I have found this very small freeware that can shutdown your PC after a duration of specified minutes. EasyShutdown lets you instantly shutdown or restart your computer or you can delay it by a few minutes.

Once you lauch this app, it sits in your taskbar tray and will inform you once it reaches shutdown time. It can also force quit applications that cause problems while quiting.

If my file download time remains 45 minutes, I delay the auto shutdown by 60 minutes as you never know the exact (accurate) time when your download will finish. It’s fast session locking and logging off through the EasyShutdown tray menu can prevent unauthorized access to your machine when your system is left unattended.

EasyShutdown requires Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 to run. It is compatible with both, Windows XP and Vista.

Download EasyShutdown

Original post from: Shutdown PC Automatically with EasyShutdown
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Flyakite OSX is a very cool software that can transform Windows XP to Mac OS X. It will change the entire interface, themes, sounds and popular application skins of XP and will make it look exactly like Leopard.

It is the best Mac OS X transformation pack I have ever seen. It will transform the look of an ordinary Windows XP to resemble the look of Mac OS X. The installer simply automates the process of replacing critical system files, setting registry tweaks, and installing extras such as cursors, sounds, visual styles, etc.

During installation, you will be asked to create a System Restore point. I’d recommend you to make one so that in case you get stuck in some problem, you can roll back the changes made. The installer simply automates the process of replacing critical system files, setting registry tweaks, and installing extras such as cursors, sounds, visual styles, etc.

Below are some screenshots of FlyakiteOSX:

All installed files are stored in the Windows directory in a folder named ‘FlyakiteOSX’ that is hidden by default. All registry values for FlyakiteOSX are written to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareFlyakiteOSX. This makes the uninstallation and cleaning of extra files really easy.

Since many system files will be modified, it would be better to disable your antivirus software for a while as it will keep on alerting you about a malicious application running during installation.

Download FlyakiteOSX

Original post from: Transform Windows XP to Mac OS X
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Ubuntu Customization Pack is created by BlueTekk using different set of tools, which can transform your Windows XP look to Ubuntu with just a small setup.

This customization pack contains all the components that you need to change the look of your Windows XP to Ubuntu i.e visual styles, Icons, Boot Screen, Cursors, Logon UI, Wallpapers, Screensaver, ubuntu sounds and a lot more to enhance your UbuntuXP experience. You can download Ubuntu Customization Pack from the links given after the screenshots.

Remember: Download and install at your own risk! Make sure you create a restore point, make a quick backup of your system using System Restore and backup all your important files.

Download Ubuntu Customization Pack

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Single Link (ZIP)

Original post from: Ubuntu Customization Pack for Windows XP
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There are three ways in which you can hide/show your desktop icons.

1. Click the tray icon
2. Right-click the tray icon for hide/show icons menu
3. Press Ctrl + 1

It requires no installation and is only 11 KB in size. All you have to do is extract, and run the EXE file. Don’t forget to read the readme.txt for more info.

Download Icon Hider 0.1

Original post from: Hide Or Show Desktop Icons In A Click
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Before you jump to the Windows 7 theme for XP, Windows Vista users might also like to check out Windows 7 theme for Vista that I had posted later.

FREE Windows 7 Themes, Tips and Tricks and Mods

How To Install Windows 7 Theme In Windows XP

• Download the Windows 7 theme from here.
• Install “UXTheme Multi-Patcher 6.0.exe” from “UX Theme Patcher” folder. Or download from here for XP SP3.
• Double-click “Windows 7 M1 VS.msstyles” in “Theme\Windows 7 M1 VS” folder to install and enjoy!
• Also See: Windows XP Luna Theme for Windows 7

[Via MegaLeecher]

Original post from: Download Windows 7 Theme for XP
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It’s been reported that Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) ships with an out-of-date version of Adobe’s Flash Player that’s vulnerable to recently-spotted attacks, according to Microsoft’s support documentation. Windows XP SP3 includes Flash Player 9.0.115.0, a version released by Adobe Systems Inc. in December 2007, and was superseded by Version 9.0.124.0 on April 8, nearly two weeks before Microsoft decided SP3 was done by giving it a release to manufacturing (RTM) label and sending it out for distribution.

It has been confirmed by Adobe, that the version 9.0.115.0, included in Windows XP SP3, is vulnerable to the ongoing attacks, which have originated from Chinese servers. Users have been attacked after visiting legitimate web sites that had been hacked using now-common SQL-injection attacks.

If you would like to check what Flash Player you have on your computer, open this Adobe page in your browser. It is recommended that all users should now upgrade to the version 9.0.124.0.

I’m glad that I still haven’t installed SP3 and my SP2 is running just fine and smooth on Windows XP. From now on, I’m never going to try out any major patches by Microsoft, at least not in the initial six months! I love my computer, and don’t want to get hacked!

