
HIGH COLOR ICONS WITHOUT PLUS!
If you own Win95 (retail) or Win95 OSR1 (upgraded with SP1) you can have
high color icons displayed on your Desktop, without having the Microsoft
Plus! Pack for Windows 95 installed.
Start Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
Add a new String (if not present) under the Registry key above: right-click
on an empty spot in the right hand pane, select New -> String and type
"Shell Icon BPP", without the quotes. Or edit/double-click it if already
present, and give it this numeric value:
"Shell Icon BPP"="16"
Don't type the quotes.
BPP = Bits Per Pixel.
The integer number represents the color depth:
16 bit = 65,000 colors [High Color]
Also available:
4 bit = 16 colors
8 bit = 256 colors
24 bit = 16 million colors [True Color]
This is the Windows 95 "Shell Icon BPP" default without the Plus! 95 Pack
installed:
"Shell Icon BPP"="8"
8 bit = 256 colors
DITCH THAT SOUND ICON (My ©trick)
You can get rid of the sound Volume icon (the yellow speaker) from the
Taskbar in 3 ways:
1. Start Control Panel, double-click on the Multimedia applet, select the
Audio tab, and uncheck the "Show volume control on the taskbar" box with a
left click. Click OK. This change should take effect immediately.
But even if you did as shown above to make it disappear, in certain
configurations, with some sound cards, third party software, or after
installing a new multimedia application or game, the Volume icon
misteriously reappears on the Taskbar!
So I found another method to remove it:
2. Start Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
In the right hand pane, you'll see this entry:
Systray "systray.exe"
Double-click on it and rename Systray.exe to let's say Systray.old.
Click OK. Close Regedit.
3. "Start Regedit.exe and go to:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\SysTray
Set the "Services" DWORD Value so that the third binary digit is a 0.
I.e. if the decimal value is currently 7=111 change it to 3=011.
Then execute Systray.exe, usually located in C:\Windows\System."
Third method courtesy of Bryan McCauley (bandb@erinet.com).
Next time you'll start Windows the Volume icon will be gone!
APPLICATION PATH
You can add/modify/delete an application's path into the Registry, if you
moved it to a different folder/drive (something similar to the Autoexec.bat
PATH statement).
But BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES FIRST!
Fire up the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths
This key contains a series of subkeys that identify executables/programs
following the standard Filename.exe. A list of such subkeys includes:
1. The "(Default)" entry, which contains a path to the designated
executable/program.
2. The "Path" entry, which identifies the folders that are passed to that
specific executable/program.
When you run a "Filename" (without quotes, and without the dot and the "exe"
extension that follows), Windows first looks for it in the Windows folder,
then in the Windows\System folder, and after that in the "PATH" statement,
usually mentioned in your Autoexec.bat file (and loaded in memory at boot time
when Autoexec.bat is processed), before Windows was started. If Win95/98
doesn't find an executable with that particular name at any of these
locations, it looks into the "App Paths" Registry key. If it finds the
corresponding key, Win95/98 runs the specified executable.
Example: to run Netscape.exe without having to type its full path (i.e.
C:\Netscape\Program\Netscape.exe) every time, create a new Key entry in the
left hand pane, and name it Netscape.exe.
Now double-click on the (Default) string in the right hand pane and type in:
C:\Netscape\Program\Netscape.exe
Under Netscape.exe, create a new String (right hand pane), and call it Path.
Double-click on Path and type this:
C:\Netscape\Program
Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows.
You may need to add to, modify or delete some of these filenames, subkeys or
entries, in case you moved an application to another folder or drive (because
Win95/98 doesn't adjust the "App Paths" entries in some cases, even if the
Microsoft Windows Interface Guidelines claim the opposite), or you can add the
paths to your most often used programs/apps/batch files, to speed up your
system response.
NOTE: A filename you add/modify doesn't have to be identical to the
executable but it MUST match the key name!
DISABLE DNS FOR WINS RESOLUTION
Windows for WorkGroups 3.1x and Windows NT have an "Enable DNS for WINS
resolution" check box under the Control Panel Networks applet which is turned
off by default.
In Windows 95 (the original retail release, without any
DUN/TCP/IP/PPP/PPTP/ISDN updates installed) this feature is turned on by
default, and there is no check box to turn it off. :(
But there is an "EnableDNS" Registry switch you can manually "toggle" on/off.
If "EnableDNS" is turned off, DNS is still enabled, but it isn't used for
WINS resolution.
NOTE: Windows 95/95a OSR1 systems upgraded with MS DUN 1.2a/1.2b/1.3/1.4
Update or with the ISDN Modem Update, Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.x, 98/98 SP1/98
SE(U) and ME systems do NOT exhibit this BUG.
To disable the NetBIOS name resolution on a DNS server, especially for TCP/IP
Dial-Up Networking Internet hookups, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP
In the right hand pane you can see the "EnableDNS" String Value entry.
Right-click on it and select Modify. Replace 1 (default value) with 0.
Close Regedit and restart Windows.
FYI: See the "How to Disable NetBIOS Name Resolution on DNS" MSKB article for
more details:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=137368
INSTALL MS PLUS! 95 OVER MS IE 3/4/5 [+]
This is an old (and often overlooked) Microsoft BUG...
If you have already installed Microsoft Internet Explorer 3/4/5 on your
Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2 system, you canNOT install Microsoft Plus! Pack for
Windows 95 anymore. :(
BUG: MS Plus! 95 Setup looks in the Registry for previously installed MS Plus!
components, "sees" your current MS IE version, and as a consequence aborts,
displaying an error message.
FIX: Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
In the right hand pane look for the "IVer" String Value with the default
numeric value of "103", but which could be different on your PC, depending on
your particular MS IE build.
Delete the IVer Value: right-click on "IVer" -> select Delete or press the Del
key -> click Yes or press Enter.
Close Registry Editor and restart Windows.
Now install the MS Plus! 95 Pack by running SETUP from the CD-ROM.
CAUTION: Do NOT apply this workaround to Windows 98/98 SE(U)/ME, because MS
Plus! 95 installs OLDER system files, which are INCOMPATIBLE with 98/ME!
CD-ROM KEYS
If your Win9x system (or your Windows applications: MS Plus!, MS Office etc)
become corrupted, and you have misplaced the installation cd-rom key (which
is usually shown on the cd-rom sleeve or on the manual cover), there is
still a way to find it, so you can reinstall your OS/app from scratch.
NOTE: This procedure requires a working copy of Windows 9x!
With the GUI started, open Regedit and go to:
- MS Windows 9x:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ProductID
- MS Internet Explorer 4/5:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ProductID
- MS Plus! for Windows 95:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Plus!\Plus!\Registration\ProductID
- MS Plus! for Kids:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Kids\Kids Plus!\Registration\ProductID
- MS Plus! for Windows 98:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Plus!98\ProductID
- MS Windows NT:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProductId
You may have more than one "ProductID" String, depending on the MS programs
installed on your machine.
To make it easier to find them all, start a Registry search: click Edit,
select Find, type "ProductID" (no quotes) in the search box, and hit Enter
(or click Find Next).
In the right hand pane double-click on each ProductID subkey, and copy the
entire string of numbers to a text file (by holding Ctrl and pressing C, or
by right-clicking on the highlighted number, and then clicking Copy),
specifying which program/app it belongs to. Now print a hard copy, and keep
it handy for a dark cloudy day when your OS/program may become unusable!
Example: such a cd-rom (copy protection) key might look similar to this one:
11111-333-3333333-11111
When installing a Microsoft product, you will be asked to enter the 2 groups
of numbers in the middle (in this case: 333-3333333).
CONTIGUOUS FILE ALLOCATION SIZE [+]
Disk fragmentation occurs inherently in Windows 9x and most frequently
accessed files "break up" spanning across non-sequential clusters, especially
over long periods of time.
But you can limit fragmentation by increasing the free cluster size Windows 9x
looks for when storing files on disk, thus decreasing the time the System
Agent (Task Scheduler) "Low disk notification" and "Maintenance disk cleanup"
(Win95 retail/OSR1 only with MS Plus! 95 installed, and all Win95B/95C OSR2.x
releases) and the Maintenance Wizard (Win98/98 SE only) tools take for tunning
up your system, by forcing Windows to ignore larger amounts of fragmented disk
space, and to avoid splitting larger files the same time.
To optimize the Win9x file system (i.e. for running multimedia applications
that use large files), open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\FileSystem
Right-click in the right hand pane -> select New -> DWORD -> name it
"ContigFileAllocSize" (no quotes). Now double-click on it -> check the Decimal
box -> give it an integer value between 1024 (1 MB) and 4096 (4 MB). Default
is 512 (512 KiloBytes = 1/2 MB).
If you have any newer/"monster" multi-GigaByte size hard disk(s), you may want
to set this value to "high": 2048 - 4096.
If you don't work/"play" frequently with multi-MegaByte size files, you may
want to set it to "low": 512 - 2048.
Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows when done.
EDIT THE BAT
To edit a DOS batch file (.BAT extension) with a (double)-click instead of
executing it:
1. Start the Registry editor and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell\open
2. Rename the "open" key to "run", as shown below:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell\run
by right-clicking on "open", selecting Rename, typing in "run", and then
clicking OK. Don't type the quotes!
3. Modify the "EditFlags" binary value in:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile
to read "00 00 00 00": right-click on "EditFlags" (right hand pane), select
Modify, and type in "00 00 00 00" (no quotes). Click OK.
WARNING: DO NOT MODIFY THE LENGTH OF THE HEX VALUE ABOVE!
4. Open Explorer, click Options from the View menu (or Folder Options if you
installed Internet Explorer 4.0x, or if you are using Win98), select the File
Types tab, scroll down to the "MS-DOS Batch File" item, highlight it and click
Edit.
You'll notice that the last three buttons (Edit, Remove and Set Default) are
now enabled and that you can select Edit as the default action.
SOURCE PATH CHANGE
You can have Win95/98 stop asking for the Windows setup cd-rom
disk/installation files whenever you make changes to your system. This is
useful especially if you have added a new (hard, backup, cd-rom etc) drive to
your computer, because there is a fat chance your original cd-rom drive (from
which you initially installed Win95/98) might have "suffered" a drive letter
change.
To tell Win95/98 setup the new location of its installation (.CAB) files,
fire up your Registry editor, and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\SourcePath
Right-click on SourcePath. Select Modify. Type in your new path for the .CAB
files (default for Win95/OSR2 is D:\WIN95, and for Win98 is D:\WIN98, if you
have only one hard drive with only one logical partition on your system).
Click OK. Exit Regedit. Restart Windows.
NO MORE "CLICK HERE TO BEGIN"
To get rid of the annoying "Click here to begin" scrolling arrow and text
message showing up on the Taskbar every time the Windows 9x/ME GUI loads (if
you don't have any open programs that display their own icons on the Taskbar
at Windows startup, and that will cover "Click here to begin"), run Regedit
and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
In the right hand pane modify the "NoStartBanner" Binary [hex] Value:
double-click on it -> type 01000000 -> click OK. Don't type any quotes or
spaces.
Or add it if not present: right-click on an empty spot in the right hand pane
-> select New -> click Binary Value -> name it NoStartBanner -> click OK.
Close Regedit and restart Windows when done.
DELETE DESKTOP ICONS
Have you ever wanted to delete some of those annoying icons (you never use
anyway) from your Desktop? If your answer is yes, read on...
