These
tips are provided as-is, with no warranty, either
implied or otherwise. These tips do not include a thorough explanation
of why
you may want to use them, or why it might be a good idea not to. They
are
strictly meant to be a listing of registry tips and tweaks that I have
collected over the years.
3.
Remove
"Click here to begin"
6.
Preview
BMP images in Windows Explorer
9.
Outlook
2000/XP Restricted Filetypes
10.
Display
the Number of Network Errors for a Network Connection
11.
Changes
to the Windows Security Screen Title Bar
15.
Restrict
Users from Changing their Home Page
16.
Delete
Roaming Profiles when logging out
17.
Delete
NetMeeting Most Recently Used List
18.
Require
a Password in Order to Access a Workstation
19.
Restrict
Users from Changing Their Passwords
21.
View/Change
System Variables
22.
Force
IE to Open with Full Screen
23.
Change
the Name of the Recycle Bin
24.
Restrict
Users from Changing File Types
26.
Edit
Windows 2000 “Open With…” List
27.
Restrict
Windows Setup Option from Add/Remove Programs Applet
28.
Disable
Personalized Menus
30.
How
Many Processors Does Your O/S Support
31.
Restrict
Users from Accessing Windows Update
32.
Clear
the Windows Run Most Recently Used List
33.
Change
Main Network Provider (Novell or NT)
34.
Remove
Shutdown from the Start Menu
36.
Export
Dial-Up Networking Settings
38.
Hide
the File Menu in Windows Explorer
39.
Critical
Update Notification Delay
41.
Delete
Content Advisor Password
42.
Reset
Internet Explorer Windows Size
43.
Modify
Right-Click Windows Explorer Context Menus
44.
Browse
Remote Computers Faster
45.
Add
a
Right-Click Context Menu Item to an Unknown File Type
46.
Change
the name of My Computer
47.
Clear
the Outlook 2000 Most Recently Entered Locations for Meetings
48.
Change
Windows Explorer Pop-up Tips
49.
Activate
the NumLock key when Windows Starts
50.
Power
Down the Computer after Shutdown
51.
Display
the Windows version on the Desktop
52.
Change
Location of Windows Setup Files
53.
Internet Explorer Context
Menu Items
54.
Internet
Explorer Tools Menu Items
55.
Restrict
Users from Using GIFs and JPGs as Desktop Wallpaper
56.
Restrict
Users from Changing Desktop Wallpaper
57.
Clear
Internet Explorer Address Bar Auto-complete Entries
58.
Restrict
Users from Logging Off
59.
Remove
Background Tab from Appearing in the Display Applet
60.
Scroll
Start Menu or View Multiple Columns
62.
Internet
Explorer Window Title
63.
Smooth
Scrolling in Microsoft Word
67.
Remove
Uninstall Items from the Add/Remove Programs Applet
68.
Edit
Windows Registration Information
69.
Edit
Windows Installed User Information
70.
Change
Windows Startup Items
71.
Disable
the mapped-drive reconnect warning
72.
Turn
off printer announcement broadcasts
73.
Fix
EXE
Association Problems
74.
Turn
off Passport Reminder
75.
Stop
Windows Messenger from Starting with Microsoft Outlook Express
76.
Logging
Windows Installer activities in Windows 98
77.
Run
Defrag without Problems
78.
Run
Scandisk without Problems
81.
Set
Temporary Internet Files Path
82.
Clear
Temporary Internet Files when Exiting Internet Explorer
83.
Change
the Temporary Internet Files Cache Size
85.
Decide
whether you want dial-up passwords saved
86.
Display
Customized Message When Windows Starts
87.
Suppress
the Windows Tour Prompt
88.
Disable
The Getting Started Screen
89.
Add
TLDs To IE’s Autosearch
90.
Refresh
Windows Explorer Windows Immediately
91.
Disable
the Personalized Favorites Menu feature in IE 5.0 or later
92.
Disable
IEs HTML Source Editor Check
93.
Disabling
File Shares On Servers
94.
Delete
Page File When You Shut Down Windows
95.
Minimize
Outlook to the System Tray
97.
Display
Start Menu Items in Alphabetical Order
98.
Set
Windows Explorer Toolbar Wallpaper
99.
Enable
Notification for Missed Scheduled Tasks
100. Turn
off
Low Disk Space Notification
101. Stop
Win2K/XP From Fixing Broken Shortcuts
102. Setting
the Cache Write Delay
103. Verify
CD-ROM/CD-R/CD-RW Drive Types
104. Disable
New Features of the Windows XP and Windows 2000 Shell
105. Change
Taskbar Background Flashing Settings
106. Disable
Office 2000 Clipboard
107. Remove
Help Option From Start Menu
108. Modify
the Number of Recent Documents Stored in the Documents Menu
109. Resize
Windows Minimize and Maximize Buttons
110. Hide
the
Documents Menu on the Start Menu
111. Disable
Documents Menu on the Start Menu
112. Change
Your Default Html Editor
113. Track
WindowsUpdate Processes
114. Set
The
Default Domain In Windows NT
115. Set
The
Alternate Default Domain In Windows NT
116. Do
Not
Display The Username Of The Last User
117. Disable
Dragging To The Start Menu
118. Clear
Windows Media Player Most Recently Used (MRU) List
119. Enable
services through the registry
120. Disable
Automatic Update Checking in Windows Media Player
121. Internet Explorer DNS Cache
Timeout
122. Adding
the My Computer Security Zone
124. Disable
IE’s Clicking Sound When You Click On A Link
125. Change
Default
Wallpaper Folder
126. Hide
Windows 2000/XP Places Bar
127. Edit
Windows 2000/XP Default Places Bar
128. Reinstalling
Internet Explorer 6.0
129. Reinstall
Outlook Express 6.0
130. Show
Which Domain a PC Is Logging In To
131. Find
BIOS
Information in the Registry
132. Disable
Internet Explorer Advanced Tab
133. Display
the local Administrator account on the Windows XP Welcome screen?