Original post from: Windows XP SP3 Includes Vulnerable Flash Player
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Google Hacks is such application that allows you to filter search results by showing you exactly what you are looking for: applications, videos, books, song lyrics, torrents and other file types and applications. This is a complete tool to perform specific kinds of searches. The word “hack” is not what we really think. This word is usually taken as to cause harm to other computers and applications. According to Wikipedia:

“A Hack is a modification of a program or device to give the user access to features otherwise were unavailable to them.”

Who in the world has time to memorize all the search modifiers like “-inurl:(htm|html|php) intitle:”index of” +”last modified” +”parent directory” +description +size +(.mp3|.wma|.ogg)”? This is where this little magic applications comes in. You can use it to find exactly the kind of files you’re looking for on Google.

Simply select the desired format, type your search query and (pressing Enter does not work) click the Search button. The results will open in a new window.

OS Compatibilty

This application is compatible with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, Linux and Mac.

Download

Download Google Hacks 1.6 for Windows

Download Google Hacks 1.6 for Windows (Portable)

Download Google Hacks 1.6 for Linux

Download Google Hacks 1.6 for Mac

More download links can be found here.

I’ll leave the rest for you to explore.

Remember, use this application wisely. Don’t go searching for copyrighted files and MP3s using this tool. This tool is not intended for any illegal use.

Original post from: Google Hacks – The Ultimate Google Exploit Tool
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To fix this, you will need the UXtheme Patcher in order to run any 3rd party themes on Windows XP. Download it from here [direct link] and run the EXE file. Press the Patch button, and wait for a few seconds for it to patch. Now restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

If you would like to copy the uxtheme.dll manually, then download its the latest SP3 version from here [direct link] and paste it in C:\Windows\system32\ (Overwrite if needed). Restart your computer for changes to take effect.

Now you should be able to use 3rd party themes without any problems.

Original post from: Download UXtheme.dll Patch For Windows XP SP3
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Windows XP SP3 apparently copies an Intel power management driver to the computer that was not there before the installation of SP3 and that is said to be the cause for the restart bug. But thanks to HP, a fix has been given for this bug.

The following fix can only be used if you use a non-Intel processor and encounter the restart bug after installing Windows XP Service Pack 3. Below are the fixes given by HP and Microsoft:

Remember: Make sure you make a quick backup of your system using System Restore. And also backup your Registry entries.

HP’s Fix For XP SP3 Restart Bug:

• Boot Computer in Safe Mode
• Use Windows Explorer to browse to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers
• Right-click intelppm.sys and rename it to XXXintelppm.syx
• Restart Windows

If the computer is unable to boot into safe mode do the following:

• Press F8 during startup and load the Microsoft Windows Recovery Console
• Type the number that corresponds to your Windows installation
• Log in as an administrator
• Type cd c:\windows\system32\drivers at the command prompt
• Type rename intelppm.sys XXXintelppm.syx
• Restart Windows

Microsoft’s Fix For XP SP3 Restart Bug:

• Boot the Computer into Safe Mode
• Press Windows R, type regedit, hit enter
• Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Intelppm
• right-click the Start entry in the right pane and select modify
• Enter 4 in the Value Data box
• Close regedit, restart the computer.

I hope this fixes your restart problem in Windows XP after installing to SP3.

[Via gHacks]

Original post from: Fix For Restart Bug In Windows XP SP3
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Below are the EXE links and ISO links for each language. I have also included the ISO link for the system administrators who have to distribute the Service Pack to several computers. But if all the computers on a network are of the same language, you can even use the EXE file in that case.

Windows XP SP3 English EXE
Windows XP SP3 English ISO

Windows XP SP3 Arabic EXE
Windows XP SP3 Arabic ISO

Windows XP SP3 Chinese (Honk Kong SAR) EXE
Windows XP SP3 Chinese (Hong Kong SAR) ISO

Windows XP SP3 Chinese Simplified EXE
Windows XP SP3 Chinese Simplified ISO

Windows XP SP3 Chinese Traditional EXE
Windows XP SP3 Chinese Traditional ISO

Windows XP SP3 Czech EXE
Windows XP SP3 Czech ISO

Windows XP SP3 Danish EXE
Windows XP SP3 Danish ISO

Windows XP SP3 Dutch EXE
Windows XP SP3 Dutch ISO

Windows XP SP3 Finnish EXE
Windows XP SP3 Finnish ISO

Windows XP SP3 French EXE
Windows XP SP3 French ISO

Windows XP SP3 German EXE
Windows XP SP3 German ISO

Windows XP SP3 Greek EXE
Windows XP SP3 Greek ISO

Windows XP SP3 Hebrew EXE
Windows XP SP3 Hebrew ISO

Windows XP SP3 Hungarian EXE
Windows XP SP3 Hungarian ISO

Windows XP SP3 Italian EXE
Windows XP SP3 Italian ISO

Windows XP SP3 Japanese EXE
Windows XP SP3 Japanese ISO

Windows XP SP3 Korean EXE
Windows XP SP3 Korean ISO

Windows XP SP3 Norwegian (Bokmål) EXE
Windows XP SP3 Norwegian (Bokmål) ISO

Windows XP SP3 Polish EXE
Windows XP SP3 Polish ISO

Windows XP SP3 Portuguese (Brazil) EXE
Windows XP SP3 Portuguese (Brazil) ISO

Windows XP SP3 Portuguese (Portugal) EXE
Windows XP SP3 Portuguese (Portugal) ISO

