TechQuest

VistaMizer modifies your system files, so that when you reboot after installing VistaMizer, you won’t even remember how your old desktop looked like.

Features

· Vista-Look for Windows XP, MCE or Server 2003
· Modification of the own system files
· multilingual
· completely free choice for the modification files
· check the files for compatibility during the installation
· backup from the original system files
· re-modification of the system files after Windows Updates
· rebuilding of the original system files with un-installation

To Download go to http://www.softpedia.com

Windows Security Alerts usually appeared when you disable either Virus Protection, Firewall or Automatic Updates.

In this example, I’ve turn off the Automatic Updates. And then you will get something like this :-

So how to disable or turn off this windows security alerts ?

Its simple. First of all, go to Control Panel > Security Center.

On the left bar, click on “Change the way Security Center alerts me”

Alert Settings windows will pop out.So just “uncheck” Automatic Updates and the balloon will disappear..

That’s all.

Credits to Info On The Net

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By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer and keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows Vista to more efficiently maintain your computer and safeguard your privacy when you’re online.

Free up disk space

By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.
Use Disk Cleanup to:

Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.

To use Disk Cleanup

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.

2. In the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list.

Choose the files that you want to delete.

3. Clear the check boxes for files that you don’t want to delete, and then click OK.

4. When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click Yes.

After a few minutes, the process completes and the Disk Cleanup dialog box closes, leaving your computer cleaner and performing better.

Speed up access to data

Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk when the file is opened to piece it back together. The response time can be significantly longer.

Disk Defragmenter is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer’s hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end-to-end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.

When to run Disk Defragmenter

In addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals—monthly is optimal—there are other times you should run it too, such as when:

To use Disk Defragmenter:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.

Click Analyze to start the Disk Defragmenter.

2. In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment, and then click the Analyze button. After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.

Tip You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.

3. To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment button. Note: In Windows Vista, there is no graphical user interface to demonstrate the progress—but your hard drive is still being defragmented.

After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.

4. To display detailed information about the defragmented disk or partition, click View Report.

5. To close the View Report dialog box, click Close.

6. To close the Disk Defragmenter utility, click the Close button on the title bar of the window.

Detect and repair disk errors

In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult, or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors, and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.

If you use your computer daily, you should run this utility once a week to help prevent data loss.

To run the Error Checking utility:

1. Close all open files.

2. Click Start, and then click My Computer.

3. In the My Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.

4. In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.

5. Click the Check Now button.

6. In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.

7. If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.

Tip: Only select the “Automatically fix file system errors” check box if you think that your disk contains bad sectors.

Protect your computer against spyware

Spyware collects personal information without letting you know and without asking for permission. From the Web sites you visit to usernames and passwords, spyware can put you and your confidential information at risk. In addition to privacy concerns, spyware can hamper your computer’s performance. To combat spyware, you might want to consider to read these articles below.

Learn all about ReadyBoost

If you’re using Windows Vista, you can use ReadyBoost to speed up your system. A new concept in adding memory to a system, it allows you to use non-volatile flash memory—like a USB flash drive or a memory card—to improve performance without having to add additional memory. Learn more.

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Go to start and click run and copy the command in red and paste it in and click ok.

Note: If you can’t run it, try running it on CMD a.ka command prompt. To open it, go to start and click run and type cmd.

Here is a list of commands that you can run in XP:

