More Windows XP Tips

1. Lost the administrator password? Reset it: Start-->Run-->type compmgmt.msc-->System Tools-->Local Users and Groups-->Users-->right-click on Administrator-->Set password. For a more comprehensive solution, make a password recovery disk. Under Related Tasks in the User Accounts Control Panel applet, click "Prevent a forgotten password."

2. The Tiles view will show you the exact dimensions of a graphics file in the status bar -- handy for web page designers.

3. Networked PC Connections Slow? A Microsoft KnowledgeBase article discusses a problem occurring when A Long Time Is Needed to Open a File By Using SMB. For the fix, download Q309376_WXP_SP1_x86_enu.exe

4. NeoWin notes a serious bug in the Home Edition of Windows XP that, on the surface, looks like it might let users of XP Home Edition assign users to groups other than admin/limited. However, if a Home XP user attempts to circumvent the limitation in that version that normally makes it impossible to assign Power Users or remove passwords from the system (by selecting Start > Run > and typing: control userpasswords2), it will apparently corrupt the whole user database. So, don't try it. Read more...

5. Disabling the Guest account in the Home Edition of Windows XP doesn't actually disallow guest access, Securiteam.com has discovered. What's even stranger is the fact that Microsoft says this behavior is by design. Securiteam notes that, when disabling the Guest account on machines running Windows XP Home Edition, the network credentials will remain intact and guest users will still be able to connect to shared resources of the affected machine across a network. The workaround is to assign a strong password to the Guest account.

6. In fact, we'd name the limited Simple File Sharing security in Windows XP Home Edition as that version's most glaring weakness. PracticallyNetworked.com explains why, and how to work around the limitations.

7. Interested in customizing the look of Windows XP? Check out Dr Style's Tutorial Page @ TGT Soft, and download the free UxTheme.dll Patch that allows you to use unsigned third-party visual styles. Elsewhere, the Tech Guide discusses the procedure for Modifying the Windows XP Boot Screen.

8. Has your CD (or DVD) drive disappeared after upgrading to XP from a previous version of Windows? We've seen a few cases where a CD drive vanishes from the Device Manager, mysteriously and semi-randomly. According to the Microsoft Support Website: Remove the Upperfilters and Lowerfilters values completely from the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Restart your computer. See Microsoft's KnowledgeBase (www.microsoft.com/support) for other suggestions if this doesn't cure the problem on your system. Our feature on Windows XP Upgrade Follies details a few other suggestions.

9. Add items to the "Send To" folder (or remove them). To access this hidden folder, open "C:\Documents and Settings\<your default login folder name>\SendTo"

10. Broadband internet users can dramatically speed up downloads. As it turns out, Windows XP Professional (which this tweak requires, by the way) allocates only 20 percent of the available bandwidth to your internet connection. By opening gpedit.msc > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > QoS Packet Scheduler and setting the Limit Reservable Bandwidth setting to "enabled" and the limit to "0%," you can squeeze additional download speed from your connection.

11. We should also mention that we've had good results from the "disable unneeded services" tip (#31) noted in part one of this article. On a PII/300 machine with 128MB of memory, a user who had previously complained of slow XP performance characterized the change as being "like a new machine."

12. Tweak3D.net has posted an XP Startup Tweak Guide that discusses settings in the BIOS, Startup folder and various other Services and settings you can tweak for added speed. It's suitable for beginners.

13. Experts, on the other hand, might enjoy 3DSpotlight's Windows XP Memory Tweak Guide. It's best suited to those looking to tweak every detail of their system. Beginners should probably give this one a miss.

14. If you haven't seen them, check out Microsoft's updated collection of Powertoys for Windows XP. The latest version, released in Jan. 2002, includes and audio shell player and an ISO image burner. Also included is an updated version of the handy TweakUI control panel that, among other things, allows you to remove stubborn items from the Add/Remove programs list when normal removal methods fail. We particularly like the multiple desktop utility -- it allows you to switch instantly between four independent desktops. Other useful utilities include a Photo resizer, slideshow makers and even a graphing calculator. Read more about them in WinSuperSite.com's review of the Windows XP PowerToys.

