\n\nHacking Windows XP Active Desktop Demonstration\n\n \n\n
\n\n\nThis is the content of my Web page file that is saved as radarpage.htm. Basically, the most\nimportant line in the code above is the META Refresh line. This is the line that automatically\ntells my browser, or Active Desktop, to refresh the page every 10 seconds. That way, I will\nalways have an up-to-date radar image displayed on my desktop. All of the other lines are just\nstandard HTML tags.\nIf you want to create a file like this, just open up Notepad and type in your HTML code and\nthen save the file with an .htm extension.\nNow, once you have your Web page made in either Notepad or a nice HTML editor, you are\nready to set it up to be used as your desktop. To do this, follow these steps:\n1. Right-click your Desktop and select Properties.\n2. Next, click the Desktop tab and then click the Browse button that is located on the\nmiddle-right side of the window.\n3. Navigate through your computer and select the Web page that you created to use as your\nbackground and then click OK to select it.\n4. Click OK once more to save your changes and you are finished.\nYou will have to wait a few seconds as Active Desktop loads your desktop for the first time.\nAfter that, the display properties window will go away and you should see your new\ndesktop.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 112,
"text": "89\nChapter 3 — Hacking the Desktop\nHave fun with this feature. If you learn HTML well enough, you can even start to include\nimages that you make yourself to really give your computer a customized look and feel.\nUsing the wallpaper PowerToy\nWe all like changing our wallpaper every once in a while. We get tired of staring at the same\nold photo or pattern and like to select a new image that we downloaded on the Web or made\nFIGURE 3-11: Using the Wallpaper Changer PowerToy to customize the desktop by adding\nrotating wallpapers.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 113,
"text": "90\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nourselves. Back in April of 2003, Microsoft released a series of creativity fun packs that\nincluded all sorts of neat things, such as different types of themed templates as well as a few\nnew PowerToys. One of those PowerToys was called the Wallpaper Changer. This PowerToy is\nan application that will automatically rotate your wallpaper over a given period of time that you\nset. Additionally, you can specify a folder of images to use so that you can control which images\nare rotated.\nI like to use the Wallpaper Changer to change my wallpaper weekly, although it is possible to\nset it up to change your wallpaper every 15 minutes. If the Wallpaper Changer is something\nthat interests you, visit www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/experiences/downloads/\ncreate_powertoy.asp to download a copy yourself. Then, follow these steps to configure\nit.\n1. Once you have installed the Wallpaper Changer PowerToy, you can start it up by\nclicking the Start Menu, navigating to All Programs, expanding PowerToys for\nWindows XP, and then selecting Wallpaper Changer.\n2. When the Wallpaper Changer has loaded, select the folder that you want to use as your\nsource of the images using the browsing box.\n3. Then, just set the interval between wallpaper changes by sliding the marker across the\nline, as shown in Figure 3-11.\n4. Once you have the interval set, just click OK and your settings will be saved.\nThe Wallpaper Changer will allow you to customize your desktop like never before. Now you\nwill always have a nice-looking desktop that is always new.\nSummary\nThrough this chapter, you have learned how to customize the icons on your desktop in many\ndifferent ways as well as make the desktop a little better. The icons on your desktop are by far\nthe most important part, but the desktop itself can be customized. I have shown you three\ndifferent ways to customize your desktop and make it function even better.\nThe next chapter will be one of the most important chapters on customizing. I will be showing\nyou how to change the visual style of Windows XP to make it look completely different. There\nare many high-quality visual styles to be found on the Web, produced by many talented artists.\nI am going to show you how to take advantage of those visual styles and put them to use on\nyour computer. But that’s not all. I’m also going to show you how to make your very own visual\nstyles. The next chapter will be a must for anyone that wants to customize the most visible part\nof Windows XP.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 114,
"text": "Customizing the\nAppearance of the\nWindows Interface\nI\nn the last few chapters, you customized little parts of the operating\nsystem starting with the boot screen. Then you moved onto customiz-\ning the logon screen, which led to customizing the Start panel/menu.\nAfter the Start panel/menu was customized, you found out how to\ncustomize the taskbar and the desktop. This next chapter will show you\nhow to customize the entire user interface by changing the theme or\nvisual style.\nThe material in the paragraphs that follow show you how to make major\nalterations in the way your computer looks—more so than all of the mate-\nrial that has been presented thus far. First to be examined is the difference\nbetween a theme and a visual style, to clear up any possible confusion that\nyou might have. Next comes a discussion of the use of themes and how you\ncan make your own. Then, you will learn how to use visual styles, as well as\nhow to make your own. You will find out about some alternatives to using\nthemes and visual styles so that you know about all of your customizing\noptions.\nWorking with Themes\nThemes have been a part of Windows for a very long time. Ever since\nWindows 95 was released, themes made it possible to save the configura-\ntion of the fonts, colors, visual style, wallpaper, mouse cursors, and even\nthe sounds that are used. Throughout the years, not a lot has changed in\nthe theme world. Originally, you had to have Microsoft Plus to use\nthemes, but now, the ability to use themes is included in all of the latest\nMicrosoft operating systems. Additionally, when themes were first devel-\noped, they did not keep track of visual styles, just because they didn’t \nexist. Now, the theme format has expanded to allow for the new Windows\nfeature.\n\u0002 Working with\nThemes\n\u0002 Making Your Own\nThemes\n\u0002 Changing the Visual\nStyle\n\u0002 Making Your Own\nVisual Styles\n\u0002 Visual Style\nAlternatives\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 115,
"text": "92\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nWhy are themes still important to talk about even though they have been around so long?\nBecause they provide a unique way to save all of your computer’s visual settings as well as audio\nsettings so that you can easily change all of them at once. You don’t have to customize each of\nthe different elements of the windows such as the font and colors every time you use them.\nThemes make your life easier. These next few sections are going to show you how you can use\nthemes and make your own so that you too can benefit from the convenience they offer.\nChanging the current theme\nWhen you install Windows XP, Microsoft includes two themes: Windows XP and the Windows\nClassic theme. By changing the themes, you can turn on and off the new Windows XP look.\nAlso, remember that you can make your own themes, which I will get to in the next section, so\nthat you can easily switch between your own theme sets. When you do so, after you spend time\ncustomizing the look of XP, making changes to window metrics, sounds, visual style, cursors,\nwallpaper and so on, they can be saved to a theme file so that you will never lose your changes.\nChanging the themes is actually pretty simple. It is all done through the Display Properties\nControl Panel applet. To change themes, follow these steps:\n1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties.\n2. Display Properties will then load and will be displaying the Themes tab.\n3. Next, just expand the drop-down box under Theme, as shown in Figure 4-1, and select\nthe theme that you want to use.\n4. When you have selected the theme, click OK to save your changes.\nOnce you have hit the OK button, the new theme will be applied. This process may take a few\nseconds while the changes are being made.\nNow that you know how to change a theme, it is time to make your own.\nMaking your own themes\nMaking your own theme will allow you to easily back up your visual changes to XP so that you\ncan distribute your settings to other computers or on the Internet. Making your own theme is\nactually just like changing the theme. The most difficult part of the process is customizing all\nof the little aspects of the visual elements that make up the user interface. The next few sec-\ntions will walk you through the process of fine-tuning the user interface and will then show\nyou how to save your changes and make your own theme file.\nModifying the window metrics and fonts\nWhat the heck are window metrics? Well, it is the fancy way of talking about how big every-\nthing is. There is actually a whole lot that you can adjust that will affect the size of user \ninterface elements such as the title bar of a window and other window elements such as but-\ntons. Almost everything on a window has a size that can be adjusted. This section will show\nyou how to alter your visual style or classic Windows interface look by fine-tuning the different\ncomponents of the window.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 116,
"text": "93\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\nAnother possibility is to fine-tune the fonts that are used. You can change the size of the font\ndisplayed, the style, and even the actual font that is used.\nTo get started, you will be using Display Properties again to make the changes:\n1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties.\n2. Click the Appearance tab and hit the Advanced button located on the bottom-right of\nthe window.\n3. The Advanced Appearance window will show up. This location is where you can change\nthe size as well as the font for all of the different aspects of a window. You can make\nchanges in two different ways. The first way is to use the Item drop-down box. Just\nexpand it and select the item that you want to modify. The other way is to click the object\nthat you want to customize on the Preview picture. This will automatically select the item\nfrom the Item drop-down box for you. Either way, select an item that you want to change.\nFor purposes of demonstration, I suggest that you click or select Active Title Bar.\nFIGURE 4-1: Changing the active theme.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 117,
"text": "94\nPart I — Customizing Your System\n4. Once you have selected an object that you want to change, use the Size, Font, and Color\nsettings to customize your window, as shown in Figure 4-2. The Active Title Bar is a\ngood item to experiment with the size. Try playing around with this one and see how\nyou can change the way a visual style looks by adjusting this value.\n5. When you are finished changing the sizes of the window items, try changing the fonts\nand colors as well. If you are using the new Windows XP look, then adjusting the colors\non this screen will not matter, because visual styles ignore these color settings and use\ntheir own that are built into the visual style file. However, if you are using the classic\nWindows XP look, then these color settings are critical to customizing the look of\nWindows XP because this is where the classic look gets its color information. Once you\nare done, click OK to save your changes.\n6. You will have to click OK once more to activate your changes and close the Display\nProperties window.\nFIGURE 4-2: Customizing the sizes and fonts of the user interface.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 118,
"text": "95\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\nYou can do a lot of interesting things to make your computer look unique. One thing I always\nlike to do is decrease the size of the Active Title Bar so that it is as small as it will allow me to\nmake it. Doing so makes the Maximize, Minimize, and Close buttons smaller too. It is a nice\nlook that makes your windows look like they have lost some weight. Of course, you could\nincrease the size as well and make the buttons so big you could operate your computer 10 feet\naway from your monitor.\nModifying the system sounds\nThe sound file Windows plays when you log in, log out, minimize and maximize a window\nare saved inside a theme file. Because I am taking you through all of the different things\nthat a theme file will save the settings for, I will go over how to change the settings for the\nsounds that Windows XP uses so that you can customize this aspect of your computer as\nwell.\nChanging the event sounds is very simple. Just follow these steps to launch and configure the\nSound Properties:\n1. Click the Start Menu and select Run.\n2. Type mmsys.cpl in the box and click OK to launch the system Sounds and Audio\nDevices Properties.\n3. Once the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties loads, click the Sounds tab.\n4. Next, to adjust the sound clip for a specific event, click the event that you want to mod-\nify, as shown in Figure 4-3, by navigating though the Program Events box.\n5. Once you have an event selected, the Sounds drop-down list will become enabled and\nyou will be able to select the sound clip that you want to use. You can select (None) from\nthe top of the list if you do not want to use a sound for a specific program event. If you\ncannot find a sound that you like on the list, you can use the Browse button to pick a\nspecific sound file on your computer to use.\n6. When you are finished with your changes, just click OK to save your work.\nYou are now finished with customizing the sound events on your computer. The next step\nis to customize the cursors of the mouse so that they too will be included in your theme\nfile.\nCustomizing the mouse cursors\nThe mouse cursors are yet another item that is saved in the Theme file. Many different pointer\nschemes are included with Windows XP. Although not all of them may be the nicest-looking\ncursors, they can really help out in some situations. Additionally, Windows XP includes special\nlarge mouse cursors so that the cursors will be easier on the eyes of some people.\nTo get your cursors set perfectly for your Theme file, do the following:\n1. Click the Start button and select Run.\n2. Type main.cpl and click OK to open up Mouse Properties.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 119,
"text": "96\nPart I — Customizing Your System\n3. Next, click the Pointers tab.\n4. Once you are there, you have two options to customize the cursors: You can use the\ndrop-down Scheme box to change all of the pointers at once to different styles, by select-\ning a different cursor scheme from the list shown in Figure 4-4. When you select the dif-\nferent schemes, all of the cursors will change automatically. Alternatively, if you do not\nlike the cursor schemes, you can individually select a cursor from the customize box list\nby scrolling through the list and selecting the cursor you want to change. Then, hit the\nBrowse button to change it.\n5. When you are finished customizing your cursors, just hit the OK button and you are\nfinished.\nNow you are ready to move on to customizing the visual style that the theme will be using.\nFIGURE 4-3: Modifying the sound for the Start Windows event.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 120,
"text": "97\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\nChoosing the visual style the theme will use\nWindows XP introduces the new way of skinning the Windows interface (applying a new\nskin/look to the interface) with files called visual styles. The visual style files are like one file\nwith all of the different images in it that make up the way the interface looks. Windows XP\nonly includes one visual style, which is called the Windows XP style. The second half of this\nchapter, which is all about visual styles, will show you how you can get more visual styles.\nEach visual style usually contains different color schemes. The Windows XP style that comes\nwith Windows XP has three: Blue, Olive Green, and Silver. The color schemes of the\nWindows XP style do not change the shape of the windows, just the color, since this is what a\ncolor scheme is designed to do. Unlike the classic windows interface, changing the colors of the\nwindow elements is not as simple as selecting a new color. Instead, a visual style has to have a\nwhole new set of graphics created and then imported into the file. Because of that, each of the\ndifferent color scheme options of a visual style are actually completely separate visual styles.\nBecause each of the color scheme options of a visual style require a whole new set of graphics,\nFIGURE 4-4: Changing the pointer scheme.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 121,
"text": "98\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nauthors of visual styles on the Web often use the color scheme settings to store slightly differ-\nent versions of their visual style. Not only do the different versions often have new colors, but\nthey also have minor physical tweaks and differences.\nNow that you know the basics of the visual style, it’s time to tweak the visual style settings so\nthat when you make your Theme file in the next sections, it will be included with your sound\nand mouse settings:\n1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties to bring up the Display Properties window.\n2. When this is displayed, click the Appearance tab.\n3. In the bottom half of the window, you should see the Windows and Buttons drop-down\nlist. This will include all of the visual styles properly installed on your computer. By\ndefault, with a new Windows XP install, you will have two choices: Windows XP Style\nand Windows Classic Style, as shown in Figure 4-5.\n4. Once you have your visual style picked out, play around with the color schemes and see\nwhich one you like best. Remember, if you have already installed some visual styles that\nyou downloaded from the Web, changing the color scheme may reveal different varia-\ntions of a visual style that can look completely different from one another.\n5. The font size settings are also fun to play with, but most users have little use for them\nbecause the author of a visual style usually picked what looks best with the style of the\nskin. However, if you do not like the author’s choices, this is where you can customize\nthe look to suit your taste. When you are finished customizing your visual style settings,\nclick OK to save your changes.\nChanging the wallpaper\nYou all know how to change wallpaper on your desktop, but I am going to show you a great little\ntrick that you can do to change your wallpaper even faster and also one that will allow you to\neasily change it on multiple computers without having to go to Display Properties all the time.\nThe trick? Just create a registry file that you can import into the registry that will overwrite\nyour current wallpaper information. Doing so is actually very easy; just follow these steps to\ncreate your very own file:\n1. Open up Notepad (located in Start Menu in the Accessories folder).\n2. Type in the following code:\nWindows Registry Editor Version 5.00\n[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Control Panel\\Desktop]\n“Wallpaper”\u0002“C:\\\\windows\\\\MyWallpaper.bmp”\n“WallpaperStyle”\u0002“1”\n3. You will want to replace the C:\\\\windows\\\\... with the path and filename to the\nbitmap that you want to use. Note that in the path, wherever there is a \\, you have to put\ntwo of them in the registry file you are creating because the registry editor requires all \npaths to be in that format. You can change the wallpaperstyle property that will allow\n"
},
{
"page_number": 122,
"text": "99\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\nyou to control how the bitmap image is displayed on your computer. Setting the value\nequal to 0 will center the image on the screen. Setting the value to 1 will display the image\nas if it was tiled or repeated across the entire screen. Setting the wallpaperstyle value\nto 2 will stretch the image to fit the entire screen.\n4. When you have the text in Notepad looking like the code in Step 2 but with your\nchanges included, you are ready to save the file. Go to the File menu bar item and select\nSave As, then select Save As Type. In the File Name box, type wallpaper.reg. Keep in\nmind: You need to have the .reg at the end of the filename so your computer knows to\nimport the file into your registry using the Registry Editor.\n5. Once you save the file, just go to the location where you saved it, and double-click the\nfile. A screen will come up asking you if you want to import the file into the registry;\nFIGURE 4-5: Adjusting the window style.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 123,
"text": "100\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nclick Yes. Then, you will be presented with a confirmation screen informing you if the\nupdate was successful.\nYou will have to log out and log back in if you want to see your changes take effect.\nOn the attached companion CD-ROM, you will find a copy of the registry to change the desktop\nwallpaper in the Chapter 4 folder. \nSaving your changes to a theme file \nYou have now customized all of the aspects for which the Theme file will keep track. Now you\nwill be able to make your own theme file, one that you can use as a backup or give to other\npeople so that they can replicate your changes.\nBefore I go any further, I want to make it clear what exactly the theme file saves. The theme\nfile will save the configuration of all of the different parts of Windows XP that you just modi-\nfied; however, it will not save the actual files that you used. For example, if you decide to\nchange the sounds of a program event on your computer, then you will also have to include that\nsound clip to anyone or any computer to which you want to apply the theme file that you\nmade. A theme file just saves the settings, nothing else.\nNow that you understand what the theme file format is, you are ready to get started. Making\nyour own theme file is just as easy as changing one. To do so, follow these steps:\n1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties to get to the Display Properties.\n2. On the Themes tab, you will see that it now says the name of the original theme that you\nstarted along with “(modified)” attached to it. To save your new theme, just hit the Save\nAs button located to the right of the theme drop-down box.\n3. Enter in the name that you want to save the theme file as and the destination. By\ndefault, you will be pointed to your My Documents folder. That location is a good place\nto store your theme files so that you can easily access them later to delete or distribute\nthem to other users.\nYou have now created a backup of your theme so that you can easily change back to it when\nyou customize the user interface. Now it’s time for you to explore the world of visual styles.\nLearn all you can about how you can make Windows XP look its best.\nModifying the Visual Styles\nWindows XP includes a new skinning engine built into the operating system, which it uses to\ndisplay its own skin format, known as visual styles. Visual styles are responsible for transform-\ning the boring old Windows classic look into the colorful and visually pleasing Windows XP\nlook. Unfortunately, Microsoft has decided to keep the format of visual styles secret and built\n"
},
{
"page_number": 124,
"text": "101\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\nthe skinning engine to only accept Visual styles that are digitally signed by Microsoft. This\ndecision puts a big roadblock in the path of creating your own visual styles. On top of that,\nMicrosoft decided that they were not going to release any more visual styles, so we are all \nstuck with the default Windows XP look.\nThis presented a problem to the Windows XP tweaking community. Everyone wanted to take\nadvantage of the new visual styles engine that was built into Windows XP and create his or her\nown visual styles. When I first started to use Windows XP, I spent a lot of time trying to figure\nout how to create my own visual styles. I tried using Resource Hacker on the visual style file\nthat came with Windows XP to replace the bitmaps inside the file. I was sure that this attempt\nwould work, but when I tried to view the visual style in Display Properties, the rendering was\nvery strange in the Preview window, and when I tried to apply it, the computer would revert to\nthe classic Windows interface. After spending some time browsing the Web and reading\nforums, I found out that the reason why my new visual style was not working was because the\nfile was not digitally signed by Microsoft. Apparently, even if you modify a file that was signed\nby Microsoft, the signature is broken because the checksum of the file changed when you\nreplaced the bitmaps.\nWhat would be the next step? Well there were two options: either try to fake a digital signature\non the theme file or just remove the digital signature requirement from the visual style engine.\nFaking a digital signature is very difficult, if not impossible, so removing the digital signature\nrequirement was the only plausible choice. This was the limit of my skills. I had no clue how to\nremove the requirement other than opening the file up in the hex editor and starting to delete\nrandom bytes.\nThankfully, someone else figured it out. A company called TGT Soft (www.tgtsoft.com)\nreleased a program called Style XP, as well as a free patch that you could use. All you would\nhave to do is run the patcher on your computer and let it go loose on your uxtheme.dll file,\nwhich is the heart of the visual style engine, and it would remove the digital signature require-\nment. You’ll soon learn how to use the Style XP shareware for making lots of interesting\nchanges, in the section entitled Installing New Visual Styles.\nThe development of Style XP and its runaround of the Windows XP signatures created shock-\nwaves in the skinning community. It would now be possible to use different visual styles to take\nadvantage of the new skinning engine. Sites such as ThemeXP.org sprung up, offering hun-\ndreds of visual styles that XP users all over the world made. Everyone was happy, except for\nMicrosoft.\nEventually, TGT Soft found itself in a little trouble when Microsoft found out that they\nreleased a program that bypassed the requirement. Microsoft could have blown this company\nout of the water, but they were very generous and allowed TGT Soft to continue to develop its\nproduct and helped them write a service that ran in the background so that they would no\nlonger have to hack the system file.\nNowadays things have changed a little bit. TGT Soft still offers its Style XP application that\ncan be used to unsign visual styles, but it is still shareware. Thankfully, there is an application\ncalled the UXTheme Multi-Patcher, which will patch the skinning engine just like the old\nTGT Soft patch. More will be discussed about the patchers shortly, in the section entitled\nUsing UXTheme Multi-Patcher to enable use of non-Microsoft Visual styles.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 125,
"text": "102\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nIt is a little unclear what Microsoft thinks about users of Windows XP bypassing its digital signa-\nture requirement for the visual style engine, using applications such as UXTheme Multi-Patcher.\nTaking a look at the whole situation, they really do not have a reason to be upset because it is\nnot like the Multi-Patcher is contributing to software piracy. Additionally, the ability to use thou-\nsands of visual styles available on the Web with the fast native visual style engine is a great rea-\nson to upgrade to Windows XP. From a marketing standpoint, Microsoft should just forget about\nthe stupid protection. It would make users of Windows XP happier because they would be able\nto customize their computers easier. \nSo, you’ve now learned a brief history of how one of the best new features of Windows XP\nbecame unlocked. These next few sections will show you how to install and use new visual\nstyles on your computer to completely transform the way the user interface looks.\nInstalling new visual styles\nCurrently, you can use new visual styles on XP in two different ways. Both options work\naround the requirement that visual style files must be signed. First, I am going to explain\nhow to use, as well as the benefits of using, TGT Soft’s Style XP to use new visual styles.\nThen, I am going to show you how to use patcher XP as well as the benefits of using it. But\nfirst, I am going to show you where to download visual styles that can be used on your \ncomputer.\nDownloading visual styles\nMany cool sites on the Web offer thousands of visual styles to download. Unlike boot and\nlogon screens, you do not need to worry about the version of a visual style because they are not\nsystem-critical files and their format does not change when service packs are released. This\ncapability makes downloading them even easier, because you don’t have to worry about screw-\ning up your computer.\nCheck out the following list of my favorite sites from which to download visual styles. I think\nyou will find them very helpful.\n\u0002 ThemeXP.org (www.themexp.org) offers well over 1,100 visual styles for Windows\nXP. It is, by far, the leader in the XP visual style world.\n\u0002 XPTheme (www.xptheme.info) offers over 300 visual styles.\n\u0002 NeoWin (www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showforum\u000236) offers a great\ntheme forum that has a lot of quality visual styles.\n\u0002 deviantART (browse.deviantart.com/skins/windows/visualstyle/) is\nanother good site for visual styles that has an easy to use navigation system that shows \n24 thumbnails of visual styles at once.\n\u0002 TSS2000 (www.tss2000.nl) is a great site from which to get quality visual styles.\nAlthough they require you to register on their site to download a visual style, this\nrequirement is worth it. They also have a large collection of Apple OS X-looking visual\nstyles.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 126,
"text": "103\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\nI personally like the look of the Apple OS X visual styles but do not like trying to make my PC\nlook like a Mac. My favorite visual style is called iBar 4 set on the WinFlag color scheme,\nwhich is shown in Figure 4-6. It is a nice blend between the OS X look and a Windows visual\nstyle. The iBar 4 visual style can be downloaded from www.deviantart.com/deviation/\n4650418/.\nIn the Chapter 4 folder, you can view a full color screenshot of the iBar 4 visual style created by\nDartbra.\nMany more sites are available from which you can download visual styles, but the sites \nmentioned previously will give you plenty of styles, more than you are likely to ever go\nthrough or use. Once you have downloaded a few visual styles that you would like to use\nfrom the Web, you are ready to extract them and place them in the appropriate place on\nyour hard drive.\nFIGURE 4-6: Changing the look of Windows XP by using the iBar 4 visual style created by Dartbra,\nwhich gives the desktop a nice gray metal look with light blue accents.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 127,
"text": "104\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nWindows stores the default Windows XP-style visual style at C:\\Windows\\Resources\\\nThemes on your hard drive. This is also where you should extract all of your visual styles that\nyou downloaded inside a folder that has the same name as the .msstyles file. If the folder is\nnot named correctly, Windows XP may not recognize the visual style. Also, you will find that\nwhen you extract some ZIP files where there was a visual style, there may be a folder called\nshell. This folder contains other visual style data and should be put in the same folder as the\nvisual style file. If you also have a .theme file included with the visual style download, you\nshould place that in the themes folder instead of inside the visual style folder.\nWhen you have finished installing all the visual styles that you have downloaded to the themes\nfolder, you are ready to set up your computer so that you can use the visual styles.The next two\nsections will show you how to install them using the two different approaches already mentioned:\nusing the shareware Style XP and using freeware patches such as UXTheme Multi-Patcher.\nUsing Style XP to use non-Microsoft visual styles\nStyle XP, which is made by TGT Soft, was the first program that allowed Windows XP users\nto use non-Microsoft visual styles. Style XP and the free patch that TGT Soft also released are\nresponsible for creating the visual style world on the Web. In this section, I am going to show\nyou how to use this interesting app to install and use all of the thousands of visual styles avail-\nable on the Web to transform the way Windows XP works.\nStyle XP 2.0 offers a lot of new features, such as icon packages, as well as logon and boot\nscreen management. However, we are just going to focus on the visual style feature because that\nis what made this program famous. To get started, you will need to get a copy of Style XP 2.0\nfrom TGT Soft. Visit www.tgtsoft.com/download.php to get a copy of Style XP. Once\nyou are on their site, you will notice that they offer a couple of different download packages.\nMake sure that you download Style XP 2.0 full install. They offer two different versions of this\ninstall, one for men and one for women. The two versions are the exact same version of Style\nXP except they have different visual styles included as a convenience if you have not already\ndownloaded other visual styles. But because you have already downloaded some visual styles,\nyou don’t really have to worry about that.\nOnce you have Style XP 2.0 downloaded and installed, you are ready to get started using it.\nFollow these steps to get Style XP up and running:\n1. Click the Start button and navigate to All Programs, then look at the top of your Start\nMenu when all programs are expanded by Windows Update. Expand TGT Soft to run\nStyle XP.\n2. When Style XP loads, click the Visual Styles button and Style XP will search your\nTheme folder for new visual styles.\n3. You will see a list of all of the different visual styles on your computer in the middle of\nthe window. A preview will be shown when you click the different visual style names.\n4. Once you find the visual style that you want to use for the whole user interface, click the\nApply Style to Current Theme button, as shown in Figure 4-7.\n5. Your new visual style will now be applied. If you are satisfied with the new look, close\nStyle XP and you are finished. If you’re not satisfied, go back to Step 3 and start over.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 128,
"text": "105\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\nAs you can see, Style XP provides a very easy mechanism to change the current visual style that\nthe Windows XP skinning engine is using. If you decide to download more visual styles, just\ninstall them and restart Style XP so that it can detect the new visual style. Then you will be\nable to change the visual style just as you have done previously.\nUsing UXTheme Multi-Patcher to enable use of non-Microsoft visual styles\nStyle XP 2.0 is not a free program. It provides an easy way to change the visual style, as well\nas a bunch of other features such as the ability to use visual styles without having to modify\nany skinning engine to accept non-Microsoft signed visual style files. With this conve-\nnience comes a price that you have to pay, if you want to use the program for more than \n30 days.\nIf you would like a free solution to using non-Microsoft signed visual styles, then the best\noption is a program called the UXTheme Multi-Patcher, which will allow you to patch the\nvisual style engine. This patch will remove the code in the engine that checks for a Microsoft\nsigned file, which will then allow you to use any visual style that you want.\nAnother program that will also patch the visual style engine is known as Patch XP. However,\nthere are various versions of XP, such as Original, Service Pack 1, and Service Pack 2. Each of\nthese versions has a slightly different visual style engine, and that requires a program to be\nFIGURE 4-7: Using Style XP 2.0 to change the visual style.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 129,
"text": "106\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nwritten for each specific version. I like to use the Multi-Patcher because it can patch different\nversions of Windows XP, unlike Patch XP, which requires a specific version for each Windows\nXP version.\nUXTheme Multi-Patcher is developed by an XP user known as Windows X and can be down-\nloaded at their Web site located, at www.windowsx.org/enhance/myvs/uxtheme.html.\nDownload a copy now and perform the following steps to patch and change the visual styles on\nyour computer without having to use Style XP:\n1. Once you have downloaded the latest copy of the Multi-Patcher, double-click the Exe to\nstart up the program.\n2. When the Patcher loads, you will see the main program screen. Hit the Patch button, as\nshown in Figure 4-8.\n3. The OS Detection screen will pop up, asking you to confirm the Windows XP version\nthat you are running. If the information is correct, click OK to continue.\n4. When the patch is complete, you will be prompted with a screen asking you if you want\nto restart. Click Restart, if you want to restart now, or you can always restart at a later\ntime. However, the visual style engine needs to be reloaded in order to accept non-\nMicrosoft visual styles.\n5. Shortly after the restart screen is shown, a Windows File Protection window may show\nup. Windows XP has detected the change in the system file and wants to replace the sys-\ntem file with an unpatched version. Click the Cancel button so that Windows XP does\nnot replace the patched file with the original file. Windows will make you confirm your\nFIGURE 4-8: Using UXTheme Multi-Patcher to patch the visual style engine.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 130,
"text": "107\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\ndecision by popping up another window; click Yes so that you keep the patched version\nof the file.\n6. Once you reboot, you will be running the patched version of the visual style engine. To\nchange the active visual style, right-click the desktop and select Properties.\n7. Then, click the Appearance tab and adjust the visual style by changing the Windows and\nButtons drop-down box, as shown in Figure 4-9.\n8. After you change the visual style, also consider adjusting the color scheme. Many of\nthe visual styles that you download have different versions stored as different color\nschemes.\n9. Once you are finished changing the visual style, just hit the OK button to save your\nchanges and view the new visual style.\nIf you have problems with the UXTheme Multi-Patcher after running the patch, you can\nalways revert to your original system file by running the Multi-Patcher again. Doing so will\ndisplay an option that allows you to revert to the original visual style engine file.\nFIGURE 4-9: Changing the visual style.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 131,
"text": "108\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nTweaking the visual styles\nNow that you have finished changing the visual styles using one of the two methods that I\ndescribed, you can customize the look of your computer a little more by tweaking the visual\nstyle. One thing that I always like to customize after I change the visual style is the title bar\nheight. You can easily do so by changing the window metrics:\n1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties.\n2. Then, click the Advanced button on the Appearance tab.\n3. Click either the active or inactive title bar of the preview image and then adjust the Size\nsetting next to the Item drop-down box.\n4. While you are changing the size, you might want to also customize the fonts. You can do\nso by clicking the text for which you want to change the font, and then selecting the font.\n5. Click OK to save your changes.\n6. Click OK once more to close Display Properties and activate the new changes.\nCustomizing the way a visual style looks is always refreshing. Usually when you install any sys-\ntem, you find a few things that you wish were just a little different. Now you know how to\nrefine your desktop to look its best.\nMaking your own visual styles\nYou now know how to install and use custom-made visual styles, but did you ever wonder how\nother people make visual styles? This next section will take you through the process of creating\nyour own visual style as well as the history of how people started making them.\nIt all began before people could actually use the visual styles. Curious users snooping around\ntheir Windows XP files discovered that Windows XP had a skinning engine just like many\nother applications that had the whole look of the operating stores in a file on the hard drive in\nthe themes folder called luna.msstyles. This file contains all of the data for the new\nWindows XP look.\nThen, just as with the boot and logon screens, people started to use resource hacking tools such\nas Resource Hacker to open up luna.msstyles and replace the bitmaps stored within the\nfile with image files they made. Additionally, you could use programs like Resource Hacker to\nedit the settings files stored within the visual style as well to edit all of the sizes of the different\nWindows components.\nThe possibilities that applications such as Resource Hacker gave users were unlimited, except\nfor the fact that there still was no way to test and use the new user-made visual styles because\nthey were not digitally signed by Microsoft. Eventually, that all changed, as you know from the\nlast few sections, and users were able to use their own visual styles.\nNow there are several different ways that you can make your own visual style. You can use the\nResource Hacker approach and manually open up your luna.msstyles file and replace\nbitmaps in the file with ones you made yourself. This process can be a very long and difficult\n"
},
{
"page_number": 132,
"text": "109\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\none when you are trying to design a completely different visual style. This method would really\nonly make sense to use if you just wanted to replace one part of a visual style, such as the green\nStart button.\nIf for some reason you just don’t like the green Start button, then you can open up the file in\nResource Hacker and look for the bitmap on which to work. First, you will probably want to\nextract the bitmap from the file so that you can work on it in your favorite image editing\nprogram. Then, once you are finished, just replace the bitmap in the file with your modified\nversion. Hit Save As, give the file a new name, and you are finished once you create a new\nfolder for the name of the visual style.\nIf you want to make a completely new visual style with a new look or modify an existing one\nbeyond changing one little component, then using a commercial editor is a must. TGT Soft,\nthe company that brought you Style XP and the first patch for the visual style engine, has come\nout with an editor known as StyleBuilder.\nStyleBuilder is an amazing program that TGT Soft created after they found out how the visual\nstyle file was compiled. It provides the user with an easy-to-use visual front for editing the\nvisual style files. Instead of using a resource hacker and searching for a specific bitmap to\nreplace, you can just navigate through the menus and click the object that you want to replace\nwithin the editor. This saves a lot of time and makes it feasible to create a whole visual style\nfrom scratch.\nTo get started, download a copy of StyleBuilder from TGT Soft’s Web site, located at\nwww.tgtsoft.com/download.php. Sometimes, the best way to learn something is to start\nby modifying a visual style. Once you download and install a copy of StyleBuilder, perform the\nfollowing steps to learn how to import an existing visual style, make changes to it, and then\nsave it for use on your computer and distribution on the Internet:\n1. Start up StyleBuilder by navigating though the TGT Soft folder in the Start Menu and\nselecting StyleBuilder.\n2. Say that you’d like to import the iBar 4 visual style that you use on your computer and\nwant to make some changes to it. When StyleBuilder is starting up, click the File\nMenubar item and select the Import .msstyle file.\n3. Next, you will have to fill in the two boxes on the import window. Specify the .msstyles\nfile of the visual style that you want to import to modify. Then specify the folder that you\nwant all of the settings and images to be extracted to so that StyleBuilder can edit the\nfiles.\n4. When you are finished filling in the two boxes, hit the OK button to start the import\nprocess.\n5. After a few seconds, the import should be done and you will be notified if the import has\nbeen successful or not. If it has, you will have the option to open up the newly created\nStyleBuilder files to edit the visual style. Click the Yes button so that you can edit the\nfiles.\n6. StyleBuilder will now open up the imported visual style for editing. First, get familiar\nwith the interface. Figure 4-10 is what the StyleBuilder interface looks like when you\n"
},
{
"page_number": 133,
"text": "110\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nhave a visual style open for editing. On the left-hand side of the screen are the buttons\nthat you use for navigating between different parts of the visual style to edit, such as\nthe Task Bar, User Pane, and Tracker & Progress. Also, you will see different section\nheader buttons that indicate the current color scheme of the visual style that you are\nediting. In Figure 4-10, those buttons are labeled Home, Home2, Apple, Apple2, and\nso on.\n7. Editing the different settings and images is easy with StyleBuilder. Just click the object\nthat you want to edit with your mouse in the preview window. Alternatively, you can\nnavigate through the setting tree to easily get to a specific items settings.\n8. To edit an image, just right-click it and select Edit. If you want to use a specific pro-\ngram, you will have to set up your graphic editors in StyleBuilder by right-clicking an\nimage and selecting Edit With from the menu. Additionally, you can specify a different\nimage file by clicking the ImageFile entry on the list and then hitting the Choose but-\nton, as shown in Figure 4-11.\nFIGURE 4-10: Using StyleBuilder to modify a visual style from the Web.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 134,
"text": "111\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\n9. Once you have your images replaced, you can play around with the settings for the visual\nstyle, such as the object sizes, borders, and fonts. All of these settings can be adjusted by\nselecting an object from the list on the Properties tab and editing the values on the right\nin the textboxes.\n10. As you are working on your visual style, you may want to test it to see how it looks, as\nthe Preview window doesn’t always give you an accurate depiction of how it will look on\nyour computer. You can do so by clicking the Apply button on the toolbar. Included is\nalso a cool test feature that will allow you to view the current visual style applied on a\nwindow that has every possible window object that you can think of so that you can see\nhow your visual style will look in all varieties of applications.\n11. When you have finished modifying a visual style, and have created your own custom\nstyle, you are ready to compile it and, if you want, export it for distribution on the Web.\nClick the Actions menu bar item and select Compile. You will be asked to name your\nvisual style; once you name it, it will be compiled and placed in your documents folder. If\nyou would like to distribute your visual style on the Web to share with your friends or\nFIGURE 4-11: Changing the image of an object in a visual style using StyleBuilder.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 135,
"text": "112\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nthe rest of the world, click the ZIP file from the toolbar on the top and specify what you\nwant to include and click OK. Then, you can e-mail your friends this ZIP file, which, by\ndefault, is saved in your documents folder, or you can submit it to Web sites such as\nthemexp.org.\nMaking your own visual style from scratch requires a lot of graphical and artistic skills. But if\nyou just want to tweak your favorite visual style, then you will have no problem doing so with\nthe help of StyleBuilder.\nYou have now mastered the world of visual styles. You have discovered how you can make your\nsystem accept non-Microsoft visual styles so that you can take advantage of the new skinning\nengine built into Windows XP. And now you also know how to modify and make your own\nvisual styles.\nVisual Style Alternatives\nBefore visual styles were a part of Windows, only one way existed to change the way Windows\nlooked. That was accomplished by using a program called WindowBlinds, which is made by\nStardock (www.windowblinds.net). WindowsBlinds is a classic Windows program. Back\nwhen it first came out, it transformed the boring gray interface of Windows into an attractive\nand colorful experience. Now that Windows XP includes its own skinning engine, products\nlike WindowBlinds, which have their own skinning engine, become less necessary. So why am I\neven mentioning this application? Because there are some things that it brings to the table that\nvisual styles do not.\nBecause WindowBlinds is a completely independent skinning engine from the Microsoft visual\nstyle engine, it has some features that the native engine does not have. One of these features is\nthe ability to skin parts of the operating system that the native skinning engine cannot. The\nmost talked about application that has this problem is the Command prompt in Windows. For\nsome reason, Microsoft’s engine just does not apply visual styles to this window. Instead, it is\ndisplayed using the classic Windows interface. WindowBlinds will allow you to skin this app as\nwell.\nWindowBlinds has a very strong skin base. A lot of very talented people have created XP skins\nfor WindowBlinds that just look great. One benefit of using WindowBlinds to change the way\nyour computer looks is the set of additional features that it provides, one of which is the ability\nto “roll up” a window so that just its title bar is shown.This is a great feature that can be activated\nby just double-clicking the title bar on skins that support the feature.\nAnother benefit of using WindowBlinds is its ability to skin applications that were not made to\nbe skinned. This is a nice feature, but can also result in some applications looking a little\nstrange because their buttons and other visual elements are replaced, which often throws off the\nspacing and placement of controls.\nThe one controversial topic about WindowBlinds is its effect on system performance. Because\nit runs on top of your computer’s visual system and uses special system calls to change the way\nthe computer looks, it takes up more system resources compared to the native visual style\n"
},
{
"page_number": 136,
"text": "113\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\nengine. Some users have a fast experience with WindowBlinds, although others do not. It\nreally depends on your computer’s hardware.\nMy personal experience with WindowBlinds has not indicated that they have set any record-\nsetting speeds. I have run WindowBlinds on my computer a lot and have only noticed a\ndecrease of performance in certain situations when I have used it with slower hardware. But\nmy experience does not mean that you too will notice a slowdown. The speed of its operation\nseems to depend a lot on the specific hardware configuration of your computer, such as your\nvideo card and CPU. Also, even if you do notice a slowdown, it might be worth it if you find\na really cool skin for WindowBlinds. Either way, I suggest that you give WindowBlinds a\nshot.\nUsing WindowBlinds to change the way Windows XP looks\nWindowBlinds 4.2 is the latest version of this skinning app that will help you change the way\nWindows XP looks. Follow these steps to get that version of WindowBlinds set up on your\ncomputer so that you can start experimenting with it:\n1. Visit www.WindowBlinds.net or http://download.com.com/3001-2326-\n10251037.html for a direct link to download a copy of WindowBlinds. Proceed to\nstep 2, when you have finished installing it.\n2. The best way to get to WindowBlinds is by right-clicking the desktop and clicking\nthe Appearance tab when Display Properties loads. Then, click the WindowBlinds\nbutton.\n3. The WindowBlinds Advanced Configuration will load, as shown in Figure 4-12. In this\nwindow, you can change the active skin. Browse through the skins that came with\nWindowBlinds when you installed it by scrolling the horizontal scrollbar. Click a skin to\nsee it in the Preview box.\n4. Just like visual styles for the native skinning engine, WindowBlinds skins include slight\nvariations of a specific skin in one file. This can be thought of as the different color\nschemes that you worked with earlier. Not all WindowsBlinds skins have different \nversions included, but those that do can be changed by selecting the version from the\ndrop-down box, as shown in Figure 4-13.\n5. Once you are satisfied with a particular skin, click the Apply This Skin Now button.\n6. WindowBlinds will then load the skin and apply it to the whole user interface. If you \nare happy with the way it looks, close the configuration editor and you are finished.\nOtherwise, select a different skin and try it again.\nWindowBlinds may be a good alternative to the built-in visual style engine if you like the skins\nbetter and the extra features that it adds. Stardock has a more advanced version of WindowBlinds,\ncalled WindowBlinds Enhanced, which offers even more features and control over the themes.\nHowever, that version is not freeware, so the decision as to whether or not to use it is up to you.\nThe question really boils down to whether or not you would use the extra features that\nWindowBlinds Enhanced provides.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 137,
"text": "114\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nIf you ever decide that WindowBlinds is not for you, just go to the Control Panel and select\nAdd Or Remove Programs. Then uninstall WindowBlinds by selecting it from the drop-down\nlist that appears. This method provides an easy way to completely remove WindowBlinds from\nyour computer if you decide that it is just not working out for you.\nInstalling additional Windows XP skins for WindowBlinds\nOne of the benefits of using WindowBlinds is how easy it is to add and use additional skins.\nStardock operates an excellent Web site for thousands of WindowBlinds skins called\nWinCustomize, located at www.wincustomize.com.. To get started, open up your Web\nbrowser and visit www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library\u00021 for a list of all of\nthe skins available.\nOnce you see the list of skins, to install one just hit the Download link and it should auto-\nmatically start to download. When it is finished, WindowBlinds will automatically load it\nand will prompt you by asking if you would like to apply it. Once the skin is installed, you\nwill be able to go back into the Advanced Configuration Editor to browse through the\nFIGURE 4-12: Using the WindowBlinds Advanced Configuration editor.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 138,
"text": "115\nChapter 4 — Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface\ndifferent versions and colors of the skin (assuming, of course, that the skin has multiple\nversions).\nSummary\nThis chapter has focused on the most important part of customizing your computer. The visual\ninterface is by far the part of the operating system that has the most impact when it is cus-\ntomized. Using the tools and techniques presented in this chapter, you can completely change\nthe way Windows XP looks. You are no longer limited to using the default Windows XP style\nand can now use the thousands of visual styles and skins available on the Web.\nThe next chapter will be all about customizing the Windows Explorer, which is the program\nthat you use to browse through all of the files on your computer. I will show you how you can\ncustomize the way it looks and works so that you can maximize the functionality to meet your\nneeds.\nFIGURE 4-13: Selecting different subversions of a particular skin.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 139,
"text": ""
},
{
"page_number": 140,
"text": "Hacking Windows\nExplorer\nT\nhe Windows Explorer is one of the most used parts of Windows XP.\nEvery time you go to My Computer and browse through files on\nyour computer, you are using Explorer. Using the icons on the desk-\ntop, right-clicking Files and Folders, copying and pasting files are all examples\nof using the features that the Explorer provides.\nMany of the features that Windows Explorer provides can be easily custo-\nmized to make Windows XP even better. This chapter will show you how\nyou can change many of the features and how to take advantage of some\nof the new, lesser known features. It will start off with showing you how\nto customize the way you interact with files and then how you view your\nfiles. By the end of this chapter, you will have completely customized all\nof ways that you use Explorer to browse through and create files on your\ncomputer.\nHacking File Associations\nEvery time you click a file, Windows looks up what the default\nprogram to open for the file is from the registry. Then, Windows\nloads that application and tells the app what file to open up. This\nis something that we encounter almost all the time when we are\nusing our computer. Often, when you install many programs on\nyour computer, programs start to compete over which is going to\nbe the default program to open up a file.\nThis commonly occurs when you install various music applica-\ntions on your computer. I used Winamp to place CDs and MP3s\non My Computer almost all the time. But when Apple released\niTunes for Windows, I switched to that right away because of\nthe cool library. Once I installed iTunes on My Computer, it\ntook over all of my music files. Whenever I would insert a CD\ninto my drive, iTunes would automatically load and start playing\nit. When I would click a MP3 file on my hard drive, the same\nwould occur.\n\u0002 Working with File\nAssociations\n\u0002 Hacking the\nContext Menu\n\u0002 Customizing Folder\nAppearance\n\u0002 Folder Views\n\u0002 Hidden Files\n\u0002 Disabling Common\nTasks\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 141,
"text": "118\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nWhat happened to My Computer when I installed iTunes is not always a bad thing.\nHowever, there are situations when I wanted to use Winamp to play my MP3 files. One\nbig reason for this is that when I click an MP3 file and it plays in iTunes, it is automati-\ncally added to my library. When I am sorting through my collection of songs that I ripped\nfrom my old CDs, I don’t always want to add all of the songs to my library in iTunes\nbecause there are usually just two or three clicks on a 14-track CD. One easy solution to\nthis problem is to change the file association back to Winamp so that when I click a file, it\nwill be played in Winamp. Then if I like it, I can always add it to my library later within\niTunes.\nThese next two sections will show you how to customize the default launch application for all\nof the different file types on your computer, as well as how your file types look.\nChanging the default launch app\nThe information that Explorer looks up to find which program should be used to launch spe-\ncific file types is stored in the System Registry under the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT section.\nUsing the Registry Editor, it is possible to browse to that key and then find the file type that\nyou want to change and edit some keys, but there is a much easier way in Windows XP to\naccomplish the same task.\nHidden away in Folder Options within any Explorer window resides a useful utility to change\nthe default application easily without having to worry about application IDs and file associa-\ntion structure. Just follow these steps to change any File Types default launch app:\n1. Open up My Computer by clicking the desktop icon or on the icon in the Start panel.\n2. When you have My Computer displayed on your screen, click the Tools menu bar item\nand select Folder Options.\n3. Once the Folder Options window appears, click the File Types tab.\n4. Navigate through the list of file extensions until you find the extension of the file for\nwhich you want to change the default app. Because I want to change my MP3 player\ndefault launch app, I am going to select the MP3 file extension. When you find the file\nextension that you want to change, select it by clicking it.\n5. Click the Change button once you have your extension selected, as shown in Figure\n5-1. The Open With properties window will load, asking you what program to load it\nwith. It will show a list of common programs that you can choose from, but you are\nnot limited to just those programs. Click the Browse button to navigate to any exe-\ncutable file on your computer to specify exactly what program you want to use if it is\nnot on the list.\n6. Once you have the application selected that you want to use, just click the OK button to\nsave your changes. You are now finished with changing the launch app.\nYour changes to file launch apps are activated immediately after you click OK to save your\nchanges. Now you will no longer have to worry about applications taking control of your\nfiles.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 142,
