Encyclopedia of XP tweaks

[NetRyder]

Thanks Dirk!

 

[oerficus]

Re: Create a list of files

Originally posted by XPMagic
You're all set! All you gotta do is right click a folder and select "Create File List Here". When you go into the folder, you should see a file Contents.txt with all the files/subfolders and their attributes. You can always print Contents.txt if you like

Happy tweaking!

Thx for the nice tweak but still I got a problem here. ok two problems

1) How do I get rid of it once created without deleting it from the registry directly?

2) I deleted the function from the registry but now every time I double click on a folder it doesn't open the folder anymore but opens it, with the search functions displayed, in a new window. PLease help me 'bout that! How can I switch the "double click --> opens folder" back on!

Cheers

 

[Dirk Diggler]

To Oerficus:-

Open up you registry and go to these two places:-

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell

and double-click the (Default) in the right hand side and type:-

none

 

[oerficus]

Originally posted by Dirk Diggler
To Oerficus:-

Open up you registry and go to these two places:-

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell

and double-click the (Default) in the right hand side and type:-

none

It worked (of course

Thx a lot

 

[Perris Calderon]

OK, if you started reading this thread way back at the beginning, I had told everybody to resize their page file, and set it to a static value...that was incorrect, as we've all seen discussed, but their may have been harm done if you followed the original advice.

XP does not defrag the page file when you defrag, because the file is in use, so if your page file has become fragmented due to the bad advice of fools like me, then run this program, which will defrag your page file on the next boot.

that's it, you can keep the program, it's very small, or you can dump it, as now, with the proper default setting on you page file, it'll not get fragmented again.

I'm keeping the little proggy for monitoring purposes

 

[dreamliner77]

So, what size should we set for min and max? Does the 1.5x RAM still apply? Please let us know Dealer, I don't wanna play with the great fujistics of the universe...

 

[Perris Calderon]

let xp manage the page file, you don't have to set a minimum, and maximum...you should not set the page file to a static value, that's been a mistake, was and is bad advice.

at the default, xp will set the page file to 1.5...it'll never change, unless xp recognizes an imminent need for more memory, then xp will resize the page file, but only untill the next boot, which will reduce the file back to 1.5, so there won't be any fragmentation.

My personal choice is setting the minimum to 2x the ram, but I leave expansion enabled TO THE FULL REMAINING VOLUME...so as not to crash or freeze a program if the need for more memory ever arises. Because I resized,I therefore needed to dfragment the pagefile, but only the once, and never again.

As I said, I think the best setting is the default, no minimum, no maximum...then you're good to go

 

[Perris Calderon]

ah...I just realized, if you've increased your ram, then xp's default would have increased the page file also, so you'll need to defrag the page file as well, but only one time

 

[sumojockey]

Wow!

I have been running XP since October and have often found useful information at xp-erience.org but this thread takes the cake! Thanks to all of you for your contributions. You are making Windoze a better place for all of us.

P.S. Anyone out there hacking Pocket PC 2002?

 

[brunsodj]

hacking Pocket PC 2002?

Don't think we can talk 'bout that....right?

~Dan

 

[GoKyu]

Disable Recent Docs tweak

Hey all, this is an awesome thread, and very handy doc file listing all the tweaks

I think this one could go into the list too:

One of the first things I do when reinstalling XP is to disable the recent document menu so no new entries will be added (this requires using NTFS.) Here's what you need to do:

1. Enable the Security tab for NTFS permissions by going to Control Panel -> Folder Options. Go to the View tab, and under ADVANCED SETTINGS uncheck "Use simple file sharing (Recommended)"

2. While there, also click the radio box for Show Hidden Files and Folders (you can go back to hidden once this procedure is complete.)

3. Next, hit Winkey+E to bring up Windows Explorer. Go to C: -> Documents and Settings -> <username> -> Recent

4. Right-click on the Recent folder and choose Properties. Go to the Security
tab and put checkmarks by the Read and Write boxes under the DENY list.

If you ever want to reverse this, go back to your Recent folder, right-click (it won't let you left-click onto it as you're denied from seeing the contents), and go back to the Security tab and uncheck the 2 boxes in the DENY column.

That's it

-Bryan

 

[HzrnBgy]

change log on screen (logonui.exe) in three (essentially) steps without restarting!!!

1. locate desired "logonui.exe" file and rename it to something convenient (i used mylogonui.exe)
2. copy renamed file to Windows\system32 folder
3. run regedt32.exe
4. go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon and double-click (to open edit dialog) "UIHost"
5. change it to the name of your log on screen (on my case, mylogonui.exe)

 

[HzrnBgy]

page file size?!?!?!?!?!?!?

why is everybody recommending 1.5x of RAM be the page file size???????? higher RAM means lower page file usage!!!!!! basically, a 128 MB RAM user will use the page file more frequently than a 512 MB or so and yet you guys recommend higher page file size for the 512 MByer!!!

 

[Perris Calderon]

Re: page file size?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Originally posted by HzrnBgy
why is everybody recommending 1.5x of RAM be the page file size???????? higher RAM means lower page file usage!!!!!!

hey...nice tweak you added to this thread, and welcome to this board. You will obviously be quite an asset here

AS far as your information on the page file...that's never been true in the nt family...it's a wifes tale, is and has been bad advice...it actually harms performance...this has been discussed on this forum, and no one wants to see it again, so, in a nut shell...the more ram you have, the more XP use the page file...this does not meen it uses page instead of ram, XP creates addresses in the page file...and this speeds the box.

