Remove Windows XP From A Vista/XP Dual Boot
If you just installed and tried out the new MS Windows Vista on your machine, you just might be planning to get the old MS Windows XP out of your computer because of the new features being offered by Windows Vista satisfies your daily computing needs. The boot loader process bundled with Vista has changed, yes, but the changes are so minor the steps to configure other OS versions installed on your computer are basically similar to that of MS Windows XP.
First, just boot up and choose MS Windows Vista. Afterwards, format the Windows XP partition. The bootloader process of Vista allows you to make necessary changes on the boot operations of your machine without configuring the boot.ini file of the Windows XP OS version installed on your computer.
Next, insert the Vista CD 1 or the Vista DVD in your drive. Reboot your computer afterwards. Finally, choose the repair console option after the setup process has commenced, choose to have access to a DOS prompt, and key in the following:
• bootrec.exe /fixmbr
• bootrec.exe /fixboot
Key in the first command and execute it by pressing the Enter key. This will remove XP from the Vista bootloader. Then, key in the second command in order to ensure that XP has been unloaded from the boot.ini file of Vista. At this point, Windows XP is history!
Read more...
First, just boot up and choose MS Windows Vista. Afterwards, format the Windows XP partition. The bootloader process of Vista allows you to make necessary changes on the boot operations of your machine without configuring the boot.ini file of the Windows XP OS version installed on your computer.
Next, insert the Vista CD 1 or the Vista DVD in your drive. Reboot your computer afterwards. Finally, choose the repair console option after the setup process has commenced, choose to have access to a DOS prompt, and key in the following:
• bootrec.exe /fixmbr
• bootrec.exe /fixboot
Key in the first command and execute it by pressing the Enter key. This will remove XP from the Vista bootloader. Then, key in the second command in order to ensure that XP has been unloaded from the boot.ini file of Vista. At this point, Windows XP is history!
Labels: Vista, Windows XP
Defrag Multiple Hard Drives At Once In Windows XP
As you would know its a painful process to defragment all hard drives at the same time in Windows XP, as the Disk Defragment utility in Windows XP doesn’t have any option to defrag all the drives at once.
But a simple batch file trick can get over this problem and defragment all of the drives, one after the other.
The disk defrag utility in Windows XP can be called from the command line with the following syntax:
To make Windows defrag all the drive at once we need to create file named defrag.bat [you can have any name, even yours :) ] . Now for each hard drive, assign a line to the batch file. For instance, if we want to defragment drives C: , D: , F: and G: we will add these three lines:
Now to defrag at once, just either double-click on the batch file or start it from the command line.
Source - Thinktechno.com
Read more...
But a simple batch file trick can get over this problem and defragment all of the drives, one after the other.
The disk defrag utility in Windows XP can be called from the command line with the following syntax:
Windows Disk Defragmenter
Copyright (c) 2001 Microsoft Corp. and Executive Software International, Inc.
Usage:
defrag[-a] [-f] [-v] [-?]
volume drive letter or mount point (d: or d:volmountpoint)
-a Analyze only
-f Force defragmentation even if free space is low
-v Verbose output
-? Display this help text
To make Windows defrag all the drive at once we need to create file named defrag.bat [you can have any name, even yours :) ] . Now for each hard drive, assign a line to the batch file. For instance, if we want to defragment drives C: , D: , F: and G: we will add these three lines:
defrag c: -f
defrag d: -f
defrag f: -f
defrag g: -f
Now to defrag at once, just either double-click on the batch file or start it from the command line.
Source - Thinktechno.com
Labels: Performance Tweaks, Windows XP
Adding Windows Vista Fonts In Windows XP & Win2000
If you are bored of the old XP and Win2000 fonts, then here comes Windows Vista to the rescue. It has some cool and sexy fonts like Candara, Consolas, Calibri, Cambria, Constantia and Corbel, etc. Now you can install these in Windows XP and Windows 2000 as well.Just follow the instructions given below:
1. First go here and download the Microsoft Compatibility pack (MCP). The MCP is a free utility that allows you open, edit, and save documents, workbooks, and presentations in the file formats new to Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007.
2. Save to desired location and install it.
3. That’s it now you’ll have these vista fonts in all office applications including the previous fonts.
Please comment if you like this post :)
Labels: Vista, Windows XP
Diagnose And Repair An Unbootable XP Or Vista PC
What to do when your Windows XP or Windows Vista system refuses to boot.
How do I prepare an emergency boot disc so I'm ready in case Windows becomes unbootable?
Alas, the days when Windows came with a program for creating a useful emergency boot floppy are long gone. And those old boot floppies wouldn't help with XP or Vista--even if you PC had a floppy drive.
I hope these will help you :)
Read more...
How do I prepare an emergency boot disc so I'm ready in case Windows becomes unbootable?
Alas, the days when Windows came with a program for creating a useful emergency boot floppy are long gone. And those old boot floppies wouldn't help with XP or Vista--even if you PC had a floppy drive.
Boot from one of the discs that came with your PC, and examine the menus (don't select anything that might wipe your drive). You're looking for emergency utilities.
You're in real luck if you have a full Windows XP CD or Vista DVD. These come with great tools for diagnosing and repairing an unbootable PC. In fact, if you don't have a real Windows disc, find one you can borrow in an emergency. Don't install Windows from a borrowed disc, but if it has the same version of Windows as your PC, use its repair tools.
Boot from an XP CD, and press R at the 'Welcome to Setup' screen to see the Recovery Console, a DOS-like command-line environment with a number of useful utilities.
If you boot from a Vista DVD, click Repair your computer to open the System Recover program. There you'll find options to automatically fix boot problems, restore your hard drive from an image backup, diagnose memory, or perform a system restore.
If you're ready for a Windows alternative, try Puppy Linux, which you can download as a ready-to-burn .iso file from the Puppy Linux Web site. Boot from the CD, and you'll have a nongeek's version of Linux running on your PC. Puppy Linux is the best tool I've found for one extremely important job: copying important files off an unbootable hard drive. Unlike UBCD4Win, Puppy recognizes USB drives, making it extremely easy to put these files where you can readily access them.
The XP CD's Boot Tool Kit
Enter these commands in Windows XP's Recovery Console to perform CPR on your disks and files.