Accessibility Controls - access.cpl

Add Hardware Wizard - hdwwiz.cpl

Add/Remove Programs - appwiz.cpl

Administrative Tools - control admintools

Automatic Updates - wuaucpl.cpl

Bluetooth Transfer Wizard - fsquirt

Calculator - calc

Certificate Manager - certmgr.msc

Character Map - charmap

Check Disk Utility - chkdsk

Clipboard Viewer - clipbrd

Command Prompt - cmd

Component Services - dcomcnfg

Computer Management - compmgmt.msc

Date and Time Properties - timedate.cpl

DDE Shares - ddeshare

Device Manager - devmgmt.msc

Direct X Control Panel (If Installed)* - directx.cpl

Direct X Troubleshooter - dxdiag

Disk Cleanup Utility - cleanmgr

Disk Defragment - dfrg.msc

Disk Management - diskmgmt.msc

Disk Partition Manager - diskpart

Display Properties - control desktop

Display Properties - desk.cpl

Display Properties (w/Appearance Tab Preselected) - control color

Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility - drwtsn32

Driver Verifier Utility - verifier

Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc

File Signature Verification Tool - sigverif

Findfast - findfast.cpl

Folders Properties - control folders

Fonts - control fonts

Fonts Folder - fonts

Free Cell Card Game - freecell

Game Controllers - joy.cpl

Group Policy Editor (XP Prof) - gpedit.msc

Hearts Card Game - mshearts

Iexpress Wizard - iexpress

Indexing Service - ciadv.msc

Internet Properties - inetcpl.cpl

IP Configuration (Display Connection Configuration) - ipconfig /all

IP Configuration (Display DNS Cache Contents) - ipconfig /displaydns

IP Configuration (Delete DNS Cache Contents) - ipconfig /flushdns

IP Configuration (Release All Connections) - ipconfig /release

IP Configuration (Renew All Connections) - ipconfig /renew

IP Configuration (Refreshes DHCP & Re-Registers DNS) - ipconfig /registerdns

IP Configuration (Display DHCP Class ID) - ipconfig /showclassid

IP Configuration (Modifies DHCP Class ID) - ipconfig /setclassid

ava Control Panel (If Installed) - jpicpl32.cpl

Java Control Panel (If Installed) - javaws

Keyboard Properties - control keyboard

Local Security Settings - secpol.msc

Local Users and Groups - lusrmgr.msc

Logs You Out Of Windows - logoff

Mcft Chat - winchat

Minesweeper Game - winmine

Mouse Properties - control mouse

Mouse Properties - main.cpl

Network Connections - control netconnections

Network Connections - ncpa.cpl

Network Setup Wizard - netsetup.cpl

Notepad - notepad

Nview Desktop Manager (If Installed) - nvtuicpl.cpl

Object Packager - packager

ODBC Data Source Administrator - odbccp32.cpl

On Screen Keyboard - osk

Opens AC3 Filter (If Installed) - ac3filter.cpl

Password Properties - password.cpl

Performance Monitor - perfmon.msc

Performance Monitor - perfmon

Phone and Modem Options - telephon.cpl

Power Configuration - powercfg.cpl

Printers and Faxes - control printers

Printers Folder - printers

Private Character Editor - eudcedit

Quicktime (If Installed) - QuickTime.cpl

Regional Settings - intl.cpl

Registry Editor - regedit

Registry Editor - regedit32

Remote Desktop - mstsc

Removable Storage - ntmsmgr.msc

Removable Storage Operator Requests - ntmsoprq.msc

Resultant Set of Policy (XP Prof) - rsop.msc

Scanners and Cameras - sticpl.cpl

Scheduled Tasks - control schedtasks

Security Center - wscui.cpl

Services - services.msc

Shared Folders - fsmgmt.msc

Shuts Down Windows - shutdown

Sounds and Audio - mmsys.cpl

Spider Solitare Card Game - spider

SQL Client Configuration - cliconfg

System Configuration Editor - sysedit

System Configuration Utility - msconfig

System File Checker Utility (Scan Immediately) - sfc /scannow

System File Checker Utility (Scan Once At Next Boot) - sfc /scanonce

System File Checker Utility (Scan On Every Boot) - sfc /scanboot

System File Checker Utility (Return to Default Setting) - sfc /revert

System File Checker Utility (Purge File Cache) - sfc /purgecache

System File Checker Utility (Set Cache Size to size x) - sfc /cachesize=x

System Properties - sysdm.cpl

Task Manager - taskmgr

Telnet Client - telnet

User Account Management - nusrmgr.cpl

Utility Manager - utilman

Windows Firewall - firewall.cpl

Windows Magnifier - magnify

Windows Management Infrastructure - wmimgmt.msc

Windows System Security Tool - syskey

Windows Update Launches - wupdmgr

Windows XP Tour Wizard - tourstart

Wordpad - write

Pinball - pinball.exe

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An A-Z Index of the Windows XP command line:-