134. Tweak
the
registry to disable the Shut Down button
135. Disable
Low Disk Warnings in Windows XP
136. Disable
8.3 characters names on NTFS partitions
137. Disable
multi-user editing in Microsoft Word 2002
138. Disable
the search assistant in Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 6.0
139. Disable
the Windows Explorer search assistant in Windows XP
140. Edit
registry to read all e-mail as plain text
141. Overwrite
Deleted Information in Microsoft Outlook 2000/2002
142. Stop
unwanted user access by turning off cached logins
143. Change
location of Print Spooler
144. Increase
the priority of the print spooler
146. Shut
Down
Your Computer When Event Log is Full
147. Force
NT
Kernel to stay resident in Memory
148. Disable
EFS in Windows XP
149. Reset
Unread Email Counter on the Windows XP Welcome Screen
150. Remove
Unread Email Counter from the Windows XP Welcome Screen
151. Remove
the DFS tab from Windows Explorer
152. Disable
Windows 2000's Scheduled Tasks drag-and-drop functionality
153. Reinstall
Outlook Express 6.0
154. Load
Balancing Your Network Cards
155. Keep
Dial-up Connections Running When You Log Off
156. Suppress
the Standard Machine Beep Noise
157. Change
the Location For Storing Your Crash Dump
159. Enable
File And Directory Name Completion
160. Specify
which disk-error-checking utility I want to use in Windows 2000 and
later
163. Save
Notepad Window Position
165. Disable
Windows Messenger
166. Disable
Windows 2000 Web Printing
167. Windows
Media Player 7 Automatic Updates
168. Configure
Microsoft Internet Explorer start and search pages
169. Configure
multiple concurrent IE download sessions to one server?
170. Edit
Disk
Space Warning Message
171. Remember
Windows XP Customized Folders
172. Remove
Windows XP Notification Area
173. Stop
Windows from caching a .dll file after I close the program that was
accessing
it
174. Disable
the Windows Installer rollback functionality
175. Configure
all Windows Installer installations to run with elevated privileges
177. Disable
Last Access Time Stamp in NTFS
178. Set
a
limit on message recipients in Microsoft Exchange 5.5
179. Automatically
log onto your workstation
180. Disable
the Log Off Computer button
181. Disable
the Turn Off Computer button
182. Remove
the Network tab from Windows Media Player (WMP) 8 and later
183. Stop
users from installing Windows Installer files for removable media
184. Protect
against DoS attacks
185. Prevent
computer from releasing its NetBIOS name
186. Change
Wait to Kill Server Timeout
187. Disable
the Windows XP Tour prompt
188. Disable
importing or exporting their Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) Favorites
189. Disable
Outlook 2002’s Persistent View
190. Clear
the
Google Toolbar search history
191. Remove
the Properties item from the Recycle Bin's context menu
192. Hide
drive letters in My Computer
193. Stop
Internet Links from Opening in Internet Explorer (IE) Sessions
194. Stop
Internet Explorer (IE) from creating the Links folder under the
Favorites menu
195. Disable
the Internet Explorer (IE) script debugger
196. Prevent
users from running Cmd.exe
197. Hide
Date
and Time Information in the System Tray Notification Area
198. Hide
a
server from network browsers
199. Remove
the Manage context-menu option for My Computer
200. Configure
the Recovery Console (RC) to not require the administrator password
201. Change
Backup Interval of the DHCP database
203. Disable
the F3 key search capability for Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer
(IE)
204. Keep
a particular
user from appearing on the Welcome Screen
205. Recording
The Reason For A System Shutdown In XP
206. Modify
the title text of Windows Media Player (WMP)
207. Change
the number of undo levels in Microsoft Excel 2000 and later
208. Change
the number of undo levels in Microsoft Access 2002
209. Stop
Microsoft Outlook 2002 from caching the Internet Mail Service (IMS)
passwords
210. Clear
the
Windows Run Most Recently Used List
211. Prevent
Windows Media Player (WMP) 8.0 and later from maintaining recent-files
list
212. Clear
Windows Media Player (WMP) 8.0 and later Most Recently Used List
213. Empty
your Windows NT Documents During Log Off
214. Configure
Windows XP Searches to Default to Your Preferences
215. Run
commands automatically when a console opens
216. Increase
logon timeout for slow networks
217. Add
Internet time servers to Windows XP
218. Optimize
the Server service for memory use or network throughput
219. Configure
System Cache Setting
220. Customize
the Windows Messenger Startup Message
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto\shell\open\command.
Under command, enter the
full path
to the email client then %1
c:\internet\Netscape\program\netscape.exe
%1
c:\program files\internet
explorer\iexplore.exe
%1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FaultLogFile
Value
should be the path and filename of the log file
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoStartBanner
Set this
hex value to 01,00,00,00
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\Control Panel
\Desktop \WindowMetrics\MinAnimate
Set this
to 1
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\desktop\WindowMetrics\Shell Icon BPP
Give it a value of 16
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PAINT.PICTURE\DefaultIcon
Set value to "%1"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Update\UpdateMode
Setting value to 00 will
force an
instant update to Windows Explorer.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\AutoShareServer
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\AutoShareWks
Both of these REG_DWORD
values set
to 0 will prevent hidden shares from working (c$, etc.)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Security\Level1Remove
It is possible to add
Filetypes
back into the OK zone. This will allow you to open these attachments
from
Outlook (they won’t be blocked).
This key lists all of the
file
extensions that will be blocked by Outlook. You can edit this key to
either
remove extensions that you want access to or add extensions that you
want to
block.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network\Connections\StatMon\ShowLanErrors
(Windows 2000)
You
can display a LAN connection-error count on the
General tab of the connection's Status dialog box in Win2K This
REG_DWORD when
set to 1 will display the errors that have occurred over a network
connection.
The default value is 0 will not display the errors. Note that the
Errors field
looks a little odd, because of a bug in how the Status dialog box
accommodates
the error information.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\ Welcome
(Windows NT/2000)
This
REG_SZ data type will display a custom string
on the title bar of the Windows Security Screen that you see when you
invoke
the Ctrl+Alt+
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ThumbnailSize
This DWORD value can be
set between
32 and 256. This number represents the size in pixels that the Windows
Explorer
Thumbnail view will display.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ThumbnailQuality
This DWORD value will
determine the
quality of the thumbnail image quality. This number can be set between
50 and
100
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail
From the Internet Options
applet of
the Control Panel, click on the Programs tab. The program that Internet
Explorer
will try to open when you click on an email link is here (my default is
Outlook, although I could also choose Hotmail or Outlook Express). This
registry key is where this information is saved. If your favourite
email
program won't set itself up here, then you can go to this registry key,
and
following the example of the ones already setup, try and set your
program up.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Control Panel\HomePage
This DWORD set to 1 will
make it so
users cannot change their Internet Explorer home page. Setting it to 0
will
allow the home page to be changed.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\DeleteRoamingCache
This
value set to 1 will cause Windows to delete
Roaming Profiles (if they are enabled on a network). This value set to
0 will
keep the profile.
