Turn on Screen Saver

Turn on a screensaver without having to wait by adding a shortcut to your desktop:
Click the Start button, and then click Search.
In the Search Companion window, click All file types.
In the file name box, type *.scr
In the Look in box, choose Local Hard Drives (C or the drive where you have system files stored on your computer.
Click Search.
You will see a list of screensavers in the results. Pick a screensaver you want. You can preview it by double-clicking it.
Right click on the file, choose Send To, and then click Desktop (create shortcut).
To activate the screensaver, double-click the icon on your desktop

Create a Shortcut to Lock Your Computer

Leaving your computer in a hurry but you don’t want to log off? You can double-click a shortcut on your desktop to quickly lock the keyboard and display without using CTRL+ALT+DEL or a screensaver.
To create a shortcut on your desktop to lock your computer:
Right-click the desktop.
Point to New, and then click Shortcut.
The Create Shortcut Wizard opens. In the text box, type the following:
rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
Click Next.
Enter a name for the shortcut. You can call it "Lock Workstation" or choose any name you like.
Click Finish.
You can also change the shortcut's icon (my personal favorite is the padlock icon in shell32.dll).
To change the icon:
Right click the shortcut and then select Properties.
Click the Shortcut tab, and then click the Change Icon button.
In the Look for icons in this file text box, type:
Shell32.dll.
Click OK.
Select one of the icons from the list and then click OK
You could also give it a shortcut keystroke such CTRL+ALT+L. This would save you only one keystroke from the normal command, but it could be more convenient.

Administrative permissions.

Many programs require you to have Administrative permissions to be able to install them. Here is an easy way to temporarily assign yourself Administrative permissions while you remain logged in as a normal user.
Hold down the Shift key as you right-click on the program’s setup file.
Click Run as.
Type in a username and password that have Administrative permissions.
This will also work on applications in the Start menu.

Steps to Clean Install XP

  Steps to Clean Install XP
  If the above instructions for configuring your system to boot from  CD
  or you have acquired the necessary boot floppy/floppies; you can now
  boot the computer and follow the on screen prompts. Have your Product Key
  available, typical install is around 30 minutes. If setup seems to hang,
  wait at least 10 minutes + before restarting system. You should experience
  momentary screen blackouts.
  1. Power on the computer. Press the Pause/Break key as soon as you see
     text on the screen. [If you currently are running in an OS of any flavor,
     insert XP CD and restart computer. Skip to #3 if system is configured
     to boot from CD.]