ADDUSERS Add or list users to/from a CSV fileARP      Address Resolution ProtocolASSOC    Change file extension associationsASSOCIAT One step file associationAT       Schedule a command to run at a later timeATTRIB   Change file attributes

BOOTCFG  Edit Windows boot settingsBROWSTAT Get domain, browser and PDC info

CACLS    Change file permissionsCALL     Call one batch program from anotherCD       Change Directory - move to a specific FolderCHANGE   Change Terminal Server Session propertiesCHKDSK   Check Disk - check and repair disk problemsCHKNTFS  Check the NTFS file systemCHOICE   Accept keyboard input to a batch fileCIPHER   Encrypt or Decrypt files/foldersCleanMgr Automated cleanup of Temp files, recycle binCLEARMEM Clear memory leaksCLIP     Copy STDIN to the Windows clipboard.CLS      Clear the screenCLUSTER  Windows ClusteringCMD      Start a new CMD shellCOLOR    Change colors of the CMD windowCOMP     Compare the contents of two files or sets of filesCOMPACT  Compress files or folders on an NTFS partitionCOMPRESS Compress individual files on an NTFS partitionCON2PRT  Connect or disconnect a PrinterCONVERT  Convert a FAT drive to NTFS.COPY     Copy one or more files to another locationCSCcmd   Client-side caching (Offline Files)CSVDE    Import or Export Active Directory data

DATE     Display or set the dateDcomcnfg DCOM Configuration UtilityDEFRAG   Defragment hard driveDEL      Delete one or more filesDELPROF  Delete NT user profilesDELTREE  Delete a folder and all subfoldersDevCon   Device Manager Command Line UtilityDIR      Display a list of files and foldersDIRUSE   Display disk usageDISKCOMP Compare the contents of two floppy disksDISKCOPY Copy the contents of one floppy disk to anotherDNSSTAT  DNS StatisticsDOSKEY   Edit command line, recall commands, and create macrosDSADD    Add user (computer, group..) to active directoryDSQUERY  List items in active directoryDSMOD    Modify user (computer, group..) in active directory

ECHO     Display message on screenENDLOCAL End localisation of environment changes in a batch fileERASE    Delete one or more filesEXIT     Quit the CMD shellEXPAND   Uncompress filesEXTRACT  Uncompress CAB files

FC       Compare two filesFDISK    Disk Format and partitionFIND     Search for a text string in a fileFINDSTR  Search for strings in filesFOR /F   Loop command: against a set of filesFOR /F   Loop command: against the results of another commandFOR      Loop command: all options Files, Directory, ListFORFILES Batch process multiple filesFORMAT   Format a diskFREEDISK Check free disk space (in bytes)FSUTIL   File and Volume utilitiesFTP      File Transfer ProtocolFTYPE    Display or modify file types used in file extension associations

GLOBAL   Display membership of global groupsGOTO     Direct a batch program to jump to a labelled line

HELP     Online HelpHFNETCHK Network Security Hotfix Checker

IF       Conditionally perform a commandIFMEMBER Is the current user in an NT WorkgroupIPCONFIG Configure IP

KILL     Remove a program from memory

LABEL    Edit a disk labelLOCAL    Display membership of local groupsLOGEVENT Write text to the NT event viewer.LOGOFF   Log a user offLOGTIME  Log the date and time in a file