HKEY_USERS\[LongNumber/String]\Software\Microsoft\Conferencing\UI\CallMRU
Each of the Addr# values
can be
deleted or changed. This will delete IP addresses that are showing up
in the
Netmeeting recently used list.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon\MustBeValidated
This
REG_DWORD set to 1 forces a user to enter a
password to login to the local workstation. Setting it to 0 allows them
to
press Esc and bypass a password.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\DisableChangePassword
(Windows
2000)
Setting this REG_DWORD to
1 will
stop users from being able to change their passwords.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\IsShortcut
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\piffile\IsShortcut
Delete these values if
you want to
remove the arrow that appears on all shortcuts.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\Environment
(Windows 2000)
All of the values in this
key are
system variables that can be used by programs. You can make changes to
the
variables.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\fullscreen
This STRING value set to
"yes" will force new IE Windows to full screen. Note: This does not
work for me on my Windows 2000/IE 6 system.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\LocalizedString
Changing the text at the
end of
this value from Recycle Bin to the text of your choice will change the
name of
the recycle bin.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoFileAssociate
This REG_DWORD value set
to 1 will
prevent users from changing file type associations. Setting it to 0
will allow
them to make changes.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Regedit\Favorites
(Windows 2000)
The Windows 2000 Registry
Editor
(Regedit.exe) provides you with the ability to add frequently visited
registry
keys to a Favourites menu. This enables you to open those registry keys
quickly
without having to browse through the Registry Editor for them. This
registry
key is where the Favourites are stored.
KEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.extension\OpenWithList
(where extension equals the file extension that you want to open)
(Windows 2000)
This string (REG_SZ_
values)
identifies a program that will open files of this type. You can remove
values
if you don't want those programs to open that file type, or you can add
items
to add new programs.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Uninstall\NoWindowsSetupPage
(Windows 2000)
Settings this REG_DWORD
to 1 will
prevent users from seeing the Add/Remove Windows Components Button in
the
Add/Remove Programs applet of the Control Panel.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoInstrumentation
(Windows 2000)
This
REG_DWORD set to 1will disable personalized
menus.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Shares
All
of the shares on your computer are listed here.
To remove a share, delete the key.
It is also a good way to
migrate
shares to a new server. If you rebuild a server, you can export this
key and
associated sub-keys from your old server and import them on your new
server and
all of the shares will be set up for you.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\RegisteredProcessors
(Windows
2000)
Check the registry value
to see how
many processors your version of Windows supports. This registry key
value is
informational only. In other words, changing the value to 128 won't
enable your
version of Windows to support 128 processors.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoWindowsUpdate
To disable Windows Update
on a per
user basis set (or create) this DWORD value to 1. If you want to enable
WindowsUpdate, delete this value, or change it to 0.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU
Deleting the values in
this key
will clear the log list of commands that is created when you use Run on
Windows' Start menu.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
(Windows 2000
Professional)
The
GINADLL value is set for either a Microsoft
logon screen or a Novell login screen. If you want to use a Novell
login
screen, make sure that the value is NWGINA.DLL. If you want to use a
Microsoft
Login screen, make sure the value is MSGINA.DLL. Then close the
Registry Editor
and restart the system.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current
Version\Policies\Explorer\NoClose
This String Value set to
1 removes
the Shutdown option from the Startmenu. Change it to 0 to allow
shutdowns.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\PasswordExpiryWarning
(Windows 2000)
This key in Windows 2000
sets the
number of days before a user's password must be changed.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\RemoteAccess\Addresses
This key is where the
Dial-Up
Networking settings are stored.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters\CrashOnCtrlScroll
(Windows NT/2000)
Set this DWORD value to
1. After a
reboot, hold down the right CTRL key and hit the Scroll Lock key twice.
This
generates a BSOD. This is intentional as it can be used for testing
purposes.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Change
(or create) the NoFileMenu value to 1 to
hide the File menu, or 0 to show it.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\Critical
Update\CurrentDelayInterval
This REG_DWORD value is
the value
in seconds between prompts from the Critical Update Notification. The
default
is 86,400 seconds (1 day).
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom
Changing
this value to 0 disables the CD-ROM
autorun feature. A value of 1 enables autorun.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ratings
If you are using the
Content
Advisor in Internet Explorer and have forgotten the password, you can
delete
this key and reset all of the ratings and delete the password.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\Window placement
Deleting this value will
reset the
size of the IE Window.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
These
4 keys are where the Right-Click menu options
are stored for folders, directories, and drives. To remove a
right-click
context menu item, you could delete any of the sub-keys that are below
these
keys.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current
Version\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}
(Win2000)
This key instructs
Windows Explorer
to search for Scheduled Tasks when you are trying to connect to a
remote
computer. To browse Windows 2000 and 98 computers faster, delete the
key.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\Shell
To add a right-click
context menu
item to an unknown file type, right-click on the Shell subkey and
choose New -
Key. This will add a new subkey below the Shell. Give the new subkey
the name
of the application, as you'd like it displayed on the context menu.
Next, you'll need to
create another
new subkey under your newly created application subkey called command.
There
will be a Default value automatically created. Double click this value
and
enter the full path of the application's executable file, but append a
%1 to
the end (i.e. c:\winnt\notepad.exe %1).
The next time you
right-click on
that unknown file extension, you should see your new menu item.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D\LocalizedString
(Win2000)
From this value you can
change the
name of the My Computer icon. The default value is:
@D:\WINNT\system32\shell32.dll,-9216@1033,My
Computer
As
you can see, the name is the last part after the
, and you can change this to whatever you want. A neat trick is to
change the
My Computer part to %computername% and that will name My Computer the
name that
your computer has in the Network settings. If you do this it should
look like
this:
@C:\WINNT\system32\shell32.dll,-9216@1033,%computername%
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Outlook\Preferences\LocationMRU
This key contains the
most recent
entered locations for meetings and appointments in Outlook 2000. You
can't edit
any of these, but you can delete then entire value.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Tips
There
are 50 tips stored in this key. You can
double-click on any of them to edit the tips.
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control
Panel\Keyboard\InitialKeyboardIndicators
(WinNT/2000)
This REG_SZ or String
value when
set to 2 will make the NUMLOCK turn on when Windows loads. A value of 0
will
turn the numlock off.
