[Retired Sticky] Windows Tweaks

[Dimorphios]

Just a little somethin 2 add... more in the next post

Didn't write these just collected them all up cuz u can't find em all in one place... since we are tweaking software and all here is the fix up for kazaa....

First lets get rid of those nasty banner adds... this one is easy

go to c:\%windir%\system32 there should be a folder in there called AdCache go into that and delete everything, then get back out and right click on it and go to properties. click the security tab. In the group or username box select your username. In the permissions box deny write access. do this for all users (and administrators) now kazaa can't write to that folder, poof no more adds.

Now lets make it so you can look for audio files at higher bit rates than 128 (which is stupid, I miss napster)

okay open regedit and go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Kazaa

there should be a LimitBitrate value there... change it from 1 to 0


Last but not least lets bump up the max search results

1. Run regedit.
2. Goto: HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Kazaa/Advanced
3. Open MaxSearchResult
4. Enter value data as 190

You now have a maximum search result of 400 instead of the usual 100!

Like I said I didn't come up with any of these... but they are nice all the same....


- Dimorphios

 

[Dimorphios]

ToastGodSupreme

you wrote

6. In the MemoryManagement key in the registry, turn on ConservativeSwapFile, and also LargeSystemCache (for systems with more than 256Mb of ram. Those with only 256Mb this is not recommended).

------------------------------

Looks like fun but I couldn't find the key in the reg, is that for win2k only or is it also suppose 2 work for XP???


- Dimorphios

 

[Dimorphios]

Ok another one served fresh

This one takes all the work out of it... its an add-on for MSN messenger, it adds a "Plus!" menu to the messenger window and has all sorts of goodies in there like remove banner ads, log messages, transparency controls and more... check it out....

http://pages.infinit.net/patchou8/msgplus142.zip

- Dimorphios (is just finding all sorts of goodies this morning)

 

[Dimorphios]

Something 4 everyone

A buddy of mine just told me this one, Its a no brainer, but perhaps useful to some, heck I didn't know it....

How to turn of the Crappy Microsuck Error reporting...

Open system in the control panel, click the advanced tab and select error reporting then click disable error reporting... pretty simple eh?

- Dimorphios

 

[dreamtfk]

Thanks for that one buddy, I hate those errors reporters with a passion.

 

[Dimorphios]

No problem

I got tunz more tweakz and stuff 2 pro out windows, but I am actually affraid 2 post them now that I took the time to read the rulez and all... I think I actually overstepped a little with the kazaa and MSN tweaks... If you want more information... feel free to instant msg me on AIM (username dimorphios) and I will hook u up.... To the moderators... sorry if I stepped on any toes with the kazaa and msn tweaks... Should have read the rulez sooner...

- Dimorphios

 

[so many choices]

I tried going to 98lite.com and a porn site popped up. I think you meant 98lite.net to download IEradicator. Anywaze, thx for the post I'll get to tweakin right away

-anyone know how to change or install custom themes for litestep?

 

[M@€$†®Ö™]

Shutdown Shortcut:

Now its time for the good'ol ever popular shutdown shortcut trick used widely in windows 98.But the same c:\windows\rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows trick doesn't work in Windows XP anymore. Well everything is same just a little change in file execution and its mode of execution.

Right click on an empty space on the desktop and select New > Shortcut

In the command line box type that following :

[For shutdown]
C:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -s -t 00

[For restart]
C:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -r -t 00

Its nice to not have to go through the whole start button and all that Works like a charm.

Maestro

 

[M@€$†®Ö™]

Another Tweak

Increasing options in add/remove programs:

Not a fan of MSN Messenger? don't want Windows Media Player on your system? Fair enough, but if you go to Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel, by default none of Windows XP's 'built in' programs are visible. it's fairly easy to change, though... just open the file X:\Windows\inf\sysoc.inf (where X: is the drive letter where Windows XP is installed) in Notepad. You should see a section of the file something like this:

[Components]
NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4
WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7
Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7
Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7
NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7
iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7
com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7
dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7
IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7
TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2
msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6
ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7
fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp40ext.inf,,7
AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7
IEAccess=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,ieaccess.inf,,7

This is a list of all components installed at the moment. I've taken the example of MSN Messenger - the program entry called 'msmsgs', third-last line. You can see the word 'hide' highlighted - this is the string which tells Windows not to display the component in the Add/Remove Programs list. Fix this up by simply deleting the word 'hide' like so:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7

To this:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,,7

Now, after restarting, you should be able to see MSN Messenger in the Add/Remove Programs list. If you want to be able to quickly view and remove all components, simply open the sysoc.inf file and do a global find and replace for the word ",hide" and replace it with a single comma ",".


I got MSN Messenger removed this way and was too happy

Maestro

 

[up2Tim]

If you like to tweak your OS this site has a ton of info
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/ .

If you like TweakUI then you will really like Xsetup, which has a lot more stuff. You can find it here at http://www.xteq.com/ .

 

[drunkmonkey]

The best kept secret in desktop orginization:
1:Make a folder in mydocuments called desktop
2ut that folder on your active desktop
3:Now you have a nice, sortable, scrollable, and customizable window to put those millions of icons in. It's also drag-n-drop.

 

[SpeedFreak]

Maestro: Software Removal Tweak

I gave your MSMSGS example a try. I unhide it and it shows an un named item in the add/remove programs. It shows an item in the list without a name. How do you get it to show the associated name with the application?

 

[M@€$†®Ö™]

You must have done something different is my only guess as others have tried it without a problem. I am not sure how to help . I would put back what you did and start over. Perhaps you have a variant of that file I am not aware of.

Maestro

 

[The Coolest]

I'm not sure if has been discussed before, or even if its Windows related. but just wanted to post some info I found regarding RAM drives for those who want to set a RAM drive on boot.

u have to check if you have the file "RAMDRIVE.SYS" (I didn't look for it in Win2k yet, but it works in Win9x mode, if the sysdisk is compatible)

open your Config.sys with notepad or other text editor and just add the next line (better after the HIMEM.SYS load, if using boot disk) devicehigh=%pathforthefile%\RAMDRIVE.SYS /E sizein KBs

example:
Devicehigh=C:\windows\command\ebd\ramdrive.sys /e 10240

this will create a 10MB RAM drive.

1MB = 1024KB = 1048576bytes

 

[RZA]

Nope, the standard ramdrive.sys doesn't exist (and therefore, doesn't work) in Win2K/XP. You''l have to look for third party ones.

 

[SpeedFreak]

RAMDisk NT is a great product that allows you to break the 32 MB limit from previous device drivers such as the RAMDRIVE provided from MS. The nice thing is that it allow you to create the drive and format it as NTFS and apply security to the RAM Drive. I have 1.2GB of RAM on my system and when I play a system intense gave I create a 640MB Ramdrive and copy the entire game cd to the RAM Drive and use fask cd drive to opint ot it. There is NO WAIT on ANY GAMES!

Allows up to a 4GB RAM Drive. Also, databases FLY. This is a great all purpose driver/application.

Give it a try it is shareware... and the price is cheap!

http://www.cenatek.com/product_ramdisk.cfm?Page=Download

$25 for 9x and $35 for NT/2k (work fine on XP).

 

[Grantman]

Here is a good site for XP services:

http://www.blkviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

 

[Silver]

bump

 

[G@ZZ@]

Here is an excellant utility for removing all of the spyware that M$ has tucked away in XP

XP AntiSpy

 

[G@ZZ@]

Here is one of the largest collections of XP related links I have seen on the net !
Plenty of tips and tweaks and lots of general info

WindowsXP