There are two ways of doing this:
1. The more complicated [but elegant :)] procedure is to install the System
Policy Editor, and delete/disable the unwanted items.
2. The easy way is to make a few Registry changes, which you should BACKUP
FIRST! Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
In the following example I'll use the "Network Neighborhood" icon:
With the above key highlighted, right click anywhere in the Registry field,
select New, and click DWORD, to create a new entry. Name it "NoNetHood"
(don't type the quotes). When you set its value to 1 and then reboot, the
Network Neighborhood desktop icon will be gone! To reinstate this icon on your
desktop, change its value to 0.
And the beauty of this trick is that you can apply it to ALL your Desktop
system icons.
To make changes to any other "hardwired" (read "unwanted") icon, go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
Within this key, each system icon has its own CLSID key (Class ID), a 16 byte
value which identifies an individual object) that points to a corresponding
key in the Registry:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
To delete an icon, remove the 16 byte CLSID value within "NameSpace".
To change an icon name, change the value of its "sister" CLSID key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}\DefaultIcon
Therefore, the "Network Neighborhood" correspondent keys would be:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
and respectively:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
Here are the "CLSID" keys for all Windows 95 system icons:
Briefcase.{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}
Desktop.{00021400-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
Dial-Up Networking.{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}
Fonts.{BD84B380-8CA2-1069-AB1D-08000948F534}
Inbox.{00020D76-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
My Computer.{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
Network Neighborhood.{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
Printers.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
Recycle Bin.{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
Shortcut.{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
The Internet.{FBF23B42-E3F0-101B-8488-00AA003E56F8}
The Microsoft Network.{00028B00-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
Url History Folder.{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}
You can use the method above for any system icon you want to modify/delete.
Go to the CLSID key you want to modify and change its "DefaultIcon" subkey.
Recycle Bin makes an exception, its "Default" value lists the full pathname
of the file that contains the corresponding icon. Recycle Bin has three
entries under "DefaultIcon": Default, Empty and Full, each represented by a
different icon for the: default, empty and full Recycle Bin respectively.
I know my "nightmare" is to see that pesky "Recycle Bin" icon on my desktop
every day. Just go to its "NameSpace" key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
and delete it. From now on when you start Win95, bye-bye Recycle Bin!
You can also rename the Recycle Bin's "NameSpace" key, by scrolling to the
corresponding CLSID key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon
and modifying its "default" value.
You can always create new versions of the icons listed above, which will
have the Move, Copy and Delete properties enabled.
The Control Panel icon for example, is represented by this CLSID key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
To create a new icon called, let's say "Control Center", delete the key
below:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
and then create a new folder called:
Control Center.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
A folder with this extension file retains the properties of the original
Control Panel, but it can also be deleted or moved.
To change the "My Computer" icon, go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon
and change its icon file name in the "default" entry.
TIP:
You can use Microsoft TweakUI [110 KB, free, unsupported] to eliminate the
Win9x system icons of your choice from your desktop (and much more):
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
... But that takes the fun out of messing with the Registry :-)
NEW TCP/IP SETTINGS
This trick applies to the Windows 9x users who log on to the Internet using
the TCP/IP protocol, a modem and an ISP (Internet Service Provider).
You can add new TCP/IP parameters to the Property sheet.
When you start Control Panel, double-click on Network, and then open "TCP/IP
-> Dial-Up Adapter", you'll see the Advanced tab. Normally there is not much
you can tweak here. Maybe the "Use IPX header compression" and/or "Record to a
log file" settings, but these won't speedup your Internet access.
But you can add a couple of extra parameters to the TCP/IP Advanced tab, by
merging NEWTCP.REG into the Registry (a Registration file included in this
archive), to increase your Internet connection performance.
BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES!
DO NOT MERGE NEWTCP.REG INTO THE REGISTRY THE WAY IT IS!
YOU NEED TO MODIFY IT FIRST!
To do this properly, follow these steps EXACTLY:
1. Open Regedit to find where your TCP/IP resides under the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans
There you will find one or more four-digit subkey(s). Example: 0000, 0001,
0002, 0003... etc.
Your TCP/IP keys MUST ALL include this value:
"DriverDesc"="TCP/IP"
DO NOT MODIFY them if this parameter has ANY other value!
2. Open NEWTCP.REG in Notepad and change ALL 000n occurrences found in
NEWTCP.REG to MATCH ALL your TCP/IP NetTrans subkeys, and ADD new lines if you
have more than one! Example of NEWTCP.REG original line that you NEED TO
MODIFY:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\000n\Ndi\Params\DefaultRcvWindow]
"Location"="System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\VxD\\MSTCP"
Example of new MODIFIED lines:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0000\Ndi\Params\DefaultRcvWindow]
"Location"="System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\VxD\\MSTCP"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0001\Ndi\Params\DefaultRcvWindow]
"Location"="System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\VxD\\MSTCP"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0002\Ndi\Params\DefaultRcvWindow]
"Location"="System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\VxD\\MSTCP"
... etc. You get the idea.
Repeat same steps above with ALL NEWTCP.REG "MaxConnectRetries" keys.
3. Now merge (register) NEWTCP.REG into your Registry: (double)-click on it in
Explorer or File Manager.
4. Two new parameters are now available in the Network applet "TCP/IP ->
Dial-Up Adapter" Advanced tab:
- "Default Receive Window" = recommended values: 2144, 3216 or 4288 (depending
on your MTU value).
Default = 8192;
and:
- "Maximum Connection Retries" = recommended values: 16 - 64.
Default = 32.
TIPS:
* The "Default Receive Window" (RWIN) and "Maximum Connection Retries" (TTL)
TCP/IP parameters are also discussed in "HOW FAST CAN YOU GO? - Part 2" in
REGISTRY.TXT (this file).
* To learn how to adjust your Win95/OSR2 MaxMTU TCP/IP parameter to speed up
your Internet connection, read "HOW FAST CAN YOU GO? - Part 1" in
REGISTRY.TXT (this file).
* To learn how to adjust your Win98 IPMTU TCP/IP parameter to speed up your
Internet connection, read "FASTEST INTERNET 98 - Part 1" and "FASTEST
INTERNET 98 - Part 2" in TIPS98.TXT (included).
Happy tweaking!
ACTIVE CORNERS [+]
There is a Registry trick that might allow you to activate/deactivate your
screen saver by placing your mouse in different Desktop screen corners ("hot
spots").
WARNING: This feature is disabled IF you installed MS Internet Explorer 4/5/6
with Active Desktop (View As Web Page) enabled, or IF using Windows
95C OSR 2.5/98/2000/ME/XP [which install MS IE 4/5/6 = no choice there :(]!
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Screen Savers
Under Screen Savers, add a new string value and name it Mouse Corners. Edit
this new value to show "-Y-N" (no quotes).
Close Regedit and restart Windows.
From now on whenever you position your mouse cursor in the upper right corner
of your screen, the screen saver will immediately activate. Likewise, if you
position the mouse in the lower left corner of your screen, the screen saver
will not activate, even if it has been inactive for longer than the time
specified when you selected it.
The principle behind this is based on activating/deactivating the 4 screen
corners, in this specific order (in the Registry key above):
1. lower right corner;
2. upper right corner;
3. upper left corner;
4. lower left corner.
Therefore a value of "NY--" would result in having the screen saver active by
placing your mouse cursor in the upper right corner, and respectively inactive
by placing your rodent pointer into the lower right corner.
Just take your pick, depending on which corners are easier for you to use.
This trick is useful to keep your screen saver from being turned on right in
the middle of a task that cannot be interrupted, like defragmenting/scanning
your hard disk(s).
NOTES:
- The "active screen corners" feature can also be enabled from your Display
Properties (the Screen Saver tab) IF you own Microsoft Plus! Pack for Windows
95 (but NOT with MS IE 4/5/6 installed), for ALL MS Plus! installed savers,
and ONLY IF System Agent (Task Scheduler) is active.
- IF using Windows 95C OSR 2.5/98/2000/ME/XP you can still do this by using
QuickClick 16-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/3.1x [78 KB, no nag
shareware]:
http://members.aol.com/files4u/QCLICK1.ZIP
Unzip QCLICK1.ZIP with your favorite unZIPping tool [see "WINDOWS
9x/NT/2000/ME/XP FILE SHRINKERS" in SOFTWARE.TXT (included) for freeware
examples] and then read READ1ST.TXT for complete details on QuickClick usage.
WALLPAPER POSITION [+]
In Windows 95/98 you have the following options for displaying a background
wallpaper (bitmap):
1. "Centered" or "Tiled" and
2. "Stretch to fit the desktop" (this one is available ONLY to MS Plus! for
Win95 and OSR2 users).
NOTE: To learn how to stretch your Desktop bitmap to the screen size in Win98,
read "STRETCH WALLPAPER" in TIPS98.TXT (included).
By editing the Registry you can add a third option: to position the
wallpaper anywhere on your screen by specifying values for the X and Y
coordinates.
Run Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Create 2 new Strings and call them "WallpaperOriginX" and respectively
"WallpaperOriginY" (don't type the quotes). Give these entries the desired
values to position your bitmap off the center on your Desktop.
Example:
"WallpaperOriginX"="1"
"WallpaperOriginY"="1"
Experiment with these values until you are satisfied with your wallpaper's
position.
NOTE: The repositioned wallpaper must be smaller than your desktop size
(duh...).
MS Plus! for Win95, OSR2 and Win98 users can stretch the wallpaper size to fit
your screen, by adding a new String entry (under the same Registry key above):
"WallpaperStyle"="2"
Don't type the quotes.
Accepted values for "WallpaperStyle" are:
- 0 = Centered (default);
- 1 = Tiled and
- 2 = Stretch desktop wallpaper to fit the screen.
MS Plus! for Win95 users: The wallpaper style can also be changed without
modifying the Registry:
1. Right-click on an empty spot on your Desktop.
2. Select Properties.
3. Click on the Plus! tab.
4. Check the "Stretch desktop wallpaper to fit the screen" box.
5. Click OK or Apply.
Have fun!
SAVE SETTINGS - Part 1
These Registry workarounds seem to work ONLY with Windows 95 (retail) and
Windows 95a OSR1 (upgraded with SP1).
This one is really annoying. Whenever I open an Explorer or Control Panel
window a second time (or again after a while), it doesn't have the same
"look" as it used to, especially if I initially customized that particular
window (enabled the Toolbar, display items as a plain List or with full
Details, moved or/and resized that window etc).
But there are 2 ways to have your Explorer/Control Panel window keep its
settings for good:
1. Start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
In the right hand pane you'll find the "NoSaveSettings" key. No matter what
value is given to this Registry key, the Desktop/Explorer/Control Panel
settings will still be modified by Windows 95 again after opening 29 of those
windows (that's the maximum number of window settings "stored" in Windows 95's
Registry "memory"). MS IE 4/5 and Windows 98 up this limit to 99.
Now delete the "NoSaveSettings" key. Close the Registry editor and press F5
after left-clicking your mouse on an empty Desktop area, to refresh it.
2. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_USERS\xxxxx\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Substitute the "xxxxx" string above with your password profile name, or look
for the ".Default" key if you don't have a password profile:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Delete the "NoSaveSettings" key in the right hand pane. Close Regedit and
refresh the Desktop (implement Registry settings without a restart), as
described above.