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
| Attrib | Changes the attributes of a file or directory. |
| Batch | Executes the commands specified in the text file. |
| Bootcfg | Boot file (boot.ini) configuration and recovery. |
| ChDir (Cd) | Displays the name of the current directory or changes the current directory. |
| Chkdsk | Checks a disk and displays a status report. |
| Cls | Clears the screen. |
| Copy | Copies a single file to another location. |
| Delete (Del) | Deletes one or more files. |
| Dir | Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory. |
| Disable | Disables a system service or a device driver. |
| Diskpart | Manages partitions on your hard drives. |
| Enable | Starts or enables a system service or a device driver. |
| Exit | Exits the Recovery Console and restarts your computer. |
| Expand | Extracts a file from a compressed file. |
| Extract | Extracts files from compressed .cab archives. |
| Fixboot | Writes a new partition boot sector onto the specified partition. |
| Fixmbr | Repairs the master boot record of the specified disk. |
| Format | Formats a disk. |
| Help | Displays a list of commands you can use in the Recovery Console. |
| Listsvc | Lists the services and drivers available on the computer. |
| Logon | Logs on to a Windows installation. |
| Map | Displays the drive letter mappings. |
| Mkdir (Md) | Creates a directory. |
| More | Displays a text file. |
| Net Use | Connects a network share to a drive letter. |
| Rename (Ren) | Renames a single file. |
| Rmdir (Rd) | Deletes a directory. |
| Set | Displays and sets environment variables. |
| Systemroot | Sets the current directory to the systemroot directory of the system you are currently logged on to. |
| Type | Displays a text file. |
I hope these will help you :)
Labels: Vista, Windows XP
Lock Windows Desktop With Shortcut In XP
Now, you can lock you desktop when you are away with a simple shortcut to avoid any kind of misuse of your PC. I know this is an old one, but this is meant for those readers who don't know it, so don't flame against this topic. lol :)
There are two ways to lock your desktop when you are away:
1. Press and hold "Windows" key on your keyboard and press "L".
OR (For Those Who Don't Have The Windows Key)
2. Create a shortcut on your desktop with the following path:
3. You will get a screen like this, with your user account (you need to password protect your user account for complete protection).
Bravo!!! You are done.
Read more...
There are two ways to lock your desktop when you are away:
1. Press and hold "Windows" key on your keyboard and press "L".
OR (For Those Who Don't Have The Windows Key)
2. Create a shortcut on your desktop with the following path:
rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
3. You will get a screen like this, with your user account (you need to password protect your user account for complete protection).
Bravo!!! You are done.
Labels: Windows XP
Editing The Right Click Menu In Windows XP
When you install some softwares, they add their own options to the right click menu. This can slow down the system as it needs to get all the files ready when you right click. Especially, the compression tools like WinRar & WinZip add their options to the right click menu. A lot of options in the right click menu makes it look untidy too. If you don't need some of the options, then you can customize the menu.One way is through Registry editing. Here is the Registry Setting.
1. Go to Run and type in Regedit.
2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
This is the where programs attach to right click menu, This is a universal right click. To make the specific right clicks, you need to go to specific type of file in this section.
3. You simply delete the keys you do not want.
If you don't want to edit the registry, you can use a editing software with which things can be done with much ease and in a detailed manner.
There is also a software named File Menu Tools through which you can edit your right click menu. Through this software you can add more options provided by the software, and you can remove the contents you want. The only thing is that you should know which files to look for and editing which file will make the correct changes.
Try out this software & customize your right click menu according to your own needs.
Note: If you encounter any problems, please ask them in comments :)
Labels: Windows XP
Solution: "Registry Editing Has Been Disabled By Your Administrator"
If you people have ever encountered an error like this, "Registry Editing Has Been Disabled By Your Administrator" on Windows XP or any other Windows NT Operating system, this may help you!
I have encountered the above error many times while patching the registry. Even manual "regedit" command was not working.
So, here is simple solution:
1. Go to "Start >> Run" or press "Windows Key + R".
2. Type this command exactly as given below (or you can copy-paste it too)
REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableRegistryTools /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Cheers!!! Your problem is now solved.
Read more...
I have encountered the above error many times while patching the registry. Even manual "regedit" command was not working.
So, here is simple solution:
1. Go to "Start >> Run" or press "Windows Key + R".
2. Type this command exactly as given below (or you can copy-paste it too)
REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableRegistryTools /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Cheers!!! Your problem is now solved.
Labels: Registry Tweaks, Windows XP
Speed Up Your Shut Down In Windows XP
Tired of waiting while your windows shuts down? Now no more wait, thanks to this cool trick.
The trick is in two parts. Follow both of them for best results.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control
3. Click on the "Control" Folder.
4. Select "WaitToKillServiceTimeout".
5. Right click on it, select modify and set it a value lower than 2000 (the lesser the faster, but remember don't set it less than 100 to be on the safer side).
1. Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices.
2. Click on the Sounds tab, then under program events and windows menu find and select the "Exit Windows" option.
3. Now there will be several sounds to choose from. Choose "(None)" and then click on Apply and then OK.
Yippee!! it's done now. You will see some improvement when shutting down your system. :)
Read more...
The trick is in two parts. Follow both of them for best results.
Part~1
1. Open the Registry Editor (Start >> Run >> type regedit).2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control
3. Click on the "Control" Folder.
4. Select "WaitToKillServiceTimeout".
5. Right click on it, select modify and set it a value lower than 2000 (the lesser the faster, but remember don't set it less than 100 to be on the safer side).
Part~2
Like previous versions of windows, it takes long time to restart or shutdown Windows XP when the "Exit Windows" sound is enabled. To solve this problem you must disable this useless sound. Follow these steps to disable this sound.1. Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices.
2. Click on the Sounds tab, then under program events and windows menu find and select the "Exit Windows" option.
3. Now there will be several sounds to choose from. Choose "(None)" and then click on Apply and then OK.
Yippee!! it's done now. You will see some improvement when shutting down your system. :)
Labels: Performance Tweaks, Windows XP
How To Change Thumbnail Size And Quality In XP
If any of you out there like to use the thumbnail view, especially for browsing through photos and images, it can become a bit of a drain on your system. It is possible to lower the thumbnail size and quality by editing the following registry keys.
Open the registry and navigate to :
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft \ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer
Create a new DWORD value called ThumbnailSize, and set the value between 32 and 256.
And/or create another DWORD value called ThumbnailQuality, and set the value between 50 and 100.
Key Details:
USER Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft \ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer]
Value Name: ThumbnailSize
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Data Value: 32 - 256
USER Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft \ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer]
Value Name: ThumbnailQuality
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Data Value: 50 - 100
Read more...
Open the registry and navigate to :
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft \ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer
Create a new DWORD value called ThumbnailSize, and set the value between 32 and 256.
