MDGx
Windows 2000
©Tweaks + Secrets - Part 1

Go to Windows 2000 ©Tweaks + Secrets Contents
• 12-31-03 Win2000 ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


ENABLE COMPATIBILITY TAB


Courtesy of Jonathan.

"To enable the Compatibility tab in Windows 2000 just like in WinXP/2003, all you have to do is start a command prompt, type this and hit Enter:

regsvr32 %windir%\apppatch\slayerui.dll

To be on the safe side you need to have already installed Service Pack 2 (SP2) or newer."

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• 6-3-02 WinNT4/2000/XP/2003 Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


NO POPUPS ON BOOT


Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003 systems can be configured to hide all popup error messages that might show up during the boot login process, especially useful for computers configured to log on automatically into the GUI [see "BYPASS AUTOLOGON", also in TIPS2000.TXT (part of W95-11D.EXE), for details].
Run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows

Right-click in the right hand pane -> select New -> DWORD Value [REG_DWORD] -> right-click on it -> select Rename -> change its name to read NoPopUpsOnBoot -> click OK -> double-click on it -> select Decimal box -> type 1 -> click OK.
To reenable the display of boot popup error messages, type 0 in the Decimal box above, or simply delete the NoPopUpsOnBoot DWORD Value.
Close the Registry Editor when done.
The changed setting will take effect next time you (re)boot Windows.

More info @ Windows 2000 Resource Kits (RK).

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• 8-9-01 Win2000/XP Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


REMOVE MOUSE SHADOW


Courtesy of Warren.

"If you don't like the mouse shadow and have disabled it in Windows 2000/XP/2003, you may notice that it's still there during login, before your personal settings are applied.
To get rid of it for good, open Regedit and go to:

HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop

Right-click on the "UserPreferenceMask" Binary Value [REG_BINARY] and choose Modify. In the four sets of numbers after the 0000 place the mouse cursor behind the first two numbers, hit Backspace once and type in 30. Do the same with the second set and enter 10. It should read 30 10 00 80. Then hit OK and close the Registry Editor.
Now the mouse shadow should be gone from the login screen."

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• 6-13-01 Win2000/XP/2003 Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


INCREASE DNS CACHE


Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon.
This Registry hack applies to all Windows 2000, XP and 2003 releases.

"When you connect to a web site, your computer is sent DNS -> IP resolver data from your DNS (Domain Naming System) server. This data is stored in a local data cache on your machine so that when you go to a web site more than once, your machine doesn't have to ask for that location every time. Although Windows has a pretty efficient DNS cache, you may want to increase its overall performance by increasing its size. To do this, run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters

In the right hand pane create (if not present) or modify (if present) these DWORD [REG_DWORD] values (no quotes): "CacheHashTableBucketSize", "CacheHashTableSize", "MaxCacheEntryTtlLimit", "MaxSOACacheEntryTtlLimit", "NegativeCacheTime", "NetFailureCacheTime" and "NegativeSOACacheTime".
The Decimal values that seem to work well are (consecutively): 40 (default: 10 ; range: 0 - 50), 307 (default: 211 ; range: use ONLY prime numbers except 0!), 43200 (default: 86400 seconds = 24 hours ; range: 0 - 4294967295) and 90 (default: 120 seconds = 2 minutes ; range: 0 - 4294967295), 0 (default: 300 seconds = 5 minutes ; range: 0 - 4294967295), 0 (default: 30 seconds ; range: 0 - 4294967295) and 0 (default: 120 seconds = 2 minutes ; range: 0 - 4294967295).
There are other parameters within this key, but unless you fully understand how the TCP/IP and DNS systems function, you should leave them unchanged."

More info @ MS TechNet.

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• 5-17-01 Win2000 Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


PRIORITIZE PROGRAMS


Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon.

