Registry Edits for Windows XP
Items listed are
registry edits, implemented by using registry editor. Launch
registry editor by typing [regedit.exe] in the [Run] dialog
accessible via [Start]. Editing the registry is not a difficult
process but it does require care.
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Frequent visitors to
The Elder Geek sites are aware that I don't often
recommend specific programs in my articles. On the
occasions when I do recommend one it is because I
personally use it on my system. If you are going to do
any work in the registry I urge you to take a look at
jv16 Power Tools by Macecraft. Included are the
Registry Manager, Registry Cleaner, Registry Finder,
Registry Find & Replace, and Registry Monitor as well as
a number of other very useful system utilities. |
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Application Registry Edits |
Change IE Title Bar Text -
This tweak allows you to customize Internet Explorer by adding your
own window title.
Customize Windows Media Player Title Bar -
Allows you to change the title bar to read Windows Media Player
provided by <your text>, so if I had entered text of [The Elder
Geek], it would read: Windows Media Player provided by The Elder
Geek
Invoke a Program Once then Delete from the Registry -
This tweak allows you to set up a program that will be run once and
then deleted so that it does not run again unless the entry is
re-entered manually. The Runonce key does remain in the registry for
reuse.
Launch Programs at Login Without Using the Startup Folder -
This tweak allows a program to be launched when the user logs onto
the computer. It can be set to run minimized and there is no trace
of the executable in the Startup folder on the Start Menu nor in the
Documents and Settings folder accessible via Windows Explorer.
Minimize Outlook 2002 to the System Tray -
If you frequently access Outlook during the day it’s more convenient
to have it minimized to the system tray rather than invoking it each
time you need to send/receive e-mail. To minimize Outlook 2002 to
the system tray:
Run Internet Explorer Full Screen -
This tweak forces Internet Explorer to open in full screen mode.
That said, I've left this tweak here because a number of people have
asked for it so they could remember how to uninstall it. While it
does work initially, if you change the view while browsing, the
second part of the tweak resets to "No" so that opening IE
subsequently will launch it in normal view. Rather than using this
tweak, I suggest using the F11 key which accomplishes the identical
results.
Password Is Not Saved in Outlook or Outlook Express -
Problem:
You are repeatedly prompted to enter your password in Outlook
Express or Outlook in spite of how many times you have checked the
[Save Password] box.
Specify Default IE Download Directory -
This tweak changes the default directory where downloads initiated
in Internet Explorer are stored on the system.
Use Internet Explorer Classic Search -
Clicking the Search button in Internet Explorer 6.0 launches
the default
Search Assistant. Many users find the Search Assistant in
IE annoying. To do away with the Assistant and return to the Classic
Search:
Change Start Button Text - If
you’re tired of looking at the word “start” on that green button at
the lower left of your desktop it can be changed. Not easily, but it
can be done.
Eliminate Fade Effect in XP Menus -
This tweak removes the fade in effect on XP menus that many users
find annoying as well as slowing response time.
Desktop Context Menu - By
default, when a user right clicks on the desktop in Windows XP a
context menu is displayed. Implementing the Enable/Disable Desktop
Context Menu edit will remove the ability to display a context menu
by right clicking the desktop, items on the desktop, and items in
Windows Explorer. It does not disable context menus in Internet
Explorer. This registry edit can be set either on a user or machine
basis.
Desktop Patterns from Previous Windows Versions -
If you've been around previous Windows versions you more than likely
remember some of the hideous desktop patterns that were available.
They're still here in XP waiting to be resurrected. Hey, they can't
be any worse than the default XP scheme, can they? On second
thought, maybe they can.
Disable Save Desktop Configuration on Exit - Default behavior
for XP is to save the desktop configuration on exiting the operating
system. To prevent saving the desktop configuration, implement this
registry edit.
Exclude a Program from the Start Menu -
A feature of the new XP Start Menu is a list of the most frequently
used programs on the left side of the menu. Personally, I find this
section rather useless, since a program I'd want to be instantly
available I'd place either in Quick Launch or pin it to the list of
programs above this frequently used programs section. However, if
you find the feature useful but would like to exclude a specific
program from appearing here permanently, use this tweak.
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.
Force Use of Classic Start Menu -
This tweak loads the Classic Start Menu and makes it impossible to
change back to the Windows XP version.
Hide/Show Internet Explorer Desktop Icon -
By default, Windows XP does not show the Internet Explorer icon on
the Windows desktop. Using the registry edit below allows you to
control whether or not the Internet Explorer icon is displayed.
Hide/Show My Documents Folder on Desktop -
By default, Windows XP does not show the My Documents folder on the
Windows desktop. Using the registry edit below allows you to control
whether or not My Documents is displayed.
Increase Menu Display Speed -
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.