From now on all your window "looks" will stay the way you told them to.
BTW: Have you made a backup copy of your Registry beforehand? I was hoping
you'd answer yes to this one. For your own sake. :)
NOTE: Read "SAVE SETTINGS - Part 2" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for an
alternative Registry fix to keep your most used window positions in Windows
95/98.
MOVE WITHOUT REINSTALL (My ©trick)
This is a tricky one, and requires a lot of messing with the Registry and/or
with other configuration files. So BACKUP FIRST!
But if can be done (in certain cases anyway).
The principle is to move a Win95/98 application to another drive and/or
folder, and modify its Registry/config file(s) settings to match the new
location, without getting any error messages, like:
"Your Program is not properly configured/installed. Windows cannot find
XYZ.CFG file. Please reinstall."
and without having to reinstall it (of course).
I am going to use "Outlaws" by Lucas Arts (a "shoot-em-up" cd-rom game) as
example of doing this, step by step:
1. Let's say you originally installed Outlaws in C:\Outlaws, but now you'd
like to move it to D:\Outlaws (all its files and subfolders, of course).
To move a folder and its contents to another drive, hold down Shift (in
Explorer) while dragging and then releasing it onto the target drive.
Then open Control Panel, and double-click "Add/Remove Programs". Scroll down
to "Lucas Arts' Outlaws". The principle is to look for all Registry entries
that match at least one word contained in your application's title, the one
listed in "Add/Remove Programs" (also called "friendly name").
2. Now run the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE), located in your Windows
folder. Click on Edit, and then Find (Ctrl-F). Type "outlaws" (no quotes) in
the Find box. Click Find Next (press Enter), and modify all C:\Outlaws
instances found to read D:\Outlaws. In this case, the Registry keys to look
under are:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\LucasArts Entertainment Company\Outlaws
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectPlay\Applications\Outlaws
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\OUTLAWS.EXE
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\LucasArts' Outlaws
The last two Registry keys listed above ("App Paths" and "Uninstall")
contain settings for most installed Win95/98 programs.
Replace the first C:\Outlaws instance with D:\Outlaws, and then press F3 to
find the next instance (and so on). Repeat this operation until you get this
message:
"Finished searching through the Registry"
Close Regedit.
In the above example there are no *.CFG, *.DAT, *.INI, *.LOG etc files you
need to modify, either in your Windows folder or in the Outlaws folder. But
other apps make use of such files, and you need to replace all your
particular app's old folder instances with the new ones (to point to your
program's new location), in all those files too (where applicable).
3. Restart Windows when you're done.
There are several 3rd party uninstallers out there that can automate some of
the steps above (especially if you use such a tool to monitor all your
programs' installations), since most of them keep a record (log) of all
changes made to your Win95/98 system during install.
DEFAULT BROWSER - Part 1
You can have a browser other than Microsoft Internet Explorer (default)
launch when you double-click the Internet icon on your Win95/98 Desktop.
May it be Netscape Navigator, Communicator or whatever your favorite browser
would be, this can be done by editing the Registry.
Start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{FBF23B42-E3F0-101B-8488-00AA003E56F8}\Shell\Open\Command
Double-click the "Default" key in the right hand pane, and change the line
that points to Internet Explorer to let's say Netscape Communicator default
path and filename (modify it to match the location of your browser
executable is different on your system):
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Program\Netscape.exe
Click OK when ready, close Regedit and press F5 to refresh the Registry.
In case you want to revert back to your default Win95/98 startup browser
(Internet Explorer), type it back into the "Default" String, under the same
Registry key above.
Default Internet Explorer path is:
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Iexplore.exe
NOTE: You may also need to apply these fixes: "DEFAULT BROWSER" in
TIPS95.TXT (included) and "DEFAULT BROWSER - Part 2" in REGISTRY.TXT (this
file) to make this trick work properly.
NEW START ITEMS
To add new items to the Start button right-click menu, launch Regedit and go
to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell
Right-click on Shell and select New -> Key. Type in the name of the program
you want to see listed under the Start Menu, and then press Enter.
UPDATE:
"This will affect other directories too, not only the Start Menu!"
This update courtesy of Yuri (kukina@nioch.nsc.ru).
In the Default name that shows in the right hand pane, you can add an "&"
character [ampersand] to the title (don't type the quotes), in front of the
first letter of your shortcut, to use that particular letter on the keyboard
as shortcut key to open your new Start Menu item.
Right-click on the Registry key you just created and create another subkey
under it called command. For the command value enter the full path and
program executable (including the file extension) you want. From now on,
whenever you right-click on the Start button, your new program will show up.
No need to reboot for this change to take effect.
Example: If you like to add ScanDisk to the Start menu, you need to add its
name as the first key, under "Shell". The default in the right hand pane
would be &ScanDisk, so when you right click on the Start Button, the letter
S would be underlined and you only need to press the S key to run ScanDisk.
The appropriate ScanDisk command would be (case insensitive):
C:\WINDOWS\SCANDSKW.EXE
Command line parameters are optional (if supported by your program).
NOTE: You have to assign DIFFERENT letters as hot keys to your shortcuts
listed in the SAME folder! Duplicates are NOT allowed.
IE FONT FANCY [+]
To change the default font (size, weight, style etc) displayed in Windows
95/98/ME by Internet Explorer 4/5/6 to any font installed on your system,
launch Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles
All possible combinations are listed there. You need to highlight the "Style
Name" key in the left hand pane, followed by its value in the right hand pane.
Double-click on "Style Name" and change its font name, font size and/or font
weight. Repeat this operation for all available fonts for the style you'd like
to customize. There are 13 "StyleSheet_Names" settings you can modify here.
When you're done, go to this Registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles
and rename the "Default_Style_Sheet" string to show an identical value with
the "Style name" key you have selected under the Internet Explorer
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key above.
Now close the Registry Editor and restart Internet Explorer to "admire" your
new font/style/weight.
PASSWORD CACHE... NOT! [+]
When you're logging on to a WinNT domain it is preferable to disable password
caching. This allows for the single NT domain login and eliminates the
secondary Windows logon screen. It also eliminates the possibility of the
respective passwords to get out of sync.
To disable password caching on the workstation, you need to make a one-line
addition to the Registry (this also works for machines running the Workstation
release of Windows NT 4.0).
First, create a text file (using Notepad) called DISABLE.REG with these lines:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network]
"DisablePwdCaching"=dword:00000001
------End cut & paste here------
Save it. Then (double)-click on DISABLE.REG in Windows Explorer or File
Manager (FM = C:\Windows\Winfile.exe).
If you need to reenable password caching, create another plain text file named
REENABLE.REG, with the following lines:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network]
"DisablePwdCaching"=dword:00000000
------End cut & paste here------
Save it. Then (double)-click on REENABLE.REG in Explorer or File Manager to
revert back to caching your password when logging into an NT domain (default).
TRASH THE BIN [+]
The Recycle Bin can be deleted or renamed from its own context menu (when you
right-click on its desktop icon), but you have to disable its read-only and
system Attributes first.
To do this, run the Registry Editor and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder
In the right hand pane, double-click on "Attributes" and change its binary
value from:
40 01 00 20
to read:
70 01 00 20
Do not type the spaces (they will be automatically inserted).
This Registry edit takes effect immediately.
KILL DA BIN! [+]
If you don't use the Recycle Bin to store deleted files [that you may want to
recover some day though... :)], you can get rid of its desktop icon all
together. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
Click on the "Recycle Bin" string in the right hand pane. Hit Del, click OK,
and say "Good Bye" to the Recycle Bin!
RENAME RECYCLE BIN [+]
To change the name of the Recycle Bin desktop icon, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
and change the name "Recycle Bin" to whatever tickles your fantasy (don't
type any quotes).
INSTANT REFRESH [+]
Windows 95/98/ME doesn't refresh the display of files/folders/shortcuts/links
when they change (by creating, copying, moving, renaming, deleting them etc)
as often as [some of us, anyway :)] would like to.
To increase the display refresh rate to maximum (instant = almost in real
time, depending on your CPU speed), run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Update
In the right hand pane -> right-click on the "UpdateMode" DWORD Value (or
create it if not present) -> select Modify -> check the Decimal box -> change
its value to read 0 -> close the Registry Editor -> restart Windows when done.
CAUTION: This constant refresh might impair your computer's performance IF
your CPU clock speed is 200 MHz or lower, using Windows 98/ME and/or have
installed Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5/6 (or newer) on your PC!
KEEP IT SHORT/LONG
There is a way to allow Long File Name (LFN) format command line parameters
(switches) to work when specified on a command line that starts a Windows 9x
program.
By default any parameter (supported by a particular program) can be typed in
from the Run command line box. This translates into a Registry entry for that
particular program, that looks something like this (example):
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.doc\shell\open\command\
(Default)="C:\Word\Winword.exe %1"
Notice the quotes that start and end the entire command line.
In the above case, only short parameter names can be used with a program.
To allow long parameter names to work with your program, you need to start
Regedit, and search for your program key (example):
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.doc\shell\open\command\
(Default)="C:\MS Apps\Excel.exe %1"
and change this line to read:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.doc\shell\open\command\
(Default)="C:\MS Apps\Excel.exe" "%1"
Notice that you need to add two more quotes, one after the program's
extension and the other at the beginning of your application parameter name.
Another example: change the line below:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bmp\shell\open\command\
(Default)="C:\Program Files\Accessories\Mspaint.exe %1"
to read (adding the above mentioned extra quotes):
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bmp\shell\open\command\
(Default)="C:\Program Files\Accessories\Mspaint.exe" "%1"
Close the Registry Editor when done.
This workaround can also be achieved this way: open Explorer, click View,
click Options, then select the File Types tab, and scroll down to the line
that contains your program executable. Double-click on the highlighted line,
or click Edit, then double-click the Open line (or click on Edit), and now
modify the command line as described above.
Save your settings and close all open windows.
NOTE: This FIX applies to Win95, OSR1 and OSR2. This limitation was fixed in
Win98, which [almost always :(] adds the necessary quotes automatically.
CLEAR DOCS & MORE... [+]
The following are "revamped" versions of some older tips in this archive, and
some are new hacks, sent courtesy of Dave (showillgo@sprintmail.com).
Many thanks to Qwerty (b_b@gmx.at) for the DOSBOX.REG fix!
Credit goes to Windows Annoyances for CLEAR.BAT:
http://www.annoyances.org/
and to Windows Magazine for NOTEPAD.REG.
ALL these files are included here:
- DOSBOX.REG adds a new right-click item to the Windows Explorer context menu
for a DOS prompt window that opens in the current folder [similar to MS Power
Toy 95 "DOS Here": see "FREE WINDOWS 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP SYSTEM + REGISTRY
TWEAKERS" in SOFTWARE.TXT (included) for download link].
- NOTEPAD.REG adds a new right-click item to the Windows Explorer context menu
for opening Notepad.
- SERVER.REG takes care of properly setting the Win95 [retail edition ONLY]
32-bit File System cache to "Network Server" for better disk performance,
detailed in "NETWORK SERVER" from REGISTRY.TXT (this file).