MAPISEND Send email from the command lineMEM      Display memory usageMD       Create new foldersMKLINK   Create a symbolic link (linkd)MODE     Configure a system deviceMORE     Display output, one screen at a timeMOUNTVOL Manage a volume mount pointMOVE     Move files from one folder to anotherMOVEUSER Move a user from one domain to anotherMSG      Send a messageMSIEXEC  Microsoft Windows InstallerMSINFO   Windows NT diagnosticsMSTSC    Terminal Server Connection (Remote Desktop Protocol)MUNGE    Find and Replace text within file(s)MV       Copy in-use files

NET      Manage network resourcesNETDOM   Domain ManagerNETSH    Configure network protocolsNETSVC   Command-line Service ControllerNBTSTAT  Display networking statistics (NetBIOS over TCP/IP)NETSTAT  Display networking statistics (TCP/IP)NOW      Display the current Date and TimeNSLOOKUP Name server lookupNTBACKUP Backup folders to tapeNTRIGHTS Edit user account rights

PATH     Display or set a search path for executable filesPATHPING Trace route plus network latency and packet lossPAUSE    Suspend processing of a batch file and display a messagePERMS    Show permissions for a userPERFMON  Performance MonitorPING     Test a network connectionPOPD     Restore the previous value of the current directory saved by PUSHDPORTQRY  Display the status of ports and servicesPRINT    Print a text filePRNCNFG  Display, configure or rename a printerPRNMNGR  Add, delete, list printers set the default printerPROMPT   Change the command promptPsExec     Execute process remotelyPsFile     Show files opened remotelyPsGetSid   Display the SID of a computer or a userPsInfo     List information about a systemPsKill     Kill processes by name or process IDPsList     List detailed information about processesPsLoggedOn Who’s logged on (locally or via resource sharing)PsLogList  Event log recordsPsPasswd   Change account passwordPsService  View and control servicesPsShutdown Shutdown or reboot a computerPsSuspend  Suspend processesPUSHD    Save and then change the current directory

QGREP    Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern.

RASDIAL  Manage RAS connectionsRASPHONE Manage RAS connectionsRECOVER  Recover a damaged file from a defective disk.REG      Registry: Read, Set, Export, Delete keys and valuesREGEDIT  Import or export registry settingsREGSVR32 Register or unregister a DLLREGINI   Change Registry PermissionsREM      Record comments (remarks) in a batch fileREN      Rename a file or files.REPLACE  Replace or update one file with anotherRD       Delete folder(s)RDISK    Create a Recovery DiskRMTSHARE Share a folder or a printerROBOCOPY Robust File and Folder CopyROUTE    Manipulate network routing tablesRUNAS    Execute a program under a different user accountRUNDLL32 Run a DLL command (add/remove print connections)

SC       Service ControlSCHTASKS Create or Edit Scheduled TasksSCLIST   Display NT ServicesScriptIt Control GUI applicationsSET      Display, set, or remove environment variablesSETLOCAL Control the visibility of environment variablesSETX     Set environment variables permanentlySHARE    List or edit a file share or print shareSHIFT    Shift the position of replaceable parameters in a batch fileSHORTCUT Create a windows shortcut (.LNK file)SHOWGRPS List the NT Workgroups a user has joinedSHOWMBRS List the Users who are members of a WorkgroupSHUTDOWN Shutdown the computerSLEEP    Wait for x secondsSOON     Schedule a command to run in the near futureSORT     Sort inputSTART    Start a separate window to run a specified program or commandSU       Switch UserSUBINACL Edit file and folder Permissions, Ownership and DomainSUBST    Associate a path with a drive letterSYSTEMINFO List system configuration

TASKLIST List running applications and servicesTIME     Display or set the system timeTIMEOUT  Delay processing of a batch fileTITLE    Set the window title for a CMD.EXE sessionTOUCH    Change file timestampsTRACERT  Trace route to a remote hostTREE     Graphical display of folder structureTYPE     Display the contents of a text file