"Windows 2000 is designed to run applications and services at different priorities. System priorities are how much CPU time a program gets. For example, a high priority program gets more processing time than a low priority program and will thereby run faster.
While application priorities can be set from the command line by typing:

START /[priority] [program]

I have created an Explorer context menu add-on which allows you to change a program's priority. Simply save the following as a .REG file, merge it into the Registry, and then right-click on your desired application to select its priority level from the menu:

-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHP]
@="Start &Realtime priority"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHP\Command]
@="CMD.EXE /C START \"XQSHP\" /realtime \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHQ]
@="Start &High priority"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHQ\Command]
@="CMD.EXE /C START \"XQSHP\" /high \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHR]
@="Start &Below Norm priority"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHR\Command]
@="CMD.EXE /C START \"XQSHP\" /belownormal \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHS]
@="Start &Low priority"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\XQSHS\Command]
@="CMD.EXE /C START \"XQSHP\" /low \"%1\""

------End cut & paste here------"

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• 5-17-01 Win2000 Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


FASTER TELNET


Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon.

  1. "Windows 2000 Server: by default, Telnet allows for 63 concurrent data connections, but this value can be increased or decreased.
    Run Regedit and go to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TelnetServer\1.0

    Modify the "MaxConnections" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value.
    This value is also found in Windows 2000 Professional, but makes no difference, as you are allowed only 2 concurrent connections (hard limit).

  2. Windows 2000 Professional + Server: you can increase the actual performance of your Telnet server by giving it more processing threads.
    Run Regedit and go to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TelnetServer\1.0\Performance

    Modify the "NumThreadsPerProcessor" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value. A good choice is between 16 and 32."

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• 5-17-01 Win2000/XP Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


CHANGE SYSTEM FONT


Courtesy of Devraj.

"The default Windows 2000/XP shell font (for Explorer windows) is Tahoma, and the default system font (for System Properties, Device Manager etc) is MS Sans Serif. If you're bored with the defaults, the only way to change them is to alter the Registry. Open Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes

Edit the "MS Shell Dlg" String Value [REG_SZ] in the right hand pane and modify its "Microsoft Sans Serif" default value to match any other font name installed on your system (i.e. Tahoma).
Then close Regedit and restart your computer for the change to take effect."

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• 2-28-01 Win2000/XP Updated Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


DISABLE FILE PROTECTION


Microsoft added a new feature to Windows 2000, XP + 2003 (all builds) called Windows File Protection (WFP), part of System File Checker (SFC). The WFP role is to protect the OS by preventing "misbehaved" applications and unexperienced users from replacing vital system files with older or incompatible versions.
On the downside, WFP also blocks valid system files replacements, which in normal conditions do not threaten OS integrity.

IMPORTANT:
This applies ONLY to the U.S. English final/Gold/RTM Windows 2000 + XP releases, NOT Beta/RCx, and CAN be achieved EXACTLY as described below.

WARNING:
By replacing Microsoft files you may VOID the EULA, warranty and/or support (if any).
You do all this at your OWN risk.
ALWAYS BACKUP FIRST!

To disable WFP in Windows 2000/XP, just follow ALL steps below:

  1. Windows 2000 ONLY: disable SFC by running these 2 commands from a DOS prompt:

    SFC /cachesize=0

    and then:

    SFC /purgecache

  2. Now you need to manually "patch" (hex-edit) BOTH SFC.DLL (Win2000 with SP4) or SFC_OS.DLL (WinXP with or without SP1/SP1a/SP2/SP3) files from the %windir%\System32 folder (default is C:\Windows\System32) AND from %windir%\System32\Dllcache to effectively disable WFP.
    Get Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3).
    Get Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4).

    Here we go:

    • Load SFC.DLL (Win2000) or SFC_OS.DLL (WinXP) into your favorite hex editor or use the command line tool installed by Windows 2000/XP:

      %windir%\SYSTEM32\DEBUG.EXE

    • SFC.DLL from Win2000 SP4: go to physical offset 000062DB (62DB hex) and change the 8BC6 bytes to read 9090.

    • SFC_OS.DLL from WinXP RTM: go to physical offset 0000E2B8 (E2B8 hex) and change the 8BC6 bytes to read 9090.

