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Easy Easy Easy Easy Registry TipsRegistry TipsRegistry TipsRegistry Tips

96-Bit Resolution

Windows 95/98/2000

By default Windows only allows 32-bit color on your computer,

which works good for a standard PCI/AGP video card. But of you

have a more powerful video card, you can increase your color

depth to a higher value. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Notepad and copy the text below into it

2. Save the file and name it 'BitsPerPixel.reg'

3. Double-click on the newly Created file and select Yes

4. Restart Your computer for the changes to take effect

REGEDIT4

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Display\Settings

"BitsPerPixel"="32"

Note: Change the '32' to the maximum number of pixels allowed by

your video card.

Auto Reboot XP

Windows XP

When a system fault, error, or crash ends up freezing your

operating system, you can bypass doing a complete reboot by

following these steps:

1. Open Notepad and copy the lines below into it

2. Save and name the file 'AutoReboot.reg'

3. Double-click on the newly created file and select 'Yes'

4. Reboot your computer for the changes to take effect

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Crash

Control]

"AutoReboot"="1"

Automatically Reboot After Crash

Windows NT4

You can force NT to automatically reboot after a crash by opening

regedit and looking for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet

Right-click on the 'AutoReboot' string in the right pane and select

'Modify'. Change the Value to 1. Windows NT will now

automatically reboot your system after writing the crash log file.

Bypass Auto Logon

Windows 2000

If you have administrative privilages and work or play in a single

user enviroment, you can speed up the booting process by

automating the way your operating system handles the password

dialog box, bypassing the mandatory 'Ctrl+Alt+Delete' login

prompt. Open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows

NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon

Right-click on 'AutoAdminLogon' and select 'Modify' and change

the value to 1. Now right-click on 'AutoLogonCount' and select

'Modify' and change the value to 1. Now right-click on

'DefaultUserName' and select 'Modify' and change the text to your

Username. Now right-click on 'DefaultPassword' and select 'Modify'

and choose a password. Close the Registry and reboot your system.

Change Logon Background Color

Windows NT4

If you want to change the default green logon background color,

open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\DEFAULT\Control Panel\Colors\Background

You can set it to 0 0 0 and the background will be black, 255 255

255 will make it white

Change Timeout For Hanged Programs When an application hangs and no longer responds, Windows XP displays a dialog box that prompts you to kill the application or wait a while longer. By default, the dialog box appears after the application hasn't responded for a half of a second. You can increase or decrease the amount of time it takes before XP reports that the program has hung. Simply Follow these steps: 1. Click on the Start button and select Run 2. Type in 'regedit' and press OK 3. Look for the following string: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop 4. In the right pane right-click on the 'HungAppTimeout' string and select 'Modify' 5. Change the 'Value Data' to any time you want in milliseconds (10000 millisecends = one second) 6. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect

Configure The Pre-Log-On Diplay

Windows XP

The screensaver and Desktop (along with other appearance

settings) that are visible before any user has logged on are

controlled by the Regsitry settings. You can use the Registry editor

to make the display settings at log-on match to those of the current

user. First, set the screensaver and Desktop image the way you

want them to be at log-on. Next, click on the Start button and

select Run. Type in 'regedit' and press Enter. Look for the following

key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Click on Desktop in the left pane to highlight it then select 'Export'

from the File menu. Name the file 'FixDefault' and save it to the

Desktop. Now open the FixDefault.reg file in Notepad and replace

all instances of 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\' to 'HKEY_USERS\.Default\'

then save the changes. Finally, double-click on the 'FixDefault.reg'

file and select Yes to transfer the new settings.

Control RegEdit's Key Memory

Windows XP

The feature that permits the Registry to remember the last-used

key was added to Windows XP, along with the ability to save often-

used keys as Favorites. The only way to disable this feature is to

block the Registry from saving the last-used key information. To do

this, open the Registry and look for this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersi

on\Applets\Regedit

Right-click on the 'LastKey' value in the right pane and select

'Modify'. Erase everything in the 'Value Data' box and leave it blank

then click OK. Now, with the 'RegEdit' key in the left pane

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highlighted, go to 'Edit->Permissions' at the top of the Registry

window. Select a User Name then select the 'Deny' checkbox next

to 'Full Control' and click OK.