"text": "119\nChapter 5 — Hacking Windows Explorer\nChanging the icon of any file type\nSo far, you have learned how to change the icons of the desktop icons. This next section will\nshow you how you can change the default icon that is displayed for any file type on your com-\nputer. Changing the icons is actually very easy; the most difficult part of the process is trying to\nfigure out what icon to use. Additionally, keep in mind that you can use any of the new high\nresolution icons that you can download from the sites mentioned in the Changing the Desktop\nIcons section in Chapter 3.\nTo get started changing your icons, you are going to want to use the Folder Options feature you\nused in the last section. Follow these steps to begin:\n1. Open up Folder Options again by clicking My Computer. Then when it launches, click\nthe Tools menu bar entry and select Folder Options.\nFIGURE 5-1: Changing the default launch app for MP3 files.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 143,
"text": "120\nPart I — Customizing Your System\n2. Inside Folder Options, click the File Types tab to reveal the list of all of the different file\nextensions on your computer.\n3. Browse through the list and select the extension for which you want to change the icon.\n4. Once you have the entry selected, click the Advanced button.\n5. On the Edit File Type screen, click the Change Icon button, as shown in Figure 5-2.\n6. The Change Icon screen will be displayed. Here, you will be shown various system icons\nfrom which you can choose. If you do not find any that you like, just click the Browse\nbutton and select an icon that you downloaded on your computer.\n7. Once you find the perfect icon, click OK to select the new icon.\n8. Then click OK once more to save your changes.\nYou don’t have to reboot after you make your changes, because you will see your changes\nimmediately after you click OK to save them.\nHacking the Context Menu\nWhat is the context menu? This is the menu that pops up when you right-click a file on your\ncomputer. Over the years, these menus have become more and more useful. However, with the\nFIGURE 5-2: Changing the icon of a specific file type.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 144,
"text": "121\nChapter 5 — Hacking Windows Explorer\nextra entries in the context menu, they often become cluttered with options and features that\nyou just don’t need. These next few sections will show you how to get your menus back\nunder control as well as how to take advantage of the new features to make your own context\nmenu entries.\nWe will start off by removing items from the context menus and will then move on to adding\nand customizing the components of the menus.\nRemoving items from the context menu\nOver time, your context menus can become cluttered with program entries from old programs\nthat you may not use any more. Sometimes, you may experience programs that take over all of\nyour context menus. Compression apps such as Winzip or Picozip always end up adding pro-\ngram entries to all of the context menus. I have Picozip installed on My Computer and every\ntime I right-click any file or folder, I see five entries from Picozip giving me different compres-\nsion options. This can be a convenient feature, but if you don’t compress and extract ZIP files\nvery often, then you might not need the added convenience. Instead you could remove these\nentries from your context menu, which will give your system a cleaner interface as well as a\nsmall performance boost if you have a lot of extra entries in your context menu.\nBefore editing your registry, you would be wise to create a system restore point by using system\nrestore. Doing so will provide an easy method to revert to your original configuration before you\nmade any changes just in case you accidentally delete or modify something that hurts your\ncomputer.\nActually removing these programs from your context menus can be a little tricky, because they\nare spread in different places in the registry. Also, the easy-to-use context menu editor that you\nused in the last section to change the icon and default launch app for certain file types is not\nrobust enough to allow you to remove entries from programs that take over all context menus\nsuch as Picozip. The only way to remove these types of entries is to edit the registry directly. If\nyou want to remove an entry on a context menu that does not appear on every context menu\nand just appears on one or a few other file types, then you can still use the easy-to-use editor.\nBecause of that, I have provided you two different sets of steps depending on what you want to\ndo. When you are ready, follow these steps for the corresponding type of entry to remove it for\ngood.\nRemoving entries that appear in all context menus\nThis set of steps will show you how to remove entries in the context menu that appear in all\nmenus for all file types that were put there by programs such as Picozip.\n1. Start up the Registry Editor by clicking the Start button and selecting Run. Then type\nregedit in the box and click OK.\n2. When the Registry Editor appears, expand the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT folder. You\nwill now see a list of every file type that is set up on your computer.\n3. If the entry that you want to remove from the context menu appears in all context menus,\nsuch as the preceding Picozip example, you will have to expand the * folder.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 145,
"text": "122\nPart I — Customizing Your System\n4. Now that you have the correct folder expanded, expand the Shellex and ContextMenu\nHandlers folders. Your registry path should look like HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\\*\\\nshellex\\ContextMenuHandlers.\n5. Look through the list until you find the entry that you want to remove. Right-click the\nfolder of the entry and select Delete. You will find that identifying some of the programs\nis easy. For example, Picozip is labeled Picozip. However, you may run into some items\nthat are listed using their application ID number or a vague name. If that is the case,\ncopy (Ctrl\u0002C) the application ID, which is formatted like this—{XXXXXXXX-XXXX-\nXXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX}—to the clipboard. You may have to expand the\nfolder to see the ID. Then, once you have the ID copied to the clipboard, press Ctrl\u0002F\nto bring up the Search box in regedit and paste the ID in the box. Next, just click Find\nand you should be able to find some other references to that same ID in your registry\nthat also might give you some clues to what it is. If that does not work, try doing a\nsearch on Google to see if that turns up anything.\n6. Once you are finished removing all of the entries from your context menus, just close\nRegistry Editor and you are finished. Your changes will be in effect immediately.\nRemoving entries that appear only under certain file types\nIf you want to remove an entry on a context menu that appears on just one file type or a few\ndifferent file types, this section will show you how to easily remove it by using the context\neditor in Folder Options.\n1. Open up My Computer by clicking the icon on the desktop or by clicking the Start Menu.\n2. Once My Computer appears on the screen, click the Tools menu and select Folder\nOptions and click the File Types tab.\n3. Scroll through the list of file types and select the extension that you would like to modify.\n4. Click the Advanced button to bring up the Edit File Type window, where you will see\na list of all of the different entries that will show up in the context menu, as shown in\nFigure 5-3.\n5. Select the item that you want to remove and click Remove.\n6. Click OK and you are finished.\nIf you ever want to revert to your original context menus, you can just restore your computer to\nan earlier checkpoint. Or, if you didn’t create a system restore checkpoint, you can just reinstall\nthe app and that should take care of it.\nAdding your own items to the context menu\nNow that you have removed all of the extra clutter from your context menus, why not add\nsome useful entries to your menus? You can add a lot of interesting things to your context\nmenus that can enhance your experience with your computer. My favorite item to add to the\ncontext menus is a “Send Attached to Message” entry. This entry in my context menu grew\nout of a need to find a better way to e-mail files. I send a lot of messages every day, often just\n"
},
{
"page_number": 146,
"text": "123\nChapter 5 — Hacking Windows Explorer\nfor the purpose of sending a file. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be simple if I could just\nright-click a file and select some option that would automatically open up Microsoft Outlook,\ncreate a new message, and attach the file? That would streamline the whole process by\nknocking out a few steps.\nAdding an entry to a context menu is very simple. The most difficult part of solving my little\npuzzle was figuring out how to launch Outlook so it would automatically create a message and\nattach the desired file to it. After a few minutes on Google researching, I came across Outlook-\nTips.net, which is a great resource for just the information that I was looking for. According to\nwww.outlook-tips.net/howto/commandlines.htm, I just had to launch Outlook\nwith the /a switch and the name of the file. Once I had this information, I had all of the\npieces of the puzzle and was ready to start putting it together. Perform the following steps to\nlearn how to add your own item to any File Types context menu:\n1. First, open up a copy of My Computer by clicking the icon on the desktop or Start\npanel.\n2. Click the Tools menu bar item and select Folder Options.\n3. Then, click the File Types tab to expose all of the different file types on your computer.\n4. Because I usually send Word documents, I scrolled down the list of file types and\nselected the .doc file extension. Pick any other file extension for which you would like\nto add an entry.\nFIGURE 5-3: Edit File Type window displaying a list of all of the entries\nin a text document’s context menu.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 147,
"text": "124\nPart I — Customizing Your System\n5. Then, once you have the entry selected, click the Advanced button to bring up the Edit\nFile type window.\n6. Click the New button to add an entry.\n7. In the Action box, type in the name that you want to appear on the menu. I typed in\nSend Attached to Message.\n8. Then, in the Application Used to Perform Action box, you will want to specify the appli-\ncation and any switches that you want to use for this new entry. Click the Browse button\nto easily browse to an executable. I navigated until I found OUTLOOK.EXE inside the\nOFFICE11 folder.\n9. When you click OK, the path to the executable will fill the box. Now you will want to\nadd any application flags at the end of the line. To tell Outlook to create a new message\nand attach a file to it, I had to add /a- after the path, followed by %L. The %L is a system\nvariable that holds the name of the file that you are right-clicking. When I was finished,\nmy box looked like the following (including the quotes): “C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft\nOffice\\OFFICE11\\OUTLOOK.EXE” /a “%L”.\n10. When you are finished editing your new entry, click OK to save it.\nYou are now finished adding an entry to a specific File Types context menu. If you followed all\nof the previous steps to add the Send Attached to Message entry, every time you right-click a\nWord document, you will now see the new entry, as shown in Figure 5-4. If you want to add\nFIGURE 5-4: What the context menu will\nlook like after the Send Attached to\nMessage is attached.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 148,
"text": "125\nChapter 5 — Hacking Windows Explorer\nthe same entry on other file types, just repeat the previous directions by selecting a different file\ntype in step 4.\nYou can do even more things with the context menus. If I wanted to, I could use the different\nswitches that I found on the Outlook Tips Web site (www.outlook-tips.net) to make my\nentry send the file to a specific person instead of leaving the To field blank in Outlook. Once\nyou know the %L variable, you can send the name of the file to any program, given that you\nknow the correct switches with which to launch the program.\nI have included a registry file that you can import to easily set up your context menu with the\nOutlook Send To hack that will display the shortcut on all context menus for Microsoft Word\ndocuments. Outlook_sendto.reg is located in the Chapter 5 folder of the companion\nCD-ROM. \nModifying the Send To menu\nThe Send To menu is one of the features of my context menus that I use the most. The ability\nto right-click any file and have a shortcut of it sent to the desktop is invaluable. All of the other\nfeatures are very useful as well. How would you like to make it even more useful? It is very easy\nto add your own items to the Send To menu, such as folders that you can send files to. Do you\nhave a folder that you store all of your music in? How about a folder that you store all of your\ndigital photos in? Just follow these quick steps to add anything that you want to your Send To\ncontext menu entry.\n1. Open up My Computer and browse to the C drive, or whatever drive you have Windows\ninstalled to.\n2. Then browse through Documents and Settings, your user name, and the Send To\nfolders.\nIf you do not see any of the folders that are required in this section, you may have hidden files\nturned on. Because these folders are hidden by default, you will have to tell Windows to show all\nfiles. To do this, refer to the section on working with hidden files towards the end of this chapter.\n3. When you are looking at C:\\Documents and Settings\\Username\\SendTo, you will see all\nof the files that appear in the Send To menu. If you want to add an entry to the menu,\njust copy a shortcut to this folder.\n4. Let’s say that you want to add your Digital Photos folder to your Send To menu. Just\nnavigate to your Digital Photos folder and right-click it and select Send To desktop. Then\njust cut and paste the shortcut that was created from your desktop into the Send To folder.\n5. If you ever want to remove some items from the Send To menu, just delete them from\nthe Send To folder.\nIt is that simple. You are now finished with customizing your Send To menu. Now you will be\nable to fine-tune all of the different features of your context menus so that you can get the\nmost out of your Windows XP experience.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 149,
"text": "126\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nCustomizing Your Folders\nThe folders of Windows XP can be customized in ways that were never before possible. You\ncan easily change the icon of the folder as well as the way the folder behaves once you open it\nup. These next few sections will show you how to take advantage of the great new folder\nfeatures of XP.\nChanging a folder icon and picture\nChanging the icon that is displayed for a folder is one of the easiest ways to customize\nhow it looks and make it stand out from the rest of your folders. Windows XP also\nincludes a new way to apply pictures to the front of your folders when you are using\nthumbnail view. This next section will show you how to change the way your files and\nfolders look as you browse through them by taking advantage of the new high-resolution\nicons.\nChanging the folder icon and the folder picture are done within a folder properties menu. For\nthe sake of demonstrating what you can do with these new features, create a new folder on one\nof your hard drives and call it Downloads. This can be a folder to which you can save all of your\ndownloads so that they do not clutter up your desktop. Follow these steps to change the way\nthis folder looks:\n1. Right-click the new folder that you just created, or on any folder that you want to\ncustomize, and select Properties.\n2. Next, click the Customize tab to reveal all of your customizing options.\n3. The particular view you are currently using, whether it be the Icons, Tiles or Thumbnails\nview, will determine what you can customize. First, customize the icon, because that is\nthe most popular way to customize the look of the folder. To do that, click the Change\nIcon button on the bottom of the window.\n4. Now you will be able to browse through the list of available system icons or you will be\nable to specify your own by clicking the Browse button. Personally, the system icons are\ngood enough for this folder, so I would select one of the globe icons for the Downloads\nfolder.\n5. Once you have selected the icon that you want to use, just click the OK button to return\nto the Customize screen. Then click Apply to see your changes.\n6. If you are using Thumbnail view to view your icons, you can customize the folder by\nmaking an image appear on the front of the folder so that it can be used as a reminder of\nwhat is in the folder. To do that, just click the Choose Picture button on the Customize\nscreen and specify a bitmap to be displayed on the file.\n7. Once you are finished selecting the image, click OK to save your change. Then click\nApply on the Customize screen to see your changes. Remember that you will only see\nyour change if you are using the Thumbnails view. The view can be changed to\nThumbnails view by clicking the View menu bar item.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 150,
"text": "127\nChapter 5 — Hacking Windows Explorer\nWhen you are finished changing the way your folder looks, just click the OK button to save\nyour changes and exit the folder properties window.\nChanging the template of a folder\nWindows XP has several different ways to display the contents of a folder. Specifically, XP has\nmany new ways that different types of data inside a folder can be viewed. For example, if you\nhave a folder filled with MP3 files, Windows can display new information, such as the title of\nthe song, artist, year, track #, bitrate, duration, and other data from the ID3 tags (special data\nthat keeps track of the title of the songs, artist, album, etc.) that are stored within a MP3 file\nwhen displaying the file in Details view with the music template selected. Another example is\nthe new Filmstrip and Thumbnails view that can be selected to easily browse through your\nphotos on your computer.\nTo get started customizing the folders on your computer so that they can take advantage of the\nnew features, you have to set the template of the folder so that Windows Explorer knows how\nFIGURE 5-5: Changing the template of a folder.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 151,
"text": "128\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nto display its contents. This can be done by using the Customize tab in Folder Properties.\nFollow these steps to specify the template that should be used for a specific folder:\n1. Navigate to the folder that you want to modify and right-click it and select Properties.\n2. Then click the Customize tab.\n3. Next, select the template that you want to use by expanding the drop-down box, as\nshown in Figure 5-5. The default template that is used is the Documents template.\nOther template options include Pictures, Photo Album, Music, and Videos. There are\nactually a few different subsets of music as well, but it really does not matter which one\nyou select because most likely you will be customizing the look further in the next\nsection. The main purpose of changing the template is so that you will have a different\nset of features with which you can work and customize.\n4. Also, if you have a lot of folders within this folder with the same type of content, click\nthe Also Apply This to All Subfolders check box so that your changes will be propagated\nto all subfolders.\nYou have now customized the template of the folder and are ready to customize the view.\nFIGURE 5-6: New Tiles view.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 152,
"text": "129\nChapter 5 — Hacking Windows Explorer\nCustomizing the view folder\nNow that you have a specific template selected for your folder, you will have a more\nadvanced feature list to work with so that you can display a lot of useful information about\nthe file in your folder. First, you need to be aware of the new views that you can use in\nWindows XP:\n\u0002 The default view of Windows XP is the Tiles view, as shown in Figure 5-6. This view\nis basically the same as the Icons view, but the icons that are displayed are just a little\nbigger.\n\u0002 The Thumbnails view is one of the most useful new views of Windows XP, as shown in\nFigure 5-7.\n\u0002 The Filmstrip view is another very useful view that makes it easy to browse through\nphotos on your computer. It gives you the ability to see a large sample of the image, as\nshown in Figure 5-8, so that you can see a more detailed preview without having to open\nup the file.\nFIGURE 5-7: New Thumbnail view.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 153,
"text": "130\nPart I — Customizing Your System\n\u0002 The Details view is not exactly a new view, but it has been expanded to include many\nnew fields that display useful file information, such as ID3 tags and image data like\ndimensions and camera info.\nThe Details view can be customized like no other view can. All of the columns that are\ndisplayed can be resized, removed, rearranged, and more can be added. This can all be accom-\nplished by using some of the lesser-known tricks of the interface. To start off, customize a\nfolder that contains a bunch of MP3 files. By now, you should have already changed the\ntemplate for this folder to one of the music templates so that you can use the advanced music\nspecific features. If you have not already done that, go back to the last section to find out how.\nWhen you are ready, follow these steps to customize all of the different parts of the Detail\nview:\n1. Start off by resizing the columns. To do so, just place the mouse on the vertical line that\nis displayed between the columns and click and hold the left mouse button while you\ndrag the mouse back and forth.\n2. Now, add some of the new columns that display information from the ID3 tags from the\nMP3 files. Just right-click the column heading and select one of the many new options,\nsuch as bit rate. You can even select more items to add from the bottom of the pop-up\nFIGURE 5-8: New Filmstrip view.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 154,
"text": "131\nChapter 5 — Hacking Windows Explorer\nmenu, as shown in Figure 5-9. Repeat this step until you have added all of the new\ncolumns that you want.\n3. Most likely, there will be some columns that you just don’t need. To remove these\ncolumns from the Details view, just right-click the column heading and select the item\nonce again to uncheck it. This will instantly remove the column from view.\n4. The last part of customizing the view is to set the order of the columns in a way that you\nlike the best. To change the order of a column, just grab the column header and drag it\naround by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse.\nIf you want to customize the detailed view of a folder that contains other multimedia files such\nas videos or photos, just repeat the previous steps and you will see additional column features\nwith which you will be able to customize your detailed view.\nFIGURE 5-9: Adding new columns to the detailed view.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 155,
"text": "132\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nApplying your folder settings to all folders\nWhen you first use Windows XP, all of the folders are configured to use the Tiles view.\nPersonally, I don’t always like to use the Tiles view for my folders. It takes up so much screen\nspace and I usually end up scrolling through the long lists while trying to find the file that I\nwant. Instead, I like to use the Detail view on all of the windows by default.\nTo do this, you could change the settings of every folder, but there is a much easier way.\nInstead, just customize one folder on your computer using the preceding sections so that you\ncan get it looking great, then follow these steps to apply the same configuration to all of the\nother folders on your computer.\n1. While the folder that you customize is still open, click the Tools menu bar item and\nselect Folder Options.\n2. Next, click the View tab.\n3. Click the Apply to All Folders button and click Yes on the confirmation screen. Also,\nkeep in mind that when you do that, you will overwrite your configuration on all of the\nother folders on your computer.\n4. Click OK to close the Folder Options window and you are finished.\nIf for some reason you don’t like what you did and want to restore all of the folders on your\ncomputer to the original look, just click the Reset All Folders button that was next to the\nApply to All Folders button on the View tab in Folder Options.\nWorking with Hidden Files \nJust like every other Windows version, Windows XP likes to hide files. When you are inter-\nested in tweaking and customizing your computer, this hiding of files can become problematic,\nas many of the system files with which you want to work are often hidden. These next two sec-\ntions will show you how to make Windows XP display all hidden and system files as well as the\nsuper hidden files.\nUnhiding hidden files\nWhen you are tweaking your computer, you often need to edit different configuration files for\ndifferent applications. This can cause a problem because those configuration files are often hid-\nden. The only way to edit them would be if you knew the exact file name and typed it in the\nBrowse box manually. Otherwise, you would be out of luck.\nTelling Explorer to show hidden files and folders is the only solution to this problem. Making\nExplorer show hidden files is just a matter of getting to the right place. Follow these steps to\nshow all hidden files:\n1. Open up a copy of Explorer My Computer by clicking the icon on the Desktop or Start\npanel.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 156,
"text": "133\nChapter 5 — Hacking Windows Explorer\n2. Then go to the Tools menu bar item and select Folder Options.\n3. When the window appears, click the View tab to see all of the different file display\noptions.\n4. Scroll down the list until you see the entries for Hidden Files and Folders. Select Show\nHidden Files and Folders, as shown in Figure 5-10.\n5. When you are finished, just click OK to save your changes and exit the configuration\nwindow.\nYou should now see all of the hidden files on your computer that are hidden using the \u0002h file\nattribute. However, you may notice that there still are some files that are not showing up. These\nare the system files. To show these files, continue on to the next section.\nFIGURE 5-10: Revealing hidden files.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 157,
"text": "134\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nRevealing the super hidden files\nMicrosoft has added many features to Windows XP to protect the critical files of the operating\nsystem. The system file checker, for example, continually monitors the system files versions to\nensure that no application will replace your system files with a version that Windows XP was\nnot designed to work with. The new super hidden files feature allows Windows to protect itself\neven further by hiding some of its most critical files from the user. If they can’t get to it, they\ncan’t hurt it, right? \nRevealing the super hidden system files is not very difficult at all. You can uncheck the box\non the list on the View tab of Folder Options, but where is the fun in that? Use the Registry\nEditor to turn this feature off:\n1. Click the Start button and select Run.\n2. Type regedit in the box and click OK to start up the Editor.\n3. Once regedit appears, navigate through HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\\nMicrosoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced.\n4. Right-click ShowSuperHidden and select Modify.\n5. Change the value to 1 and click OK to save your changes.\nNow you will be able to see all of the files on your computer, including the super hidden system\nfiles.\nDisabling the Common Tasks Pane\nEvery time you use Explorer, you are forced to view the new Common Tasks pane. The\nCommon Tasks pane is the new panel that is displayed on the left side of the screen that pro-\nvides you with links to various parts of the operating system as well as useful utilities. This new\nfeature looks visually pleasing and seems to be a very nice and useful feature. However, that is\nnot always the case. I do not think that I have ever used any link on my tasks pane or any of the\nother information that is shown on it. If you are like me and do not use your Common Tasks\npane, why not remove it to recover some space that could be used to display more icons on your\nscreen?\nRemoving the Common Tasks pane is very easy using the Folder Options that can be accessed in\nany Explorer window. Follow these steps to remove the Common Tasks pane from your windows:\n1. Click the Tools menu bar item from any open Explorer window and select Folder\nOptions. If you do not have an open Explorer window, just open My Computer.\n2. On the General tab, just select Use Classic Folders under the Tasks settings on the top.\n3. Click OK to save your changes.\nYou have now removed the Common Tasks pane from all of your Explorer windows.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 158,
"text": "135\nChapter 5 — Hacking Windows Explorer\nSummary\nThis chapter has shown you many different ways to customize how Explorer looks and works.\nYou discovered how to change file associations as well as how certain file types look when\nviewed in Explorer. Then, you found out how to customize the context menu as well as how to\nclean it up. The last part of this chapter showed you how to customize the different views of\nWindows XP so that you can take advantage of the cool new features and increase your pro-\nductivity as well.\nThe next chapter will be the last chapter in Part I of this book. In it, you will discover many\nmore ways to customize the interface of Windows XP, including many interesting utilities,\nsuch as the graphical task switcher and effects apps, that will make your computer look great.\nAdditionally, it will show you how you can customize Internet Explorer and refine other\nelements of Windows to complete this customizing journey.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 159,
"text": ""
},
{
"page_number": 160,
"text": "Exploring Other\nWindows\nEnhancements\nW\nelcome to the last chapter of Part I of this book, which deals\nwith customization. So far, you have found out how to customize\nthe way your computer looks from the moment you hit the\npower switch to the moment you start running your favorite applications.\nThis chapter will show you even more ways to customize your computer by\ncustomizing Internet Explorer and several other little tweaks that will \nfine-tune your PC.\nCustomizing your computer is a great way to be more productive—and sim-\nply makes your computer look great. The next few sections will show you\nhow you can customize the toolbars of Internet Explorer, as well as some\ncool address bar tricks that you can use to change the way you browse the\nWeb. Then, you will discover some different ways that you can expand func-\ntionality, as well as add some fascinating special effects, to the windows. The\nchapter will finish up by going over customizing the last bits and pieces of\nthe user interface, such as branding your computer and adjusting the clear\ntype effect. When you are finished with this chapter, you will have com-\npleted one of the most thorough customizations of Windows XP possible.\nModding Internet Explorer\nMost of us spend a lot of time with Internet Explorer (IE) as an Internet\nbrowser. IE can be customized a few ways. The most popular tweak to\nInternet Explorer is to change the Windows logo animation. It’s time to get\nstarted with customizing Internet Explorer by changing the animated logo.\nChanging the logo animation\nEvery time you submit data on a Web page or visit a new page, your\nbrowser will start the animation of the Windows flag (also known as a\nthrobber) in the upper-right corner of your screen. The Windows flag is a\nnice animation, but why not replace that animation with one you made \n\u0002 Customizing IE\n\u0002 Changing the Task\nSwitcher\n\u0002 Special Effects\n\u0002 Branding\n\u0002 Using Clear Type\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 161,
"text": "138\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nyourself? Many very cool animated GIFs are available on the Web that you can download for\nfree. This section will show you how to use those animated GIF image files that you can down-\nload as a replacement for the Windows flag.\nTo do this, you will need to have two applications downloaded and installed.The first application\nis Microsoft’s Tweak UI PowerToy.This can be downloaded at the PowerToy’s Web site, located\nat www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp.The other\napplication that you will use is a free app called BitStrip, which is developed by Darrell L. A copy\nof this free application can be downloaded from his site at www.virtualplastic.net/\nredllar/bitstrip.html. Once you have installed Tweak UI and extracted BitStrip, you\nare ready to get started.\nTo change the throbber, perform the following steps:\n1. First, find the image that you want to use as your new animation. Many animation sites\ncan be found on the Internet. My favorite site is called the Animation Factory. Located\nat www.AnimationFactory.com, you will find thousands of high-quality animated\ngraphics. The default size of the small animation is 26 \u0002 26 pixels (this is the default\nanimation that is shown on most computers). The large animation is 38 \u0002 38. You will\nwant to find an image that is smaller than or the same size as those dimensions. If you\ncan only find a large image, try resizing the image with an animated GIF editor. If you\ncannot properly resize the image, you will not have any problems other than it just might\nlook a little strange. Once you have found an image that you want to use, you are ready\nto prep the image file.\n2. Internet Explorer only accepts replacement animations in a specific format. All replace-\nment animations must be saved as a bitmap. However, bitmaps cannot be used to store\nanimations like GIFs can. To solve that problem, Internet Explorer reads the bitmap like\nit is a film projector. Therefore, we need to convert the animated GIF file into one tall\nbitmap image that has all of the frames arranged vertically. To do this, use the BitStrip\nprogram. Start up BitStrip and open up your source animated GIF that you want to\nconvert by clicking the Browse to GIF File button.\n3. Once you have the image file selected, click the Vertical button and you should see a\npreview similar to Figure 6-1 on your screen.\nFIGURE 6-1: A compatible bitmap file.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 162,
"text": "139\nChapter 6 — Exploring Other Windows Enhancements\n4. If it looks good, then save the file as a bitmap by clicking the Save Output As button.\n5. You now have converted your animated GIF into a format that the browser can read.\nThe next step is to tell the browser to use the new file. To do this, you will want to start\nup Tweak UI, which is listed in the Start Menu under Windows XP PowerToys.\n6. When Tweak UI has started up, expand Internet Explorer and select either small or large\nanimation depending on which one your computer is currently displaying. By default,\nWindows XP shows the small animation unless you have changed it.\n7. You will now see all of the throbber settings for Internet Explorer. Click the Custom radio\nbutton, as shown in Figure 6-2, so that you can specify your own file to use for the animation.\n8. Next, click the Change Busy Image button and select the bitmap file that you just\nconverted in step 4.\n9. After you have selected your image, it should show up in the Preview box. If the image\nlooks good, click the OK button to save your changes.\nFIGURE 6-2: Using Tweak UI to change Internet Explorer’s animation/throbber.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 163,
"text": "140\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nYou are not done with changing the browser animated logo. To see the new animation in\naction, you will have to restart all instances of Internet Explorer that were open while you were\nchanging the animation. The next time you start up IE, the new animation should be dis-\nplayed. If that is not the case, then try using BitStrip again on the source animated graphic file\nto create a new bitmap and then repeat step 8.\nChanging the toolbar background\nChanging the background of the toolbar is one of the oldest tweaks for Windows. It has been\naround ever since Windows 95 and still works on the latest version of Windows. Because I am\nwriting a book on customizing Windows XP, I just had to include this classic.\nBack in Windows 95, the only way to display an image as the background for the menu bar\nand toolbar of Internet Explorer was to hack the registry. Now, using Tweak UI, changing the\ntoolbar background is very easy. If you do not already have Tweak UI, download a copy now. If\nyou already have it or have just finished installing it, you are ready to get started:\n1. Start up Tweak UI from the PowerToys for Windows XP entry in the All Programs\nmenu of the Start Menu.\n2. Next, expand the Internet Explorer item from the list and select Toolbar Background.\n3. You will be shown two different options. You can specify a bitmap to be shown just on\nthe Internet Explorer toolbar or you can specify a bitmap to be shown on the Explorer\nwindows (My Computer, My Documents, and so on.). For the purpose of this section,\nyou will just be using the first option. The next step is to check the Use Custom\nBackground for Internet Explorer Toolbar.\n4. Once you have put a check in the box, the Change button will become active. Click the\nbutton and select the image bitmap that you want to use. You can use any bitmap image\non your computer. However, certain files, such as photos, don’t always look the best. I\nlike to create my own bitmap using Adobe Photoshop and making a simple image that is\njust a gradation. This gives a nice appearance as the back of the toolbar, as shown in\nFigure 6-3. You don’t have to use Adobe Photoshop to create an image that is a simple\ngradation of two shades of a color; you can use any image editing program that has the\ngradient feature. Just about all popular Paint programs have that feature.\nOnce you have picked out or created your image file and have selected it with the Change but-\nton, you are finished and will be able to see your new toolbar background by opening up a new\ninstance of Internet Explorer.\nMaking your own quick search address command\nYou can do a lot of interesting tricks with the Address bar. One of my favorite hacks is to add a\nspecial command to the address bar interpreter that will allow you to visit a Web site just by\ntyping in a keyword. This alone is a nice feature, but to make it even better, you can set it up so\nthat you can even pass other words to that Web page. For example, it is possible to set up your\nbrowser so that when you type Google TweakXP, it will automatically go to google.com and\ndo a search for TweakXP. This can be a very convenient feature if you do a lot of searches on\nthe Web. It basically eliminates the first step of going to the Web site.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 164,
"text": "141\nChapter 6 — Exploring Other Windows Enhancements\nTo add this cool feature to the address bar, you will need to use our favorite utility, Tweak UI.\nBy now, you should have Tweak UI installed, but if you don’t, go to www.microsoft.com/\nwindowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp and download a copy. Once you have\nTweak UI installed, follow these steps:\n1. Start up Tweak UI by expanding the PowerToys for Windows XP entry in the All\nPrograms menu and selecting Tweak UI.\n2. Expand the Internet Explorer entry and select Search.\n3. Click the Create button on the bottom right of the Search Prefixes box.\n4. Now you will want to enter the name of the command that you want to type in the pre-\nfix box. This is where you should type in Google, Search, or whatever you want your\ncommand to be called.\n5. Next, in the URL box, you will want to add www.google.com/search?q\u0002%s so that your\ncommand points to Google’s site, as shown in Figure 6-4. Notice the %s in the URL?\nThat is a system variable that catches all of the text to the right of your command (where\nthe search words are).\n6. When you are finished filling in both boxes, click OK and your new command will be\ncreated.\nFIGURE 6-3: Internet Explorer with an image used at the background of the toolbar\n"
},
{
"page_number": 165,
"text": "142\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nYou are now finished and can close Tweak UI. To test your new command, just open up a new\ninstance of IE and type in Google search terms. You should be taken to Google with your\nsearch terms displayed as the results.\nIf you like the new command, you can always make more for other search engines or for quick\nlinks to Web sites. I also like to create a command called weather. I just type in weather\nfollowed by a ZIP code and then am taken to the weather channel’s site. To make this work,\nI have my URL set to http://www.weather.com/weather/local/%s.\nOther Visual Enhancements\nA few more hacks and utilities can enhance and customize the different visual elements even\nfurther. These next few sections will show you some great apps that will add interesting special\neffects to your user interface as well as a few hacks that will help you fine-tune other elements\nof your computer.\nFIGURE 6-4: Creating an address bar command.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 166,
"text": "143\nChapter 6 — Exploring Other Windows Enhancements\nReplacing the task switcher\nThe task switcher is the little application that pops up when you press Alt and Tab to switch\nbetween active applications. To use it, just hold down the Alt key and press Tab. Then keep the\nAlt key held down and tap the Tab key to select a different app to switch to. The task switcher\nis a no-thrills app that just shows you the icon and the name of the application when it is\ndisplayed. Most people rarely use the task switcher to switch between programs because the\ntaskbar is usually much easier. However, Microsoft has released a new PowerToy that is a\nreplacement for the task switcher that might make you think twice about using the taskbar to\nswitch between apps because of its cool new appearance and features.\nThe new replacement task switcher, shown in Figure 6-5, is updated to reflect the new XP look\nand includes a new image preview of the application that you can switch to. Operating the\nreplacement task switcher is exactly the same, just use Alt and Tab.\nNow that you know a little about the new task switcher, it’s time to get it installed on your\ncomputer. Installing it on your computer is very easy. Just download a copy of the app from the\nPowerToys Web site, located at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/down\nFIGURE 6-5: Microsoft’s new Alt\u0003Tab replacement.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 167,
"text": "144\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nloads/powertoys.asp. It is located on the top of the list on the right side of the page.\nWhen you have finished downloading it, open up the file and keep clicking Next to install it.\nWhen the installation exits, the new task switcher is ready to be used without a system reboot.\nJust click the Alt and Tab keys to see the new task switcher on your computer. Remember, the\ntask switcher will not function if you have just one app open. It requires a minimum of two\napplications to be open in order for it to work. After all, why would you need to switch\nbetween apps if you have only one app open?\nAdding Special Effects to your Windows\nThousands of tiny apps are available on the Web that will add both visual effects and features\nto your windows. Three nifty apps are a must for any user who is interested in customizing her\nor his computer and making it unique. I have selected a few of my favorite apps that represent\nseveral different special effects, such as animation, fades, shadows, and more.\nUsing WindowsFX\nWindowsFX is a program developed by Stardock that offers a suite of special effects that will\nhelp make your computer look great. It gives users the ability to add drop shadows on all active\nwindows, window transitions, and transparency. But the most impressive feature, and the rea-\nson why I am including this app, are the animations that appear when you drag a window\naround on the screen. As shown in Figure 6-6, when you drag a window across the screen, the\nwindow has an effect as if it is some sort of gelatin.\nThis is an effect that you will really have to experience first hand to understand. Therefore,\nfollow these steps to get WindowsFX installed on your computer and the dragging effect up\nand running:\n1. Visit Stardock’s Web site at www.stardock.com/products/windowfx/ and\ndownload a copy of WindowsFX.\n2. Once you have WindowsFX installed, start it up by expanding the Object Desktop entry\nin the All Programs menu and select WindowsFX.\n3. Under the side menu for 2000 / XP Only, select Window Dragging to bring up the\nsettings.\n4. On the Window Dragging screen, select Basic Swaying Windows, as shown in Figure 6-7.\n5. Once you have selected Basic Swaying Windows, click Apply Changes, located in the\nlower-left portion of the window just under WindowFX.\nOnce you have applied your changes, you will notice the new effect when you drag windows\naround on the screen. A lot of different dragging effects are available that you can use, but\nunless you purchase the full version of the app, those will not be available to you.\nAdding shadows to your windows\nDrop shadows are a cool feature to add to your windows. They make your applications stand\nout a lot more when you have a lot of windows open and make Windows XP look like OSX or\n"
},
{
"page_number": 168,
"text": "145\nChapter 6 — Exploring Other Windows Enhancements\nas they are expected to look in Longhorn, the next Windows operating system due out within a\nfew years. Drop shadows are possible through a variety of applications on the Web. My favorite\napplication to use for this is called Lokai Shadows XP.This free application, written by Brandon\nSneed, can be downloaded from his Web site at http://redf.net/download.php?view.2.\nOne of the reasons why I like this application so much is because it works (a lot of them I could\nnot get to work) and because it also can run as a service in the background.The quality of the\ndrop shadows on the windows is also of high quality, as shown in Figure 6-8.\nVisit the author’s Web site and download a copy of Lokai Shadows XP and follow these steps\nto install the app and get it up and running:\n1. Once you have downloaded Lokai Shadows XP, extract the ZIP file to a permanent\nhome on your hard drive. Make sure that you do not put it in a directory that has a space\nin the name or else you will have a problem with step 2.\n2. Now that you have extracted the files for the app, you have to register it on your computer\nas a service. Let’s assume that you extracted the shadow app to c:\\ShadowXP. Click the\nStart button and select Run. Then type c:\\ShadowXP\\ lokaishadow_svc.exe /install in\nthe box and click OK. If everything went OK, then you should get a pop-up confirmation\nbox telling you it was installed successfully.\nFIGURE 6-6: WindowsFX’s animated drag.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 169,
"text": "146\nPart I — Customizing Your System\n3. Now that you have registered the service, turn it on. Click the Start Menu again and\nselect Run. Type services.msc in the box and click OK.\n4. The Services dialog box should load. Look through the list of services and right-click\nLokai Shadows XP and select Start.\n5. Close the Services dialog box and you are finished.\nAfter the service is started, any new windows that you open up will automatically have drop\nshadows displayed. Also, do not worry about having to manually start the service each time you\nturn on your computer. By default, the service is set to Automatic. That tells the computer to\nstart it up every time the computer boots.\nUsing Glass2k to make your windows transparent\nWould you like to see through your windows? Do you often have to rearrange windows on\nthe screen to get to information that is hidden below another window? I always run into that\nFIGURE 6-7: Selecting Basic Swaying Windows to enable the dragging animation.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 170,
"text": "147\nChapter 6 — Exploring Other Windows Enhancements\nproblem when I am doing a lot of tasks on my computer at once. Being able to make a window\nor application transparent, as shown in Figure 6-9, by just clicking a few hotkeys on your\nkeyboard is an easy and cool-looking solution to that problem.\nWindows XP has transparency, also known as alpha settings, built into the operating system\nbut it does not use any of these features on windows or the taskbar. Programs that add the\ntransparency capability are just turning this feature on for use on other parts of the user inter-\nface, such as the windows and the taskbar. My favorite app for making windows transparent is\ncalled Glass2k, developed by Chimes Software. This is a great little app that is free and is also\nvery simple to use and install. The whole program consists of just one file that you don’t even\nhave to worry about extracting from a ZIP file. Follow these steps to get Glass2k installed and\nrunning on your computer:\n1. Visit the Glass2k Web site at www.chime.tv/products/glass2k.shtml and\ndownload a copy.\n2. Once you have a copy on your computer, just double-click the app to start it up.\n3. You will see the Glass2k setting screen, as shown in Figure 6-10, when it has started up.\nHere you will see several options. If you want the app to start up every time the com-\nputer starts up, check the Auto-Load box.\n4. One of the most valuable features of the Glass2k is the ability to remember the applica-\ntion’s transparency settings. Check this feature box to make sure that this feature is\nturned on for you.\nFIGURE 6-8: Lokai Shadows XP in action.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 171,
"text": "148\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nFIGURE 6-9: Using Glass2k to make windows transparent.\nFIGURE 6-10: Glass2k settings screen.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 172,
"text": "149\nChapter 6 — Exploring Other Windows Enhancements\n5. The transparency pop-up menu allows you to right-click any open application or win-\ndow and a menu for Glass2k will be shown, along with any normal right-click menu.\nI recommend that you disable that option because I find it to be more of an inconve-\nnience than a convenience. To disable it, just select Disabled from the top of the drop-\ndown list.\n6. Taskbar transparency is another feature of Glass2k that looks great but has little\npurpose. To enable this feature, just click along the horizontal bar to the right of the\ntaskbar transparency label. The further you click to the right of the bar, the less trans-\nparent it is.\n7. Once you have your settings all figured out and set up the way you want, you are ready to\nstart using the app to make windows and apps transparent. Before you can do that, you\nshould click the Save button to save all of your changes.\n8. Making an app or window transparent is very easy. When Glass2k is running, just\nhold down the Ctrl and Shift buttons and press a number (0—9: 0 \u0003 solid, 1 \u0003 lightest,\n9 \u0003 darkest) when any window or app is displayed.\nNow that you know how to change the transparency of a window, have fun changing all of your\napplications. If you ever want to make adjustments to the settings of Glass2k, just right-click\nits icon (the three stacked cubes) in the system tray and select Settings.\nGlass2k is a great app that will change the way you use your computer. It may take a little time\nto get used to the new Ctrl and Shift shortcuts, but once you get that down, you will be flying\nthrough your windows.\nMaking your windows roll up\nHow would you like to make your windows roll up as if they were shades? If you own an\nApple computer, you will know that this is one feature that Apple has had for a long time.\nUnfortunately, for legal or other reasons, Microsoft has decided not to implement a rollup\nfeature in Windows XP. However, with the help of an interesting utility called FreeShade,\ndeveloped by hmmnsoft, it is now possible to make your windows roll up into the top bar of\nthe window. This is a great feature because it allows you to easily hide apps temporarily so that\nyou can see what is behind them or organize them on the screen.\nFreeShade by hmmnsoft works just like other rollup apps on different operating systems. Just\ndouble-click a window and it will roll up into the title bar, as shown in Figure 6-11. Then to\npull the shade back down, just double-click the title bar again and the window will be\nrestored. When you are ready, follow these steps to get FreeShade up and running on your\ncomputer:\n1. Visit FreeShade’s Web site at www.hmmn.org/FreeShade/ and download a copy of\nthe latest version. Once you have downloaded the file, double-click it and follow the\nonscreen directions to install it.\nFIGURE 6-11: A window that has been rolled up.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 173,
"text": "150\nPart I — Customizing Your System\n2. After you have installed FreeShade, you will have two icons on your desktop, one that\nwill start the app, and one that will stop it. Click the FreeShade icon to start up\nFreeShade. Nothing visually will happen, but when you double-click a window you will\nnotice that it now rolls up.\n3. If you ever want to close FreeShade, just click the Stop icon that is located on your\ndesktop or in the Start Menu.\nFreeShade also offers a few other enhancements that affect how the window is sized. In\norder to use the other enhancements, you will have to use special keyboard shortcuts. Refer\nto Table 6-1 for a list of the keyboard shortcuts and what they will do.\nFine-Tuning ClearType\nOne of the best features of Windows XP is the new ClearType font smoothing engine. This\nnew font smoothing feature uses a graphic technique known as anti-aliasing, which smoothes\nall of the rough edges of the fonts on the screen and greatly improves the look of Windows XP\nfor users of LCD flat panel monitors. If you are an owner of a LCD monitor, you should\ndefinitely turn on this feature, as it will make your screen look amazing. Figure 6-12 shows a\ncomparison between when the feature is turned on and when it is turned off. The image on\nthe bottom, which has ClearType enabled, may look a little blurry on the page, but on a LCD\nthe image looks very sharp.\nIf you do not have ClearType enabled, follow these steps to get it turned on:\n1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties.\nTable 6-1\nFreeShade Keyboard Shortcuts\nKeys\nResult\nALT \u0004 5 on num pad\nRollsup/unrolls window\nALT \u0004 “\u0004” on num pad\nDisplays FreeShade properties\nCTRL \u0004 ALT \u0004 “-” on num pad\nCloses FreeShade\nALT \u0004 1 on num pad\nMoves window to lower-left of screen\nALT \u0004 2 on num pad\nMoves window to bottom of screen\nALT \u0004 3 on num pad\nMoves window to lower-right of screen\nALT \u0004 4 on num pad\nMoves window to left of screen\nALT \u0004 6 on num pad\nMoves window to right of screen\nALT \u0004 7 on num pad\nMoves window to top-left of screen\nALT \u0004 8 on num pad\nMoves window to top of screen\nALT \u0004 9 on num pad\nMoves window to top-right of screen\n"
},
{
"page_number": 174,
"text": "151\nChapter 6 — Exploring Other Windows Enhancements\n2. Click the Effects button on the Appearance tab.\n3. In the second drop-down box, select ClearType under Use The Following Method To\nSmooth The Edges Of The Screen Fonts.\n4. Click OK to save your changes.\n5. Select OK once more to close Display Properties and to apply the new settings.\nNow that you have ClearType turned on, it’s time to fine-tune its settings. Some users\ncomplain that the new ClearType feature causes the text on their screen to look a little blurry\ncompared to standard font smoothing. ClearType was designed to smooth the fonts on the\nscreen replacing jagged edges. If you are one of the users that do not like how ClearType looks,\nwith the help of a very cool online tool, you can customize how ClearType looks. Using the\nonline tool that is developed by Microsoft, it is possible to change the darkness and thickness\nof the text. This will allow you to make the text that appears on your monitor look crisper.\nFollow these steps to fine-tune your ClearType settings:\n1. Open up Internet Explorer and browse to www.microsoft.com/typography/\ncleartype/.\n2. Navigate to the ClearType Web interface to fine-tune the settings located on the right\nside of the Web page.\nFIGURE 6-12: Normal font smoothing versus ClearType.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 175,
"text": "152\nPart I — Customizing Your System\n3. As the ClearType Web interface is loading, you will be prompted to install the\nClearType Tuning Control. Click Yes on your screen so that this component will be\ninstalled.\nWith the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2, Internet Explorer was locked down to provide\nbetter security. If the ClearType Tuning Control does not automatically download and install,\nthen you may need to adjust your ActiveX security settings in Internet Options. \n4. On the step 1 screen, click Next to move to the next step, because you already have\nClearType started.\n5. On step 2 of the ClearType Tuning Control, you have to select if your monitor uses a\nred-green-blue (RGB) color scheme or a blue-green-red (BGR) scheme. All LCD com-\nputer monitors are made up of very tiny vertical lines of alternating colors. There are two\ndifferent ways that monitors lay out the lines on the screen. Some monitors alternate red,\ngreen, and blue lines (RGB) on the screen, whereas other monitors alternate blue, green,\nand red lines (BGR). ClearType has recently been updated to also support the BGR\nformat, and now users that have BGR monitors can select this feature. Don’t know\nwhich one to select? It’s easy; just select the option that looks sharper on your screen and\nthen click Next.\n6. On step 3, you will be shown six different settings that you can choose to fine-tune\nClearType. Just select the item that looks best to you and click Finish.\nYour new settings will instantly go into effect. If you do not like the changes, just follow the\npreceding instructions and start over. If you notice that the coloration of some of the characters\non your screen is a little strange, specifically the I’s, then you might have the wrong screen\nmode selected. Follow the preceding instructions again and select the other color scheme.\nIf you don’t own a LCD monitor, you can still try to use ClearType. It will not create any prob-\nlems but also might not help out all that much either. I recommend that you still experiment\nwith it. You might be surprised.\nBranding Windows XP\nDid you ever notice how when you buy a computer from one of the big computer manufactur-\ners your computer has their name and logo in many different parts of the computer? How\nwould you like to replace their branding information with your own? Or if you built your own\ncomputer, why not brand it? These next two sections will show you how you can brand the\nsystem information screen and Internet Explorer.\nBranding system properties\nEvery time you right-click My Computer and select Properties or click the System applet item\nin the Control Panel, you will be shown branding information on the general information\nscreen of System Properties. This screen is usually customized by computer manufacturers to\ndisplay their logo, as well as general information such as the model number and support notes.\nIf you would like to change this information or brand a PC that you made yourself, this section\n"