    • SFC_OS.DLL from WinXP SP1/SP1a: go to physical offset 0000E3BB (E3BB hex) and change the 8BC6 bytes to read 9090.

    • SFC_OS.DLL from WinXP SP2: go to physical offset 00000F82 (0F82 hex) and change the 440069007300610062006C0065 bytes to read 530065007400740069006E0067. Then go to physical offset 0000ECE9 (ECE9 hex) and change the 33C0 bytes to read EB01. More info.

    • SFC_OS.DLL from WinXP SP3: go to physical offset 0000EC84 (EC84 hex) and change the 83F89D7508 bytes to read 3BC0EB3290. More info.
      Open RegEdit and go to:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot

      Create a new DWORD [REG_DWORD] value called "OptionValue" and give it a numeric value of 1.
      Close RegEdit.
      See also this MSFN.org guide.
      Download + install nLite [freeware].

      WARNING: If the actual bytes found in your DLL file DO NOT MATCH these values EXACTLY DO NOT make ANY changes!

    • Save your work and exit the hex editor.

    • See "MS IE 5.5 SP2 + 6.0 FIX" step 6. SOLUTION, also in MYTIPS95.TXT [part of W95-11D.EXE], to learn how to replace Windows 2000/XP system files already in use.

    • Reboot when done.

  3. Modify the "SFCDisable" Registry Value: this step is MANDATORY for BOTH Windows XP AND 2000:

    1. Manual FIX [courtesy of Franklin]:

      "To disable WFP, start Regedit or Regedt32 and go to:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

      Add/modify the "SFCDisable" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Binary entry to read FFFFFF9D.
      Reboot when done.
      To (re)enable WFP modify "SFCDisable" to read 0."

      These are all allowed "SFCDisable" values:
      • 0 = enable WFP/SFC.
      • 1 = disable WFP/SFC with nag prompt at (re)boot to reenable it. :(
      • 2 = disable WFP/SFC without nag prompt at (re)boot to reenable it. :)
      • 4 = enable WFP/SFC but disable all nag prompts.
      • FFFFFF9D = disable WFP/SFC completely.

    2. Automatic FIX: get Windows 2000/XP/2003 File Protection Switcher [freeware].
      Similar tool: WfpAdmin for Windows 2000/XP [shareware :(].

  4. Final step: check if WFP was effectively turned off: open Adminstrative Tools -> Event Viewer -> search for any message stating that WFP is not active -> if you find at least one, it means all this work was not in vain. ;)

More info:

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• 2-28-01 WinNT4/2000/XP Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


ERROR MODE


Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon.

"In Windows NT4, 2000 and XP it is possible to initialize Windows in Error Mode, a special debugging mode of the "stripped down" Safe Mode.
In Error Mode a small popup window (basically a core dump) shows up whenever an application crashes, similar (but more detailed) to the well known "This program performed an illegal operation" error message.
To enable this feature, run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows

Modify the "ErrorMode" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Decimal value from 0 to 1.
Reboot when done.
ErrorMode valid Decimal values:

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• 1-4-01 WinNT4/2000/XP/2003 Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


DISABLE LAST NTFS ACCESS


This Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003 Registry hack speeds up disk access performance ONLY IF using the NTFS file system, for disk management applications that list/edit directory structures, like Windows Explorer, File Manager [FM: located in %windir% = included ONLY with WinNT 3.xx/4.0, but removed by Microsoft from Win2000/XP/2003 :(], the DIR console command etc.

Get File Manager 32-bit from Windows NT 4.0 SP6a, compatible with all Windows 2000/XP/2003 releases [free].