- CLEAR.BAT deletes ALL recently opened files (docs, links, zips etc) from
your C:\Windows\Recent folder upon every Windows startup. To make it work
properly, create an MS-DOS shortcut (PIF file) for it, and place it into your
C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder. Then modify this shortcut to
force it to close automatically upon completion: right-click on it -> Program
tab -> check "Close on exit" box -> Misc tab -> uncheck "Warn if still active"
box -> OK/Apply. Or use Notepad/Sysedit in Windows or EDIT.COM in DOS to add a
command for CLEAR.BAT as your last AUTOEXEC.BAT line, to run it every time you
boot into (start the GUI) or out (exit to native MS-DOS) of Windows (example):
C:\CLEAR.BAT
To use any of these REG files, just open Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM
= C:\Windows\Winfile.exe), and (double)-click on the one you want to install.
IMPORTANT:
You need to alter the Registry to get the CORRECT "Network Server" setting by
running SERVER.REG, ONLY IF you have Win95 original (retail) release or Win95a
OSR1 (upgraded with SP1)! This BUG is fixed in Win95B/95C OSR 2.x and
Win98/ME.
See "NETWORK SERVER" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) for more details.
... And don't forget to BACKUP your System files BEFORE making ANY changes!
RUN! (My ©trick)
I figured out I don't need to run (or load) programs from Win.ini's load=
and/or run= lines anymore. The same job can be done by adding any or all of
your programs to the Run menu into the Win95/98/ME Registry Database.
All you need to do is remark, or delete completely the load= and/or run=
lines in Win.ini's [windows] section (Win.ini resides in your Windows folder),
if you decide to keep these changes permanent. To remark in Windows means
adding a semicolon (;) in front of the file you want to disable from
running/loading. Edit Win.ini with Notepad, look for the load= and/or run=
lines in the [windows] section, and apply these changes to your own programs
(examples):
load=
; c:\path\myprogr.exe
run=
; c:\path\myapp.exe
replacing the original lines (that start these programs from Win.ini):
load=c:\path\myprogr.exe
run=c:\path\myapp.exe
Then run Regedit (located in the Windows folder) and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Here, look for the programs listed in the right hand pane.
Left-click on an empty spot in the right hand pane. Select New, String Value,
and name it whatever you want (the name doesn't matter). Now right-click on
the new String you just created, and left-click Modify. In the Value Data
box, type the full drive letter, path (directory/folder name) and file name
and extension of the program you want to load/run every time Windows 95/98
starts. Example of such String name (of course you need to add your own
programs):
AfterDark Quick Access
and its corresponding Value Data box (DO type the quotes, to allow Long File
Names to be properly recognized):
"C:\AD95\After Dark.exe" /taskbar
When you're done, close RegEdit and restart Windows. That's it.
NOTE: You can also replace by this method the programs that load from the
Startup folder (and then you can delete all the files with the .LNK
extension found in C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, to save disk
space and a few seconds every time Windows starts).
PERSONALITY CHANGE [+]
Courtesy of Art (ArtTate@aol.com).
"This is how to change "This Product is Licensed to: ..." without
re-installing Windows 9x/ME.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
In the right hand pane you can create/modify any of these String Values:
"RegisteredOrganization", "RegisteredOwner", and/or "ProductId"
(Win95/OSR1/OSR2 only) or "ProductKey" (Win98/ME only) to read whatever your
heart desires.
Your Windows System Properties General tab will display "Registered
to:/Licensed to: Your Name/Your Company" from now on."
BEWARE, TROJANS!
This message was sent by Eric (meowow@juno.com):
"To protect against Trojans, make the following change to the Registry:
Open Regedit. Go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/batfile/shell
Right-click on the Default entry, choose "Modify", and type Edit.
Close Regedit.
You can then preview all batch files before executing them.
Right click and choose "Open" to run a batch file."
NOTE: This trick refers to potential "Trojans"/"Bombs" (rogue executables)
that use "distructive" internal/external DOS commands, like: FDISK, FORMAT,
DELTREE, DEL etc to wipe out entire drives!
UPDATES:
1. "An alternative way to do the same without hacking the Registry [for the
more faint-hearted :)] is to go to Folder -> Options under Settings and choose
MS-DOS Batch Files, edit the associations and choose Edit as the Default for
double-click."
[Thank you Kuo (KuoHChang@bigfoot.com)!]
2. "You can't use the Folder Options dialog in Windows Explorer to change the
default command for MS-DOS Batch Files, without editing the Registry and
changing the "EditFlags" Binary Value to "01 00 00 00" (must be typed exactly
like that, without quotes or spaces), which appears under this Registry key
(as shown by Regedit.exe):
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/batfile
You can create a new command in the Folder Options dialog, but without using
that Registry hack you can't set it as the default action, which defeats the
whole purpose.
See "ENABLE EDITFLAGS" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file) to learn how to apply this
Registry fix."
[Thank you Neil (neilturner@myrealbox.com)!]
DUN DIALING
This is Eric's (meowow@juno.com) solution to a little known problem, when
using Win95's Dial-Up Networking (DUN) utility to connect to the Internet:
"For some reason, my computer kept resetting my Dial-Up Networking (Internet)
connection to use a specific IP address, even though my connection was server
assigned, and regardless that I kept putting the checkmark in "Server assigned
IP address". Often, this specific IP address was a flaky, unreliable address
at that. So I searched the Registry for the culprit, and came up with this
"hack". To create a REG file that will reset your Dial-Up Networking
connection: DUN | Properties | Server Type | TCP/IP Settings | IP address, to
"Server assigned IP address", do the following:
1. Open Notepad and create a text file with the REG extension, to contain
these strings:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\RemoteAccess\Profile\Frontier]
"IP"=hex:1c,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
------End cut & paste here------
Type the entire "IP" value as a single line.
3. Save it with a descriptive name. My ISP is Frontier Telephone, so I called
mine Frontier.REG.
3. The icon for the file should change. Right-click and choose Edit to make
sure the text is correct. Then, double-click on the file whenever you want to
make sure that your IP address is server-assigned, such as before you connect
to the Internet. I put this file in C:\Windows\System and made it
automatically run from a freeware tool called DUNCE (Dial-Up Networking
Connection Enhancement) for Windows 9x:"
http://www.vecdev.com/dunce.html
PERMANENT SETTINGS
To make ALL Desktop settings permanent in an (Explorer) window: window size,
position, display the toolbar etc, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Right-click in the right hand pane, click New, and select DWORD Value. Name it
NoSaveSettings, and press Enter. Now right-click on it, choose Modify, and
type 1 in the Value data box.
Click OK and exit the Registry Editor.
All future windows settings will be from now on those you specified BEFORE
creating the new "NoSaveSettings" Registry value, and can be changed ONLY
temporarily.
Next time you open that same window, its settings will revert back to the
ones you started with, before this Registry change.
To reenable permanent settings changes again, run Regedit again, and go to
the same Registry key above, right-click on "NoSaveSettings", choose Modify,
and change its Value data to 0. Close Regedit, make the desired changes to
your windows settings, then go back and make them permanent again by
resetting "NoSaveSettings" back to 1.
Alternatively you can delete the NoSaveSettings DWORD (which has the same
effect as assigning it the 0 value) by right-clicking on it, selecting
Delete and then clicking Yes.
TIP:
TweakUI [110 KB, free, unsupported], one of the Microsoft Power Toys, also
lets you save your window settings:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
Open Control Panel, (double)-click the TweakUI icon (after properly installing
it), select the Explorer tab, check the "Save Explorer window settings" box,
and click OK/Apply.
All changes made to a window's settings will be saved from now on.
BLINK... NOT! (My ©trick) [+]
This Windows 95/98/NT4/2000/ME/XP Registry hack used to be completely
undocumented, but Microsoft released [about time! :)] the "official"
procedure:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=247054
If you have never modified the cursor (insertion point) blinking rate, you are
looking at the default value of 700 (the cursor blinks approximately 2 times
per second), corresponding to: Control Panel -> Keyboard -> Cursor blink rate
slider set to middle position.
The only way to change the annoying blinking rate to NON-BLINKING (fixed
cursor) in Windows 95/98/NT4/2000/ME [Windows XP (finally!) introduced a
Control Panel Keyboard option to do this :)], effective in Notepad, Wordpad
and any other 64, 32 or 16-bit Windows application using the standard block
cursor dialog box), is to open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
if more than one user (per user setting), or to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop
if only one user (global system setting).
Highlight the "CursorBlinkRate" String Value in the right hand pane ->
right-click on it -> click Modify -> change the numeric value to -1 -> click
OK.
If "CursorBlinkRate" is not present, create it: right-click on an empty spot
-> choose New -> String -> name it "CursorBlinkRate" (no quotes) ->
right-click on it -> type -1 in the Value data box.
Alternatively, for a very slow blinking rate, you can give it a value of
65534 (maximum allowed).
Close Regedit and restart Windows to see the effect.
Restarting is not necessary if you have adjusted the blinking rate from the
Control Panel slider.
NOTE: This setting does NOT apply to the DOS box/session/window cursor.
MENUSHOWDELAY [+]
This Registry hack works with ALL Win32 releases: NT4, 95, 98, ME, 2000 and
XP.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Create a new String Value: right-click in the right hand pane -> select New ->
String Value -> name it "MenuShowDelay" (without quotes) -> double-click on it
-> give it a value from 0 (fastest = no delay) to 65534 (slowest = maximum
delay). Default is 250 for 95/98/ME and 400 for NT4/2000/XP.
These values are the waiting time (in milliseconds) all pop-up/drop-down
menus/dialogs/lists are delayed by before appearing on the screen.
For fastest GUI response, double-click on "MenuShowDelay", enter 0 and then
restart Windows to see all pop-up menus open instantaneously.
UNDOCUMENTED:
To completely disable the automatic menu pop-up, enter -1 and then restart
Windows. Now you will have to click one more time on each item/folder (after
selecting it) to make its menu expand (manual pop-up/drop-down). This forces
Windows (I have tested this only with 95, 98 and ME) to "behave" similar to
the older Windows/WfWG 3.xx releases. Have fun.
FYI: This can also be achieved by using TweakUI, the famous MS Power Toy [110
KB, free, not supported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
from the General tab -> check the "Menu Animation" box.
More info @ MSKB:
- "How to Control the Delay of the Start Menu Display":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=216445
- "When You Point to a Menu the Submenu May Not Appear":
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=214831
ICON BITMAP [+]
I have found a way to have all BMPs [MS Windows BitMaP image format, RGB
(uncompressed) or RLE (compressed) encoded, a.k.a. Desktop background
wallpaper) show as small icons (miniature bitmaps) of the actual picture in
Windows 95/98/ME.
CAUTION: This FIX may crash MS IE 5.xx because its built-in graphic filters do
NOT support compressed Windows Bitmaps (RLE encoded) = see "UPDATE:" further
below!
To do this, fire up Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Paint.Picture\DefaultIcon
Under "DefaultIcon" (Windows default using MS Paint), or whatever program your
BMPs are registered to (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Jasc Paint Shop Pro, Lview
Pro, Irfan View etc), in the right hand pane, double-click on the "(Default)"
String Value, and change it from:
C:\Program Files\Accessories\Mspaint.exe,1
or from (MS Plus! 95 users ONLY):
C:\Windows\System\Cool.dll,41
to read "%1" (no quotes): right-click on it -> replace the entire text string
with %1.
Add a new subkey under "Paint.Picture" and name it "DefaultIcon" (no quotes)
if not present.
"%1" tells Windows that the default icon for this file type is found in the
file itself, but since there is no icon in a BMP file, Windows creates a small
preview image of the BMP for the icon (which shows up in Windows Explorer and
in all dialog boxes/menus that list files).