And/or create another DWORD value called ThumbnailQuality, and set the value between 50 and 100.
Key Details:
USER Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft \ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer]
Value Name: ThumbnailSize
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Data Value: 32 - 256
USER Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft \ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer]
Value Name: ThumbnailQuality
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Data Value: 50 - 100
Labels: Windows XP
How To Fix Corrupted Files In XP
** Contents **
(1) Introduction
(2) Required
(3) Actual Tutorial
(4) Copyright Notice
*Introduction*
This tutorial has been made so people that are having problems with corrupted files, can learn how to fix them easy.
*Required*
+ Windows XP operating system
+ Windows XP cd
*Right To The Tutorial*
+ Place the xp cd in your cd/dvd drive
+ Go to start
+ run
+ type in 'sfc /scannow' (without the ')
Now it should all load, and fix all your corrupted file on windows XP.
Read more...
(1) Introduction
(2) Required
(3) Actual Tutorial
(4) Copyright Notice
*Introduction*
This tutorial has been made so people that are having problems with corrupted files, can learn how to fix them easy.
*Required*
+ Windows XP operating system
+ Windows XP cd
*Right To The Tutorial*
+ Place the xp cd in your cd/dvd drive
+ Go to start
+ run
+ type in 'sfc /scannow' (without the ')
Now it should all load, and fix all your corrupted file on windows XP.
Labels: Windows XP
Browse The Web Using MS Calculator
Now access the internet via your standard Microsoft Calculator using this trick.
You can do this for fun or when your browser is messed up for some unexplainable reason.
Steps:
1. Open your MS Calculator. This is normally found in Start => All Programs => Accessories => Calculator.
2. Open the help-window by pressing the F1 key.
3. Click the top-left corner icon of the help window once (Standard is a Document with a Questionmark).
4. Select 'Jump to URL'.
5. Type your address into the avaliable field, but remember to type http://, and not just www. (or equivalent).
Have fun !!!
Read more...
You can do this for fun or when your browser is messed up for some unexplainable reason.
Steps:
1. Open your MS Calculator. This is normally found in Start => All Programs => Accessories => Calculator.
2. Open the help-window by pressing the F1 key.
3. Click the top-left corner icon of the help window once (Standard is a Document with a Questionmark).
4. Select 'Jump to URL'.
5. Type your address into the avaliable field, but remember to type http://, and not just www. (or equivalent).
Have fun !!!
Labels: Internet, Windows XP
How To Customise Your Start Button
First you need a tool called "Resource Hacker". This free program allows you to change resources in any .exe file such as "Explorer.exe", which includes the [Start] button's Label. You can visit Download.com and search there for "Resource Hacker".
After you download it, follow the guide here:
Step 1:
A - Run "Resource Hacker" and open the file "%windir%\Explorer.exe".
B - You see a Tree of all Resources in this file, expand the "String Table"
C - Find the "start" and replace it with your own text. then press the [Compile Script] button.
D - Save "Explorer.exe" as "MyStart.exe" DONT save it as Explorer.exe, do "save as.." and give it a new name.
E - Quit "Resource Hacker".
Step 2:
A - Click on the [Start] button and choose the "Run..." item from the start menu. (Or use the shortcut key WinKey+R)
B - Type "RegEdit" in the Run "Dialog Box". And then press the [Ok] buton to run the "Registry Editor" program.
C - Go to: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" and find the "Shell" property.
D - Replace value of the "Shell" property to "MyStart.exe".
E - Quit "Registry Editor".
F - Restart your system.
Note about Registry Editor:
if you did not find the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon", you can search the Registry for the "Explorer.exe", to do this use the Edit Menu | Find Next (Ctrl+F).
AmirBehzad Eslami's site has a handy tool for altering your start button, which makes life much easier, you can find his site here:
http://www.startbtn.main-page.com
Read more...
After you download it, follow the guide here:
Step 1:
A - Run "Resource Hacker" and open the file "%windir%\Explorer.exe".
B - You see a Tree of all Resources in this file, expand the "String Table"
C - Find the "start" and replace it with your own text. then press the [Compile Script] button.
D - Save "Explorer.exe" as "MyStart.exe" DONT save it as Explorer.exe, do "save as.." and give it a new name.
E - Quit "Resource Hacker".
Step 2:
A - Click on the [Start] button and choose the "Run..." item from the start menu. (Or use the shortcut key WinKey+R)
B - Type "RegEdit" in the Run "Dialog Box". And then press the [Ok] buton to run the "Registry Editor" program.
C - Go to: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" and find the "Shell" property.
D - Replace value of the "Shell" property to "MyStart.exe".
E - Quit "Registry Editor".
F - Restart your system.
Note about Registry Editor:
if you did not find the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon", you can search the Registry for the "Explorer.exe", to do this use the Edit Menu | Find Next (Ctrl+F).
AmirBehzad Eslami's site has a handy tool for altering your start button, which makes life much easier, you can find his site here:
http://www.startbtn.main-page.com
Labels: Windows XP
Make Your System Faster
*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
*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
*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
*IMPROVE MEMORY USAGE*
Cacheman Improves the performance of your computer by optimizing the disk cache, memory and a number of other settings.
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
*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(www.speedguide.net/files/tcpoptimizer.exe) 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
*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.
*RUN BOOTVIS - IMPROVE BOOT TIMES*
Download From - www.majorgeeks.com
BootVis will significantly improve boot times
1. Download and Run
2. Select Trace
3. Select Next Boot and Driver Trace
4. A Trace Repetitions screen will appear, select Ok and Reboot
5. Upon reboot, BootVis will automatically start, analyze and log your system's boot process. When it's done, in the menu go to Trace and select Optimize System
6. Reboot.
7. When your machine has rebooted wait until you see the Optimizing System box appear. Be patient and wait for the process to complete
*REMOVE THE DESKTOP PICTURE *
Your desktop background consumes a fair amount of memory and can slow the loading time of your system. Removing it will improve performance.
1. Right click on Desktop and select Properties
2. Select the Desktop tab
3. In the Background window select None
4. Click Ok
*REMOVE FONTS FOR SPEED*
Fonts, especially TrueType fonts, use quite a bit of system resources. For optimal performance, trim your fonts down to just those that you need to use on a daily basis and fonts that applications may require.
1. Open Control Panel
2. Open Fonts folder
3. Move fonts you don't need to a temporary directory (e.g. C:\FONTBKUP?) just in case you need or want to bring a few of them back. The more fonts you uninstall, the more system resources you will gain.