By default every time a directory is accessed or displayed, its "Last Access" date + time stamp is updated by the OS.
To stop this time wasting annoyance and speed up the interface, run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

In the right hand pane look for the "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value.
If present: edit the Decimal Value to read 1.
If absent: create a new DWORD Value: right-click on an empty spot in the right hand pane -> select New -> DWORD Value -> name it "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate" -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal box -> type 1 -> click OK.
To revert to the OS default setting (always update NTFS "Last Access"): change 1 to read 0 in the Decimal box or delete "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate".
Close the Registry editor and reboot to see the change.

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• 1-4-01 WinNT4/2000/XP ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


SPEEDUP DOS SESSIONS


If you are using any DOS programs in Windows NT4/2000/XP DOS sessions/boxes, there are a few things you can do to increase their performance and/or stability.
These tips are applied by using the respective DOS program's PIF (Program Information File) Editor: right-click on the "[Shortcut to] MS-DOS Program" of your choice -> select the Properties tab -> and then:

Finally, click OK/Apply to save the new PIF settings.

BONUS [;-)]:

If connected to a network, and would like your DOS applications to be able to print to a network printer, add this command line to the batch file used to start your DOS program, or type this into a DOS box before running your DOS app:

NET USE LPTx: \\ComputerName\ShareName /PERSISTENT:YES

Replace "x" with the printer port number, "ComputerName" with your computer name and "ShareName" with your shared name for the specific network you are logging into... and don't type the quotes. :)

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• 11-30-00 WinNT4/2000/XP/2003 Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


SPLIT WINDOWS EXPLORER


Courtesy of Andrew Bourdon.

"This tip explains how to run Windows Explorer as a separate proccess in Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP and 2003.
As many people know, Explorer is both a Windows shell as well as a file manager. While this is a good design in terms of usability, it's not so good when it comes to memory usage. Under normal usage, Explorer may take as much as 8 MB of vital RAM from your Windows system. This is due to a memory allocation problem in which Windows uses twice the total memory for Explorer because it thinks it's using two separate programs. :( To solve this "integration" problem, you need to make Explorer run as two separate proccesses instead of one. To do this, run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Look for the "SeparateProcess" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value. Change its value from 0 to 1. After rebooting, Explorer will now run the shell and its file manager as two separate proccesses and will not try to allocate more memory than neccesary."

FYI: "There's an easier way to do this without modifying the Registry: in Windows Explorer -> Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Advanced Settings -> check the "Launch folder windows in a separate process" box."
[Thank you Julio!]

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• 10-18-00 Win2000/XP Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


OPEN WITH NOTEPAD FIX


Courtesy of Damian.

"The "Open with Notepad" Registry trick [see "OPEN WITH", also in REGISTRY.TXT (part of W95-11D.EXE), for details]: adding a shell\Notepad command under this Registry key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*

does NOT work properly in Windows 2000/XP.
The entry shows up, but the generic "Open with..." insists on being the default. :(
But if you open Regedit, navigate to the CLSID listed at:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\OpenWith

and delete or rename the "MayChangeDefaultMenu" subkey, then Notepad becomes the default file opener."

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• 8-17-00 Win2000 Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


WEB BASED FTP


... And how to do it, courtesy of Andrew Bourdon:

"By default, Windows (and every other OS) uses port 21 for FTP transfers. For most people, this is perfectly fine. But if you run an FTP Server like I do, problems could arise from conflictions.
To resolve port conflicts, you'll want to enable "Web Based FTP". Basically this means that MS Windows/MS IE will use the HTTP port 80 to access FTP, as will programs which take port settings directly from the system itself.
To do this, open Regedit (or Regedt32) and go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Ftp

There locate the "Use Web Based FTP" String value. Change its value from "no" (default) to "yes" [no quotes].
After rebooting, your port problems should be taken care of."

UPDATE: "This is slightly incorrect. Web Based FTP means that when you go to an FTP site, Internet Explorer connects (on the regular FTP port) and gets whatever directory listing you need, then renders an HTML page with the proper links automagically and displays it. This is compared to getting a DOS box with the ftp command running, or, if you have the "Folder View of FTP sites" installed, Explorer style View. In other words, this setting will not cause any conflicts with local ftp servers.
Example: when you make a client connection to a port, let's say, 21, the actual connection isn't from your port 21 to their port 21. There is a random local port chosen, generally one above 10,000. For example when I open a SSH connection, the actual connection I make is from me.foo.net:37388 to ssh.mysite.org:22 ."
[Thank you Matt!]