  2. Insert XP CD into CD drive. Press ENTER to resume booting from the XP CD.
     (BIOS must support booting from CD and boot order must be set so CD
     boots before hard drive. If computer does not support booting from CD
     go to 2a for floppy install).
     2a. Floppy install: Boot from Win98/Me/Special XP install floppy
     disk with smartdrv.exe added to the boot disk; or the Win XP set
     of 6 floppy disks.
  3. Look for message "booting from CD" usually located at the bottom of
     the screen. If you have a factory splash screen, press ESC to unload
     it.
     3a. Floppy install: From the A Prompt; A:\type: smartdrv.exe. then
     press ENTER. If you are using the XP boot floppy setup disks skip
     to step #5.
  4. Press any Key when you see the prompt to "Press Any Key"
     4a. Floppy install: CD to the location of the CD-ROM drive with the
     XP setup files; CD to the i386 folder where you will type: winnt.exe
     to start setup.
  5. Setup will start copying files, if you need to install any third
     -   party or RAID drivers press F6 at this time. the copying of files
     can take awhile.
  6. Next you will get the option to repair or enter setup, choose to
     enter setup. Press ENTER. To see images full size, place mouse cursor
     over image and click/double click or press the left button and open.
  7. Press F8 if you agree to the license.
  8. Setup will scan for previous Windows installations
  9. If you are using the upgrade version of XP on a computer without
     any version of Windows currently installed, this is where you will
     replace the XP CD with your qualifying CD, XP setup will scan the
     qualifying CD and instruct you to replace it with the XP CD to continue
     XP setup; otherwise, you will not see this screen. Clean install
     qualifying media can be any of the following Win NT3.51, 4.0, 2000,
     Win 95, 98, Me. 10. Choose the location to install.
     10a If this is a clean hard drive, you can choose to create a
     partition in the un-partitioned space. At this point, you can allow
     Setup to use all the space or set a size for the partition.
     10b If the hard drive or partition has a previous installation of
     XP you want to remove, choose to delete the partition by pressing
     "D". You will then be prompted to create a new partition in the
     empty space. This will remove all data from the delete space.
     10c If you intend to use multiple partitions, or dual boot, this is
     where  you specify the size of the boot partition and or setup
     location for XP. If you are planning to dual boot XP, I would
     create a small 100 meg DOS  partition for the first primary partition,
     then an 8 to 10 gig partition for XP. You can partition and format
     the remaining space after XP is setup from Disk Manager. If you do not
     intend to dual boot, you can either use all the un-partitioned space,
     or create an 8 to 10 gig partition for XP and leave the rest free to
     partition later.
   Note: If a fat32 partition larger than 32 gigabyte is desired, the
   hard drive or partition will need to be created before running XP
   setup. XP will not create a fat 32 partition larger than 32 gig, but
   will support one previously created.
  11. Choose the file system from this screen. If dual booting and you
      created the small 100 meg partition, make it a fat partition. NTFS is
      configured at the optimal file size during the initial setup. See this
      link for more on NTFS
  12. If you have more that one partition or hard drive on your system,
      make sure you are formatting the correct partition/drive.
  13. Select F to continue.
  14. Setup will show a progress box and reboot when copying files is
      complete.
  15. When you see the "Press any Key to Reboot" do not Press any Key.
      If CD boots anyway, remove CD and reboot.
  16. From this point, you will follow the on screen prompts.
  17. If you live outside the US, you will probably need to modify the
      default settings.
  18. Personalize your XP Enter your Name and Organization.
  19. Enter the Product Key. The Key is located on the back of the CD folder
      in  the  Retail versions, and on a holographic label with the OEM
      versions purchased with a piece of hardware. Write this key down and
      secure it in a safe place in case the original is misplaced destroyed
      through natural causes or stupidity. 8-)
  20. Choose a name for the  computer, this should be a unique name for
      the computer, especially if it is to be connected to a network. In Pro,
      you are given the option of creating a password or leaving it blank.
  21. Set your Time Zone and Time and Date.
  22. Setup will scan for network.
  23.  If  detected you will have the choice to choose a typical
       configuration or custom. Choose typical if you are unsure.
  24. For home you will choose your workgroup, if a network is already
      established and you intend to connect to it, use the existing
      workgroup name, otherwise, I suggest using the default.
  25. For Pro, the same goes for Pro as suggested for Home, but you will
      have the choice to join a Domain, if you do  not have a Domain or  do
      not know leave blank.
  26. Setup will continue and reboot when completed ignore the "Press
      Any Key".
  27. The loading XP window will now display after reboot.
  28. You will see a change display settings, say yes, and accept the
      setting if you can see the screen after accepting.
  29. You will see a welcome screen, press next and unfortunately you
      have to wait for the dialog to finish.
  30. Set up you internet or network connection.
  31. This is the Activate, Register screen. You must activate within
      30 days of installing XP, but you do not ever have to register,
      Registration is completely optional and if you do not register, no
      personal information will be transmitted during activation. If you
      register, then activation will transmit that information along with
      the activation. The first Activation is usually done over the internet
      if the computer is connected to the internet, otherwise, it can be
      accomplished by copying the alphanumeric  string from the activation
      screen and make a phone call to the on screen supplied phone number.
      The activation center will then give you a slightly longer number to
      input into for activation. I suggest you do not activate immediately
      in case you need to make hard ware changes, or install to a different
      system within the thirty days, and you will be reminded on boot up
      until you do.
  Blaster worm warning: Do not immediately activate over the internet
  when asked, enable the XP firewall before connecting to the internet.
  You can activate after the firewall is enabled.
  Control Panel - Network Connections. Right click the connection you
  use, Properties, and there is a check box on the Advanced page.
  32. Setup users screen. Set at least one user for yourself or the person
      that will be using the computer.
  33. Thank You
  34.  Logon to XP and apply Service Pack and Critical updates from Windows
       Update before installing any software or hardware.
  35. Install your anti-virus software.
  36. Install all applications and setup your email.
  37. Restore from Files and Settings transfer after reinstalling all
      applications.
 

Speed up menu display

Speed up menu display

When using the start menu the you will notice a delay between different tiers of the menu hierarchy. For the fastest computer experience possible I recommend changing this value to zero. This will allow the different tiers to appear instantly.
Start Regedit. If you are unfamiliar with regedit please refer to our FAQ on how to get started.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Select MenuShowDelay from the list on the right.
Right on it and select Modify.
Change the value to 0
Reboot your computer.