USRSTAT  List domain usernames and last login

VER      Display version informationVERIFY   Verify that files have been savedVOL      Display a disk label

WHERE    Locate and display files in a directory treeWHOAMI   Output the current UserName and domainWINDIFF  Compare the contents of two files or sets of filesWINMSD   Windows system diagnosticsWINMSDP  Windows system diagnostics IIWMIC     WMI Commands

XCACLS   Change file permissionsXCOPY    Copy files and folders

Microsoft Help pages: Windows XP - 2003 Server

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Not many of us know on how to rename the “Recycle Bin” in Windows Xp. Lucky for you, I’ve found a way to rename it after surfing and googling on the Net. All you have to so is to edit the registry value.

Here’s how to do it:-

• Go to Start >> Run

• Type regedit.exe and hit enter and it will open the Registry Editor.

• Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ ShellNoRoam\MUICache

• You’ll find probably something like this: @C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll,-8964.

• Change it’s value to what you want the Recycle Bin’s name to be. Like “Recycle Bin” to “BIN”.

Note: Modifying the Registry may harm your system if you’re changing the wrong settingss. Make sure you have a backup. Do it at your own risk.

Source: tweak-everything

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Typing DOS commands on the Windows Command Line prompt is a most efficient and faster way of doing things in Windows XP. Here’s a run-down of the most useful DOS commands available in Windows XP. Some of these DOS commands even do not have an visual alternative.DOS Command-line tools must be run at the prompt of the Cmd.exe command interpreter. To open Command Prompt, click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

To view help at the command-line, at the command prompt, type the following: help

1. Windows IP configuration

Useful for troubleshooting your internet connection. Displays the current IP address of your computer and the DNS server address. If you call your ISP for reporting a bad internet connection, he will probably ask you to run ipconfig.

The command is: ipconfig

2. Free BeyondCompare in XP

FC is an advanced DOS Command that compares two files and displays the differences between them. Though the file comparison results are not as interactive as BeyondCompare or Altova DiffDog, fc is still very useful. You can even set fc to resynchronize the files after finding a mismatch.

The command is: fc

3. Open Text Files Sans Notepad

Similar to Unix cat command, Type is my favorite DOS command for displaying the contents of a text files without modifying them. When used in combination with more switch, type splits the contents of lengthy text files into multiple pages. Avoid using the type command with binary files or you’ll hear alien PC beeps and see some greek characters on your PC.

The command is: type

4. Say Hello To Another Computer

Ping network command followed by the web-address or IP address tells you about the health of the connection and whether the other party is responding to your handshake request. Ping tool can also be used to convert the web address to a physical IP address.

The command is: ping

5. Visual Directory Structure

You often need to take prints of your physical directory structure but XP has no simple “visual” commands for printing directory contents. Here, try the Tree DOS command and redirect the output to a text file.

The command is: tree

tree > mydirectory.txt
print mydirectory.txt

6. Make Hidden Files Visible

Attrib lets you change attributes of System files and even hidden files. This is great for troubleshooting Windows XP. Say your XP doesn’t boot ever since you edited that startup boot.ini file (Hidden), use attrib to remove the Hidden attibute and edit the file using EDIT dos command.

The command is: attrib

7. Which Program Will Open That .xyz File

The assoc DOS command can be used to either isplay or even modify the file name extension associations.

The command is: assoc

8. More Flexible Than copy-paste

Say you got a lot of XLS and DOC files in you MyDocuments folder and want to move only those XLS files that have their name ending with 2006. In XP Explorer, you have to manually select each file and then cut-paste to another folder. However, the DOS move command make things much simpler. Just type the following at the command prompt:
move *2006.xls c:\2006Reports\

The command is: move

9. Advanced File Search With Filter

Find is the most powerful DOS command and even more useful than the Windows Desktop Search tool or the Windows Find Wizard. The find command searches for a specific string of text in a file or files. After searching the specified file or files, find displays any lines of text that contain the specified string.