},
{
"page_number": 176,
"text": "153\nChapter 6 — Exploring Other Windows Enhancements\nwill show you how to accomplish this in just a few easy steps. To get started, assume that your\ncomputer is not branded and that you are going to be doing this for the first time. If your com-\nputer was already branded, then instead of creating the files that I will mention, just replace\nthem with your versions. Follow these steps to do branding of your own:\n1. There are two parts to branding your computer. The first part is creating an image to be\ndisplayed on the System Properties General tab. The image must be a bitmap and be no\nlarger than 180 \u0002 115 pixels. Once you have created your file, name it oemlogo.bmp\nand save it in C:\\Windows\\System32 folder.\n2. Now that you have to get the logo out of the way, you will need to create a file with all of\nthe text that you want to appear on the screen next to it. To do this, open up Notepad\nand key in the following code. Feel free to replace the text to the right of the \u0003 with\nanything you want.\n[General]\nManufacturer\u0003StevePC\nModel\u0003HighwaySpecial 18G\n[Support Information]\nLine1\u0003No support is provided in English\nLine2\u0003Guaranteed to work for at least 5 days\nLine3\u000387% restocking fee for all returns\nLine4\u0003Returns only accepted at Kuznetsk warehouse in Russia\n3. Once you have your text in the right format, click the File menu bar item and select\nSave As.\n4. Save the file as oeminfo.ini in your C:\\Windows\\System32 folder. Make sure to\nchange the Save As file type to All Files instead of .txt so that the file is saved with the\ncorrect file extension.\nA copy of the oeminfo.ini file can be found in the Chapter 6 folder on the book’s companion \nCD-ROM.\nIf everything went well, the next time you look at the System Properties screen, you should see\nyour new branding information. Figure 6-13 is an example of what my branded screen looks\nlike.\nBranding IE\nInternet Explorer is another part of the operating system that is often branded by computer\nmanufacturers and Internet Service Providers. Not a lot can be done to brand Internet Explorer\nother than to add some text to the title bar of the browser. Back when dialup Internet was the\nonly means of accessing the Net, I remember trying to figure out how to remove text that the\ndialup software distributed from providers such as CompuServe and Prodigy. Every time I\nwould open up Internet Explorer, it would say Prodigy Online along with Microsoft Internet\nExplorer as the title of the window. Back then, the only solution for getting rid of the excess\ntype was to manually hack the registry and fix the entry responsible for storing the name of the\n"
},
{
"page_number": 177,
"text": "154\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nwindow. Now a really great utility is available, called Rebrand, by Advent Code, that greatly sim-\nplifies the editing of the Internet Explorer window title. Follow these steps to edit your title bars:\n1. Visit Advent Code’s Web site at www.adventcode.net/rebrand.html and down-\nload a copy of Rebrand. Then, run the file and extract the files to your computer.\n2. Start up Rebrand by browsing to the directory from which you extracted it and clicking\non rebrand.exe.\n3. To change the title of Internet Explorer, just type new text in the top box, as shown in\nFigure 6-14, and then click the Apply button to save your changes.\nOnce you are finished editing the title and have clicked the Apply button, you can close\nRebrand. Your changes should take effect immediately.\nFIGURE 6-13: Creating your own branded system screen.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 178,
"text": "155\nChapter 6 — Exploring Other Windows Enhancements\nRebrand also offers a few other features, such as the ability to change the title of Outlook\nExpress and the ability to change toolbar backgrounds. The Outlook Express feature is cool,\nbut I like using Tweak UI to change the backgrounds of toolbars.\nSummary\nSo ends the customizing portion of Hacking Windows XP! You have seen many ways that you\ncan completely change the way Windows XP looks from the moment you turn on your PC.\nThis chapter has focused on adding cool effects and features that will make Windows XP look\nhigh-tech, state-of-the-art, and visually attractive—a winning combination.\nPart II of Hacking Windows XP is all about making your computer perform better than ever\nbefore. When I first started working with computers several years ago, I was always working\nFIGURE 6-14: Using Rebrand to change the title of the Internet Explorer\nwindow.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 179,
"text": "156\nPart I — Customizing Your System\nwith the slowest and oldest hardware possible. I spent countless hours trying to figure out ways\nto make Windows run just a little bit faster on my POS machine. Even if I could just shave a\nfew microseconds off of something, it would all add up in the end. Now that I can afford better\nhardware, speed is still something that I am very concerned about. Making Windows XP run\nas fast as possible is something that I have spent a great deal of time researching and testing.\nThis next part will help you, too, make your computer run like never before.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 180,
"text": "Chapter 7\nAnalyzing Your System\nChapter 8\nSpeeding Up the \nSystem Boot\nChapter 9\nMaking Your Computer\nLoad Faster\nChapter 10\nMaking Your Computer\nMore Responsive\nChapter 11\nSpeeding Up Your\nComputer\npart\nin this part\nIncreasing Your \nSystem’s \nPerformance\n"
},
{
"page_number": 181,
"text": ""
},
{
"page_number": 182,
"text": "Analyzing Your\nSystem\nD\nid you ever wonder how fast your computer actually is? Sure, it says\nthat it is a Pentium 2.8 Ghz on the box the system came in but the\nspeed of the CPU is not the only factor in determining how fast\nyour system actually is. The true speed of your computer is determined by\nthe speed of all of your hardware, such as the speed of data written and read\nfrom the hard drive, the speed of the RAM, and the speed of the front side\nbus of the motherboard. This chapter will help you analyze your system to\ndetermine exactly how fast it is and how you can make it faster.\nBefore you start to make your computer run faster, you need to understand\nthe limitations of your hardware and also to be able to identify possible bot-\ntlenecks in your system. The situation is just like what would happen before\nyou go to the hospital to have an operation. It is usually better to have some\ntests completed first so that the doctors know exactly what to do. Using the\ntools discussed in this chapter, you will be able to run different tests that\nwill help you in the upcoming chapters decide which hacks will work best\nfor your computer.\nMonitoring Your System Hardware\nMonitoring the status of the system using various tools will help you\nunderstand what is going on behind the scenes, much like monitoring the\ninstrument panel on your car will help you understand what is happening to\nthe vehicle at all times. For example, regular monitoring will reveal if you\nare running low on memory, if your CPU is overloaded, or if your system\nhas too many programs running at the same time. These are all useful and\nimportant things to know, and having that information available will enable\nyou to check your system’s operation and change settings to get optimal per-\nformance. There is a variety of performance monitoring software available\non the market. However, Windows has many great monitoring applications\nbuilt in that provide adequate reporting to analyze your system.\nUsing performance\nBuilt into Windows is a great little tool called the Performance system\nmonitor. The system monitor is a sleek tool that will allow you to easily\n\u0002 Using the\nPerformance\nMonitor\n\u0002 Using Bootvis to\nAnalyze Your\nSystem Start\n\u0002 Using the Task\nManager\n\u0002 Benchmarking Your\nSystem\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 183,
"text": "160\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nmonitor hundreds of different statistics about all areas of the operating system. Similar to other\nsystem monitor tools, its purpose is to help you detect problems and improve your system per-\nformance. The easiest way to start the performance application is by the command line or by\nusing the Run command in the Start Menu. To start the performance application:\n1. Click the Start Menu and select Run.\n2. Then type perfmon.msc in the text box and click the OK button.\nAn icon for the application can be found in the Administrative Tools folder located in Control\nPanel. But for most users, running the preceding command will be the easiest method of\nstarting the program.\nThe Performance application gets the data for its performance counters from the System\nRegistry. If you would like to change the source of the data so that it will get the data directly\nfrom the Windows Management Interface instead, simply start the performance counter with\nthe “/sysmon_wmi” flag. Then type perfmon.msc /sysmon_wmi in the text box on the Run dia-\nlog box.\nOnce the program is started, you will be greeted with a graph of data as well as a list of active\ncounters. You will see a graph of the % Processor Time as well as memory Pages/sec and the\navg. Disk Queue Length. These are all great stats, but the Performance application has quite a\nfew more from which to choose. In order to add more performance counters, simply click the\nicon with the \u0002 symbol on it or press Ctrl\u0002I and the Add Counters window will appear, as\nshown in Figure 7-1.\nOnce the Add Counters window is shown, you will notice where it states “Performance\nObject.” In the drop-down menu list box below this is a list of all of the possible items that you\nare able to monitor. Depending on the services that your computer has installed, such as the\nWeb server IIS, you will have more or less items available. Take a few minutes to browse\nthrough the list. You will notice that when you select a different item subject, you will be\nshown a new list of detailed counters in the box below. You have the option to add all counters\nor you can select only specific counters from the box by pressing the Ctrl key to select multiple\nitems. Additionally, to the right of the listing box is another box which lists the instance of the\nobject you are going to monitor. This gives you the ability to define the scope of the counter so\nthat you can monitor only one specific device instead of monitoring all devices. For example, it\nis possible to monitor the queue length of just one hard drive instead of the total file access\nqueue length.\nOnce you are finished selecting all of your counters for a specific object, click the Add \nbutton. Once you are finished adding counters for all of the objects you are interested in, click\nthe Close button.\nViewing the data\nThe performance counter allows you to view the data in many different ways. The default\nscreen is the line graph, as shown in Figure 7-2. This display method is adequate for a few\nperformance counters, but when you have more than three or four, figuring out what line is\nfor what counter starts to become a little confusing. Fortunately, the employees at Microsoft\n"
},
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"page_number": 184,
"text": "161\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\nthat made the performance counter application provided us with two other methods of view-\ning the data.\nAnother method of viewing the data is by using the histogram display, as shown in Figure 7-3.\nTo change to this display method, simply press the Histogram icon on the menu or, on the\nkeyboard, press Ctrl\u0002B. This method of displaying the data is not much better than the\ndefault. But because it relies on one scale, counters that report small numbers will be dwarfed\nby the counters that report large numbers. This limitation makes it almost impossible to read\nsome of the counters.\nTo make everyone happy, there is also a Report viewing method which simply lists the counter\nnumbers in text, as shown in Figure 7-4. Activate this viewing method by clicking the icon\nwhich looks like a notebook or pressing Ctrl\u0002R.\nSetting update interval\nNow that you have all of your counters set up and displaying data, you need to select the interval\ntime of how often the data will be updated. How often you want the counters to be updated\ndepends on your reason for monitoring your hardware. For example, if you are trying to\nFIGURE 7-1: Add Counters window listing all available items to monitor.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 185,
"text": "162\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\ntrack how much data your computer is sending through your network adapter every day or hour,\nit is not necessary to have that counter update every second. You will just be wasting CPU cycles\nbecause you are making the computer constantly update that counter. However, if you are inter-\nested in current memory or CPU utilization, you will want a much faster update time.\nTo change the update interval, click the Properties button, which looks like a hand pointing to\na notebook. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl\u0002Q. Once the System Monitor Properties window\nloads, locate where it states, “Sample automatically every” and update the value in the text box,\nas shown in Figure 7-5.\nConfiguring alerts\nIf the hundreds of performance counters are not enough for you, Microsoft has also included\nthe ability to set alerts that are fully customizable and can be set for any performance counter.\nIn order to set up an alert for a specific performance counter:\n1. Start the Performance application if it is not already started, then once it is started,\nexpand the Performance Logs and Alerts item.\n2. Next, click the Alerts item and you will see a list of active alerts set up on your system in\nthe window on the right.\nFIGURE 7-2: Default screen of the Windows XP Performance counter.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 186,
"text": "163\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\n3. Right-click in the open window on the right-hand side of the screen and select New\nAlert Settings.\n4. Type a name for your new alert in the dialog box and click OK.\n5. Next, on the alert settings page, click the Add button to add a performance counter to be\nmonitored.\n6. Once you have finished adding a performance counter, close the Add Counters window.\nThen, fill in the settings for the alert event trigger such, as the limit that will trigger the\nalert.\n7. Also, take a look at the Sample Data Every section to set this area appropriately.\n8. Click the Action tab to specify what you would like to be done when and if the alert is\ntriggered.\n9. Also, take a look at the Schedule tab to specify when the alert should be started and the\nduration of the alert.\n10. Once you are satisfied with all of the settings, click the OK button and you are finished setting\nup an alert.\nFIGURE 7-3: Performance’s Histogram view.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 187,
"text": "164\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nAt any time, it is possible to make changes to the alerts by right-clicking them and selecting\nProperties.\nAnalyzing and detecting problems\nUse of the performance application and the various performance counters makes it possible to\ndetect many problems and shed light on how to make your system run faster. You should famil-\niarize yourself with a handful of tips that deal with specific performance counters; these will\nprove to be invaluable in your analysis and decision making. The following are some of the\nthings to look out for when monitoring your system:\n\u0002 Physical Disk: Disk Read Bytes/sec & Disk Write Bytes/sec. These two performance counters\ncan tell you if your physical disk is set up and functioning correctly. In order to deter-\nmine this, consult the Web site or the manual of the manufacturer of your hard disk.\nLook up what the range of read/write speeds are. If the readings that you are getting are\nfar below what you should be getting, then your hard disk could be damaged or set up\nincorrectly. Run diagnostic software on the disk and make sure that it is set up properly\nin device manager with the correct transfer mode. Remember that most hard drives read\nat different speeds when they are reading from different parts of the disk. This is why\nthere may be some discrepancies between your readings.\nFIGURE 7-4: Performance’s Report view.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 188,
"text": "165\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\n\u0002 Paging File: % Usage & % Usage Peak. These two performance counters can tell you how\nwell your system is using the page file. If you set the size of the page file manually, then\nthese counters are very critical to deciding what size the page file should be. As a rule, if\nthe page file % Usage is above 95 percent or if the Usage Peak is near 100 percent,\nconsider increasing the size of the page file if you have set the size manually.\n\u0002 Memory: Available MBytes & Paging File: % Usage. These two performance counters will\nhelp you decide if you should put more RAM in your computer. If your available\nmegabytes are under 5 and your paging file usage percentage is very high, then you\nshould consider purchasing more RAM for your computer.\n\u0002 Processor: % Processor Time. This performance counter monitors the activity and work\nyour processor is doing. If your CPU is consistently working at or above 85 percent,\nand you are not running any computation-intensive applications in the background,\nFIGURE 7-5: Updating the update interval value.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 189,
"text": "166\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nthis would indicate that you should consider upgrading your CPU. The CPU is having\na hard time keeping up with all of your programs. You could also try closing open appli-\ncations that are running in the background to make your computer more responsive and\nfaster.\nSaving your performance counter setup\nOnce you have spent some time adding all of the performance counters that you would like to\nuse, it is possible to save this configuration so that every time you start the performance\napplication, your performance counters will automatically be loaded.\nIn order to save the performance counters selected:\n1. Click the File menu object on the menu bar and select Save As.\n2. Then type in a file name and specify a location and click Save.\nThis will save a new .MSC file that will have all of your performance counters saved in the file.\nThe next time you want to load all of your performance counters, simply open up the new file\nthat you saved by either double-clicking it or making a shortcut to it and placing it in your\nStart Menu. If you open up the performance application in the way that was shown earlier, you\nwill not have your performance counters loaded automatically.\nUsing Bootvis to analyze your system start\nBootvis is an application released by Microsoft that allows users and developers to debug and\ndetect issues that occur during the system start up. Contrary to what most people believe,\nBootvis is not a performance enhancement tool, but a diagnostic and reporting tool. Running\nBootvis will not speed up or change the performance of your system in any way other than\nwhat the system does automatically. Therefore, running Bootvis for the purpose of having it\nautomatically speed up your system is pointless. However, the information that the Bootvis\nreports can be invaluable to improving the performance of your system.\nWhat exactly is Bootvis? Bootvis is a tool that will trace all of the different stages of the system\nstart such as the system kernel, then the device drivers, and then the start up of processes. If\nyou are wondering why your computer is taking so long to start up, then Bootvis will provide\nyou with many answers.\nInstalling Bootvis\nBootvis is not included with Windows and must be downloaded from the Web. Currently,\nMicrosoft has removed the link to download the program from their Web site. According \nto the Web page at Microsoft at which the tool originally could have been downloaded\n(/www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/platform/performance/fastboot/bootvis\n.mspx), “The Bootvis.exe tool is no longer available from this site.” Microsoft has never\nmade a public statement explaining exactly why the utility was removed. Nevertheless, based on\nmessages that I have read in Microsoft’s Windows XP newsgroups and other sites, this is what\nmost users close to the issue believe:\n"
},
{
"page_number": 190,
"text": "167\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\nMicrosoft has removed this tool from their site because users have been using it for the wrong\npurpose. Ever since the tool was first discovered on Microsoft’s Web site, users would use\nBootvis because they thought that it would speed up their computer’s boot time. That miscon-\nception arose because Bootvis is capable of starting some of Windows XP’s boot optimization\nfeatures that are normally run by the operating system after it has fully analyzed the boot.\nHowever, Bootvis was designed to be a performance analysis and diagnostic utility, not a speed\nboosting app. Because users were using Bootvis for the wrong reason, and because use of its\nadvanced boot optimization features could possibly do more harm than good, Microsoft\ndecided to remove the tool from their site.\nMicrosoft’s removal of the tool from their Web site is unfortunate, because it really can give\nyou a lot of useful information about your boot. Fortunately, several Web sites exist from which\nusers of Windows XP still download Bootvis, namely:\n\u0002 SoftPedia: www.softpedia.com/public/cat/12/2/12-2-1.shtml.\n\u0002 Major Geeks: www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det\u0003664\n\u0002 Old Microsoft Download Link (Still works but not listed on any page):\nhttp://download.microsoft.com:80/download/whistler/BTV/1.0/\nWXP/EN-US/BootVis-Tool.exe\nIf the above links no longer work. Check out TweakXP.com and you will find more links from\nwhich you can download Bootvis.\nThe latest version of Bootvis that Microsoft released is version 1.3.37.0.This version is compatible\nwith Windows XP Service Pack 1, but it is not known yet if it will work for Service Pack 2.\nOnce you have downloaded a copy of Bootvis, install it by double-clicking the file. A new entry\nwill be made in the Start Menu under All Programs, labeled Microsoft Bootvis.\nTracing your system start\nNow that you have Bootvis installed, you are ready to start analyzing your system. Start the\napplication from the shortcut located in the Start Menu. Once the application has started, you\nwill see an empty Bootvis interface. To initiate a new trace, click the Trace item on the menu\nbar and select Next Boot \u0002 Driver Delays, as shown in Figure 7-6. This will pop up a new\nwindow, asking you how many times you would like the trace to be run. It is often a good idea\nto run the trace more than once to see if the items that are slow in your startup are consistently\nslow. Select the number of repetitions by using the arrow buttons. Once you click OK, your\ncomputer will automatically start the process of tracing and will reboot your computer.\nMake sure that you do not have any unsaved work on your system, as you could lose anything\nthat you have been working on if you do not save your work before the system restarts.\nWhen you are ready, click the OK button and you will see a countdown window counting\ndown from 10 seconds until the system will reboot. If you choose, you can click the Reboot\nNow button if you do not want to wait for your system to reboot automatically.\nOnce your system starts to reboot, it will start the tracing process. Do not press any buttons \non your computer during the tracing process other than to log onto your computer, if your\n"
},
{
"page_number": 191,
"text": "168\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\ncomputer is set up that way. After the log on screen, Bootvis will display a message on the\nscreen telling you not to do anything on your computer.\nOnce the trace is complete, the computer will automatically reboot and will repeat this process\nthe number of times you selected to repeat earlier. When the process is all finished, your com-\nputer will automatically load the trace file. If you performed more than one trace, you will have\nto manually load one of the trace files.\nAnalyzing the Bootvis trace file\nTo view a report, you will have to launch Bootvis again if you performed more than one trace.\nIf you decided to just do one trace, skip this paragraph. When Bootvis finishes loading, click\nthe File menu object and select Open. Navigate to C:\\ Documents and Settings and then\nexpand the folder named after your username. There you will find all of the trace files with a\n.BIN extension. Select the file that you would like to analyze and select Open. Bootvis will\nload the trace file and display the results of the trace, as shown in Figure 7-7.\nNow that you have all of the data, it is time to analyze it. The most important information\nthat the Bootvis application provides is Driver Delay information. The drivers are the most\ntime-consuming portion of the system boot. Identifying slow device drivers can help you\nspeed up your system. Scroll down so that the Driver Delay window is displayed. Each device\ndriver that is loaded during setup is sorted into different categories and is represented by a\nFIGURE 7-6: Initiating a new boot trace with Bootvis. \n"
},
{
"page_number": 192,
"text": "169\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\ngreen rectangle. Move your mouse over a rectangle and the name of the driver, as well as the\nestimated time it took to load, will be displayed. Scroll horizontally to see the different drivers\nthat are loaded over time.\nIf you find a driver that is taking a long time to load and initialize, it could be configured\nincorrectly or the driver itself could be poorly written and may have problems. Make sure that\nyou have the latest device drivers from your equipment manufacturer to ensure that you have\nthe best version of the driver code.\nYou can make sure that you have the latest drivers installed on your computer by visiting your\nhardware manufacturer’s Web site and downloading the latest drivers. This will ensure that you\nhave the best performing drivers and trouble-free operation. \nBootvis displays many other graphs besides the driver information. The other graphs are\nless useful when viewed separately, but can be valuable when viewed in conjunction with\nother graphs. Looking at the CPU utilization and disk utilization at the same time one of\nthe drivers is initializing can give you valuable information, such as why the device driver\ncould be taking so long to initialize. For example, if the CPU is maxed out and the disk \nutilization is very high, it might not be the driver’s fault for taking so long to initialize.\nInstead, it is all of the other background processes running at the same time that is slowing\neverything down.\nFIGURE 7-7: Bootvis displaying trace results after boot analysis.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 193,
"text": "170\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nBootvis also offers a feature that allows you to trace what is going on when your system is\nresuming from standby or starting up from hibernation. To run these types of traces, simply\nclick the Trace menu bar item again and select either Next Standby and Resume or Next\nHibernate and Resume. Then, after the traces are complete, just open up the trace files as \nyou did previously for a normal boot trace.\nUsing Task Manager\nThe Windows Task Manager is a critical part of Windows that makes it possible for users to\nhave full control over what their system is doing. Providing the ability to monitor individual\nprograms and control any program or process, the Task Manager is very useful. In order to use\nTask Manager, no special software must be installed. Just push Ctrl\u0002Alt\u0002Delete keys on your\ncomputer and the Windows Task Manager will be loaded. On some computers, you may have\nto click the Task Manager button in the window that pops up in order to start it.\nOnce Windows Task Manager has started, you will notice a list of active applications running\non your computer. Additionally, you will see five tabs that will list processes, CPU performance\ndata, networking performance data, and active user data.\nMonitoring processes\nAll the applications on the computer that are running, those that are hidden and those that are\nnot, can be found on the list under the Processes tab. On this list, you will be able to see how\nmuch memory each process is using, as well as how much of the CPU each process is using. By\nclicking the column headings, you can sort the rows in numeric or alphabetical order, as shown\nin Figure 7-8.\nThere are many useful columns on the Processes tab, such as the Image Name column, which\ngives you the name of the process. The User Name column shows who started the process. The\nCPU column shows what percentage of the CPU the process is using and the Mem Usage column\nshows how much memory a process is using.\nIf you find a process that is taking up a lot of your memory or eating up a big portion of your\nCPU, then you may want to consider ending the process if it is not a critical one. Ending a process\nis very easy; just select the row of the service you want to end, and click the End Process button.\nViewing performance data \nWhen you visit the Performance tab, as shown in Figure 7-9, you will notice that it shows a lot\nof the same information that the Performance application shows. This tab is another place that\nyou can view memory and CPU information but in a far less detailed manner.\nThe Networking tab is a great way to monitor the current network activity. Each networking\ndevice on your computer has its own graph, showing the percent that it utilized. Although it\ndoes not keep track of bandwidth sent and received, it does show the speed at which the\nhardware is working and if it is connected.\nConfiguring Task Manager to display CPU monitor\nWhen the Windows Task Manager is started, a small histogram is displayed in the system tray\nthat shows the CPU utilization. This little feature can be very useful if you would always like to\n"
},
{
"page_number": 194,
"text": "171\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\nkeep an eye on your CPU utilization but do not want Task Manager always on top of all of\nyour windows. With a little bit of work, it is possible to start up the Windows Task Manager\nautomatically and run it minimized and hidden from the taskbar except for the system tray.\n1. Click the Start Menu and navigate to All Programs and locate the Startup listing.\n2. Right-click where it says Startup and select Open. A new window will open up with the\ncontents of your personal startup folder. Any shortcuts that you place in this folder will\nbe automatically loaded with Windows when it starts up.\n3. Once the Startup folder is opened, right-click in the open white space and select New\nand then navigate to Shortcut.\n4. When the new shortcut wizard loads, type taskmgr.exe in the text box asking for the\nlocation of the file. After typing in the file name, click the Next button.\nFIGURE 7-8: Sorting processes by memory usage.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 195,
"text": "172\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n5. Type in a name for the shortcut and click the Finish button.\n6. Now you will be shown the startup folder again and a new icon for the Task Manager. In\norder to make Task Manager start minimized, right-click the new icon and select\nProperties.\n7. Change the Run type where it says Normal Window to Minimized and click OK.\n8. Now the shortcut is all set up. However, there is one last change to make and you will\nneed to open up Task Manager to do this. Once you have opened up Windows Task\nManager, click the Options menu bar item and select Hide When Minimized so that\nwhen the program starts, the CPU histogram will only be shown and the program will\nnot appear on the taskbar.\nFIGURE 7-9: Windows Task Manager Performance information.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 196,
"text": "173\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\nYour system is not configured to start up the CPU meter on every boot in the system tray.\nShould you change your mind at a later time and no longer want the Task Manager CPU\nmeter to show up, simply delete the shortcut from the Startup folder.\nOther performance monitoring utilities\nOn top of all of the Microsoft applications, there are various third-party applications that\nprovide system information. One of my favorite monitoring utilities is an open source program\ncalled CoolMon. CoolMon is a highly customizable program that allows you to display a wide\nrange of information about your computer, such as:\n\u0002 System Temperature (Requires additional Mother Board Monitor application)\n\u0002 Fan Speeds (Requires additional Mother Board Monitor application)\n\u0002 Network Information\n\u0002 Memory Information\n\u0002 System Uptime\n\u0002 CPU Information\n\u0002 Physical Disk Information\n\u0002 Power and Battery Information\nCoolMon can be downloaded from http://coolmon.arsware.org.\nOnce you have installed CoolMon, you are ready to start configuring it. Everything about the\nappearance can be changed by navigating through the Layout menu that can be accessed by\nright-clicking the CoolMon icon in the system tray.\nIf you would like to change the information that is displayed, simply right-click the CoolMon\nicon in the system tray and select Display Items. You will then see a new window called\nOptions that looks like a text editor. The CoolMon program uses its own markup language to\nestablish how the information will be laid out. Browse through the drop-down box located in\nthe middle of the window to select different items that can be displayed. Once you have\nselected the item that you want to add, click the Add Tag button and the text above will be\nupdated. When you are finished with the layout, click the OK button to see the new information.\nBenchmarking Your System\nBenchmarking means testing your computer and assigning some sort of score to your com-\nputer’s configuration. The score could be an amount of time, such as the amount of time it\ntakes your computer to solve a complex math problem. The score could also be a calculated\npoint value that is determined by running a variety of tests, such as hard drive transfer speeds.\nThe test could read and write files to your hard drive and then calculate a weighted score\ndepending on how each test went. The amount of time or calculated point value have very little\nvalue on their own; it is when they are compared to other results of the same test that they\nbecome valuable.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 197,
"text": "174\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nIt is important to get an initial benchmark score for your computer so that you can compare\nyour computer’s initial performance to benchmark scores from tests that you may run at a later\ntime. It would be nice to know how much of a difference some of the hacks in this book actu-\nally helped your system. Or, if you upgraded the amount of RAM your computer has, it would\nbe helpful to see how it impacted your system performance. By running an initial benchmark,\nyou will have a score that you can compare all of your benchmark scores to after you make\nchanges to your computer.\nHow to benchmark your system\nIn order to benchmark your system, you will need the help of a benchmarking application.There\nis a wide variety of different software programs that can benchmark just about every part of your\nsystem. If you are interested in benchmarking the abilities of your 3D video card, there is software\nfor that. If you are interested in benchmarking your hard disk speeds, then there is special soft-\nware for that task as well. On top of the individual tests, there are a lot of benchmarking suites on\nthe market. One is known as Sandra Standard and is published by SiSoftware.The next section\nwill show you how to use Sandra Standard to benchmark your computer.\nYou will find several links to different benchmarking applications that you can use to benchmark\nspecific hardware components of your computer in the Chapter 7 folder of the companion \nCD-ROM.\nUsing Sandra Standard to benchmark\nSandra Standard is a great program to use to benchmark your computer because it has a wide\nvariety of individual tests, and it’s free. To get started, you will need to download a copy of\nSandra Standard from the Web site located at www.sisoftware.co.uk. Once you have\nSandra Standard installed, you will be able to begin testing and benchmarking your system. To\nstart Sandra Standard, click the Start Menu and expand All Programs and SiSoftware Utilities\n(Win32 x86), then click SiSoftware Sandra Standard (Win32 x86 Unicode) to launch Sandra.\nOnce Sandra is started, and you have closed the Tip of the Day, you will see a list of different\ninformation and testing modules, as shown in Figure 7-10.\nIn order to run a benchmark, just double-click the icon of the benchmark you would like to\nrun. For an example, let’s run the CPU Arithmetic Benchmark. Scroll down on the list and list\nof icons until you find the CPU Arithmetic Benchmark icon and then double-click it. Once it\nloads, click the blue Refresh arrow button or press F5 on your keyboard to start the benchmark.\nOnce the benchmark starts, the Analyzing window will be shown that indicates the progress of\nthe test. Do not touch your keyboard or mouse while the test is running. On some bench-\nmarks, the status bar does not update very frequently, so don’t get worried if the benchmark\nseems to be frozen; most likely it is not. The vast majority of the benchmarks take only a few\nminutes to run, although a few may take up to 10 minutes. When the test is over, the results\nwill be displayed in comparison to other hardware configurations.\nCPU Arithmetic Benchmark\nThe CPU Arithmetic Benchmark will run a series of standard CPU benchmarks, such as the\nDhrystone (integer arithmetic such as whole number addition) and Whetstore (floating point\n"
},
{
"page_number": 198,
"text": "175\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\narithmetic such as decimal addition) benchmark tests. This test takes about 30 seconds to run\nbut is repeated several times to get an accurate test result. All together, this test takes between\ntwo to five minutes to run. This test is not very useful for measuring how much faster you have\nmade your computer but it is useful to compare how fast your CPU is compared to other sys-\ntems. Within the module, the results of the test will be compared against other similar systems\nand you can select any processor to compare it against.\nCPU Multimedia Benchmark\nThe CPU in your computer is a lot more advanced than CPUs from 20 years ago, which just\ndid basic computer functions. With the growing need for high-performance multimedia\napplications such as 3D games and DVD players, CPU manufacturers started to include\nadvanced instructions in the design of the chip that would allow for special multimedia\nperformance increases. The CPU multimedia benchmark is designed to test the most \npopular multimedia extensions that your computer is equipped with, such as MMX,\n3DNow, SSE2, and SSE3. The test will take about 20 seconds but it will repeat a few\ntimes to get reliable results. During the test, a fractal is generated and other objects using\nthe multimedia extensions. The results are then calculated and repeated for both integer\n(whole numbers) and floating point (decimal) calculations and displayed in comparison to\nother systems.\nFIGURE 7-10: Sandra Standard benchmark modules.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 199,
"text": "176\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nRemovable Storage/Flash Benchmark\nThe Storage/Flash Benchmark will measure the speed of the flash-based storage devices, such\nas USB pen drives and compact flash-based cards, used in many digital cameras. The bench-\nmark module tests the read performance, write performance, as well as the delete performance.\nThen, based on the performance in each area, the drive is given a drive index score. After the\ntest, the actual data speeds are available and the device can also be compared to similar devices.\nThis test can take up to 10 minutes to complete and cannot be canceled while it’s performing.\nFile System Benchmark\nThe File System Benchmark is similar to the flash storage benchmark but is designed for\ndifferent hardware, such as hard drives. The File System Benchmark tests the drive by doing a\nseries of read tests that test reading data from random locations, reading data from a series of\nadjacent locations, and reading data from the disk buffer. Additionally, the file system bench-\nmark tests the writing speed by writing data to random locations, writing data to a series of\nadjacent locations, and writing directly to the disk buffer. To finish the benchmark, the applica-\ntion completes a seek test and then calculates a drive index score based on the results of the\nthree types of tests. The data is then displayed in comparison with similar types of drives.\nCD-ROM/DVD Benchmark\nThe CD-ROM/DVD Benchmark test is similar to the file system benchmark but is designed\nfor the optical drives. In order to run the test on a data CD drive, you must place a CD that\nhas at least 600MB of data on it and contains large files that are greater than 64MB each. For a\nvideo CD or DVD, any VCD movie or DVD movie will do for the test. After the test is com-\npleted, which usually takes about 10 minutes, the results will be displayed in comparison with\nother drives.\nMemory Bandwidth Benchmark\nThe Memory Bandwidth Benchmark tests the system memory using the popular STREAM\nmemory benchmark. This benchmark tests the storing and retrieving of data of both integer\nand floating point operations. Once the test is completed, usually after two minutes, the results\nwill be displayed. The “ALU” results are from the integer arithmetic tests and the “FPU” results\nare from the floating point tests. If you would like to learn more about the STREAM memory\nbenchmark, visit www.streambench.org to find out how it works.\nCache & Memory Benchmark\nThe Cache & Memory Benchmark tests the CPU cache and memory using floating point\noperations. The test is designed to make it possible to compare different CPU configurations.\nAfter the test is run, which usually takes about 10 minutes, the results will be given in a graph\nthat shows how effective the cache is at different text block sizes, as shown in Figure 7-11. This\ntest is great for determining exactly how CPUs of the same speed but different cache sizes are\ndifferent.\nNetwork/LAN Bandwidth Benchmark\nThe Network/LAN Bandwidth Benchmark will measure how fast your local area network is.\nThe test will ping and transfer data from another machine on your network to test for response\ntime and for maximum speed. Although this test is limited to the maximum speed of the\n"
},
{
"page_number": 200,
"text": "177\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\nhardware that the test is testing across the network, the benchmark is still effective when used\nto detect how fast your network can really go. The test may take a while to load, as it needs \nto search your local area network to find another machine that it can connect to so that it can\nrun the network benchmark. Once the module loads, and the test is run, the results will be\ndisplayed within 5 minutes.\nInternet Connection Benchmark\nThe Internet Connection Benchmark attempts to measure the speed of your Internet connection\nlink. The test will detect the first gateway of your ISP and measure the speed of the data\ntransferred to and from. Then the test measures the latency of your connection by pinging the\ngateway. The tests are run a number of times and the mean of the results is what is reported.\nThis benchmark is useful for comparing your results against other types of connections on\nwhich the test was run. However, the numbers generated by the benchmark are not the true\nFIGURE 7-11: Results of the Cache & Memory Benchmark test.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 201,
"text": "178\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nInternet connection speed. In order to test your Internet connection for its maximum speed,\nrun a search on Google looking for “Speed tests” and you will find numerous sites that will help\nyou test the maximum speed.\nInternet Peerage Benchmark\nThe Internet Peerage Benchmark basically measures the quality of your Internet Service\nProvider. Peering is what a connection between other networks is called. When one ISP\nconnects its network to another ISP, the connection is known as peering. The Internet is made\nup of the peering of different networks. The overall speed of your Internet connection can\ndepend on the quality of peers your ISP has linked up with as well as the number of peers.\nWhen you browse the Web, a request is sent to the Web server of the Web site. The Web\nservers are located all over the world in different places. Therefore, the speed of connecting to\none Web site could be different than the speed of connecting to another Web site. The speed of\nthe peers determines the speed of your Internet connection. The peerage benchmark attempts\nto measure the speed of a variety of popular Web sites and then calculate an average speed. The\ntest only takes a few minutes. Once the test is completed, the results will be displayed in\ncomparison to other ISPs and connection types.\nUsing Bootvis to benchmark\nBootvis is a great diagnostic tool that is good for zeroing in on problematic drivers and services\nthat are resident in the system startup. Finding a new device driver or a different application\nversion is one solution when you have a driver that is taking a long time to start up. Before you\nupdate the device driver or application service, you really should set a benchmark to see if the\nnew driver or application has made a difference or if the new driver or application has\ndecreased performance further.\nNew problems often arise in new drivers and versions of applications. Upgrading the latest\nversion of the drivers and applications will help in the majority of cases. However, sometimes\nthey may not, and may even prove to be detrimental. In those cases, you should be able \nto see what the net effect of the change is. One easy solution to finding the net effect on the\nchange would be to benchmark the driver loading time.\nThis can be done manually by running a trace on the boot, as was discussed earlier in this\nchapter, and then running some simple calculations to get an accurate benchmark number.\nFollow these simple steps:\n1. Start up Bootvis and set up a Next Boot \u0002 Driver Delay trace. You really should set the\nboot trace to repeat at least three times to get an accurate benchmark.\n2. Once the system has restarted and traced the boot the number of times you have\nspecified, open up each file and determine how long a specific driver took to initialize by\nlooking at the Driver Delay window and moving the mouse cursor over the green\nrectangles, as shown in Figure 7-12.\n3. Keep track of all of the different delay times for each of the boot trace files. Then once\nyou have a minimum of five different times, throw out the extremes and calculate the\nmean of the remaining values. Save the value that you calculate so that you will have\nsomething to compare it to later.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 202,
"text": "179\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\n4. Once you have updated the device driver, repeat the previous process to calculate a new\nbenchmark value that you can compare to the original value that was calculated.\nBenchmarking with PCMark04\nPCMark 2004 edition, from Futuremark Corporation, is one of the most popular benchmarking\nprograms for power users available. PCMark 2004 has a cool online component that allows you\nto view your benchmark data on their Web site and compare it to other users’ computers.The\nPCMark04 application is a great way to provide your computer with an overall score.This score\ncan be used to compare your system to other systems.The comprehensive score that is assigned to\nyour system is the result of numerous test results testing various parts of your computer.\nA copy of PCMark04 can be downloaded from www.futuremark.com/download/.\nA link to the Futuremark Web site, where you can download PCMark04, is found on the CD-ROM\nat the back of the book.\nFIGURE 7-12: Determining how long a driver took to initialize by positioning the mouse over the driver\nrectangle. \n"
},
{
"page_number": 203,
"text": "180\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nThe user interface of PCMark04 is very simple and easy to use. Simply click the Run PCmar\nbutton to start the tests. Included with the free version are only the basic system tests that are\nrun to simulate normal computer usage. The basic system tests include the following:\n\u0002 File compression and decompression benchmark tests, which test the CPU’s ability to\ndo integer calculations by compressing and then extracting a text file similar to using\napplications such as WinZip to put your files in a compressed ZIP file.\n\u0002 File encrypting and decrypting benchmark tests, which encrypt and decrypt both an\nimage and audio file. This test uses the popular blowfish encryption algorithm to encrypt\nthe files and measure how long it takes your computer to encrypt and decrypt the files.\n\u0002 Virus Scanning benchmark tests, which test the computer’s ability to scan files. This test\nsimulates an anti-virus program to see how fast your hard drive is as well as the CPU’s\nperformance as it scans document, executable, and image files.\n\u0002 Grammar Check benchmark tests, which test the speed of the CPU by simulating the\ncommon task of using a word processor. For example, it took your computer 24 seconds\nto check a document’s grammar.\n\u0002 Audio Conversion benchmark tests, which are used to test the CPU floating point per-\nformance by converting a wav audio file into an ogg vorbis (a new audio compression\nformat similar to a MP3) file.\n\u0002 Image processing benchmark tests, which test the CPU performance by reading and\ndecoding JPEG image files to get an elapsed time reading.\n\u0002 Web Page rendering benchmark tests, which test the CPU and system memory by load-\ning several Web pages to calculate how many sample Web pages can be rendered per one\nsecond.\n\u0002 WMV Video Rendering benchmark tests, which are used to test how fast the computer can\nencode a video clip at 320 x 240 resolution at 1000 kbps rate in Windows Media 9 format.\n\u0002 Divix Video Rendering benchmark tests, which check how fast the computer can encode\na video clip at 720 x 480 resolution in the popular Divix codec.\n\u0002 Physics & 3D benchmark tests, which test the gaming abilities of your PC by running a\n3D test that measures frames per second while calculating many physical objects.\n\u0002 Graphics Memory benchmark tests, which check the memory on the video card as well\nas the AGP bus speed by running read/write tests directly in the memory over the AGP\nbus.\nOnce you click the Run PCmark button, the system tests will begin, as shown in Figure 7-13.\nOnce the benchmark tests are completed, you will be shown your system’s overall score. To\nview the detailed scores of the different tests, you will have to register on Futermark’s Web site\nvia the link on your results window. This is a slight letdown, but registering on the site allows\nyou to compare your system against other systems. You can find out what hardware really\nperforms and what hardware you should avoid. Overall, the PCMark04 Web site adds a great\namount of value to the application.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 204,
"text": "181\nChapter 7 — Analyzing Your System\nSummary\nThis chapter was meant to be an introduction to the world of benchmarking. Before you can\nmake your computer faster, it is very helpful to know what your computer doesn’t perform\nwell with. This chapter showed you how to discover bottlenecks using applications such as\nPerformance, Bootvis, Sandra Standard, and PCMark04. Use the information that you gained\nfrom this chapter to get the most out of the upcoming chapters. For example, if your\ncomputer’s video card does not perform all that well compared to other computers, then you\nshould definitely try decreasing some of the graphical visual effects of Windows XP, as will be\nshown in the upcoming chapters. The next chapter will start to optimize the speed of your\ncomputer from the very beginning, the system boot.\nFIGURE 7-13: PCMark04 running the system benchmark test.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 205,
"text": ""
},
{
"page_number": 206,
"text": "Speeding Up the\nSystem Boot\nN\no doubt you are surprised at how fast Windows XP boots up com-\npared with other Microsoft operating systems. I certainly am, every\ntime I start up the PC. This bootup time is something that everyone\nis becoming more concerned about as the need for PC speed becomes\nincreasingly more important. Despite the relatively fast speed of Windows\nXP bootup time, this chapter will guide you through the steps of making\nthe system boot up even faster. The changes discussed here should help you\nrealize your bootup speed dreams.Your friends will then no doubt be\nimpressed by your PC’s superfast operation.\nWindows XP has a lot of great features and visual enhancements that make\nit the most attractive OS from Microsoft to date. However, with all of the\nnew features and attractive effects, the operating system has a higher system\noverhead, which means your hardware has to work even harder. If you are\nlike me, and do not always have the fastest hardware, this chapter will help\nyou get the most out of your current hardware by reducing the heavy work-\nload put on it during the bootup process.\nWorking with BIOS\nEvery personal computer has a system basic input/output system, or BIOS,\nwhich is what takes control of your computer the moment you turn it on.\nThe screen that you first see when you turn on your computer is called the\npower on self-test screen, better known as the POST screen. If you purchased\nyour computer from one of the major computer manufacturers, this screen is\noften hidden by the manufacturer’s logo. To get rid of this logo from the\nscreen, just press the ESC button on your keyboard; you’ll then see what is\ngoing on in the background. At this stage in the system boot, the BIOS is\nprobing the hardware to test the system memory and other device connec-\ntions. Once the POST is completed, the BIOS proceeds to look for a device\nto boot from. Once it finds your hard drive, it will begin to load Windows.\nThe BIOS also acts as a main system component control panel, where low-\nlevel settings for all of your hardware devices are made. The device boot\norder, port addresses, and feature settings such as plug and play are all\n\u0002 Changing the Boot\nOrder of Your\nDrives\n\u0002 Enabling Quick\nBoot BIOS Features\n\u0002 Modifying System\nBoot Menu\n\u0002 Disabling Unneeded\nDrivers and System\nServices\n\u0002 Removing\nUnneeded Fonts\n\u0002 Defragmenting\nBoot Files\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 207,
"text": "184\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nfound in the BIOS setup screens. For example, if you want to change the order of the drives\nthat your computer checks to boot from, then you will want to modify the device boot order. I\nhave to modify this setting almost every time I install Windows because I want my computer\nto boot off of the CD-ROM to launch the Windows XP setup application instead of booting\noff of the operating system on my hard drive.\nBIOSs on each and every PC may be made by different companies or accessed in different\nways. Nevertheless, the most common way to access the setup screen is to press F2 or the\nDelete key when the POST screen is displayed. Some computers even tell you which key \nto push to enter setup, as my Notebook does. If your PC doesn’t allow you to access the \nsetup screen in this way, consult your computer documentation or contact your computer \nmanufacturer for instructions.\nWhile you are making changes in the BIOS, make sure you do not accidentally change any other\nsettings. If you accidentally change a value of a setting and do not know what to change it back\nto, simply exit the BIOS setup screen as the on-screen directions indicate and select Do NOT\nSave Changes. Then just reboot and re-enter the setup screen and continue hacking away at\nyour system.\nChanging the boot order of your drives\nMost computers are set up so that when you first turn on your computer, it will check to see if\nyou want to boot from other drives besides your hard drive. It will automatically check to see if\nyou have a bootable CD in your CD drive. If your computer has a floppy drive, it will check to\nsee if you have a boot disk in the floppy drive. Then, once it has checked all possible locations\nfor a boot disk, the system will default to your hard drive and start booting Windows.\nWhat are the benefits of changing the boot order of your system devices? If you modify the\norder of the boot devices so that the hard disk is placed at the top of the list, the system does\nnot have to waste time checking other devices for boot records. Just by changing the order of\nthe devices, you can shave anywhere from one to several seconds off of your boot time, depend-\ning on the speed of your hardware.\nTo change the boot order (or sequence, as some call it), you will have to enter the BIOS setup\nscreen that was mentioned earlier.\n1. Press F2, Delete, or the Correct key for your specific system on the POST screen (or the\nscreen that displays the computer manufacturer’s logo) to enter the BIOS setup screen.\nWorking in the BIOS setup screens will allow you to change many critical values that could affect the\nperformance and the stability of your computer. Be careful which settings you decide to change\nbecause they may cause device resource conflicts as well as render your hardware unusable.\nHowever, there are very few settings in the BIOS that, if set incorrectly, will lead to physical hard-\nware damage. The only feature that my BIOS has that can do that is the CPU overclocking func-\ntions. If I set those values too high, my CPU could burn up. Changing basic feature settings such as\nthe boot order will only result in a minor inconvenience if it was set incorrectly. To fix a problem, you\nwill just have to go back into the BIOS and set the right value and everything will be back to normal.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 208,
"text": "185\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\n2. Look for where it says Boot and enter the sub menu.\n3. Select Boot Sequence, and press Enter. Figure 8-1 shows an example of the boot\nsequence screen.\n4. If your screen looks similar to that shown in Figure 8-1, then you are in the right place.\nNext, navigate to where it states “first device” and cycle through the list to where it states\n“Hard Disk Drive” or “IDE0” (assuming that your hard drive is connected to IDE0). If\nyour setup screen does not specifically state “first device” but rather just lists all of the\ndevices, then all you have to do is select the hard disk and move it to the top of the list.\nThat can be done by using the change values keys, which for my BIOS (made by\nPhoenix) is the spacebar to move an item up and the minus symbol key to move an item\ndown. The specific keys are different on almost every system but the basic concepts are\nthe same. You want to get your hard disk to the top of the list or listed as the first device\nfrom which to try to boot.\n5. Once you have made the changes, exit the BIOS by pressing the Esc key and making\nsure that you select to save your changes upon exit. Once you reboot, the new settings\nwill be in effect.\nWhat are the consequences of changing the boot order? Changing the boot order will not hurt\nyour system in any way if you do it correctly. If, by accident, you remove your hard drive from\nthe list and save the BIOS settings, you will get a pleasant surprise when your computer\nFIGURE 8-1: The boot sequence setup screen.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 209,