This will make the change
for all
users. If you want to do it for an individual user, then change the
same value
in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\PowerdownAfterShutdown
(WinNT/2000)
This REG_SZ or String
value when
set to 1 will automatically power off your computer if the BIOS
supports this.
A value of 0 will leave you at the "It is now safe..." screen.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ControlPanel\Desktop\PaintDesktopVersion
In
Windows 2000, a DWORD value of 1 will display
the Windows version on the desktop. A value of 0 does not display it.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Setup\SourcePath
This REG_SZ or String
Value key
stores the path to the location of the installation files.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\MenuExt
These are menu items that
appear in
the Right-Click menu of Internet Explorer
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Extensions
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Extensions
Each subkey of these keys
define an
addition to IE's Tools menu
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\NoHTMLWallPaper
To
restrict users from using GIFs and JPGs as
wallpaper (restrict them to BMP images) create or set this value to 1.
A value
of 0 will allow users to use all 3 types of images.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\NoChangingWallpaper
This DWORD value 1 will
stop people
from being able to change their desktop wallpaper. A value of 0 will
allow
users to change the wallpaper.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\TypedURLs
(Win9x)
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21...\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\TypedURLs
(WinNT/2000)
When you type a URL in
Internet
Explorer (IE), the system automatically completes known entries with
data stored
in this registry key. Each time you type in a URL and press the Enter
key or
the Go button, that URL is stored in this location.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoLogOff
This DWORD value set to 1
will
remove the "Log Off User" option in the Start Menu. A value of 0 will
show it.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\NoDispBackgroundPage
This
DWord value set to 1 will stop the Background
page of the Display applet from appearing. Setting it to 0 will cause
it to
appear.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuScrollPrograms
This String entry in the
registry
can be created if it doesn't exist. If you set it to FALSE it will make
the
start menu run into multiple columns. This works with IE5. You have
probably
noticed that if your Start Menu is too long, you get a little arrow at
the top
or bottom of the Programs menu telling you that you need to scroll to
see what
else is there. You can change this to behave the way Windows 95 used to.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbar\BrandBitmap
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbar\SmBrandBitmap
If
you downloaded IE from ZDNet, Tucows, or any
other major site, it is probably "branded", meaning that it probably
has its own logo in the upper-right corner and in the title bar it says
the
branded name. These 2 registry settings should be deleted if you want
to remove
the branded logo. This will set it back to the default IE globe. http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q176/7/13.ASP
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\Window Title
This is where you can
change the
browser name that appears in the Internet Explorer window title. You
can change
it to anything you want.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Options\LiveScrolling
This
features allows you to have smooth scrolling
in Word 97. When you use the scroll bars in Word 97, you can't see the
document
as it scrolls by until you let go of the scroll bar. Adding this
LiveScrolling
setting and setting it to 1 will allow you to see document scroll by.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Eexplorer\Desktop\NameSpace
A lot of programs install
themselves and add an icon to the desktop. The problem is, this isn't
just a
shortcut that can be deleted. These are permanent links to certain
programs/features. In order to delete them, you need to navigate to
this
registry key and delete any entries you do not want.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Desktop\MenuShowDelay
This
registry entry will control how fast each menu
sub-level appears and how fast the taskbar will appear if you have
autohide set
up. The number that you enter will be the time in milliseconds the
operating
system will pause. 1 second would need an entry of 1000. I usually set
mine at
0 so that it appears as quick as it can.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder
This
registry key is where you would go in Windows
98 and Windows 95 with the windows update installed to fix your menu
order.
Maybe you haven't noticed, but the menu items in the Start Menu and in
the
Favorites folder don't have to be in alphabetical order. By dragging
them, you
can put them in any order you want. The problem is, once you have
changed one,
you can never get it back to alphabetical order without fixing it in
the
registry.
From the MenuOrder key,
choose
which sub key you want to edit, the Start Menu or the Favorites. You
will see
more sub keys that are called Menu. You can either delete that key, or
delete
the binary Order listing in the right hand pane. You can search through
all of
the sub keys for the same thing and reset any of them that you want.
If you don't like working
in the
registry, there is a PC Magazine utility available called MenuZap that
you can
download which does all of this automatically for you. Visit http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/
and do a
search for MenuZap to find it.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
This registry key
contains all of
the sub keys for programs that can be uninstalled. When you want to
uninstall,
always use the uninstall program that came with the program or use the
Add/Remove Programs applet of the Control Panel. This registry key can
be
useful when you have done that, but the program still comes up in the
Add/Remove Programs listing. When you click on it it says "Can't find
this
file." Well, of course it can't, it has been uninstalled. It is just
that
the registry listing hasn't been removed.
To
remove it, just visit this key, and then scroll
down until you see the culprit. You might have to click on the sub key
once so
that the real name shows up in the right hand pane. Sometimes the sub
key names
don't make a lot of sense.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion
This registry key will
allow you to
change to information you inputted about who Windows was registered to.
You can
change the company, persons name, the registration key, etc.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MS
Setup (ACME)\User Info
Have
you noticed that when you install programs, it
quite often automatically knows your name and your company name? That
information does not come from the registry key mentioned above this
one. It is
found in this one. If you have gotten a used computer from someone or
have
changed companies and want to change those names, then visit this key.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
This
registry key will help you when there are
programs starting up that you don't want running. When you install
something
like Norton Utilities or an antiviral program, they load up at start up
and put
a small icon in the system tray. You probably want most of these
programs
running, but lets say that you don't want it running. How do you get
rid of it.
There should be an option in the program setup, but if you just can't
find it,
you can go to this key, or any other that starts with RUN and delete
the
listing in the right hand pane.
For instance, Power
Management is
installed by default by Windows, even if you go into the power settings
and
tell it you want the computer on all the time, there is still a line in
the
RunServices key. It wasn't doing any harm because the power profile was
set so
that everything was on all the time, but why even have the profile in
there is
I don't use it. So I deleted it.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Network\RestoreDiskChecked
If you have mapped a
network share
to a drive letter, you can automatically remap it each time your
computer
starts. If the network share isn’t available anymore, then
you a window pops up
telling you this and asks you if you’d like to remap the
drive again next time.
This can get annoying. This DWORD set to 0 will disable the warning.