*DISABLE UNNECESSARY SERVICES*
Because Windows XP has to be all things to all people it has many services running that take up system resources that you will never need. Below is a list of services that can be disabled on most machines:
Alerter
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Distributed Link Tracking Client
Fast User Switching
Help and Support - (If you use Windows Help and Support leave this enabled)
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service
IPSEC Services
Messenger
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Portable Media Serial Number
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Remote Registry Service
Secondary Logon
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server
SSDP Discovery Service - (Unplug n' Pray will disable this)
Telnet
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Upload Manager
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (Do not disable if you use a wireless network)
Workstation
To disable these services:
Go to Start and then Run and type "services.msc"
Doubleclick on the service you want to change
Change the startup type to 'Disable"
*TURN OFF SYSTEM RESTORE*
System Restore can be a useful if your computer is having problems, however storing all the restore points can literally take up Gigabytes of space on your hard drive. To turn off System Restore:
Open Control Panel
Click on Performance and Maintenance
Click on System
Click on the System Restore tab
Tick 'Turn off System Restore on All Drives'
Click 'Ok'
*DEFRAGMENT YOUR PAGEFILE*
Keeping your pagefile defragmented can provide a major performance boost. One of the best ways of doing this is to creat a separate partition on your hard drive just for your page file, so that it doesn't get impacted by normal disk usage. Another way of keeping your pagefile defragmented is to run PageDefrag. This cool little app can be used to defrag your pagefile, and can also be set to defrag the pagefile everytime your PC starts. To install:
Download(www.sysinternals.com) and Run PageDefrag
Tick "Defrag at next Reboot",
Click "Ok"
Reboot
*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.
Go to Start and then Run and type "regedit"
Click through the file system until you get to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem"
Right-click in a blank area of the window on the right and select 'DWORD Value'
Create a new DWORD Value called 'NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate'
Then Right click on the new value and select 'Modify'
Change the Value Data to '1'
Click 'OK'
*DISABLE SYSTEM SOUNDS*
Surprisingly, the beeps that your computer makes for various system sounds can slow it down, particularly at startup and shut-down. To fix this turn off the system sounds:
Open Control Panel
Click Sounds and Audio Devices
Check Place volume icon in taskbar
Click Sounds Tab
Choose "No Sounds" for the Sound Scheme
Click "No"
Click "Apply"
Click "OK"
*IMPROVE BOOT TIMES*
A great new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot defragment. This places all boot files next to each other on the disk to allow for faster booting. By default this option in enables but on some builds it is not so below is how to turn it on.
Go to Start Menu and Click Run
Type in "Regedit" then click ok
Find "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOpt imizeFunction"
Select "Enable" from the list on the right
Right on it and select "Modify"
Change the value to "Y to enable"
Reboot
*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.
Go to Start then Run
Type "msconfig.exe" then ok
Click on the System.ini tab
Expand the 386enh tab by clicking on the plus sign
Click on new then in the blank box type"ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1"
Click OK
Restart PC
*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.
Go to Start then Run
Type 'Regedit' then click 'Ok'
Find "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\"
Select "MenuShowDelay"
Right click and select "Modify'
Reduce the number to around "100"
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
*MAKE PROGRAMS LOAD FASTER*
This little tweak tends to work for most programs. If your program doesn't load properly just undo the change. For any program:
Right-click on the icon/shortcut you use to launch the program
Select properties
In the 'target' box, add ' /prefetch:1' at the end of the line.
Click "Ok"
Voila - your programs will now load faster.
*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.
Go to Start then select Run
Type 'Regedit' and click ok
Find 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\'
Select 'WaitToKillAppTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'
Now select 'HungAppTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'
Now find 'HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop'
Select 'WaitToKillAppTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'
Now find 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\'
Select 'WaitToKillServiceTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'
*FREE UP MEMORY*
I found this useful app via FixMyXP. ClearMem Is an Excellent Tool for speeding up your XP Computer (especially if your system has been on for awhile and you have a lot of applications open). What it does, is it Forces pages out of physical memory and reduces the size of running processes if working sets to a minimum. When you run this tool, the system pauses because of excessive high-priority activity associated with trimming the working sets. To run this tool, your paging file must be at least as large as physical memory. To Check your Paging File:
1. Go to your control panel, then click on 'System', then go to the 'Advanced' Tab, and Under 'Performance' click 'Settings' then the 'Advanced' Tab
2. On the Bottom you should see 'Virtual Memory' and a value. This is the value that must be at least as large as how much memory is in your system.
3. If the Virtual Memory Value is smaller than your system memory, click Change and change the Min Virtual Memory to a number that is greater than your total system memory, then click 'Set' and Reboot.
4. Once you have rebooted install ClearMem
*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'
*ADD CORRECT NETWORK CARD SETTINGS*
Some machines suffer from jerky graphics or high CPU usage even when a machine is idle. A possible solution for this, which, can also can help network performance is to:
1. RightClick 'My Computer'
2. Select 'Manage'
3. Click on 'Device Manager'
4. DoubleClick your network adaptor under 'Network Adapters'
5. In the new window, select the 'Advanced' tab
6. Select 'Connection Type' and select the correct type for your card and then Reboot
*REMOVE ANNOYING DELETE CONFIRMATION MESSAGES*
Although not strictly a performance tweak I love this fix as it makes my machine 'feel' faster. I hate the annoying 'are you sure?' messages that XP displays, especially if I have to use a laptop touchpad to close them. To remove these messages:
1. Right-click on the 'Recycle Bin' on the desktop and then click 'Properties'
2. Clear the 'Display Delete Confirmation Dialog' check box and click 'Ok'
If you do accidently delete a file don't worry as all is not lost. Just go to your Recycle Bin and 'Restore' the file.
*DISABLE PREFETCH ON LOW MEMORY SYSTEMS *
Prefetch is designed to speed up program launching by preloading programs into memory - not a good idea is memory is in short supply, as it can make programs hang. To disable prefetch:
1. Click 'Start' then 'Run'
2. Type in 'Regedit' then click 'Ok'
3. Navigate to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\'
4. Right-click on "EnablePrefetcher" and set the value to '0'
5. Reboot.
Note : These tips may not necessarily speed up your system. But most of the times they work perfectly. Use them carefully.
Read more...
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
*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
*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
*IMPROVE MEMORY USAGE*
Cacheman Improves the performance of your computer by optimizing the disk cache, memory and a number of other settings.
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
*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(www.speedguide.net/files/tcpoptimizer.exe) 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
*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.
