How to Remove Windows XP's Messenger

Theoretically, you can get rid of it (as well as a few other things). Windows 2000 power users should already be familiar with this tweak.

Fire up the Windows Explorer and navigate your way to the %SYSTEMROOT% \ INF folder. What the heck is that thingy with the percentage signs? It's a variable. For most people, %SYSTEMROOT% is C:\Windows. For others, it may be E:\WinXP. Get it? Okay, on with the hack! In the INF folder, open sysoc.inf (but not before making a BACKUP copy first). Before your eyes glaze over, look for the line containing "msmsgs" in it. Near the end of that particular line, you'll notice that the word "hide" is not so hidden. Go ahead and delete "hide" (so that the flanking commas are left sitting next to one another). Save the file and close it. Now, open the Add and Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel. Click the Add / Remove Windows Components icon. You should see "Windows Messenger" in that list. Remove the checkmark from its box, and you should be set. NOTE: there are other hidden system components in that sysoc.inf file, too. Remove "hide" and the subsequent programs at your own risk.

How to Rename the Recycle Bin
To change the name of the Recycle Bin desktop icon, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} and change the name "Recycle Bin" to whatever you want (don't type any quotes).

NTFS vs. FAT

To NTFS or not to NTFS—that is the question. But unlike the deeper questions of life, this one isn't really all that hard to answer. For most users running Windows XP, NTFS is the obvious choice. It's more powerful and offers security advantages not found in the other file systems. But let's go over the differences among the files systems so we're all clear about the choice. There are essentially three different file systems available in Windows XP: FAT16, short for File Allocation Table, FAT32, and NTFS, short for NT File System.
FAT16
The FAT16 file system was introduced way back with MS–DOS in 1981, and it's showing its age. It was designed originally to handle files on a floppy drive, and has had minor modifications over the years so it can handle hard disks, and even file names longer than the original limitation of 8.3 characters, but it's still the lowest common denominator. The biggest advantage of FAT16 is that it is compatible across a wide variety of operating systems, including Windows 95/98/Me, OS/2, Linux, and some versions of UNIX. The biggest problem of FAT16 is that it has a fixed maximum number of clusters per partition, so as hard disks get bigger and bigger, the size of each cluster has to get larger. In a 2–GB partition, each cluster is 32 kilobytes, meaning that even the smallest file on the partition will take up 32 KB of space. FAT16 also doesn't support compression, encryption, or advanced security using access control lists. FAT32
The FAT32 file system, originally introduced in Windows 95 Service Pack 2, is really just an extension of the original FAT16 file system that provides for a much larger number of clusters per partition. As such, it greatly improves the overall disk utilization when compared to a FAT16 file system. However, FAT32 shares all of the other limitations of FAT16, and adds an important additional limitation—many operating systems that can recognize FAT16 will not work with FAT32—most notably Windows NT, but also Linux and UNIX as well. Now this isn't a problem if you're running FAT32 on a Windows XP computer and sharing your drive out to other computers on your network—they don't need to know (and generally don't really care) what your underlying file system is. The Advantages of NTFS
The NTFS file system, introduced with first version of Windows NT, is a completely different file system from FAT. It provides for greatly increased security, file–by–file compression, quotas, and even encryption. It is the default file system for new installations of Windows XP, and if you're doing an upgrade from a previous version of Windows, you'll be asked if you want to convert your existing file systems to NTFS. Don't worry. If you've already upgraded to Windows XP and didn't do the conversion then, it's not a problem. You can convert FAT16 or FAT32 volumes to NTFS at any point. Just remember that you can't easily go back to FAT or FAT32 (without reformatting the drive or partition), not that I think you'll want to. The NTFS file system is generally not compatible with other operating systems installed on the same computer, nor is it available when you've booted a computer from a floppy disk. For this reason, many system administrators, myself included, used to recommend that users format at least a small partition at the beginning of their main hard disk as FAT. This partition provided a place to store emergency recovery tools or special drivers needed for reinstallation, and was a mechanism for digging yourself out of the hole you'd just dug into. But with the enhanced recovery abilities built into Windows XP (more on that in a future column), I don't think it's necessary or desirable to create that initial FAT partition. When to Use FAT or FAT32
If you're running more than one operating system on a single computer (see Dual booting in Guides), you will definitely need to format some of your volumes as FAT. Any programs or data that need to be accessed by more than one operating system on that computer should be stored on a FAT16 or possibly FAT32 volume. But keep in mind that you have no security for data on a FAT16 or FAT32 volume—any one with access to the computer can read, change, or even delete any file that is stored on a FAT16 or FAT32 partition. In many cases, this is even possible over a network. So do not store sensitive files on drives or partitions formatted with FAT file systems.

