Windows^® XP Hacks & Mods For Dummies^®

by Woody Leonhard (Phuket Island, Thailand )

• ISBN13: 9780471748977
• ISBN10: 0471748978
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-01
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Ever feel as though Windows XP was running YOU, instead of the other way around? Maybe it's time to show Windows who's boss. Make it run YOUR way. Get rid of the stuff that doesn't help you do what you want to do. Soup up security so you're better protected against spyware and other nasties. Find things faster with more efficient searches. Woody Leonhard shows you exactly how to do it in Windows XP Hacks & Mods For Dummies.Don't let the word "hack" intimidate you. Woody walks you through every suggested adjustment step by step. He even provides plenty of explanation about what's involved and what tools you need. Windows XP Hacks & Mods For Dummies even gives you a convenient list of common hacks you should avoid because they don't accomplish much. You'll discover how to: Eliminate the annoying features that came pre-installed on your PC Speed up your system performance Pin programs, folders, files, and Web pages so they appear on your Start menu Launch applications more quickly Boost the performance of your favorite games Get the most from your iPod and Windows Media Player Navigate peer-to-peer file sharing safely Find free virus protectionIn the fun and friendly Dummies style, Woody Leonhard gives you tons of helpful advice to make your relationship with Windows XP a lot more rewarding.

Author Biography

In the past fifteen years, Woody Leonhard has written more than computer books, drawing an unprecedented six Computer Press Association awards and two American Business Press awards. Woody was one of the first Microsoft Consulting Partners and is a charter member of the Microsoft Solutions Provider organization. He’s widely quoted — and reviled — on the Redmond campus.
Woody’s Web site, askwoody.com, keeps an eye on the computer industry, covering the latest shenanigans from Microsoft, the best software for your computer, the worst pitfalls (and patches!) to avoid, updates to his books, and all the other information you need to keep your PC chugging away.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
About This Book	1	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	2	(1)
What You're Not to Read	3	(1)
Foolish Assumptions	3	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	3	(2)
Part I: The Nuts & Bolts of Hacks & Mods	3	(1)
Part II: Controlling the Look and Feel of Windows XP	4	(1)
Part III: Adjusting Everyday Activities	4	(1)
Part IV: Modding to Monitor and Manage	4	(1)
Part V: Protecting Yourself (And Your PC)	4	(1)
Part VI: Entertaining Yourself	4	(1)
Part VII: The Part of Tens	4	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	5	(1)
Where to Go from Here	5	(2)
Part I: The Nuts & Bolts of Hacks & Mods	7	(38)
Windows XP: What's Not to Love?	9	(8)
Well, Perhaps There's Room for Improvement	9	(1)
When to Hack Windows XP --- and When to Let It Be	10	(3)
Hacks that don't work	11	(1)
Keeping hacks and mods in perspective	12	(1)
A Quick Look at Some Cool XP Hacks and Mods	13	(1)
Staying Safe and Sound While You Work	14	(3)
Tools of the Hacking Trade	17	(8)
Understanding How Windows Hangs Together	17	(4)
A world of processes	17	(2)
Windows as referee	19	(1)
Amoebus interruptus	20	(1)
Programs talk, talk, talk	21	(1)
The Role of the Registry	21	(2)
Great Sources for Hacking Tools	23	(2)
A Quick XP Makeover	25	(20)
Do You Need a Makeover?	25	(1)
Security Check --- NOW	26	(9)
Get up-to-date	26	(4)
Check your firewall	30	(2)
Fire your antivirus program	32	(1)
Show filename extensions	33	(1)
Protect against spyware	34	(1)
Personalize Your eXPerience	35	(3)
Change the wallpaper	35	(1)
Set the screensaver	36	(1)
Align your accounts	37	(1)
Eliminate the Obnoxious	38	(3)
Tame (or trash!) Messenger	38	(2)
Remove the Language Bar	40	(1)
Get Better (Free!) Software	41	(4)
Dump Microsoft's browser	41	(1)
Search like a pro	41	(2)