*RUN BOOTVIS - IMPROVE BOOT TIMES*
Download From - www.majorgeeks.com
BootVis will significantly improve boot times
1. Download and Run
2. Select Trace
3. Select Next Boot and Driver Trace
4. A Trace Repetitions screen will appear, select Ok and Reboot
5. Upon reboot, BootVis will automatically start, analyze and log your system's boot process. When it's done, in the menu go to Trace and select Optimize System
6. Reboot.
7. When your machine has rebooted wait until you see the Optimizing System box appear. Be patient and wait for the process to complete
*REMOVE THE DESKTOP PICTURE *
Your desktop background consumes a fair amount of memory and can slow the loading time of your system. Removing it will improve performance.
1. Right click on Desktop and select Properties
2. Select the Desktop tab
3. In the Background window select None
4. Click Ok
*REMOVE FONTS FOR SPEED*
Fonts, especially TrueType fonts, use quite a bit of system resources. For optimal performance, trim your fonts down to just those that you need to use on a daily basis and fonts that applications may require.
1. Open Control Panel
2. Open Fonts folder
3. Move fonts you don't need to a temporary directory (e.g. C:\FONTBKUP?) just in case you need or want to bring a few of them back. The more fonts you uninstall, the more system resources you will gain.
*DISABLE UNNECESSARY SERVICES*
Because Windows XP has to be all things to all people it has many services running that take up system resources that you will never need. Below is a list of services that can be disabled on most machines:
Alerter
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Distributed Link Tracking Client
Fast User Switching
Help and Support - (If you use Windows Help and Support leave this enabled)
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service
IPSEC Services
Messenger
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Portable Media Serial Number
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Remote Registry Service
Secondary Logon
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server
SSDP Discovery Service - (Unplug n' Pray will disable this)
Telnet
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Upload Manager
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (Do not disable if you use a wireless network)
Workstation
To disable these services:
Go to Start and then Run and type "services.msc"
Doubleclick on the service you want to change
Change the startup type to 'Disable"
*TURN OFF SYSTEM RESTORE*
System Restore can be a useful if your computer is having problems, however storing all the restore points can literally take up Gigabytes of space on your hard drive. To turn off System Restore:
Open Control Panel
Click on Performance and Maintenance
Click on System
Click on the System Restore tab
Tick 'Turn off System Restore on All Drives'
Click 'Ok'
*DEFRAGMENT YOUR PAGEFILE*
Keeping your pagefile defragmented can provide a major performance boost. One of the best ways of doing this is to creat a separate partition on your hard drive just for your page file, so that it doesn't get impacted by normal disk usage. Another way of keeping your pagefile defragmented is to run PageDefrag. This cool little app can be used to defrag your pagefile, and can also be set to defrag the pagefile everytime your PC starts. To install:
Download(www.sysinternals.com) and Run PageDefrag
Tick "Defrag at next Reboot",
Click "Ok"
Reboot
*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.
Go to Start and then Run and type "regedit"
Click through the file system until you get to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem"
Right-click in a blank area of the window on the right and select 'DWORD Value'
Create a new DWORD Value called 'NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate'
Then Right click on the new value and select 'Modify'
Change the Value Data to '1'
Click 'OK'
*DISABLE SYSTEM SOUNDS*
Surprisingly, the beeps that your computer makes for various system sounds can slow it down, particularly at startup and shut-down. To fix this turn off the system sounds:
Open Control Panel
Click Sounds and Audio Devices
Check Place volume icon in taskbar
Click Sounds Tab
Choose "No Sounds" for the Sound Scheme
Click "No"
Click "Apply"
Click "OK"
*IMPROVE BOOT TIMES*
A great new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot defragment. This places all boot files next to each other on the disk to allow for faster booting. By default this option in enables but on some builds it is not so below is how to turn it on.
Go to Start Menu and Click Run
Type in "Regedit" then click ok
Find "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOpt imizeFunction"
Select "Enable" from the list on the right
Right on it and select "Modify"
Change the value to "Y to enable"
Reboot
*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.
Go to Start then Run
Type "msconfig.exe" then ok
Click on the System.ini tab
Expand the 386enh tab by clicking on the plus sign
Click on new then in the blank box type"ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1"
Click OK
Restart PC
*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.
Go to Start then Run
Type 'Regedit' then click 'Ok'
Find "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\"
Select "MenuShowDelay"
Right click and select "Modify'
Reduce the number to around "100"
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
*MAKE PROGRAMS LOAD FASTER*
This little tweak tends to work for most programs. If your program doesn't load properly just undo the change. For any program:
Right-click on the icon/shortcut you use to launch the program
Select properties
In the 'target' box, add ' /prefetch:1' at the end of the line.
Click "Ok"
Voila - your programs will now load faster.
*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.
Go to Start then select Run
Type 'Regedit' and click ok
Find 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\'
Select 'WaitToKillAppTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'
Now select 'HungAppTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'
Now find 'HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop'
Select 'WaitToKillAppTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'
Now find 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\'
Select 'WaitToKillServiceTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'
*FREE UP MEMORY*
I found this useful app via FixMyXP. ClearMem Is an Excellent Tool for speeding up your XP Computer (especially if your system has been on for awhile and you have a lot of applications open). What it does, is it Forces pages out of physical memory and reduces the size of running processes if working sets to a minimum. When you run this tool, the system pauses because of excessive high-priority activity associated with trimming the working sets. To run this tool, your paging file must be at least as large as physical memory. To Check your Paging File:
1. Go to your control panel, then click on 'System', then go to the 'Advanced' Tab, and Under 'Performance' click 'Settings' then the 'Advanced' Tab
2. On the Bottom you should see 'Virtual Memory' and a value. This is the value that must be at least as large as how much memory is in your system.
3. If the Virtual Memory Value is smaller than your system memory, click Change and change the Min Virtual Memory to a number that is greater than your total system memory, then click 'Set' and Reboot.
4. Once you have rebooted install ClearMem
*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'
*ADD CORRECT NETWORK CARD SETTINGS*
Some machines suffer from jerky graphics or high CPU usage even when a machine is idle. A possible solution for this, which, can also can help network performance is to:
1. RightClick 'My Computer'
2. Select 'Manage'
3. Click on 'Device Manager'
4. DoubleClick your network adaptor under 'Network Adapters'
5. In the new window, select the 'Advanced' tab
6. Select 'Connection Type' and select the correct type for your card and then Reboot
*REMOVE ANNOYING DELETE CONFIRMATION MESSAGES*
Although not strictly a performance tweak I love this fix as it makes my machine 'feel' faster. I hate the annoying 'are you sure?' messages that XP displays, especially if I have to use a laptop touchpad to close them. To remove these messages:
1. Right-click on the 'Recycle Bin' on the desktop and then click 'Properties'
2. Clear the 'Display Delete Confirmation Dialog' check box and click 'Ok'
If you do accidently delete a file don't worry as all is not lost. Just go to your Recycle Bin and 'Restore' the file.