AVI File Fix in Windows XP

If you have any AVI files that you saved in Windows 9x, which have interference when opened in Windows XP, there is an easy fix to get rid of the interference: Open Windows Movie Maker. Click View and then click Options. Click in the box to remove the check mark beside Automatically create clips. Now, import the movie file that has interference and drag it onto the timeline. Then save the movie, and during the re-rendering, the interference will be removed. Hide 'User Accounts' from users Go to Start/Run, and type: GPEDIT.MSC Open the path User Config > Admin Templates > Control Panel doubleclick "Hide specified Control Panel applets" put a dot in 'enabled', then click 'Show" click Add button, type "nusrmgt.cpl" into the add box

Fix your Slow XP and 98 Network You can run "wmiprvse.exe" as a process for quick shared network access to Win98/ME machines. Stick it in Startup or make it a service. "On the PC running XP, log in as you normally would, go to users, manage network passwords.
Here is where the problem lies. In this dialog box remove any win98 passwords or computer-assigned names for the win98 PCs. In my case , I had two computer-assigned win98 pc names in this box (example G4k8e6). I deleted these names (you may have passwords instead). Then go to My Network Places and -- there you go! -- no more delay! Now, after I did this and went to My Network Places to browse the first Win98 PC, I was presented with a password/logon box that looked like this: logon: G4k8e6/guest (lightly grayed out) and a place to enter a password. I entered the password that I had previously used to share drives on the Win98 PCs long before I installed XP. I have the guest account enabled in XP. This solves the problem for Win98 & XP machines on a LAN; I can't guarantee it will work for Win2K/ME machines as well, but the whole secret lies in the passwords. If this doesn't solve your slow WinXP>Win98 access problems, then you probably have other things wrong. Don't forget to uncheck 'simple file sharing,' turn off your ICS firewall, enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP and install proper protocols, services & permissions."
Disable CD Autorun 1) Click Start, Run and enter GPEDIT.MSC 2) Go to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System. 3) Locate the entry for Turn autoplay off and modify it as you desire.
Boot Defragment

A very important new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot defragment. This basically means that all boot files are placed next to each other on the disk drive to allow for faster booting. By default this option is enabled but some upgrade users have reported that it isn't on their setup.

1. Start Regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
3. Select Enable from the list on the right.
4. Right on it and select Modify.
5. Change the value to Y to enable and N to disable.
6. Reboot your computer.
To change drive letters To change drive letters (useful if you have two drives and have partitioned the boot drive, but the secondary drive shows up as "D")

Go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management, Disk Management, then right-click the partition whose name you want to change (click in the white area just below the word "Volume") and select "change drive letter and paths."
From here you can add, remove or change drive letters and paths to the partition.
XP file Sharing

File sharing. Is the sharing of a disk or printer between computers . If a disk or folder is shared, everyone on the network can access it. You have the ability to set password and permissions for the shared disk or folder for security therefore Windows XP tries to protect you from some potential security risks.

