Microsoft Windows XP
General Tips Page 4
How to Turn On and Turn Off System Restore in
Windows XP (Q310405)
This article explains how to turn on and turn off System
Restore in Windows XP. CAUTION : When you turn off
System Restore, all existing restore points are removed,
and you are no longer able to track or undo changes to
your computer. To continue to use System Restore to
restore your computer to a previous state, do not turn
off System Restore.
System Restore is the feature that allows a computer
system to be "rolled back", or restored, to a
point in time before certain events took place, for
example, prior to specific software or hardware
installations. System Restore monitors changes to the
system and some application files, and automatically
creates restore points. You can also create your own
restore points at any time.
In Windows XP, System Restore is enabled by default. It
is a powerful tool, which in most cases, should not be
turned off.
Click here
for the kb article from Microsoft.
Improper Shutdown May Affect System Restore (Q283096)
When you use System Restore to perform a restoration to
your system, System Restore may not restore all files as
expected. You may also receive the following error
message when you restart the computer after the restore
process:
System Restore
Restoration Incomplete
Your computer cannot be restored to:
Date
Restore Point Name
This restoration is incomplete. It was interrupted by an
improper shutdown. You should undo this restore or
choose another restore point.
To choose another restore point, restart System Restore.
This behavior can occur when the computer is not shut
down properly. For example, this issue occurs when there
is an accidental or intentional improper shutdown during
the restoration process.
Click here
for the kb article from Microsoft.
Device Settings Are Hard to Find in Windows XP (Q310751)
When you attempt to configure the direct memory access
and programmed input/output (DMA/PIO) settings for a
device on a Windows XP-based computer, you do not find
the settings in the Properties dialog box for the
device. In addition, Help does not provide the location
of the settings.
This behavior occurs because the DMA/PIO settings are
configured for each controller instead of for each
device.
Click here
for the kb article from Microsoft
I've read of some people having trouble with their dvd
drive after an xp upgrade, and it's because XP treated
it as an DMA(Direct Memory Access) device when it
probably should've been PIO(programmed input/output).
Alphabetize your start menu
Don't you hate how Windows adds new programs to the end
of the start menu? The fix is quick and simple, right
click on the menu and select sort by name. Ah isn't that
better?
Error Message: The Recycle Bin on C:\ Is Corrupt or Invalid. Do You Want to Empty the Recycle Bin for this... (Q297760)
When you perform delete operations on files or folders,
you may receive the following error message:
The Recycle Bin on drive letter :\ is corrupt or
invalid. Do you want to empty the Recycle Bin for this
drive?
This problem is more likely to occur if your computer
has drive letters that have been created by using the
Subst.exe tool.
This problem can occur when the logical drive that is
referenced is an NTFS drive and there was an error in a
permissions-compare operation.
Click here
for the kb article from Microsoft
Getting older programs to run on Windows XP
Most programs run properly on Windows XP. The exceptions
are some older games and other programs that were
written specifically for an earlier version of Windows.
To run your program on Windows XP, you can try the
following, Run the Program Compatibility Wizard. As an
alternative, you can set the compatibility properties
manually. Update your program, drivers, or hardware.
These options are covered in detail below.
The Program Compatibility Wizard
This wizard prompts you to test your program in
different modes (environments) and with various
settings. For example, if the program was originally
designed to run on Windows 95, set the compatibility
mode to Windows 95 and try running your program again.
If successful, the program will start in that mode each
time. The wizard also allows you to try different
settings, such as switching the display to 256 colors
and the screen resolution to 640 x 480 pixels. If
compatibility problems prevent you from installing a
program on Windows XP, run the Program Compatibility
Wizard on the setup file for the program. The file may
be called Setup.exe or something similar, and is
probably located on the Installation disc for the
program. To run the Program Compatibility Wizard click
Start, click Help and Support, click Find compatible
hardware and software for Windows XP, and then, under
See Also in the navigation pane, click Program
Compatibility Wizard.
Set the compatibility properties manually
As an alternative to running the Program Compatibility
Wizard, you can set the compatibility properties for a
program manually. The settings are the same as the
options in the Program Compatibility Wizard. To set the
compatibility properties for a program manually
Right-click the program icon on your desktop or the
shortcut on the Start menu for the program you want to
run, and then click Properties. Click the Compatibility
tab, and change the compatibility settings for your
program.
The Compatibility tab is only available for programs
installed on your hard drive. Although you can run the
Program Compatibility Wizard on programs or setup files
on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, your changes will not remain
in effect after you close the program. For more
information about an option on the Compatibility tab,
right-click the option and then click What's This.
