XP Tips, Tricks & FREE Softwares

[crispee]

-Registry Tweak- Make Web pages load faster

The following registry entries are not my idea. I got this somewhere, tried and tested. It worked on my browser, as in it loads faster after the tweak that is why I would like to pass them. I am using firefox by the way.

Disclaimer:
Messing on your registry is not easy. A simple mistake leads to pc troubles and serious mess. Continue at your own risk.

User Level: intermediate to advance

Here's how:
First, back-up your current registry.

Goto regedit,
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Internet Settings and make two DWORD values [Right click, New> DWORD Value]

The keynames:
MaxConnections Per1_0Server
MaxConnections PerServer

Change values to:
MaxConnections Per1_0Server : Decimal value 10
MaxConnections PerServer : Decimal value 10


If you have tweaks and tips you would like to share, feel free to post them here.
It doesn't matter wether you google'd it or what as long as you have tried and tested it yourself. Please do not share stuff that broke your box.

[goma_23]

Minimize all active window - WINDOWS KEY + M (this is useful if you are currently doing something "confidential" and someone comes, just press the key combination and all of the active windows that you are using will be minimized


Lock PC - WINDOWS KEY + M (this key combination is useful if you want to lock your pc aside from using the traditional CTRL+ALT+DEL method)

note : WINDOWS KEY is located between the left CTRL & left ALT keys

[crispee]

Thank you for this tip goma_23.
Additional tip for WINDOWS KEY + M
Be sure to set your taskbar to 'auto-hide' para siguradong wala nakikita sa desktop niyo.

Sayang, walang windows key sa aking keyboard (http://geeklog.linux-box.nl/photo/mdalog/2004/08/04/btc.jpg):)

[TR250]

My personal Windooooze XP fixes:

Ctrl, Alt, Delete... Scratch head... Smoke like crazy... Dring lots of black coffee... Call the wifey... Open the room's window and send that piece of junk flying... call local geek buddy and order for a new PC... problem solved !!!

And this really happened to me and twice! :D

[crispee]

call local geek buddy and order for a new PC... problem solved !!!

This is not so good windoze tip 'bro. Applicable lang ito sa mga 'can afford' na gaya mo:)

Welcome back.

Now let's get to the main topic.

[TR250]

This is not so good windoze tip 'bro. Applicable lang ito sa mga 'can afford' na gaya mo:)

Welcome back.

Now let's get to the main topic.


Hahaha! Hindi ako can afford kaya nga ako ang nag aasemble ng PC ko eh.

Hindi ako mahusay sa computer pero heto ang mga nasubukan kong gawin para mapabilis ng konti ang takbo ng Windblows ko:
Parating Spyware, Adware, at Adware scan at removal, manual update sa virus, madalas linisin ang gomi bin, parating disc check, at paminsan-minsan ay defrag kaya lang medyo iwas ako sa defragment dahil malakas dawa ang binibigay nitong stress sa disc drive. Minsan ay gumagamit di ako ng Hijack.
Mabilis din naman ng konti ang PC ko pero kelan lang ay sinilip ng katropang geek yung PC ko at marami siyang kinalikot sa registy. Yung ilan ay pinatay ang open ports para sa Microsoft. Controlado ang start up at application, yung mga hindi ko ginagamit na programs ay shut down, yung mga add ons na walang kwenta ay deleted, binalik sa classic view yung start up dahil daming burloloy sa modern start up windows at daming gamit ng kulay. Lahat binalik sa pinaka simple para walang extra load yun nga lang walang burloloy. Binabaan din ang resolution ng konti para mas mabilis.
Tangal din ang litrato sa main screen dahil extra load din daw ito. Kung ano-ano ang kinalikot niya at masasabi ko na talagang bumilis ng husto ang PC ko kaysa dati yun nga lang napakasimple ng hitsura at walang maraming kulay. Ang nagpapabagal nga lang ng pag bukas ng bagong windows at program ay yung Zone Alarm pero OK na rin dahil mas safe sa hackers.
Dati ko ng pinatay ang System Restore at off din ang automatic updates at lahat manual na lang ang pag kuha ko update sa virus checker at malware/spyware checker. Hindi na rin ako nag u-update ng OS. Hindi ako gumagamit ng Internet explorer dahil daming "ghost" duon at Slimbrowser at paminsan-minsan ay Firefox na lang ang ginagamit ko. Pag talagang gusto ko ng "tahimik" ay Linux ang ginagamit ko kaya lang mas madali parin para sa akin ang Windblows.