Enable/Disable Notification Area Balloon Tips -
This tweak disables the annoying balloon tips that appear adjacent
to the Notification area. The [Notification Area] is on the right
side of the Taskbar, adjacent to the Clock display.
Enable/Disable the Passport Balloon -
This tweak disables the balloon reminder that appears frequently
prompting users to obtain a Microsoft Passport.
Remove Common Groups from Start Menu -
This tweak will remove all the entries located in C:\Documents and
Settings\All Users\Start Menu and its sub-folders from the Start
Menu when All Programs is accessed. The entries in C:\Documents and
Settings\All Users\Start Menu are referred to as the Common Groups.
Rename My Computer on Desktop -
This tweak allows you to have a personalized name instead of the
generic My Computer. Useless, but neat.
Rename Desktop System Icons - Windows XP gives you the
ability to run a desktop devoid of system icons if that's your
choice. If you prefer to have the icons present but get tired of the
generic names XP assigns, use the following method to easily change
to something more personal or interesting.
Sort Favorites Menu Alphabetically
Sort Start Menu Alphabetically -
For those that are annoyed by new entries in the Start Menu being
appended to the bottom of the list instead of being automatically
integrated alphabetically, this tweak will force XP to perform the
sort function automatically.
Enable/Disable Snap To Default Button -
This forces the cursor to always jump to the default button of any
dialog or alert that opens.
Specify Default Search Options -
This tweak will modify the standard search parameters so they do not
have to be reset for each individual search.
Enable/Disable Tool Tip Displays -
This tweak removes tool tips from appearing when the mouse moves
across items that support the display of tool tips.
Modify Desktop Cleanup Wizard Run Frequency -
If you use the Desktop Cleanup Wizard but find the 60 day default
cleanup frequency unacceptable, this tweak allows the frequency to
be increased or decreased.
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File System Registry Edits |
Connected Web Files and Folders -
Connecting web files and folders allows a primary .htm or .html file
to be moved in conjunction with files associated with the primary
document. Once the primary document has been defined, create a
sub-folder using the same name as the primary document but assign it
a .files extension. Whenever the primary file is moved, the
sub-folder will also move and remain as a sub-folder of the primary.
Delete Shared Documents Folder -
An addition to XP is the Shared Documents folder. Folders or files
you wish to share with others on the network can be placed here
using drag and drop. Moving or copying a file or folder to Shared
Documents makes it available to everyone who uses your computer.
Disable 8.3 Name Creation in NTFS -
Files that use the 8.3 naming convention can degrade NTFS drive
performance. Unless you have a good reason for keeping the 8.3
naming convention intact such as using 16 bit programs, a
performance gain can be achieved by disabling the function.
Enable/Disable Recycle Bin - For
those confidant enough that you will never need a deleted file or
folder, this tweak will disable the Recycle Bin and permanently
delete items with no chance of recovery.
Faster Browsing in Windows Explorer on Network Computers -
By default, a Windows XP machine connecting to a Windows 95/98/Me
computer will search for scheduled tasks or enabled printers on the
remote computer. Two sub-keys control this behavior. Deleting them
will speed up browsing on the remote computer.
Enable/Disable Low Disk Space Message -
By default, on a Windows XP system the following messages are
displayed. This tweak will prevent the messages being displayed.
Set Default Search Options -
This tweak will modify the standard search parameters so they do not
have to be reset for each individual search.
Suppress NTFS Volume Last Access Timestamp -
By default, the LastAccess timestamp is updated whenever a directory
is accessed on a NTFS volume. This tweak eliminates the updating of
the timestamps.
Enable/Disable the Thumbnail Cache -
Windows normally stores images that appear in Thumbnails view in
cache memory so that it can redisplay the images quickly each time
you reopen a folder in Thumbnails view. Disabling the cache can free
up memory, but it might cause delays when you open folders.
Delete "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.
CD AutoRun -
Depending on the type of CD's one uses, AutoRun may be more of an
annoyance than a help. This allows it to be universally disabled
rather than on an individual file type basis.
Enable/Disable CD Burning -
If you choose to use a different CD burning program than the one
supplied with Windows XP this edit will disable the default burner.
Enable/Disable DVD Player -
This tweak allows you to disable an installed DVD player in Windows
XP.
Restore Missing CD or DVD Drive -
Reports have filtered in that CD or DVD drives will suddenly cease
to exist in XP systems. Most often this has been reported in
conjunction with program installations and Windows upgrades, but it
has also happened for no apparent reason. This tweak will restore
the missing drives after a reboot.
Connected Web Files and Folders -
Connecting web files and folders allows a primary .htm or .html file
to be moved in conjunction with files associated with the primary
document. Once the primary document has been defined, create a
sub-folder using the same name as the primary document but assign it
a .files extension. Whenever the primary file is moved, the
sub-folder will also move and remain as a sub-folder of the primary.