Changing it
to 1 will re-enable the warning.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\
DisableServerThread
This DWORD value set to 1
will
prevent your computer from sending out announcements that it has
printers
shared. Setting it back to 0 renews the broadcasts.
This will prevent
printers from
appearing when browsing the network, but the printers are still
available as
long as their share name is known.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \
Software \
Classes \ Exefile \ Shell \ Open \ Command
Do you ever get the error
“Windows
cannot find PROGRAM.EXE. This program is needed for opening files of
type
'Application’”?
If so, then go to this
registry key
and make sure that it has the value:
"%1" %* (exactly as
shown).
(Windows XP)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MessengerService\PassportBalloon
When this value is set to
0a, you
won’t have the Passport reminder popup anymore.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Outlook
Express\ Hide Messenger
This DWORD value set to 2
will stop
Windows Messenger from starting with Microsoft Outlook express.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\Logging
Windows
Installer can log its activity. Give this
String value a value of voicewarmup and you’ll get full
logging.
The value may appear a
little
unusual, but each letter turns on a separate logging feature (the
letters can
be entered in any order):
i - Status messages
w - Non-fatal warnings
e - All error messages
a - Start up of actions
r - Action-specific records
u - User requests
c - Initial UI parameters
m - Out-of-memory or fatal
exit
information
o - Out-of-disk-space
messages
p - Terminal properties
v - Verbose output
+ - Append to existing file
! -
Flush each line to the log
"*" - Wildcard, log all
information
except
for the v option.
To include the v option,
specify
"/l*v".
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Defrag\Settings\Disable
loadqm.exe
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Defrag\Settings\
Disable loadwc.exe
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Defrag\Settings\
Disable ScreenSaver
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Defrag\Settings\
Disable Wkdetect.exe
(Windows 9x/ME)
Set each of these values
to YES to
disable these programs while Defrag is running
LOADWC.EXE (Windows
Update
Checker), LOADQM.EXE (Query Manager), and WKDETECT.EXE (Update Checker
for
Microsoft Works).
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Scandisk\Settings\
Disable loadqm.exe
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Scandisk\Settings\
Disable loadwc.exe
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Scandisk\Settings\
Disable ScreenSaver
(Windows 9x/ME)
Set each of these values
to YES to
disable these programs while Defrag is running
LOADWC.EXE (Windows
Update
Checker), LOADQM.EXE (Query Manager), and WKDETECT.EXE (Update Checker
for
Microsoft Works).
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Account Manager
Your Outlook Express
Email Account
settings are stored in this registry setting.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
You'll find all the
information
about mail rules and other per-identity settings here, stored in
sub-keys identified
by your unique ID string. It will look something like this:
{36553740-2BAC-11D3-95B1-00A0C993DADF}
If you are importing
information
for the same user that you had when you exported this key, all will be
fine. If
you have recreated this user, or created a new one, the unique ID will
be
different, and so you will a bit of work to make it work.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings/Cache/Paths/Path1-4
This registry setting
will show you
where your Temporary Internet Files are stored.
You can delete the
sub-paths, but
not the main Paths key. You can also change the location of these paths.
If you delete the
Paths1-4, and set
the value of Directory to a location, then you will have only 1 path
(and no
sub-paths).
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Cache\Persistent
This REG_DWORD key when set to 0x00000000 (0) will clear your Temporary
Internet Files folder when you exit Internet Explorer. This value set
to
0x00000001 (1) will not clear it.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\5.0\Cache\Content\CacheLimit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Cache\Content\CacheLimit
Change the Base to
Decimal and
enter the amount of space you want to use for temporary Internet files
(in
kilobytes)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\
EnableBalloonTips
(Windows XP)
This DWORD value set to 0
will
disable the balloon tips. The value of 1 will enable the tips.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
\RasMan\Parameters
Add a value named
DisableSavePassword
This REG_DWORD set it to
1 will
stop Dial-Up Networking from saving the password. A setting of 0 will
save the
password.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MicrosoftWindows\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
LegalNoticeCaption
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MicrosoftWindows\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
LegalNoticeText
These strings will
display a small
window when a computer first starts up. The caption is the name of the
window.
The text is the message itself in the window.
(Windows XP)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour\
RunCount
This DWORD value set to 0
will stop
the Windows Tour from appearing
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoWelcomeScreen
This REG_DWORD value set
to 1
disables the Getting Started screen. 0 enables it.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\UrlTemplate
For Value Name, enter the
next
number available. This REG_SZ value will be setup the same way the
existing
ones are (www.%s.TLD, with TLD being .com, .edu, .biz, etc.)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Update\UpdateMode
This DWORD value set to
00 will
force Windows to refreshe windows quicker
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\FavIntelliMenus
Set this value to “no”
(without the quotes).
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\CheckDocumentForProgID
This String value set to “no
(without the quotes) will stop Internet
Explorer from changing the program that you can use to edit a current
web page.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\Parameters\
AutoShareServer
This REG_DWORD value set to 0 will remove
the default file shares
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\CONTROL\SESSIONMANAGER\MEMORYMANAGEMENT\ClearPageFileAtShutdown
This value set to 1 will
clear the
paging file when a computer is shut down
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Preferences\MinToTray
This
REG_DWORD value set to 1 will minimize Outlook 2002/XP to the system
tray
rather than to the task bar.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Desktop\MenuDropAlignment
This String value set to 1 will cause menus
to drop down from the right
rather than the left.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
MenuOrder
Delete this key and the menu will be reset
to be in alphabetical order.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbar\BackBitmapShell
This String value contains the location of
the bitmap (BMP) image that
you would like to use as the toolbar wallpaper.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SchedulingAgent\NotifyOnTaskMiss
This DWORD value set to 1 will enable missed
tasks notification.
Setting this value to 0 will disable notification.
(Windows XP)
HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\
NoLowDiskSpaceChecks
This DWORD value set to 1 will disable the
low disk space notification.
0 will enable it.
HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\
NoResolveTrack
This DWORD set to 1 will stop Windows 2000
and XP from trying to
automatically fix shortcuts. 0 will enable it.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CacheWriteDelay
(Windows 2000)
This DWORD value (in milliseconds) controls
the time that Windows waits
before it tries to shut down. This will allow time for the cache to be
written
permanently to the disk.
(Windows XP)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CD
Burning\Drives
Each CD drive will have its own Volume key.