This FIX makes viewing and sorting BMPs much easier.
UPDATE:
"I discovered this (potential) problem: I have heard that MS Internet Explorer
5.xx users with the Active Desktop installed should NOT activate this, as it
MAY cause IE to crash!
Although I haven't tried this [I have Windows 98 (not SE) with MS IE 5.01 with
Active Desktop installed but disabled], when I preview icons (.ICO) files
which have been created in MS Paint (by specifying the size as 32x32 and saved
with the .ICO extension), they appear OK without problems."
[Thank you Neil (neilturner@myrealbox.com)!]
NAMENUMERICTAIL [+ WARNING!]
WARNING:
Take extreme caution when using this so-called FIX. Reports say that Win95's
Long File Names (LFNs) information (especially Windows 95 retail + MS Plus!
95 users: see "UPDATE:" further below) can be PERMANENTLY LOST IF enabling
this undocumented feature!
The good news is Windows 98 and ME (all releases) do NOT exhibit this BUG.
If you don't have a problem with reading truncated Long File Names in an
OS/environment/application that doesn't support LFNs, please resist the
temptation of doing this!
By default Windows 9x/ME creates 8 character alias names for long file and
directory (folder) names.
Short File Names (SFNs) are relevant only in a mixed computing environment
(MS-DOS 5.00/6.xx, Windows/WfWG 3.xx AND Win9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003), which
share files and directories with systems that do not support LFNs.
To have a folder show as "New Documents" in Win9x/ME [and 32-bit (Win32)
applications], but have the short directory name display as "DOCUMENT" [in
Windows/WfWG 3.xx and 16-bit (Win16) applications] instead of the trucated
"NEWDOC~1", follow the steps below:
1. Start your LFNs with the short version: rename the above folder to read
"DOCUMENTS-NEW", which resolves to "DOCUME~1" (don't type the quotes).
2. Start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
Get rid of the unwanted tildes (~) by adding a new DWORD Value called
"NameNumericTail": right-click -> click New -> click DWORD -> give it the
name "NameNumericTail" (no quotes). Now double-click on it -> check the
Decimal box -> finally type "0" (no quotes).
The folder name in the above example (assuming there wasn't a \DOCUMENT
directory already present) resolves to the correct short name: 8.3
characters (DOS specific).
To revert to Windows default setting (tildes are enabled), delete the
"NameNumericTail" DWORD Value from the Registry subkey above.
CAUTION:
Do NOT rename the "Program Files" folder to ANYTHING else, because many
(especially older) applications assume its short file name should be
"PROGRA~1"! Such programs that use the hard coded directory name (due to
poor programming practices) will install correctly, but WILL have
difficulty finding resources/libraries (DLLs) afterwards.
TIP:
TweakUI, the free, unsupported Microsoft Power Toy [110 KB], also has the
ability of getting rid of the tildes in LFNs:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
UPDATE:
"Setting NameNumericTail=0 causes 2 major problems addressed in these MSKB
articles:
- Q148594: Windows 95 + MS Plus! 95:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=148594
- Q179370: Windows 95, 98, NT4, 2000, ME + XP:"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=179370
[Thank you Emmanuel (erpmanila3w@hotmail.com)!]
MIDDLE BUTTON
To use a Logitech (or compatible) middle mouse button as a double-click (valid
for 3-button mice users), run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Logitech\MouseWare\CurrentVersion\Serial\0000
Some Logitech mice might be installed under one of these other keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Logitech\MouseWare\CurrentVersion\SerialM\0000
or:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Logitech\Mouseware\CurrentVersion\SerialV\0000
Your rodent might reside under the "0001" or "0002" subkeys, not necessarily
under "0000".
In the right hand pane, double-click the "DoubleClick" String value and change
its value from "000" to "001" (no quotes).
UPDATE:
"This only works with Logitech mice and only for a double-click. But there is
a freeware program called Cool Mouse 97:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,4214,00.asp
which works with ANY 3-button or 2-button mouse, and provides multiple mode
features, a must have for all 3-button mice users."
[Thank you Yuri (kukina@nioch.nsc.ru)!]
OPEN NEW WINDOW [+]
If you're browsing through folder windows, it's usually nice to have Win95/98
set to use a single window that changes when you open a new folder. However,
if you want to copy or move files around, you should be able to quickly open a
separate window or folder.
This can be done by holding the CTRL key as you double-click, but it would be
nice to have this option on the right-click menu, next to "Open" and
"Explore".
To add this option to the drop down menu, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Default Icon\shell\shellex
Under "shell", add a new key called "opennew". Modify its (Default) value to
read "Open New &Window" (no quotes). Then add another key under "opennew",
call it "command", and set its (Default) value to "explorer %1".
A side effect is that "Open New Window" will also appear now when you
right-click on the Start Button, which is completely pointless because it does
that anyway.
UPDATE:
"This hack did not work on my Win98 SE PC. After some tinkering I found the
correct solution.
To add the "Open New Window" option to the drop down menu in Win98 SE, open
Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell
Add a new key here called "opennew". Modify its (Default) value to read "Open
New &Window" (no quotes). Then add another key under "opennew", call it
"command", and set its (Default) value to "explorer %1". Close Regedit.
The above works correctly and will add the "Open New Window" option to the
right-click menus on the Start button and Folders, but it does NOT appear on
the Drives right-click menus!"
[Thank you Michael (mikefee3@nh.freei.net)!]
NEW MENU [+]
To add your desired file types to the New menu available when you right-click
an object (file, folder, shortcut etc), you need to edit the Registry.
Find the extension of the data file for the program you want (i.e. MS Word
files have the .DOC extension) under this Registry key, using Regedit:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
Below the file extension key of your choice you need to add a new key called
"ShellNew" (no quotes).
Now you have two options: to start with either a null file (0 Bytes, default
template with no preset styles), or with a template file.
To start with a null file, insert a new String called "NullFile" (no quotes,
no extension) under the ShellNew key, and leave its value blank.
To use a template file, insert a new String named "FileName" (no quotes, no
extension) and set its value to match the path of your "incriminated" data
file or document.
The template files reside by default in the hidden ShellNew subfolder beneath
your Windows 9x directory. To "see" it, you need to enable the view of Hidden
and System files in Explorer. You can also place there the templates of your
choice. Some Win9x apps give you the option (when you first install them) to
add their own template(s) to the ShellNew subdirectory.
From now on when you select the New right-click menu, Win9x will copy the
template file to the ShellNew subfolder, or create a null file.
TIP:
You can disable or completely remove the templates you want (and much more)
by using Microsoft TweakUI Power Toy [110 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
Right-click on TweakUI.inf -> select Install -> then (double)-click the new
TweakUI icon in the Taskbar tray -> click the New tab -> check/uncheck the
desired template(s) to prevent them from being listed on the New menu, or/and
highlight the one(s) you want and click the Remove button.
DITCH THOSE ARROWS! [+]
There are 3 ways of getting rid of ALL those pesky Desktop shortcut arrows:
1. UNSAFE (?):
Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk
Double-click on ".lnk" and delete the "IsShortcut" key in the right hand pane.
Then find:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.pif
Double-click on ".pif" and delete the "IsShortcut" key in the right hand pane
as well.
Restart Windows.
UPDATE:
"This prevents Windows 9x from recognizing these files as shortcuts. But this
also causes such a useful program as TrayMenu by Wei Ke (freeware):
http://www.iglyph.com/free.htm
to stop working. :(
To disable the arrows, one should change the arrow icon (SHELL32.DLL,29) to an
empty (transparent) icon, using the next topic below: 'CHANGE ARROWS'."
This update courtesy of Yuri (kukina@nioch.nsc.ru).
NOTE: Some Win9x programs might "complain" or stop working after deleting
these Registry keys! So BACKUP FIRST!
2. SAFER (?):
Submitted by Michael (mm45@bellsouth.net).
"To safely hack the Registry to permanently remove those funky little shortcut
arrows, without adversely affecting your program shortcuts in any way, start
Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Lnkfile
and to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Piffile
In each of these folders the right hand pane has the "IsShortcut" String
Value. Right-click on it, select Rename, and change it to read "IsNotShortcut"
(no quotes).
Close Regedit and reboot.
The arrows are gone now, but Windows still sees all the affected icons as
shortcuts and treats them accordingly. :)"
3. "ELEGANT" (?):
- Download TweakUI, the free, unsupported Microsoft Power Toy [110 KB]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
Use TweakUI to replace a shortcut's "arrowed" icon with a transparent (empty)
icon, as suggested by Yuri (see the UPDATE above).
CHANGE ARROWS [+]
To change the shortcut arrows on your shortcut icons, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\Shell Icons
Change the value labeled SHELL32.DLL,29 (could be different on your system)
to another icon of your choice. Browse your fixed drives for the desired
"transparent" (empty) icon, in either .DLL, .EXE, .ICO or .ICL format. Just
make sure you type in the full path to this file!
SHELL32.DLL is located in your C:\Windows\System folder.
In this case a transparent icon means a 32x32 pixels icon, in 16 colors,
"painted" with the "see-through" color (most icon editors are calling it
clear, transparent or see-through) for all 1024 pixels (squares), except ONE.
This last pixel, located in the lower left corner, has to have assigned the
black color. Use your favorite icon creating/editing tool to do this.
TweakUI, the famous MS Power Toy [110 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
can also achieve this: assigns a see-through (transparent) icon to the
shortcut icon automatically when you select the "Custom" check box for
"Shortcut overlay" under the Explorer tab.
DOS MODE OPTIONS
To change the options Win95/98 gives you when making a shortcut to an MS-DOS
app/game that requires its own AUTOEXEC.BAT and/or CONFIG.SYS files, open
Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\MS-DOSOptions
Create a new key called AUTOEXEC.BAT under any of the directories/keys
listed for the key above, and give it a value, typing the exact program path
and name (don't forget to type also the program's extension) you would like
to include in your custom AUTOEXEC.BAT. From now on you'll be able to use
this command in your existing AUTOEXEC.BAT, to load a particular
program/driver/TSR needed to run your MS-DOS app/game.
Then you can perform the above steps again, to add similar CONFIG.SYS
key(s), and corresponding devices/drivers/TSRs.
Press F5 when done, to refresh/update your Registry settings.
ADD NEW TIPS
To edit the Win95 Startup Tips and add your own to the "Welcome to Windows
95 Tips" dialog box that appears at startup, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Tips
Go to the end of the list of existing Tips (Win95 comes with 48 Tips).
To add a new String Value, right-click at the end of the list. Select New.
Type the next highest number from what is listed directly next to "ab".
Press Enter. Right-click again on the number value you created. Select
Modify. In the box marked VALUE DATA, type your new User Tip. Select OK.
Close Regedit and restart Win95. You'll see your new tip the next time the
"Welcome to Windows 95 Tip" dialog box appears.
At the beginning of the VALUE DATA, you might want to begin the new tip with
a text string like "My Own Win95 Tips:". This way you'll remember which tips
you have added.
ANIMATED WINDOWS
You can turn off window animation ("exploding" windows), displayed when you
play around with minimizing/maximizing open windows. This makes navigating
Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP a lot quicker, especially if you don't have a
fast video controller, or if you got tired of seeing it all the time (like I
did). :)
To do this, run Regedit (or Regedt32) and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
or if you are the only user of your Windows computer go to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
Right-click on an empty spot in the right hand pane. Select New -> String
[REG_SZ] Value. Name it MinAnimate. Click OK. Double-click on "MinAnimate" and
type 0 to turn OFF window animation or 1 to turn it ON. Click OK. Close the
Registry Editor and restart Windows. Done.