Increase Internet Download Connections -
Increase Simultaneous Internet Download Connections. Increases the
number of allowed simultaneous connections to ten (10).
Enable/Disable My Pictures Toolbar in IE -This
tweak disables the floating toolbar that appears in Internet
Explorer allowing an image to be Saved, E-mailed, or Printed.
Manage Internet Explorer Error Reporting -
This tweak removes the IE Error Reporting tool from appearing with
the option to send browser debugging reports to Microsoft.
Remove Links Folder in Favorites -
The Links folder is part of Favorites whether it's being accessed
through Internet Explorer or the Favorites menu in the Start Menu.
This tweak will remove it from those locations.
Force New Internet Explorer Window for Launching Shortcuts -
By default, when you click a web link in an internet aware program,
and there is already an Internet Explorer window open, the web page
appears in the open browser window instead of opening a new window.
This tweak prevents the new link from being displayed in the
existing IE window by forcing an additional IE browser instance to
open.
Create Legal Notice Logon Dialog Box -
In situations where you need users to review a legal notice before
logging on, this tweak will create the caption for the notice and
the notice itself which you type directly into the string values.
Customize Logon Box Message -
This is the message displayed on the Classic Logon box, not the XP
‘Welcome’ logon screen.
Enable/Disable Logon Screen Saver -
Note: This applies only to the default Login [login.scr] screensaver
and is not the same as screensaver selections made in the [Display
Properties] property sheet accessed by right clicking on the desktop
and selecting [Properties] from the context menu.
Add
Administrator Account to Log In Screen -
When Windows XP is first installed it requires you to enter at least
one name of a user who will access the computer. Once you create
this name the default Administrator account vanishes. To access it,
press Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at the Welcome screen to retrieve the
standard Windows 2000 logon dialog. Log on as Administrator from
this point. To log the Administrator off, click [Start] [Log Off]
and [Log Off] when the [Log Off Windows] selection box appears. The
Log On screen with the available users will be displayed.
Welcome Screen Logon versus Classic Logon -
This tweak specifies whether the Welcome screen or the Classic logon
will be used to access Windows XP.
QoS Bandwidth Reserve Setting -
By default, Windows XP reserves 20% of the connection bandwidth for
QoS traffic. This tweak allows the setting to be altered to a
different percentage of connection bandwidth. If the system uses
more than a single adapter for network connections, each adapter may
be set individually by navigating to:
Enable/Disable Save Password in DUN -
This tweak saves user passwords for Dial Up Networking so they do
not have to be re-entered each session.
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Registration Information Registry Edits |
Change the Registered Organization/Owner of Windows XP -
This tweak allows modification of the registered owner and
organization of the Windows XP software. Note:
This tweak has nothing to do with Windows Product Activation (WPA)
and will not allow you to register illegal XP software.
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Start Menu and Taskbar Registry Edits |
Remove Links Folder in Favorites -
The Links folder is part of Favorites whether it's being accessed
through Internet Explorer or the Favorites menu in the Start Menu.
This tweak will remove it from those locations.
Activate Clear Type -
Microsoft states, “With Windows XP, ClearType delivers improved font
display resolution over traditional anti-aliasing. It improves
readability on color LCD monitors with a digital interface, such as
those in laptops and high-quality flat desktop displays. Readability
on CRT screens can also be somewhat improved.”
Enable/Disable Active Window Tracking to Mouse Movements -
When the mouse is moved over an open window it automatically sets
the focus to that particular window. It does not bring the window to
the foreground of the open windows.
Alter When Pending Password Expiration Warning Appears -
Passwords can be set so they expire and force users to create a new
password in the interest of security. This setting dictates how many
days before the password expires a warning will be given to the
user.
Auto Disconnect for Internet Explorer -
Use this edit to automatically disconnect from Internet Explorer
after a specified length of time has elapsed.
Auto Reboot On System Crash -
By default, when the Windows XP operating system crashes an
automatic reboot of the system occurs. While this behavior can be
convenient, the downside is the error message accompanying the crash
is not visible. Often times this information can be a great help in
troubleshooting the source of the crash. This behavior can be
modified in two ways; via the registry or using the System
Properties property sheet.
Enable/Disable Automatic Boot Disk Optimization [Defrag] -
Locates and consolidates fragmented boot files, data files, and
folders on local volumes. For a complete description of Defrag, type
Defrag in Help and Support Center
Automatic Expanding 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.
Change the Location of Special Folders -
Tweak allows changing the location of special folders on the system.
Any of the folders listed in the registry key may be moved.
Clear Pagefile on System Shutdown - As an added security
precaution it is possible to clear all data that has been written to
the page file so it cannot be retrieved. The downside to this tweak
is that it may substantially increase shutdown time depending on the
amount of data in the page file.
