Windows XP Tips

Changing Drive Letters in Windows XP?

When you add drives to your computer, such as an extra hard drive, a CD drive, or a storage device that corresponds to a drive, Windows automatically assigns letters to the drives. However, this assignment might not suit your system; for example, you might have mapped a network drive to the same letter that Windows assigns to a new drive. When you want to change drive letters, follow these steps:

Right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
Under Computer Management, click Disk Management. In the right pane, you’ll see your drives listed. CD-ROM drives are listed at the bottom of the pane.
Right-click the drive or device you want to change, and then click Change Drive Letter and Paths.
Click Change, click Assign the following drive letter, click the drive letter you want to assign, and then click OK.
You will not be able to change the boot or system drive letter in this manner. Many MS-DOS-based and Windows-based programs make references to a specific drive letter (for example, environment variables). If you modify the drive letter, these programs may not function correctly.

disable_winlogo_key.reg - Disable the Windows Logo Keys© Doug Knox - 02/02/2002
This REG (Registry) file will disable the Windows Logo keys on your keyboard.
To use: Download the disable_winlogo_key.reg file and save it to your hard drive (you may want to right click and use Save Target As). Open Windows Explorer (if necessary) and locate the file you just saved. Double click the file and answer yes to the import prompt. You will need to log off/log on or restart for the change to take effect.
To re-enable the Windows Logo keys, download this REG file re-enable_winlogo_key.reg and double click the file. Answer yes to the import prompt and then reboot.

Enable the Administrator account on the Welcome Screen
Option 1: Download and install TweakUI from the Powertoys for Windows XP collection. In the Logon section, you can hide, or make visible, User accounts on the Welcome Screen.
Option 2: Click Start, Run and enter REGEDIT Go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList (note that there is a space in the Windows NT). Right click in the right pane and select New, DWord value. Give the value the same name as the Username on the Welcome Screen (it must match) for the account you wish to hide/show. Double click the new value and set it to 1 to show the account on the Welcome Screen, or set it to 0 to hide the account.
Example: Doug is a user on the computer, Doug would be the name you give the new value.

How Do I Get the Security tab in Folder Properties?
First, your hard drive must be formatted NTFS for this tab to show up.
Second, if you're running XP Pro, you must open Windows Explorer, go to Tools, Folder Options, View and uncheck Use Simple File Sharing.
Third, if you're running XP Home, Simple File Sharing is enforced by default and cannot be disabled. You must boot the computer into Safe Mode and log in with the Administrator account, in order to see the Security tab. A work around for XP Home, so that you don't have to enter Safe Mode, can be found here.
WARNING: Adjusting the permissions on a drive, file or folder can lock even the Administrator account out of that drive/file/folder. Deny Permissions take precedence over Allow Permissions, regardless of your group membership. Administrators are members of the User's group, by default. Uncheck Allow, rather than using Deny.


Lock your Desktop
Press the Windows key and the L key (WinKey+L) at the same time.
Additionally, you can create a new shortcut, with the following command line:
rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
Copy the new shortcut to your Quick Launch bar and you have one click access to locking the desktop.
Notes: If you are using the Welcome screen and Fast User Switching is enabled, other users will still have access to you computer, by selecting their Username and entering their password. Additionally, if you don't have a password on your account, then all that is required is to click on your Username on the Welcome screen.


Stop Messenger Service Popups
The Messenger Service, not to be confused with Windows Messenger, is used to send messages across a network or LAN. Spammers have found that they can exploit this to send messages to your computer, when you're connected to the Internet. However, the Messenger Service is not the problem. The reason that they can send these messages is that your Internet connection is not secure. The use of a firewall will stop these messages. For detailed information on Windows XP's built-in firewall, open Help and Support and search for "firewall".
To enable XP's built in firewall, Open Network Connections, or right click My Network Places and select Properties.Right click the Dial-up, LAN or High-Speed Internet connection that you want to protect and select Properties. On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall, select one of the following: To enable Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), select the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box. To disable Internet Connection Firewall, clear the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box.
If you have a valid reason to run without a firewall, then you can disable the Messenger Service. Go to Start, Run and enter SERVICES.MSC. Locate the entry for Messenger. Double click this entry and set it to Stopped and Disabled.