Speed Up Internet

 Speed Up Internet
Windows 2k/XP
1. First, open the Windows Registry using Regedit, and (after backing up) navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\ServiceProvider
2. Note the following lines (all hex dwords):
Class = 008 ( biggrin.gif - indicates that TCP/IP is a name service provider, don't change
LocalPriority = 1f3 (499) - local names cache
HostsPriority = 1f4 (500) - the HOSTS file
DnsPriority = 7d0 (2000) - DNS
NetbtPriority = 7d1 (2001) - NetBT name-resolution, including WINS
3. What we're aiming to do is increase the priority of the last 4 settings, while keeping their order. The valid range is from -32768 to +32767 and lower numbers mean higher priority compared to other services. What we're aiming at is lower numbers without going to extremes, something like what's shown below should work well:
4. Change the "Priority" lines to:
LocalPriority = 005 (5) - local names cache
HostsPriority = 006 (6) - the HOSTS file
DnsPriority = 007 (7) - DNS
NetbtPriority = 008 ( biggrin.gif - NetBT name-resolution, including WINS
5. Reboot for changes to take effect
2. Windows 9x/ME
1. The tweak is essentialy the same as in Windows 2000/XP, just the location in the Registry is slightly different. For a more detailed description see the Windows 2000/XP section above
2. Open the Windows Registry using Regedit, and (after backing up) navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP\ServiceProvider
3. You should see the following settings:
Class=hex:08,00,00,00
LocalPriority=hex:f3,01,00,00
HostsPriority=hex:f4,01,00,00
DnsPriority=hex:d0,07,00,00
NetbtPriority=hex:d1,07,00,00
4. The "priority" lines should be changed to:
LocalPriority=hex:05,00,00,00
HostsPriority=hex:06,00,00,00
DnsPriority=hex:07,00,00,00
NetbtPriority=hex:08,00,00,00
5. Reboot for changes to take effect
3. System.ini IRQ Tweak - Windows 9x/ME ONLY
1. Find your Network Card's IRQ
1. In order to add the entry to your System.ini file, you'd first have to find your NIC's IRQ
2. Right-click on My Computer icon on your Desktop, then left-click on Properties (a shortcut for that would be to press the 'Windows' + 'Pause' keys). Navigate to Device Manager and double-click on Computer. Under "View Resources" you will find a list of IRQs, each with description of the device that's using it. Note the IRQ number used by your Network Adapter
2. Adding the entry to System.ini
1. Once you've found the IRQ of your Network Card, you need to reserve some RAM for its use, by adding an entry to the System.ini file. You can edit the file in any text editor, however the easiest way is to use Windows' built in "System Configuration Editor"
2. Navigate to Start > Run and type sysedit . Find the [386enh] Section in the System.ini file and add Irq[n]=4096 under it, where [n] is the IRQ number of your NIC and 4096 is the amount of RAM you want to reserve in Kbytes. We recommend using 4096, however you can experiment with different values if you want. Save changes in the file, exit and reboot for changes to take effect.
Note: If you choose to try different values, keep in mind that reserving too much RAM for your NIC will decrease the amount of RAM available for applications, while reserving too little might not give the desired effect
3. Additional Thoughts
1. The only negative effect of the System.ini IRQ tweak is that it will reduce the amount of RAM available for running applications a bit, by reserving some specifically for your Network Card's use. The gain in performance usually outweighs the negative effect by far, considering any Computer with 32Mb of RAM or more
2. This tweak may or may not work for you. It is not a documented tweak by Windows
3. Keep in mind that if you add hardware to your system the IRQ of the Network Adapter might change, in which case you will need to modify the setting in System.ini
4. In systems with multiple NICs, you might want to add the setting for both IRQs. Also, you could reserve RAM for other IRQs if you wish, just use common sense and don't forget it reduces the amount of RAM available for running applications
5. If you are using an USB device, it does not have a specific IRQ, however you can try adding the entry using the IRQ of the USB Controller
6. For internal Cable Modems, you'd have to add the entry using the IRQ of your modem, rather than the IRQ of a Network Card

RESULTS WILL VARY
No matter how good your systems may be, they're only as effective as what you put into them.

XP PRO has a lot of fun utilities

XP PRO has a lot of fun utilities. One of the most useful ones I have found to date is the ability to remotely reboot a PC. There are 2 ways of doing this. You will need to have admin access to the PC to preform these actions. That being said, here is the first way to do it:
Right click my computer, choose manage.
Highlight the Computer Management (Local) then click on Action, choose connect to another computer.
In the window that opens fill in the machine name of the PC you want to connect to and click ok.
Once connected right click on Computer Management (Remote machine name) and choose properties.
Go to the "Advanced" tab and click the Settings button under Start up and recovery.
Click on the Shutdown button.
Under action choose what you want to do (you can log off current user, shut down, restart, or power down. you can also choose if you want to force all applications to close, close hung apps, or wait for all apps to close by themselves).
The second way... Remember dos... that good old thing. Open up a command prompt and enter in the following:
%windir%\System32\shutdown.exe -r -m file://machinename/. The command prompt has more switches and options. I highly suggest using shutdown.exe /? to see all the posibilities.