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• 7-19-00 Win2000/XP/2003 Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


UDMA/66 ALL THE WAY


This Registry tweak works ONLY with Windows 2000, XP and 2003, but NOT with Windows NT 4.0 (SP5 or newer required).

If you have any ATA/66 (UDMA/66), or even better, any newer ATA/100 (UDMA/100) or ATA/133 (UDMA/133) EIDE hard disk(s) properly connected (using good quality 80 conductor IDE DMA66 ribbon cables) to the UltraDMA EIDE controller on your motherboard, it is strongly recommended to enable this setting, to take full advantage of the faster transfer rates these drives are capable of, which are (theoretically) close to 66 (ATA/66), 100 (ATA/100) or 133 (ATA/133) MB/second.

NOTE: This does NOT work with SCSI controllers/hard drives OR IF your (E)IDE/(U)ATA hard disks are connected to 3rd party/add-on/proprietary (E)IDE/(U)ATA/RAID drive controllers!

You must be logged on as Administrator to be able to do all this.
This option is disabled by default in all Win2000/XP releases, no matter what (Intel X86 platform) controller/chipset you have.
Note that this setting is NOT activated just by enabling the DMA item from: right-click on your My Computer icon -> click Properties -> Hardware tab -> Device Manager -> IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers item -> select Primary and/or Secondary IDE Channel Properties -> click Advanced Settings tab -> look under Transfer Mode for the "DMA if available" setting (you must also have "Ultra DMA Mode" active under Current Transfer Mode for this to work). Then you need to repeat these steps for ALL your other IDE Devices (drives) found here, numbered this way: Device 0, Device 1 etc. If you only have one IDE Device, select "None" for all others to decrease bootup time. Now reboot when done, so the change(s) can take effect.
To activate the ATA/66 (UDMA/66) setting, you need to run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0000

Note that the "0000" key above might show as "0001", "0002" and/or "0003" on your machine, depending on your particular hardware settings. Select the key(s) appropriate to your case.
Right-click to create a new DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value, call it "EnableUDMA66" (no quotes), and type 1 in the Decimal box to enable ATA/66 (UDMA/66) support.
To disable it, change the Decimal value to 0, or delete "EnableUDMA66" altogether.

IMPORTANT: You also need to make sure the "EnableBigLba" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value is turned ON under this Registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Atapi\Parameters

If "EnableBigLba" is set to 0, run Regedit, right-click on it and modify the Decimal box to read 1.
This requires 48-bit LBA (Logical Block Addressing) motherboard BIOS support!

Reboot when done.

A MUST: To properly enable the UDMA/66 setting you MUST have your ATA/66/100/133 capable drive(s) hooked up to a SEPARATE IDE channel, OTHER than the one your older (E)IDE fixed/CD/DVD/removable drive(s) [even if ATA/33 (UDMA/33) capable] are connected to (if any)!

More info + fixes:

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• 7-13-00 Win2000/XP/2003 Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


XDSL/CABLE MODEM SPEEDUP


Courtesy of Captain SiskoX.
Works with all Windows 2000, XP + 2003 releases.

"I have a cable modem, but this also works great with xDSL modems.
I used the Registry values below (and then rebooted for the new settings to take effect) to boost my modem throughput performance over the Internet (TCP/IP).
Previously I was getting approximately 2500 kb/sec using Windows default values.
My current tweaked settings [as shown in a REG file]:

-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters]
"SackOpts"=dword:00000001
"TcpWindowSize"=dword:0005ae4c
"Tcp1323Opts"=dword:00000003
"DefaultTTL"=dword:00000040
"EnablePMTUBHDetect"=dword:00000000
"EnablePMTUDiscovery"=dword:00000001
"GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize"=dword:0005ae4c

------End cut & paste here------

More info @ MSKB.