*DISABLE PREFETCH ON LOW MEMORY SYSTEMS *
Prefetch is designed to speed up program launching by preloading programs into memory - not a good idea is memory is in short supply, as it can make programs hang. To disable prefetch:
1. Click 'Start' then 'Run'
2. Type in 'Regedit' then click 'Ok'
3. Navigate to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\'
4. Right-click on "EnablePrefetcher" and set the value to '0'
5. Reboot.
Note : These tips may not necessarily speed up your system. But most of the times they work perfectly. Use them carefully.
Labels: Performance Tweaks, Windows XP
Quick Shutdown For XP (Shutdown Shortcut)
Ever want a quicker way to shutdown XP without navigating through the start menu, or using a third party shutdown utility Here is a script that will do just that.
Right click the desktop and choose New Shortcut. Copy and paste this script or type it in.
%windir%System32shutdown.exe -s -t 0
Choose Next and name it whatever you like. I name mine OFF. Click Finished. Right click and choose properties and pick a Icon for it if you'd like. I use a wall light switch Icon. I drag mine into my QuickLaunch toolbar for one click shutdown.
Enjoy !!!
Read more...
Right click the desktop and choose New Shortcut. Copy and paste this script or type it in.
%windir%System32shutdown.exe -s -t 0
Choose Next and name it whatever you like. I name mine OFF. Click Finished. Right click and choose properties and pick a Icon for it if you'd like. I use a wall light switch Icon. I drag mine into my QuickLaunch toolbar for one click shutdown.
Enjoy !!!
Labels: Windows XP
How To Access Your Folders From Your Taskbar
How To Access Your Folders From Your Taskbar
This is an easy way to get to the folders on your system without having to open a Windows Explorer Window every time you want to access files. I find it very useful to have this feature as it allows me to access my Folders and Drives immediately and saves me a lot of time.
This works in Windows XP:
1. Right Click an empty spot on your Taskbar (Between your Start Button and your System Tray).
2. Click Toolbars.
3. Click New Toolbar.
4. A Small Window will Open that allows you to pick the folder you wish to make a Toolbar. If you want to access your Desktop Without having to minimize all your windows. Just Pick Desktop. If you want to access ONLY your My Documents Folder, Select that. Any folder will work for this.
5. Click OK.
The New Tool bar will appear at the bottom of your screen next to your System Tray.
If you find this to be not useful, Repeat Steps 1 and 2 and then check click the Toolbar you created that has a check mark next to it. And it will disappear.
Read more...
This is an easy way to get to the folders on your system without having to open a Windows Explorer Window every time you want to access files. I find it very useful to have this feature as it allows me to access my Folders and Drives immediately and saves me a lot of time.
This works in Windows XP:
1. Right Click an empty spot on your Taskbar (Between your Start Button and your System Tray).
2. Click Toolbars.
3. Click New Toolbar.
4. A Small Window will Open that allows you to pick the folder you wish to make a Toolbar. If you want to access your Desktop Without having to minimize all your windows. Just Pick Desktop. If you want to access ONLY your My Documents Folder, Select that. Any folder will work for this.
5. Click OK.
The New Tool bar will appear at the bottom of your screen next to your System Tray.
If you find this to be not useful, Repeat Steps 1 and 2 and then check click the Toolbar you created that has a check mark next to it. And it will disappear.
Labels: Windows XP
How To Fix Windows Installer Problem
Do you experience this kind of problem whenever you attempt to install an application in windows box (2k, XP)?
"The Windows Installer service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance."
The ms website knowledge article 324516 gives 2 methods as a way of fixing this problem, but you might be very lucky if any of the 2 fixes the problem, alot of guys end up formating their systems and doing fresh windows installations or try wired ways of fixing it.
Well, the solution is very easy:
1. Right click your root windows installation drive i.e drive where you installed windows.
2. Click properties at the bottom.
3. Select security tab.
4. Click Add and scroll down to SYSTEM account click add and click OK.
5. Allow Full control permission and click Apply and then OK.
This should solve your problem with windows installer.
Read more...
"The Windows Installer service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance."
The ms website knowledge article 324516 gives 2 methods as a way of fixing this problem, but you might be very lucky if any of the 2 fixes the problem, alot of guys end up formating their systems and doing fresh windows installations or try wired ways of fixing it.
Well, the solution is very easy:
1. Right click your root windows installation drive i.e drive where you installed windows.
2. Click properties at the bottom.
3. Select security tab.
4. Click Add and scroll down to SYSTEM account click add and click OK.
5. Allow Full control permission and click Apply and then OK.
This should solve your problem with windows installer.
Labels: Windows XP
How To Add Your Own Windows Tips
Are you sick of seeing the same tips again and again when you first logon to Windows? Now you can change them to whatever you want, whether it's quotes, jokes or a to-do list, anything is possible.
Open your registry and find the key below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ Tips
Create a new string valued named by incrementing the existing value names and set it to the required tip text.
Example : 32 - Don't forget to Visit Tech Wizard
Enjoy creating new tips. :)
Read more...
Open your registry and find the key below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ Tips
Create a new string valued named by incrementing the existing value names and set it to the required tip text.
Example : 32 - Don't forget to Visit Tech Wizard
Enjoy creating new tips. :)
Labels: Windows XP
How To Boot XP Faster
First of all, this tweak only apply to those who only have one HDD on their primary IDE channel (nothing else on device 0 or 1) and a CD-ROM and/or DVD-ROM on the secondary IDE channel. Each time you boot Windows XP, there's an updated file called NTOSBOOT-*.pf who appears in your prefetch directory (%SystemRoot%Prefetch) and there's no need to erease any other files as the new prefetch option in XP really improves loading time of installed programs. We only want WindowsXP to boot faster and not decrease its performance. Thanks to Rod Cahoon (for the prefetch automation process...with a minor change of mine) and Zeb for the IDE Channel tweak as those two tricks, coupled together with a little modification, result in an EXTREMELY fast bootup:
1. Open Notepad.exe, type "del c:windowsprefetch tosboot-*.* /q" (without the quotes) & save as "ntosboot.bat" in c:
2. From the Start menu, select "Run" & type "gpedit.msc".
3. Double click "Windows Settings" under "Computer Configuration" and double click again on "Shutdown" in the right window.
