Disable Windows Messenger on a Windows XP machine

If you're using MSN Messenger as your chat and videoconferencing tool, you may never use Windows Messenger anymore and have removed it from the startup group to keep it out of your way. However, you may have seen it pop up on occasion and had to struggle with closing it down. The reason that Windows Messenger makes these impromptu appearances is that Outlook, Outlook Express, and even some Microsoft Web pages can still make it load automatically. Fortunately, you can banish Windows Messenger from your desktop by making an alteration to the local group policy with the Group Policy Editor. Here's how:
1. Access the Run dialog box by pressing [Windows]R.
2. In the Open text box type Gpedit.msc and click OK to launch the Group Policy Editor.
3. Go to Computer Configuration Administrative Templates Windows Components Windows Messenger.
4. Double-click the Do Not Allow Windows Messenger To Be Run setting.
5. In the resulting dialog box, select the Enabled option and click OK.
6. Close the Group Policy Editor.

Open each folder in the same window option is disabled... How to Enable?

This can be caused by a virus ( W32 ), Malware, or an error in your registry

You can also try the following:Open notepad, and type the following text

(Please make sure the spelling is correct ):

WindowsRegistryEditorVersion5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore]"BrowserFlags"=dword:00000022"ExplorerFlags"=dword:00000021
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\command]@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\ 00,5c,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\ 65,00,20,00,2f,00,65,00,2c,00,2f,00,69,00,64,00,6c,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,2c,\ 00,25,00,49,00,2c,00,25,00,4c,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec]@="[ExploreFolder(\"%l\", %I, %S)]""NoActivateHandler"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec\application]@="Folders"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec\ifexec]@="[]"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec\topic]@="AppProperties"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open]"BrowserFlags"=dword:00000010"ExplorerFlags"=dword:00000012
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command]@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\ 00,5c,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\ 65,00,20,00,2f,00,69,00,64,00,6c,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,2c,00,25,00,49,00,2c,\ 00,25,00,4c,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec]@="[ViewFolder(\"%l\", %I, %S)]""NoActivateHandler"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec\application]@="Folders"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec\ifexec]@="[]"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec\topic]@="AppProperties"
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\explore]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\open]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\open]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell]@="none"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]@="none"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell]@=-

Save the file "samefolderwindow.reg", and close notepad. Right click on the file and click merge. The information should be modified / added in your registry.

Folder option problem

When I choose tools -> folder options -> view, and check "Show hidden files and folders" radio box, and open the same window, again it shows that "Show hidden files and folders" radio box is unchecked. I could not check it anyway. The same problem occurs when I try XP in Safe Mode with the Administrator account. What can be the problem?

This can be caused by a virus ( W32 ), Malware, or an error in your registry.For the first two possibilities, you need to install a proper Antivirus / Anti-Spyware program and run a scan.

You can also try the following:Open notepad, and type the following text (Please make sure the spelling is correct ):
WindowsRegistryEditorVersion5.00[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden]"Text"="@shell32.dll,-30499""Type"="group""Bitmap"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,00,\48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,34,00,00,\00"HelpID"="shell.hlp#51131"[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\NOHIDDEN]"RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced""Text"="@shell32.dll,-30501""Type"="radio""CheckedValue"=dword:00000002"ValueName"="Hidden""DefaultValue"=dword:00000002"HKeyRoot"=dword:80000001"HelpID"="shell.hlp#51104"[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL]"RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced""Text"="@shell32.dll,-30500""Type"="radio""CheckedValue"=dword:00000001"ValueName"="Hidden""DefaultValue"=dword:00000002"HKeyRoot"=dword:80000001"HelpID"="shell.hlp#51105"

Save the file "RegistryFix.reg", and close notepad. Double click on the file. The information should be modified / added in your registry.

You can also try the following operation:

Go to the "Start" Menu, select "Run", and then type "sfc /scannow".

Disable access to System properties

Using the System properties applet in Control Panel, a user can change the name and/or domain membership of the computer, create hardware profiles, manage devices, and specify performance parameters such as memory usage, virtual memory settings, and visual effects. This registry edit allows you to disable access to System properties, both from Control Panel and My Computer/Computer Management.
1. In your registry editor, logged on as the user for whom you want to restrict access, navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer.
2. Right-click in an empty portion of the right details pane and select New DWORD Value.
3. Rename the new value to NoPropertiesMyComputer.
4. Double-click the new value and enter 1 in the Data Value field to hide the properties. If you want to make the properties accessible later, change the value to 0.
5. Restart the computer to make the change take effect.

Changing The Size Of The Preview Images In Explorer

Depending on the screen resolution, the images displayed in the preview in windows explorer are so tiny that similar photographs can barely be distinguished from one another. Is there a way i can make the preview larger?

Changing A Value In The Registry Instead Can Increase The Size Of The Preview

1.Open The Registry Editor And Navigate To The Key “HKEY_CURENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\windows\currentversion\explorer”.

2.Click on Edit NEWDWORD-Value.
Name this New Entry “Thumbnailsize”.

3.Double Click On The Entry,Selectthe Decimal Ratio Button And Enter A Number Between “32” And “256” The Default Value Is “96”.

4.Enter A Larger Value To Increase The Thumbnailsize.Confirm The Change By Clicking On “OK”. Restart windows explorer for the changes to take effect.

Create a custom Control Panel in Windows XP

To simplify access to the tools in Windows XP’s Control Panel, Microsoft created the Category View, in which the Control Panel’s tools are organized into categories. If you’re an old-school Windows user, you can still switch back to the Classic View, in which all of the Control Panel’s tools are available. If you admire the simplicity of the Category View but prefer the Classic View, you may want to create your own custom Control Panel that combines the best of both views. Here’s how:
1 . Right-click the Start button and select the Explore command.
2 . Go to File New Folder.
3 . Name the new folder My Control Panel.
4 . Right-click your new My Control Panel folder, select the Properties command, choose the
Customize tab, click the Change Icon button, and select an icon that will differentiate this folder from all the rest on the Start menu.
5 . Open your new My Control Panel folder, and then open the original Control Panel and select Classic View.
6 . Drag and drop your favorite tools from the original Control Panel to your new My Control Panel folder.
7 . Close both your new My Control Panel folder and the original Control Panel.
Now when you need to use your favorite tool, just click Start All Programs and at the top of the All Programs menu select the My Control Panel folder. You’ll see your favorite tools in an easy to access drop-down menu.

Wake a hibernating Windows XP machine based on your schedule

http://i.t.com.com/i/tr/downloads/home/mkaelin_wake_up_pc_xptip.pdf