"text": "reboots––a statement that the computer cannot find any operating system. If you happen to get\nthat message, then just reboot by pressing Ctrl\u0002Alt\u0002Delete and go back into the BIOS settings\nand make sure that you select your hard drive as a boot device. Once you have done that, your\nsystem will be back to normal.\nAnother possible issue that you may encounter is simply a matter of inconvenience. Once you\nchange the boot order of the system devices so that the hard drive is listed first, you will no\nlonger be able to use system restore CDs or floppy boot disks. If something has happened to\nyour computer and you need to boot off of those drives to restore your system or run diagnos-\ntics, just go back to the BIOS and lower or remove the hard disk from the first boot device.\nUsing the quick boot feature of the BIOS\nAll systems initialize in more or less the same way. During the power on self-test mentioned\nearlier, the BIOS checks the hardware devices and counts the system memory. Out of all of the\ndifferent types of system memory, the random access memory, better known as RAM, takes the\nlongest to be counted. Counting the RAM takes time, and on a machine that has large\namounts of RAM, this calculation can take several seconds. For example, a machine that has\n512MB of RAM may take up to 3 seconds just to count the memory. On top of the RAM\ncounting, a few other tests need to be done because your computer wants to make sure that all\nof the hardware in your computer is working properly.\nAll of these system tests are not needed every time you boot, and can be turned off to save\ntime. Most BIOS’s offer a feature called quick boot. This feature will allow the user to turn off\nthese tests. Other BIOSs only allow you to turn off the memory check, which will still cut\ndown on a lot of time.\nTo turn on the quick boot feature or turn off the memory check, just do the following:\n1. Enter the BIOS again by pressing F2 or the correct system setup Enter key upon the\nPOST screen.\n2. Once you are in the BIOS setup, locate where it states Quick Boot or Memory Check, as\nshown in Figure 8-2. Navigate with the arrow keys until the option is highlighted.\n3. Use the Change Value keys to cycle through the options and select enable for the quick\nboot feature or disable if your BIOS has the memory check feature.\n4. Once you have made the changes to the setting, exit the BIOS by pressing the Esc key\nand make sure to save the changes upon exit.\nUse of the quick boot feature or the disabling of the memory check will not harm your sys-\ntem. In fact, there are even some computer manufacturers that ship their computers with\nthese settings alread1y optimized for performance. The only downside to disabling the tests is\nthe rare situation in which your RAM self-destructs; the BIOS will not catch it and you may\nreceive errors from the operating system or your system could become unstable. If you notice\nthat your system becomes unstable and crashes frequently or will not even boot, try going\nback into the BIOS and re-enable the tests to find out if your system’s memory is causing the\nproblems.\n186\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n"
},
{
"page_number": 210,
"text": "187\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\nModifying the Operating System Boot\nOther hacking methods are still available that will shave a few more seconds off the boot\ntime. For example, you can cut timeout values and slim down the system to get rid of all of\nthe extra features and services that you do not use or need. Check out the following ways to\ndo so.\nLowering OS timeout values\nIf you have more than one operating system installed on your computer, you’ll have to deal\nwith the OS Selector that the Microsoft installer configures during installation of another\noperating system. By default, the OS Selector gives you 30 seconds to select an operating\nsystem before it reverts to the default operating system. The only way not to wait 30 seconds\nis to select the operating system you want to use right away. If you use one operating system\nmost of the time, you would definitely save time if you set that operating system as the\ndefault and lowered the timeout value to 1 or 2 seconds. That way, you would not have to\nFIGURE 8-2: BIOS setup screen displaying the quick boot feature.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 211,
"text": "select an operating system every time you turned on your system or wait 30 seconds before\ndoing so.\nWith Windows XP, both Professional and Home, changing the timeout value is simple if the\noperating system that you use primarily is already the default. If it is, just follow these direc-\ntions:\n1. From the Start Menu, select Run and type MSCONFIG and press OK. This will load\nthe System Configuration utility.\n2. Once the System Configuration utility has loaded, click the tab labeled BOOT.INI, as\nFigure 8-3 shows.\n3. Locate the Timeout text box and replace 30 seconds with 1 or 2 seconds––or any num-\nber that gives you enough time to select the other operating systems on your system. The\namount of time that you select to be your timeout value is not the amount of time you\nhave to select the operating system. Rather, it is the amount of time you have to click any\nkey and then select the operating system. So don’t be afraid of setting this timeout value\ntoo low.\n4. Once you have made the change, click the OK button, and you are finished.\n188\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nFIGURE 8-3: Microsoft System Configuration Utility boot settings.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 212,
"text": "189\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\nIf, after testing out your change, you feel that you gave yourself too much or too little time\nto select the other operating system, repeat the directions above to fine-tune your timeout\ntime.\nIf you don’t have your primary operating system as your default timeout operating system and\nyou want to do so, load Notepad from the Accessories menu in the All Programs section of the\nStart Menu. Once Notepad is loaded, do the following to set the default:\n1. Select File from the menu bar and select Open, and navigate to your root system drive.\nType Boot.ini in the File Name text box and click the Open button.\n2. Under the [operating systems] heading, you will see your operating systems listed. You\nwill notice some disk and partition information that has an equal sign after it that then\nhas the title of the operating system in quotes. Copy all of the disk and partition infor-\nmation to the left of the equal sign (such as “multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\\WIN-\nDOWS”) to the clipboard by highlighting the text with the mouse and then pressing\nCtrl\u0002C.\n3. Then locate where it states default in the boot configuration file. Paste the new disk and\npartition information over the old information to the right of the equal sign by high-\nlighting the old information and then pressing Ctrl\u0002V.\n4. Save the file and close Notepad. That’s it!\nYou can also change the default timeout value editing the boot.ini file in Notepad.\nBut using the System Configuration Tool is much easier for doing so. The System\nConfiguration Tool has a lot of other useful features. I’ll go into more detail about them \nin Chapter 9.\nDisabling the system boot screen\nSo, are you enjoying the fun blue bars moving across your screen when your system starts up?\nNot? Are you finding that you can live without the daily reminder that you are running\nWindows XP? If so, then you might want to consider removing the boot screen. One added\nadvantage to doing so: You will be getting a boost of performance in return.\nDisabling the boot screen might only save you a fraction of a second off your boot time. But\nkeep in mind, every fraction of a second counts. And when you apply all of the performance\nhacks listed in this part of the book, you will see a definite performance increase.\nThis performance improvement works on a very simple principle. It takes time for the com-\nputer to do anything. Taking away some work that it has to do, such as loading the boot screen,\nwill free time that it can spend loading your system files instead.\nThe process for disabling the system boot screen is similar to the process for modifying the\ndefault operating system in the boot file. If you do not have any other operating systems\ninstalled on your system, then you will have to create your own boot.ini file to place in your\ndrive root (that is, the c:\\ drive). I am going to show how to create a file first, and will then\nshow how to modify the boot.ini file if you already have one in your drive root or have mul-\ntiple operating systems installed.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 213,
"text": "Creating the boot.ini file\nThis section will show you how to create a boot.ini file for your computer if you have just\none operating system installed and you do not already have a boot.ini file in your drive root.\nTo get started, let’s go over what the boot.ini file looks like.\nThe boot.ini file that disables the boot screen looks like the following:\n[boot loader]\ntimeout\u00030\ndefault\u0003multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\\WINDOWS\n[operating systems]multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\\WINDOWS\u0003\n\"Microsoft Windows XP Professional\" /fastdetect /noguiboot\nThe above boot.ini file is pretty standard except for the addition of the /noguiboot to \nthe last line of the file. That is the parameter that tells Windows to start up without using\nthe graphical user interface boot screen. To get started, open up a copy of Notepad, found \nin the Accessories menu of the All Programs entry, in the Start Menu and follow these\nsteps:\n1. On the first line of the file, type in [boot loader].\n2. On line 2 of the file, key in timeout\u00020 so Windows does not show the boot selection\nscreen at all. You don’t want this anyways because you only have one operating system\ninstalled on your computer.\n3. On line 3 of the file, type in default\u0002multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\\WINDOWS\nso that Windows knows where to look on your hard drive to start the operating system.\n4. On line 4, type in [operating systems].\n5. On line 5, type in multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\\WINDOWS\u0002”Microsoft\nWindows XP Professional” /fastdetect /noguiboot to start up Windows with the\n/noguiboot parameter to disable the boot screen.\nIf you upgraded your computer from Windows 2000 or any other NT-based product and your\nroot Windows directory is not Windows, then you will have to make one change to the\nboot.ini file to correct where the path of the Windows files are located. On Lines 3 and 5,\nreplace all references to \\WINDOWS to \\WINNT or the name of the directory to which you\ninstalled Windows. This will set your system to boot from the right folder.\n6. Click the File menu bar item and select Save As.\n7. Type Boot.ini in the File name box and change the Save as type to All Files.\n8. Then, change the Save in directory to your drive root, which is usually Local Disk (C:).\n9. Click the Save button and you are now finished.\nYou can now close Notepad. The next time you reboot your computer, you will not see the boot\nscreen.\n190\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n"
},
{
"page_number": 214,
"text": "191\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\nA sample BOOT.INI file can be found on the companion CD-ROM in the back of the book in\nthe Chapter 8 folder.\nModifying an existing boot.ini file\nIf you have a multi-boot system or already have a boot.ini file, then all you have to do is\nopen up your boot.ini file in Notepad and follow these steps:\nYou should make a backup copy of your existing boot.ini file just in case you make a mistake\nediting the file. To make a backup, just open up My Computer to your root drive where the\nboot.ini file is located, then right-click it and select Copy. Next, right-click the white back-\nground of the folder and select Paste. This is an easy way to make a backup copy of the file that\nwill be automatically named copy of boot.ini.\n1. Locate the Windows XP line in your boot.ini file that will look similar to\n“multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\\WINDOWS\u0003“Microsoft Windows XP\nProfessional” /fastdetect”.\n2. Type /noguiboot at the end of the line one space after /fastdetect.\n3. Click File and select Save.\nThese instructions will remove your boot screen. But should you change your mind after you\nmade the change, it is very easy to get the boot screen back. Simply remove the /noguiboot\nfrom the boot.ini file. If you are working from the file that you created yourself or copied\nfrom the CD-ROM, just delete it.\nDisabling unneeded hardware devices\nEvery time you turn on your computer, it has to load and initialize all of your computer hard-\nware. Keep in mind: Your computer has a lot of devices that you do not always use. These extra\ndevices are loaded and initialized during every boot. When it does so, your computer’s perfor-\nmance is slowed down.\nWindows XP is now a lot more efficient and smarter during the boot-up cycle. In previous ver-\nsions of Windows, the system would load one hardware device driver and then load another\ndevice driver in a series. The only problem with loading the hardware this way was that it could\nslow down the boot dramatically if one hardware device was taking a long time to initialize.\nOne well-known culprit of this is the network card which pauses to wait to get an IP from a\nDHCP server.\nWindows XP has a new way of initializing the hardware devices when the system boots up.\nInstead of loading the hardware device drivers in series, it now loads some of them in paral-\nlel. This allows the boot to be much faster. Although the hardware devices are loaded in\nparallel instead of series, the addition of more devices that the system has to load drivers for\nwill probably still slow down the boot.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 215,
"text": "To disable hardware devices, you will want to use the Device Manager. Figure 8-4 shows the\nDevice Manager and all of the different categories of devices. To get to the Device Manager,\ndo the following:\n1. Go to the Control Panel using the shortcut on the Start panel or menu if you are using\nthe classic Windows interface.\n2. Once you are in Control Panel, locate the System icon and run it. If you cannot find the\nSystem icon, most likely you are using the Control Panel Category View. If you are using\nthe Category View, click the Performance and Maintenance icon and then you will see\nthe System icon under the “or pick a Control Panel icon” heading.\n3. Once the System Properties window has loaded, click the Hardware tab. Under the\nDevice Manager section, click the button that says Device Manager.\n4. Now that you are inside of the Device Manager, you can browse through your devices\nthat are connected and currently running or disabled by browsing through the device\ntype sections. To disable a device, right-click the device name, and then select Disable.\n5. To re-enable a device, right-click the device name, and select Disable. This will remove\nthe check from the menu and will re-enable the device.\n192\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nFIGURE 8-4: Windows Hardware Device Manager displaying one device that is disabled (COM1) and\none device that has a problem (LPT1).\n"
},
{
"page_number": 216,
"text": "193\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\nTo quickly determine the status of a device, check out the icon next to its name. All devices that\nare disabled have a red X over the icon. All devices that have a question mark or an explanation\npoint on them are not set up correctly or are having problems. All devices with none of the above\nadditions to the icon are running––and doing so without any problems.\nWhat hardware devices should I disable?\nEach user uses (or doesn’t use) devices differently, depending on the system setup. Nonetheless,\nsome classes of devices are more commonly disabled than others. Knowing which ones will\nhelp you make a decision as to what devices you should disable. The following classes of\ndevices are frequently disabled:\n\u0002 Network Adapters: Especially on Notebook computers, there are often more than one net-\nwork device. Disabling the network devices that you do not use will definitely save you\nsome booting time.\n\u0002 Fire wire: If you have 1394 connections, otherwise known as fire wire, you might con-\nsider disabling them. Unless you are using your fire wire port to connect your digital\nvideo recorder to your computer, or have other external fire wire devices, you have no\nneed to have this device enabled.\n\u0002 Modems: Do you have a broadband connection? If so, then consider disabling your\nmodem. If you rarely use it, disable it. If you ever need to use it again, just re-enable it.\n\u0002 Multimedia devices: Your computer has lots of multimedia devices. Take a look at the\n“Sound, video, and game controllers” section in Device Manager. You will find a lot of\ndevice drivers that are loaded during your boot. Some are used by all users, but others\nwill find a few that they do not use. For example, I do not use my game port or my\nMIDI device, so I disabled both of those.\n\u0002 PCMCIA: If you are a laptop user, consider disabling your PCMCIA card controller,\nlocated under “PCMCIA adapters.” The PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card\nInternational Association ) slot is a special expansion slot that is rarely used today on\nlaptops except for wireless and wired network cards and card reader attachments for\ncompact flash and other solid state memory cards. Most laptops now have built-in net-\nwork adapters and some even have built-in wireless adapters. If you do not use your\nPCMCIA adapter, it is yet another device that can be safely disabled.\nDo not disable any hardware devices that are located under the Disk Drives, Computer, Display\nAdapters, IDE Disk Controllers, and the System sections (except for the system speaker) because\nthese hardware devices are critical to the operation of your computer.\nRemoving extra fonts for speed\nWindows XP has over 250 different font variations that it loads for use when the system boots\nup. Of these 250 variations, only a handful are used on a regular basis. Most likely, you really only\nuse the core Windows fonts, such as Tahoma,Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana,Trebuchet, and\n"
},
{
"page_number": 217,
"text": "MS Sans Serif. All of the other fonts can be removed form the fonts folder. As you can imagine,\nloading over 250 fonts is something that will take the system more time to do. Users who have\ninstalled a fonts CD, which usually has hundreds of fonts, on their systems are increasing the\namount of work their computer has to do during startup. Simply put, loading a lot of fonts will\ntake more time, because the system has to load and index each font.Thankfully, there is a very\nsimple answer to this: Just remove the fonts that you do not use from your font directory.\nYou can go about removing the unneeded fonts from your font directory in a number of differ-\nent ways. The best way is to move the unused fonts to a separate folder on your system so that\nif you ever want to use one of those extra fonts again, you just have to copy it back to the fonts\nfolder.\nWhen you remove fonts from your computer, you will no longer be able to use them in any soft-\nware application, including Microsoft Word and Excel. \nBefore you start removing fonts from your fonts folder, take at look at Table 8-1. These fonts\nare commonly used, for reasons that the table explains. Be careful not to remove any fonts on\nwhich the system normally depends.\nNow that you know which fonts you should not remove, you also need to be aware of one more\nthing before starting your adventure in the fonts folder. Inside the fonts folder, there are several\nfonts with similar names. The fonts are broken up not only by font name but also by type style.\nFor example, there is an Arial Bold, Arial Bold Italic, Arial Italic, etc. When sorting through\nthe fonts to delete, you also can choose to delete only specific types of fonts.\nDeleting fonts is fairly easy. But removing the fonts is a little more tricky because the fonts\nfolder is not like a normal folder. In order to remove the fonts, you need to start off by creating\na folder to put the old fonts in.\n194\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nTable 8-1\nRecommended Fonts to Keep\nFont Name\nReason\nVerdana\nOften used on Web pages and applications\nArial\nOften used within applications such as Outlook\nTrebuchet\nUsed in the Windows interface on the Title Bar\nTahoma\nUsed in the Windows interface on the Menu \nBar as well as in many applications and \nWeb pages\nTimes New Roman\nThe default font for Web pages as well as \napplications such as Word\nMS Sans Serif\nUsed in some applications and Web pages\n"
},
{
"page_number": 218,
"text": "195\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\n1. Open up My Computer through the icon in your Start panel or from the icon on your\nDesktop. Navigate to the C: drive or whatever drive on which you have Windows installed.\n2. Next, navigate to the Windows folder (or WINNT folder for some). If along the way\nyou are prompted with a screen telling you that “this folder contains a file that keeps\nyour system working properly; you should not modify its contents,” ignore this message\nand click the text that says “show the contents of this folder.”\n3. Now that you are inside the Windows root folder, create a folder to store the fonts that\nyou are going to remove from the fonts folder. Right-click the white space that lists the\nfolder and files and select New and then select Folder. Call your folder Fonts Backup or\nsomething similar so that you will be able to identify that this is the place that your old\nfonts are.\n4. Once you have created the new folder, open it.\n5. Next, go back to the My Computer icon in your Start panel or Desktop and open another\nwindow. Navigate to the drive you have Windows installed on and then navigate to the\nWindows folder. Once you are inside the Windows folder, navigate to the Fonts folder.\n6. Now that you have both the Fonts folder open and your backup folder open, arrange the\ntwo windows on your screen so that they look like the two windows in Figure 8-5.\nFIGURE 8-5: The Windows Fonts folder and a backup folder are arranged side by side on the screen.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 219,
"text": "7. Now that the two font folders are side by side, to remove a font from the system, all you\nhave to do is click the icon in the Fonts folder that you do not want installed any more,\nand drag the icon over to the backup folder. This will automatically uninstall the font\nand will copy it to your backup folder.\nIn the event that you want to reinstall a font, all you have to do is drag the font file from the\nbackup folder back to the Fonts folder. You will see an installation dialog box that will flash just\nfor a second as it adds the font back to the library. Once you drag the file back to the Fonts folder,\nthe file will still remain in the backup directory because it just copies it there. After you have con-\nfirmed that it was actually installed again, feel free to delete the font file from the backup folder.\nDisabling unneeded services \nA service is a software application that runs continuously in the background while your com-\nputer is on. The Windows operating system has numerous services that run in the background\nthat provide basic functions to the system. Network connectivity, visual support, and external\ndevice connectivity such as printer services are all examples of the types of services that the\nWindows services provide. Each of the services running in the background take up system\nresources, such as memory and CPU time. Also, during the booting of the operating system,\nthe service has to be loaded. On most computers, there are nearly 20 services that are loaded\nupon startup. Of these 20 services, only a handful are system-critical services. All of the others\ncan be disabled. In order to disable a service, first you will need to know more about what the\nmost common services do. Table 8-2 will help you understand what the most common services\nare, what they do, and if they can be disabled.\n196\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nTable 8-2\nCommon Windows Services in Use\nService Name\nService Use\nAutomatic Updates\nUsed to download and then install updates\nautomatically without the user going to Windows\nUpdate manually. This service is not system-critical\nand can be disabled, but unless you check for updates\nregularly, it is not recommended to disable this service\nBackground Intelligent Transfer Service\nA service that transfers data in the background \nwhen the connection is not in use. One use of this\nservice is to download updates automatically in the\nbackground. This service is not system-critical but can\nimpair other services, such as automatic updates, if it\nis disabled\nCom\u0002 Event System\nBasically controls the notification of certain system\nevents, such as log on and log off. The system event\nnotification is dependent on this service. This service is\nsystem-critical \n"
},
{
"page_number": 220,
"text": "197\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\nService Name\nService Use\nComputer Browser\nKeeps track of the other computers on your network running\nthe Microsoft Client for networking. This is what provides the\nlist of computers when you are browsing your workgroup\ncomputer in My Network Places. This service is not system-\ncritical and can be disabled if you do not need the network\nbrowsing function\nCryptographic Services\nBasically manages system security certificates as well as\nprovides a database of signatures of key Windows files. This\nservice is not system-critical but it is required to install many\nMicrosoft programs that want to check system file signatures.\nIt is not recommended to disable this service because doing\nso would not allow Windows Update to run and install new\nupdates\nDCOM Server Process Launcher\nBasically is in charge of starting various other services. This\nservice is required for RPC, which is required for over 39\nother services to run. Because of that, it is not a good idea to\ndisable this one \nDHCP Client\nProvides support for dynamic network configuration. This\nservice is not system-critical but is needed for those that do\nnot set their IP address manually \nDistributed Link Tracking Client\nKeeps track of links to files on a NTFS volume on your\ncomputer or across a network. This service is not system-\ncritical and can be disabled.\nDNS Client\nResolves domain names into IP addresses, as well as \ncaches lookup results. This service is not system-critical \nbut you will not be able to browse the Internet without it\nstarted\nError Reporting Service\nAllows users to report failures of applications directly to\nMicrosoft so that Microsoft may fix bugs in its software if it is\nthe culprit. This service is not system-critical and can be safely\ndisabled\nEvent Log\nAllows event messages to be recorded to be viewed in \nEvent Viewer. This service is system-critical and cannot \nbe disabled\nFast User Switching Compatibility\nAllows users to switch to other users on the same system\nwithout logging off. This service is not system-critical and can\nbe safely disabled\nHelp and Support\nUsed for the Help and support center. This service is not\nsystem-critical and can be safely disabled\nContinued\n"
},
{
"page_number": 221,
"text": "Table 8-2\n(continued)\nService Name\nService Use\nHTTP SSL\nAllows the personal Web server built into Windows XP (IIS 6.0)\nto provide secure data transfers over HTTP. This service is rarely\nused because most people never even set up the personal Web\nserver on Windows XP. This service is not system-critical and\ncan be safely disabled \nIndexing Service\nCreates a searchable database of, the items on your hard\ndrive. This service is not system-critical and can be disabled if\nyou do not search your drive often or can wait a few extra\nminutes to find a file\nIPSEC Services\nProvides IP security for certain secure connections over IP.\nThis service is not system-critical and can be safely disabled.\nLogical Disk Manager\nDetects and monitors new hard disk drives. This service is not\nsystem-critical but it is used when you are upgrading your\nhardware and installing additional storage devices or using\nUSB storage devices. If you do not plan on using any of the\nitems above, the service may be safely disabled\nMachine Debug Manager\nProvides support for program and script debugging. This\nservice is not system-critical and can be safely disabled for\nmost users.\nMessenger\nAllows users to send text popup messages to computers on\nthe network. This service is abused by spammers to send you\nadvertisements. It is highly recommended that you disable\nthis service\nNetwork Connections\nProvides, support for network connectivity. This service is not\nsystem-critical but it is recommended that it is not disabled\nNetwork Location Awareness (NLA)\nProvides services to computers that share your Internet\nconnection. If you do not use the Internet connection\nfeature, then, you may safely disable this service because it is\nnot a system-critical service \nPlug and Play\nAllows your computer to detect hardware. This service is\nsystem-critical and cannot be disabled\nPortable Media Serial Number \nDetects the serial number of an external media device. This \nService\nservice is not system-critical and can be safely disabled\nPrint Spooler\nProvides services to print. This service is not system-critical\nbut it is necessary to print from your computer\nProtected Storage\nProvides basic security over certain system files. This service is\nsystem-critical and should not be disabled\n198\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n"
},
{
"page_number": 222,
"text": "199\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\nService Name\nService Use\nRemote Procedure Call (RPC)\nProvides services for other services. This service is system-\ncritical and cannot be disabled\nRemote Registry \nAllows the System Registry to be connected to remotely.\n(Not included in XP Home)\nThis service is not system-critical and it is recommended that\nit be disabled\nSecondary Logon\nAllows programs, to be started under different accounts. This\nservice is system-critical \nSecurity Accounts Manager\nA database of local account information. This service is\nsystem-critical and should not be disabled\nSecurity Center\nMonitors your system security settings to notify you if your\nsettings are insecure. You should keep this service running\nunless you are confident about your computer’s security.\nNo other services depend on this service and it can be\nsafely disabled given you have a good handle on your\nsecurity \nServer\nProvides the ability to share files and your printer over \nyour network. This service is not system-critical and \ncan be safely disabled if you do not share files over a \nnetwork\nShell Hardware Detection\nUsed to detect external storage devices automatically. If you\ndo not use any external storage devices, such as external\nhard drives or memory cards, this service can be safely\ndisabled\nSSDP Discovery Service\nLooks for Universal Plug and Play drives on your network.\nThis service is not system-critical and can be safely \ndisabled\nSystem Event Notification\nTracks more system events. This service is system-critical and\nshould not be disabled.\nSystem Restore Service\nKeeps track of changes made to your system to make \nrestore points. This service is not system-critical but it is\nrecommended that it is not disabled\nTask Scheduler\nAllows users, to schedule and configure tasks. This service is\nnot system-critical and can be disabled if you do not need to\nschedule any tasks to run\nTCP/IP NetBIOS Helper\nAllows the NetBIOS network protocol to run over the \nTCP/IP Protocol. This service is not system-critical and \ncan be disabled if you have no use for the NetBIOS \nprotocol \nContinued\n"
},
{
"page_number": 223,
"text": "Table 8-2\n(continued)\nService Name\nService Use\nTerminal Services\nAllows users to connect to the computer with a remote\ndesktop. This service is not system-critical but is used by\nthe remote assistance Help feature. It can be safely\ndisabled if you do not need the remote assistance \nfeature \nThemes\nThis is the service that gives Windows the new look. It allows\nvisual styles to be applied over the normal gray Windows\n2000 style windows. This service is not system-critical and\ncan be disabled\nWebClient\nThis service adds support for Web-based file management for\ntechnologies such as WebDav. Most users will never need to\nuse this service. It is not system-critical and can be safely\ndisabled\nWindows Audio\nProvides audio support for the operating system. This service\nis not system-critical and can be safely disabled if you would\nlike to give up your sound\nWindows Firewall / Internet \nProtects your computer from intruders and malicious \nConnection Sharing (ICS)\nprograms attacking your computer via your Internet\nconnection. It also provides the ability to share your Internet\nconnection among other computers on your local network.\nThis service is not system-critical but I do not recommend\nthat you disable it unless you have another personal firewall\napplication installed on your computer \nWindows Image Acquisition (WIA)\nUsed to acquire data from optical devices such as a scanner\nor a camera. This service is not system-critical and it can be\nsafely disabled if you have no use for it\nWindows Management \nProvides system information to applications. This service is \nInstrumentation\nsystem-critical and should not be disabled\nWindows Time\nThis service is in charge of synchronizing the Windows time.\nIf you do not need to have your time synchronized, this\nservice can be safely disabled \nWireless Zero Configuration\nConfigures wireless 802.11 devices. If you do not have any\nwireless hardware installed, you may safely disable this\nservice \nWorkstation\nAllows your computer to make connections to other\ncomputers and servers. This service is not system-critical but\nit is needed for any basic networking\n200\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n"
},
{
"page_number": 224,
"text": "201\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\nNow that you know which services can be disabled and which services are important to your system,\nyou can safely speed up your boot by disabling the extra services using the services management tool.\nBefore you begin changing your service setup, set a System Restore Point to easily restore your\nsystem to an earlier configuration. However, be careful when you restore from restore points.\nAny applications or files that were created after the system restore point will be deleted when\nreverting to an earlier restore point.\nThe Services utility is included in all versions of Windows XP and is hidden away. Do the fol-\nlowing to disable a service using the Services utility:\n1. Click the Start Menu and select Run. In the text box, type services.msc and click OK.\nThis will start the Services utility, as shown in Figure 8-6.\n2. Now that you are in the Services utility, you will see a list of a lot of services on your\ncomputer. First, you will need to stop the service that you want to disable. Right-click\nthe service name and select Stop on the pop-up menu.\n3. When the service is stopped, right-click the service again and select Properties. Located\non the General tab, look for the Startup Type drop-down box. Click the arrow on the\ndrop-down box and select Disabled.\n4. Click the OK button and from now on, the system will not start the service any more\nduring boot, speeding up your system start.\nFIGURE 8-6: The Windows XP Services utility.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 225,
"text": "Bare-bones system service setup\nTo get the maximum amount of performance out of your system, you have the option of dis-\nabling all of the services on your computer that are not critical to the system. This would take\naway a lot of the nice features and conveniences of Windows, but you would have a much faster\nmachine. The following is a list of system-critical services that should not be disabled. Feel free\nto disable all other services.\nBare Minimum Services:\n\u0002 Com\u0002 Event System\n\u0002 Cryptographic Services\n\u0002 DCOM Server Process Launcher\n\u0002 DHCP Client\n\u0002 DNS Client\n\u0002 Event Log\n\u0002 IPSEC Services\n\u0002 Workstation\n\u0002 Shell Hardware Detection\n\u0002 System Event Notification\n\u0002 Protected Storage\n\u0002 Network Connections\n\u0002 Plug \u0002 Play\n\u0002 Print Spooler\n\u0002 Remote Procedure Call\n\u0002 Secondary Logon\n\u0002 Security Accounts Manager\nRecommended service setup\nThe bare-bones system service setup is a good setup for optimal performance. However, don’t you\nwant to have some of the conveniences of Windows XP? Check out the recommended services to\ndisable shown in the following list. If you follow these recommendations, you will cut down on\nyour boot time but you will also have the nice features and conveniences of Windows XP.\nDisable the following services:\n\u0002 Background Intelligent Transfer Service\n\u0002 Distributed Link Tracking Client\n202\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n"
},
{
"page_number": 226,
"text": "203\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\n\u0002 Error Reporting Service\n\u0002 Fast User Switching Compatibility\n\u0002 Help and Support\n\u0002 Indexing Service\n\u0002 Messenger\n\u0002 Machine Debug Manager\n\u0002 Network Location Awareness (NLA)\n\u0002 Portable Media Serial Number Service\n\u0002 Remote Registry (Only included with Windows XP Pro)\n\u0002 SSDP Discovery Service\n\u0002 Terminal Services\n\u0002 Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)\n\u0002 Wireless Zero Configuration (If you have a wireless network card, do not disable \nthis one)\n\u0002 Windows Time\n\u0002 WebClient\n\u0002 Task Scheduler\nOptimizing the location of the boot files\nThe speed at which your files are read depends on where the files are located on your hard\ndrive. Also, when a file is fragmented (which is when one file is scattered all over the disk),\nit takes more time to access that file than if all of the pieces of the files were side by side.\nUsing tools that are available in Windows and other third-party utilities, you can defrag-\nment and place the Windows boot files on the disk where they will be accessed faster.\nWindows XP has a new feature called the Prefetcher, which determines what files on the hard\ndrive are used during the boot process and where they should be placed on the disk for optimal\nspeed. Although this is not the only benefit that the Prefetcher provides, it makes optimizing\nthe location of the boot files easy.\nUsing disk defragmenter\nWindows XP includes a boot defragmenter, but it is a little tricky to get it to run. By\ndefault, it is run only in the background and cannot be started directly by a user. After your\ncomputer has been idle for some time, between 5 and 30 minutes, the system will read the\nPrefetcher’s boot data and start the defrag. The system defrag is run in the background and\nis invisible to the user. Eventually, if you leave your computer on long enough, it will\ndefragment the boot files.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 227,
"text": "Microsoft has a very talented team working for them and they even took into consideration\nthat often your system boot changes. For example, you might install an updated device driver\nor add new hardware. To solve this problem, the system will re-defragment the boot files every\nthree days.\nWindows keeps track of the last time it optimized the boot file so it can calculate how often\nit should run the boot defrag. If you are interested in finding out when the last time the boot\ndefrag was run, open up regedit and navigate to: “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\\nMicrosoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Prefetcher” and then look for the key named “LastDisk\nLayoutTimeString”.\nAn operating system that takes care of itself? Yes, Windows is getting smarter and smarter.\nHowever, there is still one problem: There is no possible way to directly initiate a boot defrag.\nThe only way is to leave your computer on for a little while without using it at all. If you are\nimpatient and do not want to wait, then I have a solution for you.\nAs I mentioned earlier, the system will only initiate the boot defrag when the system is idle.\nTyping in a command that will start the boot is not possible. However, you can tell your com-\nputer, even when it is not idle, to process the idle tasks. This will indirectly start the boot\ndefrag. Although because the boot defrag is most likely not the only idle task waiting to be run,\nthere will be other processes run as well, which can cause your computer to appear to be doing\na lot of hard work as it completes all tasks. During this time, your computer should not be \nused for any intensive activities, such as playing games. If you try to use your computer while\nthe idle tasks are being processed, you will notice slow performance until the tasks are\ncompleted.\nDo the following to tell the system to start to process all idle tasks:\n1. Click the Start Menu and select Run.\n2. Type Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks in the text box and select OK.\n3. Your computer will now begin working on the tasks.\nPerforming these steps will allow your system to defrag the boot files. However, because the\nboot defrag is done every three days, processing the idle tasks more frequently than three-day\nperiods will do nothing to help you boot because the boot defrag will not be on your idle tasks\nlists all the time.\nUsing other shareware boot defrag programs\nThe built-in boot defragmenter is pretty darn good. However, there are a few things that\nother, third-party programs, feel they do better. And in fact, there actually are a few applica-\ntions, such as Diskkeeper and O&O Defrag, that actually do more in their boot defragmenta-\ntion process.\nDuring the boot-up process, there are a lot of different things going on at once. Among others,\ndrivers are loaded, system files are loaded, settings are read from the system registry, the built-\nin boot defragmenter starts to lack in support when talking about the registry files, the file\ntable records, and other system files. Just like any other system data files, the registry files can\n204\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n"
},
{
"page_number": 228,
"text": "205\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\nbecome fragmented with their daily use. In order to cut down on hard drive seek time for \nthe registry and other system files, which can become quite large over time and more prone \nto fragmentation, it needs to be defragmented. This is where the third-party applications \ncome in.\nBoot time system defrag with Diskeeper\nIn order to defragment system files, and other files that are normally in use, the defragmenta-\ntion must be done during the early stages of the system boot. This will allow the defrag pro-\ngram to have full access to all files so that it can place them together on the disk. One of the\nprograms that allows this to be done is called Diskeeper, which is developed by Executive\nSoftware. A shareware copy of Diskeeper can be found on Executive Software’s Web site,\nlocated at www.executive.com/downloads/menu.asp. If you have not already installed\nDiskeeper, please do so now before proceeding any further.\nDo the following to run a boot time defrag:\n1. Before you can run a boot time defrag, there needs to be continuous free space on your\ndrive. To accomplish this, simply run a normal online defrag through the Diskeeper\nutility.\n2. After you have completed the online defrag, click the Action menu bar item, expand\nChange Your Settings and select Boot-Time Defragmentation.\n3. Once a new windows pops up, you will have the option to select the drive, as well as sev-\neral other defrag options. Make sure that you check: Put all folders together on volume,\nRun the system CHKDSK utility, Defragment the paging file, and Defragment the\nMFT (Master File Table), as shown in Figure 8-7.\n4. Once you have set the correct options and made sure that you selected On Next Manual\nReboot, reboot your computer when you are ready for the defrag.\nBoot time defrag with O&O Defrag\nJust as with Diskeeper, with O&O Defrag there is a boot-time defragmentation option. This\nallows the system files that are in use to be defragmented, as well as other special files such as\nthe master file table. O&O Defrag is developed by O&O Software and uses different defrag-\nmentation algorithms than the Diskeeper program. I have included a section on this program\nto give you a chance to try both programs and find the program that works better for your\nsystem. A shareware copy of O&O Defrag can be found on O&O Software’s Web site, located\nat www.oo-software.com/en/download/.\nDo the following to start a boot-time defrag in O&O Defrag:\n1. Launch the O&O defrag application and select Add Job from the Jobs menu bar\nitem.\n2. Once you are in the Edit Job window, click the Volumes tab.\n3. Next, click the drive letter of the drive you wish to defragment and the drive that your\nboot files are located on. Most likely this is your C: drive.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 229,
"text": "206\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nFIGURE 8-7: Diskeeper Boot-Time Defragmentation configuration window.\n4. Select the Defragmentation Method for the Selected Volume you want to defragment.\nIt is recommended that you select COMPLETE/Access for this defragmentation.\n5. Once you have selected the method, make sure to check the box for Activate\nBootTime Defragmentation and then click the Set button.\n"
},
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"page_number": 230,
"text": "207\nChapter 8 — Speeding Up the System Boot\n6. Next, click the Time Plan tab and select when you would like the job to be run. You can\nalso set up the job to be run on a weekly schedule by selecting Weekly in the Frequency\ndrop-down box.\n7. Click the OK button and you will see the job appear under the job list window. You are\nnow finished setting up O&O defrag and your system will be defragmented at the time\nyou scheduled the program to execute.\nSummary\nThroughout this chapter, you discovered many ways to lower the amount of time it takes your\ncomputer to boot up. First, you learned how to change some of the BIOS settings that can\noptimize your computer for maximum boot speed. Then, you discovered how you can remove\nyour boot screen to shave off some more time. After that, you saw how you can disable other\nparts of Windows, such as hardware, fonts, and services, that you may never use, all of which\ntake up time when your computer starts up. To wrap the chapter up, you found out how you\ncan optimize the placement of the files used when your computer boots up, using the\nPrefetcher and two other disk defragment tools.\nThis chapter showed you how to speed up the first half of your computer’s startup. The next\nchapter will pick up on the second half, the system logon. I will also show you some cool tips\non how you can speed up.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 231,
"text": ""
},
{
"page_number": 232,
"text": "Making Your\nComputer Load\nFaster\nE\nver wonder why it takes your computer so long to start up after you log\non? After all, the system already loaded the majority of the operating\nsystem components. Does your computer take longer to load after you\nsign on than it used to take when you first brought it home? These are all\nquestions that you will find the answers to in this chapter. You can make\nyour system load faster by a number of methods. The last chapter touched\non how to make the system boot faster. This chapter will concentrate on\nhow to make the system load faster after the operating system has loaded\nand you are presented with the sign-on screen. But first, the system startup\nneeds to be examined in more detail so that you will better understand what\nyou will be doing.\nAfter you turn on your computer, it goes through the boot-up process,\nwhich loads the main system components and drivers. Eventually, when\nthose are finished loading, the Windows shell is started and you will be\npresented with the sign-on screen. Once the sign-on screen is displayed\nand you sign on, the system begins to load the rest of the Windows shell\nprograms, such as Windows Explorer, which is the program behind the\nspiffy new Windows XP navigation and look. Once that is finished\nloading, the system moves on to starting up the applications in the \nstartup folder as well as other sneaky registry startup programs. Once\nthese applications are finished loading, your mouse will no longer display\nthe hourglass, and you are set to do whatever you want with your\ncomputer.\nThis chapter will take you through the steps of speeding up all of the\ndifferent parts of the system startup. First to be examined will be ways to\nspeed up the logon process. Next to be discussed will be ways to get rid of\nall those extra applications that run at start that further slow down your\ncomputer. Additionally, interesting new features of Windows XP that are\nnot turned on by default and will make your system even faster are explored.\nWhen you have finished reading this chapter and implementing the\nsuggestions given, your system will have a much faster loading time and \nwill be ready to use earlier than ever before.\n\u0002 Setting Up\nAutomatic Logon\n\u0002 Removing a User’s\nPassword\n\u0002 Cleaning Up Your\nStartup Programs\n\u0002 Customizing Startup\nPrograms for\nDifferent Users\n\u0002 Removing Sneaky\nPrograms from\nStartup\n\u0002 Other Time-Saving\nTips\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 233,
"text": "210\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nSpeeding Up the Logon\nThe system logon is the first half of the loading time.This process starts when you see the\nWindows Welcome screen, or the Windows 2000 style logon screen. After you type in your user\ninformation, your credentials are checked and then you are allowed access to the system. Although\nseemingly not much can be done to speed up this part of the system startup, in actuality a few\nhacks will change the way the logon is performed. By changing the way a logon is done, you can\nspeed up your system logon by automating your system logon and removing unneeded steps.\nEnabling automatic logon\nAutomatic logon is for you, if you primarily use just one user account on your computer and do\nnot want to be forced to click the username and then enter your password each time you start\nyour computer. Enabling automatic logon is a great technique that will save you time that is\noften wasted when your computer is waiting for you to key in your information. Even if you do\nnot have a password assigned to your account, you are still required by the logon Welcome\nscreen to click your name to sign in. And if you have the Welcome screen disabled, then you\nare still forced to click the OK button on the Windows 2000 style logon screen to get in.\nHaving to do these tasks yourself is unnecessary and just a waste of time.\nAutomatic logon can be a great feature, but it can also create a security problem for your com-\nputer. If you use your computer for business, if you have data you prefer to keep safe from oth-\ners, or both, I strongly recommend that you do not enable this feature. If you happen to step out\nof your office or if your laptop is stolen, you have left the door wide open to your computer. By\nenabling automatic logon, you are trading convenience for physical access security. However,\nyou are not changing your network security so your data is still safe from network attackers. The\nrisk of someone remotely connecting to your computer is the same as if you did not have\nautomatic logon enabled.\nHacking your computer with a program called Tweak UI, which is an unsupported application writ-\nten by Microsoft, allows users to enable the hidden automatic logon feature. Open up your Web\nbrowser and visit www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp to\ndownload a copy of Tweak UI. You will find the link to download the install file on the right side\nof the page. If you have a standard CPU, like the majority of us, make sure you download Tweak\nUI and not Tweak UI for Itanium-based systems.The Itanium version is for the new 64-bit CPU\nby Intel. If you are one of the rare users of that new CPU, however, download that version. Once\nyou have the application installed, enabling automatic logon is really easy:\n1. Start up Tweak UI by clicking the Start Menu and navigating to the PowerToys for\nWindows XP folder and then selecting Tweak UI.\n2. Expand the Logon item and then click Autologon, as shown in Figure 9-1.\n3. Then, check the Log on Automatically at System Startup box, as shown in Figure 9-1.\n4. Type in the username that you want to use, if it is not already entered into the User\nName field.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 234,
"text": "211\nChapter 9 — Making Your Computer Load Faster\n5. Click the Set Password button and type your password in both text boxes, as shown in\nFigure 9-2.\n6. Once you have entered your password twice, click OK to save the password. Then click\nOK once more to save the autologon settings and close Tweak UI. Your system is now\nset up to log you on automatically.\nShould you ever change your mind and wish to disable the automatic logon feature, just go into\nTweak UI again and uncheck the Log on Automatically at System Startup box.\nRemoving user passwords\nSome of you may have computer systems set up with multiple users. You might have a family\ncomputer for which each person has his or her own account for personal settings or for which\nyou have separate accounts with different privilege levels. In some situations in which security\nis not a big concern, a requirement for each user to type in a password to access her account is\nFIGURE 9-1: Tweak UI autologon feature properties.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 235,
"text": "212\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nnot necessary. In those cases, instead of clicking the user name and then typing in the pass-\nword, the user would find it much easier to just click the name. An additional advantage of this\nsimplification would be that, for those with a family computer, you would not have to worry\nabout reminding everyone what their passwords were or needing to reset passwords when they\nwere forgotten.\nBefore you begin removing the user passwords, a word of caution is in order about the\npossible dangers of removing user passwords. First, I strongly recommend that you leave a\npassword on the Administrator account and any account that has administrative privileges.\nAdditionally, before you start removing passwords, I recommend that you secure your\nsystem from external intruders on the Internet. If you do not have passwords on your user’s\naccounts, it would be much easier to connect to your computer remotely. One simple\nsolution is to turn on the built-in firewall and remove the Client for Microsoft Networks\nfrom your network adapter through which you get your Internet connection. Turning on\nthe built-in firewall and removing the unneeded network protocol is really easy. If you\nneed any help, refer to Chapter 12, which is all about protecting your computer from\nintruders.\nNow that you know the consequences of removing the passwords and have secured your sys-\ntem, you are ready to get started. They can be removed in two ways. For those of you that are\nfamiliar with the Windows 2000 style computer management user snap-in control, I recom-\nmend you follow the second method. For everyone else, you will feel more comfortable using\nthe first method.\nNew Windows XP user accounts method\nWindows XP includes a new simple account management applet called User Accounts. This\napplet is a new approach to user management that replaces the Windows 2000 style user list\nwith a nice-looking wizard approach. Follow these steps to remove passwords with the new\nmanagement applet:\n1. Launch the new applet by clicking the Start Menu and then selecting Run.\n2. Key in nusrmgr.cpl and click the OK button. The applet will now launch.\nFIGURE 9-2: Setting a user autologon password with\nTweak UI.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 236,
"text": "213\nChapter 9 — Making Your Computer Load Faster\n3. Use your mouse to click the account from which you want to remove the password, as\nshown in Figure 9-3.\n4. Next, click the text that says “Remove the password,” as shown in Figure 9-4.\n5. After clicking the text, you will be taken to a confirmation screen, where you will be\nrequired to type in the password of the user. Type in the password and then click the\nRemove Password button.\nThat’s it! The password is now removed for the user that you selected. Repeat the previous\nsteps for any other accounts for which you would like to remove the password.\nIf for any reason you change you mind and want to put a password back on a user’s account,\njust go back into the User Accounts applet and click the user you would like to change. Then,\ninstead of showing “Remove My Password,” the applet will show, “Create a password.” Click\nthe Create text and enter the new password in the two text boxes and then click the Create\nPassword button.\nFIGURE 9-3: User Accounts applet home screen.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 237,
"text": "214\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nLocal user and groups method\nIf you are like me, and like the Windows 2000 way of doing things, this section is for you.\nWindows XP was based off of code from Windows 2000. You could think of Windows XP as \na revised version of Windows 2000. Although thousands of improvements have been made,\nsome of the basic elements of Windows 2000 are still in place. However, they are not always\neasy to find, but they are still available if you know where they are. I have dug through the sys-\ntem files and have found the old MMC (Microsoft Management Console) applet that was\nused to manage local usernames and accounts. To start the old MMC applet and remove\npasswords, follow these steps:\nThe old Windows 2000 style user manager can only be found on computers running Windows\nXP Professional. \n1. Click the Start Menu and select Run. Then type lusrmgr.msc in the text box and \nclick OK.\nFIGURE 9-4: User Accounts applet user properties.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 238,
"text": "215\nChapter 9 — Making Your Computer Load Faster\n2. This will start up the Local Users and Groups MMC applet. Click the Users folder to\nexpand it to reveal the Users setup on your computer.\n3. Next, right-click the name of the account you want to change and select Set Password, as\nshown in Figure 9-5.\n4. A new window will pop up that informs you that you may lose some of the user’s data\nif you change their password. According to the Microsoft Help file, you will only lose\nany files and e-mail that the user encrypted and any saved passwords for Web pages\nsaved in Internet Explorer. Most personal use users never need to worry about this\nlimitation, because they would not be encrypting anything. Although they might lose\nsome saved passwords, unless they wrote them down somewhere, the loss would just be\na minor inconvenience. If you have a user who is so concerned about his privacy that\nhe encrypted his files, you should think twice about removing his password. Once you\nhave decided if you still want to proceed, click the Proceed button and you will be\nshown the Set Password For Username window.\n5. Leave both of the password boxes blank and click OK. That’s it. You are now\nfinished.\nIf you ever need to set a password again with this method, repeat the previous steps and type\nthe password in the text boxes instead of leaving them blank.\nFIGURE 9-5: Local Users and Groups MMC applet.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 239,