TweakUI, the famous Microsoft Power Toy [110 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
can also turn off animated windows. Just remove the check mark from the
"Window Animation" box under the General tab.
FYI: More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=226931
MOVE STARTUP FOLDER
This Registry editing tip moves the Startup folder from the
\Windows\Start Menu\Programs folder to a different location, let's say
\Windows (default Win95/98 files folder). The programs located in the Startup
folder will still run, but the Startup folder will be in a different directory
(\Windows in this case).
This helps if you don't have anything in the Startup folder, getting it out of
your way. The folder is just relocated, NOT deleted!
To do this, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
The right hand window contains the path to the current location of the Startup
folder (the default is: \Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp).
Change this value to \Windows to make the Startup folder disappear for good!
This is valid for all Win95/98's default folders (you can change their
location to anything you want).
Example: change Win95/98's fonts location from \Windows\Fonts to \Fonts.
DOCUMENTS OFF!
The Documents Menu is a clever idea: it displays a list of the last dozen or
so programs and files opened. You can clear this menu temporarily. The only
problem is that there is no way to turn it off permanently. This can be seen
as a lapse in security, and the lack of a way to turn it off is confusing.
But there is a way around this:
1. To clear the menu temporarily, right-click on an empty portion of the
Taskbar. Select Properties from the menu, and click on the Start Menu
Programs tab. Click Clear to "clean" the menu. But this is only temporary
until you launch another file. :-(
2. To make the documents menu ALWAYS empty, right-click on the Recycle Bin on
the Desktop, and select Properties from the menu. Under the Global Tab,
select "Use one setting for all drives". Turn on the option labeled "Do not
move files to the Recycle Bin". Now open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Folders
In the right hand pane there should be a list containing one or more of your
"special" System folders. If an entry named Recent doesn't already exist,
select New from the Edit menu, and then select String Value. Rename the new
item Recent. Next, double-click on Recent, and under Value Data, type
C:\Recycled, press OK and close the Registry. Click on the desktop, and press
F5 to refresh the desktop, so the change takes effect.
Done.
ADD NEW SOUNDS
To add sounds easy to ANY Windows 95/98 application/program, and to most of
the sound events available in Windows, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps
There are two subfolders here: .Default and Explorer.
Open the Apps folder, click New, and then select Key from the menu. Type in
your application's filename, without extension (for example Winfile, which is
the executable WITHOUT the .EXE extension for File Manager). Then click New
and Key again from the menu, in the new Winfile subfolder. Name this new key
Open. Then create a new key with the Winfile subfolder selected and name it
Close. Close the Registry and click on Start, Settings, Control Panel and then
double-click on Sounds. Assign different sounds (.WAV files) to Winfile's Open
and Close functions. From now on, when you open/close the File Manager, you
will hear the newly assigned sounds.
For each application in your system, you can add sounds to these events:
AppGPFault
Close
Default
Maximize
MenuCommand
MenuPopup
Minimize
Open
RestoreDown
RestoreUp
SystemAsterisk
SystemExclamation
SystemHand
SystemQuestion
Other events may be possible. Depending on the events your application
generates, not all programs support all these sound events. Some of these
sound events can be assigned only to Windows 95/98/NT (Win32) specific
applications (32-bit).
On a 486 or on a slow Pentium (60 or 75MHz) assigning sounds to most of these
events may slow down your system a bit, especially if you choose large and/or
Hi-Fi quality, stereo, 22KHz or above sound files.
NOTE: You can also do this using the Sound applet in Control Panel, but some
of these sound events may not be available to all programs.
REMOVE NETWORK NEIGHBORHOOD
To remove the Network Neighborhood icon from your Desktop, open Regedit and
go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
Click the particular icon you want to remove and choose Delete.
UPDATE:
"The Network Neighborhood icon can easily be removed using TweakUI:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
But, if you ever decide to use DCC (Direct Cable Connection) or install a
Network on your PC, then reinstalling this icon is neccessary."
[Thank you Brian (bkemp@hn.pl.net)!]
HARD DRIVE THRASHING [UPDATED 2-9-1998]
To reduce your hard drive thrashing (annoying, non-stop spinning) and decrease
potential delays you might experience when you right-click to bring up a
context menu or left-click to pop-up a dialog box (especially in Windows
Explorer) and to avoid a permanent refresh of your Desktop icons, apply these
steps:
SOLUTION 1:
This works with all Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP releases.
Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer
Look in the right hand pane for the "Max Cached Icons" entry.
Create it if not present: right-click in Regedit's right hand pane -> select
New -> click String Value -> name it "Max Cached Icons" (the spaces are
required, but don't type the quotes).
The default value is 500, which means the maximum number of icons that are
cached by the OS.
The information about all Win9x/ME (WinNT4/2000/XP keep this data inside the
IconCache.db file) cached icons is held in the ShellIconCache file, located in
your main Windows folder. Every time you create a new Desktop/Start Menu
folder/shortcut, this file is updated, until it reaches the (default) upper
limit of 500 icons.
But you can increase this number to allow Windows to cache more icons (up to
4096), and to force it to stop accessing your disk(s) frequently, only to
search for those "uncached" icons.
According to this MSKB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=132668
the maximum size allowed for "Max Cached Icons" is 4096. Minimum value is 100.
You need to restart your machine after this change, sometimes 2 or more times,
until the new setting "catches on", and Win9x/ME GUI recreates a new
ShellIconCache file. :(
To force Win9x/ME to rebuild its icon cache file, delete the current one, then
shut down Windows by hitting Alt + F4 simultaneously, and finally
reboot/reload/restart the GUI.
Try also to delete a possibly corrupt ShellIconCache file after modifying the
Registry value above, especially if you have deleted/moved/renamed some of
your old shortcuts, changed their icons or added new ones, because Windows
still keeps the info about deleted icons. :( Don't worry, this file should be
recreated the next time you (re)load Windows, but sometimes it may take more
than one (re)start. :)
SOLUTION 2:
All Win9x/ME + Windows/WfWG 3.1x users:
It is also recommended to edit your SYSTEM.INI file's [vcache] section to
read (SYSTEM.INI is located in your Windows folder):
[vcache]
MinFileCache=2048
MaxFileCache=4096
ChunkSize=512
AllocPageFixed=OFF
MEANING:
- "MinFileCache" specifies the minimum amount of system memory allocated for
caching files in KiloBytes (KB). Allowed values: minimum 128 KB - maximum
51200 KB [50 MB]. Default value (if not present): varies depending on
installed system RAM.
- "MaxFileCache" specifies the maximum amount of system memory allocated for
caching files in KiloBytes (KB). Allowed values: minimum 256 KB - maximum
56320 KB [55 MB]. Default value (if not present): varies depending on
installed system RAM.
- "ChunkSize" specifies the size of each block of cache memory buffer in
Bytes (B). Allowed values: minimum 8 B - maximum 8192 B [8 KB]. Default value
(if not present): 512 B.
- "AllocPageFixed" specifies whether to allow (if set ot OFF) Windows Vcache
32-bit protected driver to adjust the virtual file cache size to the current
needs, or to disallow (if set to ON) the file cache to be resized (fixed).
Allowed values: ON (fixed file cache) or OFF (resizable file cache). Default
value: OFF. You can replace ON with 1, YES or TRUE, and OFF with 0, NO or
FALSE, respectively (boolean *.INI entries). For maximum performance it is
recommended to leave it OFF, and let Windows manage its own file cache size.
File caching is handled by the dedicated VCACHE.386 driver in Windows for
WorkGroups (WfWG) 3.1x (located in %windir%\SYSTEM), and by VCACHE.VXD in
Windows 95/98/ME, included as part of the complex VMM32.VXD driver (found
also in %windir%\SYSTEM).
These are the mandatory entries for file cache to work properly:
- WfWG 3.1x: under the System.ini [386enh] section:
[386enh]
device=vcache.386
Older Windows 3.xx releases canNOT cache files, relying on the MS-DOS mode
SMARTDRV.EXE 16-bit disk cache tool for this purpose [much slower :(].
- Win9x/ME: under these Registry keys (as displayed in a REG file):
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\VCACHE]
"StaticVxD"="*VCACHE"
"Start"=hex:00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\VMM32Files]
"vcache.vxd"=hex:00
The lines above are useful on systems with at least 16 MB of RAM installed.
On systems with 8 MB or less, try these conservative System.ini [vcache]
settings:
[vcache]
MinFileCache=1024
MaxFileCache=2048
ChunkSize=512
On machines with 32 MB or more, you may want to adjust the "MinFileCache" to
1/8 of your installed RAM, and "MaxFileCache" to 1/4. Some trial and error
might be necessary, depending on your particular system configuration.
Create the System.ini [vcache] section if not present.
Save your work, and then restart Windows for these changes to take effect.
And don't forget to BACKUP your SYSTEM.INI FIRST!
Here are some recommended "MinFileCache" and "MaxFileCache" values depending
on your installed memory (note that the minimum and maximum cache values are
NOT the same, which helps if you routinely perform tasks dealing with large
files):
Memory (RAM) MinFileCache MaxFileCache
--------------------------------------------
8 MB 1024 2048
16 MB 2048 4096
32 MB 4096 8192
64 MB 8192 16384
128 MB 16384 32768
256 MB 32768 56320
512 MB 51200 56320
On systems with 128 MB RAM or more, you may want to delete these settings
from your SYSTEM.INI altogether (if present), and let Windows handle its own
file cache sizes for optimal performance.
I have experimented with these values on 32, 64 and 128 MB systems. You may
find that other values work better on your computer, depending on what kind
of apps/games you're using: business, CAD/graphics rendering, animation/video
editing, development, publishing, 3D gaming, Internet, CD/DVD burning etc.
FYI: See also:
- VCache:
http://www.adriansrojakpot.com/Speed_Demonz/Disk_Cache_Optimization/Disk_Cache_Optimization_01.htm
- Chunk Size:
http://www.adriansrojakpot.com/Speed_Demonz/Chunksize_Optimization/Chunksize_Optimization_01.htm
- CacheMan for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP [no nag shareware] does all this
automatically, including different options you can customize, depending on
your computer's memory and used software:
http://www.outertech.com/product.php?product=3
- 32-Bit File Access Maximum Cache Size:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=108079
- "Out of Memory" Error Messages with Large Amounts of RAM Installed:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=253912
- PRB: Windows 95 May Fail to Boot Due to I/O Subsystem Failure:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=225497
- Description of the File System Troubleshooting Options:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=165503
Also consider running a benchmark utility like Windows Magazine's WinTune
32-bit for Windows 9x/ME [1.7 MB, free]:
ftp://ftp.sac.sk/pub/sac/utildiag/wt98_43.zip
to determine your hard disk(s)' raw I/O performance.
MODEM INITIALIZATION STRINGS [+]
This applies only to dial-up (analog) modem owners using Windows 95/98/ME.
To customize your modem's default initialization string, open Regedit and go
to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\00nn
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\00nn\Init
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\00nn\Settings\Init
and change the default value, or add new strings, but BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY
FILES FIRST!