Windows XP SP3 Russian EXE
Windows XP SP3 Russian ISO

Windows XP SP3 Spanish EXE
Windows XP SP3 Spanish ISO

Windows XP SP3 Swedish EXE
Windows XP SP3 Swedish ISO

Windows XP SP3 Turkish EXE
Windows XP SP3 Turkish ISO

Links via [Tip and Trick]

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Original post from: Download Windows XP SP3 Standalone (25 Languages)
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Moving on back to the application, WinUpdatesList can run from any location on your drive. It neatly displays all the Windows updates (hotfixes, service packs, individual updates) in a table and shows information about the name of the update, its description, and the date that update has been installed. You can also find out that which user installed the updates.

A click on the updates opens a browser window with the Knowledgebase article of that specific update from Microsoft. Isn’t that sweet? :P

(Click on the image to enlarge)

There’s a little compatibility issue. This useful, handy application works on Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. On Windows 98/ME, some columns are not displayed, because the related information is not stored in the Registry as in Windows 2000/XP. And I feel sorry for Vista users, as this WinUpdatesList does not run on Vista.

Download:

You can download it as a zip file, or as a self-install executable.

More details about this app can be found on its official release page.

Second Method

Well, the second method is by opening Add or Remove Programs from Control Panel in Windows. Simply check the Show Updates box, and all the installed updates will be listed in the list below. You can even uninstall any update from there.

I hope you all enjoyed this post!

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Original post from: Find All The Installed Windows Updates
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Yes.. Yes.. It’s true! Microsoft has finally finished working on the most awaited Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 1 (RC1) for Windows XP. And now, it’s even available to some beta testers. Microsoft has promised to fix a good set of bugs in SP3 RC1, and has some new features borrowed from Vista.

Want to try? Desperate? :D High five to Karthik from Daily Apps for sharing a method to download Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 1 directly from Microsoft’s website.

DO NOT install SP3 RC1 if you don’t know what release Candidate versions are!

Follow the steps below and you’ll be enjoying SP3 RC1 in no time :D

• Download this file ( WindowsXPSP3Hack.cmd ). Once you have downloaded the file, login as administrator and run the file by double clicking it. Wait for the Confirmation Message on screen.
• The Above file adds a few entries to the Windows Registry that makes Microsoft think that you are a part of the Private beta program.
• Check for new updates on Windows Update. You should now see Windows XP SP3 listed in the available updates.
• Download and install it. Reboot whenever necessary.

This hack will make Microsoft think that you too are a beta tester, and you won’t have any problems downloading the service pack.
Just in case if you are forgetting, this is the final service pack for the world’s biggest operating system. So do get your hands on it before everyone else does!

A few people who tried this SP3 at Daily Apps have reported that this SP3 RC1 doesn’t work for non-English Windows XP versions. So download this only if you have an English Windows XP.

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And sorry guys, I’ve postponed my plan to showcase the SC wallpapers tomorrow, because of my busy schedule next week. But don’t worry… If I’ll get time, I’ll definitely post them! :D

Happy downloading and enjoy! :D

Original post from: Download Windows XP Service Pack 3 RC1
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Recently a friend of mine accidentally deleted his Desktop icon in his Quick Launch bar. He used the Desktop Icon a lot. Even I use it. When there are tons of windows opened, to get free from them I use this button. It’s like the easiest Escape button for me :P . Unfortunately, there is no straight option in Windows XP. But here, I’ll tell you how to do it the other way :)

In this post, I’ll tell you how to get it back if you delete it. All you need is Notepad to get it back.

Follow the steps below and you’ll restore your lost icon back in no time.

1. Open Notepad and type the following in the text area.

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

Now save it as “Desktop Icon.SCF” (without the quotes) on your dektop. This new file will look like the Desktop Icon. Now, all you need to do is copy/paste this file in

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

Note: username in the above location is your own User Account name. It differs on every computer.

Now open your Quick Launch bar and see. The desktop icon will be there now. Drag and drop at whatever position you want.

Original post from: How To Restore Desktop Icon In Quick Launch Bar
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Windows Media Player comes bundled with Windows OS. It plays most of the formats, but still it lacks what today’s users wants. If you would like to know about better media players, then head over to the article I wrote about some replacements for Windows Media Player.

Now, moving on back to the topic, in this, I’ll tell you a trick through which you can clear your recent files history in Windows Media Player (WMP). Well, privacy to everyone, right? :twisted: So, if your PC is used by many people and you don’t want anyone checking out what files you open, then continue reading.

Open your Registry Editor (Run > type regedit) and navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\

Player\RecentFileList

For Files:

Delete the RecentFileList sub-key.