To search your hard disk to find and display the file names on drive C: that contain the string “Google” use the pipe (|) to direct the results of a dir command to find as follows: dir c:\ /s /b | find “Google”

The command is: find

Quick tip - Drag to avoid typing: When your command acts on a file or folder, you must type the path to that folder after the command. You can save typing time by dragging the file or folder from Windows Explorer into the command window.

Related resources on Microsoft Website:
List of DOS Commands with Examples | Command Line Redirection Methods

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Some of the working tweaks you can do to your Windows XP can really be a blessing to your system’s speed. So I thought about sharing with you the safe tweaks on how to have a faster Windows XP. As a disclaimer do the following tweaks at your own risk, however they were all tested and are in use by most of our team members and friends.

1. DISABLE INDEXING SERVICES

Indexing Services is a small little program that uses large amounts of RAM and can often make a computer endlessly loud and noisy. This system process indexes and updates lists of all the files that are on your computer. It does this so that when you do a search for something on your computer, it will search faster by scanning the index lists. If you don’t search your computer often, or even if you do search often, this system service is completely unnecessary. To disable do the following:

1. Go to Start
2. Click Settings
3. Click Control Panel
4. Double-click Add/Remove Programs
5. Click the Add/Remove Window Components
6. Uncheck the Indexing services
7. Click Next

2. OPTIMISE DISPLAY SETTINGS

Windows XP can look sexy but displaying all the visual items can waste system resources. To optimise:

1.Go to Start
2. Click Settings
3. Click Control Panel
4. Click System
5. Click Advanced tab
6. In the Performance tab click Settings
7. Leave only the following ticked:
- Show shadows under menus
- Show shadows under mouse pointer
- Show translucent selection rectangle
- Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
- Use visual styles on windows and buttons

3. SPEEDUP FOLDER BROWSING

You may have noticed that everytime you open my computer to browse folders that there is a slight delay. This is because Windows XP automatically searches for network files and printers everytime you open Windows Explorer. To fix this and to increase browsing significantly:

1. Open My Computer
2. Click on Tools menu
3. Click on Folder Options
4. Click on the View tab.
5. Uncheck the Automatically search for network folders and printers check box
6. Click Apply
7. Click Ok
8. Reboot your computer

4. IMPROVE MEMORY USAGE

Cacheman Improves the performance of your computer by optimizing the disk cache, memory and a number of other settings.
NOTE: This program is shareware and some features require activation.
Once Installed:

1.Go to Show Wizard and select All
2.Run all the wizards by selecting Next or Finished until you are back to the main menu. Use the defaults unless you know exactly what you are doing.
3.Exit and Save Cacheman
4.Restart Windows

5. OPTIMISE YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION

There are lots of ways to do this but by far the easiest is to run TCP/IP Optimizer.

1. Download and install
2. Click the General Settings tab and select your Connection Speed (Kbps)
3. Click Network Adapter and choose the interface you use to connect to the Internet
4. Check Optimal Settings then Apply
5. Reboot

6. OPTIMISE YOUR PAGEFILE

If you give your pagefile a fixed size it saves the operating system from needing to resize the page file.

1. Right click on My Computer and select Properties
2. Select the Advanced tab
3. Under Performance choose the Settings button
4. Select the Advanced tab again and under Virtual Memory select Change
5. Highlight the drive containing your page file and make the initial Size of the file the same as the Maximum Size of the file.

Windows XP sizes the page file to about 1.5X the amount of actual physical memory by default. While this is good for systems with smaller amounts of memory (under 512MB) it is unlikely that a typical XP desktop system will ever need 1.5 X 512MB or more of virtual memory. If you have less than 512MB of memory, leave the page file at its default size. If you have 512MB or more, change the ratio to 1:1 page file size to physical memory size.