Right click the disk or folder that you want to share and select Sharing and Security. NOTE: The first time you do this the Networking wizard will appear ..CLOSE IT..:-

The Wizard automatically enables the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) to prevent other Internet users from accessing your shared disks and folders. Enabling ICF is a good idea if you connect directly to the Internet through a dial-up, DSL, or cable modem. But it's a terrible idea if you connect to the Internet through your LAN, using a software router (like Internet Connection Sharing) or a hardware router, since it will block File and Printer Sharing. The disk or folder that you share, along with all of the folders that it contains, will be accessible by other network users. If you're sharing an entire disk, Windows XP gives a warning. The implication of the warning is that it's better to share a specific folder, since only that folder (and its subfolders) will be accessible by others, and the rest of the disk will be inaccessible. Click where indicated if you want to go ahead and share the entire disk. This screen doesn't appear if you're sharing a folder.

XP will display a warning. If you want ICF enabled, select Use the wizard to enable file sharing. Otherwise, select Just enable file sharing.

Having successfully stopped the Wizard's , you now have to specify a Share name, which users on other networked computers will use to access this disk or folder. For maximum compatibility with all versions of Windows, use 1-12 characters. By default, users on other computers have full access: they can read, write, and delete shared files. If you only want them to be able to read files, un-check Allow network users to change my files. Warning: If a user has full access, deleting a file doesn't put it in the Recycle Bin. Once it's deleted, it's gone for good.

Hiding a Shared Disk or Folder What if you don't want everyone on the network to be able to access a shared disk or folder? The answer is to create a hidden share by adding a dollar sign ('$') to the end of the share name. A hidden share doesn't appear in My Network Places or Network Neighborhood on any of the networked computers. Only people who know the share name can access it. To create a hidden share, right click the disk or folder and select Sharing and Security. Specify a share name that ends with a dollar sign. Once again, use 1-12 characters (1-11 before the dollar sign). If the people on your network are clever enough to guess a name like myfiles$, use a more secure name, like a combination of letters and numbers. Just make sure that you can remember it.

Mapping Hidden Drives

Accessing a Hidden Share: A hidden share doesn't appear on any of the networked computers, so how can someone on another computer access it? The answer is to map it as a network drive, which assigns a drive letter to the hidden share. Once it has a drive letter, you access it just like a disk on the same computer. To map a network drive, open My Computer, click Tools, and select Map Network Drive.

Specify an unused drive letter and enter the network path for the hidden share, being sure to include the dollar sign. If you check Reconnect at logon, the mapping will happen automatically every time you start your computer. Otherwise, you'll have to map it manually every time.

Turn off Welcome screen Open User Accounts in Control Panel. Click Change the way users log on or off

No Java in Windows XP

Microsoft has announced it will not include support for the Java programming language in the upcoming Windows XP. After settling a lawsuit with Java creator Sun Microsystems in January, the software giant decided the easiest way to prevent further litigation was to simply remove the code entirely.

The settlement stipulated that Microsoft would no longer license Java from Sun, and refrain from stating that Windows is "Java Compatible." Outdated Java support will remain available as an added download from Windows Update if required. Java's removal from the software giant's new operating system comes on the heels of announcements surrounding .NET, Microsoft Web services based on XML.

These services are accessed over the Internet from a variety of devices. Coincidentally, Sun has been developing its own Java-based version of .NET, dubbed Jini. However, Microsoft vehemently denies claims that it intends to phase out support for Java as an attack on Sun.
Windows XP Authentication

It wouldn't be fair to start off without placing a link to Microsoft's article about Windows XP activation. In a nutshell, XP Activation is an anti-piracy technology that links your computer to the CD that installed XP. This way, if someone tries to install XP from the same CD, when XP installation goes out to the internet to activate XP, it will see that the CD that XP is being installed from already has a PC linked with it, and that the PC that it's currently being installed on isn't that same PC that's in the Microsoft database. If this happens, you can use XP for a certain period of time, but after that time (I think it was changed to 30 days), you cannot boot back into XP on that second PC without calling Microsoft and getting a 50-digit activation code.

At first I thought it was a little extreme, and I still think it is. Technically, according to the EULA, you can only install Windows on one PC. You can find the End User License Agreement (EULA) in c:\windows\system32\eula.txt if you need to refer back to it after installation.