15. In light of our own recent experiences, it is clear that it is not hard to misconfigure XP to accidentally allow unwanted network intrusions. www.xp-erience.org has an "A to Z" Guide to Internet Speedup & Security worth reading. Also, note that there is a "use simple file sharing" option under Tools>Folder Options>View. Disable it to see the "Sharing tab" for drives and folders.

16. TechTV - Screensavers describes two ways to Disable Balloon Tips, the easiest of which is to use the new XP PowerToys from Microsoft.

17. PowerToys is a free collection of useful add-ons from Microsoft, including TweakUI. Get it here.

18. Looking for a RAM disk for Windows XP? Try http://www.arsoft-online.de/products/downloads.html. It's free, supports RAMdrive configurations up to about 3GB in size and works fine in NT/W2k/XP.

19. How Do I Install Netmeeting? Activewin.com notes that you don't have to -- it's already installed, but not linked to an icon. Just type "conf" into the run dialog to access it.

20. At the Streaming Media East conference in Dec. 2001, Microsoft released a CD-ROM it calls the Media Bonus Pack for Windows XP. The package, which is available for free download, includes a "lite" version of the MP3 to WMA converter shipped with Plus! for XP, a bevy of new visualizations and Media Player skins, new Powertoys (including the taskbar media player Powertoy seen in preview versions but missing from the final release of the XP Powertoys collection) plus a "Creativity Kit" collection of sound clips, music cues and titles for Windows Movie Maker. See WinInformant for details. NeoWin has additional commentary.

21. ExtremeTech has an article on how to Optimize Windows XP, focusing primarily on the sort of registry hacks and performance boosting tips we've presented here and in part one of this feature.

22. A bug in XP that can cause DMA mode devices such as hard drives or CD/DVD devices to suddenly switch to the slower PIO mode is actually a holdover from a similar flaw in Windows 2000. Over in the boards at IEXbeta.com, AngelDeath details a fix.

23. CyberWizardPit.com has a number of useful articles on a variety of topics, including How to speed up and browse Windows XP faster, how to save resources, improve FTP performance, create and configure a Proxy Server, plus some privacy & security guidelines.

24. NeoWin.net notes a couple of solutions to the Windows XP Home Edition Domain Problem that could prevent users of the home edition of XP from joining a network domain.

25. Here's how to install Windows 98 or Windows Me after Windows XP is Installed.

26. To save your WPA (Windows Product Activation) key, back up the file wpa.dbl. It's in c:\windows\system32\

27. Can you remove a pre-installed version of Windows and/or install it on a different machine? In a word, no. Neowin.net notes a somewhat obscure Microsoft site aimed at helping schools deal with donated computers that flatly states: "It is a legal requirement that pre-installed operating systems remain with a machine for the life of the machine." Read more....

28. There's a bug in Windows XP that causes the CPU utilization to go to 100% if you right-click a file in Explorer. (This does not occur if the file is first left-clicked.) BugTraq offers some workarounds. The easiest fix is to go to: Control Panel > Display > Appearance Tab > Effects Button and disable (uncheck) the transition effects. Neowin.net has further details.

29. Having Refresh rate problems with your video card? www.xp-refresh.net has the answers.

30. Microsoft has stopped distributing its Java Virtual Machine for machines without a JVM already installed. You can get Sun's JVM at java.com, or you can find a copy of the Microsoft JVM at various third-party sites.

Got a tip? Send it in!

For Further Reading

(Some of these links are currently dead - they will be removed or updated soon.)
See also: part 1 of our collection of Windows XP tips
Microsoft: Tips and Tricks for Windows XP Professional (some great tips here!)
iexbeta.com: XP Tips
Axcel 216's XP Tweaks & Secrets - Automated installations and more...
betaxtreme.hypermart.net
www.WinBeta.be
netshockerz.com/XP
Lockergnome: 50 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Windows XP
www.dougknox.com/xp/ - Tweaks, Fixes and Tips for Windows XP
How To Install Norton AntiVirus 2001 in Windows XP

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