4. In the new window, click "add", "Browse", locate your "ntosboot.bat" file & click "Open".
5. Click "OK", "Apply" & "OK" once again to exit.
6. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "devmgmt.msc".
7. Double click on "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers"
8. Right click on "Primary IDE Channel" and select "Properties".
9. Select the "Advanced Settings" tab then on the device 0 or 1 that doesn't have 'device type' greyed out select 'none' instead of 'autodetect' & click "OK".
10. Right click on "Secondary IDE channel", select "Properties" and repeat step 9.
11. Reboot your computer.
Now your Windows XP should boot Really fast. ;)
Read more...
1. Open Notepad.exe, type "del c:windowsprefetch tosboot-*.* /q" (without the quotes) & save as "ntosboot.bat" in c:
2. From the Start menu, select "Run" & type "gpedit.msc".
3. Double click "Windows Settings" under "Computer Configuration" and double click again on "Shutdown" in the right window.
4. In the new window, click "add", "Browse", locate your "ntosboot.bat" file & click "Open".
5. Click "OK", "Apply" & "OK" once again to exit.
6. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "devmgmt.msc".
7. Double click on "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers"
8. Right click on "Primary IDE Channel" and select "Properties".
9. Select the "Advanced Settings" tab then on the device 0 or 1 that doesn't have 'device type' greyed out select 'none' instead of 'autodetect' & click "OK".
10. Right click on "Secondary IDE channel", select "Properties" and repeat step 9.
11. Reboot your computer.
Now your Windows XP should boot Really fast. ;)
Labels: Windows XP
A list of Useful Windows Commands and Tools
Here is a very helpful list of Windows 2000/XP commands. A lot of these are intended for network administration , but savvy home users will find them useful as well.
at (windows XP/2000)
Scheduling utility.
bootcfg (XP only)
This utility allows you to set up your boot options, such as your default OS and other loading options.
cacls (XP, 2000, & NT4.0)
Changes the ACLs (security Settings) of files and folders. Very similar to chmod in Linux.
comp (XP & 2000)
This utility is very similar to diff in Linux. Use the /? switch to get examples of command usage.
contig (works with NT4.0 and newer)
A great defrag utility for NTFS partitions.
control (XP only) - unpublished!
Allows you to launch control panel applets from the command line. control userpasswords2, for example will launch a helpful local user admin utility.
defrag (XP only - NT4.0 and Win2k use contig)
Yes, XP comes with a command line disk defrag utility. If you are running Win2k or NT4.0 there is still hope. Contig is a free defrag program that I describe on the defrag page.
diskpart (XP only)
Use this command to manage your disk partitions. This is the text version for the GUI Disk Manager.
driverquery (XP only)
Produces a list of drivers, their properties, and their versions. Great for computer documentation.
eudcedit(XP only) - unpublished!
Private Character editor. Yes with this program built into Windows XP you can create your own font!
findstr
Find String - similar to Linux's Grep.
fsutil (XP only) - unpublished!
This is a utility with a lot of capability. Come back soon for great examples.
getmac (XP & 2000)
This command gets the Media Access Control (MAC) address of your network cards.
gpresult (XP & 2000)
This generates a summary of the user settings and computer group policy settings.
gpupdate (XP only)
Use this utility to manually apply computer and user policy from your windows 2000 (or newer) domain.
ipconfig (XP, 2000 & NT4.0)
This handy tool displays IP settings of the current computer and much more.
mmc (XP, 2000 & NT4.0) - Microsoft Management Console
This is the master tool for Windows, it is the main interface in which all other tools use starting primarily in Windows 2000 and newer systems.
more
Utility used to display text output one screen at a time. Ex. more c:\windows\win.ini
msconfig (XP only)
The ultimate tool to change the services and utilities that start when your Windows machine boots up. You can also copy the executable from XP and use it in Win2k.
msinfo32 (XP &smp; 2000)
An awesome diagnostic tool. With it you can get a list of running processes, including the residing path of the executable (great for manually removing malware) and get detailed information about hardware and system diagnostics.
narrator (XP only)
Turns on the system narrator (can also be found in accessibility options in control panel). Will will allow your computer to dictate text to you.
netsh (XP & 2000)
A network configuration tool console. At the 'netsh>' prompt, use the '?' to list the available commands and type "exit" to get back to a command prompt.
netstat (XP)
A local network port tool - try netstat -ano.
nslookup (all)
A DNS name resolution tool.
openfiles (XP Only)
Allows an administrator to display or disconnect open files in XP professional. Type "openfiles /?" for a list of possible parameters.
pathping (XP & 2000)
A cross between the ping and traceroute utilities. Who needs Neotrace when you can use this? Type "pathping" and watch it go.
recover (XP & 2000)
This command can recover readable information from a damaged disk and is very easy to use.
reg (XP & 2000)
A console registry tool, great for scripting Registry edits.
sc (XP & 2000)
A command line utility called the Service Controller. A power tool to make service changes via a logon/logoff or startup/shutdown script.
schtasks (XP only)
A newer version of the AT command. This allows an administrator to schedule and manage scheduled tasks on a local and remote machines.
secedit (XP & 2000)
Use this utility to manually apply computer and user policy from your windows 2000 (or newer) domain. Example to update the machine policy: secedit /refreshpolicy machine_policy /enforce
To view help on this, just type secedit.
NOTE: In Windows XP SP1 and news, this command is superceded by: gpupdate /force
sfc (XP & 2000)
The system file checker scans important system files and replaces the ones you (or your applications) hacked beyond repair with the real, official Microsoft versions.
shutdown (XP & 2000)
With this tool, You can shut down or restart your own computer, or an administrator can shut down or restart a remote computer.
sigverif (XP only)
Microsoft has created driver signatures. A signed driver is Microsoft tested and approved. With the sigverif tool you can have all driver files analyzed to verify that they are digitally signed. Just type 'sigverif' at the command prompt.
systeminfo (XP only)
Basic system configuration information, such as the system type, the processor type, time zone, virtual memory settings, system uptime, and much more. This program is great for creating an inventory of computers on your network.
sysedit (XP/2000)
System Configuration File Editor. An old tool that was very handy for the Windows 9X days. msconfig is what you want to use now.
tasklist (XP pro only)
Tasklist is the command console equivalent to the task manager in windows. It is a must have when fighting scumware and viruses. Try the command:
tasklist /svc
to view the memory resources your services take up.
taskkill (XP only)
Taskkill contains the rest of the task manager functionality. It allows you to kill those unneeded or locked up applications.
tree (XP & 2000)
An amazing experience everyone should try! This command will provide a 'family tree' style display of the drive/folder you specify.