To benchmark your modem speed gain use one of these online Speed Tests."

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• 7-13-00 Win2000/ME/XP Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


GRAB THE FOCUS!


Thank you Pierre for your cool trick!

"I found these settings by playing with Microsoft TweakUI Power Toy for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME [110 KB, free, unsupported].
I used Windows 2000 Professional in these examples, but this works also with Windows XP and ME.
To do this, run Regedit (or Regedt32) and go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Purpose: application window grabbing focus.
When a window that doesn't have the focus (in the background) is updated by its parent program, Win2K by default prevents it from becoming the topmost window. Instead it flashes the taskbar button. This is governed by these DWORD [REG_DWORD] Values:

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• 5-11-00 WinNT4/2000/XP Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


KEYBOARD + MOUSE BUFFER


While using Windows NT 3.51 [ONLY IF upgraded with SP5], NT 4.0 [ONLY IF upgraded with SP6a], 2000 or XP, you may have encountered random "Keyboard (and/or mouse) ring buffer overflow" error messages in the System Log event viewer, spurious key clicks, or even sudden machine lockups, due to the (too) small keyboard and/or mouse queue buffer, because each hold only a maximum of 100 characters or clicks respectively (system default).
But all this can be fixed by tweaking the Registry... :)

  1. To increase the keyboard buffer size, run Regedit and go to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Kbdclass\Parameters

    Look for (or create if not present) the "KeyboardDataQueueSize" DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value in the right hand pane -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal box -> double the value shown there (default is 100) -> type in the new integer number -> click OK.
    Then, under the same Registry key, find/create the "PollStatusIterations" DWORD Value, and increase it from 1 (default) to 2 or 4, by performing same steps above, until your keyboard no longer exhibits interruptions.

  2. To make your rodent "behave" by increasing its buffer size (with the Registry editor open), go to one of the following keys, depending on your installed mouse type(s):

    • ALL Mice:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Mouclass\Parameters

    • Serial Mice:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Sermouse\Parameters

    • PS/2 Mice:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters

    • Bus Mice:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Busmouse\Parameters

    • InPort Mice:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Inport\Parameters

    • Microsoft Mice with IntelliPoint software:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\msi8042\Parameters

    • USB Mice:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\mouhid\Parameters

    In the right hand pane, find (or create if not present) the "MouseDataQueueSize" DWORD Value -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal box -> double the value shown there (default is 100) -> type in the new integer number -> click OK.
    Also, if you notice that your mouse clicks randomly WITHOUT you touching it, find/create the "MouseSynchIn100ns" DWORD Value -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal box -> increase the value shown (default is 20000000 = 2 seconds) to let's say 30000000 (3 seconds), or even higher if necessary -> type in the new integer number -> click OK.

  3. To enable all buttons if using a 3 button mouse, edit (or create if not present) the "NumberOfButtons" String [REG_SZ] Value to read 3, under the appropriate Registry key(s) above, depending on your installed mouse type(s): Serial, PS/2, Bus, InPort, MS IntelliPoint or USB.

  4. Close the Registry editor and reboot when done.

More info @ MSKB:

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• 5-4-00 WinNT4/2000/XP Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


BYPASS AUTOLOGON


This Registry tweak works with all Windows NT 4.0, 2000 and XP releases.
If you own the Windows computer, have Administrator privileges, work/play in a single-user/stand-alone environment, and would like to speed up the bootup process, you can automate the way the OS handles the password dialog box, bypassing the mandatory Ctrl-Alt-Del login prompt.

CAUTION: This will affect system security, leaving your computer unprotected!
Start by BACKING UP your Registry files!