"text": "216\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nAdjust the startup programs\nAfter you sign on, the system finishes loading the system shell and then begins to load the\nstartup programs that you have installed and also some that you have not. Often when you\nbring home a new computer it is filled with extra software that you do not need to be starting\nwhen your computer, starts up. One example of this kind of software is Windows Messenger,\nwhich was developed by Microsoft.\nEvery time I turn on my computer, Windows Messenger automatically loads and signs me \non to the network. I love Windows Messenger, but I do not want it starting up every time I\nturn on my computer. It slows down my load and lets everyone know that I am on my\ncomputer, which makes avoiding certain people impossible. On top of loading Windows\nMessenger, and other visible programs such as antivirus software, a handful of other applica-\ntions will start up automatically. This section will help you see what programs are starting up\nautomatically and then will show you some great tricks to stop them all from starting up.\nIdentifying the auto startup programs\nThe first step in stopping the auto startup is identifying exactly what is starting up and what its\npurpose is. To do so, you will use a cool little program called the system configuration utility,\nwhich is built into Windows XP, and the Google search engine (www.google.com), which\ncan look up what the entries are for. First, you will need to start up the system configuration\nutility and write down what programs are listed. To do so, follow these directions:\n1. Start up the System Configuration Utility by clicking the Start Menu and selecting Run.\nThen key in msconfig and click OK.\n2. Once the System Configuration Utility has loaded, click the Startup tab, as shown in\nFigure 9-6.\n3. Now that the list of the active startup programs is visible, make a list of all of the items\nlisted with the name as well as the file that is loaded, which is listed under the command\ncolumn.\n4. Once you have your list made, you can start researching which programs should be\nremoved from the list and which programs should stay. Because almost every computer\nhas different programs starting up after logon, I recommend that you browse the Web and\nlook for a specific program and what will happen if it is removed from startup. One inter-\nesting site to visit is a database of common startup programs called AnswersThatWork. It\nis located at www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm. At\nthat site, they can’t present you with recommendations for each of the programs listed. If\nyou can not find one of your programs listed on that site, just do a quick search on Google\nand most likely you will find several Web sites telling you what that program does and\nwhat removing it will do.\nRemoving programs from startup\nThe System Configuration Utility makes removal of items from the system startup very easy.\nOnce you know the item that you want to remove, uncheck the check box next to the item, as\nshown in Figure 9-7.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 240,
"text": "217\nChapter 9 — Making Your Computer Load Faster\nThen, once you have unchecked all of the items that you no longer want to start at startup,\nclick the OK button. This will cause a new window to pop up that asks if you would like to\nreboot now or later. Choose what is most convenient for you, as it has no effect on the changes\nyou just made.\nOnce you reboot, the program should no longer be loaded. This procedure will work for the\nmajority of the programs configured to start up automatically. You may notice, however, that a\nfew sneaky applications refuse to go down without a fight. This next section will help you\nexterminate those.\nRemoving the sneaky programs\nSome programs will just not go away. The software developers may be trying to make sure you\nuse their application by making it difficult to tame or sometimes applications are just trying to\nmake sure that other programs are not disabling them or taking over their turf.\nNot uncommonly, competing software applications mess with each other. One example is what\nhappened when I installed several media players on my PC. I installed the music programs\nWinamp, iTunes, RealPlayer, and Windows Media Player. The programs would fight for my\nmusic file associations (that is, what the file would be opened with). Every time I ran\nRealPlayer, it changed all of my music files over to be played in their player by default. The\nFIGURE 9-6: System Configuration Utility Startup programs tab.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 241,
"text": "218\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nsame thing happened when I tried to play my music files in other players. From this experi-\nence, I found that a not uncommon occurrence was for a media player application to install a\nprogram to be run at system startup that would check and take over (or preserve, as the devel-\nopers call it) your file associations.\nOnly after I dug through the options and preferences of each of the applications and changed\nseveral options did I discover how to declare an end to the file association war. I could then\nproclaim Operation Music Freedom a success.\nThe only way to defeat these sneaky programs is to stop them from the inside. Disabling these\nprograms from starting up is actually quite easy when you know where to look. In the para-\ngraphs that follow, you will learn how to disable two of the most popular and most difficult\napplications from starting up automatically. Additionally, the methods that will be used can be\napplied to disable all other sneaky applications from starting up.\nTaming RealPlayer\nReal Networks, the developers of RealPlayer (previously known as RealOne), could have made\nit a little easier for users to disable some of the extra program features. RealPlayer is a good\napplication, but it comes bundled with so much extra junk that knowing how to disable all of\nthe extra features becomes a necessity.\nFIGURE 9-7: System Configuration Utility with an unchecked (disabled) startup item.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 242,
"text": "219\nChapter 9 — Making Your Computer Load Faster\nRealPlayer does not come preinstalled with Windows XP. If you did not download and install this\napplication yourself, and it can not be found on the Start Menu, then you do not need to worry\nabout taming RealPlayer. \nOne of the features of RealPlayer that I find most annoying is the Message Center applica-\ntion that automatically starts when you log on. When you least expect it, no matter what you\nare doing on your computer and after you have run the RealPlayer program, you will get a\nlittle pop-up message (see Figure 9-8) that alerts you to some random information or\nadvertisement.\nYou can do two things to get RealPlayer under control. First, you will need to stop the sched-\nuler from starting up every time you start Windows. You will recognize this application in the\nSystem Configuration Utility as realsched.exe. No matter how many times you uncheck\nthis item in the System Configuration Utility, it will keep coming back. The only way to stop it\nis inside the RealPlayer application. Follow these steps to stop it for good:\n1. Start the RealPlayer application by clicking the Start Menu and then selecting the\nRealPlayer player icon.\n2. Once RealPlayer has loaded, click the Tools menu bar item and select Preferences.\n3. This will load the program preferences. Expand Automatic Services and then select\nAutomatic Updates.\n4. Uncheck the Automatically Download and Install Important Updates check box, as\nshown in Figure 9-9.\n5. Next, let’s make sure that you will never again see a message from the so-called\nMessage Center. To do so, select the Message Center entry listed under Automatic\nServices.\n6. Hit the Select Message Topics button on the right side of the window.\n7. When the Message Center window is displayed, uncheck Product News and Real\nExclusives, located at the bottom of the screen, and click the Save Changes button.\n8. Close the Message Center window so the Preferences window can be viewed again.\nFIGURE 9-8: RealPlayer Message\nCenter alert.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 243,
"text": "220\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n9. Once you are back to the Preferences window, click the Configure Message Center\nbutton.\n10. Uncheck all of the boxes, as shown in Figure 9-10.\n11. Click OK to close the Configure Message Center window.\n12. A warning window will be displayed, informing you that you are disabling the Message\nCenter. Click Yes to proceed.\n13. Close the Message Center window again so that you can view the Preferences window.\n14. Click OK to save your changes and close the Preferences window.\nThat’s it. RealPlayer is now under your full control and will not be starting up automatically\nany more and will not be sending you advertisements.\nGetting control of Windows Messenger\nWindows Messenger is a great instant messaging program that I use frequently. The one\nproblem with it is that it starts up automatically when you log on. Trying to stop this\nFIGURE 9-9: Disabling RealPlayer’s automatic updates.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 244,
"text": "221\nChapter 9 — Making Your Computer Load Faster\nbehavior can be frustrating, because disabling the program with the system configuration\nutility is impossible. The only way to get control of Windows Messenger is from the\ninside, just as with RealPlayer. Although you have to go inside the program to change the\nsettings, doing so with Windows Messenger is slightly easier than with RealPlayer because\nthere is only one setting that has to be changed. In order to change that setting, follow\nthese steps:\n1. Open Windows Messenger by clicking its icon in the system tray or going to the Start\nMenu, expanding All Programs, and selecting Windows Messenger.\n2. Once Windows Messenger is loaded, click the Tools menu bar item and select Options.\n3. When the Options window is displayed, click the Preferences tab.\n4. On the Preferences tab, you will find a check box that says “Run Windows Messenger\nWhen Windows Starts.” Uncheck that check box, as shown in Figure 9-11.\nFIGURE 9-10: Disabling Message Center features.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 245,
"text": "222\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n5. After you have unchecked the box, click the OK button and exit the application. You are\nnow finished. Windows Messenger will never be started automatically again.\nAs you can see, stopping sneaky programs from starting up automatically requires you to go\ninto the programs options/preferences/settings. Once you are inside a program’s settings, you\nhave to uncheck any options of features that start up automatically. Most programs, such as\nWindows Messenger, are easy to disable from starting up automatically from within the prefer-\nences. However, other programs, such as RealPlayer, require a little more work, as you have to\ndisable Automatic Updates and several Message Center features. The best way to stop other\nsneaky programs that keep starting up automatically after you try to remove them using the\nSystem Configuration Utility is to dig through the program’s settings. Look in the program’s\nHelp file for information on how to disable automatic startup if you are stuck. If you cannot\nFIGURE 9-11: Windows Messenger preferences.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 246,
"text": "223\nChapter 9 — Making Your Computer Load Faster\nfind any information, try searching on the Web for information or post a request for help on\none of the various computer support Web sites, such as TweakXP.com’s Support Forum, located\nat http://forum.tweakxp.com.\nCustomizing startup programs for different users\nWindows handles the startup programs differently for each user. Certain programs may\nstart up for one user but not for another. All of these settings are stored in the System\nRegistry. With the help of the registry editing utility, regedit, you can manually change\nthese entries.\nBut first, a word about the structure and where the startup programs are located in the registry.\nThe registry stores startup information in two places for every user. It stores which programs\nwill start for a specific user under the user’s registry entry. It also stores a list of programs that\nwill start automatically in the local machine entry. All of the programs listed in this entry will\nstart automatically for all users on the computer.\nNow that you know the two different types of startup items, user-specific and all user entries,\nyou can begin hacking the registry to change the startup programs. First, you will find out how\nto modify the startup programs for all users, then you will learn how to modify the startup\nprograms for individual users.\nTo modify all user’s startup programs, you will need to start up the Registry Editor and follow\nthese steps:\n1. If you have not already done so, start up the Registry Editor by clicking the Start button\nand selecting Run. Then type regedit in the text box and click the OK button.\n2. Once the Registry Editor is started, expand the entry labeled HKEY_LOCAL\n_MACHINE. Then scroll through the list and expand the entry labeled SOFTWARE.\nScroll through the list again until you locate Microsoft and expand it. Then scroll\nthrough the list once again and expand Windows. Next, you will want to expand\nCurrentVersion. After you have gotten this far, you just have to expand Run and you will\nsee a list of all of the startup programs, as shown in Figure 9-12.\nKeep in mind that if you delete a program entry, there is no way to undo the action. I highly\nrecommend that you create a restore point, as was reviewed in the introduction, so in case you\naccidentally remove a critical program, it can be easily undone. \n3. If you want to remove a startup program, just right-click the name and select Delete.\n4. If you want to add an additional startup program, right-click the white background on\nthe right-hand side and select New and then select String Value. Type in a name for the\nentry and then press Enter. After you have the new entry named, right-click it again and\nselect Modify. Then enter the path to the executable file in the value box and click the\nOK button.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 247,
"text": "224\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nThat’s it. You now know how to add and remove programs that will start up for all users on the\ncomputer. The steps for modifying the startup programs for specific individual users are very\nsimilar. The only difference is you have to go to a different place in the registry. Follow these\nsteps to modify user-specific startup programs:\n1. First, the easiest way to edit a specific user’s startup programs is to log into their\naccount.\n2. Then, once you are logged into the user’s account, you will want to start up Registry\nEditor again by clicking the Start button, selecting Run, and then typing regedit in the\ntext box. Click the OK button.\n3. After Registry Editor is open, you will want to navigate to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\nentry and expand it. Then scroll through the list and expand Software. After expand-\ning Software, scroll through the list again and select Microsoft. Then expand the\nWindows entry and then the CurrentVersion entry. After a little more scrolling, you\nwill find the Run entry. This is where all of the startup information for a specific user\nis stored.\n4. Add and remove string values from this section, as was indicated in step 4 of the previous\nlist, to modify the startup programs.\nFIGURE 9-12: Registry Editor, showing all user startup programs.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 248,
"text": "225\nChapter 9 — Making Your Computer Load Faster\nOther Time-Saving Tips\nThe preceding paragraphs covered the largest factors in slow loading time, but a few other\nsmall tips can save you additional time. These tips, individually, do not save a lot of time, but\nwhen they are applied in combination, they can really add up. Additionally, if you are running\nWindows XP on a computer that is fairly old, these tips will help you significantly decrease\nyour loading time even further.\nAssigning alternative IP addresses\nOne of the most common network-related delays occurs in the last moments of the system\nstartup. The majority of computer users use dynamic network card configuration. There is\nnothing wrong with this feature, but under certain configurations, the user can experience\ndelays when getting an IP address.\nEvery time you turn on your computer, it has to set up the IP configuration. Often, this setup\ncan result in your computer pausing for moments during the loading process. The delay is a\nresult of your PC waiting for the DHCP server (a DHCP server dynamically assigns addresses\nto computers connected to a network), which is the provider of the network information, to\nrespond. In other situations, a user can experience a delay when a DHCP server is not present\non the network.\nIf you use a dialup connection to the Internet, your computer will rely on getting a dynamic IP\naddress from your service provider when you connect. When you first turn on your computer, it\nwill search for a DHCP server to get an address for the local networking components of the\noperating system. This is occurring when your computer is still in the early boot stages and is\nnot connected to your dialup ISP (Internet Service Provider). Because you are not connected to\na network that has a DHCP server, such as when you are dialed up to your Internet provider,\nyour computer may experience a delay, as the computer is searching for a DHCP server when\nthere really is none available.\nThis hack will only work for users that have network cards and modems installed. It does not\napply to users that just have modem connections to the Internet.\nOne easy solution to this problem is to assign alternative information to your network card.\nThis task is actually pretty easy, as it does not require any major tampering. Follow these steps\nto specify an alternative IP configuration for your computer:\n1. First, get into Network Properties. This can be accomplished by going to the Control\nPanel through the Start Menu.\n2. Once you are in the Control Panel, make sure that you are in the Classic View, as\nshown in Figure 9-13, and open Network Connections. If you are not in Classic\nView, just click the button on the left that states Switch to Classic View, as shown in\nFigure 9-14.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 249,
"text": "226\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n3. Now that you are in the Network Connections window, you will see a list of network\nadapters on your computer. Right-click the icon to which your network connection is\nhooked up and select Properties.\n4. Doing so will launch a new window that lists the different protocols installed on the net-\nwork card. Click the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to select it. Then click the Properties\nbutton.\n5. Once the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties window is displayed, click the\nAlternative Configuration tab. This is where you will have to enter in your data.\n6. First, you will have to click the User Configured radio button to allow the text boxes to\nbe edited.\n7. Next, type in an IP address for your computer that will be used for the sake of speed in\nthe event that your computer cannot get a DHCP address because you are using a dialup\nInternet connection. I recommend you use 192.168.1.X. Replace X with any unique\nnumber for each computer between 2 and 254. The exact IP address numbers that you\nchoose do not matter. You just want to have a valid IP address filled in so that your\nFIGURE 9-13: Control Panel Classic View, showing the Network Connections icon.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 250,
"text": "227\nChapter 9 — Making Your Computer Load Faster\ncomputer does not waste too much time looking for a DHCP address when there is no\nDHCP server giving out the address on your network.\n8. Then, type in 255.255.255.0 as your Subnet Mask.\n9. Your Default Gateway should be set to 192.168.1.1 because that is a valid gateway\naddress. As I mentioned earlier, the exact numbers do not matter. We just want to have\nthe computer assign some value instead of spending time searching when it will not find\na DHCP server.\n10. Then, enter in what your DNS servers should be. You can ask your ISP what they should\nbe. But this information really isn’t essential, as this configuration will almost never be\nused to connect to the Internet. It is just a default fallback in the rare case that you are\nhaving networking trouble. Feel free to leave these fields blank, as well as the WINS\nfields.\n11. Click the OK button and then click the OK button for the network properties screen.\nThat’s it; you are now finished.\nFIGURE 9-14: Control Panel Category view highlighting where to switch to classic view.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 251,
"text": "228\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nTurning off the logon music\nThe music that Windows XP plays every time I log on is something that, frankly, I can do\nwithout. Hearing the tunes was really cool back when most people didn’t have soundcards in\ntheir computers. But nowadays, everyone has a soundcard and the logon music is starting to get\nold. Additionally, having it play slows down your system’s loading. Less is more, and when your\ncomputer has to load a 500KB media file to play, it slows things down. I would highly\nrecommend you disable the logon music. To do so, follow these steps:\n1. Go to the Control Panel and select the Sounds and Audio Devices icon from the classic\nControl Panel view.\n2. Once the control has loaded, click the Sounds tab.\nFIGURE 9-15: Sounds and Audio Devices Properties.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 252,
"text": "229\nChapter 9 — Making Your Computer Load Faster\n3. Locate the Program Events scrollbox. Look for Start Windows by scrolling through the\nlist and click it to select it, as shown in Figure 9-15.\n4. Then, locate the Sounds drop-down box and click the down arrow on the right to\nexpand it. Scroll to the top of the list and select (None).\n5. Click OK and you are finished.\nThat wasn’t too bad. Plus, you just shaved another second or two off your loading time.\nSummary\nThroughout this chapter, you found out how to remove unnecessary steps from your startup\nprocedure and method to cut the fat from the system load and make your computer load faster.\nYou also learned how to automatically log users on and how to remove their passwords. Also\ntouched on was the topic of removing startup programs as well as the sneaky programs that will\nfurther decrease loading time. Also discussed were other time-saving tips that offer even more\nways to get that loading time down.\nEver wonder what the XP in Windows XP stands for? It stands for “experiences.” This next\nchapter is completely dedicated to enhancing your experiences with Windows XP. It will con-\ncentrate on making the system more responsive. You will be working with making changes to\nthe way the file system works, as well as changing settings for the user interface to improve\nyour Windows eXPerience.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 253,
"text": ""
},
{
"page_number": 254,
"text": "Making Your\nComputer More\nResponsive\nN\now that the first two parts of the system startup are optimized, it is\ntime to work on making your Windows experience better. This\nchapter will concentrate on different ways to make your computer\nmore responsive and faster. First, it will talk about ways that the file system\ncan run faster. This section will show you how to hack the System Registry\nand disable some extra features of the file system.\nOnce you have mastered the file system, the next section will show you how\nto make your menus pop up quicker, which will make your computer appear\nto be running significantly faster.\nThe next section will concentrate on all of the performance settings that are\nbuilt into Windows XP. A handful of settings will, when disabled, provide\nyou with a much faster experience. Although these options often take away\nvisual effects and aspects of Windows XP, this section will help you find the\nright balance between the visual effects and a fast experience.\nThe last section of this chapter will show you how to remove one of the\nextra features built into Windows XP that does more harm than good, the\nindexing service. The service was designed to make it faster to search for\nfiles on your hard drive. This sounds great, but for users that rarely search\ntheir drive for files, this service becomes unnecessary and eats up a lot of\nsystem resources too.\nNow that you know what this chapter will cover, you are ready to dive in.\nSpeeding up file browsing and access\nYou can speed up system access to a file and the system’s browsing time\nthrough the files in several ways. So far, this book has already talked about\ndefragmenting your drive, which will speed up accessing and browsing time.\nIn addition, a few other things can be done to speed up how the file system\nworks.\n\u0002 Removing\nUnneeded File\nSystem Features\n\u0002 Changing Menu\nDelays\n\u0002 Fine-Tuning\nPerformance\nOptions\n\u0002 Removing Other\nUnneeded Features\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 255,
"text": "232\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nMaking the file system run faster is easy. All you have to do is follow the next two sections,\nwhich will guide you through the steps of hacking the System Registry to change the file sys-\ntem settings. These settings will disable aspects of the file system that are not critical to the\nsystem and will help you with your system performance.\nBefore you go any further, be aware that the following speed tips for the file system will work\nonly for the NTFS file system. If you do not know what file system your system is running\non, you can go to My Computer and right-click your hard drive and select Properties. This\nwill bring up the Local Disk (C:) Properties window, which will tell you the type of file\nsystem your hard drive is running. If your hard drive is running FAT32, these tips will not\nwork for you.\nIn my opinion, NTFS is a far better file system. It has many advanced security features and\nalso performs better on many machines. If you are still running FAT32, or for some odd\nreason your computer came preinstalled with FAT32, consider converting your hard disk to\nNTFS.\nConverting your drive to NTFS is a snap. Open up Command Prompt by clicking the Start button\nand selecting Run. Type cmd in the box and click OK to start up it up. Then at a prompt, type in\nconvert c: /fs:ntfs and press Enter to start. If you want to convert a different drive letter, just\nreplace the c: with the drive letter that you want. For example, if you want to convert your \nd drive, then you will have to type convert d: /fs:ntfs. The actual conversion process will take a\nlittle while, especially on large drives. Keep in mind that once you convert to NTFS, you cannot\nconvert back to FAT32. \nNow that the requirements are cleared up, you are all ready to get started.\nDisabling the file access timestamp\nEvery time you access a file, or a program on the system accesses a file, the file system keeps\ntrack of when it was accessed. This feature can be useful if you are interested in finding out\nwhen a file was last read. Sometimes a program might find this information useful. For exam-\nple, the Defragmenting application could use the access timestamps; it would be able to decide\nwhat the most frequently accessed files are and would then be able to put them on a fast part of\nthe disk.\nSo, disabling the file access timestamp would obviously not be beneficial to the\nDefragmenting app. But the loss would not be a big one. Usually, when you defragment your\ndrive, you will want the entire application files placed together on a disk for optimal speed.\nDefragmenting based solely on access timestamp will not give you a sizeable performance\nincrease.\nFor systems that have many (several thousand) files and folders, disabling the access timestamp\nwill give you a noticeable performance increase. Every time you open a file, the system has to\nwrite to the file and update its access timestamp. According to Microsoft, disabling the file\naccess timestamp will help most systems with more than 70,000 folders. Nevertheless, based on\nmy experiences and the experiences of others that have used this tip, it can still help users that\nhave a fraction of that number.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 256,
"text": "233\nChapter 10 — Making Your Computer More Responsive\nThe process for disabling the file access timestamp is quite easy. All that is required is one\nquick change in the System Registry. To do so, follow these steps:\n1. Click the Start button and select Run. Then type regedit in the textbox and click OK.\n2. This will start up the Registry Editor and will allow you to edit the file system settings.\nOnce the Registry Editor has loaded, navigate to the file system settings by expanding\nHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, SYSTEM, CurrentControlSet, Control, and then\nFileSystem.\n3. Depending on your system, you may see an entry called NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate.\nIf your system has this entry already listed, skip to the next step. If you do not see \nthis entry, don’t worry; just create it by right-clicking and selecting New and then\nDWORD Value, as shown in Figure 10-1. Key in NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate for\nthe name.\n4. Now, modify the DWORD value. Right-click the name of the entry and select Modify.\nThen type a 1 in the box to disable the last access update feature.\n5. Then click OK and restart your computer. The changes will be in effect.\nFIGURE 10-1: Registry Editor adding a new DWORD value.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 257,
"text": "234\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nThis setting will allow you to experience much faster file browsing. This hack is not without a\nprice, as was mentioned at the beginning of this section. Disabling this feature may cause prob-\nlems for certain applications, such as hard disk defragmenters and other programs. If you\nnotice any strange behavior with your applications, try reverting to an earlier system restore\npoint, or apply an undo script to the app.\nThe undo script is found in the Chapter 10 folder on the companion CD-ROM at the back of the\nbook, called lastaccessupdate_undo.reg. \nDisabling legacy filename creation\nBackward compatibility allows users to upgrade to the latest version of Windows but still run\nmany older programs that were designed for an earlier operating system. This feature is some-\nthing that is very crucial to the success of Microsoft Windows. Without backward compatibil-\nity, users would be very reluctant to upgrade to the latest versions. Instead, they would be\nforced to wait until all of the applications that they use are rewritten to run on the new\noperating system.\nUnfortunately, this backward compatibility is one of the reasons why Windows has become so\nlarge on the hard drive. Although it is getting packed with new features and technologies, the\nold features and technologies have to be included as well, even those that can slow the system\ndown, for compatibility purposes. One example of the old features that can slow your system\ndown is legacy filename support.\nOver the years, the file system structure has changed dramatically. One of the first things that\nchanged in the file system was the limited nature of the old MS-DOS 8.3 file system standard.\nThe old file system would limit filenames to a maximum length of 8 characters plus a 3-charac-\nter extension and also restricted what characters could be included in the name. This was some-\nthing that needed to be changed to allow for greater user flexibility. Eventually, these limitations\nwere expanded with the release of Windows 95, which bumped up the maximum filename limit\nto 255 characters, with a modified version of the FAT16 file system.\nWith the implementation of the new, longer filename support and the ability to have more\ncharacters in the filename came the added task of making sure that older applications that were\nwritten to run only with the 8.3 standard still worked on the new file system structure. This\nwas accomplished by an extra entry in the file table. Now, for every file, there are two names\nsaved. One is a real long filename and the other is a short 8-character version so that older\nprograms will still be able to access the file.\nThe extra filename that has to be saved can cause decreased performance when you are work-\ning with the file system. Disabling this old feature can give you an extra boost that will make\nbrowsing through your files faster.\nKeep in mind that disabling the old compatibility feature comes with one downside.\nApplications on your computer that depend on the old 8.3 standard to run will stop running\nand will give you errors when you try to run them. Although this technology is more than \n"
},
{
"page_number": 258,
"text": "235\nChapter 10 — Making Your Computer More Responsive\n10 years old, several popular applications, mentioned in the following paragraphs, still depend\non the old standard. Unfortunately, in the software world, some companies don’t bother fixing\nthings if they aren’t broken to increase the performance of the user’s computers. For the most\npart, they do not have to worry about it because Microsoft supports the lazy programmers by\nleaving these old, inefficient features in the operating system.\nEven though a few applications will have difficulties when this feature is disabled, the majority of\nusers can still disable this feature and have no problems. Basically, you just have to watch out for\nproblem applications. One type of program that has the most problems when the 8.3 standard \nis disabled are installer applications that many software developers use to get their programs up\nand running on your computer. For some reason, a few installers are still programmed using old \n16-bit technology, which depends on the short filename compatibility feature to function.\nUsers frequently run into this error with Symantec’s AntiVirus software. According to\nSymantec, users may receive an error stating “1639. Invalid command line argument” when\nthey install certain versions of Symantec’s software. For users of Symantec software who want\nto disable the old support for greater performance, the company recommends that they enable\nthe 8.3-standard filename compatibility support when the software is being installed and then\ndisable it once the software is installed. The software should then work fine.\nThat basic Symantec approach can be applied to any situations that you may run into when\napplications are being installed and errors received. Just enable the 8.3-standard filename com-\npatibility support during the install, and then disable it once again after the install is complete.\nThat simple workaround will work for 95 percent of the problems that you will encounter\nwhen the 8.3 standard filename compatibility is disabled. The remaining few will encounter\nproblems when the applications are running or trying to run. These applications are usually\nvery old 16-bit applications. (Applications are now 32-bit and there are already 64-bit applica-\ntions starting to pop up.) Either that, or the apps are just not programmed very well. If you\nhave an old application that refuses to run when the compatibility feature is disabled, consider\nupgrading to a new version of the application to see if that will help. If it still does not work,\nthen you will be in the position of having to keep the legacy support enabled.\nNow that you are aware of the possible problems that can be caused by disabling the legacy\nfilename standard, and also know what to do if you experience any, you are ready to disable the\nfeature. Disabling the legacy support is not as easy as clicking a button, but is not very difficult\neither. Follow these steps to disable/enable this feature:\n1. Click the Start Menu and select Run, then type regedit in the box and click OK. This\nwill start up the Registry Editor.\n2. Once the Registry Editor has loaded, navigate to the file system settings by expanding\nHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, SYSTEM, CurrentControlSet, Control, and then\nFileSystem.\n3. Look for the key that is named NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation and right-click it and\nselect Modify, as shown in Figure 10-2.\n4. In the Edit DWORD Value box, type in a 1 and click the OK button.\n5. Then, restart your computer and you are done!\n"
},
{
"page_number": 259,
"text": "236\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nOnce your computer restarts, the new settings will be in effect. If you ever experience any of\nthe aforementioned problems with older applications and installers, the first thing you should\ndo is re-enable the compatibility feature to see if it is the culprit.\nTo make this easier for you to do, I have included a registry file on the companion CD in the\nChapter 10 folder so that you can just import the registry file into the registry instead of repeat-\ning all of the preceding steps to enable and disable the feature. \nSpeeding Up the User Interface\nVarious features built into Windows XP slow down the performance of the system. The new\nlook and effects degrade overall system performance. If you have a very fast computer, leaving\nthese features enabled will not slow down your computer very much, but you will still notice a\ndifference if you have some of them disabled.\nFIGURE 10-2: Changing NTFS 8.3 compatibility with regedit.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 260,
"text": "237\nChapter 10 — Making Your Computer More Responsive\nOn top of taming some of the new features, you can also fine-tune some of the other settings,\nsuch as menu delay, to make your computer more responsive by eliminating unnecessary delays.\nThe following paragraphs show you how to do this—so dig in!\nReducing the menu delay\nWhenever you move your mouse over an item that expands in the Start Menu, you have to\nwait for the system to expand that menu and show you the submenu. By default, your system is\nconfigured to wait 400 milliseconds before it automatically expands any submenu. Navigating\nthrough the Start Menu is when you will notice this delay the most.\nUsing the system Registry Editor, you can hack the System Registry to modify the amount of\ntime that the computer waits before it automatically expands a submenu.\nThe best value for the menu delay is different for every person. You might like the submenu to\nshow up instantly, although others might like it to appear after the mouse hovers over the item\nfor a little while, or vice versa. The best way to fine-tune this setting is by testing it a few times\nwith different values. If you want the submenu to show up instantly, then set the delay to 0.\nThis may have a bad effect for some that do not have very fast computers, as just dragging your\nmouse over the Start Menu will cause your computer to open up every submenu over which\nthe mouse is dragged. Doing so will cause your computer to do a lot of work, and if your com-\nputer’s hardware is slow, then everything on your computer will slow down as a result when the\nmenus are expanding. If you have a fast computer, then your computer will have no problem\nkeeping up. I prefer to set my menu delay to 100 milliseconds because this does not open up\nany menu that the mouse moves over but still gives a very fast response.\nNow that you know a little about what the best values for the delay are, follow these steps to\nchange the menu delay on your computer:\n1. Start up the Registry Editor by clicking the Start Menu and selecting Run. Then type\nregedit in the box and click OK.\n2. Once the Registry Editor has opened, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Control\nPanel, and then Desktop.\n3. Look for the MenuShowDelay entry and right-click it and select Modify, as shown in\nFigure 10-3.\n4. Enter the new value in the box and click OK.\n5. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to see the new changes.\nIn the Chapter 10 folder, you will find an undo script to reset the menu delay back to the default\nvalue of 400ms. \nYou may have to repeat the preceding directions a few times so that you get the menu delay just\nthe way you like it.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 261,
"text": "238\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nIf you ever have problems after changing your menu delay, such as the submenus never showing up,\nthen go back into the System Registry and make sure that you did not type in a large value by acci-\ndent. Remember that the default value is 400 milliseconds, in case you want to revert to the default.\nWorking with the performance options\nAll of the new visual effects that Windows XP includes can be customized so that you can turn\noff the ones you don’t need or like. This capability allows you to find a balance between perfor-\nmance and appearance.\nSome of the visual effects are very taxing on systems that are not very powerful. This section\nwill help you identify the graphical effects that are slowing down your system and will show\nyou how to manage them.\nHidden away under System Properties is a Settings panel that allows you to enable and disable\neach effect or feature. Follow these steps to get to the Settings screen:\n1. Right-click the My Computer icon in the Start Menu or on the desktop and select\nProperties.\nFIGURE 10-3: Registry Editor showing how to edit MenuShowDelay.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 262,
"text": "239\nChapter 10 — Making Your Computer More Responsive\n2. Then, click the Advanced tab and click Settings under the Performance section.\n3. This will launch the Performance Options screen, as shown in Figure 10-4. Click the\nVisual Effects tab, if the tab is not already displayed.\n4. Now that you have the Visual Effects settings screen on your screen, you will notice four\ndifferent settings: Let Windows Choose What’s Best for My Computer, Adjust for Best\nAppearance, Adjust for Best Performance, and Custom. The Let Windows Choose\nWhat’s Best for My Computer setting does not seem to work very well, because I have\nnot seen Windows choose to disable anything on any computer, even on some very old\nmachines. The Adjust for Best Appearance setting enables all options, whereas the\nAdjust for Best Performance setting disables all options. The Custom setting is the best\nsetting to use on your computer. Click the Custom radio button to enable this setting.\nFIGURE 10-4: Performance options.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 263,
"text": "240\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n5. Now you will be able to manually check and uncheck the various boxes listed below for\neach of the different effects. Refer to the following list for recommendations on each of\nthe effects. Once you are finished, click the OK buttons and you are set.\nThe following is a list of different effects, along with my recommendations on what to do for\nthe best balance between appearance and performance.\n\u0002 Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing: This effect will animate the title bar\nalong with the border by enlarging and shrinking instead of instantly changing the size\nof the active window. This effect is not very heavy on the system. When the effect is dis-\nabled, no change can be detected in the system, such as the amount of memory used and\nthe CPU usage. You would think that the CPU usage would decrease, but compared to\nwhen the effect is disabled, the usage of the CPU to minimize and maximize a window\nis the same. Even though there is no performance change in the numbers, your system\nwill appear to be running faster because the windows will instantly resize and be dis-\nplayed. Because of that, I recommend that you disable this effect.\n\u0002 Fade or slide menus into view: This effect allows the menus that pop up throughout the\nsystem to fade in. You will experience this when you navigate through a menu bar or\nwhen you right-click something. This effect does not affect the performance of the sys-\ntem except for when the effect is called on. Some users that have older computers and\nslower video cards can experience better performance with this effect off.\n\u0002 Fade or slide ToolTips into view: This effect will allow the yellow ToolTips in various\nparts of the system to slowly fade in when either an event occurs or you hold your mouse\nover an object. This effect has no effect on the system performance of most users, but\nonce again, those with older systems should disable this effect for better performance.\n\u0002 Fade out menu items after clicking: This effect will fade the submenus in the Start Menu\nout after you click an item within the menu. This effect, just like the other fade effects, is\nslower on older systems and should be disabled for best performance.\n\u0002 Show shadows under menus: This effect will display a light shadow when pop-up menus\nare displayed, giving more of a 3D appearance to the flat interface, as shown in \nFigure 10-5. My analysis of the system data when the effect is enabled and disabled\nresulted in such a small difference that this effect does not matter if it is or isn’t on for\nthe average user. Also, just like the fade effects, this is something that users of older\nmachines can disable to get better performance.\n\u0002 Show shadows under mouse pointer: This effect allows the mouse to have that semi-3D\neffect. However, it is not applied to the mouse when the mouse is over certain applications,\nsuch as Microsoft Word.The shadow under the mouse seems to have no influence on the\nsystem performance for the average computer. However, just as with the shadow and fade\nproblems mentioned earlier, older machines may have problems with this effect too.\n\u0002 Show translucent selection rectangle: When this effect is enabled, you will see a nice-looking\nblue border with a semi-transparent blue interior when you drag the mouse to select\nitems, instead of the old dotted line box as we have all seen in older versions of Windows.\nFigure 10-6 shows the two different types of selection rectangles. On older machines, I\nhave seen this effect working very slowly and often interfering with the mouse’s selection\n"
},
{
"page_number": 264,
"text": "241\nChapter 10 — Making Your Computer More Responsive\nof items because it seems to use up a lot of the CPU. On the average computer, this\neffect presents no problems at all. If you have a slow machine, then disable this effect,\nbut if you have an average machine, then keep it enabled and enjoy the nicer look.\n\u0002 Show window contents while dragging: This effect will not slow down the average computer\nbut will cause some problems for users of older machines. On my older desktop that runs\nWindows XP, I have disabled this effect, and the system is now much more responsive.\n\u0002 Slide open combo boxes: This effect has no effect on performance at all. I do not see why\nanyone would want to disable this effect, but if you are the type of person that cannot\nwait an extra 50 milliseconds to view the contents of the combo box, then knock yourself\nout disabling this one.\n\u0002 Slide taskbar buttons: This feature has very little effect on system performance, but it may\naffect system responsiveness on older machines when the machine is doing a lot of work.\nYou will notice this when you are doing something in the background and you can slowly\nFIGURE 10-5: Shadows under menus.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 265,
"text": "242\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nsee the taskbar items for open programs resizing. If you ever have that experience, go\nahead and disable this effect.\n\u0002 Smooth edges of screen fonts: This feature seems to depend more on your video card than\nyour system. Use of any type of font smoothing will require it to do more work. On older\nmachines, I would disable this effect. Also, if you have a cathode ray tube type monitor,\nyou will not benefit all that much by having this enabled. The font smoothing effects,\nespecially ClearType, work best on TFT (Thin Film Transistor, also known as Active\nMatrix)–based flat panel monitors.\n\u0002 Smooth-scroll list boxes: This effect has no effect on performance based on my tests. You\nwould have to be crazy to disable this effect, because it is just so cool.\n\u0002 Use background image for each folder type: This effect has a small effect on the performance\nof browsing through folders. On faster computers you won’t notice anything, but on the\naverage and older computers, this is something that you can live without. On top of that,\nsome of the background images are so light that they do not show up on some monitors,\nsuch as my old laptop’s LCD panel that does not have good contrast with light colors.\nMy advice is to get rid of them.\n\u0002 Use common tasks in folders: This feature is nice–looking and makes Windows Explorer\nlook different but it really is not very useful. It was born in Windows 98 SE and now has\ncompletely evolved into some massive navigation aid. I never find myself using the items\nFIGURE 10-6: Left: Normal selection rectangle; right: translucent selection rectangle.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 266,
"text": "243\nChapter 10 — Making Your Computer More Responsive\non this menu. When you go to My Computer, it gives you the option to View System\nInformation, Add or Remove Programs, or Change a Setting under the System Tasks\nblock. It never seems to cross my mind to get to these features this way. Unless you are a\nbeginner computer user, then go ahead and disable this feature. It will speed up your\nbrowsing through folders and will also allow you to view more files at once on your\nscreen.\n\u0002 Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop: I have noticed that some older computers\nwith bad video cards can benefit from this feature being disabled. Personally, this feature\nis a nice addition to Windows XP and I would always leave it enabled. However, if you\ndon’t like the look, disable it and you will see a small benefit.\n\u0002 Use visual styles on windows and buttons: This effect is what makes Windows XP look so\ndifferent from older versions of Windows. If you disable this effect, the whole new inter-\nface of Windows XP will be gone. If you do not like the new look and are one of the\npeople that feel the interface was made for a child, disable this feature and you will see a\nbig performance increase. But beware, the system will look like Windows 2000, as \nFigure 10-7 shows. The amount of free RAM will increase by a megabyte or two and the\nsystem will be much more responsive.\nFIGURE 10-7: Windows XP naked.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 267,
"text": "244\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nDisable Indexing Service\nThe Windows Indexing Service is a service that is designed to index all of the files on your\ncomputer into a database. Your computer can then search through all of your files faster. The\nidea behind the service is great; it will drastically cut down on the amount of time that is\nneeded to search your hard drive. Although this is a great benefit, you have to consider the\ndownside of this feature. In order to create a database of files, the service has to continuously\nmonitor the files on your computer and import basic file details into its database when new\nfiles are found. The monitoring is not always done in real time, but at times you will notice it\nrunning. The most common symptom of this service working is when you are reading some-\nthing on your computer and all of a sudden your hard drive starts making a lot of noise as if it\nis working really hard. That is because it is working hard to update the Indexing Service’s\ndatabase.\nJust like any other service that starts up when the system does, the Indexing Service takes up\nmemory—quite a bit of memory compared to other services. In fact, the service takes up\nexactly 4364KB of memory when the service first starts up on your computer. Eventually, about\n30 seconds after the service has started, the amount of memory used decreases to 306KB. This\nFIGURE 10-8: Indexing Service Properties.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 268,
"text": "245\nChapter 10 — Making Your Computer More Responsive\nlooks good, but after you use your computer for a little while, the memory usage will start to\ncreep up again. On average, the service takes up about 1316KB of memory.\nWhen the service is idle on your computer, it is just taking up memory. Also, it is running at\nthe lowest CPU priority, so you can be sure that it won’t interfere with other applications very\nmuch at all.\nPersonally, I rarely use the Search feature of Windows XP and would much rather disable the\nIndexing Service and take the performance hit the one time every few months that I actually\ndo need to search for a file. In return, I get more free memory space that can be used for more\nuseful services and applications. Follow these steps if you rarely search for files and would like\nsome more free memory:\nFIGURE 10-9: Setting the Indexing Service to Disabled.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 269,
"text": "246\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n1. Click the Start Menu and select Run. Then key in services.msc in the box and click\nOK.\n2. This will start up the Services snap-in control, where you can manage all of the services\non the system. Look for the Indexing Service on the list, right-click it, and select\nProperties, as shown in Figure 10-8.\n3. Once you see Indexing Service Properties, click the Stop button, if the service is already\nrunning. Then, click the Startup Type drop-down box and select Disabled, as shown in\nFigure 10-9.\n4. Click the OK button and you are finished!\nNow you don’t have to worry about the Indexing Service using any more of your memory.\nSummary\nThe things you have done to your computer in this chapter may make seemingly minor\nchanges to the performance of your computer, but these hacks do work and you will benefit\nfrom them. Tweaking the file system settings, removing unneeded delays, fine-tuning the visual\nsettings, and getting rid of seldom-used or never-used services are all valuable skills to have\nwhen you are trying to make your computer run at top performance.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 270,
"text": "Speeding Up Your\nComputer\nT\nhe last three chapters have all been about speeding up your\ncomputer. Chapter 8 discussed speeding up the boot; Chapter 9\nexamined speeding up the startup; and Chapter 10 explored hacks\nthat will make your computer more responsive. Now, Chapter 11 will show\nyou several cool hacks and tips that will speed up your computer even\nfurther by increasing the performance of your applications.\nTo do so, you will be working with the many different parts of the operating\nsystem that affect the speed of your applications. The amount of memory\nthe system has, how the system is using that memory, the location of the\nfiles on the hard disk, and system performance-enhancing features are all\nfactors that influence the performance of your applications.\nThis chapter will guide you through the steps of optimizing all of these\nfactors so that your system will be running in top shape.\nWorking with the Windows Prefetcher\nWhat is the Prefetcher? It is a very nifty component of Windows XP that\ncan seemingly read your mind and will start loading your program seconds\nbefore you actually start it to boost the startup of the application.\nAlthough the Prefetcher keeps track of the applications that you run,\ncreates optimized copies of them, and stores them in a special cache on your\ncomputer, this special cache is simply a location on your hard disk that has\nno, or very few, file fragments and stores application setting files. The next\ntime you start your program, Windows will load it out of the Prefetcher\ncache, which is what causes the application to start up quicker.\nIf you really want to investigate this matter further, take a look at the\nPrefetcher cache. It is located in the Windows directory inside the\nPrefetcher folder. You will notice that the cache does not have an exact copy\nof each application because the files are a fraction of the size of the actual\napplication executable file. Rather, it just has fragments of applications that\nare used to boost the performance of the startup.\n\u0002 Hacking the\nPrefetcher\n\u0002 Intel Application\nAccelerator\n\u0002 Working with the\nPaging File\n\u0002 Defragmenting\n\u0002 Adjusting Priorities\n\u0002 Speeding Up Your\nNetwork and\nInternet Connection\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 271,
"text": "248\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nThe Windows Prefetcher is the same Prefetcher that was discussed previously in Chapter 8\nwith the boot defrag. The Prefetcher constantly monitors what applications you are running,\neven during parts of the bootup. That information is then passed on to help the disk defrag-\nmenter optimize the boot files.\nThe Prefetcher is a very complex component. The majority of the settings can be changed by\nhacking the registry; however, due to a lack of documentation on these settings, changing them\nwithout any guidance would be very risky. Thankfully, a few tips have surfaced in the vast doc-\numentation buried at Microsoft’s site and revealed in Microsoft’s applications.\nThe paragraphs that follow will explore some of these.\nHacking the registry to optimize the Prefetcher\nLocated inside the System Registry are the settings for the Prefetcher component of Windows\nXP. Several different settings can be changed, such as the mode that the Prefetcher is running\nin, the number of items that are tracked by the Prefetcher, and where the Prefetcher cache is\nlocated. Several more can be manipulated, as shown in Figure 11-1.\nAlmost all of these settings are not published in documentation available to the public. The\nonly setting that Microsoft has said anything about is the EnablePrefetcher setting. Some users\nof Windows XP were having trouble with the Prefetcher, which caused problems with certain\nFIGURE 11-1: Registry Editor displaying the Prefetcher settings.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 272,
"text": "249\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nunknown applications, so Microsoft released information on how to disable the Prefetcher.\nAlso, around the same time, information became available on how to disable or enable certain\nparts of the Prefetcher.\nThe Prefetcher can be either disabled or set to optimize the boot only, to optimize applications\nonly, or to optimize both applications and the boot. By default, the Prefetcher is set to optimize\nboth. This default mode sounds like it is the best one for all users, but some people have dis-\ncovered better performance by experimenting with the different modes. To change the modes\nof the Prefetcher, follow these steps:\n1. Start the Registry Editor by clicking the Start Menu and then selecting Run. In the text\nbox, type regedit, then click the OK button.\n2. This will load the Registry Editor. Once it has loaded, expand HKEY_LOCAL\n_MACHINE.\n3. Expand SYSTEM.\n4. Expand ControlSet001.\n5. Expand Control next.\n6. Now you will see Session Manager. Expand that as well.\n7. Because you will be changing the setting for memory, expand Memory Management.\n8. Finally, open PrefetchParameters and you will see all of the Prefetcher settings.\n9. Locate the EnablePrefetcher doubleword value and right-click it and select Modify, as\nshown in Figure 11-2.\n10. Once the Edit DWORD Value box is shown, update the number with the correspond-\ning number. Which number you use depends on how you want the Prefetcher to act.\nRefer to Table 11-1 for all of the options and their meanings for this value.\n11. Click the OK button after you have updated the value and restart your computer.\nExperiment with these different settings on your computer to see which ones work best for\nyou. I highly recommend that you do not disable your boot prefetch, as the prefetch informa-\ntion used by this mode is also used in other parts of the operating system to improve speed. For\nexample, it is used by the boot defrag, which is discussed in Chapter 8.\nFeel free to experiment with other settings, such as AppLaunchMaxNumPages,\nAppLaunchMaxNumSections, BootMaxNumPages, and BootMaxNumSections. I would leave\nall of the other settings alone because they are all in hexadecimal format, which can be difficult\nto work with. But make sure that before you do any tampering, you use system restore to create\na restore point so that any problems that you may cause can be easily undone.\nAccelerate specific applications with prefetch\nHow the prefetch system operates is often mysterious. Much about the technology is undocu-\nmented, so the general public does not know much about it. Sometimes the only way we find\nout about features of the operating system is when Microsoft uses them. One example of this\n"
},
{
"page_number": 273,