WMIC (XP & 2000)
Windows Management Instrumentation Command tool. This allows you to pull an amazing amount of low-level system information from a command line scripting interface.
Suggested Reading
- How to clean your LCD screen without damaging it
- How to disable writing to USB devices in Windows Vista
- How to enable the hidden boot logo in Windows Vista
- How to "Save as PDF" in Microsoft Office 2007
Read more...
at (windows XP/2000)
Scheduling utility.
bootcfg (XP only)
This utility allows you to set up your boot options, such as your default OS and other loading options.
cacls (XP, 2000, & NT4.0)
Changes the ACLs (security Settings) of files and folders. Very similar to chmod in Linux.
comp (XP & 2000)
This utility is very similar to diff in Linux. Use the /? switch to get examples of command usage.
contig (works with NT4.0 and newer)
A great defrag utility for NTFS partitions.
control (XP only) - unpublished!
Allows you to launch control panel applets from the command line. control userpasswords2, for example will launch a helpful local user admin utility.
defrag (XP only - NT4.0 and Win2k use contig)
Yes, XP comes with a command line disk defrag utility. If you are running Win2k or NT4.0 there is still hope. Contig is a free defrag program that I describe on the defrag page.
diskpart (XP only)
Use this command to manage your disk partitions. This is the text version for the GUI Disk Manager.
driverquery (XP only)
Produces a list of drivers, their properties, and their versions. Great for computer documentation.
eudcedit(XP only) - unpublished!
Private Character editor. Yes with this program built into Windows XP you can create your own font!
findstr
Find String - similar to Linux's Grep.
fsutil (XP only) - unpublished!
This is a utility with a lot of capability. Come back soon for great examples.
getmac (XP & 2000)
This command gets the Media Access Control (MAC) address of your network cards.
gpresult (XP & 2000)
This generates a summary of the user settings and computer group policy settings.
gpupdate (XP only)
Use this utility to manually apply computer and user policy from your windows 2000 (or newer) domain.
ipconfig (XP, 2000 & NT4.0)
This handy tool displays IP settings of the current computer and much more.
mmc (XP, 2000 & NT4.0) - Microsoft Management Console
This is the master tool for Windows, it is the main interface in which all other tools use starting primarily in Windows 2000 and newer systems.
more
Utility used to display text output one screen at a time. Ex. more c:\windows\win.ini
msconfig (XP only)
The ultimate tool to change the services and utilities that start when your Windows machine boots up. You can also copy the executable from XP and use it in Win2k.
msinfo32 (XP &smp; 2000)
An awesome diagnostic tool. With it you can get a list of running processes, including the residing path of the executable (great for manually removing malware) and get detailed information about hardware and system diagnostics.
narrator (XP only)
Turns on the system narrator (can also be found in accessibility options in control panel). Will will allow your computer to dictate text to you.
netsh (XP & 2000)
A network configuration tool console. At the 'netsh>' prompt, use the '?' to list the available commands and type "exit" to get back to a command prompt.
netstat (XP)
A local network port tool - try netstat -ano.
nslookup (all)
A DNS name resolution tool.
openfiles (XP Only)
Allows an administrator to display or disconnect open files in XP professional. Type "openfiles /?" for a list of possible parameters.
pathping (XP & 2000)
A cross between the ping and traceroute utilities. Who needs Neotrace when you can use this? Type "pathping
recover (XP & 2000)
This command can recover readable information from a damaged disk and is very easy to use.
reg (XP & 2000)
A console registry tool, great for scripting Registry edits.
sc (XP & 2000)
A command line utility called the Service Controller. A power tool to make service changes via a logon/logoff or startup/shutdown script.
schtasks (XP only)
A newer version of the AT command. This allows an administrator to schedule and manage scheduled tasks on a local and remote machines.
secedit (XP & 2000)
Use this utility to manually apply computer and user policy from your windows 2000 (or newer) domain. Example to update the machine policy: secedit /refreshpolicy machine_policy /enforce
To view help on this, just type secedit.
NOTE: In Windows XP SP1 and news, this command is superceded by: gpupdate /force
sfc (XP & 2000)
The system file checker scans important system files and replaces the ones you (or your applications) hacked beyond repair with the real, official Microsoft versions.
shutdown (XP & 2000)
With this tool, You can shut down or restart your own computer, or an administrator can shut down or restart a remote computer.
sigverif (XP only)
Microsoft has created driver signatures. A signed driver is Microsoft tested and approved. With the sigverif tool you can have all driver files analyzed to verify that they are digitally signed. Just type 'sigverif' at the command prompt.
systeminfo (XP only)
Basic system configuration information, such as the system type, the processor type, time zone, virtual memory settings, system uptime, and much more. This program is great for creating an inventory of computers on your network.
sysedit (XP/2000)
System Configuration File Editor. An old tool that was very handy for the Windows 9X days. msconfig is what you want to use now.
tasklist (XP pro only)
Tasklist is the command console equivalent to the task manager in windows. It is a must have when fighting scumware and viruses. Try the command:
tasklist /svc
to view the memory resources your services take up.
taskkill (XP only)
Taskkill contains the rest of the task manager functionality. It allows you to kill those unneeded or locked up applications.
tree (XP & 2000)
An amazing experience everyone should try! This command will provide a 'family tree' style display of the drive/folder you specify.
WMIC (XP & 2000)
Windows Management Instrumentation Command tool. This allows you to pull an amazing amount of low-level system information from a command line scripting interface.
- How to clean your LCD screen without damaging it
- How to disable writing to USB devices in Windows Vista
- How to enable the hidden boot logo in Windows Vista
- How to "Save as PDF" in Microsoft Office 2007
Labels: windows vista, Windows XP
How to rename the recycle bin in Windows XP
Personalize your Windows XP recycle bin by following these simple steps:
- Press Windows key + R (This brings up the Run dialog box)
- Type regedit and press Enter (The open up Registry Editor)
- Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\MUICache
- Double-click the string value: @C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll,-8964 [see pic below]
- Change the value to whatever you choose and click OK.
- You can now close Registry editor.
Read more...
- Press Windows key + R (This brings up the Run dialog box)
- Type regedit and press Enter (The open up Registry Editor)
- Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\MUICache
- Double-click the string value: @C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll,-8964 [see pic below]
- Change the value to whatever you choose and click OK.
- You can now close Registry editor.
Labels: Howto, Windows XP