For Streamed Content:

Delete the RecentURLList sub-key.

In the end, exit the Registry Editor, and restart your computer.

That will clean your history for WMP. But if you don’t want to delete the complete history, then delete individual entries from the right pane. That will help you get rid of the files that you don’t want to see in the Recent File list.

I hope you have enjoyed this trick and would subscribe to my feeds. Anyways, thanks for reading and have a nice day!

Original post from: How To Clear Recent Files In Windows Media Player
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It’s very simple! You just have to reverse the old trick :wink:

Remember: Backup your registry first!

First, open your Registry Editor (Run > type regedit) and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace

Now, do you remember what you did to remove the recycle bin? Well, you deleted the following entry:

{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

But to restore it back, you will have to create this back. After navigating to the above path, right-click on NameSpace, click “New” and then click “Key”.

Name the key: {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

Now close the Registry Editor and you’ll see your Recycle Bin back in its place. :wink:

Original post from: How to restore Recycle Bin after deleting
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Remember, to ruu these applications, all you need to do is go to Start > Run and type any of the following commands:

25 Hidden Applications in Windows XP

1) Character Map = charmap.exe (very useful for finding unusual characters)

2) Disk Cleanup = cleanmgr.exe

3) Clipboard Viewer = clipbrd.exe (views contents of Windows clipboard)

4) Dr Watson = drwtsn32.exe (Troubleshooting tool)

5) DirectX diagnosis = dxdiag.exe (Diagnose & test DirectX, video & sound cards)

6) Private character editor = eudcedit.exe (allows creation or modification of characters)

7) IExpress Wizard = iexpress.exe (Create self-extracting / self-installing package)

8) Microsoft Synchronization Manager = mobsync.exe (appears to allow synchronization of files on the network for when working offline. Apparently undocumented).

9) Windows Media Player 5.1 = mplay32.exe (Retro version of Media Player, very basic).

10) ODBC Data Source Administrator = odbcad32.exe (something to do with databases)

11) Object Packager = packager.exe (to do with packaging objects for insertion in files, appears to have comprehensive help files).

12) System Monitor = perfmon.exe (very useful, highly configurable tool, tells you everything you ever wanted to know about any aspect of PC performance, for uber-geeks only )

13) Program Manager = progman.exe (Legacy Windows 3.x desktop shell).

14) Remote Access phone book = rasphone.exe (documentation is virtually non-existant).

15) Registry Editor = regedt32.exe [also regedit.exe] (for hacking the Windows Registry).

16) Network shared folder wizard = shrpubw.exe (creates shared folders on network).

17) File siganture verification tool = sigverif.exe

18) Volume Contro = sndvol32.exe (I’ve included this for those people that lose it from the System Notification area).

19) System Configuration Editor = sysedit.exe (modify System.ini & Win.ini just like in Win98! ).

20) Syskey = syskey.exe (Secures XP Account database – use with care, it’s virtually undocumented but it appears to encrypt all passwords, I’m not sure of the full implications).

21) Microsoft Telnet Client = telnet.exe

22) Driver Verifier Manager = verifier.exe (seems to be a utility for monitoring the actions of drivers, might be useful for people having driver problems. Undocumented).

23) Windows for Workgroups Chat = winchat.exe (appears to be an old NT utility to allow chat sessions over a LAN, help files available).

24) System configuration = msconfig.exe (can use to control starup programs)

25) gpedit.msc used to manage group policies, and permissions

43 Hidden Applications in Windows XP

Ok, so this was the manual way. Now if you find difficult to type each of them, why don’t you give this a try (Let me know if the link dies!). It’s a Hidden Application Enabler. Install this to enable all the applications found until now (43, I guess).

List of applications revealed:

Version 1 unlocked the following 25 utilities:

Configuration Utility
Object Packager
Task Manager
Windows Migration Manager
Synchronization Manager
Remote Desktop Connection
Text to Speach Narrator
Windows Address Book
Address Book Migrator
Windows Version
Character Map
Disk Cleanup Utility
Clipboard Viewer
Dr Watson diagnosis
Direct X diagnosis
Private Character Editor
Express Install Wizard
Data Source Admin
System Monitor
Registry Editor
Network Sharing Wizard
Siganture Verification Tool
System Configuration Editor
Telnet Client
Windows Network Chat

NEW! – Version 2 unlocked a further 18 utilities

Windows Management Infrastructure
Windows Services
Windows Local Security Settings
Resultant Set of Policy
Performance Monitoring
Removable Storage Operator Requests
Removable Storage Management
Local User and Group Manager
Group Policy Object Editor
Shared Folder Manager
Event Viewer
Disk Management
Disk Defragmenter
Device Manager
Computer Management
Indexing Services
Certificates
Component Services

So that makes it 43 :) . Try them and tell me if they are any use to you. You never know when the time comes to use them ;) .