Then run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

In the right hand pane look for the "AutoAdminLogon", "AutoLogonCount" {DWORD [REG_DWORD] Value}, "DefaultDomainName", "DefaultUserName" and "DefaultPassword" String [REG_SZ] Values.
Highlight "AutoAdminLogon" -> right-click on it -> select Modify -> change its value to 1 -> click OK.
Highlight "AutoLogonCount" -> right-click on it -> select Modify -> check the Decimal box -> change its value to 4294967295 (maximum allowed) -> click OK. This is MANDATORY to be able to take advantage of the auto login feature more than once. [4294967295 times should be plenty. :)]
Now highlight "DefaultUserName" -> right-click on it -> select Modify -> change the text to match your UserName (default is "Administrator" if you haven't changed it) -> click OK.
Repeat same steps for "DefaultPassword". [Choose your Password wisely! :)]
If you are not logging into or do not have a (Network) Domain account, you can leave the "DefaultDomainName" String Value empty, or delete it altogether.
If any of these Strings do not exist, you need to create them: right-click on an empty spot in the Regedit right hand pane -> select New -> String or DWORD Value -> assign it one of the names above -> press Enter -> right-click on it -> type in the appropriate text string (as described above) -> click OK -> restart Windows when done.

If you are unwilling to "mess" with your Registry, you can also achieve this by using one of these Registry tweaking tools:

  1. ALL WinNT4/2000/XP users: log on as Administrator -> click Start -> Run... -> type (case insensitive):

    control userpasswords2

    Hit Enter or click OK -> make sure there is NO check mark beside Users -> enter the User Name and Password you wish -> click Apply/OK/Yes until all following dialog boxes are closed -> restart Windows.

  2. ALL WinNT4/2000/XP users: get X-Setup Pro 6.6, the best Registry and System tweaker [freeware for personal use].
    Install X-Setup -> start the main UI -> Network -> Auto Login -> Windows NT/2K/XP -> General + Settings plug-ins -> enable/fill in all appropriate Auto login boxes -> Apply changes -> close X-Setup -> restart Windows.

  3. WinNT4/2000 users ONLY: get the MS TweakUI Power Toy for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME + MS IE 4/5/6 [110 KB, free, unsupported].
    Run the executable you downloaded from URL above -> right-click on TweakUI.inf in Windows Explorer -> select Install -> open Control Panel -> select TweakUI -> click the Logon tab -> check the "Log on automatically at system startup" box -> type a User Name and a Password -> click OK/Apply -> close TweakUI -> restart Windows.

  4. WinXP users ONLY: get the MS TweakUI Power Toy for Windows XP + MS IE 6 [147 KB, free, unsupported].
    Install TweakUI by running the executable you downloaded from URL above -> run TweakUI -> scroll down to the Logon section -> set the default User Name and Password you want to use -> click OK/Apply -> close TweakUI -> restart Windows.

Optionally, if you need to log on into a NetWare Domain/Network, go to (using Regedit):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Novell\NWGINA\Login

In the right hand pane look for the "NetWareAutoAdminLogon", "DefaultNetWareUserName" and "DefaultNetWarePassword" String Values.
Repeat the same operations above for these entries: type 1 in the "NetWareAutoAdminLogon" box, and respectively your NetWare UserName and Password. Restart Windows when done.

BEWARE that all these Password strings are kept in the Registry as plain text: unencrypted! Therefore anybody with access to your computer, who knows how to change the Registry [this includes you now :)], CAN alter/delete them at will!

UPDATE: "There is another way to accomplish the same task without modifying the Registry: Start menu -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Users and Passwords. Here you will find the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" option. When this is checked the user must enter a user name and password every time to access the computer. If unchecked the user will be required to enter a user name and password only once after which the computer will use this as the default and automatically log on for you."
[Thank you Al!]