7. SPEEDUP FOLDER ACCESS - DISABLE LAST ACCESS UPDATE

If you have a lot of folders and subdirectories on your computer, when you access a directory XP wastes a lot of time updating the time stamp showing the last access time for that directory and for ALL sub directories. To stop XP doing this you need to edit the registry. If you are uncomfortable doing this then please do not attempt.

1. Go to Start and then Run and type “regedit”
2. Click through the file system until you get to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem”
3. Right-click in a blank area of the window on the right and select ‘DWORD Value’
4. Create a new DWORD Value called ‘NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate’
5. Then Right click on the new value and select ‘Modify’
6. Change the Value Data to ‘1′
7. Click ‘OK’

8. MAKE YOUR MENUS LOAD FASTER

This is one of my favourite tweaks as it makes a huge difference to how fast your machine will ‘feel’. What this tweak does is remove the slight delay between clicking on a menu and XP displaying the menu.

1. Go to Start then Run
2. Type ‘Regedit’ then click ‘Ok’
3. Find “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\”
4. Select “MenuShowDelay”
5. Right click and select “Modify’
6. Reduce the number to around “100″
7. This is the delay time before a menu is opened. You can set it to “0″ but it can make windows really hard to use as menus will open if you just look at them - well move your mouse over them anyway. I tend to go for anywhere between 50-150 depending on my mood

9. IMPROVE XP SHUTDOWN SPEED

This tweak reduces the time XP waits before automatically closing any running programs when you give it the command to shutdown.

1. Go to Start then select Run
2. Type ‘Regedit’ and click ok
3. Find ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Control Panel\Desktop\’
4. Select ‘WaitToKillAppTimeout’
5. Right click and select ‘Modify’
6. Change the value to ‘1000′
7. Click ‘OK’
8. Now select ‘HungAppTimeout’
9. Right click and select ‘Modify’
10. Change the value to ‘1000′
11. Click ‘OK’
12. Now find ‘HKEY_USERS\ .DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop’
13. Select ‘WaitToKillAppTimeout’
14. Right click and select ‘Modify’
15. Change the value to ‘1000′
16. Click ‘OK’
17. Now find ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\CurrentControlSet\Control\’
18. Select ‘WaitToKillServiceTimeout’
19. Right click and select ‘Modify’
20. Change the value to ‘1000′
21. Click ‘OK’

10. IMPROVE SWAPFILE PERFORMANCE

If you have more than 256MB of RAM this tweak will considerably improve your performance. It basically makes sure that your PC uses every last drop of memory (faster than swap file) before it starts using the swap file.

1. Go to Start then Run
2. Type “msconfig.exe” then ok
3. Click on the System.ini tab
4. Expand the 386enh tab by clicking on the plus sign
5. Click on new then in the blank box type”ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1″
6. Click OK
7. Restart PC

11. ENSURE XP IS USING DMA MODE

XP enables DMA for Hard-Drives and CD-Roms by default on most ATA or ATAPI (IDE) devices. However, sometimes computers switch to PIO mode which is slower for data transfer - a typical reason is because of a virus. To ensure that your machine is using DMA:

1. Open ‘Device Manager’
2. Double-click ‘IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers’
3. Right-click ‘Primary Channel’ and select ‘Properties’ and then ‘Advanced Settings’
4. In the ‘Current Transfer Mode’ drop-down box, select ‘DMA if Available’ if the current setting is ‘PIO Only’.

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So, you want to customize your ugly Windows XP interface? It’s really not that difficult to do, and with a little luck, you’ll be able change Windows XP interface. First, here’s a list of the programs you’ll need:

You will need:

StyleXP (skins the Graphical User Interface of your operating system)

ObjectBar (the white Finder bar on the top of Macs; has File, Edit, View, etc. on it.)