Outlook Express keeps prompting for your password
NOTE: Following this procedure will remove all stored passwords for your user account. Make sure you know what they are before performing this procedure!!
This fix also applies to Outlook, other programs that store passwords in the Protected Storage System Provider sub branch of the Registry. It also corrects some issues with Internet Explorer and Autocomplete.
This is caused by a damaged Registry key. To Remove the broken Key in Windows® XP1) Click Start, click Run, and then type regedt32 in the Open box.2) Locate the following registry key:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider3) Right click the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider key, and then Select Permissions.4) In the Permissions for Protected Storage System Provider dialog box, click the Advanced tab. Make sure that the has Full Control access. Select "Replace permission entries..."5) Click OK.
6) Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each subkey that is listed under the Protected Storage System Provider registry key; otherwise, you may receive the following error message when you try to delete the Protected Storage System Provider key:
Registry editor could not delete the key currently selected. The key or one of its subkeys does not give you delete access.
Note: The sub keys under Protected Storage System Provide will look something like this:
S-1-5-21-1085031214-1202660629-1708537768-10037) At this point, you can delete the Protected Storage System Provider key by clicking Delete on the Edit menu. If you prefer, you can first export a copy of this key, and then delete the key. To export the key, right click the Protected Storage System Provider key, and select Export. The exported file can be re-imported by double clicking on it.8) When you click Delete, you receive the following message:
Registry editor will delete the currently selected key and all its subkeys. Do you want to continue the operation?
Click Yes to finish the process.9) Start Outlook Express. When Outlook Express checks your mail account(s) you will be able to re-enter your password(s). This process repopulates the Protected Storage System Provider registry key with the correct information for that computer's SID.


Recover Deleted Files/Folders
Ok, you've deleted a file or files, and sent them to the Recycle Bin. Then, being conscientious, you emptied the Recycle Bin to free up the disk space.
Oops! The first pictures of your new baby were in that folder! Or the pictures of your sister's wedding.
And those pictures are gone!
You'll need 3rd party software to recover these files. I use FileSaver, from http://www.file-saver.com
Of course, the less work you do with your computer, in the meantime, the better your chances of recovering your deleted files/folders intact.


How do I restrict a User's Logon hours?
You can only restrict when a user can log on to the system. On a stand alone computer, there is no way, currently, to force a user to log off when their hours expire.
1) Open Help and Support and type "logon hours" (without the quotes) in the search box.2) Go to Full text matches and click on "Net user". See the examples for setting a user's logon hours. Some examples would be:
net user johnsw /time:M-F,08:00-17:00 net user johnsw /time:M-F,8am-5pm net user marysl /time:M,4am-5pm;T,1pm-3pm;W-F,8:00-17:00 net user johnsw /time:all (this one means this user can always log on)
3) Open a Command Prompt window.4) Enter the appropriate "net user" command for the user(s) you wish to restrict access for.
If you need to force a user to log off when their hours expire, you may want to investigate Access Boss, from FS Pro Labs.


Disable Windows® Messenger in Windows® XP Pro
If you're running Pro, you can use GPEDIT.MSC to prevent Messenger from loading. Otherwise, even disabling it in startup won't cause it to "always" not run. Outlook, OE and some MS web pages can still make it load.1) Start, Run and enter GPEDIT.MSC 2) For "per machine" restriction, go to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Messenger For "per user" restriction, go to User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Messenger3) You can now modify whether it starts initially and/or whether its to run at all.
Note: Outlook and Outlook Express will take longer to open, unless you turn off Messenger Support. In Outlook Express its in Tools, Options, General tab. In Outlook its in Tools, Options, Other. One additional Registry edit is needed to prevent a serious delay in opening OE if you use the Contacts Pane and have disabled or removed Messenger. It can be found here: Prevent Windows Messenger from automatically running.


folderopts.vbs - Enables/Disables Folder Options settings 'in Win95/98© Doug Knox - rev 12/02/99This code may be freely distributed/modified.
Usage: Download folderopts.vbs and save this file to your hard drive. Navigate to where you saved it and double click the file. The VB Script file will check for the appropriate value and if not found will create it. If the value was found, it will be toggled to its opposite state and you will be informed that you need to restart. This script can be viewed in Notepad or any text editor, as to the specific Registry key and value that are updated. Your antivirus software may report this script as potentially malicious, or a possible virus. This is because the script writes to the System Registry.


desktopicons.vbs - Hide/Show Desktop Icons in Win95/98© Doug Knox - rev 12/03/99This code may be freely distributed/modified.
Usage: Download desktopicons.vbs and save this file to your hard drive. Navigate to where you saved it and double click the file. The VB Script file will check for the appropriate value and if not found will create it. If the value was found, it will be toggled to its opposite state and you will be informed that you need to restart. This script can be viewed in Notepad or any text editor, as to the specific Registry key and value that are updated. Your antivirus software may report this script as potentially malicious, or a possible virus. This is because the script writes to the System Registry.