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• 4-28-00 WinNT4/2000/XP/2003 Registry ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


DOS NAME COMPLETION


This Registry tweak works also with Windows NT 4.0, XP + 2003.
Are you still using the DOS prompt box in Windows 2000 (CMD.EXE)? If you answered yes, keep reading... ;)
The Command Prompt box allows you to type only the first or the first few characters of a file or directory, and then if you hit the proper "hot key", all matching files/folders full names show up.
The default "hot key combo" is Ctrl+D (for directories only) and Ctrl+F (for both files and directories). For example, type this in the DOS prompt box:

CD DO

and then hold Ctrl and hit D. All directories containing D and O as their first 2 letters will be listed (if any).
Run:

CMD /F:ON

to enable file/directory name completion temporarily, only for the current DOS session.
To disable this feature for the current DOS session, type:

CMD /F:OFF

To enable this feature permanently, for all DOS sessions, you need to run Regedit or Regedt32, and go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor

for the current user on your machine, or to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor

for all users on your computer. Second Registry key above takes precedence.
Now look in the right hand pane for these two DWORD [REG_DWORD] values (create them if not present): "CompletionChar" and "PathCompletionChar". These contain the hex values for the custom "key combos" to use as file (1st DWORD above) and respectively directory (2nd DWORD above) completion hot keys.
Default values are (you may need to type them in if not present): 0x4 (to use Ctrl+D for file completion) and 0x6 (to use Ctrl+F for directory completion). A value of 0 turns them off. Any other value (ranging from 0x1 to 0x1F, to match the ASCII code of a valid key) turns them on.
It is possible to use other key combos, or even single keys to perform this function. Example: type 0x9 to use the Tab key.
If there are more than one file/directory match on your system, the first one is displayed when you activate the key "combo". If you press the hot key(s) again, the next match appears, and so on.
To cycle backwards through multiple matches, use Shift+F or Shift+D, if you are using the default DWORD values (see above).

More info:

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• 4-28-00 Win2000/XP/2003 ©Trick in TIPS2000.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


SPONTANEOUS REBOOT FIX


This is valid for all Windows 2000/XP/2003 releases, and brought to you by Ray.

"I have spent 2 weeks, countless hours, and $20 on a new sound card, and then jockeying cards around trying to "debug" the cause of spontaneous reboots on my Win2000 Pro PC.
Turns out there is a setting in: Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Start Up and Recovery -> uncheck Automatically Reboot (Restart) on system failure, that may be the culprit.
More info.
PS: I am using WinMag Wintune video test features to torture test and attempt to cause another spontaneous reboot. Before clearing this checkbox, I could force a reboot just by loading Wintune's system and video benchmarks. Haven't gotten this to work again since I cleared the checkbox so I may be on to something."

UPDATES:

  1. "This setting only controls if your system will automatically reboot on a BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) or not, it doesn't cause or stop spontaneous reboots which are usually caused by buggy drivers.
    Using this tip will just cause the system to sit there at a BSOD instead of rebooting. Useful for trying to figure out why the system crashed, but it won't stop it from happening."
    [Thank you Asymmetric!]

  2. "This doesn't turn out to be entirely helpful because it only disables the reboot and not the problem itself. The problem lies within the BIOS.
    Most mainboards have an option to enable a 15-16 MB memory hole to enable faster ISA performance with older hardware devices. This prompts Windows 2000 to reboot the computer for no apparent reason.
    THE FIX: Go into your BIOS CMOS Setup and disable the "Memory Hole".
    All mobo brands are different. AWARD BIOSes have this setting located under the "Chipset Features Setup" or "Advanced Chipset Features" menu."
    [Thank you Andrew!]

  3. "I temporarily removed the modem from my Win2000 system (powered off) and installed it in my older box. Later I put it back in my Win2000 PC (never powered on since I removed the modem). Since I planned to keep my Win2000 PC powered off until after the modem was back in its original position, I didn't touch the Add/Remove Hardware Control Panel. All the advice I found on this subject said that such should not be required for a PnP device.
    Approximately every 30 minutes thereafter I experienced Win2000 spontaneous reboots. A typical error message stated that a device driver was corrupting the memory.
    The fix that worked (with the modem physically installed) was to use Control Panel to permanently remove the modem and then to reinstall it."
    [Thank you John!]

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