Depending on your installed modem you might have all three or only one of
these subkeys in your Windows Registry.
00nn represents the subkey number assigned to your modem, and can be any
integer number between 0 and 50. Examples: 0000, 0001... 0011... etc.
These are mine (ONLY an example):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000
"UserInit"="S11=40S15=128S27=64S28=0S36=7"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000\Init
"1"="AT<cr>"
"2"="AT&F1E0Q0V1&C1&D2S0=0M0<cr>"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000\Settings\Init
"1"="ATS7=255S19=0M0&M4&K1&H1&R2&I0B0X4\r"
"2"="ATS11=40S15=128S27=64S28=0S36=7M0\r"
The strings above apply to these 56K V.90 internal modems (as displayed in the
Control Panel Modems applet):
- "U.S. Robotics 56K Fax INT PnP" ISA, model 5687-02 and
- "U.S. Robotics Gaming Modem" PCI (Internet optimized), model 5613.
Note that both are hardware modems, NOT software based Winmodems, which use
slightly different INI strings.
Some of these strings include the AT prefix and some don't. Also, some include
the full initialization string necessary to initiate your modem upon
connecting. You need to respect these conventions for proper operation.
The "easy way" would be to open Control Panel -> Modems -> Your modem name ->
Properties -> Connection -> Advanced -> Extra settings -> add/modify whatever
you want, but would THAT be fun... without messing with the Registry? ;-)
FYI:
I do NOT e-mail ANY modem INI strings/command sets upon request! Refer to the
web pages listed at the end of this article for info on other modems.
Below are a few recommended INI strings (I use all the time) to add to the
default, for ALL 56K modem owners, no matter which protocol is used (3COM/US
Robotics x2, Lucent/Rockwell 56KFlex, or the ITU V.90/V.92 standards):
S0=0
disables auto-answer.
S10=60
avoids line dropping for "noisy" lines, extending the duration your modem
waits to hang up after a loss of carrier (default is S10=14). Measured in
tenths (1/10) of a second. This allows your modem to distinguish between line
noise and a true disconnect (hang up) by the remote (ISP) modem. In this
example my modem will remain connected without a carrier for 6 seconds;
S11=35
cuts tone (NOT pulse!) dialing duration and spacing by 2/3 (default is
S11=100). Measured in milliseconds. This is the value I use, but you may need
to increase it to S11=50 (1/2) if you experience frequent connect errors;
S15=2
or:
S15=128
S15=2 disables connection restraints. S15=128 disables V.42 (older 33.6 kbps
connect protocol) operation completely (default is S15=0);
S27=16
or:
S27=64
S27=16 disables older MNP 2-4 compression protocol. S27=64 disables V.42
(older 33.6 kbps) connect protocol selective reject (default is S27=0);
S28=0
disables V.32 (older 28.8 kbps connect protocol) answer tones for faster
connections (default is S28=8);
S36=7
forces your modem to try connecting at high speeds in two ways before dropping
back to a standard asynchronous connection with automatic speed buffering
(default is S36=0).
You can also try different values for S10 and S11 until you reach an optimum,
depending (not only) on your modem type, line quality, location and ISP used.
S10, S11 and S28 can be also used with most 28.8 - 33.6 kbps modems.
CAUTION: Some of these strings might NOT work with your particular modem!
READ your modem's documentation for details.
To learn more on how to maximize your modem's performance, read these topics,
also included here (applying to all Windows 9x/ME users):
- "56K MODEMS @ 56K SPEED!" in MYTIPS95.TXT;
- "SPEEDUP MY DUN!" in TIPS95.TXT;
- "AOL 56K MODEM "PLAGUE"" in AOLTIPS.TXT;
- "DON'T DROP BACK!" in TIPS95.TXT;
- "SYSTEM.INI TWEAKS" in MYTIPS95.TXT;
- "MODEM TIMEOUT" in REGISTRY.TXT;
- "FAST, FAST, FAST" in MYTIPS95.TXT.
A MUST:
- Modem Help: INI Strings:
http://www.modemhelp.org/inits/
- Modem Help: Command Sets + Modem Manuals:
http://www.modemhelp.org/sets.html
- 56K Modems Central: Inits + Drivers:
http://www.56k.com/inits/
- Modem Command Sets:
http://www.banjo.com/modem1.html
- X2 Quake Workshop:
http://www.navpoint.com/~zephed/qx2.html
- MSKB: AT Modem Command Reference:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=164660
MODEM TIMEOUT
If your modem is timing out (you experience too long delays) while performing
file transfers or loading web pages, you might want to increase the inactivity
timeout period.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\00nn\Settings
00nn is the integer number assigned to your modem (valid values: 0000 - 0050).
Example: 0000.
You'll see the "InactivityTimeout" String in the right hand pane, which has an
integer number inside brackets, representing the modem timeout in minutes.
Double-click on "InactivityTimeout" and give it the value of your choice.
Example:
"InactivityTimeout"=<60>
Default is 30 minutes.
NOTE: 3COM/US Robotics modems might have a default S19=<#> value string
assigned as "InactivityTimeout" (30 minutes).
REMOVE PROGRAMS
Even though the Win9x Add/Remove Programs feature allows you to remove
software installed by a Setup utility, some buggy Install/Uninstall tools do
NOT always remove all traces of an application from the Registry, or from the
disk.
To remove uninstalled (deleted) programs still listed in Control Panel under
the "Add/Remove Programs" section, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
and delete the remnant Registry key(s) for the program you want.
Before deleting them, check to make sure a particular app didn't leave any
"phantom" folder(s) and/or files scattered on your drives.
To do this, scroll to the key(s) that match your program's name, double-click
on the suspected String(s) in the Regedit right hand pane, and take a look at
the path(s) shown there. Then search all your fixed drives/partitions for
those folders/files. Delete them all.
Now return to Regedit and safely erase the "incriminated" Registry key(s).
TIP:
You can also edit/add/delete the desired uninstall Registry keys by using
TweakUI's Add/Remove tab, the famous Microsoft Power Toy [110 KB, free,
unsupported]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/winme/Install/1.0/WinMe/EN-US/Tweakui.exe
RUN COMMAND HISTORY
To edit the Most Recent Used (MRU) list of your Run commands (available under:
Start button -> "Run..." menu), open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU
Here you can add/remove the commands you want.
To create a new command: right-click on an empty spot, select String, name it
using a letter between a and u (Win9x allows a maximum of 20 RunMRU entries),
double-click on it, type in the command line you want (including the full path
to your program), and finally click OK or press Enter. Make sure not to name
your new entry using an existing name (but Win9x won't allow it anyway). :)
To delete an existing command: highlight the String you want (from a to u),
right-click on it and select Delete (or press Del), and finally click OK or
press Enter.
NEW CONTEXT MENU COMMANDS
NOTE: This tip doesn't seem to work on some Win95 systems! Therefore it's a
good idea to BACKUP your Registry files BEFORE trying it!
READ the next topic below: "DAVID SPENCER'S RIGHT-CLICK MENU COMMANDS .INF
SCRIPT" for a detailed guide on right-click assigned new commands!
Create a new text file with the lines below, name it NEW.REG, and then
double-click on it:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
; Add the "Open DOS Box" option for files + folders:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\Shell\Open_DOS_Box]
@="Open DOS Box"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\Shell\Open_DOS_Box\command]
@="COMMAND.COM /K CD %1"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\Shell\Open_DOS_Box]
@="Open DOS Box"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\Shell\Open_DOS_Box\command]
@="COMMAND.COM"
; Add the "Edit with Notepad" option for unknown files:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\Shell\Edit_with_Notepad]
@="Edit with Notepad"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\Shell\Edit_with_Notepad\command]
@="notepad.exe %1"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\Shell]
@="Edit_with_Notepad"
------End cut & paste here------
Running this registration file, adds one command to the shortcut menu when
you right-click folders or folder shortcuts:
- Open DOS Box: opens an MS-DOS box set to the directory/folder you
click on.
It also adds two commands to the shortcut menu when you click a file:
- Edit with Notepad: it opens the highlighted file in Notepad.
- Open DOS Box: opens an MS-DOS box set to the directory/folder the
respective file is in.
"Edit with Notepad" is also set as the default option viewer for all
unknown extensions. From now on, when you double-click on a file with an
unknown extension (not associated in the Registry with a specific
application), it will open in Notepad.
DAVID SPENCER'S RIGHT-CLICK MENU COMMANDS .INF SCRIPT
This very well documented and detailed Information (.INF) Script guide was
sent [after being improved several times :)] courtesy of its author, David
Spencer (dspencer@minyos.its.rmit.edu.au).
"SAMPLE.INF FILE FOR ADDING A PROGRAM TO THE RIGHT-CLICK MENU IN EXPLORER
by David Spencer
+-------+
| INDEX |
+-------+
.INF File = The right-click menu command .INF file.
Instructions = Install and un-install instructions.
Registry Information = Details of how the Registry is modified.
Customizing the .INF = How to customize the .INF file.
+-----------+
| .INF File |
+-----------+
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
; Right-click Menu Command .INF file by David Spencer.
; Adds a new command to the right-click menu in Explorer:
[version]
signature="$CHICAGO$"
; Following is the Install information / scripts:
[DefaultInstall]
; Add to Registry:
AddReg=R_Click_Comm.AddReg
; Copy .INF file to \INF subdirectory under Windows 9x main directory:
CopyFiles=R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf
[R_Click_CommInstall]
AddReg=R_Click_Comm.AddReg
CopyFiles=R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf
; Following is the UnInstall information / scripts:
[DefaultUninstall]
; Remove from Registry:
DelReg=R_Click_Comm.AddReg
; Delete file from \INF subdirectory under Windows 9x main directory:
DelFiles=R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf
[R_Click_Comm_Remove]
DelReg=R_Click_Comm.AddReg
DelFiles=R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf
; Script to Modify Registry:
[R_Click_Comm.AddReg]
; Add the command to the registry:
HKCR,*\Shell\R_Click_Comm,,,"%PROGRAM_DESC%"
HKCR,*\Shell\R_Click_Comm\command,,,"%PROGRAM_TO_RUN%"
; Add uninstall information to the Registry:
HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\R_Click_Comm,DisplayName,,"%PROGRAM_REMOVE_DESC%"
HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\R_Click_Comm,UninstallString,,"RunDll setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection R_Click_Comm_Remove 4 RCComm.inf"
; Name of .INF file to copy:
; MUST be the SAME as the .INF file you run !
[R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf]
RCComm.Inf
; Source Disk information [stops annoying request for source disk(s)]:
[SourceDisksNames]
5="R_Click_Comm","",1
[SourceDisksFiles]
RCComm.Inf=5
[DestinationDirs]
R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf=17
; THIS IS THE ONLY SECTION YOU SHOULD HAVE TO MODIFY !
; Strings: display text + program information:
[Strings]
; Program to run - i.e. drive:\path\program.exe:
PROGRAM_TO_RUN ="notepad.exe %1"
; Text displayed within right-click menu (& = signifies shortcut key):
PROGRAM_DESC="Edit &with Notepad"
; Text displayed within Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel:
PROGRAM_REMOVE_DESC="Edit with Notepad (Remove only)"
------End cut & paste here------
+----------------------+
| Install Instructions |
+----------------------+
1. Using Explorer right-click on the .INF file (RCComm.inf) and select
'Install'.