Update your program or drivers
If your program does not run correctly after testing it
with the Program Compatibility Wizard, check the Web for
updates or other fixes, as follows:
Check the Web site of the program's manufacturer to see
if an update or patch is available.
Check Windows Update to see if a fix is available for
the program.
Click Home on the menu bar of Help and Support Center,
then click Windows Update in the right pane.
If the program is a game that uses DirectX, ensure that
you are using the latest version of DirectX. In
addition, check the Web site of the manufacturer of your
video card or sound card to see if newer drivers are
available for either of them.
Dual booting with Windows XP
Been browsing Microsoft's website a lot here lately,
looking for some good information that I can pass on too
you all. Found a series of how to articles, one of
interest in particular, dual booting, or multibooting as
they call it, with Windows XP, a subject I haven't
covered much yet. From their site, "You can install
two or more operating systems on your computer, and then
choose the one that you want to use each time you
restart. This is known as multibooting. You can
configure your computer to start Windows XP, Windows
2000, Windows NT, and either Windows 95 or Windows 98 or
Windows ME." Here is the link
to the main page, here is the article
for installing Windows 2000 and Windows XP, this article
is for Windows NT Workstation 4.0 and Windows XP, and
this article
is for dual booting MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98,
Windows ME and Windows XP, be aware that each of these
links are for different pages of the same article, so if
you just want to read the whole thing and not a
particular setup, then start here.
In almost all cases, Windows XP must be installed last,
and in the case of pc's that participate in Windows
domains, each installation must use a different computer
name, because a unique security identifier (SID) is used
for each installation of Windows XP on a domain, the
computer name for each installation must be
unique—even for multiple installations on the same
computer.
Here is some more info, an article
on multibooting made easy, here is a link
to a knowledge base article(Q255867) on partioning your
hard drives, and here is knowledge base HOW
TO: Create a Multiple-Boot System with Windows XP
(Q306559), which contains tons of info on
reformatting and repairing hard drives, precautions,
installing programs on more than one operating system,
to specifying the default operating system for startup,
good stuff indeed.
Windows XP Professional Utility: Setup Disks for floppy boot install.
The Windows XP startup disk allows computers without a
bootable CD-ROM to perform a new installation of the
operating system. The Windows XP startup disk will
automatically load the correct drivers to gain access to
the CD-ROM drive and start a new installation of Setup.
You cannot upgrade from a Windows XP startup disk.
Windows XP Home Edition startup disks will not work for
Windows XP Professional installations and vice-versa.
Windows XP Professional floppy boot disk here
and Windows XP home edition floppy boot disk here.
Modify Settings to Improve Performance
Windows XP uses processor time to handle system performance according to default settings, which can be adjusted for your computing needs. Also, settings that govern visual effects enhance the appearance of the Windows XP interface, but can slow down performance. You can fine–tune settings in Windows XP Professional to improve performance:
- Right–click My Computer, and then click Properties.
- Click the Advanced tab, and in the Performance area, click Settings.
- On the Visual Effects tab, click the Custom radio button, and then select which UI features to disable to improve performance.
- Click the Advanced tab, and in the Processor scheduling area, click the Background services radio button. Selecting this option means that background tasks that you want to run while you work, such as backup utilities or print jobs, will share processor time equally with programs.
You may need to be logged on as an Administrator to make
these changes. Note that applying these settings may
change your current desktop theme.
Roll Back to the Previous Version of a Driver
Have you ever installed a device driver that makes your system unstable? I know I have. Well, in Windows XP you can roll back such a change if it causes you problems! To go back to the previous driver for a device:
- Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
- Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click Administrative Tools.
- Double–click Computer Management, and then click Device Manager in the left pane.
- Right–click the device for which you'd like to roll back the drivers, and then click Properties.
- On Driver tab of the Properties dialog box, click Roll Back Driver, and follow the wizard's instructions.
It's that simple, although you need to be an
administrator or a member of the Administrators group to
complete this procedure.
Create a Personal Screen Saver
For a great way to put your digital photos to work, try creating a slide show presentation for use as a screen saver.
- Right–click an empty spot on your desktop, and then click Properties.
- Click the Screen Saver tab.
- In the Screen saver list, click My Pictures Slideshow.
- Click Settings to make any adjustments, such as how often the pictures should change, what size they should be, and whether you’ll use transition effects between pictures, and then click OK.
Now your screen saver is a random display of the
pictures taken from your My Pictures folder.