Read PDFs	43	(2)
Part II: Controlling the Look and Feel of Windows XP	45	(68)
TweakUI, the Power User's PowerToy	47	(10)
Downloading and Installing TweakUI	48	(2)
TweakUI from 30,000 Feet	50	(1)
Knowing the Essential TweakUI Lingo	51	(1)
Squeezing TweakUI	52	(5)
Making your mouse sensitive	52	(2)
Changing places	54	(1)
Disabling Autoplay	55	(2)
Pinning Down the Start Menu	57	(28)
Scoping Out the Start Menu	58	(2)
Customizing the Left Side of the Start Menu	60	(2)
Pinning the Tail on This Donkey	62	(8)
Pinning a program	63	(2)
Pinning a folder	65	(1)
Pinning a file	66	(1)
Pinning a Web page	67	(1)
Renaming, moving, and unpinning	68	(2)
Controlling the Frequently Used Programs List	70	(3)
Rearranging All Programs	73	(5)
Controlling the My Recent Documents List	78	(2)
Advanced Start Tweaks	80	(5)
Taking On the Taskbar	85	(12)
Customizing the Taskbar	86	(1)
Sizing the Taskbar	87	(1)
Taming the System Tray	88	(2)
Controlling Groups of Buttons	90	(1)
Modifying Quick Launch	91	(6)
Deleting Quick Launch icons	92	(1)
Adding programs to Quick Launch	92	(1)
Adding folders and files to Quick Launch	93	(1)
Adding Web pages to Quick Launch	94	(1)
Making room for more icons	94	(1)
Changing Quick Launch screen tips	95	(1)
Changing Quick Launch icons	96	(1)
Decking Out the Desktop	97	(16)
Making Your Desktop Home	97	(2)
Wrangling with Icons	99	(3)
Exploring and installing Iconoid	100	(1)
``Snapping'' icons to Windows' invisible grid	101	(1)
Autoarranging icons	101	(1)
Moving all icons to the upper-left corner of the screen	102	(1)
Working with Themes	102	(6)
Using a purpose-built installer	103	(1)
Installing a Theme manually	104	(4)
Getting the Most from ClearType	108	(5)
Understanding ClearType	108	(1)
Modifying ClearType	109	(4)
Part III: Adjusting Everyday Activities	113	(78)
Reining In Windows Explorer	115	(14)
Fixing Key Explorer Settings	115	(6)
How programs start	115	(1)
Changing filename extension associations	116	(2)
Showing filename extensions and hidden/system files	118	(3)
Setting File Folder Templates	121	(3)
Setting a folder's template	122	(1)
Curing template amnesia by setting aside extra memory	123	(1)
Customizing Shortcuts	124	(2)
Renaming Files en Masse	126	(3)
Cool Keyboard Hacks and Menu Mods	129	(10)
Listing Files in a Folder	129	(5)
Copy to Folder and Move to Folder	134	(2)
Creating Custom Keyboard Shortcuts	136	(1)
Key Combinations You Need to Know	137	(2)
Searching on the Desktop	139	(12)
The Lowdown on Searching	139	(6)
Installing Google Desktop Search	141	(2)
Running Google Desktop Search	143	(2)
Google Desktop Search Mods	145	(6)
Preventing GDS from indexing specific files	145	(1)
Removing files from the index	146	(2)
Moving GDS's index file	148	(3)
Switching to Better Online Software	151	(22)
Surfing with the Fox	151	(14)
Installing Firefox	152	(2)
Working with tabs	154	(2)
Installing extensions	156	(4)
Hacking and modding Firefox	160	(3)
Keyboard shortcuts for Firefox and IE	163	(1)
Printing a page in Firefox and IE	164	(1)
IMing with Trillian	165	(4)
Installing Trillian	166	(1)
Adding contacts with Trillian	167	(2)
Disabling MSN Messenger	169	(4)
Shutting down MSN Messenger the polite way	170	(1)
Shutting down MSN Messenger the IMpolite way	171	(2)
Pulling Off Pictures	173	(18)
Removing Problematic Camera Software	173	(2)
Transferring Pictures from a Camera	175	(4)
Copying from a Camera Memory Card	179	(2)
Rummaging Through New Photos	181	(1)
Undeleting Images on a Camera	182	(3)
Resizing Pictures	185	(3)
Converting Picture File Formats	188	(3)
Changing file formats with Paint	189	(1)
Saving the contents of the Clipboard as a picture file	189	(2)
Part IV: Modding to Monitor and Manage	191	(56)
Seeing What's Happening	193	(16)
Using Windows Event Viewer	193	(6)
Opening the event logs from the Start menu	194	(1)
Poking around Windows Event Viewer	195	(3)
Saving a log file	198	(1)
Hardware Troubleshooting with Windows Device Manager	199	(3)
Making it easy to start Device Manager	199	(1)
Taking full advantage of Device Manager views	200	(1)