Close 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. This is often referred to as
“Force Exit”.
Enable/Disable Local Group Policy Objects -
In a non-networked environment (or in a networked environment that
does not have a domain controller), the local Group Policy object's
settings are more important, because they are not overwritten by
other Group Policy objects. You can open the Group Policy snap-in to
edit the local Group Policy object that is stored on your local
computer. Click Group Policy to open the local Group Policy object.
This tweak allows you to disable Local Group Policy Objects.
Enable/Disable Task Manager -
This tweak disables user access to Task manager. It must be applied
on a user by user basis.
Modify
Shutdown Time For Services To Close -
Often times when XP is shutting down a dialog appears saying the
system is waiting for a service to close. This tweak will reduce (or
increase) the amount of time that expires before this warning
appears. In some cases it may be desirable to allow the service more
time, but most often a shorter delay is desirable. The lower the
number entered the quicker the task will end.
Modify Control Panel Categories -
By now I'm sure you're familiar with the new Control Panel in XP.
Even if you like the new style you might at times wish you could
shift some items around into a different category. It's possible.
Follow the directions below.
Power Down the Computer After Shutdown -
This tweak sets the XP machine to power off completely rather than
stop at the prompt advising users it's now safe to power off the
machine.
Power Schemes - This tweak
sets the power scheme that will be used for either individual users
or system wide for all users.
Altering Prefetch Parameters -
Prefetch is one of the commonly overlooked components that can have
a significant impact on system boot time. This tweak allows
selection of which components will make use of the prefetch
parameters. To see which files are gathered using each of the
settings, clear the prefetch cache located at C:\Windows\Prefetch
and then enable one of the settings. Clear the cache and repeat for
each setting.
Prevent Programs from Loading at Startup -
Provides an alternative method to MSCONFIG for disabling programs
from loading at startup. Two methods are provided; one for disabling
entries for the current user and another for all users of the local
machine.
Remove Shared Documents Folder -
This tweak removes the Shared Documents Folder from all user
accounts on the local machine.
Set System Restore Space Allotment -
Much criticism has been dealt to System Restore and the amount of
space it uses by default on the system drives, but there are
circumstances where you might want to allocate more than the default
12MB it can consume on each drive. This registry edit allows you to
choose the amount of space allocated.
Show/Conceal Hidden Devices in Device Manager -
When accessing Device Manager there may be hidden devices that are
not displayed. This tweak forces all devices to be displayed.
Show Hidden Operating System Files -
Controls whether Operating System Files are shown in Windows
Explorer Note: This is not the same as showing Hidden Files and
Folders. Hidden Files and Folders are not the same as Hidden
Operating System Files. Hidden Files and Folders uses the Value Name
of "Hidden" where Hidden Operating System Files uses the Value Name
of "ShowSuperHidden" in the registry.
Specify Additional Time Servers -
The time is shown by default in the Notification area of the
Taskbar. The accuracy of the time displayed is determined by time
servers that Windows connects to automatically, if your computer is
online when the scheduled synchronization time arrives. The two
default time servers XP uses are time.windows.com and
time.nist.gov.
To add additional time servers to the list of choices:
Suppress Error Messages During Boot Process -
This tweak suppresses any balloon error messages that pop up
alerting you that a piece of hardware isn't working.
Turn Off System Beeps - This
tweak prevents the system beeps from being audible without altering
any other audio settings.
Enable/Disable Error Reporting in Windows XP -
In an effort to make Windows XP a better and more stable operating
system, Microsoft has included Error Reporting in the latest
release. Whenever an application has to close because of an error,
it asks that a report be sent to Microsoft for study and evaluation.
Sending the report is optional, but users can benefit from the error
log that is generated if they wish to study it or print a hard copy.
If you find error reporting objectionable and want it disabled:
Adjust System Restore Default Timing Parameters -
By default, System Restore creates a restore point of the system
every 24 hours and saves restore points for 90 days. The GUI doesn't
allow modifying the default settings but it can be done via this
registry tweak.
Automatic Logon to Windows XP -
Convenience is one of the major reasons this tweak has become so
popular. However, with convenience there is a price, and in this
case that price is a lack of security. Due to the way it is
implemented, anyone with local or remote access to the computer can
easily navigate to the registry key and find out your password since
it's stored as a plain text string. You've been warned.
Create A Hidden User Account -
This tweak allows an account that is normally displayed on the
Welcome screen to be hidden from view. To log on using the account
it's necessary to use the Log On To Windows dialog box similar to
the one in Windows 2000.
Welcome Screen Logon versus Classic Logon -
This tweak specifies whether the Welcome screen or the Classic logon
will be used to access Windows XP.
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The oldest advice is still the best advice:
Back up the registry and have a valid restore point
before editing the registry. |
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