The Registry will now no longer save the last used key, but

remember that you will no longer be able to use the Favorites

menu. If you prefer not to disable this feature, a fast way to colapse

the menu tree is to hold down the left arrow key on the keyboard

until only the My Computer entry is visible then tap on the left

arrow key once to bring back the five root keys.

CPU Priority

Windows 95/98/Me

To speed things up by using the fastest priority to the CPU when

opening a program, go to the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentContolSet\Services\VxD\BI

OS

Right-click in the right pane and select 'New->DWORD' and name it

'CPUPriority' then click OK. Double-click on it and type in 1 in the

'Decimal' box. This hack works on most computers but may not

work with yours.

Custom Internet Explorer Toolbar

All Windows

Internet Explorer does not display a Toolbar background bitmap

unless distributed by a third party. You can have Internet Explorer

display a picture as your Toolbar back-ground or replace it if one

already exists. Make sure to close all instances of Internet Explorer,

then open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet

Explorer\Toolbar

Look for the string named 'BackBitmapIE5' in the right pane and

double-click on it. Type in the path of the picture you want Internet

Explorer to display. The picture must be in .BMP format only. The

picture dows not show up in full screen mode, only in window

mode. Press 'F11' to toggle between full screen and window mode.

Delete Outlook Express Password

Windows 95/98/Me

If you have forgotten your password in Outlook Express, You can

change it in the Registry by looking for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage

System Provider\Data\89c39569-6841-11d2-9f59-0000f8085266

Delete all the sub-keys under this string. Now open Outlook Express

and type in a new password when prompted.

Delete Stubborn AVI Files Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP Occasionally you won't be able to delete or even move an AVI file, because as soon as you click on the file, Explorer hangs while trying to offer a preview of it. This usually happens when the AVI file is incomplete or corrupt. A quick Registry fix will unlock your AVI's so you can move or delete them. Simply follow these steps: 1. Click on the Start button and select Run 2. Type in 'regedit' and press OK 3. Look for the following key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\ .avi\shellex\PropertyHandler 4. In the right pane right-click on 'Default' 5. Select 'Delete' then 'Yes'

6. Exit the Registry and reboot your computer Disable CD-Rom AutoRun

Windows NT4

If you want to stop the CD-Rom from automatically running, open

the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdro

m

Now right-click on the 'AutoRun' String and select 'Modify'. Change

the value to 0 and click OK.

Disabling Thumbnail View

Windows XP

If you want disable the Explorer's ability to show the Thumbnail

View, open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersi

on\ExplorerAdvanced

Now right-click on the 'ClassicViewState' string in the right pane

and select 'Edit String Value'. Change the value to read 1 and click

OK

Enable Media Player DVD Playback

Windows 2000

This tweak will allow you to play DVD movies using Windows media

player. Just follow these steps:

1. Open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\Se

ttings

2. Right-click in the right pane and select 'New->String Value'

3. Name the String Value 'EnableDVDUI'

4. Set the value at 'Yes'

5. Close regedit and reboot your system

Now you can insert a DVD into your DVD-Rom drive, then open

Windows Media player and click on 'File->Open DVD'.

End Non-Responsive Applications

Windows 2000/XP

To set your computer to automatically end tasks that are not

responding, open the registry and look for this string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\CONTROL PANEL\DESKTOP

Right-click on the 'AutoEndTask' key and select 'Modify'. Change

the Value Data to 1. Now right click on the 'WaitToKillAppTimeout'

key and select 'Modify'. Enter the time in seconds you want the

unresponsive program to be automatically shut down. Exit the

registry and reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.

Freeze Your Explorer View

Windows 98/Me/XP

Every time you log off, Windows saves the size and position of the

taskbar, as well as the size and location of your Explorer windows

for the next time you open them. But you might want to set up

your taskbar and folder window arrangement once and have

Windows open that way in the future, regardless of how you

change them during your current session. To do that, arrange your

windows and taskbar the way you like them, then launch the

Registry Editor and look for this key:

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersi

on\Policies\Explorer

In the right pane, double-click on the 'NoSaveSettings' key. In the

'Value Data' box type in 1 then press 'Enter'. If this key does not

exist, right-click in the right pane and select 'New->Dword Value'.