Microsoft Magnifier
Microsoft Narrator is an accessibility option designed
for blind or visually-impaired users. Another tool that
assists with on-screen viewing is Microsoft Magnifier.
It's like holding a magnifying glass up to the screen.
To open Microsoft Magnifier, select Start, Programs,
Accessories, Accessibility, Magnifier. Click OK to close
the informational dialog box. You'll now see a magnified
area at the top of the screen. What you see here will
vary depending on the options selected in the Magnifier
Settings dialog box. Don't like the Magnifier's
behavior? Feel free to change it using the Magnifier
Settings dialog box.
For example, If you want the magnified area to follow
your mouse, select "Follow mouse cursor." Or,
if you find it confusing to see an exact duplicate of
what you're working on at the top of the screen, try
selecting Invert colors.
Want to zoom in on something even closer? Increase the
magnification level from the default 2.
To turn off the magnifier, click the Exit button. Or,
right-click its Taskbar item and select Close.
Changing Thumbnail Options
You can change the size of the Thumbnails view in My
Computer by opening up the Registry Editor (regedit.exe)
and navigating to the following location:
Current user only:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \
CurrentVersion \ Explorer
All users:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \
CurrentVersion \ Explorer
Add a new DWORD value called ThumbnailSize and give it a
hexidecimal value that is between 32 and 256, inclusive
(that is, the lowest possible value is 32 and the
highest is 256): A value of 32 will give you the
smallest possible thumbnails, and 256 will give you the
biggest. Experiment a bit to find your sweet spot.
Get Rid of Unwanted Balloon Tips
Open up the Registry Editor and expand the tree to
display the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \
CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced
Then, created a new DWORD value named EnableBalloonTips
and set it to 0x00000000.
Windows XP Upgrade Advisor Warning About the IrDA Protocol (Q308368)
When you upgrade from Windows Millennium Edition (Me) to
Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional,
Upgrade Advisor may display a warning message about the
Infrared Data Association (IrDA) Infrared Communications
protocol:
This version of IrDA Protocol will not work with Windows
XP
This warning appears only on computers that have an
installed infrared port. Laptop computers often have an
infrared port.
In most cases, it is safe to ignore this warning. The
Windows Me IrDA protocol stack is removed by Windows XP
during the upgrade process; the IrDA protocol stack is
replaced with a new version of the IrDA protocol stack
automatically. There is no need to download or install
any additional software or patches.
Some older, third-party, IrCOMM-protocol programs that
were written for Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me
may not run correctly on Windows XP. If this issue
occurs, it does not prevent Windows XP from running
properly, but the IrCOMM program will not work until you
obtain a version of the program that is compatible with
Windows XP.
Click here
for more.
Don't Ignore the Windows Logo Key
The Windows logo key, located in the bottom row of most computer keyboards is a little-used treasure. Don't ignore it. It is the shortcut anchor for the following commands:
- Windows: Display the Start menu
- Windows + D: Minimize or restore all windows
- Windows + E: Display Windows Explorer
- Windows + F: Display Search for files
- Windows + Ctrl + F: Display Search for computer
- Windows + F1: Display Help and Support Center
- Windows + R: Display Run dialog box
- Windows + break: Display System Properties dialog box
- Windows + shift + M: Undo minimize all windows
- Windows + L: Lock the workstation
- Windows + U: Open Utility Manager
Use the On-Screen Keyboard
An on–screen keyboard is built into Windows XP. It can be useful if you have mobility impairments, if you are using a tablet PC, or if your keyboard goes down. To access the keyboard, go to Start, then click Run, and type osk. Now the keyboard opens on your computer screen, featuring three typing modes you can use to type data:
- Clicking mode, you click the on–screen keys
- Scanning mode, you press a hot key or use a switch–input device to type highlighted characters
- Hovering mode, you use a mouse or joystick to point to a key, which is then typed
To make a shortcut icon on your desktop to the on–screen keyboard:
- Right–click the desktop.
- Point to New, and then click Shortcut.
- Type osk, click Next.
- Type a name for the shortcut, and then click Finish.
That's it! When you need it, the shortcut to the
on–screen keyboard utility is right on your desktop.