Looking up Device Manager error codes	200	(1)
Check for ``ghosted'' hardware	200	(2)
Controlling Applications with Task Manager	202	(2)
Tracking Memory with Task Manager	204	(2)
Tracking CPU Usage with Task Manager	206	(3)
Decoding IDs, Accounts, and Passwords	209	(16)
Activating and Reactivating Windows	209	(6)
Activating shrink-wrapped Windows	210	(1)
Dealing with preinstalled Windows	211	(2)
Using volume licenses	213	(2)
Changing Registered User and Organization	215	(2)
Tweaking User Accounts	217	(5)
Working with Guest	218	(1)
Changing usernames	219	(1)
Showing/hiding accounts at logon	219	(2)
Changing the picture	221	(1)
Bypassing the Windows Welcome screen	222	(3)
Using Remote Assistance	225	(12)
Helping a Friend --- Long Distance	225	(1)
Asking for Help	226	(7)
Connecting via MSN or Windows Messenger	227	(4)
Connecting via e-mail or by file	231	(2)
Poking Through the Firewalls	233	(1)
Setting Up RA So That You Can Always Use It	234	(3)
Retooling Disks	237	(10)
Installing a Second Hard Drive	237	(4)
Reassigning Drive Letters	241	(2)
Converting a FAT Disk to NTFS	243	(2)
Finding out what kind of drive you have	243	(1)
Converting FAT32 to NTFS	244	(1)
Maintenance Hacks	245	(2)
Stifling the disk cleanup warning	245	(1)
Forcing a defrag	246	(1)
Part V: Protecting Yourself (And Your PC)	247	(36)
Changing (In)Security Settings	249	(12)
Don't Let Microsoft Muck with Your Computer	249	(4)
Patch Keystone Kops	250	(1)
What is a critical patch?	250	(1)
Turning off automatic updating	251	(2)
Analyzing Updates	253	(1)
Applying Updates	254	(2)
Dealing with Windows Firewall	256	(5)
Setting up Windows Firewall	256	(2)
Testing your firewall	258	(3)
Taking the ``Mal'' out of Malware	261	(10)
Catching Viruses Free	261	(3)
Installing AVG Free	262	(1)
Adjusting AVG Free settings	263	(1)
Fighting Spyware	264	(7)
Using Microsoft Antispyware	265	(1)
Running CounterSpy	265	(2)
Blocking your Registry with Mike Lin's StartupMonitor	267	(1)
Startup sleuthing	268	(3)
Keeping Your Privates Private	271	(12)
Covering Your Tracks Online	271	(6)
Anonymous surfing	272	(1)
Browser amnesia	273	(4)
Covering Your Tracks in Windows	277	(6)
Protecting from prying eyes	277	(1)
Clobbering the MRU lists	278	(2)
Keeping Windows from phoning home	280	(3)
Part VI: Entertaining Yourself	283	(36)
Making the Most of Media Player	285	(8)
Knowing Your File Format$	285	(1)
Installing the Latest Windows Media Player	286	(3)
Setting Up WMP	289	(1)
Using TweakMP	290	(3)
Buying Music and Videos	293	(12)
Music Restrictions	293	(2)
Rent or Buy?	295	(1)
Which Online Music Store Is Best?	295	(2)
Bypassing Restrictions	297	(5)
Windows and the iPod	302	(3)
Trading Music and Videos	305	(6)
2P or Not 2P?	305	(1)
Choosing a P2P Network	306	(1)
Downloading and Installing BitTorrent	307	(3)
Finding Files in All the Wrong Places	310	(1)
Getting Games to Work	311	(8)
The Gamer's Conundrum	311	(3)
Getting Ahead in Games	314	(1)
Troubleshooting Hardware Problems	315	(1)
Surviving the DirectX Experience	316	(3)
Part VII: The Part of Tens	319	(28)
Ten Steps to Mastering the Registry	321	(12)
Understanding the Registry's Anatomy	322	(3)
Step 1: Understand how the Registry is like Windows Explorer	322	(1)
Step 2: Know the five high-level keys	323	(1)
Step 3: Recognize the different data types	323	(2)
Running an Example	325	(8)
Step 4: Create a Restore Point	326	(1)
Step 5: Find the key	327	(1)
Step 6: Back up the key	327	(1)
Step 7: Change, add, or delete a value	328	(3)
Step 8: Get out of the Registry	331	(1)
Step 9: Make Windows accept the change	331	(1)
Step 10: Recover if things go bump	332	(1)
Ten Speed-Up Hacks --- Maybe	333	(14)
Performance versus Pizzazz	333	(1)
Intel Application Accelerator	334	(3)
Big Memory Virtual Speedup	337	(1)
Bypassing Zip Space-Saving Calculations on Cleanup	337	(2)
Forget Creating Old-Style Names for Folders	339	(1)
Stop ``Sharing'' Scheduled Tasks	340	(1)
Change Location of Event Logs	341	(1)
Tweaking Communication Settings	342	(2)
Removing Negative DNS Cache Entries	344	(2)
Really Speed up Windows XP	346	(1)
Index	347