displayapplet.vbs - Enable/Disable the Display Properties applet in Win95/98/Me/XP© Doug Knox - rev 12/10/99This code may be freely distributed/modified.
Usage: Download displayapplet.vbs and save this file to your hard drive. Navigate to where you saved it and double click the file (you can also create and use shortcuts). A confirmation dialog will appear and tell you the state of this setting. This script can be viewed in Notepad or any text editor, as to the specific Registry key and value that are updated. Your antivirus software may report this script as potentially malicious, or a possible virus. This is because the script writes to the System Registry.


startmenurightclick.vbs - Enable/Disable Start Menu right click menus in Win95/98© Doug Knox - rev 12/03/99This code may be freely distributed/modified.
Usage: Download startmenurightclick.vbs and save this file to your hard drive. Navigate to where you saved it and double click the file. The VB Script file will check for the appropriate value and if not found will create it. If the value was found, it will be toggled to its opposite state and you will be informed that you need to log off/back on or restart your computer. This script can be viewed in Notepad or any text editor, as to the specific Registry key and value that are updated. Your antivirus software may report this script as potentially malicious, or a possible virus. This is because the script writes to the System Registry.


devmgr.vbs - Enable/Disable the Device Manger in Win95/98© Doug Knox - rev 12/10/99This code may be freely distributed/modified.
Usage: Download devmgr.vbs and save this file to your hard drive. Navigate to where you saved it and double click the file. A confirmation dialog will appear and tell you the state of this setting. This script can be viewed in Notepad or any text editor, as to the specific Registry key and value that are updated. Your antivirus software may report this script as potentially malicious, or a possible virus. This is because the script writes to the System Registry.


logoff.vbs - Enable/Disable Start Menu LogOff in Win95/98© Doug Knox - rev 12/03/99This code may be freely distributed/modified.
Usage: Download and save logoff.vbs to your hard drive. Navigate to where you saved it and double click the file (you can also create and use shortcuts). The VB Script file will check for the appropriate value and if not found will create it. If the value was found, it will be toggled to its opposite state and you will be informed that you need to log off/back on or restart your computer. This script can be viewed in Notepad or any text editor, as to the specific Registry key and value that are updated. Your antivirus software may report this script as potentially malicious, or a possible virus. This is because the script writes to the System Registry.


password.vbs - Disable/Enable Changing Passwords in Win95/98© Doug Knox - rev 12/03/99This code may be freely distributed/modified.
Usage: Download password.vbs Save the file to the folder of your choice. Double click the VBS file. The VB Script file will check for the appropriate value and if not found will create it. If the value was found, it will be toggled to its opposite state and you will be informed that you need to log off/back on or restart your computer. This script can be viewed in Notepad or any text editor, as to the specific Registry key and value that are updated. Your antivirus software may report this script as potentially malicious, or a possible virus. This is because the script writes to the System Registry.


nosetfolders.vbs - Disable/Enable Control Panel and Printer folders on Start Menu/Settings© Doug Knox - rev 02/06/2000This code may be freely distributed/modified.
Usage: Download nosetfolders.vbs Save the file to the folder of your choice. Double click the VBS file. The VB Script file will check for the appropriate value and if not found will create it. If the value was found, it will be toggled to its opposite state and you will be informed that you need to log off/back on or restart your computer. Note: This also disables Control Panel in My Computer. This script can be viewed in Notepad or any text editor, as to the specific Registry key and value that are updated. Your antivirus software may report this script as potentially malicious, or a possible virus. This is because the script writes to the System Registry.



SECURE YOUR COMPUTER!(works with Win95/98/Me)
On a stand alone PC, or one that isn't on a network with an NT server, you can now secure your computer from unauthorized users.
Click here to download mustbevalidated.zipSave the ZIP file to your hard drive and open it. Locate mustbevalidated.txt
Open this file in Notepad and print out the instructions.
I strongly recommend that you read through the instructions completely, before attempting this procedure. It is best to be familiar with them. It will also give you the chance to consult your computer's manual for any instructions you may need, in advance.
Follow the instructions exactly and you'll have about as secure a computer as you can get in Windows 98.
Note: If your computer supports it (consult the owner's manual) a BIOS level password is one of the best ways to secure your computer. This procedure can be used to add further security, since BIOS passwords can be reset.
You may also want to check out this Freeware program, SecureIt Pro from Quantrix Corp. as an alternative means of doing the same thing.
http://www.dougknox.com/security/mustbevalidated.zip