Unlocking WinXP's setupp.ini
WinXP's setupp.ini controls how the CD acts. IE is it an
OEM version or retail? First, find your setupp.ini file
in the i386 directory on your WinXP CD. Open it up,
it'll look something like this:
ExtraData=707A667567736F696F697911AE7E05
Pid=55034000
The Pid value is what we're interested in. What's there
now looks like a standard default. There are special
numbers that determine if it's a retail, oem, or volume
license edition. First, we break down that number into
two parts. The first five digits determines how the CD
will behave, ie is it a retail cd that lets you clean
install or upgrade, or an oem cd that only lets you
perform a clean install? The last three digits
determines what CD key it will accept. You are able to
mix and match these values. For example you could make a
WinXP cd that acted like a retail cd, yet accepted OEM
keys. Now, for the actual values. Remember the first and
last values are interchangable, but usually you'd keep
them as a pair:
Retail = 51882 335
Volume License = 51883 270
OEM = 82503 OEM
So if you wanted a retail CD that took retail keys, the
last line of your setupp.ini file would read:
Pid=51882335
And if you wanted a retail CD that took OEM keys, you'd
use:
Pid=51882OEM
The Inside Scoop on WindowsXP
Browse the documentation to get a head start on
WindowsXP. Be ready when your users, your clients, and
your friends come to you with questions. Or find the
real goods in the WindowsXP Professional Resource Kit:
deployment guidance, networking advice, and
troubleshooting information — great info for folks
supporting or deploying the product.
Click here
for more.
Introduction to WindowsXP and Windows .NET Server
Want to know the differences between Windows XP's
Consumer Edition and the Professional Edition? This
session looks at the Windows XP product range with a
view to revealing what is new in the system. It will
also review the extensions on functionality from Windows
2000 and integration with the Windows family of
operating systems.
Click here
for more.
Windows XP Security Patch: Unchecked Buffer in UPnP can lead to system compromise
This update resolves the “Unchecked Buffer in
Universal Plug and Play Can Lead to System Compromise”
security vulnerability in Windows XP. Download now to
prevent a malicious user from compromising your
computer, or using it to interfere with another
computer's operation. The vulnerability results because
the Windows XP Universal Plug and Play feature does not
correctly validate inputs before using them. The patch
also eliminates the vulnerability discussed in Microsoft
Security Bulletin MS01-054.
For More Information - Click
here.
Windows XP Bliss Screen Saver
Remember when you were a kid, lying on your back in a
big grassy field and watching the clouds roll by? It was
pure Bliss. Now you can enjoy the Bliss scenery from
your Windows XP desktop background as a screen saver
when your computer is idle. Get your copy here.
XP successor Longhorn goes SQL, P2P - Microsoft leaks
Sources close to Microsoft confirm that The Beast is set
to include a new relational file store at the core of
its next version of Windows. Some roadmap slippage has
apparently occurred, too, as the database core will be
introduced into Longhorn, and Blackcomb has been pushed
further back. That leaves a gap for a point revision of
XP next year, although there's no sign of this on the
roadmap just yet. Despite the annual revisions being
named as users' number one bugbear, Microsoft hasn't let
a year go by without releasing a new version of Windows
since 1997, when it was fighting the browser wars.
The final feature set for Longhorn - the codename for
the successor to Windows XP - hasn't been nailed down
yet, and the database core had been rumored for
inclusion in Blackcomb, the next Windows after Longhorn.
Click here
for more.
The Road to Windows "Longhorn"
January 23rd 2002-What we know about the next version of
Windows
If you're a Net junkie like me, you've probably seen
screenshots that reportedly expose upcoming user
interfaces for the next two versions of Windows
(code-named "Longhorn" and "Blackcomb").
You might have heard of internal alpha builds of either
OS, and maybe, just maybe, you've seen the infamous
Blackcomb movie that's making the rounds as well. I've
spent the past few months investigating all of these
things, and after speaking with several Microsofties and
uncovering the truth behind the wild stuff that's
available on the Internet, I thought I'd provide a
little heads-up on what's really going on with the next
version of Windows.
Chances are, everything you know is wrong. But I do know
this: As of this date--mid-January 2002--every single
screenshot you've seen that purports to be Longhorn or
Blackcomb is either fake or actually shows something
other than those OSes. Every single one. And there are
no builds of Blackcomb floating around, internal or
otherwise.
Microsoft is indeed working on future versions of
Windows and accompanying technologies such as Digital
Media 9 ("Corona"), "Mira," and
"Freestyle" (see my related showcase about
Freestyle and Mira). These technologies will all ship
separately, while other technologies (such as the next
version of Windows Movie Maker and DVD burning
capabilities) won't see the light of day until Longhorn
ships in 2003. There are so many groups working on
Windows-related technologies these days, in fact, that
it's hard to keep up.
So let's start with an obvious target: That intriguing
"Blackcomb" video and the screenshot fakes
that appeared as a result.
Click here
for more.