Name the new value 'NoSaveSettings' and enter 1 in the 'Value

Data' box then press OK.

You may have to log off and log back on again before the setting

will take effect. Thereafter, each time you log on and open Explorer

or any folder window, it and the taskbar will return to the size and

position you froze them in, even if you rearranged or resized them

during your previous Windows session.

Increase File Sharing Caching Windows 2000 To increase the amount of memory Windows will save for locked I/O operations, open the Registry and look for this string: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\MemoryManagement Right-click on the 'IoPageLockLimit' string in the right pane and enter one of the values below in Value box: 4096 - For 32 Megabytes of memory or less 8192 - For 32 to 64 Megabytes of memory 16384 - For 64 to 128 Megabytes of memory 32768 - For 128 to 256 Megabytes of Memory 65536 - For 256 or more Megabytes of memory Internal PC Speaker Beeps

Windows 95/98/Me

You can use this tip to enable or disable the internal PC speaker in

Windows. Simply open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Sound

Double-click on it and change its value to 'Yes' if you want the

beeping turned on, or 'No' if you want it turned off.

Legal Notice

Windows 95/98/Me

If you work or play in a multi-person enviroment, and own the

Windows computer, you might like to scare away casual users by

adding a text caption notice which will pop up just before the logon

screen. Open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Wi

nLogon

Right-click in the right pane and select 'New->String' and name it

'LegalNoticeCaption'. Create another string and name it

'LegalNoticeText' and type in the text that will appear in the logon

dialog box. The next time somebody logs onto Windows, a new

dialog box with a warning message will show up before thay can log

into your computer.

Low Disk Space Warning 98

Windows 95/98

You can improve Windows performance by disabling the low disk

space monitoring and warning message that appears when the disk

space falls below the minimum specified by the system. The

Percentage of low disk monitoring depends on the size of your

drive. By default a 1GB hard drive is considered low at 5% and a

2GB hard drive is considered low at 2.5%. To change this, open the

Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSys

tem

Right-click on an empty space in the right pane and select 'New-

>DWORD Value'. Name it 'DisableLowDiskSpaceBroadcast'. If the

key already exists, double-click on it and type in '67108863' in the

Decimal box then click OK.

Make Shift Turn Off Caps Lock Windows XP Some people find it a lot more convenient to have the Shift key release the Caps lock function, as typewriters do. With windows XP, this feature is available from the Control Panel, but only when you install another kayboard layout during the Windows installation. You can also change this feature in the Registry. Simply folow these steps: 1. Click on the Start button and select Run 2. Type in 'regedit' and press OK 3. Look for the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout 4. In the right pane, right-click and select 'New->DWORD Value' 5. Name the new value 'Attributes' 6. Double-click on the new Attributes value 7. In the Value box enter 00010000 and press OK 8. Exit the Registry and rboot your computer After you make this change, the Caps Lock key will always turn caps lock on but you must press one of the Shift keys to turn it off. This tip reduces the chances of you looking up at your screen only to find that you've typed a whole paragraph in uppercase letters. Open With...

All Windows

To permantely add the "Open With..." command to all the right-

click file context menus, go to the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\Shell\OpenAs\Command

In the right pane look for the string 'rundll32.exe

shell32.dll,OpenAs_rundll32 %1'. Right-click on 'Default' then select

'Copy' to copy the entire command line to the clipboard, then click

'Cancel'. Now look for this string:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*

Highlight the * key then right-click on it and select 'New Key' and

name it 'Shell'. Right-click on the 'Shell' key and select 'New Key'

and name it 'openas'. Right-click on the 'openas' key and select

'New Key' and name it 'Command'. Now, double-click on the

'Default' string in the right pane then right-click on it and select

'Paste' to paste the command line you copied earlier. From now on,

when you right-click on a file, the "Open As..." command will

appear.

Optimal Refresh Rate

Windows 95/98/Me

If you want your video adapter to run at its optimal refresh rate, go

to the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\

Display\0000\DEFAULT

Double-click on the 'Refresh' String value in the right pane and

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change the Value Data to 80 or higher. If the Refresh string does

not exist, right-click on the an empty space in the right pane and

select 'New->String Value' and name it 'RefreshRate' then click OK.