"text": "250\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nis with the release of Windows Media Player 9.0. On top of all of the new multimedia tech-\nnologies that this release brought to Windows was an insight into the unknown world of the\nPrefetcher. Hidden away in the shortcut to the application in the Start Menu was an applica-\ntion flag that appears to be an option flag for the Windows Prefetcher system.\nWhat does the shortcut look like? C:\\Program Files\\Windows Media Player\\\nwmplayer.exe” /prefetch:1.\nFIGURE 11-2: Registry Editor EnablePrefetcher DWORD options.\nTable 11-1\nEnablePrefetcher Options\nValue\nMeaning\n0\nPrefetching Disable\n1\nApplication prefetch only\n2\nBoot prefetch only\n3\nPrefetch both (Default value)\n"
},
{
"page_number": 274,
"text": "251\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nThe /prefetch:1 flag does not appear in any documentation released by Microsoft. The only\nway to investigate what this flag does is to experiment.\nBecause I am a very curious person, I tried to apply this flag to all of the popular programs that\nI use. When doing so, I noticed an increase in loading time during the second application\nlaunch, even after a reboot. It is clear that this flag positively affects the loading time of an\napplication. How it does this is unknown, and will remain unknown unless Microsoft decides\nto share with us the inner workings of the Prefetcher.\nDuring my experimentation, I have found that this option flag does not work on all applications.\nThe applications that it does not work on tend to be programs that get the option flag confused\nwith a file that you want it to open. For example, when you type mspaint /prefetch:1 at the com-\nmand prompt, Microsoft Paint will open, giving you an error that it can’t load the prefetch bitmap\nfile because it thinks you are trying to send it a bitmap file to open. You will experience this prob-\nlem with other applications as well, but the vast majority of programs work well with the flag.\nI recommend that you play around with this flag and see if it helps your applications. If you are\nunclear how to add the flag, follow these steps:\n1. Locate the shortcut file that you are interested in modifying to use the prefetch flag.\n2. Right-click the Shortcut file and select Properties.\n3. Click at the end of the text in the Target textbox and type in /prefetch:1 or any variation\nof this that you would like to try, such as /prefetch:22. If your shortcut has quotes\naround the path to the program, place the option flag on the outside of the quotes, as\nshown in Figure 11-3.\n4. Click OK and that’s it.\nUnfortunately, no list is available of what programs will work with this and what programs will\nnot. If you load a program after modifying a shortcut and you get an error, just remove the\noption flag that you added and you will be back to normal.\nHow much improvement in loading time you observe will vary, depending on the speed of your\ncomputer, how your PC is configured, and the like, but it’s definitely worth a try.\nUsing the Intel Application Accelerator\nThe Intel Application Accelerator is a great program, released by Intel, that will boost the\nperformance of a user’s system by optimizing the flow of information between the CPU and\nthe storage devices. This improvement is accomplished by replacing the storage drivers that\ncome with Windows XP with drivers that are optimized for their motherboards. According to\nIntel, the Application Accelerator will eliminate the data storage system bottleneck on the\nmotherboard, which will allow the CPU to be more efficient and will speed up various aspects\nof the system.\nOn top of the bottleneck solution, which improves system performance, the Application\nAccelerator claims to increase application and even game performance because it will increase\n"
},
{
"page_number": 275,
"text": "252\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nthe speed of disk inputs and outputs. In other words, the applications and games can read and\nwrite data faster.\nAdditionally, the Application Accelerator is optimized for the Intel Pentium 4 processor, and it\ntherefore uses new high-speed Pentium 4 extensions to accomplish the high speeds. On top of\nthis, the Application Accelerator also promises to decrease your boot time. This seems to be a\nby-product of the elimination of the bottleneck and faster disk reads.\nBut that’s not all. The Intel application acceleration also includes 48-bit logical block\naddressing. That means that you can use hard disks larger than 137GB. In addition, the\nApplication Accelerator will automatically detect and optimize the transfer modes of your\nstorage devices as high as possible to ensure that your hardware is running at top speed.\nFIGURE 11-3: Shortcut properties with prefetch option added.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 276,
"text": "253\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nThe Intel Application Accelerator seems almost too good to be true. Did I mention that this\nutility is free too? Intel has made some very bold claims about their application. Are these\nclaims true? Find out by reading the next section.\nHow well does the Intel Application Accelerator work?\nThe Intel Application Accelerator works surprisingly well. I never thought that a software pro-\ngram could improve the performance of a computer so much. According to Intel performance\nbenchmarks, users of the Application Accelerator will significantly increase the speed of their\ncomputer. Intel tested the application accelerator by running the popular benchmark program\nWinbench99 on a machine with a 2.0 GHz P4 CPU. The score of the machine after installing\nthe Intel Application Accelerator was 34 percent faster than when the Application Accelerator\nwas not installed. Additionally, the boot time of the same computer was 58 percent faster after\nthe program was installed.\nThe Application Accelerator program actually works as promised. Searching the Web, you will\nfind hundreds of success stories for users that have installed the Application Accelerator with\nvery good results. Users have reported their applications starting up twice as fast as before, and\nhaving many seconds shaved off of their boot time.\nWhat are the system requirements?\nUnfortunately, the Intel Application Accelerator will only run on certain systems, and your sys-\ntem must meet the strict requirements for it to run without causing problems. After all, the\nreason why it works so well is because it can optimize the storage driver to work at peak perfor-\nmance for a specific motherboard.\nBasically, your PC must meet the following three different qualifications:\n1. Your PC must be running an Intel CPU: the Pentium II, III, IIII, as well as the Celeron-\nbased processors and Xeon series of processors. Sorry, AMD users.\n2. You must have the Intel Chipset Installation Utility installed, if your chipset requires it.\nVisit www.intel.com/support/chipsets/inf/inf.htm to view a table of moth-\nerboard chipsets that need to be installed. It your motherboard requires it to be installed for\nthe system to correctly identify your chipset, visit http://downloadfinder.intel\n.com/scripts-df/Product_Filter.asp?ProductID\u0002816 to download a copy.\n3. The last qualification to use the Intel Application Accelerator is that you must have a\nsupported motherboard chipset. Refer to Table 11-2 to see what chipsets are supported.\nIf you do not know what kind of chipset your motherboard has, Intel has a free utility that will\ndetect your chipset and display the model number for you. Visit www.intel.com/support/\nchipsets/inf/chipsetid.htm to download a copy of this utility.\nIf your chipset is not listed, then check the Intel Application Accelerator Web site, which is\nlocated at www.intel.com/support/chipsets/IAA/.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 277,
"text": "254\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nTable 11-2\nIntel Application Accelerator Compatibility\nChipset\nSupport\n440 \nNot Supported\n810\nSupported\n810E\nSupported\n810E2\nSupported\n810L\nSupported\n815\nSupported\n815E\nSupported\n815EM\nNot Supported\n815EP\nSupported\n815G\nSupported\n815EG\nSupported\n815P\nSupported\n820\nSupported\n820E\nSupported\n840\nSupported\n845\nSupported\n845E\nSupported\n845G\nSupported\n845GE\nSupported\n845GL\nSupported\n845GV\nSupported\n845PE\nSupported\n848P\nNot Supported\n850\nSupported\n850E\nSupported\n852GM\nNot Supported\n852GME\nNot Supported\n855GM\nNot Supported\n855GME\nNot Supported\n"
},
{
"page_number": 278,
"text": "255\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nAlso, if your chipset is not currently supported, there is always the chance that someday Intel\nmight add support.\nIf your chipset is listed on Table 11-2 as not supported and is also listed on the Intel Web page as\nnot supported, installing the Application Accelerator on your computer will result in big prob-\nlems. Doing so will screw up your computer so much that it will not boot. \nAdditionally, Intel Application Accelerator has been confirmed by Intel to work with Windows\nXP SP1 Home/Pro. Windows XP SP2 Home/Pro has not yet been officially confirmed to\nwork on supported Intel hardware but it is still worth giving it a try. Just make sure that you are\nusing system restore to make backups so that you can easily revert to your previous settings.\nHow to install Intel Application Accelerator\nInstalling the Intel Application Accelerator is very simple. This cool application will be\nrunning on your computer in no time if you just do the following:\n1. Visit http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/Product_Filter\n.asp?ProductID\u0002663 to download a copy of the Application Accelerator.\n2. Then once you have the file downloaded, install the application by following the\nonscreen directions.\n3. After the install is completed, reboot, and the Application Accelerator will be installed\nand running.\nIf you have a laptop that has a supported chipset, you should be aware that in the recent version\nof the Intel Application Accelerator, version 2.3, support for mobile devices was removed. You\nwill have to install version 2.2.2 instead.\nFine-Tuning the Windows Paging File\nThe Windows paging file, also known as the swap file and virtual memory, is very important to\nthe operation of the operating system. Providing a critical memory feature by allowing the\nChipset\nSupport\n855MP\nNot Supported\n860\nSupported\n865G\nNot Supported\n865P\nNot Supported\n865PE\nNot Supported\n875P\nNot Supported\n"
},
{
"page_number": 279,
"text": "256\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\noperating system to use more random access memory (RAM) than the computer actually has\nallows users to use more robust programs without having to upgrade their memory.\nThe paging file can be thought of as a large file on the hard disk that is a collection of system\nmemory used by open applications and operating system components. As more and more\napplications are started, the amount of free space in the system memory, the RAM, decreases\nand can eventually be completely used up. When a user starts a program and the RAM used is\nfull, the operating system still loads an application into memory. Before it can do that, it must\nfirst make room, and so it pushes a page of low-priority memory out of the RAM and into the\npaging file.\nThe exact method that the system uses to decide what programs will stay in the physical RAM\nand what programs will go is unknown. However, there are several paging file hacks that will\nhelp you optimize your computer’s use of the paging file. With the help of hacks to the System\nRegistry, you can prevent certain files from being pushed into the paging as well as completely\ndisabling the paging file.\nThis next section will guide you through the steps of optimizing the paging file for your\ncomputer.\nDisabling the paging file\nUsers of computers with a large amount of RAM have the ability to stop the operating system\nfrom pushing any data out into the paging file. This will allow for the faster memory manage-\nment and memory access that is physically possible for your RAM. Reading and writing\ndirectly to the RAM is always significantly faster than having to use the page file. Reading and\nwriting to the paging file requires multiple steps and that takes time. Moreover, reading from\nthe hard drive is nowhere as fast as reading from the RAM.\nIf your system has a large amount of RAM, over 1 gigabytes, then you can consider disabling\nthe paging file. If you have less than 1 gigabyte of RAM, do not even consider disabling the\npaging file or else you will be running into problems.\nWhat can happen if you disable your paging file? If you have enough RAM, then nothing.\nBut if you do not have enough RAM, then if you run a large program such as Photoshop and\nare working on a large image, you will run into “out of memory” errors and the application\nwill crash, causing you to lose all of your work. This is a pretty extreme example, but it can\nhappen.\nBasically, stick to the 1 gigabyte minimum and you will have no problems. But be aware that if\nyou ever choose to run some memory-intensive applications, such as rendering a two-hour 3D\nmovie, you could run out of memory easily.\nSo, now that I have warned you, you are ready to follow these steps to disable the paging file:\n1. Enter System Properties, either by right-clicking the My Computer icon on the desktop\nand selecting Properties or by doing the same to the My Computer icon in the Start\nMenu.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 280,
"text": "257\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\n2. Once the System Properties window has loaded, click the Advanced tab and then click\nthe Settings button under Performance, as shown in Figure 11-4.\n3. Once you are in the performance options, click the Advanced tab again.\n4. Click the Change button that is located under the Virtual Memory section.\n5. This will load the Virtual Memory screen. Locate and select the No Paging File radio\nbutton, as shown in Figure 11-5, under the Paging File Size for Selected Drive section.\n6. Click the Set button and then click OK three times and you are finished. After you\nreboot, your page file will be disabled.\nFIGURE 11-4: System Properties Advanced Settings.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 281,
"text": "258\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nFeel free to delete the pagefile.sys file from your hard drive after you reboot to claim\nsome extra few hundred megabytes of free space.\nIf you do not have enough RAM to disable the paging file completely, follow the directions in\nthe next section to adjust the size of the paging file for best performance.\nAdjusting the size of the paging file\nThe size of the page file can automatically be set by the system or it can be set by the user. In\nsome situations, having the page file managed by the system is a good idea, but in others, it is\nbetter to manage the paging file yourself.\nThe biggest argument for setting the paging file size and limit manually is to eliminate the\ngrowing on the page file when it is set by the system. When the system is managing the size of\nthe paging file, it will monitor the size of the file and will then automatically make it larger\nFIGURE 11-5: Virtual Memory No Paging File option.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 282,
"text": "259\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nwhen it is needed. This causes two problems. First of all, it causes a noticeable delay for all\napplications running on your computer because the computer has to expand the paging file and\nthis is a hard disk–intensive operation. Secondly, allowing the system to grow and shrink the\npaging file causes fragmentation errors.\nFor the sake of having enough speed, your page file should not have any file fragments. In the\nnext section on defragmenting, you will learn exactly how to do this. But before the defrag-\nmentation can be successful, the page file needs to have a constant size. If the page file will be\ngrowing frequently, and because the defrag utility has no clue by how much, it cannot put the\nfile in a place on the hard disk so that it will never get fragmented, as is the case when you set\nthe page file manually to Constant Size.\nSetting the paging file to a constant size does have some disadvantages. For example, the lost\ndisk space taken up by the paging file can be as high as 1 gigabyte. Additionally, when you set\nthe maximum paging file size manually, you are setting a limit that your computer can never go\nabove. Should you run some extremely memory-intensive application and your limit is too low,\nyour paging file will fill up and you will be out of luck.\nThe previous example is why setting the correct paging file size is so important. A real easy way\nto calculate the maximum size of your page file will be to take the recommended size of the\npage file from the Virtual Memory Settings window, as shown in Figure 11-6, and multiply it\nby 2.5. If you are having problems finding where your computer states the recommended size,\nperform the following steps for changing the paging file to a constant size, because this value is\non the same screen as that on which you will be working.\nNow that you are ready to optimize the paging file to a constant size, follow these steps:\n1. Get inside the System Properties again. Do so by right-clicking one of the My\nComputer icons that is either in the Start Menu or the desktop and selecting Properties.\n2. Next, click the Advanced tab and click the Settings button under the Performance\nsection.\n3. On the Performance Options window, click the Advanced tab and then click the Change\nbutton under the Virtual Memory section.\n4. This will bring up all of the page file settings. Once this information is shown, you will\nwant to modify the custom values so that the initial and maximum sizes are the same.\nEnter in the value that you calculated in these two boxes, as shown in Figure 11-7. If you\nhave not yet calculated what your size should be, you will find the recommended size on\nthe bottom of this window, as was shown in Figure 11-5.\n5. Click the Set button and then click OK three times to close all of the windows and save\nyour settings.\nOnce you restart, you will be using the new constant size paging file. You are now ready to run\nyour defragmenter to defragment the paging file to ensure optimal performance.\nBe aware: The method that I use to calculate the size of the constant paging file is a very con-\nservative approach. I figure it would be better to be safe than sorry. The method of calculating\nthe size is an effective one. However, if you feel the need for more free disk space, feel free to\n"
},
{
"page_number": 283,
"text": "260\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nplay around with the calculation, such as only multiplying the recommended amount by 2 or\nmaybe even 1.5. Although if you do that, keep in mind that you will be increasing your chances\nof maxing out your paging file.\nChanging the location of the paging file\nThe paging file can be placed all over your machine. If you really wanted to, your PC could\nmove it to one of those keychain USB thumb drives that use a compact flash card. Although\nthis would be insane because compact flash cards are extremely slow compared to hard drives, it\nis possible.\nIf you have multiple hard drives in your system, and I am not talking about multiple partitions\non the same drive, you may see a performance increase if you move your paging file off the\nmain system drive.\nFIGURE 11-6: Virtual Memory settings, showing the recommended\nPaging File Size.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 284,
"text": "261\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nMoving the paging file off your main drive will allow it to be accessed faster in situations in\nwhich your primary hard drive is busy. Also, often when users add hard drives to their comput-\ners, they were purchased after their computer was made and usually are faster because hard\ndrives, just like everything else in the computer, get faster as time passes. Moving your paging\nfile to the faster hard drive will also help performance.\nChanging the location of the paging file is very easy. Just follow these steps and you will have it\ndone in no time:\n1. Once again, you will want to get back to the Virtual Memory settings. If you can get\nthere on your own, feel free to skip to step 4. For those of you that would like directions\none more time, follow this and the next two steps. Right-click the My Computer icon\nlocated on the desktop in the Start Menu and select Properties.\n2. Then click the Advanced tab and click the Settings button under the Performance section.\nFIGURE 11-7: Virtual Memory settings, showing a constant paging file setup.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 285,
"text": "262\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n3. Next, click the Advanced tab and then click the Change button under the Virtual\nMemory section.\n4. Now that you have the Virtual Memory settings displayed, you will want to select the\ndrive on which your current paging file is located from the list of drives, as shown in\nFigure 11-8.\n5. Before you make any changes, write down what the initial and maximum size text boxes\ncontain, if your page file is set to the custom setting. Then, click the No Paging File\noption and click the Set button.\n6. Select the hard drive on which you want your new paging file to be placed from the list\nof drives (see Figure 11-8) by clicking it.\n7. When the new hard drive is highlighted, click the Custom Size radio box and enter in\nthe number that you wrote down before. If you are not using the Custom Size mode,\nFIGURE 11-8: Virtual Memory Drive setting.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 286,
"text": "263\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nthen click the System Managed Size mode but reconsider what was talked about in the\nlast section, because it will really help your performance.\n8. Click the Set button and then click OK three times to close all of the settings windows,\nand you are finished.\nAfter a reboot, your system will be using the paging file on the new hard drive. Feel free to\ndelete pagefile.sys from your old hard drive location because it is no longer needed there.\nDefragmenting Your Drive\nFragmentation is everything when it comes to maintaining your hard drive. Over time, as your\nhard drive fills up and you install and uninstall programs and games, the files on your hard\ndrive can become fragmented, as Windows has to find open spots on your hard drive to place\nthe file. Often the file is broken up into thousands of little pieces and scattered all over the hard\ndrive. This cannot cause any significant problems for your computer, but it can cause a notice-\nable performance slowdown, which can be easily cured by running a software program known\nas a defragmenter.\nDefragmenters do a very simple task of just moving the bits of the files around on the hard\ndrives so that they are all placed together. This arrangement allows the hard drive to load a file\nfaster because the head, which is the arm that reads the data off the plates inside the drive, does\nnot have to scatter all over the place to read the data.\nIn Chapter 8, I discussed using several utilities to defragment the boot files. The same utilities\ncan be used to defragment the whole drive as well as the special files. This next section will\nconcentrate on two of those special files because defragmenting the whole drive is done at the\nsame time.\nDefragmenting the Windows paging file\nThe Windows paging file can be quite large, as you know from the previous sections. Once you\nhave created a constant size paging file, or if you just want to defragment the paging file, you\ncan defragment the file during the next system boot. Windows will not allow any program to\nmove the paging file around on the hard drive when the operating system is in use. The main\nreason why Windows does not allow this is because other programs are running in the back-\nground as well as operating system services that will depend on the paging file. This is why the\ndefragmentation can only be done during the boot, because very few files are in use then.\nThe built-in Windows XP defragmenter does not defragment the paging file during a normal\ndefrag. Microsoft has a workaround for this limitation. It tells users to do a normal defrag first,\nthen after the free space is consolidated, to delete the paging file by disabling it and then re-\ncreating it right after a fresh defrag. Doing so will cause the operating system to create one big,\ncontinuous file on the hard drive.\nThere is nothing wrong with Microsoft’s approach, since it will accomplish the task, but there\nis an easier way to do this. I recommend that, if you have not already done so, you download\n"
},
{
"page_number": 287,
"text": "264\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nthe disk defragmenter utility called Diskeeper, by Executive Software\n(www.executive.com), which was discussed in Chapter 8. All you have to do in order to\ndefragment the paging file is to run a boot defrag. By default, the option to defragment the\npaging file is already set. If you do not remember how to do a boot defrag, go back to Chapter\n8 and review the step-by-step instructions in the section Boot time system defrag with Diskeeper.\nDefragmenting the NTFS master file table\nThe master file table, or MFT, is very important to the operation of the file system on your\ncomputer. Think of it as a phone directory of all the files on your computer. It is a big database\nof every file on your computer and it is stored on the hard drive. As the number of files and\ndirectories on your computer increase, so does the master file table. Over time, the master file\ntable can also become fragmented. Because the master file table is so important to computer\noperations, it is used any time you want data from the hard drive. Defragmenting it will help\nyour performance.\nThe built-in defragmenter will not defragment the MFT. Microsoft recommends that you\nadjust the amount of space that is reserved for the MFT, then back up your drive, and then do a\nfull reformat and then restore your whole drive. This seems like way too much effort expended\nto me. Once again, Diskeeper by Executive Software comes to the rescue. Also, by default, when\nyou perform a boot defrag, the option to defragment the master file table is already selected.\nUsing the Diskeeper method, instead of the Microsoft method, will save you hours of time\nwasted backing up and restoring your drive.\nAdjusting Your Application Priorities\nEver since the introduction of the multitasking processor, operating systems have been able to\nhandle running multiple programs at once using the new task switching and segmentation fea-\ntures provided by the CPU. These new technologies are what made it possible for an operating\nsystem like the Windows series to be made. Even though PCs nowadays are able to multitask,\nthey really only can do one thing at a time. In order for the operating system to support run-\nning hundreds of applications at once, it has to slice up all of the available processing time and\ngive each application a turn.\nOperating systems use a variety of techniques to determine which application will get the next\navailable slot to use the CPU. One of the factors that determines this for Windows XP is the\npriority level at which the application is running.\nEvery application that runs on your computer has a priority level attached to its runtime\nrecord. By default, the operating system starts each application at normal priority, which is\nright in the middle of the priority spectrum. Applications can run and be assigned six different\npriority levels ranked highest to lowest: real time, high, above normal, normal, below normal,\nand low. Because the CPU can only do one thing at a time, the different priority levels allow\nthe operating system to decide which application will get the next CPU burst. If an application\nis running at high or above normal priority level, it will get more CPU time than an applica-\ntion running at normal.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 288,
"text": "265\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nAs you can see, the priority you give an application can impact how fast the program runs.\nUsing Task Manager to adjust priorities\nThe Windows Task Manager is something that we all have experience with when we have\nproblems with a frozen program. The Task Manager is actually a very useful utility, as was dis-\ncussed in Chapter 7. Another use of the Task Manager is to change the priority at which an\napplication is running while it is running. The Task Manager makes it possible to dynamically\nchange the priority of application. This capability can be very useful when you have a lot of\nprograms running on your computer.\nSetting any application to real time can be dangerous, because doing so will allow the application\nto hog all of the CPU time and will make exiting a program that is running at this high priority\nimpossible, if for some reason it crashes. Because the program is hogging all of the CPU time, it\ntakes a very long time to just load the Task Manager to end the application. \nIf you have a program that is doing a lot of CPU-intensive operations, such as rendering a\nvideo clip or a game, you can adjust the priority of the application by following these steps:\n1. Load the Task Manager by clicking the Start Menu and selecting Run. Then type\ntaskmgr.exe in the text box and click the OK button.\n2. Once Task Manager loads, click the Processes tab.\n3. Right-click the name of the process for which you would like to adjust the priority, select\nSet Priority, and then select the level, as shown in Figure 11-9.\n4. After you click the priority level, your change is complete.\nIf your computer has multiple processors or supports hyperthreading, then you will notice an\nextra option when you right-click a process called Set Affinity. This option will allow you to spec-\nify on which CPU the application will run (or which virtual CPU, in the case of hyperthreading\nusers).\nUsing the Task Manager to change the priority levels is great. However, there is one downside.\nWhen an application on which you have altered its priority level is closed, the priority level it\nwas running at will be lost. The next time the program is started up, it will be running back at\nthe default level. This can be a real annoyance for some users; however, there is a great trick to\nfix this problem, which will be shown in the next section.\nStarting applications with a user set priority\nUsing a wonderful command built into Windows XP allows you to start any program and\nspecify what priority it should be run at. This cool utility is called the Start command. Using\nthe Start command with priority flags, followed by the executable, will allow any program to\nstart at the priority level at which you want it to start.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 289,
"text": "266\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nFor the sake of demonstrating how to use the command, assume that the calculator is set at\nhigh CPU priority. Follow these steps to set the command:\n1. First, open Notepad so that you can type in the command so that it can be turned into a\nbatch script file. This can be done by starting Notepad from the Accessories item in the\nStart Menu’s All Program entry.\n2. Once Notepad is open, key in start /high calc.exe. If you want to start the calculator at a\ndifferent priority, you can replace /high with /low, /normal, /realtime/, /abovenormal,\nand /belownormal.\n3. Once you have the priority level keyed in, click the File menu bar item in Notepad and\nselect Save As. Change the file Save As Type to All Files and type launchcalc.bat in the\nfilename box. You can call the file anything you want, but make sure that it has the\n.bat file extension so that Windows knows to execute the commands in the file.\n4. Then specify a location on your hard drive to save it, such as your Desktop, and click the\nSave button. You are now finished and may exit Notepad.\nFIGURE 11-9: Task Manager adjusting application priorities.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 290,
"text": "267\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nNow that you have the batch command file created, just double-click the file to launch the\ncalculator application at the high-priority level.\nThe same technique can be applied to any program on your computer. Instead of typing calc.exe\nat the end of the command, type the name of the executable of the program that you want to\nstart. Additionally, this command can be used on nonexecutable files such as documents.\nFor example, you can type in start /high mydocument.doc and it will start Microsoft Word in\nhigh priority with your document opened.\nUsing WinTasks to profile your priorities\nAnother great utility, made by LIUtilities, is called WinTasks Pro. This utility is like the\nWindows Task Manager, but on steroids. It offers tons of new features that the Windows Task\nManager does not have, such as the ability to see individual CPU and memory graphs for each\napplication, scripting capabilities that allow the user to set up triggers based on CPU and\nmemory activity for each application, and most importantly, the ability to have preset profiles\nfor application priority levels. Also, on top of these features, it has built-in information about\nquite a few commonly known processes to help users figure out each process that is listed\nbecause they are often not easily identified by the process name.\nThe ability to have a profile for your open application priority levels enables you to automatically\nchange the priority of several applications at the click of one button.\nWinTasks 4 professional can be downloaded from www.liutilities.com/support/\ndownloads/. Download a copy now and install it if you would like to follow along with these\nsteps, which will guide you through creating a profile of your priorities:\n1. Start WinTasks by clicking the Start button, expanding All Programs, and selecting\nStart WinTasks from the WinTasks folder.\n2. When WinTasks is loaded, you will see a list of all of the different processes running on your\ncomputer. You can adjust the priority at which each process is running by right-clicking the\nprocess and then selecting either Increase or Decrease Priority. Go ahead and change the pri-\norities of all of the applications that you have running to what you would like them to be.\n3. When you are satisfied with all of your priority changes and are ready to create a profile\nof them, click the little key icons in the Presets toolbar, as shown in Figure 11-10.\n4. Type in a name to save the state of all of the priorities, as in the Save Preset window, and\npress OK.\n5. Next to the key icon that you pressed, you will notice the name showing up in the button\nto the right of it. Every time you press this button, it will reset all of the priorities to\nwhat you changed them to for this preset.\n6. Repeat the previous steps, changing the priority levels for each application to a different\nvalue, and then click a different key icon to save the new preset again.\nNow that you have multiple presets of application priority levels, you can easily switch between\nthem by clicking the buttons.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 291,
"text": "268\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nThe capability to create separate presets of priority levels for different applications allows you\nto optimize certain programs, depending on what you are doing. For example, you can create a\nprofile for your processes when you want to play a game. To do that, you could decrease the\npriority of many of the system processes and applications running in the background so that a\ngame running at normal or higher priority will have more CPU time.\nLower the priorities of all of the other background applications, such as your instant messaging\nprograms and other programs that run in the background. This will allow your game to run\nfaster, because these other background applications will have a lower priority.\nSpeeding Up Your Network\nThe speed of your network connection does not just depend on the speed of your hardware.\nWindows is an operating system that is designed to work on a variety of different hardware and\nnetwork setups. Because of the abstract nature of the operating system, it cannot be optimized\nfor user-specific hardware setups.\nDepending on the type of network connection you have, you might be able to tweak your\nconnection so that the speed of your Internet, as well as your local area network, will be faster.\nFIGURE 11-10: WinTasks Professional Presets save icon.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 292,
"text": "269\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nBy hacking the System Registry and editing the TCP/IP parameters, you can fine-tune the\nvalues to take advantage of the more reliable, faster Internet connections, such as DSL and\ncable.\nThese next sections will guide you through the steps of increasing both the speed of your local\narea network and your Internet connection.\nIncreasing network browsing speed\nDoes your computer slow down when you browse your local area network and connect to other\ncomputers that are sharing data? One of the most common causes of this slowdown is a feature\nof Windows Explorer that looks for scheduled tasks on remote computers. This effort can take\nsome time on some computers and can really slow down your browsing. The window with\nwhich you are browsing the network may appear to freeze momentarily, as the system is wait-\ning for a response from the remote computer.\nAlthough this problem is a complex one, the solution is very simple. Instead of having to wait\nfor the remote scheduled tasks, which is useless information to anyone who is not a system\nadministrator remotely configuring scheduled tasks, you can disable this feature.\nIn order to do this, you will have to hack the System Registry and delete a reference to a key so\nthat this feature will not be loaded. To do this, follow these steps:\n1. Open up the Registry Editor by clicking the Start Menu and selecting Run. Then type\nregedit in the text box and click the OK button.\n2. Once the Registry Editor has loaded, expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key.\n3. Next, expand Software and then Microsoft.\n4. Locate Windows and expand that as well.\n5. You will want to be editing the main system files, so expand CurrentVersion.\n6. Because this feature is a feature of the Windows component known as Explorer, expand\nthe Explorer key.\n7. Next, you will want to modify the remote computer settings, so expand the\nRemoteComputer key and then expand the NameSpace key to show all of the features\nthat are enabled when you browse to a remote computer.\n8. In the NameSpace folder you will find two entries. One is “{2227A280-3AEA-1069-\nA2DE-08002B30309D}” which tells Explorer to show printers shared on the remote\nmachine. The other, “{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF},” tells Explorer\nto show remote scheduled tasks. This is the one that you should delete. This can be done\nby right-clicking the name of the key and selecting Delete.\nIf you have no use for viewing remote shared printers and are really only interested in shared\nfiles, consider deleting the printers key, “{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}”, as\nwell. This will also boost your browsing speed.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 293,
"text": "270\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nOnce you have deleted the key, you just need to restart and the changes will be in effect. Now\nyour network computer browsing will be without needless delays.\nAn undo file for this hack can be found on the companion CD in the Chapter 11 folder called\nremote_tasks_undo.reg. \nDisabling unneeded protocols\nWith every computer comes programs installed that you do not need. As with extra programs tak-\ning up space, extra protocols are just wasting your network connection and can actually slow it\ndown. How is this possible? By default, a few different protocols are installed on your computer to\nallow for maximum compatibility with other computers on a network; these protocols each require\nbandwidth to operate. Most users will not use too many protocols, and their computers will use up\na portion of their connection as they respond and transmit information for these protocols.\nAdditionally, with extra protocols installed on your network adapter connected to the Internet,\nyou increase your risk of security-related problems. One of the most common risks for broad-\nband users is that they have the Client for Microsoft Networks networking protocol enabled on\ntheir connection. This protocol allows everyone in their neighborhood to connect to the users’\ncomputers and view any files that they may be sharing. This fact alone should be a good\nenough reason for you to turn off the extra protocols. But with them disabled, you will also save\na little bandwidth as well.\nViewing protocols on your network adapters\nViewing the protocols installed and active on your various network adapters is easy. Just follow\nthese quick steps and you will be viewing them in no time:\n1. Right-click the My Network Places icon on the desktop or in the Start Menu and select\nProperties. If the My Network Places icon is not in either of those locations, then go to\nthe Control Panel and click the Network Connections icon that is shown under the\nClassic view.\n2. Next, right-click the network adapter with which you want to view the network proto-\ncols and select Properties.\n3. This will bring up a list of the protocols installed as well as active on your adapter, as\nFigure 11-11 shows. The protocols that are installed but not active are indicated by the\nabsence of a check in the checkbox.\nDisabling a specific protocol\nNow that you have the list of installed and active protocols on your screen, you are ready to dis-\nable a protocol. To do so, just click the check box to remove the check. Then click the OK but-\nton and the protocol is no longer active on the network adapter.\nI highly recommend that you disable all protocols except for the TCP/IP protocol (also referred\nto as the Internet Protocol). Doing so will optimize your adapter for speed and security.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 294,
"text": "271\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nBe aware that if you remove the Client for Microsoft Networks protocol and the file-sharing\nprotocol, you will no longer be able to share your files. Additionally, you will no longer be able\nto connect to remote computers to view their shared files.\nAlso keep in mind that if you have multiple adapters in your machines, such as a wireless\nadapter, a wired network adapter, and a dialup modem, you will have to repeat the preceding\ninstructions for each adapter.\nTweaking your Internet connection for speed\nAlmost every computer user has different Internet connection conditions. Some users have\nvery high-speed connections, while others have slow connections. Some users have high-speed\nconnections using cable-based technologies, while others have high-speed connection through\nDSL-based technologies. On top of these differences, some are located farther away from\nFIGURE 11-11: Network adapter protocol list.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 295,
"text": "272\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\ntheir local network switching station than others and have a higher latency (delay) on their\nconnections because of the distance the data has to travel. All of these different connection\nconditions make every user unique.\nThe TCP/IP protocol settings can be optimized for best speed under each of these situations.\nBy default, Windows XP has these settings set in a “one size fits all” approach. As I mentioned\nearlier, Windows has to be abstract in certain areas because of its broad user base. Because of\nthis approach, many users can fine-tune their settings to be optimal for their connection condi-\ntions. Doing so will optimize the data transferred so your network connection will be more\nefficient, leading to high speeds.\nWith a little help from some fine online tools and software programs, you can test your\nInternet connection and decide what needs fine-tuning. The process of tweaking your Internet\nconnection is not always easy, but it is doable.\nBefore going any further, you are strongly advised to create a system restore point, so that if\nthings go wrong, which is not very likely, you will have a backup. \nThe next step in the tweaking process is to get all of the software that is needed. The main\nsoftware program that you will use is called CableNut, which is developed by CableNut\nSoftware and is available for free at www.cablenut.com. CableNut is a great program that\nallows users to edit their Internet settings easily. Visit their Web page and download and install\nthe latest copy.\nThe type of Internet connection that you have determines what you will have to do next.\nBecause the settings are the same for all 56K dialup connections, I have included a settings\nfile in the Chapter 11 folder on the companion CD-ROM, made from the calculator at\nwww.j79zlr.com/cablenutXP2k.php called 56K_Cablenut.ccs. If you have a 56K\ndialup connection, you can skip the next section about calculating the settings for\nCableNut and jump to the next section using the file from the CD-ROM. Skip to the next\nsection, Using CableNut to adjust settings, to find out how to apply the settings file to your\ncomputer.\nCalculating settings for CableNut\nOnce you have downloaded CableNut, you are ready to start getting information to use with\nthe program. The first value that you will need to calculate is the latency of your connection\nwhen it is active. To do this, you will use the trace route command built into Windows XP.\nFollow these steps to get the latency value to use for your connection:\n1. First, open up a Command Prompt window. This can be done by clicking the Start\nMenu and selecting Run. Then type cmd in the text box and click the OK \nbutton.\n2. Once Command Prompt is loaded, you are ready for the next part. Because you will need\nto test your connection when it is active, you will need to find something large to down-\nload that will run the duration of the test, which will be approximately 30 seconds. I\n"
},
{
"page_number": 296,
"text": "273\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nrecommend that you head over to www.microsoft.com/downloads and find some\nhuge file, such as the .NET SDK framework, which is over 100,000 KBs. For the test,\nyou want a file big enough so it will be downloading throughout the whole test. Those of\nyou on a dialup connection can pick a much smaller file than those on a high-speed con-\nnection.\n3. Once you have your download test file picked out, start the download and switch\nback to the Command Prompt window. In that window, type tracert www.tweakxp\n.com. During the test, you will see many times displayed in milliseconds. After the test\nfinishes, pick the highest time, as shown in Figure 11-12. This is the number that you\nwill use as your latency. Also, feel free to cancel the download after the test is finished.\nNow that you have the latency value calculated, you are ready to enter this information into a\ngreat online CableNut settings calculator written by Joe Zeiler, who is one of the talented\nmoderators at the TweakXP.com support forums. Open up your Web browser and visit\nwww.j79zlr.com/cablenutXP2k.php (the URL is case-sensitive!), then follow these\nsteps to get the values to enter into CableNut:\n1. Once you have opened up the site, the first part of using the settings calculator is to\nselect your connection type from the drop-down box.\n2. Next, you will have to do a little research and find out exactly what your upload and\ndownload speeds should be for your Internet connection. I had to contact Comcast, my\nISP, to find out the exact values, because the values are not always advertised. Once, you\nget those values, make sure that they are in kilobits per second and not kilobytes per sec-\nond (KB \u0002 kilobytes; Kb \u0002 kilobits), then enter them in the corresponding text boxes on\nthe Web page.\nFIGURE 11-12: Windows Trace route program displaying latency values.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 297,
"text": "274\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\n3. Enter the latency value that you calculated earlier into the latency text box on the Web\npage and then click the Calculate button.\n4. After you hit the Compute Settings button, scroll down and you will see the values that\nwere calculated. Now, you are almost done. Continue scrolling down until you see a but-\nton labeled CCS File Generator under the Cablenut setting files section. Click that but-\nton and a new window will pop up with some text in it. Make sure that you have any\npop-up blockers disabled when you are using the calculator.\n5. Use the mouse and select all of the text and numbers that are displayed in the pop-up\nwindow. Right-click the mouse and select copy to copy all of the text on the page to the\nclipboard.\n6. Now open up Notepad from the Accessories folder. In the blank Notepad window, paste\nthe contents of the clipboard by right-clicking the white background and selecting Paste.\n7. Once Notepad is displaying the information that you copied from the pop-up window,\nall that is left is to save the file in the CableNut format. To do this, click the File menu\nbar item and select Save As. Then in the Save As Type drop-down box, select All Files.\nKey in myCableNutSettings.ccs in the file name text box. Specify the Save location,\nsuch as the desktop, and click the Save button.\nYou are now finished with the calculations that will optimize your Internet connection. That\nwasn’t too hard now, was it?\nUsing CableNut to adjust settings\nNow that you have created your CableNut settings file, or will be using the 56K settings file,\nyou are ready to start using CableNut. Follow these steps to import the new optimized settings\ninto your system:\n1. Start up the CableNut application by opening the Start Menu and browsing to the\nCableNut folder and selecting the adjuster application.\n2. When CableNut has loaded, click the File menu bar item and select Open Custom\nSettings File. Navigate to where you saved your settings file, or if you are a 56K user, use\nthe file that is on the companion CD, called 56K_CableNut.ccs, and then click the Open\nbutton.\n3. Now you will see the information boxes for all of the different parameters filled with\nyour connection-specific information, as shown in Figure 11-13. The last step is to click\nthe Save to Registry button and you are finished. After you click the Save button, reboot,\nand your new settings will be in effect.\nAccording to www.j79zlr.com/cablenutXP2k.php, some of the CableNut settings can\ncause problems for a small amount of DSL customers. If you are experiencing network problems\nafter optimizing your connection, use System Restore to revert to your last restore point. You\nmay try the settings again, but blank out the MaxNormLookupMemory, MaxFreeTcbs,\nMaxHashTableSize, and FastSendDatagramThreshhold fields before applying. If you continue to\n"
},
{
"page_number": 298,
"text": "275\nChapter 11 — Speeding Up Your Computer\nhave problems, or if you have problems with the directions and still want to optimize your\nconnection, a great forum to get help on this topic is at www.broadbandnuts.com, or feel\nfree to visit the TweakXP.com support forum at www.tweakxp.com/forum/.\nSummary\nThis chapter focused on speeding up loading time and speeding up your network. Now you\nknow how to optimize your applications and some of the operating system settings, such as the\npaging file and your application priorities. You also know how to defragment not only the files\non your hard drive but also the paging file and the Windows master file table. On top of\nFIGURE 11-13: CableNut settings.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 299,
"text": "276\nPart II — Increasing Your System’s Performance\nfinding out about all sorts of intriguing performance hacks and tips, you also learned the steps\nto correctly optimize your Internet connection.\nYou are now finished with the second part of Hacking Windows XP. The next part of this book\nis completely dedicated to making Windows XP a more secure operating system and protecting\nyourself from the other type of hacker, the kind that tries to break into your computer.\nAdditionally, the next chapters will touch on the popular and troublesome topic of Spyware\nand will even touch on hacking Windows XP to maintain your privacy.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 300,
"text": "Chapter 12\nProtecting Your Computer\nfrom Intruders\nChapter 13\nFighting Spam, Spyware,\nand Viruses\nChapter 14\nProtecting Your Privacy\npart\nin this part\nSecuring Your \nSystem\n"
},
{
"page_number": 301,
"text": "278\nPart III — Securing Your System\n"
},
{
"page_number": 302,
"text": "Protecting Your\nComputer from\nIntruders\nC\nomputer security is one of the most important issues in the computer\nworld. With the number of viruses and other malicious software that\nprey on exploits in the Windows operating system increasing, you\nneed to take preventative measures to make sure that your computer does\nnot become infected.\nThe days of only having to worry about e-mail attachments and documents\non a floppy disk are over. Nowadays, viruses or worms actively seek out\ncomputers to infect without the computer user even doing anything.\nOnce a virus or worm has gained entry to a system, the invaded computer can\nturn into a virus distribution center. Often, the computer sends copies of the\nvirus to all of the people in its address book. Even worse, the infected com-\nputer may begin to scan a block of IP addresses (that is, computer addresses)\nto try to find more machines that it can infect. If your computer is not pro-\ntecting its connection to the Web, it is at increased risk of becoming infected.\nSo how do you protect your Internet connection? That topic is what this\nwhole chapter is about. You will learn how to test your computer and see\nhow vulnerable it actually is. Then, you’ll find out how you can use firewalls\nto build a “brick wall” around your computer. You’ll also learn how to turn\noff some unnecessary services to lower the risk of infection even further.\nAdditionally, you’ll discover how you can secure wireless network\nconnections, as they are growing so much in popularity.\nOnce you have your computer locked down from the outside, some connec-\ntions to your computer may still be open, which you do not want to close\ndown. Remote connections need to have certain ports open on your com-\nputer so that you can connect remotely to your computer. Additionally, if\nyou want to share files with other computers on your local network, then\nyou will want to leave the Client for Microsoft Networks unblocked.\nHowever, when you have openings in your computer’s security, you leave\nyourself vulnerable, allowing users to get in.To help combat that vulnerability,\nyou’ll learn about ways to use the various user accounts settings to assign\ncomplex passwords and permissions to users.\n\u0002 How Open is Your\nComputer?\n\u0002 Firewalls\n\u0002 Unneeded Services\n\u0002 Wireless Security\n\u0002 Controlling Access\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 303,
"text": "280\nPart III — Securing Your System\nHow Vulnerable Is Your System?\nOur computers are a vault of important information. You could have sensitive data on your\ncomputer that you do not want the whole world to see. Data such as family photos, personal\ndocuments, and financial information can be found on almost everyone’s computer. If a virus or\nan attacker connected to your computer remotely and gained access, that intruder could wipe\nout years of work and memories as well as steal sensitive personal information. This section will\nshow you how to test your computer and find out how vulnerable it really is. To do this, you’ll\nbe using a nifty online utility to test your Internet security. Then, proper security update proce-\ndures will be examined, so you can see if you are really doing what you should to ensure a\nsecure PC.\nTesting your Internet security\nPorts are the gateways inside your computer. When a computer program wants to communicate\nwith a remote computer, it makes a connection to the remote computer with a port, with which\nit can then talk to the computer. Each computer has thousands of ports—65,535 to be exact.\nThe different ports of a computer can be thought of as a bunch of different mailboxes. When a\nprogram wants to send data to a remote computer, it sends it to a specific port (mailbox) num-\nber. Then, provided that a program is on the remote computer that is set up to receive data at a\nparticular port (mailbox), the remote computer can then work with the data that it was sent.\nTheoretically, nothing is wrong with this scenario. In the real world, however, programs don’t\nalways work this way. Programs are not perfect, nor are they always efficient. Sometimes, they\nare sent data that they are not programmed to receive, which causes all kinds of program errors,\nincluding errors that can allow a remote attacker to connect and run commands on your com-\nputer. The technical name for data sent to a program that results in problems is exploit.\nBecause of errors in programs and the exploitation of the errors, you need to protect your com-\nputer. Even though you may have all the latest security patches installed, your computer will\nnot be protected forever. It is just a matter of time before someone figures out a new exploit\nand it starts to spread. Only after the fact is the patch usually developed and distributed.\nSo how do you protect yourself from future attacks? It is actually a very simple concept. There\nare a lot of open ports (mailboxes) on your computer that just don’t really need to be open to\nthe outside world. Why not close all ports except for one or two you absolutely need so that\nexploits can no longer get through because they never have a chance to connect to your com-\nputer? How do you close ports and protect your computer? Use a firewall, as shown in the\nFirewalls section found in the second half of this chapter.\nTo give you an idea of how open your computer really is to the outside world, I recommend\nthat you use one of the various online security screening tests that attempt to probe your\ncomputer to find weaknesses. The following is a list of sites that I feel do a good job of letting\nyou know how open your computer really is:\n\u0002 Symantec Security Check: http://security.symantec.com\n\u0002 Sygate Online Services: http://scan.sygate.com/\n"
},
{
"page_number": 304,
"text": "281\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\n\u0002 Gibson Research Shields Up: www.grc.com\n\u0002 DSL Reports: www.dslreports.com/scan\nVisit a few of these sites and follow their directions to scan your computer. You will be\npresented with a report that shows you the open doors that they found.\nUpdating your computer\nBecause programs are not perfect, they require updating. Windows XP is a great operating\nsystem; however, no operating system is perfect. In order to keep your machine secure and free\nof the latest exploits, you must update your computer regularly. Visiting the Windows Update\nWeb site (www.WindowsUpdate.com ) once every few months is not going to result in a\nsecure, up-to-date computer. Microsoft releases security updates monthly and emergency secu-\nrity updates whenever they are needed. The only way to stay on top of these updates is to check\nWindows Update daily, subscribe to the Microsoft Security Newsletter, or enable automatic\nupdates.\nWindows Update\nMicrosoft’s Windows Update Web site offers an easy way to view all of the updates that are\navailable for your computer. Microsoft releases both critical and features updates that\nupdate various software apps and add interesting new features to Windows XP. For example,\ncritical updates fix major security concerns, such as the widespread exploit for Windows XP\nknown as the W32.Blaster.Worm worm. This worm spread to other computers by using a\nvulnerability in a component of Windows known as RPC (remote procedure call). To fix\nthe security hole, Microsoft released a critical patch that fixed the security hole. Feature\nupdates update bugs and add new features to common Windows applications such as\nWindows Movie Maker. Using the Windows Update Web site is very easy too. Just key in\nwww.WindowsUpdate.com in your Web browser Address window, click Go, and you will\nbe there in no time.\nSecurity Newsletter\nThe Microsoft Security Newsletter is a great way to keep informed about all of the latest security\npatches that Microsoft releases. Receive an e-mail in your inbox every time Microsoft releases a\ncritical security patch. If you are a home user, visit www.microsoft.com/security/\nsecurity_bulletins/alerts2.asp for more information on the newsletter. On that page,\nMicrosoft also offers a more technical version of the Microsoft Security Newsletter that will not\nonly notify you of a critical security patch, but will also explain the full vulnerability. If you are an\nIT professional and want to know exactly what the patch is for, the technical version is for you.\nMicrosoft TechNet also offers a monthly newsletter that offers security news and advice. This\nis another great newsletter to subscribe to. It was primarily intended for IT professionals, but\nhome users may also find it useful if they are interested in a more technical approach. Visit\nwww.microsoft.com/technet/security/secnews/newsletter.htm for a copy of\nthe latest newsletter, as well as information on how to subscribe.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 305,