Original post from: 25+18=43 Hidden Applications in Windows XP
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While searching, I came across a very interesting Windows XP/Command Prpmpt trick (don’t remember the site). You could actually view and kill processes from Command Prompt if your Windows Task Manager stops working for some reason.

Kill Tasks in Command Prompt

To kill the tasks from the Command Prompt, open Command Prompt by navigating to Start > All Programs > Accessories and select Command Prompt. Alternatively Command Prompt can be opened by typing cmd in Run. After you open Command Prompt, type “tasklist” (without the quotes) for a list of all the running processes. A list will be shown, and following every process name you could see a number, something like 1288. This is the PID number. You will need this to kill the task.

After looking for the process to kill, note down it’s PID number (process code) and type “tskill PID Number” without the quotes in Command Prompt. Of course, PID number should be replaced by the actual code. So the command becomes something like this: tskill 1288

That’s it. The process will be killed!

I hope you enjoyed this trick and thanks for reading this.

Original post from: Kill Tasks from Command Prompt
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A Windows service starts when Windows is booted and runs in the background as long as you are working on your PC.There are many services that run when you start your PC. With my experience with Windows and it’s tools, I have found out some of the services that can be disabled and your PC would still run fine.

First of all, you have to know the place from where you can view, enable/disable the services. Go to Start > Run and type msconfig. Now click on the Services tab. That’s it. You could now see a number of services.

Below is a list of services that can be disabled. Just see the service name from here and scroll down in the Services window, un-check the service and done!

Remember: If you use any of the following services, then don’t disable that one. It would cause your application (or whatever it is) to stop working.
Disable the following services:

• Alerter
• Application Management
• Clipbook
• Fast UserSwitching
• Indexing Service
• Messenger
• Net Logon
• NetMeeting
• QOS RSVP
• Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
• Remote Registry
• Routing & Remote Access
• SSDP Discovery Service
• Universal Plug and Play Device Host
• Web Client

Some service names may vary. I’m again telling you, do it at your own risk. If at anytime after disabling them, you find that your applications are not behaving as they should be, then enable them back. And make sure you always make a backup of your Windows settings before trying these tweaks and tricks.

Original post from: Services You Can Safetly Disable in XP
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I’m just too lazy to clean all that :P I guess, I’ll only learn when my HDD will crash and I’ll loose everything (I hope not!). Finally I’ve found how to move my entire My Documents to some other drive. It’s very very, very easy to do. If you already know that, just don’t make fun of me :/ .

How to change the location of My Documents folder in XP

As I have also said this before, it’s very simple to do!

Right-click on your My Documents folder and select Properties. As soon as the Properties window will open, you will notice a text box in it. That’s the location of your My Documents folder. Just change it to whatever you like.

Original post from: How to change the location of My Documents folder in XP
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• Go to Start > Run and type regedit to open Registry Editor.
• Now navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}.
•  Now select (Default) , right-click it and select Modify.
• The current value would be Recycle Bin. Change it to whatever you want.

I have renamed my Recycle Bin to Dust Bin :D . One more thing, make a backup of your registry before trying out any tricks. I won’t be responsible for any damage to your system.

I hope you enjoyed this little trick.

Original post from: How to Rename the Recycle Bin
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Remember, always make sure you that make a backup before trying any of such tricks.

Now, moving on back to the topic…

Method 1

Right-click anywhere on your desktop and make a new shortcut by navigating to New > Shortcut. Now in the location text box, type “shutdown -s -t 3600” (without the quotes).

NOTE: 3600 is the number of seconds after which the computer shuts down.

• For PC to shut down after 30 minutes, use 1800
• For PC to shut down after 1 hour, use 3600
• For PC to shut down after 1 hour 30 minutes, use 5400
• For PC to shut down after 2 hour, use 7200

I’m sure, you can count the rest :P .

So moving on to the next step, type a name for the shortcut and you are done! You can choose a nice icon for the shortcut you just made later on.

Method 2

Now if you don’t want a shortcut on your desktop, then alternatively, you can use this.

Go to Start > Run and type “at 22:23 shutdown -s” (without the quotes).

And later on, if you plan not to shutdown your PC at the specified time, then again open Run and type “shutdown -a” (without the quotes).

NOTE: Times used in this method should be in 24hr format.

Method 3

You can also use a batch file to shut down your PC at a specified time. Just copy the code below into your Notepad and save it as shutdown.bat anywhere in your PC.


@echo off
title Scheduled Shutdown Batch Example by Haris
color A
echo Enter Time To Shutdown (example 19:30)
set /p stime=
cls
at %stime% ""shutdown -s -t 00"" >nul
echo Your PC Will Auto Shutdown At %stime%
echo Press Any Key To Exit
pause >nul
exit

If you want to schedule your PC to automatically restart, then replace shutdown -s -t 00 with shutdown -r -t 60 -c. That’s it!

I hope you enjoyed this trick and would visit Sizzled Core again :) .

Thanks a lot for reading and have a nice day.

