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Windows XP tips and tricks; any suggestions?


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Guest FrankyG
Posted

Hi,

Just moved from 2k to XP, anyone point me to their favourite resources for tips, tricks, secrets etc... Googling it right now but if you want to make a few suggestions right here, right now....feel free... :)

Cheers!

Guest ashley.flynn
Posted

first thing i do is get it looking normal again....

right click on taskbar -> properties -> start menu tab -> choose 'classic start menu'

right click on desktop -> properties -> under the themes drop down box choose

'windows classic'

open the control panel start -> settings -> control panel, and select classic view from the menu on the left

hope this helps

Guest cpt_andy
Posted

go to system properties->advanced->performance settings->best performance

that, along with ashley's tips, removes most of the horrible 'effects' that slow down the ui (although i prefer to keep xp's start menu - depends how you use you comp really though)

Cpt. Andy

Guest Monolithix [MVP]
Posted

I have to say i think the XP start menu is a lot more useful than past versions....especially the MRU list.

Guest beersoft
Posted

I would also go into the control pannel > administritve tools > services and turn off things like

wireless zero admin

indexing service

secondary login

themes

telnet

anything to do with remote anything

and turn on the firewall

later

Owen

"When computers emit smoke, it means they've chosen a new Pope. Unfortunately, they invariably choose the wrong one and immediately get condemned to nonfunctionality for heresy. " - Anthony DeBoer

Guest siu99spj
Posted
I would also go into the control pannel > administritve tools > services and turn off things like

wireless zero admin

indexing service

secondary login

themes

telnet

anything to do with remote anything

and turn on the firewall

Don't forget Messenger (Not the same as the IM client) and the XP firewall is next to useless. I'd recommend something like Sygate Personal (Which is free) or Zone Alarm (Which you have to pay for).

Guest badboy4life
Posted

I got a friend who got a query, wondering if anyone could help?

Problem is that when on the login screen it displays a list of users and when clicking on any of them it gives a list of the email addresses and the number of unread emails, is it possible to hide the email adsresses?That is selecting the users nothing is displayed?

Posted

i think that means that they have linked a passport account to the user.. simply logout i think.

Will

Guest kyrkesmith
Posted

Zone Alarm is in fact free for personal use. I use it, and it's great.

Personally, I've grown to like the XP look. I've switched it to silver instead of blue, and it looks pretty smart.

Guest cpt_andy
Posted

disable unread messages on login screen (link). Havn't tried it myself.

Cpt. Andy

Guest kyrkesmith
Posted

As far as I can recall, you can do this using TweakUI (MS Powertoy)

Guest spacecowboy6982
Posted
go to system properties->advanced->performance settings->best performance

You Monster !!! That took me back 8 years lol !!!

A fantastic tip i heard was to stop those pesky pop-ups, the "new breed" as it were. The ones that appear in the gray boxes stating that you cant get rid of them until you buy their pop-up blocker. They're talking crap!!!

StartAccessoriescommand prompt and type in, "net stop msg"

it should now state that the messenger service has been turned off.

Simply type "exit" on the following prompt line and thats it !!

You will have to redo this after you sign off the internet - but it works !!!

SpaceCowboy

Posted

Spacecowboy... What was mentioned earlier in the thread also stops the pop up ads (going to services and shutting down the messenger service). You can set it to manual so it will never start again unless you go back and manually start it... This was a life saver for me in preventing all the pop ups! I believe I found it out on this site through a different thread...

Posted

spacecowboy : you can disable that service permanently in the services control applet....

start / settings / control panel / services / messenger service / properties / disabled

Guest spacecowboy6982
Posted

I cant find it.....weird - im running XPPro - it should be there right ??

Guest cpt_andy
Posted
start / settings / control panel / services / messenger service / properties / disabled

there should be an 'administrative tools' after 'control panel' :)

You can install a firewall/enable windows' firewall, which will stealth port 135, preventing RPC attacks aswell as blocking messages.

Cpt. Andy

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