F

FAT32 or NTFS: Making the Choice

Fast Boot /Fast Resume Design Description

Fast User Switching

Fast User Switching Compatibility Service

Faster Browsing in Windows Explorer on Network Computers

Faster Start Menu - I see no reason for there to be any delay when I click on the Start Menu. Effects are pretty, but I wouldn’t click on it if I didn’t have business inside, so lets get it open and get moving. The default speed can be adjusted with a quick registry entry.

FDISK -  Still a useful tool for FAT32 based systems.

File Management in Windows XP

• Use Full Screen View and AutoHide

• Use Show In Groups

• Add Sort Options to Details View

• Rename Multiple Files

• Force My Computer Desktop Icon To Open In Windows Explorer Mode

• "Move This Folder" and "Copy This Folder" Commands

• Creating New Folders from the Quick Launch Toolbar

• Create Quick Launch Icons to Switch Between Basic Search and Search Companion

• Arrange the Windows Explorer Toolbar to Your Liking

"Files Stored On This Computer" Category - When My Computer is opened from the desktop the default view opened is known as Category View. Not many XP users find this view to be of much use, but especially useless is the Files Stored On This Computer part of Category view. This tweak eliminates it from the default Category view.

Folders

• Add a "Print Directory" Feature for Folders in Windows

• Create Custom Icons for Folders - This is one of the most overlooked enhancements in XP. Prior to XP, a folder was yellow and that was it, case closed, unless you used a third party program to change the folder icons. Those days are over. XP has the ability to use different icons built right in via the context menu.

• Create Shortcut to Folder Options Window - Depending on the type of work you do it's often convenient to have a shortcut to the Folder Options Window.

• Folder View Settings Not Retained in Windows Explorer

Force Exit - See Applications Not Responding at Shutdown - When an application fails to respond during shutdown a dialog box is displayed prompting the user to either end it now or to wait. Enabling the value AutoEndTasks will take care of the non-responding application without user intervention.

Force Use of Classic Start Menu

Format

• Format versus Quick Format

• Differences Between a Quick Format and Format During Windows XP Setup (Q302686)

• Using the XP Installation CD to Format Drives

Friendly Trees in Windows Explorer - If Friendly Trees (Expanding Trees) are enabled, clicking on a drive in the left pane of Explorer will automatically expand the tree. When a different drive is clicked, the tree on the previous drive will close and the tree of the newly selected drive will expand.