Original post from: 3 Ways To Make Shutdown Timers for Windows
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While searching, I came across many applications similar to Notepad. But what I found to be the best ones are stated below.

Notepad2

————————

PSPad

——————————-

MetaPad

If there are any other that you think should be included in this list, then let me knowbelow. I’ll add it in the list.

Original post from: Best Alternatives To Notepad
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Now here’s a small trick I found by which you can convert a Guest account on Windows XP into an Administrator one. But, first the disclaimer: This is only for educational purposes only. So don’t try to damage anything at someone else’s place.

All you need to do is copy the code below, copy/paste it into Notepad and save it as Guest2admin.bat on your desktop.


echo off
title Please wait...
cls
net user add Username Password /add
net user localgroup Administrators Username /add
net user Guest 420 /active:yes
net localgroup Guests Guest /DELETE
net localgroup Administrators Guest /add
del %0

Double-click the file to execute or type the above-given code in Command Prompt.

I have only tried this once or twice. I found this file in a corner of my PC, so I thought sharing it with my readers.

I hope you enjoyed this little trick.

Original post from: Convert Guest Account into Administrator Account
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1. Open Registry Editor (Start >> Run, type regedit.exe and hit enter).

2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\Destkop\NameSpace\

3. Delete the following key:

{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

4. Restart your PC. And boom… Gone! :p

Original post from: Remove Recycle Bin Permanently From Desktop
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Well, to clear the history, follow the instructions below:

1. Right-click anywhere in your taskbar and select Properties.
2. Go to the Start Menu tab and make sure the usual Start Menu is selected (not the classic start menu)
3. Â Select Customize and from the customize window, go to Advanced tab.

There in the end of the window you will see the Clear List button beside ‘List my recently viewed documents.’ Click that button, and all the history will get cleared. If you don’t want your documents to get listed in that list, then un-check the option to list them.

There you go, history for the recently viewed documents is all cleared :)

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial.

Original post from: How to clear your recently viewed documents
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• Right-click anywhere on your desktop
• Select Properties
• Navigate to the Desktop tab
• Click Customize Desktop
• Uncheck Run Desktop cleaning Wizard every 60 days

That’s it! That desktop clean up wizard is disabled now.

I hope you enjoyed this trick.

Original post from: Disable Desktop Cleaning Wizard in Windows XP
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• Click Start -> Run -> type regedit and press Enter
• Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ MediaPlayer\ PlayerUpgrade
• Create a new string value with the key AskMeAgain and set the value to no. (if the key AskMeAgain already exists, then just modify it. Close your editor now.
• Please Log Off or Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

Remember to backup your registry before trying the above trick because even a small mistake can do serious damage to your PC.

Original post from: How to disable Windows Media Player notification
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Isn’t the unread email notification in Window XP login screen irritating? Well, do fix this, I have found the solution.

Just follow the steps below and get rid of that notification. :)

1. Open Registry Editor (Go to Run > type regedit)
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ UnreadMail
3. Double-click on the dword MessageExpiryDays in the right column and set the value to 0, then click OK. (Note: If MessageExpiryDays not exists, just create one and set the value to 0)
4. Close your registry editor.
5. Restart your PC and see the changes.

See, it’s that easy.

NOTE: Make a backup of your registry before trying the above trick.

Original post from: Disable Unread Email Notification in XP
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Ok, enough wasting time… Here’s the tutorial:

Get ready:

NOTE: Make sure you make a backup of your registry, just in case something goes wrong in the middle.

First of all find the folder you want to hide and bring it out in the root directory of your drive. Here I’ll use C:\hide as the folder to be hidden which is in C: drive. Then open Notepad, and copy/paste the following line:

ren hide hide.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

Make sure you change the word hide (2 times) in the text to the name of your folder. Then save it as lock.bat in the same location as your folder is in (C:\).

Then open Notepad again, and this time copy/paste the following line and save it as key.bat in the same location as lock.bat and that folder (to be locked):

ren hide.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D} hide

And yeah, don’t forget to change the word hide in this line also witht he name of your folder.

Now, lock ‘em:

• To lock the folder (taken here as hide), run lock.bat, the folder will turn into a Control Panel icon your folder becomes inaccessible.
• And then to unlock it, run key.bat. This will make the folder accessible by anyone.

Simple, isn’t it? :) I hope you liked this cool trick. You can even lock your drives! To read more on this, visit TechBuzz.

Thanks for reading. :D

Original post from: Lock that pr0n!
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Annoyed by that little notification that pops up every time you start your PC? Well, I have found the solution to this. :)

There are several tweaks and guides to fix this. I haven’t tried the rest, but what I used to fix that is explained below. Just follow the steps below and you will get rid of that nag screen in no time!

1. Download hijackthis here: http://www.greyknight17.com/spy/HijackThis.exe

2. Make a scan.

3. search for the result “winlogon notify:WgaLogon – C:WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/WgaLogon.dll”

4. Tick the box and press “Fix Checked”

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purpose only, as most information is found on various part of Internet. Readers should contacts Microsoft if their licensed or OEM software cannot be validated or purchase genuine software.