"text": "282\nPart III — Securing Your System\nAutomatic Updates\nWindows XP has a great Automatic Updates service. With the release of Service Pack 2, that\nservice is now even better. With the ability to set a specific time every day to check and install\nnew updates, you now can schedule a time for your computer to automatically check for and\napply updates so that you will not have to visit the Windows Update Web site manually.\nTurning on Automatic Updates is a great way to make sure your computer is up-to-date.\nHowever, it is a good idea to visit the Windows Update Web site every few months to make sure\nthat Automatic Updates is still working. If it is, then you should not see any critical updates avail-\nable when you visit the Web site. \nWorking with the Automatic Update settings is not a difficult task. Just right-click the My\nComputer icon located in the Start panel or on your desktop and select Properties. Then, click\nthe Automatic Updates tab and specify the setting that you want, and click OK to save your\nchanges. Figure 12-1 is a shot of the Automatic Updates screen, with the automatic download\nand install feature enabled. I selected 12:00 p.m. so my computer will automatically install new\nupdates when I am at lunch and not using my computer. Also, this is a time when it is pretty\nmuch guaranteed that my computer will be on.\nAs you can see from Figure 12-1, there also are settings to automatically download patches that\nthen prompt you to confirm the install as well as a feature that will just notify you of new patches.\nUnlike the technical security newsletter that was mentioned earlier, the notification of new updates\nwill just give you the basic information instead of all of the technical reasons for the update.\nUsers also have the ability to turn off Automatic Updates by selecting the last option on the\nAutomatic Update tab. You would have to be crazy to do this unless you plan on checking the\nWindows update Web sites daily or subscribing to the Microsoft Security Newsletter. The\nAutomatic Updates service does not consume a lot of system resources. The resources that it\ndoes consume are well worth it because of the invaluable service that Automatic Updates pro-\nvides.\nFirewalls\nYou now know that your computer is vulnerable to viruses and attackers from the Internet. You\nalso know that one way to help fight those attackers is to block access to your computer on all\nof the different ports, which can be gateways into your computer. How exactly to block all the\nports? Use a firewall. A firewall is a special application that acts like a brick wall that is protect-\ning all of the ports on your computer.\nWhen a remote computer attempts to access a computer on which a firewall has been installed,\nwhich is blocking the port on which the remote machine is trying to connect, it will not be able\nto connect and the data that was sent will be ignored and discarded. Depending on the way the\nfirewall is configured, when data is sent to a blocked port on your computer, the firewall will\neither respond to where the data was sent from with a message that the port is closed or it will\ndo nothing, giving your computer a stealth presence. Most firewall applications are set up by\ndefault to run in a stealth mode, which will provide the maximum amount of protection. Any\nremote computer trying to connect or send data to your computer with a firewall installed\n"
},
{
"page_number": 306,
"text": "283\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\nrunning in stealth mode will think that your computer has gone offline because it is not getting\nany response.\nFirewalls can be a very powerful security device. Windows XP benefits greatly from a firewall\nbecause it can lower, if not completely eliminate, the chance that your computer will be com-\npromised. This next section will show you how to use the new and improved firewall of Service\nPack 2 as well as two popular third-party firewall utilities.\nUsing the Windows firewall\nWindows XP has included a firewall—specifically, Internet Connection Firewall (IFC) software—\nsince the product was first shipped. Although the firewall has not been turned on by default, it\nFIGURE 12-1: Windows XP Service Pack 2 Automatic Updates settings.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 307,
"text": "284\nPart III — Securing Your System\nhas always been there. The original firewall was a basic one-way firewall that would block\nincoming traffic from the Web. One feature allowed users to open up ports so that they could\nstill use remote applications. This way, a user could protect all of the ports on the computer\nexcept one or two that they had set to remain open so that they could use a program such as\nremote desktop to connect to their computer from a different location.\nThe new version of the firewall included as part of Service Pack 2 has a bunch of new features\nthat makes use of a firewall even easier while the protection it provides your computer remains\nthe same.\nEnabling the Windows firewall\nThe new Windows firewall is usually disabled by default on any computers running Windows\nXP, including those that upgraded to Service Pack 2, unless your computer manufacturer has\nturned this feature on for you. If you want to use the built-in firewall to protect your computer,\njust follow these steps to enable it:\n1. Click the Start button and select Run. Key in firewall.cpl in the box and click OK.\n2. When the Windows Firewall settings window loads, just select On and click OK to save\nyour changes.\n3. Click OK once more to save the settings for the adapter, and the firewall will be activated.\nNow that you have the firewall set up, try using all of your common Internet applications. If\nyou find that some of them do not work, then you can configure the firewall to allow them to\npass through the firewall so that they can still be useful. Instant messaging programs can have\nproblems with firewalls when a remote user attempts to send you a file. Sending files often\nrequires the remote computer that is sending you the file to be able to connect to your com-\nputer. Because your firewall is designed to block all connections by default, you will have to\nconfigure it so that it will let certain applications work through the firewall. How to do so is\ndescribed in the next section.\nConfiguring the Windows firewall\nConfiguring the firewall to allow certain programs to work through it is not always the best\nthing to do, because it will expose your computer more to the outside world and increase \nyour risk of getting infected with something. However, in the short term or for an application\nthat you must use, you can make it work through the firewall. In the original version of the\nfirewall, the only possibility was to specify a port number to open. Now, it is much easier to\nmake an application work though the firewall. Instead of typing in a port number, users can\njust select the program on their computer that they want to have accessed through the firewall.\nThis capability makes the firewall configuration much more user-friendly. Additionally, in\nService Pack 2, Microsoft left in the old way to open up the firewall manually by entering in a\nport number, so that users still have total control if they really want it. The end result of these\ntwo methods is the same; the only difference is the ease of use for less experienced Windows\nXP users.\nUsing the new feature to open up holes in the firewall is pretty cool. Follow these steps to open\nup the firewall for a specific application:\n"
},
{
"page_number": 308,
"text": "285\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\n1. Open up Network Connections again by clicking the Start Menu and selecting Run.\nThen, type firewall.cpl in the box and click OK.\n2. When the Windows Firewall settings window loads, click the Exceptions tab.\n3. You will see a list of all of the different exceptions that are currently enabled, as signified\nby the check in the box. By default, a few applications will be enabled. I recommend that\nyou uncheck all of the entries unless you use them. If not, then you are just taking an\nunnecessary risk by leaving those doors open.\n4. If you want to add an application to the exception list so that it will be able to accept\nconnections and data from the outside world, such as an Instant Message program that\nwants to receive files from other users, just click the Add Program button.\n5. Select the name of the program from the list or click the Browse button on the Add a\nProgram window to select the executable of the application that you want to open to the\nworld.\n6. When you are finished selecting the program that you want to be able to access through\nthe firewall, click OK and it will appear on the list, as shown in Figure 12-2.\n7. Now that the program is on the list, just check the box next to the name to open up the\nfirewall for the application.\n8. Click OK to activate your new firewall settings.\nWindows Firewall also includes settings on how you want your computer to respond when\nseveral different standard Internet messages are sent to it. For example, one setting you can\nspecify is the ping command, which is a network command used to estimate turnaround time\nbetween sending data to a computer and receiving a response. All of these settings are found on\nthe Advanced tab by clicking the Settings button under the ICMP section. The screen is pretty\nstraightforward. If you want your computer to have a stealth presence on the Web, as I men-\ntioned earlier, you should uncheck all of the entries listed on the ICMP tab.\nUsing ZoneAlarm personal\nSeveral different software companies have released their own firewalls and protection utilities.\nOne of the oldest and most popular programs is called ZoneAlarm, by Zone Labs. ZoneAlarm\ncomes in two different flavors: a pro version, which is a two-way firewall plus a boatload of\nother features, and a free version that is just the basic two-way firewall. ZoneAlarm is a differ-\nent type of firewall than the firewall that is included with Windows XP and Windows XP\nService Pack 2. ZoneAlarm includes a special two-way firewall that not only blocks traffic that\nremote users are sending to your computer but also blocks traffic that your programs are trying\nto send out.\nNow, why would you want to block traffic that your computer is sending? Sometimes, people\nare concerned about their personal privacy and do not want their computer applications phon-\ning home to the developer’s Web site sending usage data, checking for updates, or validating\nlicenses. Additionally, it is nice to be able to control what applications have access to the\nInternet. If you let someone use your computer and they accidentally fell for some trick and\n"
},
{
"page_number": 309,
"text": "286\nPart III — Securing Your System\ninstalled software that turns out to be a Trojan (a program that allows others to mess with your\ncomputer), the Trojan will not be able to phone home to its creators, alerting them that your\ncomputer is now compromised.\nTwo-way firewalls, such as ZoneAlarm, will render such applications useless because they are\ncontained in an isolated box and are not able to access the Internet.\nZoneAlarm is a great application to play around with and see which of your applications are\ntrying to send data out to the Web. Follow these steps to get ZoneAlarm up and running on\nyour computer:\nFIGURE 12-2: Adding an application to the firewall Exceptions list.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 310,
"text": "287\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\n1. Visit ZoneAlarm’s Web site at www.zonealarm.com and download a copy. The free\nversion is a little hard to find. Your best bet is to look for “ZoneAlarm (free)” under\nDirect Links, found on the mid-right side of the page.\n2. Once you have ZoneAlarm installed and have followed the Getting Started wizard to\nget your computer’s policy configured, you are ready to start up ZoneAlarm.\n3. By default, certain applications, such as Internet Explorer, will always have access to the\nWeb. However, the first time you run a program that requires access to the Internet, such\nas Windows Messenger, you will be prompted with a message from ZoneAlarm, asking\nif you really want it to have access, as shown in Figure 12-3.\n4. Click Yes on the pop-up window to allow Windows Messenger to connect to the\nInternet. If you see a request such as the one shown in Figure 12-3 and do not know\nwhat the program is, click No and do a search on the Web to try to find out what that\nprogram does. If your search on the Web reveals that it could be spyware or adware, read\nChapter 13 to find out how to remove it.\nFIGURE 12-3: ZoneAlarm prompting about an Internet\naccess request.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 311,
"text": "288\nPart III — Securing Your System\n5. If you want to fine-tune your application blocking settings, select Program Control\nfrom the left menu and then click the Program Wizard button, as shown in \nFigure 12-4.\n6. Then, select the Advanced setting and click Next. You will be shown a list of programs\nthat will be exempt from the firewall, to which you can add entries. This list is similar to\nthe exception list for the built-in Windows firewall.\n7. Once you are finished, click Finish, and you are done.\nZoneAlarm is a great application. It adds a valuable two-way firewall to Windows, which can\nbe very useful. I recommend that you give it a try and see how you like it. Just remember to\ndisable the built-in Windows firewall when you are using ZoneAlarm to make sure there are\nno conflicts.\nFIGURE 12-4: Configuring ZoneAlarm’s Program Control.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 312,
"text": "289\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\nUsing Sygate Personal Firewall\nSygate is another company that makes a great personal firewall. Just like ZoneAlarm, Sygate\nPersonal Firewall includes a two-way firewall that audits your incoming as well as outgoing\ntraffic. ZoneAlarm and Sygate are very similar products. The only real difference is the user\ninterface of the firewall. I personally like the way Sygate Personal Firewall displays the incom-\ning and outgoing connections better than ZoneAlarm. Figure 12-5 shows the nice list interface\nof all of the connections that have been granted as well as all of the connections that have been\nblocked.\nThe Sygate user’s interface is also different and a little easier to use than ZoneAlarm’s, yet\nit offers a lot more power on the main screen. The interface shows detailed graphs and also\nthe icons of the open programs, as shown in Figure 12-6. You can simply right-click the\nicon and select Block or Allow to set a program to a specific access setting.\nFIGURE 12-5: Sygate Personal Firewall with connections log.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 313,
"text": "290\nPart III — Securing Your System\nThe operation of Sygate Personal Firewall is similar to that of ZoneAlarm. When a program\nattempts to access the Internet, it is caught, and the user is prompted to confirm if he or she\nwants the program to access the Internet or not. It all comes down to personal preference. If you\nlike the cleaner and more accessible interface of Sygate personal firewall, visit Sygate’s Web site\nat http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm and download a free copy.\nDisabling Unneeded Services\nWindows XP includes a lot of extra services and features that most users just do not use and\nhave no reason to have running. In Part II of this book, you learned how you can disable\nunneeded services to increase the performance of your computer. Now, I am going to show you\nsome services that you should disable that will make your computer more secure.\nDisabling Remote Desktop connection\nThe Remote Desktop feature of Windows XP is a great way to be able to access your\ncomputer when you are away from the office or home. However, if you have poor computer\nsecurity, the Remote Desktop also is a great way for anyone to be able to access and control\nFIGURE 12-6: The main Sygate Personal Firewall interface.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 314,
"text": "291\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\nyour whole computer. Remote Desktop is a very risky application to leave exposed to the world.\nIts security relies solely on your account password, which for most users is easy to guess.\nIf you do not use Remote Desktop, then it would be a good idea to disable the feature. Doing\nso is a snap. Just follow these steps to turn it off:\n1. Right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop or in the Start Menu and select\nProperties.\n2. Click the Remote tab to expose the remote access settings.\n3. Next, uncheck the box under Remote Assistance, as shown in Figure 12-7.\nFIGURE 12-7: Remote Assistance & Desktop connections disabled.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 315,
"text": "292\nPart III — Securing Your System\n4. Uncheck the box under Remote Desktop as well.\n5. Click OK to save your changes.\nWhen Remote Desktop connections are disabled, you have one less thing to worry about—\nnamely, someone having the ability to break into your computer.\nDisabling Messenger Service\nMicrosoft has included a service in the last few versions of Windows that allows system\nadministrators to send pop-up messages to all computers on a local network. This service can\nbe an invaluable resource for administrators who want to get the word out about some upcom-\ning server maintenance. For example, end users would see a message pop up on their screens\nthat notifies them that the workgroup file server will be inaccessible for the next hour while\nroutine maintenance is performed.\nThis is a great service—when it is used correctly. Unfortunately, the Messenger Service has been\nabused. Just because any user can send messages to the entire workgroup doesn’t mean that she\nor he should. This capability is sometimes not a good thing. Users that are part of large local area\nnetwork, such as just about every Internet user, can send out a mass message to all users in the\nsame subnet. As you can imagine, some users that know how to use the service have started to\nabuse it by sending spam to all the users in their same subnet. Nowadays, you may get spam not\nonly in your inbox but also in a pop-up window that could appear at any time.\nThe Messenger Service, just like any other service or program that is accessible to the outside\nworld, increases your security risk. Although there is currently not an exploit for the Messenger\nService that allows remote users to execute commands on your computer, who knows what the\nfuture will hold? To be safe, it is best to just disable this service. You will also be cutting down\non a new type of spam.\nDisabling the Messenger Service can be done by using the Service Manager. Follow these steps\nto get started:\n1. Click the Start button and select Run.\n2. Key in services.msc in the box and click OK.\n3. The Services Manager will load. Scroll though the list and right-click Messenger and\nselect Properties.\n4. Change the Startup Type to Disabled, as shown in Figure 12-8.\n5. Click the Stop button and then click OK to save your changes.\nNow the Messenger Service is one less thing to worry about. You can kiss the annoying pop-up\ntext ads goodbye and also reduce your risk for an attack in the future.\nDisabling Universal Plug and Play\nUniversal Plug and Play (UPnP) is kind of like an expanded version of the old Plug and Play\nhardware support. Many years ago, when you would buy a new soundcard, you would have to\n"
},
{
"page_number": 316,
"text": "293\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\nmanually set up all of the configuration data, such as the interrupt and address that it was\ngoing to run at. Then Plug and Play technology came around and automated that whole pro-\ncess so that the user did not have to worry about managing interrupt and address numbers any\nmore. Now there is Universal Plug and Play, which expands the easy install concepts of the\noriginal Plug and Play to a whole new class of devices. Universal Plug and Play can not only\ndetect local devices such as hardware (the original version), but it can also detect external\nhardware such as printers across the network or other PCs’ shared drives.\nUniversal Plug and Play, theoretically, is a great idea. It gives you the ability to easily add and\ncontrol devices such as a printer across your local network, an MP3 player, a television, light-\ning devices, and so on. Universal Plug and Play can be thought of as a way to make all of the\ndifferent electronic devices in your home, or local network, work together. However, there are\nvery few devices, other than remote printers and file shares, that take advantage of the new\nFIGURE 12-8: Disabling the Messenger Service.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 317,
"text": "294\nPart III — Securing Your System\nprotocol. Universal Plug and Play will play a big role in our computing lives in the future, but\nnot yet.\nUniversal Plug and Play also presents a security risk for your computer. It continuously scans your\nlocal network, which could be a network that is open to the world, for new devices and negotiates\nnew connections. Just as with the Messenger Service, with Universal Plug and Play the surface\nexposure of your computer is increased, which increases the risk that your computer could become\nattacked and infected. Unlike with the Messenger Service, with Universal Plug and Play a flaw\nhas been found in the service and has already been exploited. Microsoft was forced to release a\ncritical security patch to fix Universal Plug and Play so that users’ computers would no longer be\nvulnerable (this patch can be found on the Windows Update Web site mentioned earlier).\nBecause there are almost no devices that use Universal Plug and Play currently available on the\nmarket, and it also presents a security risk, it is a good idea to just disable the new protocol for\nnow because 99.9 percent of you have absolutely no use for it. Disabling UPnP is not a hard\ntask. Just follow these steps to disable the service with a nifty utility, called UnPlug n’ Pray, by\nGibson Research:\n1. Visit www.grc.com/unpnp/unpnp.htm and download a copy of UnPlug n’ Pray.\n2. Start up the utility and click Disable UPnP, as shown in Figure 12-9.\n3. Click the Exit button, and you are done.\nUsing the utility by Gibson Research is much easier than going back to the Service Manager\nand disabling the service. Moreover, if you ever find that you need to use Universal Plug and\nPlay, you can just run the utility again and click Enable UPnP and the service will be restored.\nFIGURE 12-9: Using UnPlug n’ Pray to disable Universal Plug and Play\nfor users who do not need it. \n"
},
{
"page_number": 318,
"text": "295\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\nDisabling Remote Registry Access\nAs already mentioned, the System Registry is one of the most important parts of the oper-\nating system. It’s where all of the system settings and configuration data is stored. If you do\nnot know what you are doing and you just start editing entries found in the System\nRegistry, you can render your computer useless. So, protecting your computer’s registry is\nvery important.\nIncluded with Windows XP Professional (not Windows XP Home) is a service that allows\nusers with administrative privileges to connect your computer’s registry and edit it. Having this\nservice enabled and running is just way too big a security risk. The vast majority of computer\nusers have little or no use for this service. Why would you even want to give anyone a chance at\ntrying to break into one of the most critical parts of the operating system?\nDisabling this service is a snap. Just follow these steps:\n1. Click the Start button and select Run.\n2. Key in services.msc in the box and click OK to launch the services manager.\n3. Scroll through the list and right-click and select Properties on the Remote Registry entry.\n4. Set the Startup Type as Disable and click the Stop button.\n5. Click OK to close and save your changes.\nNow you have knocked off yet another unneeded service from your computer.\nDisable DCOM support\nThe Distributed Component Object Model, or DCOM, is yet another feature that was built\ninto Windows that has caused a great deal of problems. Sure, it provides an acceptable pro-\ngramming interface for programmers who are trying to write network apps, but there are better\nways to do that than to use a DCOM.\nDCOM has presented quite a few problems in terms of security. Exploits have been discovered\nfor it that have allowed an Internet worm to spread to hundreds of thousands of Windows\nmachines worldwide. Additionally, a very small number of applications actually use DCOM. In\nall of my computing experience, I have only seen one application that used DCOM, and that\nwas an inventory and store management software suite. Home and professional PC users\nprobably will never even use an application that uses DCOM.\nSo why is it on your computer? DCOM was one of Microsoft’s attempts to please software\ndevelopers. However, this attempt has clearly failed, and yet they still include it. The only thing\nthat it has given to operating systems such as Windows XP is headlines in the newspapers\nabout how some worm exploited it and has now infected thousands of PCs.\nDisabling the Distributed Component Object Model is a good idea for most computing users.\nThat is, it is for everybody except the rare few who actually have an application that the devel-\nopers wrote using DCOM. To shut down DCOM and increase the security of your computer,\nfollow these steps:\n"
},
{
"page_number": 319,
"text": "296\nPart III — Securing Your System\n1. Gibson Research has come up with another cool utility to take care of Windows security\nshortcomings. This one is called DCOMbobulator and will help you disable DCOM on\nyour computer. Visit www.grc.com/dcom/ and download a copy.\n2. Start up DCOMbobulator and click the tab labeled DCOMbobulator Me!\n3. Click the Disable DCOM button, as shown in Figure 12-10.\n4. Click the Exit button and you are finished.\nIf you find that you are forced to use a program that needs DCOM, just run the utility again\nand click the Enable DCOM button on the DCOMbobulator Me! tab.\nWireless Networks\nWireless networks are growing in popularity because of the ease of installation and the terrific\nbenefits that they offer. Nothing beats the ability to take your laptop and not have to worry\nabout plugging into the network to do your work. The added freedom of a wireless network is\nvery pleasing. Nevertheless, many people do not realize how insecure most wireless networks\nactually are. To fully understand this, you must realize how exactly a wireless network works.\nFIGURE 12-10: Disabling Distributed Component Object Model support with\nDCOMbobulator. \n"
},
{
"page_number": 320,
"text": "297\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\nBasically, wireless connections are made up of a base station and a client adapter. The wireless\nbase station broadcasts all of the data to the clients in a circle around the base station, as do the\nclient’s adapters. This creates a large area over which information is broadcast. If you care about\nthe security of your computer and personal information such as credit card numbers, you must\nconfigure your wireless base station to encrypt the data that it sends. Otherwise, just about any-\none can connect to your wireless network and gain access behind your firewall to all of your\nunprotected computers. Additionally, users can sniff the wireless traffic and see exactly what\nyou are sending back and forth.\nIt really is amazing how many people leave encryption turned off on their wireless base\nstations. I was always surprised when I took the train into Chicago and worked on my laptop\non board. Every now and then, I would notice my laptop connecting to various wireless access\npoints for a few seconds as the train was moving past them. Securing your wireless base sta-\ntion/access point is very important.\nUsing WEP for secure communication\nWired Equivalent Privacy, or WEP, is the first security standard for wireless networks. The\nbasic concept for WEP security is to encrypt the data that is sent back and forth between the\naccess point and the client adapter. This is done using various degrees of encryption strength. A\nspecial key, known as the encryption key, is used by computers to connect to a WEP-protected\nwireless network. This allows the client computer’s adapter to be able to decrypt and also send\nencrypted messages in the same language as the base station.\nThis standard sounds like a great way to secure a wireless network. However, it presents some\nflaws. The largest one is that the whole system relies on just one key. If someone’s laptop is\nstolen that is part of a corporate network, the encryption key must be changed for the base\nstation and for all of the other computers using the wireless connection. This change is\nnecessary because the current encryption key could be easily extracted from the system settings.\nAdditionally, someone can potentially derive the encryption key by carefully analyzing the data\nthey intercepted.\nIf you have a wireless base station, I highly recommend that you enable WEP to protect your\nhome. Setting up WEP is different on every set of hardware, but the following are the basics:\n1. Connect to your base station setting remotely using your Web browser. This address and\nport number varies, but usually is http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.2.1. Often, the\nport number is changed to 8080 so people don’t think you have a Web server running. In\nthat case, try http://192.168.1.1:8080 or http://192.168.2.1:8080.\n2. Once you connect, you usually are asked for a password. For all Linksys hardware, the\nUsername field is left blank and the password is admin. Other hardware manufacturers\nuse some sort of a variation of the above. It also would be a good idea to change the\npassword to something other than admin when you are working in the administration\nsettings.\n3. Locate the WEP settings and specify the encryption strength in bits. Then, come up\nwith an encryption key and type that in. Write down your encryption key and strength\nfor use in step 5.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 321,
"text": "298\nPart III — Securing Your System\n4. Save your changes. You can now close the Web administration site.\n5. The last part of setting up WEP is configuring the client computers that will connect to\nthe base station. Once again, this information varies, depending on your wireless card.\nConsult the manual for your card to find out how to set up your card to use WEP.\nSetting up WEP will greatly increase the security of your wireless network. Even though there\nare some flaws, it is much better than using no protection at all. It has the same effect as a car\nalarm. If a burglar has to choose between a car that clearly has an alarm or one that doesn’t,\nwhich one will they choose to break into?\nUsing WPA for a more secure wireless connection\nWi-Fi Protected Access, or WPA, is a new, improved security standard for wireless connec-\ntions. WPA has addressed the weaknesses of WEP; it was developed to create a viable alterna-\ntive to WEP that is more secure than that standard. The fundamentals are the same between\nthe standards, but WPA has improved some of the various mechanisms that plagued WEP. For\nexample, encryption keys are now dynamic and change often automatically. Additionally, the\ncomplexity of the encryption key has also been increased to help fight off users who try to\nderive a key from data that they capture. One of the largest improvements in WPA is the addi-\ntion of authentication to the wireless connection. Now, users have to have the right encryption\nsettings, as well as a valid username and password, to gain access to the network.\nThis new standard is just starting to gain momentum. Microsoft has released a special patch\nfor Windows XP that adds this new standard to Windows. However, installing the patch will\nnot allow you to use this new standard. Just as with WEP, WPA is programmed into the\nfirmware of the hardware components. In order to use WPA, you must have hardware that\nspecifically supports it. Currently, only a few companies offer base stations and wireless\nadapters that support this new method of security. However, that will change in time.\nThe next time you are considering purchasing a wireless base station and adapter, do some\nresearch and pick one that supports WPA to ensure that your wireless communications will not\nbe decrypted and your privacy is secure.\nControlling access to your computer\nSo far, you have spent a lot of time locking down your computer. You have closed down ports\nand have removed unused services from your computer. The next step to secure your computer\nis to reinforce the main entry point, the logon. No matter what you do to secure your computer,\nit all comes down to your security at the user level. If you have no password on your account\nand have a computer that is not protected by a firewall and other devices, then you are at huge\nrisk of being attacked.\nManaging user accounts is very important with Windows XP because the accounts are the keys\ninto the system. This next section will show you some good secure practices, as well as some\ntips that will help make your box even more secure.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 322,
"text": "299\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\nManaging user accounts\nWindows XP includes the same old account manager found in Windows 2000. This easy-to-\nuse and straightforward interface can be found in the Local User and Group Management\ninterface. There are various “good” security practices that you can follow to make your com-\nputer practically invincible to many attackers.\nAssign a password and rename the guest account\nWindows XP includes a guest account that is disabled by default. However, at some time,\nthis account may be enabled by an application. If you have Windows XP Professional, I\nrecommend that you disable this account using the old Windows 2000 Local User and\nGroup application. Just in case it becomes enabled again, I recommend that you rename\nthe guest account and also assign it a password. Follow these steps to disable the guest\naccount:\n1. Click the Start button and select Run.\n2. Key in lusrmgr.msc and click OK.\n3. The Local User and Group application will launch. Right-click the Guest username and\nselect Set Password.\n4. You will be prompted with a warning screen. Just click Proceed.\n5. Type a complex password in both boxes and click OK.\n6. The password has now been set. Next, rename the account by right-clicking it and\nselecting Rename.\n7. Type in a new name, such as Disabled, and click Enter to save the changes.\nThe vulnerable guest account is now less of a problem.\nClearing the last user logged on\nIf you are using the classic logon screen, every time a user logs into your computer, their user-\nname is stored, and that name is displayed the next time the classic logon screen is displayed.\nThis can be a nice feature, but it also can be a feature that causes a security problem. Knowing\na user’s username is half the battle of breaking into a computer. If you have sensitive informa-\ntion on your computer, I suggest that you follow these instructions to hide the last user \nlogged on:\n1. Start up the Registry Editor again by clicking the Start Menu and selecting Run. Then\ntype regedit in the box and click OK.\n2. Navigate through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, SOFTWARE, Microsoft,\nWindows, CurrentVersion, policies, and system. Locate the dontdisplaylastusername\nentry.\n3. Right-click the entry and select Modify. Then type in a 1 to activate the feature. Click\nOK, and you are finished.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 323,
"text": "300\nPart III — Securing Your System\nIf you ever want to reverse this hack, just repeat the instructions above and replace the 1 with a\n0 for the value of dontdisplaylastusername.\nDisable and rename the Administrator account\nThe Administrator account is the most important account on the computer. Users should not\nbe using the computer under the Administrator account. That just is not a good security prac-\ntice for anyone that is running Windows XP Professional and has sensitive data on their com-\nputer. I like to disable my Administrator account and rename it, so that anyone trying to get in\nwith that account and at that privilege level will not be able to. To disable the account, perform\nthe following steps:\n1. Click the Start button and select Run.\n2. Key in lusrmgr.msc and click OK.\nFIGURE 12-11: Disabling an account with the local user and group administrator.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 324,
"text": "301\nChapter 12 — Protecting Your Computer from Intruders\n3. When you have the Local User and Group application on your screen, just right-click\nthe Administrator entry and select Rename. Give your administrator account a new\nname, such as admin123.\n4. Next, disable the account by right-clicking the entry and selecting Properties.\n5. Check the Account Is Disabled box, as shown in Figure 12-11.\n6. Click OK to save your changes.\nMake sure every account on your computer has a complex password\nAll of the accounts on your computer should have a complex password associated with them if\nyour computer is ever exposed to the Internet. Passwords such as easy-to-remember words and\nkey combinations like “asdf” just do not cut it. A complex password is a password that is at\nleast seven characters long and consists of uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers or\nother symbols. Ftm3D8& is an example of a complex password. Something like that is impos-\nsible to guess and will take quite some time for a brute-force technique to crack.\nUsing complex passwords on all of your accounts might not be easy at first, but after a while\nthey will grow on you and you will have no problem remembering them.\nSummary\nThis chapter has shown you how to test to see how vulnerable your computer is to attacks and\nhow to protect it by using firewalls and lowering your computer’s exposure to the world by dis-\nabling unneeded services. You have learned how to secure your wireless networks and how to\nstrengthen your account security.\nThe next chapter will show you how to protect your computer from spam, spyware, and\nadware. Additionally, it will show you some great utilities that will help you detect and clean\nyour system, as well as some cool tricks to eliminate spam.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 325,
"text": ""
},
{
"page_number": 326,
"text": "Fighting Spam,\nSpyware, and \nViruses\nT\nhis chapter will show you how to defend your computer against the\nmajor menaces of operating a computer: spam, spyware, adware, and\nviruses. Viruses have been around for a very long time; spam just\nkeeps getting worse and worse; and now there is a new computer menace\nthat is infecting millions of computers, known as spyware and adware.\nSpyware is the name for applications that are secretly installed on your com-\nputer and record your personal activities or do other tasks with your com-\nputer of which you would probably not approve if you knew about them.\nAdware is very similar to Spyware, but can be a little worse. Instead of just\nspying on your activities, it uses its monitoring data to display relevant\nadvertisements on your computer.\nAll of these computer menaces can be eradicated (or at least severely\nlimited) by tweaking some of the settings of Windows XP and using\nvarious protection and defense apps. This chapter will show you how\nyou can make Windows XP defend against some of the most popular\ntypes of viruses and spyware. It will also present some great utilities that\nyou can use to battle spam and remove spyware and viruses from your\ncomputer.\nEliminating Spam\nSpam is everywhere these days. Recently, I have been forced to change all\nof the e-mail addresses that I had used for years because I just started to\nget way too much spam. If you are tired of receiving messages from\nadvertisers about debt consolidation, male sexual enhancements, and\nmessages from the president of Congo asking you to help him launder\n$40,000,000 by giving him your bank account number, then this section\nis for you. When you are finished reading it, you will know how to stop\nspam from starting in the first place and how to filter the spam you\nalready get.\n\u0002 Stopping Spam\nBefore It Can Start\n\u0002 Using Spam\nFiltering Software\n\u0002 Removing Spyware\nand Adware\n\u0002 Defending Against\nSpyware and\nAdware\n\u0002 Protecting Against\nViruses\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 327,
"text": "304\nPart III — Securing Your System\nStopping spam in the first place\nUsers can do a lot of things when browsing the Internet to make sure that they do not end up\nreceiving spam. But before anyone can prevent the actual receipt of spam, he or she needs to be\naware of why spam is received in the first place. So, why is that annoying spam sent?\nTo start off, the most common reason why users receive spam is because they submit their \ne-mail address to a Web site or company that starts sending them advertisements or sells their\ne-mail address. Usually, most Web sites notify you when they intend to sell your e-mail address,\nif they plan on doing so. This notification is commonly hidden away in the terms of service\nagreement or privacy policy—so much so that 99 percent of Web visitors check the agreement\nbox but never actually take a look at the information.\nThis is by far the number one reason why users receive spam. They sign up for some service\nthat promises them some great free offer, such as free movie tickets, and then they end up\nreceiving tons of spam because they didn’t realize that they gave the Web site permission to sell\ntheir e-mail address to thousands of other companies. If they would have taken the time to\nread the terms of service agreement and the privacy policy, they would have found out that by\nusing the so-called free service, they give the Web site permission to do whatever they want\nwith your personal information.\nPaying attention to the details is very important when you’re using the Web. With the absence\nof useful laws that actually make a difference on certain Internet subjects such as spam, some\ncompanies take advantage of users. If you are considering signing up for a site and cannot find\ntheir terms of service or privacy policy, do not use their service. That lack of information should\nbe a huge warning sign.\nAnother common reason why users end up with inboxes packed with spam is because they\ninadvertently sign up for various newsletters. I shop online a lot and end up creating many dif-\nferent accounts at different stores so that I can purchase items. During the signup process, you\nare almost always asked if you would like to sign up for their deal-of-the-week newsletter or\nsome other kind of promotional material. They want you to give them permission to send you\nmore advertisements so that, it is hoped, you will buy from them again. You may think that this\nis nice, but when you have accounts at 25 different online stores, you could be getting a lot of\nmessages that are just advertisements. When you are creating accounts at online shops or other\nWeb sites, make sure that you uncheck all of the newsletter links, unless you really want to get\none. These options are usually placed on the Web page in a location that you may overlook.\nThe check boxes are checked on purpose so that those people that miss them automatically end\nup on the advertisement mailing list. Keep an eye out for these boxes and you will be able to\ncut down on spam.\nIf you follow the two tips just mentioned you will dramatically cut down on the amount of\nspam you receive. Another way to fight spam is to create separate e-mail accounts. There are\nseveral different Web sites on the Web from which you can get free e-mail. Create separate\naccounts on these free sites or request more mailboxes from your Internet Service Provider.\nThen, use each mailbox for a different purpose. I like to have one mailbox that is just for my\npersonal mail from my family and friends. I never give away that address on any Web site and\neven tell my family and friends never to submit that address to any Web site on my behalf. I\nhave been doing that for the last two years and still to this day have not received any spam to\n"
},
{
"page_number": 328,
"text": "305\nChapter 13 — Fighting Spam, Spyware, and Viruses\nthat account. I highly suggest that you create an e-mail that you will use for personal mail only\nand never give that address to any Web site.\nI also have a separate account that I use for all of my online purchases. This way, if I ever start\nto get too many weekly newsletters and some unethical store sells my information, I can just\nclose the e-mail account and start up a new one with a different name. Additionally, I have a\nseparate e-mail address (my junk mail address) that I give to any Web site that requests an e-\nmail to sign up for something. This way, I can still get the confirmation message that a lot of\nsites require you to do something with to verify your e-mail address and not have to worry\nabout the site sending me tons of junk that will fill up my personal inbox. You should defiantly\ncreate a separate junk e-mail address so that you can give that address out to Web sites instead\nof using your personal address.\nUsing filtering software\nI have shown you how to lower your chances of receiving spam from sites on the Web.\nHowever, what if you already receive a lot of spam? If you fit into that category, you have two\nchoices. You can either create a new e-mail address or start using the tips that I have given you\npreviously, or you can try some filtering software. There are thousands of different anti-spam\nsoftware apps on the Web. Everyone is trying to cash in on spam. Because of the mass amounts\nof spam apps, it is a little difficult to find the best programs. No spam filtering app is 100 per-\ncent accurate. If they are anything close to 90 percent, that is great.\nI am not going to show you how to use all of the different spam filters; instead, I am going to\ngive you a list of the best anti-spam apps (Table 13-1) so you can try out a few to find the pro-\ngram that works best for you.\nBlocking external links in HTML mail\nEvery time you receive an e-mail, and your e-mail client supports graphical HTML-based \ne-mail messages the possibility exists that the sender could be tracking you if you read the\nmessage. This can be done by using a hidden image link in the message that points to a Web\nserver where a special tracking program resides. This may not sound like a big deal, but when\nyou take into consideration that spammers use this type of technology, it is a whole new\ngame.\nSpammers can use this type of technology to weed out e-mail addresses from their database\nthat are no longer in use. When you open up spam, it can send a signal home to a spam-\nmer’s Web server, alerting them that your e-mail address is active and that you read your \ne-mail. If you could prevent that signal from being sent to the spammer’s servers, then you\ncould make your e-mail address appear to be inactive and could be removed from their\ndatabase.\nThankfully, Microsoft automatically blocks all external image links in HTML messages in\nOutlook 2003. Additionally, with the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2, Outlook Express\nalso gains this feature. If you have not already upgraded to Service Pack 2, and use Outlook\nExpress as your e-mail program, you should definitely upgrade. Your computer will not only be\nmore secure, but you will also be protected against some spammers as well.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 329,
"text": "306\nPart III — Securing Your System\nTable 13-1\nAnti-Spam Apps\nApplication Name\nDescription\nMcAfee SpamKiller\nSpamKiller is a good app that filters messages based on its\ndatabase, which is automatically updated once a day. Aside\nfrom the standard filtering features that all anti-spam apps\nhave, SpamKiller has a quarantine area for your spam and also\nallows you to report spam senders to McAfee to help them\nkeep an up-to-date database. It supports Web-based e-mail\naccounts such as MSN and Hotmail, as well as POP3- and\nIMAPI-based e-mail accounts. SpamKiller costs around $40.\nVisit www.McAfee.com for more information \nSAproxy Pro\nSAproxy Pro is another good program that uses the same\ndatabase as McAfee Spamkiller (the open source spam assassin\ndatabase). It includes all of the basic features of spam filters, as\nwell as the effective Bayesian learning engine that allows the\nprogram to get smarter at catching spam based on what it\nobserves you classifying as spam. Currently, SAproxy Pro only\nsupports POP3-based e-mail accounts and sells for $30. Visit\nwww.statalabs.com for more information\nK9\nK9 is another popular spam filtering app that allows you to filter\nyour incoming mail from a constantly updated database as well\nas “statistical analysis”. It supports only POP3-based e-mail\naccounts, but is available for free. Visit www.keir.net/k9.html\nto download a copy and for more info\nCloudmark SpamNet\nSpamNet filters incoming mail based on its own database of spam\nthat is updated from its 800,000+ subscriber base. This app works\nonly with Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. It installs a\nspecial toolbar in these applications that allows you to manage\nyour spam. Unlike other commercial spam programs, SpamNet\nworks on a subscription basis of $4 a month. SpamNet supports\nany e-mail accounts that you can use with Outlook and Outlook\nExpress, including Hotmail and MSN e-mail accounts. Visit www\n.cloudmark.com/products/spamnet/ for more information\nSpam Inspector\nSpam Inspector filters all of the incoming mail using its own\ndatabase that is updated by its users daily. Also gives users the\nability to make messages bounce so it appears that your e-mail\naddress no longer exists. Recently introduced fraud protection\nthat automatically flags fraudulent scams that you may also\nreceive. Spam Inspector currently supports Outlook, Outlook\nExpress, Eudora, and Incredimail and sells for $20. Visit\nwww.giantcompany.com to download a trial and for more\ninformation \n"
},
{
"page_number": 330,
"text": "307\nChapter 13 — Fighting Spam, Spyware, and Viruses\nIf you are using Outlook Express, this blocking of external image links in HTML messages\ncan be turned on by working with the Security tab of the Options window, located under the\nTools menu bar item. If you are using a different e-mail program, I recommend that you read\nthrough the Help files or contact the developer of your program to find out how to disable\nHTML images and other external content.\nOutlook and Outlook Express also provide a safe sender list that allows you to enable this fea-\nture for only certain senders, such as messages from your bank or newsletters that you have\nsigned up for. Just right-click a message and add the sender to your safe list to enable images\nand other external content for a specific sender.\nDefending Spyware and Adware\nSpyware is becoming the largest menace of computers in the last year. Hidden away within free\napplications, these programs can spy on your computer activities and report home various\ninformation about your computer habits. Adware is another menace that is closely related to\nspyware. Just like Spyware, it can be secretly installed on your computer and will monitor what\nyou do. Then, when the time is right, some Adware apps will display relevant advertisements.\nDid you ever visit eBay.com and then notice an advertisement for Ubid.com, one of eBay’s\ncompetitors, pop up on your screen? If so, then you are infected with a bad case of adware.\nHow does your computer get infected? There can be a number of reasons why, but the most\ncommon reason is that you visit a Web site and are prompted to click Yes on some pop-up\nbox to allow an application to install that you think is a game or some cool browser utility\nsuch as a search toolbar. Often, these utilities are spyware themselves and are also bundled\nwith other spyware and adware. Unfortunately, users never seem to read the terms of service\nagreements that are presented when they are installing these free apps on their computers\nand pass right over the notices that this software will display ads and will monitor your\nbrowsing habits.\nThese next few sections will show you how to detect and remove spyware and adware from\nyour computer, as well as what to look out for to protect your computer from getting infected\nin the first place. Additionally, you will learn how to use some of the new features of Windows\nXP Service Pack 2 to protect your computer from getting infected if you accidentally try to\ninstall spyware or adware.\nDetecting and removing spyware\nThere are a bunch of free apps on the Web that will help you scan your computer for adware\nand spyware. There are two programs I recommend that you use to scan your computer. Each\nof these programs has its own database of adware and spyware that is updated frequently. To\nmake sure that no spyware and adware goes undetected, it is a good idea to scan your com-\nputer with both programs. The first app is called Ad-aware, which is published by Lavasoft.\nThis is a great program that has a basic version available for free when used for personal use.\nThe second app is called Spybot S&D, which is developed by Patrick M. Kolla and is also\nfree.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 331,
"text": "308\nPart III — Securing Your System\nUsing these two apps to detect and remove spyware and adware from your computer will not\nonly rid your computer of those annoying programs, but will also speed up your computer and\nfree up disk space. Follow these steps to get started using Ad-aware:\n1. Visit www.lavasoft.de and download a copy of the basic version of Ad-aware that is\nfree when used on personal computers.\n2. Once you have Ad-aware installed on your computer, start it up by clicking the Ad-\naware icon on your desktop.\n3. When Ad-aware is loaded, the first thing you should do is update the data files. This can\nbe done by clicking the globe icon, as shown in Figure 13-1.\n4. Then, on the Webupdate screen, click the Connect button. It will tell you if a new\nupdate is available. If one is, just click OK and it will be downloaded and installed.\n5. Now that Ad-aware is updated, you are ready to scan your computer. Just click the Start\nbutton in the lower-right corner of the window.\n6. Select Perform Smart System-Scan on the Next screen and click Next. The scan will\nbegin.\n7. Once the scan has finished, you will hear a sound. Click the Next button again to view\nthe results.\nFIGURE 13-1: Checking for updated data files for Ad-aware.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 332,
"text": "309\nChapter 13 — Fighting Spam, Spyware, and Viruses\n8. The Scanning Results screen will be shown, which lists any instances of spyware and\nadware on your computer, as shown in Figure 13-2. Scroll through the list and uncheck\nany objects that you do not want to remove. Then, click the Next button again.\n9. You will be asked to confirm that you want to delete the items on the list. Click OK\nto continue removing the files and registry entries associated with spyware and\nadware.\nThe files will be quarantined as a backup just in case you experience any problems with the\noperating system after you remove the files and registry entries. You are now finished with\nusing Ad-aware and can close the application.\nYou are now ready to get Spybot Search & Destroy installed and set up on your computer so\nthat you can ensure that you have removed all spyware and adware from your computer. To do\nthat, just follow these steps:\n1. Visit Spybot’s Web site at www.spybot.info and download a copy of Spybot Search\n& Destroy.\n2. Once Spybot S&D is installed on your computer, start it up by expanding the Spybot\nSearch & Destroy folder and selecting Spybot S&D (easy mode). The first time it is run,\nyou will have to select the language that you want to use and will be shown a few legal\ndisclaimer screens.\nFIGURE 13-2: Browsing the results of the Ad-aware scan.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 333,
"text": "310\nPart III — Securing Your System\n3. When Spybot loads, you will want to update its data files as well. This can be done by\nclicking the Search For Updates screen located in the middle of the screen.\n4. Check all of the updates that are shown on the screen and click the Download Updates\nbutton, as shown in Figure 13-3.\n5. Once Spybot has finished downloading and installing the updates, it will restart itself.\nWhen that happens, you are ready to begin scanning your computer. To begin scanning,\njust click the Check for Problems button.\n6. Once scanning has finished, you will be presented with the Results screen. Click the Fix\nSelected Problems button, as shown in Figure 13-4, to remove all of the selected search\nresults.\n7. When all of the entries in the search box have check marks, Spybot is finished cleaning\nyour system. You may now close Spybot.\nYour computer has now been scanned and cleaned with two great spyware cleaning software\napps. As you can see, Spybot picked up on some things that Ad-aware missed. Using both of\nthese programs together will allow you very good detection and removal of spyware on your\ncomputer.\nFIGURE 13-3: Updating Spybot Search & Destroy.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 334,
"text": "311\nChapter 13 — Fighting Spam, Spyware, and Viruses\nLocking down Internet Explorer \nNow that you have removed all of the spyware and adware on your computer, let’s turn off cer-\ntain features of Internet Explorer so that you will be less likely to accidentally install more spy-\nware. To get started, change the ActiveX install settings to prevent any new ActiveX apps to be\ninstalled. Follow these steps to change this setting:\n1. Open up a copy of Internet Explorer.\n2. Click the Tools menu bar item and select Internet Options.\n3. Click the Custom Level button on the Security tab.\n4. Locate Download Signed ActiveX Control at the top of the list and select Disable.\n5. Click OK and click Yes on the confirmation screen.\n6. Select OK once more to close Internet Options.\nA change in this setting can prevent you from installing new ActiveX controls from all Web\nsites, good and bad. If you ever run into some problem with a Web site not loading correctly,\njust re-enable this setting and try the site again.\nFIGURE 13-4: Using Spybot Search & Destroy to remove spyware & adware found during a system scan.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 335,
"text": "312\nPart III — Securing Your System\nImmunizing your computer\nSpybot Search & Destroy does a lot more than just scanning your computer and removing spy-\nware and adware. It also offers the ability to immunize your computer against some of the most\ncommon types of spyware. This feature provides a great added level of protection that can only\nhelp in your battles with spyware. To use this feature, follow these steps:\n1. Start up Spybot by expanding the Spybot Search & Destroy folder and selecting Spybot\nS&D (easy mode).\n2. Once Spybot S&D is loaded, click the Immunize button on the left of the window.\n3. Then, just click the Immunize button, as shown in Figure 13-5, and you are now protected.\nDefending against Viruses\nWindows XP Service Pack 2 has many new features that make Windows XP the most secure\nMicrosoft operating system to date. One of the new features, called execution protection,\nFIGURE 13-5: Immunizing your computer from common spyware apps.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 336,