XP will page to other areas if you make the page file too small, you just won't know it's paging.

XP is under the assumption that if you have a lot of ram, you're going to use a lot of ram...that's true, as programs get more and more sphisticated...so XP sits in wait for the day you do use the ram...xp is not comfortable with less then 1.5...

are you short disc space? what do you think you save by lowering the page file?...you get nothing in return, save for an OS that doesn't have the room to breath that it Needs to breath
do a search for the thread "to challenge an old idea"

also, do the search "page file tweak is false"

you'll enjoy these threads...have fun

believe me...the best performance in XP as far as this setting is either the default, and let XP manage the page file dynamically, or if you use the ram you have like me,set it to double the ram, with expansion enabled to the full maximum.

suppose all this rhetoric is incorrect, and you don't use more page then what you're setting it at...so what...you've lowered the page file to save what? $1.50 of disk space, that's all, and as I said, the day will come when you need to launch a bunch of programs, and then XP will have to find it's on spot to page...huge performance hit there...

 

[ZipTriX]

I know the subject is old, but if someone was worried about the pagefile size so much, wouldn't it just be best for them to set it to System Managed Size?

I have 256 MB, right now. So I set my PF to 400 initial and 1500 max. Runs just like I have a gig of ram. *whispers* well I let myself believe that so I won't be depressed over buying DDR Ram and finding out it is bad* lol

 

[Perris Calderon]

Originally posted by ZipTriX
I know the subject is old, but if someone was worried about the pagefile size so much, wouldn't it just be best for them to set it to System Managed Size?

lol

yes, as I keep saying, letting xp manage the file is absolutely a no loose situation...you see, the issue even arises because of an outdated notion that if the system manages the file, it will always be dynamic...and therefore be fragged...that's just not the case, the file remains static, unless xp recognizes a dire need for a bigger file...that is exactly why it's absolutely incorrect to create a static file...the default is a quite excellant choice

 

[manokent63]

OK......not being the computer expert that I can see most of you are on this forum..I would just like to say a big thank you for all of the tweaks that are listed in this thread. Much appreciated from a tweak novice.

Not seen this one on the thread, forgive me if I have missed it but I found it useful.

How to free up system resources

Whenever you log into XP, services are also loaded in the background, these are programs that load and take up valuable CPU time and memory. You can disable some of these resources which should help improve, and speed up XP a little. Make sure you read through the list to see what you are disabling , and if something goes wrong you can always turn it back on. Below are the instructions for deactivating a program in services.

Click start button

Highlight run from the bottom of the window and click it

A box will appear in the space provided in the box type services.msc and then click ok

Wait for the service window to load

As a example here is how to turn off the portable media serial number service

Look in the list for portable media serial number then highlight it

Right click on it and then select properties

When the properties window has loaded find the start up type drop down box and click disable

That's it, when you restart next time this service will not be loaded

Remember to take your time!

Here are a few examples of services that can be safely changed to Manual :

(You might not even see some of the services listed present on your system. If that's the case, don't worry about it)
DHCP Client -- You're not connecting to a specific DHCP server on your local network
Distributed Link Tracking Client -- You're not connected to a Windows 2000 domain
DNS Client -- You're not connecting to a specific DNS server on your local network
FTP Publishing Service -- You don't need your system to act as an FTP server
IIS Admin Service -- You don't need your system to act as an WWW server
IPSEC Policy Agent -- You're not connected to a Windows 2000 domain
Messenger -- You're not connected to a Windows 2000 domain
Remote Registry Service -- You don't remotely access the Registry of other systems on your local network
RIP Service -- You don't need your system to act as a router
Run As Service -- You don't use any applications that run as an alias
World Wide Web Publishing Service -- You don't need your system to act as an WWW server



Got this from dave-partridge.com

Enjoy

 

[Perris Calderon]

Originally posted by manokent63
OK..I would just like to say a big thank you for all of the tweaks that are listed in this thread. Much appreciated from a tweak novice.

Not seen this one on the thread, forgive me if I have missed it but I found it useful.

How to free up system resources

Whenever you log into XP, services are also loaded in the background, these are programs that load and take up valuable CPU time and memory. You can disable some of these resources which should help improve, and speed up XP a little.

well, that's a good effort, and it doesn't matter that the services, or any other tweak has been listed...if you didn't see it, then this is as good as a bump on the actual tweak.

BUT, a slight correction...turning the services off is a tweak that speeds the boot time, it doesn't speed the box once the computors started, turning some to manual slow the computor if the computor makes a call to the service...still a good post, for the effort....thanx

 

[lr01]

have you all seen this one,

you know that when you minimize a window it does an animation to show you that it's going to the start bar (duh),

Well you can turn that off by going to
HKEY_Current_User/Control Panel/Desktop/window metrics
And look for Maxanimate If it is there the default is set to 1 change it to 0.
and also look for Minanimate and do the same as above.
If neither are there right click on the window to the right and add new string value and type the name Minanimate with no spaces, then hit enter twice then put in the value 0 then hit enter again.
then do the same for Maxanimate.

Then reboot, then when you minimize a window it just goes to the start bar without showing you.

this goes for all windows OS from 95 and up.
Lr01

 

[2z]

Good 1 .... nice first post