Kulang ang memory ko kaya pag marami akong ginagawa sa net habang nagsusulat sa Words at nakabukas ang Skype (bihira lang ang Yahoo Messenger dahil ang bagal), nakabukas ang Adobe, o Nero, tapos nag da-download ng 3 to 5 movies ay bigla na lang may lilitaw na "virtual memory is low" kaya shut down ulit ang extra program na ginagamit para bimilis ulit ang unit.

Bagamat hindi ako mahusay sa mga programs ay swinerte ako dahil tatlo ang ka tropa kong geeks na parating pumapasyal sa bahay at pag naramdaman nilang bumabagal ang PC ko ay kinakalikot na lang nila. Problema lang ay yung isang geek ay babae na mahilig sa burloloy pero galit sa hackers na grabi ang security kaya bumabagal ang unit pero yung isa naman ay magaling sa program kaya inaalis yung burloloy at pinapabilis ang PC. Dahil sa dami ng pinaglalalagay nilang extra programs ay nalilito ako kaya puros disc check, virus, and spyware removal lang ang ginagawa ko.

Kaya ko nga pala pinatay ang auto update ay dahil isang araw bigla nalang may bumisita at nawala ang codes/programs ko sa window player(kahit hindi ko naman ito ginagamit) at nagloko ang CDRW Rom dahil sa nawawalang programs at ayaw mag copy at burn ng disc pero OK naman pag nanonood lang. Install ng bagong Nero para sa nawawalang codecs at OK na naman ulit. Minsan naman ay may nagpadala sa akin ng regalo na bogus daw ang gamit ko at nagawa nilang paglokohin ang PC ko dahil sa isang program na pinadala through back door...buti na lang at naayos ko ulit ito. Kung iisipin ay nahihirapan akong alagaan ang PC ko dahil daming kailangang kalikutin parati pero OK na rin dahil challenging. Ewan ko kung makakatulong ang mga naibigay kong tips.

Ngayon ay di ko na masyadong pinaglalaruan ang registry at yung katropang gumawa ng homepage ko na lang ang nangangalikot nito dahil pag ako ang nangalikot ay malamang magkaloko-loko ulit ang mga programs ng PC ko. Sabi nila ay Mac o Linux daw ang para sa akin kaya lang mas gusto ko pa rin ang Winblows...

[guy26]

tama po ba!
-Naramdaman ko ang ang bilis!

Maraming salamat po!

[infinite_trial]

if you don't use your system restore and want to maximize your hard drive space, you can turn it off by right clicking on my computer and then go to properties. go to the system restore tab and turn off system restore for all drives (if you have multiple drives):

http://www.datarecovery.com .sg/data_recovery/img/img_turn_off_system_ restore.jpg

perform disk cleanup and disk defrag once every month if you have a large hard drive. just go to start > accessories > system tools > disk cleanup/disk defrag

http://www.short-media.com/images/mm/Articles/shortmediaware/hdd_cleanup/DiskCleanup1.jpg

usually temporary files and temp internet files can take up so much space

http://helpmycomputer.info/images/disk_defrag_finished .gif

want to skip the recycle bin each time you delete a file? simply hold the shift key + the del key. this would permanently delete the file...remember it's PERMANENT

cannot log in to winxp? you might wanna try loggin in to safe mode first before attemptin to reinstall windows or throw your computer out of the window. press f8 before the xp splash screen and choose safe mode from the choices. if you can log on to safe mode without any problems, chances are your computer has spyware, faulty drivers, hardware failure. to disable some programs you've recently added or which you think might be interferin wit the logon process, go to start > run > msconfig > startup tab

http://www.get-in-control.com/how-to/msconfig-startup.gif

you can try disabling all startup items first and restart your computer. if you can successfully logon to normal mode with everything in the startup turned off, you can isolate the problem by going back to msconfig and try checkin the items disabled one by one every restart.

if this still fails, you can try disablin the drivers if you suspect a driver or hardware failure:

to do this right click my computer > properties > hardware > then click device manager

http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co .uk/XPDeviceManager.gif

expand the items and check if there are yellow marks beside the devices. if there are any, disable the item by right clicking and click disable. if there are no yellow marks, you can still try to disable the suspected device one by one at every restart to isolate the problem. if you can logon to normal mode by disablin one of the drivers, the driver might be corrupted and you need to reinstall it. if you recently installed the faulty driver you can rollback (see pic for reference)

http://www.simonscomputers. co.uk/support/images/faq119xpDriverRollBa ck.jpg

if you suspect a software/OS failure, you can still try repair or dirty installation (http://www.michaelstevenste ch.com/XPrepairinstall.htm) . the files would still be intact.