Double-click the
"Drive Type" value to change its properties. CD-Rs should be set to
1; CD-RWs should be set to 2; non-writables should be set to 3.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\ClassicShell
This DWORD value set to 1 will disable many
of the newer features of
the Windows Shell
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Desktop\ForegroundFlashCount
This REG_DWORD value sets the number of
times that a background
application flashes letting you know that it wants to take control
HKey_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Common\General\AcbControl
Setting this DWORD value
to 1
(Decimal) will stop the Office 2000 clipboard from popping up.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\
NoSMHelp
(Windows 2000)
This REG_DWORD set to 1
will remove
the Start Menu Help menu. You must log off and back on for this change
to take
effect. Setting this to 0 will show the Help menu.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer\MaxRecentDocs
Set this DWORD value to the number of
documents that you would like on
the Documents menu of the Start Menu. The Windows default is 15. The
number you
choose must be in multiples of 15.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics\CaptionWidth
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics\CaptionHeight
Change these 2 registry
values to
change the size of the Minimize and Maximize buttons.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current
Version\Policies\Explorer\NoRecentDocsMenu
Set this DWORD value to 1
to hide
the Documents menu. Shortcuts will still be added to the Documents, but
since
you don’t see the menu, you don’t see the shortcuts.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current
Version\Policies\Explorer\NoRecentDocsHistory
Set this DWORD value to 1
to stop
Windows from even keeping track of document history
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Default HTML\Editor\Description
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Default HTML\Editor\shell\edit\command
In
the first registry key, change the description
to the name of your HTML Editor.
In the second key, change
the
default REG_SZ data to the fully qualified pathname for your editor.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active
Setup\SteppingMode
Set this string value to
Y in order
to track the process. Change it to N to ignore the process.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\DefaultDomainName
This string value should
be set to
the value to the preferred domain.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\AltDefaultDomainName
This string value should
be set to
the value to the alternative preferred domain.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon\DontShowLastUser
(Windows 95/98/ME)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\WinLogon\DontDisplayLastUserName
(Windows 2000/XP)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\
CurrentVersion\WinLogon\DontDisplayLastUserName
(Windows NT)
This value should be set
to 1 to
stop the last user name from appearing in the Logon window
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoChangeStartMenu
This REG_DWORD should be
set to 1
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\RecentFileList
Delete this key to clear
the
Windows Media Player most recently played file list.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
To enable (or change the
startup
options for) services on the local computer, locate the
Service,
and set Start value to:
0 -boot
1 -system
2 -automatic
3 -manual
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Policies\WindowsMediaPlayer\DisableAutoUpdate
(WMP 7)
This REG_DWORD value
should be set
to 1. A value of 0 enables automatic updates.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\EnableAutoUpgrade
(WMP 6.4)
This REG_SZ value should
be set to
No. A value of Yes enables automatic updates.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\DnsCacheTimeout
Since Internet Explorer
4.0, the
DNS cache has been resetting itself every thirty minutes. Change this
DWORD to
the number of seconds between Cache purges.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Zones\0\Flags
By default, there are
four zones in
IE that you may customize: Internet, Local intranet, Trusted Sites, and
Restricted Sites. Change the value above from 33 to 1. You’ll
now have a new My
Computer zone.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
Max Cached Icons
Have you ever seen your
icons
change from the proper icon to one for another program? This happens
because
the icon cache is full. You can change the number of icons that are
cached in
this registry key. This REG_SZ value represents the number of icons
that will
be cached. The default is 500. If you find that your icons are changing
often,
increase this number to a maximum of 2000.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\Explorer\Navigating\.current
Delete this key to stop
IE from
playing the clicking sound every time you click on a link.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WallPaperDir
Set this to the location
where your
desktop wallpaper will be found on this computer.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\co
mdlg32\NoPlacesBar
This DWORD value should
be set to 1
to hide the places bar in the Open/Save dialog box.
This comes from a Windows
FAQ
newsletter:
You can modify the five
default
quick links in the Open and Save common dialog boxes by performing the
following steps:
1.
Start
a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe).
2.
Navigate
to the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\comdlg32
subkey. (If this subkey doesn't exist, select New, Key from the Edit
menu to
create it.)
3.
From
the Edit menu, select New, Key.
4.
Enter
a name of
Placesbar
and press Enter.
5.
Navigate
to the new registry subkey. You can create five entries (i.e., Place0,
Place1,
Place2, Place3, and Place4). Make each entry either a string value
(REG_SZ)
entry (for a named folder) or a DWORD value (REG_DWORD) entry (for a
special
folder, such as My Documents or My Network Places).
6.
To
create a new entry, go to the Edit menu, select New, DWORD value or
New, String
Value (as appropriate), enter a name of Placen (e.g., Place0, Place4),
and
press Enter.
7.
Double-click
the entry and set its REG_SZ "Value data" to a path and folder name
or its REG_DWORD "Value data" to a numeric ID (the table below shows
a partial list of these numeric IDs--the shlobj.h file, which is part
of the
platform software development kit (SDK), defines the full list of
special
numeric IDs).
8.
Close
the registry editor.
This change will not
affect
applications within the Microsoft Office suite but will affect
applications,
such as Notepad and Microsoft Paint, that use the Open and Save common
dialog
boxes. Each new entry you add will replace one of the default quick
links.
ID Pathway
0 Desktop
1 Internet
Explorer
2 Start
Menu\Programs
3 My
Computer\Control Panel
4 My
Computer\Printers
5 My
Documents
6 <user
name>\Favorites
7 Start
Menu\Programs\Startup
8 <user
name>\Recent
9 <user
name>\SendTo
a <desktop>\Recycle
Bin
b <user
name>\Start Menu
c Logical
"My Documents" desktop
icon
d "My
Music" folder
e "My
Videos" folder
10 <user
name>\Desktop
11 My
Computer
12 Network
Neighborhood (My Network Places)
13 <user
name>\Nethood
14 Windows\Fonts
16 All
Users\Start Menu
17 All
Users\Start Menu\Programs
18 All
Users\Startup
19 All
Users\Desktop
1a <user
name>\Application Data
1b <user
name>\PrintHood
1c <user
name>\Local
Settings\Application Data
(nonroaming) 0x001d //
nonlocalized
startup
1e Nonlocalized
common startup
1f Common
favorites
20 Internet
cache
21 Cookies
22 History
23 All
Users\Application Data
24 GetWindowsDirectory()
25 GetSystemDirectory()
26 C:\Program
Files
27 C:\Program
Files\My Pictures
28 USERPROFILE
29 x86
system directory on RISC
2a x86
C:\Program Files on RISC
2b C:\Program
Files\Common
2c x86
Program Files\Common on RISC
2d All
Users\Templates
2e All
Users\Documents
2f All
Users\Start
Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools
30 <user
name>\Start
Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools
31 Network
and Dial-up Connections
35 All
Users\My Music
36 All
Users\My Pictures
37 All
Users\My Video
38 Resource
Directory
39 Localized
Resource Directory
3a All
Users OEM-specific applications
3b USERPROFILE\Local
Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\CD Burning
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active
Setup\Installed
Components\{89820200-ECBD-11cf-8B85-00AA005B4383}\IsInstalled.