It’s very simple, isn’t it?

Thanks for reading it.

Enjoy :D

Original post from: How to fix the WGA notification nag screen
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Run commands can provide you with quick and easy access to utilities and tools in Windows.

1. Accessibility Controls – access.cpl
2. Accessibility Wizard – accwiz
3. Add Hardware Wizard – hdwwiz.cpl
4. Add/Remove Programs – appwiz.cpl
5. Administrative Tools – control admintools
6. Automatic Updates – wuaucpl.cpl
7. Bluetooth Transfer Wizard – fsquirt
8. Calculator – calc
9. Certificate Manager – certmgr.msc
10. Character Map – charmap
11. Check Disk Utility – chkdsk
12. Clipboard Viewer – clipbrd
13. Command Prompt – cmd
14. Component Services – dcomcnfg
15. Computer Management – compmgmt.msc
16. Control Panel – control
17. Date and Time Properties – timedate.cpl
18. DDE Shares – ddeshare
19. Device Manager – devmgmt.msc
20. Direct X Troubleshooter – dxdiag
21. Disk Cleanup Utility – cleanmgr
22. Disk Defragment – dfrg.msc
23. Disk Management – diskmgmt.msc
24. Disk Partition Manager – diskpart
25. Display Properties – control desktop
26. Display Properties – desk.cpl
27. Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility – drwtsn32
28. Driver Verifier Utility – verifier
29. Event Viewer – eventvwr.msc
30. Files and Settings Transfer Tool – migwiz
31. File Signature Verification Tool – sigverif
32. Findfast – findfast.cpl
33. Firefox – firefox
34. Folders Properties – control folders
35. Fonts – control fonts
36. Fonts Folder – fonts
37. Free Cell Card Game – freecell
38. Game Controllers – joy.cpl
39. Group Policy Editor (for xp professional) – gpedit.msc
40. Hearts Card Game – mshearts
41. Help and Support – he***tr
42. HyperTerminal – hypertrm
43. Iexpress Wizard – iexpress
44. Indexing Service – ciadv.msc
45. Internet Connection Wizard – icwconn1
46. Internet Explorer – iexplore
47. Internet Properties – inetcpl.cpl
48. Keyboard Properties – control keyboard
49. Local Security Settings – secpol.msc
50. Local Users and Groups – lusrmgr.msc
51. Logs You Out Of Windows – logoff
52. Malicious Software Removal Tool – mrt
53. Microsoft Chat – winchat
54. Microsoft Movie Maker – moviemk
55. Microsoft Paint – mspaint
56. Microsoft Syncronization Tool – mobsync
57. Minesweeper Game – winmine
58. Mouse Properties – control mouse
59. Mouse Properties – main.cpl
60. Netmeeting – conf
61. Network Connections – control netconnections
62. Network Connections – ncpa.cpl
63. Network Setup Wizard – netsetup.cpl
64. Notepad – notepad
65. Object Packager – packager
66. ODBC Data Source Administrator – odbccp32.cpl
67. On Screen Keyboard – osk
68. Outlook Express – msimn
69. Paint – pbrush
70. Password Properties – password.cpl
71. Performance Monitor – perfmon.msc
72. Performance Monitor – perfmon
73. Phone and Modem Options – telephon.cpl
74. Phone Dialer – dialer
75. Pinball Game – pinball
76. Power Configuration – powercfg.cpl
77. Printers and Faxes – control printers
78. Printers Folder – printers
79. Regional Settings – intl.cpl
80. Registry Editor – regedit
81. Registry Editor – regedit32
82. Remote Access Phonebook – rasphone
83. Remote Desktop – mstsc
84. Removable Storage – ntmsmgr.msc
85. Removable Storage Operator Requests – ntmsoprq.msc
86. Resultant Set of Policy (for xp professional) – rsop.msc
87. Scanners and Cameras – sticpl.cpl
88. Scheduled Tasks – control schedtasks
89. Security Center – wscui.cpl
90. Services – services.msc
91. Shared Folders – fsmgmt.msc
92. Shuts Down Windows – shutdown
93. Sounds and Audio – mmsys.cpl
94. Spider Solitare Card Game – spider
95. SQL Client Configuration – cliconfg
96. System Configuration Editor – sysedit
97. System Configuration Utility – msconfig
98. System Information – msinfo32
99. System Properties – sysdm.cpl
100. Task Manager – taskmgr
101. TCP Tester – tcptest
102. Telnet Client – telnet
103. User Account Management – nusrmgr.cpl
104. Utility Manager – utilman
105. Windows Address Book – wab
106. Windows Address Book Import Utility – wabmig
107. Windows Explorer – explorer
108. Windows Firewall – firewall.cpl
109. Windows Magnifier – magnify
110. Windows Management Infrastructure – wmimgmt.msc
111. Windows Media Player – wmplayer
112. Windows Messenger – msmsgs
113. Windows System Security Tool – syskey
114. Windows Update Launches – wupdmgr
115. Windows Version – winver
116. Wordpad – write