...but you can actually use the recovery console first by booting to the windows xp installation disk and choosing recovery console (r):

http://techrepublic.com.com/i/tr/downloads/images/10winxpboot_a.jpg

from this screen choose 1 (default choice if you have c: drive as your main drive):

http://techrepublic.com.com/i/tr/downloads/images/10winxpboot_b.jpg

after that type chkdsk /r to check the integrity of the drive and fix errors. type exit when it's finish, the computer will restart and wait for the login screen to appear.

if all else fails, then go ahead throw your computer out of the window :D

[sanju_yen]

hello 2 all! hope you like this tweak specially for those
who have slow shutdown xp problem..
but be careful when editing the registry values, just follow my instructions
carefully..happy tweaking!

Run Regedit.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control.
Click on the "Control" Folder.
Select "WaitToKillServiceTim eout"
Right click on it and select Modify.
Set it a value lower than 2000 (Mine is set to 200).

[Sarevok]

Nasubukan mo na bang mageject ng USB drive at palaging may lalabas na message na "Device is busy and cannot be stopped" kahit close na lahat ng windows at running programs? Ito ang ginagawa ko kapag nangyayari ito:

1. Run windows task manager. (Ctrl + Alt + Del)
2. Go to shutdown confirmation screen (Start->"Turn Off Computer").
3. Hold down the buttons Ctrl + Alt + Shift while cancelling the confirmation screen.
4. In the Windows Task Manager go to the Applications tab.
5. Click on button "New Task" then type explorer.exe
6. Try ejecting the USB drive again.

Actually the procedure above restarts explorer.exe so that it will release the resources it is using and thus free the USB drive.

[crispee]

1. Right-click on empty space on your desktop.
2. Select >New > Shortcut
3. Type the following:
shutdown.exe -s -t 00
4. Hit Enter and name your new shortcut Shutdown or anything you want. Again hit Enter or just click Finish.

5. Your'e almost done. You may want to change the default icon. So Right-click on it, select Properties > Change Icon...

6. Ignore the warning pop-up, continue by clicking OK.
7. On the next window, you may select the icon of your choice. My preferrence is the power button.

8. Next time you want to shutdown, just hit this icon.

(Testing machine: Windows XP)

[aeroguy30]

wow... thanks crispee will try this on my pc :D:D:D

[pineapple]

very informative thank you i tried it on my pc too thanks (^_^)/

[aeroguy30]

A fast way to remove your USB device from your PC is to single click the USB icon on the taskbar (lower right corner) instead of double clicking the USB icon. :D:D:D

[TR250]

Hindi lang pang XP pero para din sa lahat ng PC.
Kadalasan ay pindot lang ng pindot tayo ng keyboard pero nakakalimutan nating linisin at bigyan ng overhaul o tune-up ang PC natin. Ang tingin ko sa PC ay para ding sasakyan na kailangan ng regular check at tune-up kundi mag be-break down.
Ako 2 to 3 times a year magbukas ng PC at nililinis ko ang loob. OK daw panlinis yung can ng compressed air pero di talaga ako mapakali at binabaklas ko lahat ng piyesa (I mean lahat). Gumagamit din ako ng air compressor pero binabaklas ko yung lahat ng fan para linisin (cooling fan, CPU fan, Hard drive fan, at power supply fan). Lahat din ng piyesa trip kong baklasin at lahat ng connection ports, sockets, wires linis. Pati regrease sa CPU ay ginagawa ko na alam ko namang hindi kailangan... Para bang ang bilis at ang tahimik ng PC pag bagong linis.
Kelan lang ay binaklas ko ulit ang PC ko at nagkabit ng ilang additional HDs at kung ano- anong wierd na piyesa pero ang pinaka upgade ko ay nilagyan ko ng sound insulators ang PC at mas maayos na channel para sa air flow for better cooling. Tapos tinakpan ko yung mga singit at butas ng duct tape at kinabitan ko rin ng plastic mesh (kulambo) to work as a filter para sa intake fan para hindi masyadong maraming alikabok ang pumapasok. Ayun mas tahimik, at parang mas lalo pang bumilis. Medyo over kill nga lang at mukhang Frankenstein ang PC ko ngayon pero at least ala ako masyadong problema na biglang masisira ang mga parts. Dami ko na ring naitatabing mga spare parts dahil medyo paranoid kaya parang junk yard yung aparador ko...
Heto nga pala yung 2 pix nung nag linis at nung bago maglagay ng sound proofing pero maingay pa rin...

[crispee]

Mekaniko ka nga bro:). Sa itsura ng housing, mukhang 'vintage' na nga ang pc mo. Or baka cover lang yan...maaaring latest ang 'chassis' at mga piyesa sa loob. "Do not judge a book by its cover", ika nga;).