2. Let the Program run...
+------------------------+
| Uninstall Instructions |
+------------------------+
1. Open Control Panel.
2. Run Add/Remove Programs applet.
3. Select 'Edit with Notepad (Remove Only)' (or other valid text if you have
modified it).
4. Click Add/Remove button.
5. Click OK. That's it, you're done.
+----------------------+
| Registry Information |
+----------------------+
The .INF file modifies the Registry by changing two basic items:
- the software settings for file associations;
- the uninstaller information to allow the uninstall feature!
The key concepts behind these two changes are as follows:
1. Changing the file assosciations (found in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT) for the '*'
key (this means that the command is avaliable for all files, and is default
for unassociated files) so that the association has a new feature.
The new feature is a command specified by the 'R_Click_Comm' subkey. The
default value defines the text displayed:
i.e. (Default) "Edit &with Notepad". The subkey 'command' defines the actual
command that is executed (i.e. when the option is selected from the
right-click menu). The default value defines the program/command to perform,
i.e. (Default) "notepad.exe %1". The '%1' specifies that the program will
accept a command line parameter, which is fed via Explorer, i.e. when you
right-click and select "Edit with Notepad", it sends the currently selected
file to Notepad as a command line parameter. The .INF sets up the following
Registry structure:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT] (Default) (value not set)
|
+-[*] (Default) (value not set)
|
N +-[shell] (Default) (value not set)
|
N +-[R_Click_Comm] (Default) "Edit &with Notepad"
|
N +-[command] (Default) "notepad.exe %1"
NOTE: Lines starting with 'N' are NEW lines added by the .INF file.
2. New uninstall information is added in to allow the command to be
uninstalled. To achieve this a new key is added in with the information
regarding the text to display in the Add/Remove Programs applet and the
program to run. Thus the .INF file sets up the following Registry
structure:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE]
|
+-[SOFTWARE]
|
+-[Microsoft]
|
+-[Windows]
|
+-[CurrentVersion]
|
+-[Uninstall]
|
N +-[R_Click_Comm] (Default) (value not set)
| DisplayName "Edit with Notepad
| (Remove only)"
UninstallString:
"RunDll setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection R_Click_Comm_Remove 4 RCComm.inf"
NOTE: Lines starting with 'N' are new lines added by the .INF file.
+----------------------+
| Customizing the .INF |
+----------------------+
The .INF file may be customized easily to allow you to setup you own command
which can be accessed via a right-click in Explorer. The customizing can be
performed on two levels: Basic and Involved. The Basic customizing requires no
knowledge of the Registry while the involved customizing requires a reasonable
understanding of the basic Registry structure. The two methods are described
below:
1. BASIC:
All customizing here revolves around the [Strings] section (at the bottom) of
the .inf file. Here the three strings: PROGRAM_TO_RUN, PROGRAM_DESC and
PROGRAM_REMOVE_DESC control the basic look, feel and operation of the .inf
right click command to be added.
The PROGRAM_TO_RUN defines the program which will be invoked upon selection of
the new menu item. The form is "drive:\path\program.exe [parameters]" e.g.
"notepad.exe %1" invokes Notepad and passes it the selected file.
The PROGRAM_DESC defines the text to be displayed in the menu. The '&'
character can be used to define a shortcut key to invoke the command once the
menu is displayed. The character following the '&' is the shortcut key. A
little care should be used here, by preference it should proceed with a
previously unused character (go to Explorer and right-click on a file, and
note the underlined characters, those are already used). If a previously used
character is used, then pressing the shortcut key when the menu is displayed
will simply move between the items with the same key, and pressing Enter when
the desired one is selected activates/runs it.
The PROGRAM_REMOVE_DESC defines the text to be displayed in the Add/Remove
Programs applet from Control Panel. The text "(Remove only)" is appended to
indicate that the selection may only be uninstalled and has no other options.
That's all there is to it. Note however, that you may only have one command
by using the .INF file in this manner, see the Involved section of
customizing for details on how to have multiple .INF files and hence
commands.
NOTE: Do NOT change the name of the .INF file, leave it as RCComm.inf! By
changing the name alone you will make it unable to work correctly !
2. EVOLVED:
This is not really that hard just that it helps to have an understanding of
the basic structure of the Registry before you begin. For simplicity sake I
have only detailed how to setup multiple .INF files, thus allowing multiple
commands to be accessed via the right-click context menu. Note also that this
.INF file could be customized to setup new associations automatically for
programs with little modifications (i.e. set the key to something other than
'*' and also setup a subkey called 'DefalutIcon' with its defalut value set
to the desired icon, see other associations on how to set this up) however, it
is probably easier to use Explorer and go to the 'View' menu, choose 'Options'
and then 'File types'.
Setting up Multiple .INF files:
1) Think of a good name for your command ie Edit_with_UltraEdit.
2) Perform a search on the text 'R_Click_Comm' and replace with your new name
from 1) above.
3) Think of an appropriate name for the .INF file i.e. Udit (only the part
preceding the .INF extension since you still need the .INF part).
4) Perform a search on the text 'RCComm' and replace with your new .INF name
from 3) above.
5) Modify the [Strings] section (as per the BASIC customizing section).
6) Save the file with the name as per 3) above and MANDATORY to give it the
.INF extension.
NOTE: It is important that the names at 4) and 5) above are the same,
otherwise it will NOT work correctly.
Now cross your fingers and install it.
That is really all there is to it. You can of course modify all parameters,
but that is a little too complex for this subject."
Wow! Complex indeed... But very useful too. :)
NUMLOCK ON/OFF [+]
Even if your motherboard BIOS Setup doesn't support/include an option to turn
off the annoying NumLock key upon (re)boot, you can still do this by hacking
your Windows 95/98/ME Registry.
To have your NumLock key turned ON or OFF upon Windows GUI startup, open
Regedit and go to (valid only for the current user):
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Microsoft Input Devices
or to (valid for all users):
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Microsoft Input Devices
Double-click on "Microsoft Input Devices" -> click New -> select Key -> name
this new key "Keyboard" (don't type the quotes) -> highlight "Keyboard" ->
right-click on it -> click New -> select String Value -> type in NumLock ->
click OK -> right-click on NumLock -> click Modify -> type ON to turn the
NumLock key on or OFF to turn it off (case insensitive) -> click OK.
Note that this Registry tweak works mostly with PS/2 and USB keyboards built
by Microsoft (with MS IntelliType software installed), but may or may not work
with other (3rd party) keyboards. :(
You can turn on/off the Caps Lock and/or Scroll Lock keys in a similar manner.
Just add 2 new String Values under the same Registry subkey above and name
them "CapsLock" and "ScrollLock" respectively (no quotes). Then double-click
on each of them and type either ON or OFF.
Now close Regedit and then press F5, after left-clicking your mouse once into
an empty Desktop area, so the changes can take effect without restarting
Windows.
If you are using a CONFIG.SYS file (located in C:\ root) to boot up, you can
also turn your NumLock key OFF by adding this line to your CONFIG.SYS (edit it
with Notepad/Sysedit in Windows or EDIT.COM in DOS):
NUMLOCK=OFF
This CONFIG.SYS line turns NumLock back ON:
NUMLOCK=ON
Save your file and reboot.
Both these commands work with ANY keyboard and are case insensitive.
FYI: Open CONFIG.TXT (located in your Windows 9x/ME folder) using Notepad to
read the details about all available CONFIG.SYS commands.
TIP: To learn how to turn ON/OFF NumLock in Windows NT4/2000/XP, see "TURN OFF
NUMLOCK" in REGISTRY.TXT (this file).
NO AGENT LOG (My ©trick)
For those of you who installed Microsoft Plus! for Win95, there is a way to
disable the System Agent log update. Run Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Plus!\System Agent
In the right hand pane, highlight "No Log". Right-click on No Log, click
Modify, and change the numeric value from 1 to 0. Close Regedit and then
restart Win95.
You can now safely delete the file SAGELOG.TXT (or whatever you called it)
located in your \Program Files\Plus! folder, if you don't want your System
Agent to keep a record (log) of its actions anymore.
NOTEPAD FONT
To change the default font displayed in Notepad, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Config\0000\Display\Settings
The 0000 Registry key above might have a different value on your system: 0001,
0002 etc. If that is the case, refer to the appropriate Registry key for your
active display settings.
Modify the "fixedfon.fon" string found in the right hand pane, and replace the
default Win95/98 display font (vgafix.fon) with the plotter, screen or system
fixed font (.FON extension) you want to see in your Notepad documents, and in
all other display screens that can make use of this font type.
You can try to use any other .FON file installed in your Windows\Fonts
subfolder for that matter.
This change requires a Windows restart to see the effect.
NOTE: I haven't tried this, but it may also work with True Type Fonts (.TTF
extension). These are scalable fonts.
This is especially useful if you work with Windows 95/98's multi-language
support installed, and if the selected font is bilingual. Windows 95 and OSR2
have one limitation though: you can switch from English to any other language
only ONCE per session.
TIP:
You may also want to try a better 3rd party replacement for Notepad, that lets
you change its display font from within the program.
I recommend the BEST + FASTEST FREEware text/ASCII editor/viewer, Programmer's
File Editor 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP [608 KB]:
http://downloads.planetmirror.com/pub/simtelnet/win95/editor/pfe101i.zip
Have fun.
NETWORK SERVER
This performance tip applies to ALL end-user/stand-alone Windows 95/98
systems.
Right-click on My Computer, click Properties, select the Performance tab and
then click the File System button. Set your machine to "Network Server".
This allocates about 40 KB of RAM to cache the last 64 accessed directory
paths and the last 2729 accessed files.
The "Desktop" setting caches the last 32 folders accessed and the last 677
accessed files, and takes about 16 KB of memory.
The extra used RAM is worth the file system boost.
BUT to make this work, you need to enable the correct Registry values ONLY IF
you own Windows 95 original retail or Windows 95a OSR1 upgraded with SP1
(Service Pack 1).
Microsoft acknowledged that these settings are written incorrectly into the
Registry for the "Network Server" and "Mobile or Docking System" profiles on
most Windows 95 (original retail release) and 95a OSR1 (upgraded with SP1)
machines.
More details @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=138012
You'll have to manually fix them by editing the Registry to get the expected
performance boost BEFORE upgrading your machine to the "Network Server" cache
setting!
NOTE: Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.x, 98/98 SE and ME do NOT exhibit this BUG!
The settings you need to change are found in the Registry under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Server
and respectively:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Mobile
Run Regedit and go to the Server key shown above. Click on "Server", and in
the right hand pane you'll see two entries called "NameCache" and "PathCache".
These are their CORRECT hex values:
"NameCache"=hex:a9,0a,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:40,00,00,00
Don't type the commas in the value fields!
Some older Win95 (retail) systems might need to have DWORD values instead of
Binary (hex), to apply the CORRECT "Network Server" settings under the same
Server Registry key above:
"NameCache"=dword:00002aa4
"PathCache"=dword:00000100
HINT:
To apply the correct "Network Server" cache setting values without messing
with the Registry, open Windows Explorer or File Manager (FM =
C:\Windows\Winfile.exe) and (double)-click on SERVER.REG (included).
Windows needs to be restarted for these changes to take effect.
FYI:
See "MAX CACHE SPEED" and "CD-ROM/DVD + HARD DISK MAX CACHE" in REGISTRY.TXT
(this file) to learn how to tweak your Win9x/ME file cache to the MAX.
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.