Windows XP and DVD

Nowadays, PCs are sold with either a DVD-ROM drive, or a CD-R drive. There are drives that do both, there are even drives that burn both. Either way, those of you with DVD-ROM drives will want to know if you can play DVD movies on your XP machine. XP out of the box won't play DVD Video. DVD's video is stored in a format called "MPEG 2", and you need an MPEG decoder to get the video off the DVD into a format that the computer can show you.

Without yet installing any third-party applications, I popped in my DVD of Fantasia 2000. XP asked me which application I wanted to open the disc with and I selected "Windows Media Player" since it was the only option - the other one being "Do Nothing". When WMP started I got a message box saying "WMP cannot play DVDs because there is no DVD decoder". As a registered user of PowerDVD 3.0, I installed it on my XP machine. After reboot, I got an error about a missing ASPI file, but ignored it. I rebooted again and the message didn't come up a second time. Update Oct. 16, 2001: After installing PowerDVD 3 under the retail version of Windows XP Pro, this message no longer shows up. The error happened under Win XP Home Edition RC2. I started Power DVD 3.0 and without any hassle, Fantasia 2000 was playing on my PC. I don't know the exact reason why Microsoft chose not to include DVD decoding in their XP operating system, especially since Apple includes DVD decoding in MacOS 9 and the soon to be released MacOS 10.1. Update: Microsoft announced MP3 and DVD support via third-party add-on packs, available on Oct. 25, 2001.
XP expires

To reduce instances of "casual copying" (a nice name for software piracy), Microsoft has implemented a two-stage antipiracy scheme in its upcoming OS. The first stage is the installation and registration counter: this lets you install Windows XP only five times on the same system. (Note that you'll be able to install the final version of XP on only one machine, as opposed to the current beta, which can be installed on five machines for testing purposes.) The second stage creates a profile of the system to prevent you from reinstalling or registering the OS on different PCs. To make this scheme work, you must activate your copy of Windows--over the Internet or by calling for an activation code--within 30 days of installation. Activation differs from a classic registration process in that no personal information is requested by or sent to Microsoft, just a record that a specific copy of Windows XP is installed on your specific PC. If you fail to activate your copy of the OS within 30 days, your login will fail. (Since XP is based on Windows NT-like privilege levels, you can't use your computer until you log on.) Microsoft says the scheme should not prevent you from reinstalling your copy of XP on your PC as many times as you need to, as long as it's the same PC or close to it, allowing for some hardware changes. It's the "some" that has most folks worried. In theory, you might have to reactivate your OS if you upgrade significantly or swap out a lot of components because XP might think it's running on a new PC. So far, Microsoft isn't saying what system information the OS uses to determine the "same PC or close to it" status. That means we don't know to what degree you can upgrade your hardware before you cross the invisible line. We also don't know how much, if any, personally identifiable data Microsoft is gathering from your PC. Microsoft says you can, of course, change at least one and possibly several hardware components--RAM, video or sound cards, CPUs, motherboards, and so on--without having to reactivate your OS. But if you try to reinstall your copy of Windows XP on what Microsoft calls a "different or significantly upgraded or changed PC" (again, the company declined to specify how different), the activation will most likely be rejected, requiring you to call Microsoft to explain and get a new (free) activation code. Microsoft plans to set up a new call center for U.S.-based customers to expedite activation issues. Many non-U.S. customers will likely have to go through the existing, shared Microsoft technical support lines they currently use. Microsoft says it expects only 2 percent of the total installed base of Windows XP to have to reactivate the OS. Whether the anti-piracy initiative will present problems for consumers or result in fewer upgrades to XP remains to be seen. Remember, the final release is at least a few months off.
Password Recovery Disk

Take preventive measures against losing user-level passwords.

It doesn't matter if you never again remember a Windows user password. Thanks to XP's Forgotten Password Wizard, your conscience will be free and clear -- should your mind happen to accidentally misplace your user password.

I highly suggest you create a password recovery disk the minute you create your user account. Why? In order to create a password recovery disk you're going to need your password. Write it down the minute you create your user account and then proceed to creating your very own password recovery disk.