Additional tip for challengers if you dare to try what TR250 did to his PC, is to discharge static electricity from your body. This small amount of current is enough to shock your hard disk, RAM and even your motherboard in some cases.

Importante ito lalo na ngayong winter season dahil mas malakas mag-charge ang ating katawan kapag tag-lamig. Humawak muna sa kahit anong metal part ng pc housing bago natin hawakan ang mga components sa loob ng unit. Meron din nabibiling static-proof na gwantes or grounding cables or wristband.

Mas mainam ang nag-iingat kaysa magsisi sa bandang huli.

[TR250]

crispee,
Tama ka na antigo ang PC ko. Yung case ay about 10 yrs na. Yung mga piyesa ay halos lahat Frankenstein. Sa ngayon ay yung bulok na case pa rin ang gamit ko pero balot ng duct tape at kulambo ang butas para sa fan at iba na rin ang hitsura at mga piyesa sa loob na parang Frankenstein. Halos lahat ng piyesa ay galing sa mga lumang computers ng mga ka tropang geeks kaya antigo talaga pero OK pa rin naman yun nga lang ay di pwedeng ipang display:D

*****
Tama yung sinabi ni Crispee na ellergic ang mga electronic parts ng PC sa static electricity kaya konting ingat lang.

[crispee]

DriveImage XML is an easy to use and reliable program for imaging and backing up partitions and logical drives.
The program allows you to:
Backup logical drives and partitions to image files
Browse these images, view and extract files
Restore these images to the same or a different drive
Copy directly from drive to drive
Schedule automatic backups with your Task Scheduler
I have no connection whatsoever to the company. I am sharing this link after testing the software and is satisfied on the results.

More information and download link can be found here > DriveImage XML (http://runtime.org/dixml.htm)

[mokomichi]

when you want to shutdown your pc in a easier way instead of creating shortcut icon for shutdown, >>>> just one push(quick) on the power button of your pc and it will automatically shut down..
P.S. kapag hindi nag shutdown paki ayos na lang po sa setting ng power options (advanced) sa control panel....
siguro alam na ng iba ito, kaya para sa hindi pa nakakaalam try nyo na lang po..:)

[crispee]

when you want to shutdown your pc in a easier way instead of creating shortcut icon for shutdown, >>>> just one push(quick) on the power button of your pc and it will automatically shut down..
P.S. kapag hindi nag shutdown paki ayos na lang po sa setting ng power options (advanced) sa control panel....
siguro alam na ng iba ito, kaya para sa hindi pa nakakaalam try nyo na lang po..:)

Thanks for sharing mokomichi.

[crispee]

Description
As your CD and DVD collection grows, there are two important problems you face - do your CDs and DVDs still work? What can you do when a CD or DVD starts to have problems? These are crucial questions since the discs are used to store valuable files like email, home movies, photographs, business/tax records and music. The solution is to use a free program like CDCheck. It can scan most CDs in a few minutes to tell you if the data is OK - this way, you don't have to find out the hard way that there is a problem. Plus you can use the time it takes for a scan to complete as indicator of the CD or DVDs overall health - even though files may not be recorded as damaged, slower results normally indicate a CD that is on the way out (expect longer times if there are more files on the CD).

If a CD or DVD is showing files with damage or you can no longer read a file in a drive, CDCheck can be switched to recovery mode and make a full sweep of the CD or DVD, recovering lost files along the way. When parts of a file can't be fully recovered, the program will still recover any salvageable fragments. Many file formats such as Zip, TIFF and JPEG can still be used if incomplete (success of this technique varies, depending on the damage). Most zip tools have a 'repair archive' function, and a standard graphics editor can help repair damage to photographs caused by missing fragments.

Since CDCheck is freeware (free for personal use) and a small download, it is worth getting a copy and occasionally using it on your CD or DVD collection.


Licence
Free (free for personal use)


[Click here to download] (http://www.softwarepatch.co m/software/cdrecovery-security.html)

[crispee]

Filename: OEQuick Backup

Description
Few people know how to backup messages, settings, address books or rules in Outlook Express. How would you feel if one day you lost all your messages and contact details but had no backup? In addition, there may come a time when you want to move your Outlook Express files and settings to another computer (a common occurrence when upgrading from Windows 95 or 98 to Windows XP). There is no simple button in Outlook Express to backup files, but there is a free program.

OE Backup will backup (and restore) all your Outlook Express settings and messages. The processes are managed with a few clicks of the mouse. Importantly, the program doesn't use specialised file formats (some backup programs require you to use the exact same software to restore files). This means you have the choice to use the program to restore you backup, or do it manually without the program.

Licence
Free

[Click here to download] (http://www.softwarepatch.co m/network-security/oebackup-security.html)