This DWORD should be set
to 0 to
trick Windows into thinking that IE 6 isn’t installed
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active
Setup\Installed
Components\{44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}\IsInstalled.
This DWORD should be set
to 0 to
trick Windows into thinking that OE 6 isn’t installed
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon\DomainLogonMessage
This DWORD value should
be set to 1
to show which domain a computer is logging in to. Setting the value to
0 will
disable the message.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\SystemBiosDate
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\SystemBiosVersion
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\VideoBiosDate
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\VideoBiosVersion
Some information about
your BIOS
may be in the keys above. Do not change these values. They are for
reference
only.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Control Panel\AdvancedTab
Setting this to 1 will
stop this
tab from appearing. Change it to 0 or delete it to have the tab
reappear.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList\Administrator
This DWORD value should
be set to 1
to show the account. Set it to 0 to hide the account
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\ShutdownWithoutLogon
This value should be set
to 0 to
force users to logon before they shut down the computer.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\NoLowDiskSpaceChecks
Settings this to 1 will
stop the OS
from checking for disk space, which will also turn of the Low Disk
Space
balloons.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation
Set this DWORD value to 1
to stop
NTFS systems from creating 8.3 character filenames.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Word\Options\NoPromptToForkDocuments
Set this DWORD value to 1
to
disable multi-user editing
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\Use Search Asst
Settings this to NO will
disable
the search assistant
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState\Use
Search Asst
Setting this String value
to NO
will disable the search assistant
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Options\Mail\ReadAsPlain
Set this DWORD value to 1
will
force Outlook XP SP1 to read all email as Plain Text.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\PST
(subkey for Outlook 2002)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Outlook\PST
(subkey for Outlook 2000)
Set the DWORD value
PSTNullFreeOnClose to 1 to instruct Outlook to remove the deleted data
every
time you close the application, then click OK
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\CachedLogonsCount
Set this to 0 to disable
cached
logins. This means that you must authenticate with a domain controller.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers\DefaultSpoolDirectory
(Windows NT/2000/XP)
Change this to any
location you
want
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\SpoolerPriority
Set this DWORD value to 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\Advanced\EncryptionContextMenu
Setting this DWORD value
to 1 will
allow you to encrypt a file when you right-click on it.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Control\Lsa\CrashOnAuditFail
Setting the value to 1
will cause
the computer to crash when the log is full. Setting it to 0 will
disable this
feature.
HKEY_Local_Machine\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\
Memory
Management\DisablePagingExecutive
Setting this value to 1
will cause
the NT Kernel to stay resident in memory. This might speed up the
performance
of your operating system.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\
EFS\EfsConfiguration
Set this DWORD value to 1
to
disable EFS.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail\<email
address> Message Count
Set this value to 0 will
reset the
unread-email counter on the Windows XP Welcome screen.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail\
MessageExpiryDays
Setting this DWORD value
to 0 will
stop the XP Welcome screen from showing the number of unread messages.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Policies\Explorer\NoDFSTab
Set this DWORD to 1 to
remove the
DFS tab from Windows Explorer so that you can prevent users from
changing
properties on local DFS shares.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\
TaskScheduler5.0\DragAndDrop
Set this DWORD value to 1
disable
the Drag and Dropt functionality of the Scheduled Tasks folder.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Active Setup\Installed
Components\{44BBA840…..}\IsInstalled
Set this DWORD value to 0
will make
Windows think that Outlook Express 6 is not installed. You should then
be able
to reinstall Outlook Express 6.
HKEY_Local_Machine\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters\RandomAdapter
HKEY_Local_Machine\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters\SingleResponse
Set these values to 1 to
enable
load balancing if you have more than 1 network card. Changing the
values to 0
disables this ability.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\
CurrentVersion\Winlogon\KeepRASConnections
Setting this STRING value
to 1 will
keep an active dial-up connection connected when a user logs off.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Sound\Beep
Set this value to no to
stop your
system from beeping with system-level events.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DrWatson\CrashDumpFile
Change this location to a
location
of your choice where you want to store any Crash Dump files created by
the
system.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\SystemDisableTaskMgr
(Windows NT/2000/XP)
Set this value to 1 to
disable Task
Manager for your users. A value of 0 will enable Task Manager.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command
Processor\CompletionChar
(Windows NT/2000/XP)
Set this REG_DWORD to 9.
Now when
you type the first few letters of a file or folder name and press [Tab]
on the
keyboard, the OS automatically completes the path. If you press [Tab]
again, it
will go through several files and folders that match the same pattern.