Here's how to launch the Forgotten Password Wizard: Single-click Start menu, Control Panel, and User Accounts.
Click your user account name.
Under Related Tasks on the left, click "Prevent forgotten password" to launch the wizard. Now that you've launched the wizard, let it walk you through creating the recovery disk. Make sure the disk you use is formatted and in the drive. After it's finished creating the disk, label it and stash it away for an emergency.
If you happen to forget your password, all you need to do is click your user icon at the logon screen. Even though you don't have your password, go ahead and click the green arrow just like you would to finish logging on to your computer. This will launch a little yellow dialog box directing you to use your password recovery disk.

Make XP boot even Faster

Microsoft has chosen a completely different path for XP and it's boot features by trying to incorporate as much support for newer fastboot BIOSes that are on most current motherboards. They built XP in such a way as to make it able to take advantage of features in these new BIOSes, and one of the coolest things is a small application called bootvis. bootvis. Bootvis watches everything that loads at boot time, from the moment the OS begins to load just after POST (Power On Self-Test) to the moment you get to a usable Desktop. Some programs, most notably Norton AntiVirus 2002, suck up valuable seconds before you can actually DO anything even though you're at the Desktop. bootvis generates a trace file that you load and can then "see" a visual representation of what's happening. Every file, driver, hard drive read/write, etc., is recorded. You can then use bootvis to optimize the loading of files during the boot sequence. bootvis will rearrange the ways these very files are stored on the hard drive, thereby improving the boot time dramatically.
Use Infrared Data Transfer to Connect Computers and Devices

You can connect your computer to other nearby computers and devices without wires, using infrared light to transfer data, the same way your TV remote control sends signals. Most new portable computers have built–in infrared transceivers, and WindowsXP supports the Infared Data Association (IrDA) standards and protocols, allowing you to connect with such devices as printers, modems, digital pagers, personal digital assistants, electronic cameras, organizers, cellular phones, and hand–held computers. To establish an infrared link

1. Verify that the devices you want to connect with have infrared functionality enabled and work correctly.

For information about verifying infrared functionality on your computer, see below. For information about verifying infrared functionality on other devices, see the device manufacturer's documentation.

2. Align your devices so that the infrared transceivers are within one meter of each other, and the transceivers are pointing at each other.

When the devices are correctly aligned, the icon appears on the taskbar.

• The infrared transceiver is the small, dark red window on your portable computer, printer, digital camera, adapter, or other device.
• You can choose whether to hide or display the Wireless Link taskbar icon when two infrared devices are aligned. By default, the Wireless Link taskbar icon is displayed.

To verify infrared support on your computer

1. Verify that your computer has an infrared transceiver (the transceiver will appear as a small, dark red window).

If your computer does not have an infrared transceiver, see your manufacturer's documentation to verify whether IrDA functionality is supported. You could also consider adding a IrDA card which can found at most good computer supply shops.

2. Open Device Manager. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. Click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click System in the left panel. On the Hardware tab, click Device Manager.

3. Double–click Infrared Devices

If you have an infrared transceiver, but Infrared Devices does not appear in Device Manager, you do not have an infrared device installed.

If no infrared devices are listed, do one or both of the following:

• Enter BIOS setup to verify whether the infrared device is enabled in BIOS, in IrDA, or Fast IrDA (FIR) mode. For information about how to enter BIOS setup, see your computer manufacturer's documentation. If the infrared device is disabled in BIOS, you might be able to use your computer's BIOS setup to enable it.
  
  Warning:Using a BIOS setup utility incorrectly can cause your computer to operate incorrectly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of the BIOS setup can be solved. Use this utility at your own risk. Before you make any changes, make a note of the original settings so that you can reinstate them if necessary.
  
• See your computer manufacturer's documentation to determine whether the BIOS needs to be updated.
  1. Verify that at least one infrared device is listed and that it is enabled.
  
  If infrared devices are listed but they are not enabled, verify that the infrared devices are installed correctly on your computer. Infrared transceivers are now installed in nearly all new portable computers. If your computer does not have an infrared transceiver, but it supports IrDA, and IrDA is enabled in BIOS, you can install an external infrared transceiver.

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