ObjectDock (The dock on The bottom of a Mac that contains icons and shortcuts to programs)

Trillian (chat program that can be skinned to resemble iChat)

YzToolbar (skins the toolbar icons in your Windows windows)

YzShadow (puts a lovely drop shadow under your windows á la Mac OS)

Rainlendar (popular skinable desktop calendar)

Rainmeter (skinnable desktop system statistics)

Samurize (like Konfabulator for the Mac; can display just about anything, such as clocks, uptime, and the weather)

iTunes for Windows (self-explanatory)

Icons (The pretty little pictures on your desktop that point you somewhere. There are millions out there, but try the link provided for over a 1,000 lifted from Mac OS X 10.3 aka Panther)

You can Easily get these programs just google

That’s pretty much what you’ll want for starters. You don’t need all of these, and in fact, you really only need a few to get a reasonably good looking OS X facsimile, but if you’re gonna do this you might as well do it right.

I use StyleXP for my visual style, so that’s what I’ll detail here. WindowBlinds isn’t that different, but if you prefer it, be my guest. The first thing you’ll need to do is download a skin. I recommend Kol’s website, StudioTwentyEight for some excellent skins, but feel free to look around for any others that might interest you. Download your ZIP, and extract it to C:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes.

1) Open up StyleXP and load up that baby. Your windows should now look like the skin you downloaded.

2) Time to find a good ObjectBar skin. I’d suggest crni’s website for some excellent themes. Download the one you like best and extract it to your ObjectBar folder. Open the new folder in there (named something like the theme you downloaded) and double-click the .OBTHEME icon

3) Next up is the dock. Open up whichever version you settled on downloading. This is pretty easy to set up. Basically all you need to do is drag shortcuts or executables to the dock and ta da, you have a shortcut. To change it’s icon, right-click and select “change icon” or some variation. To get new icons to select, make sure you put them in the icons subfolder (for YzDock) or the main dock folder (for ObjectDock).

4) For those that don’t know, Trillian is a nifty chat program that sticks AIM, MSN, ICQ, and IRC into one program. If you don’t use it, you should if for no other reason that it can look a lot like iChat. You may or may not need the Pro version to get the skin to work. I’ve heard mixed reports, but if it doesn’t work right, I’d say you need the Pro version. An excellent choice for skins are iChat skins. Extract it to your Trillian skin directory, open up Trillian’s preferences, go to skins, and select the new skin you want to use. You can follow the readme for some more precise directions to get it looking perfect.

5) YzToolbar and YzShadow are pretty self-explanatory. Just install ‘em and run ‘em. You can find good YzToolbar skins on the net: I’d recommend Aqua-Soft or AquaXP.

6) Rainlendar and Rainmeter are also pretty easy to install and set-up। Just run the installer, and find a good skin. Again, there’s many to choose from. I’d suggest searching the forums at the aforementioned Aqua-Soft and AquaXP.

7) Samurize is a bit complicated, so if you’re going to try and use it, be forewarned that it can be a very big hassle, if it works at all. I’m not even going to try and explain it in this brief overview, but if you are serious about it, check out the Samurize forums at Aqua-Soft and AquaXP.
If you listen to music on your computer, no Aqua-fication can be complete without the authentic iTunes for Windows. Apple provides plenty of documentation on how to install and use it, so I’ll leave that part to them. If you want to make it look more like iTunes for Macintosh, check out localhost’s multi-plugin.

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XP Tips: Stop UnNeeded Startup Services

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

TRICK ONE :-
Go to Start > Run > “msconfig” (without quotes) and Hit Enter

The Services tab shows you the services that start when the computer boots. You can stop a service from starting by simply clearing the check box next to the service and clicking OK.For example you can disable winamp agent during startup, YM, MSN, etc…

TRICK TWO :-
Go to Start > Run > “services.msc” and Hit Enter or simply Open Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.

::Some Common Services That You Might Want To Disable::
Automatic Updates: This service enables Windows XP to check the Web automatically for updates. If you don’t want to use Automatic Updates, you can disable the service.

DHCP Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are on a small workgroup, you can still increase boot time by configuring manual IP.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This article was taken from http://tweak-everything।blogspot।com/

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