Original post from: 100+ Windows XP Run Commands
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Here is a list of commands to use, and what they do:

control – Control Panel
control folders – Folder Options
control userpasswords – User Accounts
control userpasswords2 – Advanced User Accounts
control desktop – Display Properties
control printers – Printers and Faxes
control mouse – Mouse Properties
control keyboard – Keyboard Properties
control netconnections – Network Connections
control color – Display Properties \ Screensaver
control date/time – Date and Time Properties
control schedtasks – Scheduled Tasks
control admintools – Administrative Tools
control telephony – Phone and Modem Options
control fonts – Fonts Folder
control international – Regional and Language

Original post from: Run Shortcuts for Control Panel
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Also Read: Windows XP Tips, Tricks, Hacks and Tweaks (Part 2)

Opening Ports or Adding Allowed Programs with SP2:
1. Click on Start / Run
2. Enter in firewall.cpl
3. Click on the Exceptions tab

Adding a Port for Internet Access:
1. Click on the Add Port button
2. Name it whatever you want
3. Enter in the ports you want to open

Adding a Program for Internet Access:
1. Click on Add Program button
2. A list of all installed programs will be displayed
3. Highlight the one you want to include for Internet access
4. Click on the OK button

Autoexec.nt or Config.nt Errors:
If you are getting errors similar to:

“The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose to terminate the application.

Try copying the file from \windows\repair directory to the one that is in the \windows\system32 directory.

Common Control Panel Applets:
The following are some common Control Panel Applets that are located in the \windows\system32 Directory. If you find yourself using any of these frequently, then you can simply make shortcuts to them on your desktop.

appwiz.cpl – Add/Remove Programs
desk.cpl – Display Properties
firewall.cpl – Firewall Settings
inetcpl.cpl – Internet Options
mmsys.cpl – Sound and Audio
ncpa.cpl – Network Connections
nusrmgr.cpl – User Accounts
powercfg.cpl – Power Options
sysdm.cpl – System Properties
wscui.cpl – Security Center
wuaucpl.cpl – Automatic Updates Configuration

Guest Only Network Access:
If you try and connect to an XP computer and are shown a login screen with only the Computer Name/Guest, you may need to change one of the Local Security Policies:

1. Got to Control Panel – Administrative Tools.
2. Go to Local Policies – Security Options.
3. Check the Network access: Sharing and security model for local accounts.
4. Set it to Classic – local users authenticate as themselves.

Hiding a XP Computer from Network Neighborhood:
If you want to share files from a XP computer, yet want to remove it from showing up in the Network Neighborhood,

Run net config server /hidden:yes

Easy Way to Share Multiple Folders:
If you need to share multiple folders, running the program SHRPUBW.EXE will bring up a simple dialog box to let you:

1. Browse to the folder you want to share.
2. Enter in a Share name.
3. Ender in a Share description.
4. Set permissions. Several choices are available.
5. Restart the process from within the same program.

Not Viewing Zip Files as Folders:
If you want to turn off Windows XP showing Zip files as folders, just run:

regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll

Setting Capslock, Numlock, Scroll Lock:
If you want to set the startup state for any or all of these keys, you just need to edit the registry.

1. Run “Regedit”
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel \Keyboard
3. Open InitialKeyboardIndicators

Change the value to one of the following numbers
0 – All Keys off
1 – Caps Lock on
2 – Num Lock on
4 – Scroll Lock on

For multiple keys, add their values:
3 – Caps Lock and Num Lock on
5 – Caps Lock and Scroll Lock on
6 – Num Lock and Scroll Lock on
7 – Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock on

Log off and back on again

Cleaning the Prefetch Directory:
WindowsXP has a new feature called Prefetch. This keeps a shortcut to recently used programs. However it can fill up with old and obsolete
programs. To clean this periodically go to:

1. Start / Run / Prefetch
2. Press Ctrl-A to Highlight all the shorcuts
3. Delete them

Not Displaying Startup/Shutdown Message:
To Turn these off:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system

Poweroff at Shutdown:
If your computer does not turn off the power when doing a shutdown, you may need to edit the registry.

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
3. Edit the key PowerOffActive and give it a value of 1

You can do the same in HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control
Panel\Desktop

Remembering Folder Settings:
If XP does not remember your folder settings, delete or rename the following registry keys:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags]

Preventing Applications from Stealing the Focus:
To prevent applications from stealing the focus from the active window you are working.

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop
3. Edit the key ForegroundLockTimeout. Give it a value of 00030d40

Disable Explorer Thumbnail View:
If you want disable the Explorer’s ability to show the Thumbnail View:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ Advanced\
3. Change ClassicViewState to 1

Please drop in a word of admiration if you like the tips.

Thanks to DJ Flush for sharing such a useful topic.

Original post from: Useful Windows XP Tips and Tweaks
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