This
applies only to Cmd.exe and not any other command-line environments.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\ChkDskPath
Set this to the path of
the program
you’d like to use for disk-checking.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Shutdown\FastReboot
Change this value to 0 to
disable
fast shutdown in Windows 98.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad\fSavePageSettings
Set this value to 1 to
save Notepad
settings.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad\fSaveWindowPositions
Set this value to 1 to
save Notepad
window position.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ControlPanel\Desktop\AutoEndTasks
Set this to 1 to
automatically end
tasks instead of seeing the End Task prompt, when an application is
waiting to
close.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client\PreventRun
(Windows XP)
Set this DWORD value to 1
to
prevent Windows Messenger from running
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
NT\Printers\ DisableWebPrinting
Set this DWORD value to 1
to
disable web printing in Windows 2000.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer\DisableAutoUpdate
Set this DWORD value to 1
to
disable automatic updates. Set it to 0 to enable automatic updates
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\Search Bar
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\Search Page
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\Start Page
Changes these values to
customize
your start and search pages
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\MaxConnectionsPerServer
Set these DWORD values to
the
hexadecimal value for the number of connections you desire
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\DiskSpaceThreshold
Set this REG_DWORD value
to the
integer within the range of 0 to 99. This number represents the
percentage of
free space on the hard drive. When the free space drops below this
percentage,
the event is triggered.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU
Set this DWORD value to
be the
number of folders you want XP to remember
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoTrayItemsDisplay
Set this DWORD value to 1
to hide
the Windows XP notification area
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\AlwaysUnloadDLL
Set this DWORD value to 1
to unload
DLLs immediately when a program is closed.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\DisableRollback
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\DisableRollback
Set this DWORD value to 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\AlwaysInstallElevated
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\AlwaysInstallElevated
Set this DWORD value to 1
registry subkey.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\GRE_Initialize
Change the
"FONTS.FON"="vgasys.fon" value to be the font name you wish
to display
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate
Change this DWORD value
to 1 if you
want to stop an NTFS volume from updating the LastAccess time stamp for
every
directory browsed
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem\Max
Recipients On Submit
Set this DWORD value to
the maximum
number of recipients you wish to allow.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
"DefaultUserName"="YourLogon"
"DefaultDomainName"="YourDomain"
"AutoAdminLogon"="1"
"DefaultPassword"="YourPassword"
Change DefaultUserName,
DefaultDomainName, and DefaultPassword to values specific to your
network.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\StartMenuLogoff
Set this DWORD value to 1
to remove
the Log Off button. Set it back to 0 if you want people to be able to
log off
the computer
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\
NoClose
Set this DWORD value to 1
to remove
the Turn Off button. Set it back to 0 if you want people to be able to
turn off
the computer
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer\
HideNetworkTab
Set this DWORD value to 1
to remove
the Network tab in the Windows Medial Player 8 and later Options window
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\DisableMedia
Set this DWORD value to 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\SynAttackProtect
This setting protects
against a SYN
flood attack. Set to a value of 0, 1, or 2 for increasing levels of
protection.
The higher the value, the more delay Windows adds to connection
attempts,
causing TCP connection timeouts.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\EnableDeadGWDetect
Set to 0 to prevent the
computer
from switching to a different gateway, which could otherwise occur if a
DoS
attack is in progress. A value of 1 allows the gateway switch.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\EnablePMTUDiscovery
Set to 0 to prevent a
hacker from
forcing an MTU change to a small value and bogging down the TCP/IP
protocol
stack. Windows uses an MTU value of 576 bytes for all nonlocal
connections with
this setting at 0. Set to 1 to allow MTU discovery.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\KeepAliveTime
Set this value (in
milliseconds) to
a relatively low number to decrease the length of time Windows sends a
keep-alive packet to a remote computer to determine if the connection
is still
valid. Microsoft recommends a value of 300,000, or five minutes.
These are all DWORD
values
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters
\NoNameReleaseOnDemand
Set this to 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Control\WaitToKillServiceTimeout
Change this to the number
of
milliseconds to wait before killing a service when Windows NT is
shutting down
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour\RunCount
Set this DWORD value to 0
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\DisableImportExportFavorites
Set this DWORD value to 1
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0
or 11.0\Outlook\Options\PersistViewSelection
Set this DWORD value to
0. This
will stop Outlook 2002 and later from remembering the item you last had
selected in a mail folder.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\NavClient\1.1\History
Delete this key to clear
the search
history
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoPropertiesRecycleBin
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoPropertiesRecycleBin
Set this DWORD value to 1.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Servers\NoDrives
Edit this DWORD value.
Using the
list below, type a number that corresponds to the drive you want to
hide:
A: 1
B: 2
C: 4
D: 8
E: 16
F: 32
To hide other drive
letters that we
didn't list, follow the pattern of doubling the number for each
successive
drive. For example, drive G: would have a value of 64.
To hide multiple drives,
add the
values together. For example, to hide drives A: and B:, use a value of
3. If
you want to hide all drive letters, use a value of 67108864.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\AllowWindowReuse
Set this DWORD value to 0
to force
Windows to open a new IE session when a link is clicked from another
application in Windows
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbar\LinksFolderName
Clear the value data for
this. Then
start IE and delete the Links folder from the Favorites menu.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\Disable Script Debugger
Set the value data to
"yes" to disable the script debugger
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System\DisableCMD
Set this DWORD value to 1
(contributed by David
Chernicoff,
david@winnetmag.com)
In the May 29 issue of
Windows
Client UPDATE, I showed you how to make registry changes in Windows XP
to hide
the icons in the notification area of the system tray from users. A few
readers
responded that they want to keep the icons but hide date and time
information
because it occupies so much space. Doing so is easy with the following
registry
change:
1. Launch regedit.
2. Open
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
policies\Explorer
3. Create a HideClock
value of type
REG_DWORD and set the value to 1.
4. Exit regedit and
reboot the
computer.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\Hidden
Set this DWORD value to 1
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoManageMyComputerVerb
Set this DWORD value to 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Setup\RecoveryConsole\SecurityLevel
Set this to 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCPServer\Parameters\BackupInterval
Change this to the number
of
minutes desired between backups.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\DNS\Parameters\SecureResponses.
Set this DWORD value to 1
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Restrictions\NoFindFiles
Set this DWORD value to 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList\
Create a new DWORD value
with the
exact same username as the person you want to hid. Set this value to 0.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Reliability\ShutdownReasonUI
Set this DWORD value to 1
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer\TitleBar
Set this STRING value to
be what
you want the title to be
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Excel\Options\UndoHistory
(Excel 2002)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Excel\Options\UndoHistory
(Excel 2000)
Set this DWORD to a value
from 0 to
100
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Access\Settings\Number
of Undos
Set this DWORD to a value
from 1 to
20
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Security\EnableRememberPwd
Set this DWORD value to 0
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU
Delete this key to delete
the most
recently used list in the Run dialog box
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences\AddToMRU
Set this BINARY value to
00 to
disable the list or 01 to enable it
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\RecentFileList
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\RecentURLList
Delete these keys
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\ClearRecentDocsOnExit
Set this value to 1
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
\CaseSensitive
\IncludeSubFolders
\SearchHidden
\SearchSlowFiles
\SearchSystemDirectories
Set these values to 1 to
enable or
0 to disable
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command
Processor\Autorun
Enter a command here that
you want
to run startup for all command console sessions
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netlogon\ExpectedDialupDelay
Set this DWORD value to
the number
of seconds you want to wait for a response from the server. You can set
the
value at anywhere between 0 and 600 seconds.