Now right click on it and select 'Modify' and change its value to 80

or higher. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect. If

after restarting your computer your screen looks weird, then go

back into the Registry and lower the Value string.

Poweroff On Shutdown

Windows XP

If your computer does not power off when you shut down

windows, follow these steps to enable this feature:

1. Open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

2. Right-click on the 'PowerOffActive' string in the right pane

3. Select 'Change String Value'

4. Change the value to 1 and click OK

5. Exit the Registry

Shut down your computer to see if powers off. If it does not, you

may need to go into your System BIOS and change the setting

there.

Rename Internet Explorer Title

All Windows

To change the title in the Internet Explorer Toolbar, go to the

Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_USERS\Default\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Look for the 'WindowTitle' String value in the right pane, right-click

on it and select 'Modify'. Type in whatever you want to go into the

Toolbar. If the String value does not exist, create it by right-clicking

in the right pane and selecting 'New->String Value' and naming it

'WindowTitle'. Double click on it and type in the text you want.

Retrieve The CD Key

Windows NT4

The Windows CD Key is required if you need to reinstall Windows.

If you have lost the CD Key, You can find it in the Registry by looking

for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Curren

tVersion

Look for the string in the right pane titled 'ProductID'. The CD Key

will be digits 6 thru 15.

Retrieve The CD Key

Windows NT4

The Windows CD Key is required if you need to reinstall Windows.

If you have lost the CD Key, You can find it in the Registry by looking

for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Curren

tVersion

Look for the string in the right pane titled 'ProductID'. The CD Key

will be digits 6 thru 15.

Show Hidden Devices

Windows 2000/XP

To show all of the Devices including hidden ones in the Device

Manager, follow these steps:

1. Open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Session

Manager\Enviroment

2. Right-click on an empty space in the right pane

3. Select 'New->String' and name it:

'DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES'

4. In the Value box type in 1 and click OK

Speed Up Browsing

All Windows

To speed up the internet/remote browsing process on most

Windows 32-bit machines connected to a network and/or remote

computer, go to the Registry and loo for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVer

sion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace

In the right pane delete the '{D6277990-4C6A-11CF- 8D87-

00AA0060F5BF}' string by right-clicking on it and selecting 'Delete'.

Speed Up Internet Explorer

Windows 2000

The HTTP 1.1 spec limits the number of simultaneous connections

any one browser can make to a given server. This tweak turns off

IE's built-in compliance with this standard, and lets IE open far

more simultaneous connections with a server. This means your

browser can grab many chunks of a web page at one time,

speeding load times. Simply follow these steps:

1. Open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersi

on\InternetSettings

2. Right-click in the right pane and select 'New->DWORD Value'

3. Name the DWORD value 'MaxConnectionPerServer'

4. Set the value to any number higher than 2

5. Right-click in the right pane again and select 'New-DWORD Value'

6. Name the DWORD Value '1MaxConnectionPer1_0Server'

7. Set the value to any number higher than 4

8. Exit the Registry and reboot your system

Speed Up The Start Menu

Windows NT/2000

To speed up the load time of the Start menu, Open the Registry and

look for this string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel

In the right pane, right-click on the 'MenuShowDelay' key and

select 'Modify'. Change the value to a number between 2 and 20. If

you do not see this key, create it by right-clicking on an empty

space in the right pane and selecting 'New->String Value'. Name it

'MenuShowDelay' and and give it a value between 2 and 20.

System Restore Disk Usage

Windows Me

To reduce the minimum and/or maximum disk space Windows

Me's System Restore uses, open the Registry and look for these two

strings:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentV

ersion\StateMng\Cfg\ReservedDiskSpace

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentV

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ersion\StateMgr\ReservedDiskSpace

Change the 'Max' and 'Min' DWORD Values in the decimal boxes to

whatever you want.

Taskbar Tray Text

Windows 95/98/Me

You can put your name or any other text into the Taskbar next to

the Time/Date. To do this, go to Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International

Right-click in the right pane and select 'New->String Value' and

name it 's1159', then right-click on the new string and select

'Modify' and type in the text you want for the Taskbar. Now right-

click in the right pane agian and select 'New->String Value' and

name it 's2359'. Double-click on it and and type in the same text.

Restart you computer and the text should now be in the Taskbar.

Turn Off NUMLOCK

Windows NT4/2000/XP

Even if your BIOS does not support an option to include turning off

the NUMLOCK key, you can still do this in the Registry. Open

Notepad and copy these lines:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_USERS\DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard]

"InitialKeyboardindicators"="0"

Save and name the file 'NLOCKOFF.REG'. Double-click on the newly

created file to enter it into the Registry.

Turn Off The Documents Menu

All Windows

The Documents Menu is a clever idea, it displays a list of the last

few programs and files opened from the Explorer. Unfortunately, it

can be a security/privacy risk, allowing anyone to see what you've

been working on. To turn this feature off, click on the Start button

and select Run. Type in 'regedit' and press OK. Now look for this

string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersi

on\Policies\Explorer

In the right pane, right-click on the 'NoRecentDocsHistory' key and

select 'Modify'. In the 'Value Data' box, change the 0 to a 1. Now,

do the same thing for the 'NoRecentDocsMenu' key. Restart your

computer for the changes to take effect.

If either of these keys do not exist, right-click on an empty space in

the right pane and select 'New->DWord Value'. Name the new key

either 'NoRecentDocsHistory' or 'NoRecentDocsMenu' and press

Enter. Now, change the 'Value Data' box to read 0.

Turn The Screensaver On-Off With Shortcuts

Windows 95/98/NT4/Me/2000/XP

It's helpful to turn off a screensaver before burning CDs or DVDs,

running backup software, defragmenting a drive, or performing

other PC activities. Unfortunately, Windows makes doing so unduly

difficult. But you can create shortcuts on the Desktop for this

purpose. First, Open Notepad and copy/paste these line into it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]

"ScreenSaveActive"="0"

Save the file as 'SaverOff.reg'. You can save the file to anywhere on

your computer. Next, replace the 0 in 'ScreenSaveActive' to read 1.

Click on the File menu and select 'Save File As' and save the file as

'SaverOn.reg'. Save the file to the same folder as the first one. Now,

right-click on the desktop and select New Shortcut. In the box, type

in the following line:

regedit /s "C:/My Documents/SaverOff.reg"

Make sure to change the location of the SaverOff.reg file to the

folder you saved the file in. Now click on the Next button and type

'SaverOff' in the box then click Finish. Lastly, follow the steps above

to create a shortcut for the SaverOn file by simply changing

SaverOff to SaverOn.

Tweak Web Viewer

Windows 95/98/Me/2000

In Windows with Internet Explorer 4 or 5 installed, you can use

Web View in Windows Explorer. You'll notice that some folders

look and work differently. Open Notepad and copy these lines:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\Shell\Desktop.ini]

@="Edit &Folder Settings"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\Shell\Desktop.ini\Command]

@="C:\\Windows\\Notepad.exe \"%1\\Desktop.ini\""

Save and name the file 'EDITDESK.REG'. Double-click on the newly

created file to enter it into the Registry. From now on, when 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.

Uncheck "Open With"

All Windows

You can permantely uncheck the 'Always Open This Program With

This FileType' checkbox from the 'Open With...' dialog box when

opening a non-associated file type. Go to the Registry and look for

this string:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\Shell\OpenAs\Command

Right-click on 'Default' in the right pane and select 'Modify'. Change

the Value to read 'Rundll32.exe Shell32.dl, OpenAs_ RunDLL %1

%2'. Exit the Registry and press the F5 key to refresh the Desktop

and have the settings take effect.

Unload Unused DLL's

Windows 95/98/Me

Programs use DLL files that sometime do not unload from the

memory when you shut them down. This can slow your computer

down and kill the performance until you reboot your computer. To

unload all of the unused DLL's from your memory without

rebooting your computer, open the Registry and look for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\Windows\Curren

tVersion

Right-click on the 'CurrentVersion' key in the left pane and select

'New->Key'. Name the key 'AlwaysUnloadDLL'. Right-click on the

new key in the right pane and select 'Modify'. In the Value Data box

type in 1.