"text": "313\nChapter 13 — Fighting Spam, Spyware, and Viruses\ntakes advantage of a new hardware protection found in the latest CPUs of modern\ncomputers.\nOne of the most common types of computer break-ins and virus exploits has to do with buffer\noverflows. These occur when data is being sent to a buffer faster than the CPU can process it.\nWhen the buffer becomes filled, the system can become unstable and sometimes can execute\ncode that was placed in the buffer. This is how many types of viruses spread. They take advan-\ntage of an unchecked buffer and can get the CPU to execute their malicious code. One easy\nsolution to solve this problem is to include a feature in the CPU that will disable executing of\ndata in all buffers. By doing this, a virus might be able to get its code into the buffer, but\nbecause of limitations of the CPU, the code would never be executed, rendering the virus use-\nless and unable to spread.\nThe new CPU level security can be found on the AMD Athlon 64 processor and new ver-\nsions of the Intel Pentium 4 Prescott. If you have one of these chips with the execution\nprotection feature, this feature is enabled by the operating system. However, having this\nfeature enabled for all programs may cause some application errors because some need to\nbe able to execute data in their buffers. To allow for this, Microsoft has created an excep-\ntion list for such programs. You are advised to make sure every once in a while that no\napplication has automatically added itself to the exception list. You really need to make\nsure that only the applications that truly need to be there are there. To do this, follow these\nsteps:\n1. Right-click the My Computer icon located on the desktop or Start Menu and select\nProperties.\n2. When System Properties loads, click the Advanced tab.\n3. Then, click the Settings button under the Performance section.\n4. Next, click the Data Execution Prevention tab and make sure that Help Protect All\nPrograms Except: is selected.\n5. Then, review the list and remove any apps except for the ones that you are 100 percent\npositive should be there.\n6. Click OK to save your changes.\n7. Select OK once more to close System Properties.\nUse an antivirus program\nIf you still are not running an antivirus program, then you really should reconsider your deci-\nsion. Viruses, especially in e-mail attachments, are very prevalent these days. I highly recom-\nmend that you install an antivirus program on your computer if you do not have any protection\ncurrently installed. Additionally, if your current virus definitions subscription has expired and\nyou no longer can download updates to the data files, your antivirus program is almost com-\npletely useless. You must always be running up-to-date antivirus data files so that your computer\nis always protected from the latest viruses.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 337,
"text": "314\nPart III — Securing Your System\nIf you do not want to spend $40 or more on getting some antivirus software, you can avail\nyourself of the many free antivirus applications. My favorite free antivirus app is called AVG by\nGriSoft. AVG is a very good antivirus program that is free for home use. Follow these steps to\nget AVG up and running on your computer:\n1. Visit GriSoft’s Web site at www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php.\n2. Scroll the bottom of the page and click the Download AVG Free Edition button. Be\nsure to enter a valid e-mail address on the form after the License Agreement page,\nbecause they will send you a serial number that you will need to use when installing\nAVG.\n3. Once you have downloaded and installed AVG, make sure to update the virus definitions\nwith the Update Wizard that is shown the first time you run AVG.\n4. When you get your virus definitions updated, you are advised to do a full system scan by\nclicking the Run Complete Test button.\nSummary\nNow your computer has been cleaned and protected from spyware, spam, adware, and viruses.\nThe tools and techniques discussed in this chapter will help you maintain a computer that is\nfree of all computer menaces. Make sure you scan your computer using the spyware and adware\ntools at least once a month, as well as with your antivirus application. Also, take care that you\nread the fine print when you sign up for things on the Internet to make sure you know what a\ncompany will do with your personal information. Create two or more e-mail accounts so you\ndo not have to give out your personal e-mail account to Web sites. Doing so will greatly reduce\nthe amount of spam that you receive with your personal messages.\nThe next chapter will shift over to protecting your privacy further. Internet Explorer and\nWindows Explorer both keep track of a lot of the things that you do on your computer. Events\nsuch as opening a file and visiting a Web page are all logged in various parts of Windows XP.\nChapter 14 will show you how to clean all of the various user histories of Windows XP and\nhow you can turn off certain features. It also will show you how to use some nifty apps that will\nmake maintaining your computer privacy very easy.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 338,
"text": "Protecting Your\nPrivacy\nW\nindows XP keeps track of activities that you do on your computer.\nIt records the Web sites that you visit, the addresses that you type\nin, the applications that you launch, and even the files that you\nopen. Why does it do this? The majority of the information is used to tailor\nyour computer experience and power features such as the frequently run pro-\ngrams or recently run documents lists.These features can be very useful and\nsave you time. Other activities, such as typing in addresses for Web sites, are\nalso logged.This information is used to save you time when you are typing in\naddresses at a later time. As you type in part of the address, possible sugges-\ntions based on your history will appear. However, this is not always the best.\nThis information, combined with the useless browser history, will allow\nanyone to see what you browse on the Web.\nBecause of the vast amounts of information that Windows XP records,\nyour privacy can become at stake when others are using your computer.\nThis chapter will show you how to clean all of the recorded data from\nyour computer. Additionally, you will learn to protect your privacy further\nby taking advantage of some interesting features of XP.\nInternet Explorer\nInternet Explorer is one of the most difficult parts of Windows to clean\nbecause it stores its data all over your drive, which makes clearing the data a\nlittle more tricky because you can’t just clear one folder. Basically, four dif-\nferent parts of Internet Explorer need to be cleaned to ensure that you\nmaintain your privacy: clearing recent addresses, removing history files,\nerasing temporary Web files, and removing cookies. The first part of this\nsection will show you exactly how to clean those parts.\nThe second part of this chapter will show you how you can protect your\nprivacy further by using a great utility and disabling some extra unnecessary\nfeatures.\nRemoving address bar suggestions\nWindows XP, like other versions of Windows, includes a feature called\nAutoComplete that is always activated for the address box. This can be a \n\u0002 Clearing Internet\nExplorer’s Hidden\nHistory\n\u0002 Working with\nCookies\n\u0002 Protecting IE\n\u0002 Clearing Temp Files\n\u0002 Encrypting Files\n\u0002 Clearing Recent\nRun Programs\n\u0002 Removing Saved\nPasswords\nchapter\nin this chapter\n"
},
{
"page_number": 339,
"text": "316\nPart III — Securing Your System\nconvenient feature because it can help you when typing in an address by presenting you with\nvarious suggestions. The suggestions are based upon your address box history. As you can see,\nbecause of this feature, your privacy can be at risk. When I start typing www.Twea in my\naddress bar, it automatically suggests www.tweakxp.com, because I have visited that site.\nAnyone who uses my computer and starts typing addresses in manually can see sites that I have\nvisited. If they just type in www.c or www.t, they will be presented with a small list of all the\nsites that I have visited that have URLs that start with c or t.\nHow do you stop the suggestions? You have to go after the source. Unfortunately, this effort\ncan be a little tricky. The file that stores this information is called the URL cache and is named\nindex.dat. This file resides in your Cookies directory within Documents and Settings. To\nremove information that Windows records, you just have to delete the file. However, deleting\nthis file is not as easy as deleting normal files. The URL cache file is always in use when the\noperating system is running. And because it is impossible to delete files that are in use, the only\nway to delete this file is to delete the file in Safe mode or when the system is loading. One\nsolution to this dilemma is to use a nifty utility called Dr. Delete, which will help you schedule\nthe file to be deleted the next time that your computer restarts. Follow these steps to delete the\nindex.dat file with Dr. Delete:\n1. Visit Dr. Delete’s Web site, located at www.docsdownloads.com/dr-delete.htm,\nand download a copy of Dr. Delete.\n2. Once you have downloaded a copy of Dr. Delete and have it running, click the Browse\nbutton to specify the file that you want to delete.\n3. Navigate to the C:\\Document and Settings folder.\n4. Then expand the folder that is named after your User Name.\n5. Expand the Cookies folder and then select the index.dat file.\n6. Click Open when you have the file selected.\n7. Once you see the path of the file in the text box, click the Delete! button, as shown in\nFigure 14-1.\n8. Click Yes on the confirmation screen.\n9. You will be shown a message that says that the file will be deleted after the next reboot.\nReboot your computer now to delete the file.\nOnce your computer reboots, the file will be deleted and the URL cache will be cleared.\nClearing visited Web sites history\nInternet Explorer, by default, is configured to record all of the Web sites that you visit for a\n30-day period. If you are concerned about your privacy, your browsing history should be\ncleaned frequently and history settings configured best for privacy. Doing so will ensure \nthat any user of your computer will not be able to easily see what you have been doing. Keep\nin mind, however, that if you get rid of the browser history, you will eliminate the ability \nto use the history to go back to Web sites for which you might have forgotten the URL.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 340,
"text": "317\nChapter 14 — Protecting Your Privacy\nThat use is really the only reason I can think of that makes the browser history useful. If you\ncan live without that convenience, then follow these steps to clear your history from your\nPC:\n1. Open up a copy of Internet Explorer by using either the icon on the desktop or on the\nStart panel.\n2. Once Internet Explorer is open, click the Tools menu bar item and select Internet\nOptions.\n3. Then, just click the Clear History button, as shown in Figure 14-2.\n4. Your history will now be cleared. Because you still have Internet Options open on your\nscreen, adjust the amount of days that your browsing history is stored.\n5. As mentioned earlier, the default setting for this value is normally 30 days. Highlight the\nnumber in the days to keep pages in history box and type in 0 to maximize your privacy.\n6. Then, click OK to save your changes and exit the Internet Options screen.\nAfter you have cleared your browser history and modified the history setting, your privacy will\nbe much easier to protect.\nFIGURE 14-1: Using Dr. Delete to delete the URL cache file.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 341,
"text": "318\nPart III — Securing Your System\nClearing temporary Internet files and cookies\nEvery time you visit a Web site, the files for the Web page, such as the HTML and the images,\nare downloaded and stored in a temporary directory known as Temporary Internet Files. Over\ntime, this directory can become full of images and HTML from various Web sites that you\nhave visited. This directory can end up taking up a lot of space on your hard drive.\nAdditionally, a user can browse your Temporary Internet Files directory and find out exactly\nwhat site you have been visiting just as if they were looking at your browser history. If you are\nconcerned about your privacy, or just concerned about disk space, then clearing the Temporary\nInternet Files is a must.\nCookies are another item that is created on your computer when you visit a Web site. Contrary\nto popular belief, cookies are really not that bad. Most Web sites use them to save user data to a\nFIGURE 14-2: Clearing the browser history.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 342,
"text": "319\nChapter 14 — Protecting Your Privacy\nbrowser. One example of this is site preferences or automatic logon when you visit a Web site.\nThe Webmaster of the Web site can detect if their Web site has already given you a cookie that\nhas your user ID stored in it. If it finds one, then it knows exactly who you are and logs you on\nautomatically. Advertisers also use cookies to store personal data. Instead of showing you the\nsame advertisement 50 times, they use cookies to keep track of how many times an advertisement\nis displayed on your screen.\nA common myth about cookies is that they allow Web sites to track other sites you visit. That\nis just not true. The only cost of having cookies on your computer is a privacy concern for local\nusers. Any user that has physical access to your computer can browse to the directory that the\ncookies are stored and view what Web sites you visit because the cookies are named after the\nWeb site that instructed your browser to put them on your computer.\nClearing the Temporary Internet Files and removing the cookies is a very simple task. Just fol-\nlow these steps to clear these files:\n1. Open up another copy of Internet Explorer.\n2. Click Tools and then select Internet Options.\n3. Under the Temporary Internet Files section, click the Delete Files button.\n4. You will be prompted to confirm if you would also like offline files to be deleted. For\nmaximum privacy, check the box and Click OK.\n5. Once the files are erased, you will be shown the Internet Options screen again. Taking\ncare of the cookies for your privacy is just as easy. Just click the Delete Cookies button.\n6. Click OK on the confirmation screen.\n7. Select OK once more to close Internet Options and you are done.\nNow users will no longer be able to see what Web sites you visit from the cookies and\nTemporary Internet Files that are stored on your computer. Additionally, you will have freed up\nsome disk space by deleting these files.\nAdjusting your cookie security policy\nAs mentioned, cookies are not as bad a thing as some people in the computing world would like\nyou to believe. Instead, the only real risk they present is a loss of some privacy, as mentioned\nearlier. If you allow your browser to be instructed to create cookies on your computer, then over\ntime your PC would have quite a collection of them. Anyone who used your computer would\nthen know what sites you visited, if they knew where the cookie files were located.\nThe latest version of Internet Explorer includes many new enhancements. One of the enhance-\nments includes a new way of accepting cookies. Now, you have the ability to specify if you\nwould like your browser to block all cookies or just certain types. To be able to use this new\nfeature, you will have to understand what the two different types of cookies are: first- and\nthird-party cookies. First-party cookies are placed on your computer by the current site that\nyou are visiting. Third-party cookies are placed on your computer by remote sites such as\nadvertisement servers.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 343,
"text": "320\nPart III — Securing Your System\nIf you do not want your computer to accept third-party cookies so that marketing companies\ncannot identify what ads they have shown you, or if you just want to adjust your cookie accep-\ntance settings, then follow these steps:\n1. Open up a copy of Internet Explorer.\n2. Click the Tools menu bar item and select Internet Options.\n3. When Internet Options loads, click the Privacy tab.\n4. You will see the up-and-down slider that allows you to select different levels of cookie\nsecurity. I recommend that you bypass this and just click the Advanced button\ninstead.\n5. Once you click the Advanced button and see the Advanced Privacy Settings window,\ncheck the box that says Override Automatic Cookie Handling.\n6. Your settings for first- and third-party cookies will now be available for adjustment, as\nshown in Figure 14-3. I recommend that you always accept first-party cookies. You can\ndecide if you want to block or select the prompt to accept third-party cookies. Prompt\nwill pop up a dialog box notifying you that a cookies request has been received.\n7. Once you are finished with your settings, click the OK button to save your changes and\nreturn to Internet Options.\n8. Click OK once more to close Internet Options.\nFIGURE 14-3: Adjusting the cookie privacy settings.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 344,
"text": "321\nChapter 14 — Protecting Your Privacy\nNow that you have set the cookie privacy setting manually, you can eliminate cookies from\nbeing stored on your hard drive in the first place. Doing so will allow you to protect your\nprivacy and still be able to use Web sites that need cookies.\nSaying no to encrypted Web pages\nIf you manage your finances or shop online, then you have probably had experience with using\nsecure Web connections, otherwise known as SSL. These secure connections encrypt the data\nthat is transferred from a Web server to your computer. Once the data gets to your computer,\nyour browser has a special key that decrypts the information and displays it on your computer.\nDuring this process, when the file is decrypted, it is saved in the Temporary Internet Files\ndirectory so that the browser can display it.\nThis default appears to be harmless because the Web page is only saved on your computer. If\nno one has remote access to your computer, the data would be safe, right? Not necessarily,\nbecause your data is now vulnerable to anyone who has physical local access to your computer.\nIf that person is clever and lucky enough, he or she can sort through your Temporary Internet\nFiles directory to find confidential information, such as your online banking information. All\nof this information is saved by default on your hard drive for anyone to look at. They do not\neven need to know your password or even log into your account on the bank’s Web site, because\na snapshot of the Web page is stored locally on your computer.\nWhat can you do to protect your computer from this vulnerability besides setting up better\ncomputer security such as complex passwords? There is a cool feature of Internet Explorer that\nyou just have to turn on that will eliminate the problem completely. Simply called Do Not Save\nEncrypted Pages to Disk, this feature, when enabled, will solve your problems. To enable it,\nfollow these steps:\n1. Open up a copy of Internet Explorer.\n2. Click Tools and select Internet Options.\n3. Then, select the Advanced tab.\n4. Scroll down through the list toward the bottom of the window until you see the Security\nsection, as shown in Figure 14-4.\n5. Locate Do Not Save Encrypted Pages to Disk, and check the box to the left of it.\n6. Click OK to save and activate your changes.\nNow you will no longer have to worry about pages that were encrypted being saved to your\ndrive for anyone who has access to your computer to see.\nDisabling AutoComplete\nYou already know about AutoComplete from the address bar. We have taken care of that pri-\nvacy problem by clearing the file that stored the information, as was shown in the section \nabout removing the address bar suggestions. However, that is not the only situation where\nAutoComplete attempts to provide assistance. Another situation where AutoComplete tries to\n"
},
{
"page_number": 345,
"text": "322\nPart III — Securing Your System\ngive a helping hand is when you are filling in text boxes on Web pages. AutoComplete in this sit-\nuation works exactly the same as AutoComplete with the address bar. As you begin to fill in the\ntext box, several suggestions will appear, based on information that you have already typed in.\nTo get an idea how this works in action, visit a search site such as Google (www.google.com)\nand start to type in words for which you want to search. When you do so, words similar to the\nones you have typed in the box on other visits to the site will appear. This capability allows\nanyone that uses your computer to be able to see what other users of the computer have\nsearched for on the site, even if the browser history was cleared.\nClearly, having this feature enabled would be a big concern if you were concerned about your\nprivacy. Disabling the AutoComplete feature is not very difficult and will completely take care\nof this privacy concern. Follow these steps to put an end to AutoComplete:\nFIGURE: 14-4: Changing IE’s security settings.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 346,
"text": "323\nChapter 14 — Protecting Your Privacy\n1. Open up an instance of Internet Explorer.\n2. Click Tools and select Internet Options.\n3. Select the Content tab and click the AutoComplete button, as shown in Figure 14-5.\n4. Once the AutoComplete Settings window has loaded, just uncheck all of the boxes that\nare listed under Use AutoComplete For. This will disable this privacy concern completely.\n5. Although you have the AutoComplete window open, you can also click the two clear but-\ntons at the bottom of the window to clear any data that is in the file stores for this data.\n6. When you are finished, just click the OK button to save your changes.\n7. Select OK once more to close Internet Options and activate your changes.\nFIGURE 14-5: Adjusting the AutoComplete settings by entering AutoComplete settings.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 347,
"text": "324\nPart III — Securing Your System\nAutoComplete is now a thing of the past. You will not have to worry about people using your\ncomputer being automatically shown all of the things that you type into your address and text\nboxes.\nClearing Temporary Internet Files automatically\nEarlier, you learned how to clear your Temporary Internet Files so they will not be a privacy\nconcern. Over time, your Temporary Internet Files folder will fill up again and once again\nbecome a privacy concern. One easy way to fix this is to use an interesting hidden feature of\nInternet Explorer that will automatically delete these files every time you close Internet\nExplorer. This way, you will not have to worry about clearing all of the files every time you use\nIE. Follow these steps to activate this great feature:\nFIGURE 14-6: Setting up IE to automatically clear the Temporary Internet Files.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 348,
"text": "325\nChapter 14 — Protecting Your Privacy\n1. Open up a copy of Internet Explorer.\n2. Click the Tools menu bar item and then select Internet Options.\n3. Select the Advanced tab and scroll down to the bottom of the screen.\n4. Locate and check Empty Temporary Internet Files Folder When Browser Is Closed, as\nshown in Figure 14-6.\n5. Click OK to close Internet Options and activate your changes.\nEnabling Automatic Empty is a great way to easily maintain a clean PC. Keep in mind that\nthis will only delete your Temporary Internet Files and not your cookies. You will still have to\ndelete the cookies using the method mentioned previously in this chapter.\nWindows Interface\nOnce you have Internet Explorer under control, you can move on to cleaning the rest of the\nWindows interface. Just like Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer keeps track of the applica-\ntions that you run and files that you open. It does this so it can tailor your computer to your\npersonal use with features such as the frequently run programs list on the Start panel. Features\nlike this are designed to speed up the use of your computer. However, the side effect of the\nconvenience is a loss of privacy. These next few sections will show you how to recover your \nprivacy, albeit at the expense of convenience.\nClearing Frequently Run Programs list\nOne of the great new features of Windows XP can also be a pain when you are concerned\nabout your privacy. Being able to select the program that you use frequently directly on \nthe Start panel instead of navigating through the entire Start Menu can save you some\ntime. However, over time, this list can become cluttered with programs that you do not\nwant. Additionally, anyone who uses your computer can easily see what programs you \nuse.\nIf you are concerned about your privacy or just want to clear the list and start fresh, follow\nthese steps :\n1. Right-click the Start button and select Properties.\n2. Click the Customize button next to Start Menu.\n3. Under the Programs section, click the Clear List button, as shown in Figure 14-7.\n4. Once you click the button, nothing seems to have happened. Don’t worry; it has cleared\nyour list so you do not need to keep clicking the button. Click OK when you are finished\nto close the Customize Start Menu window.\n5. Then, click OK once more to close Taskbar and Start Menu Properties.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 349,
"text": "326\nPart III — Securing Your System\nThe program list is now clear and you can start from fresh building your list of frequently run\nprograms.\nClearing the recently opened document list\nWindows XP monitors all of the files that you open on your computer so it can construct the\nrecently opened document list. This is designed to allow you to easily open up files that you\nhave been working on. All types of documents are listed in this list. Every time you open up a\nWord document or a digital image, an entry is created within the list. Although this feature\nexists, I never find myself using it and the only value that it adds to my computer is a privacy\nconcern.\nClearing the recently opened document list every once in a while is a good idea, so your docu-\nments are kept confidential and your privacy high. Clearing the list is very easy. Just follow\nthese steps:\nFIGURE 14-7: Clearing the program list on the Start panel.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 350,
"text": "327\nChapter 14 — Protecting Your Privacy\n1. Right-click the Start button and select Properties.\n2. Then click the Customize button next to the Start Menu radio button.\n3. Once the Customize Start Menu window appears, click the Advanced tab.\n4. Under the Recent Documents section, click the Clear List button, as shown in Figure 14-8.\n5. Once you have cleared the list, click the OK button to close the Customize Start Menu\nwindow.\n6. Then, click OK once more to close Taskbar and Start Menu Properties.\nRemoving temporary files from your hard drive\nOver time, your hard drive can become cluttered with temporary files left behind from applica-\ntions and the operating system. These files not only take up space, but they can be tracks of\nFIGURE 14-8: Clearing the recently opened document list.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 351,
"text": "328\nPart III — Securing Your System\nactivity on your computer. Removing the temporary files is a great way to clean up any garbage\ninformation that was left behind; you’ll then increase your privacy and also free up some disk\nspace.\nWindows has advanced greatly over the course of its existence. Back in the early versions of\nWindows, there was just one temp folder that all temp files were located in. With Windows\nXP, there are temp folders all over the place. To remove the files, you could go to all of the dif-\nferent folders and manually erase the files. This would work, but there is a better way.\nTo clear my temporary files from my hard drive, I like to use a program called TempCleaner.\nTempCleaner is a free application, written by Paul Wesson, that will automatically detect your\ntemporary directory and delete all the files. With TempCleaner, you do not have to worry\nabout where to navigate on your hard drive to delete the files. Instead, just execute the pro-\ngram. To get started using TempCleaner to clean your hard drive of temporary files, follow\nthese directions:\n1. Visit TempCleaner’s Web site, located at www.ipaw.net/product_tempcleaner.php\nand download a copy.\n2. Expand the archive and run the installer.\n3. Once the installer has finished, just start up TempCleaner by clicking the Start Menu,\nexpanding All Programs, and expanding the TempCleaner folder.\n4. TempCleaner has a very simple interface. When it is running, you will just see a simple\nwindow that says Cleaning Up Your Temp Folder, as shown in Figure 14-9.\n5. Once TempCleaner has finished, the screen will disappear. If you would like\nTempCleaner to remove files from other folders, such as the temp folder used by certain\napplications, this can be done within TempCleaner’s options. The TempCleaner Options\nscreen can be viewed by using the TempCleaner Options shortcut in the TempCleaner\nStart Menu folder.\n6. Once the TempCleaner Options screen is loaded, just click the Folder button next to\nAdd Folder and select the folder in which you want the files to be deleted. Click OK\nwhen you are finished.\n7. Click OK and the TempCleaner Options window will close.\nThe next time you run TempCleaner, the folder(s) that you added will also be cleaned on top\nof the Windows temp folders. If you like to keep your computer clear of temp files for\nFIGURE 14-9: TempCleaner removing temp files.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 352,
"text": "329\nChapter 14 — Protecting Your Privacy\nmaximum privacy and disk space, add the TempCleaner shortcut to your startup folder in the\nStart Menu so that it is run every time you turn your computer on.\nRemoving saved passwords\nWhen you visit a Web site that requires authentication or attempt to connect to remote com-\nputers, you are given the option to save your password so that the next time you visit the page\nor attempt to access a remote resource, you do not have to reenter your password. This feature\ncan be a huge convenience, especially if you access a particular Web site or resource frequently.\nThe downside to this convenience is the potential for horrible security and privacy problems.\nEssentially, you are taking the password off all of the sites and resources for which you saved a\npassword. Anyone who has physical access to your computer can get in using your username\nand password, even if they do not know your password.\nRemoving your saved passwords from your computer is a very good idea, because doing so will\nprotect your accounts and also increase your accounts privacy. Removing the password is a little\ntricky in Window XP because there is no easy way to access a list of all the accounts that have\npasswords stored for them within Control Panel or any other user interface element. Fortunately,\nthere is a great hack that will do just that.\nHidden away in the keymgr.dll system file is an interface for viewing stored usernames and\npasswords. To use this interface, follow these steps:\n1. Click the Start Menu and select Run.\n2. Type in rundll32.exe keymgr.dll,KRShowKeyMgr.\n3. The Stored User Names and Passwords window will load, showing you a list of all of the\naccounts that are saved on your computer, as shown in Figure 14-10.\n4. To remove a saved password, select the account on the list and click the Remove\nbutton.\n5. Click OK on the Confirm screen and the account will be removed from the list, erasing\nyour stored password.\n6. Repeat the previous steps for any other accounts that you want to remove.\n7. When you are finished, just click Close.\nYou can also use the Stored User Names and Passwords window to add more usernames and\npasswords to your computer. If you have a Web site or resource and you do not care about\nyour privacy, such as some news Web site, and you are running Windows XP Professional,\nthen just click the Add button when the Stored User Names and Passwords window is\nloaded.\nSetting file and folder permissions\nWindows XP Professional boxes running the NTFS file system have the capability to set indi-\nvidual file permissions on both files and folders. File and folder permissions allow you to\n"
},
{
"page_number": 353,
"text": "330\nPart III — Securing Your System\nspecify exactly who will be able to read, write, execute, and even list or access a folder. So, file\nand folder permissions can be a very powerful tool to protect your data from others’ eyes.\nIf your file system is FAT32, then you will not be able to set permissions. Fortunately, an easy way\nexists for you to convert your FAT32 file system to NTFS. Do a search in the Windows Help and\nSupport Center for Convert to NTFS and you will be shown directions on how you can go about\nconverting your drive’s file system.\nSetting the permissions on with a lot of control requires you to disable simple file sharing and\nsecurity. To do so, follow these steps:\n1. Open up any folder on your computer and expand the Tools menu and select Folder Options.\n2. Click the View tab and scroll to the bottom of the Advanced Settings box.\n3. Uncheck the Use Simple File Sharing option at the bottom of the list.\n4. Click OK, and you are finished restoring full control over your file permissions.\nNow that you have disabled simple file sharing, you can proceed and easily configure the per-\nmissions on any file or folder that you desire. Setting the permissions is very easy once you do it\na few times. Follow these directions to set the permissions to maximize your privacy:\nFIGURE 14-10: The Stored User Names and Passwords administration screen.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 354,
"text": "331\nChapter 14 — Protecting Your Privacy\n1. Right-click any file or folder for which you want to modify permissions and select Properties.\n2. Then, click the Security tab. (When simple file sharing was enabled, this tab did not exist.)\n3. First, remove all users from the group or username list to whom you do not want to give\naccess. It is a good idea to remove the Everyone group because this does include every-\none that can access your computer. However, make sure that you do not accidentally\nremove your username from the list. Also watch out for the SYSTEM account. This is\none account that the operating system uses to access files. Removing it may cause unex-\npected results. But, fortunately, if the system actually does need it, you can always add it\nagain if you remove it and it causes problems.\nIf you are having difficulties removing users from the username list, this could be because the\nuser is inherited from a parent folder. Permissions are passed down to all subfolders and files. If\nyou want a user to have access to a folder but not its subfolders, then you will have to click the\nAdvanced button on the security tab of the Properties window. Once the Advanced Security\nSettings window loads, uncheck the option that says Inherit from Parent the Permission Entries\nthat Apply to Child Objects. A Security notification box will pop up. Click the Remove button to\nremove all of the inherited permissions so that you can have full control of the folder. \n4. Now that you have the list of users and groups taken care of, set the specific permissions\nthat the user has on the file or folder. Select the name of the user that you want to mod-\nify, then check the corresponding boxes in the Permissions For list for the activities that\nyou want them to be able to do, as shown in Figure 4-11.\n5. When you have finished setting the permissions for all of the users, click OK to exit the\nPermissions screen.\nOnce you have set the permissions for all of sensitive directories, you will have greatly\nincreased your security and privacy. Also keep in mind that file permissions are inherited.\nEvery folder within a folder inherits the permissions of the parent folder unless they are\nspecifically removed. Therefore, if you set the file permissions for a folder, all of the\nsubfolders and files will be automatically set with the same permissions. File and folder\npermissions can be very useful. If you have a program on your computer that you do not\nwant anyone else running, simply set the permissions on that folder so that only you can\nread and execute.\nEncrypting Files\nAnother cool feature of Windows XP Professional’s NTFS file system is its ability to encrypt\nfiles. Permissions on files and folders work well to protect them when the operating system is\nrunning. However, if special software and hardware are used, the raw data can be accessed on\nthe hard drive. With the absence of the operating system running to protect its data, anyone\ncan very easily lift the data off the drive no matter what permissions were set on the file. Such\nsoftware and hardware is usually expensive and primarily used by data recovery companies and\nlaw enforcement agencies.\nTo protect your computer’s files and folders from conventional recovery methods, you can\nencrypt the files. Doing so will scramble and encode the data within the files so that the only\n"
},
{
"page_number": 355,
"text": "332\nPart III — Securing Your System\ndata lifted off the hard drive with recovery tools when the operating system is not running will\nbe scrambled garbage.\nEncrypting files is not just for personal use. If you work for a company that has very sensitive\ninformation on their computers and laptops, you would be wise to encrypt the folders and files\nthat contain important and confidential data. If you do so, the confidential information is a lot\nless likely to get out in the open should the hardware ever be stolen.\nBefore I go any further, I should mention that encrypting files is not always 100 percent secure.\nAll files that are encrypted can eventually be cracked. It is only a matter of time before a high-\nspeed computer that is trying every possible encryption key finds the correct key. Nevertheless,\nFIGURE 14-11: Adjusting the permissions for Jason. Jason now only has\npermission to read files in the incoming folder.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 356,
"text": "333\nChapter 14 — Protecting Your Privacy\nthere are millions, if not billions, of possible keys. As you can imagine, even with the fastest\ncomputers in the world, cracking the key will take some time (several, if not hundreds of\nyears). But there always is the chance that someone could randomly pick the correct key,\nalthough the odds of that happening are about equal to winning the lottery twice in your\nlifetime.\nNow that you know about how encrypting files can help your privacy and security, get started\nencrypting files. Encrypting a file is as simple as changing a file attribute. Follow these steps to\ntell Windows to encrypt a file:\n1. Right-click a file or folder and select Properties.\n2. Then, click the Advanced button next to Attributes.\n3. The Advanced Attribute window will load. Check the box to enable encryption, as\nshown in Figure 4-12.\n4. Click OK to return to save your change.\n5. Select OK once more to close the Properties window and activate encryption.\nOnce all of your sensitive files are encrypted, your privacy and security are greatly increased.\nSetting your file permissions and enabling encryption is the perfect combination for protecting\nyour sensitive files.\nFIGURE 14-12: Enabling encryption.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 357,
"text": "334\nPart III — Securing Your System\nSummary\nThroughout this chapter, you found out how to increase your privacy with Internet Explorer.\nBecause Internet Explorer records so many pieces of your browsing experience, that informa-\ntion can leave yourself open to huge threats to your privacy. To fight that, you need to remove\nhistories of sites browsed and addresses entered, as shown earlier in the chapter. Then, you\nlearned how to delete cookies, as well as how to set up Internet Explorer to clean itself.\nThe second part of the chapter addressed the privacy concerns of the Windows interface. Just\nlike Internet Explorer, Windows records many of our computer activities. Clearing those\nrecords has become an essential part of protecting your privacy. First, you found out how to\nclean up Windows. Then, you learned about ways to protect your privacy further with the help\nof permissions and encryption. If you follow all of the tips outlined in this chapter, you will\nhave no problem creating a secure system.\nYou have now finished Hacking Windows XP. You were shown how to customize everything\nthat can be customized in Windows XP in Part I. Now you know how to make your computer\nlook and feel completely different. In Part II, you were shown how to speed up all the different\nstages of Windows XP. From the boot up to the speed of your applications, you were given tips\nto optimize the performance of your computer. Part III shifted into the hot topic of securing\nWindows XP. You learned how to protect your computer from attackers, defend against spy-\nware, adware, and viruses, and protect your privacy. Now that you are done with this last chap-\nter, you have finished the most complete guide ever written to fully optimize and improve your\nWindows XP experience.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 358,
"text": "What’s on the \nCD-ROM\nThis appendix provides you with information on the contents of\nthe CD that accompanies this book. For the latest and greatest\ninformation, please refer to the ReadMe file located at the root\nof the CD. Here is what you will find:\n\u0002 System requirements\n\u0002 Using the CD with Windows XP\n\u0002 What’s on the CD\n\u0002 Troubleshooting\nSystem Requirements\nMake sure that your computer meets the minimum system\nrequirements listed in this section. If your computer doesn’t\nmatch up to most of these requirements, you may have a prob-\nlem using the contents of the CD.\n\u0002 A PC running Windows XP Professional or Windows XP\nHome edition.\n\u0002 At least 128 MB of total RAM installed on your com-\nputer; for best performance, we recommend at least 256\nMB.\n\u0002 An Ethernet network interface card (NIC) or modem\nwith a speed of at least 28,800 bps.\n\u0002 A CD-ROM drive.\nUsing the CD with Windows XP\nTo install the items from the CD to your hard drive, follow these\nsteps:\nappendix\n"
},
{
"page_number": 359,
"text": "336\nAppendix A — What’s on the CD-ROM\n1. Insert the CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive.\n2. The CD-ROM interface will appear. The interface provides a simple point-and-click\nway to explore the contents of the CD.\nIf the CD-ROM interface does not appear, follow these steps to access the CD:\n1. Click the Start button on the left end of the taskbar and then choose Run from the\nmenu that pops up.\n2. In the dialog box that appears, type d:\\setup.exe. (If your CD-ROM drive is not drive d,\nfill in the appropriate letter in place of d.) This brings up the CD Interface described in\nthe preceding set of steps.\nWhat’s on the CD\nThe following sections provide a summary of the software and other materials you’ll find on\nthe CD.\nAuthor-created materials\nAll author-created material from the book, including registry files, are organized on the CD in\nchapter folders.\nApplications\nThe following applications are on the CD:\nAVG Anti-Virus, from Grisoft USA\nFreeware version for Windows XP.\nDescription: AVG Anti-Virus is a great AV application that will protect your computer from\nviruses for free. Chapter 13 will show you how to get this application up and running on your\nbox. For more information, check out www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php.\nBitstrip\nFreeware version for Windows XP.\nDescription: Bitstrip is a cool app that will allow you to convert an animated GIF image file\ninto a framed bitmap file that you can use to change the internet explorer animated logo as\nshown in chapter 6. For more information, visit\nwww.virtualplastic.net/redllar/bitstrip.html.\nO&O Defrag Professional, from O&O Software\nShareware version for Windows XP.\nDescription: O&O defrag is a great file system defragmentation utility that will help you opti-\nmize the location of the files on your hard drive including optimization of the boot files as is\ndiscussed in chapter 8. For more information, visit www.oo-software.com.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 360,
"text": "337\nAppendix A — What’s on the CD-ROM\nPCMark04, from Futuremark Corporation\nFree feature-limited version for Windows XP.\nDescription: PCMark 04 is one of the most popular benchmarking programs for the PC. It\nwill run various tests on your computer simulating everyday activities and will then assign an\noverall score that you can compare to other computers on the web. Chapter 7 will help you get\nPCMark 04 running on your computer. For more information, visit www.futuremark.com.\nSandra Standard, from SiSoftware\nFree feature-limited version for Windows XP.\nDescription: Sandra Standard is a benchmarking and information suite. It provides several\ndifferent benchmarking tests as well as boatloads of system stats. Chapter 7 will show you\nhow to use Sandra Standard. Visit www.sisoftware.co.uk for more information.\nSpybot Search & Destroy\nFreeware version for Windows XP.\nDescription: Spybot S & D is one of the most popular applications for detecting and removing\nspyware from your computer. Chapter 13 will show you how you can use this great app to\nremove spyware from your computer. For more information, visit www.safer-network-\ning.org.\nStyle Builder, from TGT Software\n30-day trial version for Windows XP.\nDescription: Style builder is used to create visual styles for use with Windows XP’s built-in\nvisual style engine. Directions on its use can be found in Chapter 4. For more information, visit\nwww.tgtsoft.com/prod_sxp.php.\nStyle XP, from TGT Software\n30-day trial version for Windows XP.\nDescription: Style XP provides an easy way to use visual styles without having to patch\nWindows XP’s visual style engine. Directions on its use can be found in Chapter 4. For more\ninformation, check out www.tgtsoft.com/prod_sb.php.\nWinTasks 4 Professional, from Uniblue Systems Ltd. \nTrial version for Windows XP.\nDescription: WinTasks 4 Professional is a task manager on steroids. It provides normal run-\nning process information as well as the ability to increase and decrease performance, profiles,\npriorities, and respond to system events. Chapter 11 shows how to use WinTasks. For more\ninformation, visit www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/.\nBonus Applications\nThe following bonus applications provided by Joel Diamond and Howard Sobel of the\nWindows Users Group Network (www.WUGNET.com) are on the CD in the bonus folder.\nThese bonus applications will help you get even more out of Windows XP by providing you\nwith useful tools to hack your computer and add cool new features and effects that will make\n"
},
{
"page_number": 361,
"text": "338\nAppendix A — What’s on the CD-ROM\nTitle\nFilename\n3DNA Screensaver\n3DNA.exe\n3DNA Screensaver software provided courtesy of 3DNA.\nAccountLogon\nPassword Manager\nAccount_Logon.exe\nAccountLogon Password Manager software provided courtesy of Rhodes Software Pty Ltd.\nAdvanced System Optimizer\nAdvancedSystemOptimizer.exe\nAlphaXP Transparency Effects\nAlphaXP.exe\nAlphaXP Transparency Effects software provided courtesy of ZeroHero Software.\nAutoFTP Manager\nAutoFTP.exe\nAutoPilot XP\nAutopilotXP.exe\nAutoPilot XP software provided courtesy of Sunbelt Software.\nBoostXP\nBoosterXP.exe\nCache Boost Pro\nCacheBoostPro.exe\nCompreXX\nComprexx.exe\nCompreXX software provided courtesy of MimarSinan International.\nCyberScrub ES Pro\nCyberScrubPro.exe\nCyberScrub software provided courtesy of CyberScrub LLC. CyberScrub is a registered trademark of\nCyberScrub LLC. All rights reserved.\nDigital Media Converter\nDigitalMediaConvertor.exe\nDiskTriage Free Space Manager\nDiskTriage.exe\nDiskTriage Free Space Manager software provided courtesy of TimeAcct Information Systems.\nDownshift Download Manager\nDownshift.exe\nDownshift software provided courtesy of Rose City Software.\nExplorerPlus\nExplorerPlus.exe\nExplorerPlus software provided courtesy of Novatix Corporation.\nFantasy Moon 3D Screensaver\nFantasyMoon3D.exe\nFantasy Moon 3D Screensaver software provided courtesy of 3PlaneSoft.\nFeedDemon RSS Reader\nFeedDemon.exe\nFeedDemon RSS Reader software provided courtesy of Bradbury Software, LLC.\nFolderMatch\nFolderMatch.zip\nFolderMatch software provided courtesy of Salty Brine Software.\n™\n™\n"
},
{
"page_number": 362,
"text": "339\nAppendix A — What’s on the CD-ROM\nTitle\nFilename\nFTP Voyager\nFTPVoyager.exe\nFTP Voyager software provided courtesy of Rhino Software, Inc.\nGalleon 3D Screensaver\nGalleon.exe\nGalleon Screensaver software provided courtesy of 3PlaneSoft.\nGhostSurf Pro Privacy Protector\nGhostSurfPro.exe\nMoveMe File Transfer Wizard\nMoveMe.exe\nMoveMe File Transfer Wizard software provided courtesy of Spearit Software, Inc.\nMulti Desktop 2003\nMultiDesktop2003.exe\nMulti Desktop 2003 software provided courtesy of Gamers Tower, Inc.\nNautilus 3D Screensaver\nNautilus.exe\nNautilus 3D Screensaver software provided courtesy of 3PlaneSoft.\nOpen+\nOpenPlus.exe\nOpen+ software provided courtesy of Capio Corporation.\nPC Booster\nPCBooster.exe\nPC Booster software provided courtesy of inKline Global, Inc.\nRegistry Compactor\nRegComp.exe\nRegistry Compactor software provided courtesy of Rose City Software.\nRegistry First Aid\nRegistryFirstAid.exe\nRegistry First Aid software provided courtesy of Rose City Software.\nRegistry Mechanic\nRegistryMechanic.exe\nRegistry Mechanic software provided courtesy of GuideWorks Pty Ltd. \nSOS Data Protection Recovery\nSOS_Data_Protection_Recovery.zip\nSOS Data Protection Recovery software provided courtesy of DataTex Engineering.\nSnagIT Screen Capture\nSnagIT.exe\nSpirit of Fire 3D Screensaver\nSpiritofFire3D.exe\nSpirit of Fire 3D Screensaver software provided courtesy of 3PlaneSoft.\nSticky Notes\nStickyNotes.exe\nSystem Mechanic\nSystemMechanic.exe\nSystem Mechanic software provided courtesy of iolo technologies, LLC.\nContinued\n"
},
{
"page_number": 363,
"text": "340\nAppendix A — What’s on the CD-ROM\nXP look and act better. Howard and Joel worked very hard to get the permissions together for\ndistributing this software last minute. Without them, the bonus applications would not exist.\nThanks guys!\nShareware programs are fully functional, trial versions of copyrighted programs. If you like\nparticular programs, register with their authors for a nominal fee and receive licenses, enhanced\nversions, and technical support. Freeware programs are copyrighted games, applications, and\nutilities that are free for personal use. Unlike shareware, these programs do not require a fee or\nprovide technical support. GNU software is governed by its own license, which is included\ninside the folder of the GNU product. See the GNU license for more details.\nTrial, demo, or evaluation versions are usually limited either by time or functionality (such\nas being unable to save projects). Some trial versions are very sensitive to system date\nchanges. If you alter your computer’s date, the programs will “time out” and will no longer\nbe functional.\neBook version of Hacking Windows XP\nThe complete text of this book is on the CD in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF).\nYou can read and search through the file with the Adobe Acrobat Reader (also included on\nthe CD).\nTroubleshooting\nIf you have difficulty installing or using any of the materials on the companion CD, try the\nfollowing solutions:\nTitle\nFilename\nSystem Sentry\nSystemSentry.exe\nSystem Sentry software provided courtesy of Easy Desk Software, Inc.\nTuneup Utilities 2004\nTuneup_Utilities.exe\nTweakMaster Pro\nTweakmasterPro.exe\nTweakMaster Pro software provided courtesy of Rose City Software.\nWatermill 3D Screensaver\nWatermill3D.exe\nWatermill 3D Screensaver software provided courtesy of 3PlaneSoft.\nWinGuide Tweak Manager\nWinGuideTweakManager.exe\nYour Uninstaller 2004 Pro\nYourUninstaller2004Pro.exe\nYour Uninstaller 2004 Pro software provided courtesy of URSoft, Inc.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 364,
"text": "341\nAppendix A — What’s on the CD-ROM\n\u0002 Turn off any anti-virus software that you may have running. Installers sometimes\nmimic virus activity and can make your computer incorrectly believe that it is being\ninfected by a virus. (Be sure to turn the anti-virus software back on later.)\n\u0002 Close all running programs. The more programs you’re running, the less memory is\navailable to other programs. Installers also typically update files and programs; if you\nkeep other programs running, installation may not work properly.\n\u0002 Reference the ReadMe: Please refer to the ReadMe file located at the root of the \nCD-ROM for the latest product information at the time of publication.\nIf you still have trouble with the CD, please call the Wiley Customer Care phone number:\n(800) 762-2974. Outside the United States, call 1 (317) 572-3994. You can also contact Wiley\nCustomer Service on the web at www.wiley.com/techsupport. Wiley will provide techni-\ncal support only for installation and other general quality control items; for technical support\non the applications themselves, consult the program’s vendor or author.\n"
},
{
"page_number": 365,
"text": ""
},
{
"page_number": 366,
"text": "A\naccess controlling\nmanaging user accounts, 299\noverview of, 298\nActive Desktop, fun with, 86\nActive Server Page, 87\nactive user data, 170\nActiveX installation, steps for, 311\nad-aware for checking updated files, 308\nad-aware using steps, 308\nadditional Windows XP skins for WindowBlinds,\ninstalling, 114\naddress bar command, creating, 142\naddress bar suggestions, removing, 315\naddress box history, 316\nAdministrator account\ndisabling, 300\nrenaming, 300\nadware, overview of, 307\nalert for specific performance counter, setting up, 162\nall icons from the desktop, removing, 74\nalternative IP addresses, assigning, 225\nanalyzing and detecting problems\nMemory\nAvailable MBytes & Paging File % Usage, 165\nPaging File % Usage & % Usage Peak, 165\nPhysical Disk\nDisk Read Bytes/sec & Disk Write \nBytes/sec, 164\nProcessor % Processor Time, 165\nanalyzing your system, 159\nanimated GIFs, 138\nanti-aliasing. See fine-tuning ClearType\nanti-spam applications\nCloudmark SpamNet, 306\nK9, 306\nMcAfee SpamKiller, 306\nSAproxy Pro, 306\nSpam Inspector, 306\nantivirus program, using, 313\nappearance of the Windows interface,\ncustomizing, 91\nAppLaunchMaxNumPages, 249\nAppLaunchMaxNumSections, 249\nApple OS X Visual styles, 103\napplication priorities, adjusting, 264\napplication service, 178\napplications with a user set priority, starting, 265\nASCII code, 78\nauto startup programs, identifying, 216\nAutoComplete disabling steps, 322\nAutoComplete feature, 315\nAutoComplete settings, adjusting, 323\nAutoComplete, disabling, 321\nauto-expanding pop-up menu feature, 44\nautomatic logon, enabling, 210\nAVG antivirus software, 314\nAVG running steps, 314\nB\n.bootskin file extension, 6\nbackground image for the logon screen, setting, 31\nballoon help, 61\nbare minimum services\nCom \u0002 Event System, 202\nCryptographic Services, 202\nDCOM Server Process Launcher, 202\nDHCP Client, 202\nDNS Client, 202\nEvent Log, 202\nIPSEC Services, 202\nNetwork Connections, 202\nPlug \u0002 Play, 202\nPrint Spooler, 202\nProtected Storage, 202\nRemote Procedure Call, 202\nSecondary Logon, 202\nSecurity Accounts Manager (SAM), 202\nShell Hardware Detection, 202\nSystem Event Notification, 202\nWorkstation, 202\nbasic input/output system (BIOS), 183\nbehavior of the Desktop, customizing, 83\nbenchmark your system, methods to, 174\nbenchmarking with PCMark04, 179\nBIOS (basic input/output system), 183\nBIOS setup screen, 184\nBIOS, working with, 183\nbitmaps, 101\nboot defragmentation process, 204\nboot defragmenter, 203\nboot disk, 184\nboot order of drives, changing, 184\nboot screen system file, 4\nIndex\n"
},
{
"page_number": 367,
"text": "boot screen, changing, 3\nboot screens for BootSkin\nSkinbase, 5\nWin Customize, 5\nboot time defrag with O&O Defrag, 205\nboot time system defrag with Diskeeper, 205\nboot.ini file, creating, 190\nBootMaxNumPages, 249\nBootMaxNumSections, 249\nboot-screen-changing programs, 5\nBootSkin app, 5\nBootskin app, advantages of using, 6\nBootSkin files, 5, 6\nBootSkin format, 7\nBootSkin to change your boot screen, using, 5\nboot-up process, 204\nBootvis\nfeatures of, 170\ninstalling, 166\nstarting, 167\nBootvis application, 166\nBootvis to analyze your system start, using, 166\nBootvis to benchmark, using, 178\nBootvis trace file, analyzing, 168\nbrowser history, clearing, 318\nbrowsers for downloading boot screens\nBelchfire, 7\nEZ Skins, 7\nThemeXP, 7\nXP Theme, 7\nbuffer, 313\nbuilt-in boot defragmenter\nDiskkeeper, 204\nO&O Defrag, 204\nbuilt-in Visual style engine, 113\nbuilt-in Windows XP defragmenter, 263\nC\nCableNut program, 272\nCableNut to adjust settings, using, 274\nCache & Memory Benchmark, 176\ncalculating settings for CableNut, 272\nCD drive, 184\nCD-ROM/DVD Benchmark, 176\nchanging any File Types default launch app,\nsteps for, 118\nchanging boot screen, methods for, 5\nchanging the mode of Prefetcher, steps \nfor, 249\nchanging the Welcome screen, manually, 18\nCHKDSK utility, 205\nclasses of devices which are frequently disabled\nFire wire, 193\nModems, 193\nMultimedia devices, 193\nNetwork Adapters, 193\nPCMCIA, 193\nclassic logon screen, working with, 28\nclassic logon, switching to, 29\nclassic Start Menu back on, turning, 54\nclassic Start Menu, customizing, 54\nclassic Windows interface, 92, 97, 101\nClearType font smoothing engine, 150\nClearType, features of, 34, 151\nColorName property, 34\nColorName values\nHomestead (olive green look), 33\nMetallic (silver), 33\nNormalColor (default blue look), 33\ncolumns to the detailed view, adding, 131\ncomctl32.ocx component, 8\ncommon services, disabling\nBackground Intelligent Transfer \nService, 202\nDistributed Link Tracking Client, 202\nError Reporting Service, 203\nFast User Switching Compatibility, 203\nHelp and Support, 203\nIndexing Service, 203\nMachine Debug Manager, 203\nMessenger, 203\nNetwork Location Awareness (NLA), 203\nPortable Media Serial Number Service, 203\nRemote Registry (only included with \nWindows XP Pro), 203\nSSDP Discovery Service, 203\nTask Scheduler, 203\nTerminal Services, 203\nWebClient, 203\nWindows Image Acquisition (WIA), 203\nWindows Time, 203\nWireless Zero Configuration, 203\nCommon Tasks pane\ndisabling, 134\nfeatures of, 134\ncommon Windows services in use\nAutomatic Updates, 196\nBackground Intelligent Transfer Service, 196\nCom \u0002 Event System, 196\nComputer Browser, 196\nCryptographic Services, 196\nDCOM Server Process Launcher, 197\nDHCP Client, 197\nDistributed Link Tracking Client, 197\n344\nIndex I B–C\n"
},
{
"page_number": 368,
"text": "DNS Client, 197\nError Reporting Service, 197\nEvent Log, 197\nFast User Switching Compatibility, 197\nHelp and Support, 197\nHTTP SSL, 198\nIndexing Service, 198\nIPSEC Services, 198\nLogical Disk Manager, 198\nMachine Debug Manager, 198\nMessenger, 198\nNetwork Connections, 198\nNetwork Location Awareness (NLA), 198\nPlug and Play, 198\nPortable Media Serial Number Service, 198\nPrint Spooler, 198\nProtected Storage, 198\nRemote Procedure Call (RPC), 199\nRemote, 199\nSecondary Logon, 199\nSecurity Accounts Manager, 199\nSecurity Center, 199\nServer, 199\nShell Hardware Detection, 199\nSSDP Discovery Service, 199\nSystem Event Notification, 199\nSystem Restore Service, 199\nTask Scheduler, 199\nTCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, 199\nTerminal Services, 200\nThemes, 200\nWebClient, 200\nWindows Audio, 200\nWindows Firewall / Internet Connection \nSharing (ICS), 200\nWindows Image Acquisition (WIA), 200\nWindows Management Instrumentation,\n200\nWindows Time, 200\nWireless Zero Configuration, 200\nWorkstation, 200\ncompatible bitmap file, 138\ncomplex password, use of, 301\ncomputer break-ins, 313\ncomputer security, 277\ncomputer, immunizing, 312\nconfiguring alerts, 162\nconvert boot screens to work with \nBootSkin, 7\ncookie acceptance settings, 320\ncookie privacy settings, adjusting, 320\ncookie security policy, 319\ncookie settings steps, 320\ncookies, 318\nCoolMon program, benefits of, 173\nCounters window listing all available items to \nmonitor, adding, 161\nCPU arithmetic benchmark, 174\nCPU cache, 176\nCPU cycles, 162\nCPU level security, 313\nCPU multimedia Benchmark, 175\nCPU performance data, 170\ncreating Welcome screen, steps for, 25\ncritical system file, 4\nCRT monitors, 36\ncurrent theme, changing, 92\ncustomizable features of the Start Menu\nDisplay Administrative Tools, 56\nDisplay Favorites, 56\nDisplay Run, 56\nExpand Control Panel, 56\nExpand My Documents, 56\nExpand My Pictures, 56\nExpand Network Connections, 56\nExpand Printers, 57\nShow Small Icons in Start Menu, 57\ncustomize different parts of the Detail view,\nmethods to, 130\ncustomizing folders, 126\ncustomizing the look of the startup, 3\ncustom-made visual styles, 108\nD\ndata, viewing, 160\nDCOM support, disabling, 295\ndecryption, 321\nDefault Gateway, 227\ndefault launch app for MP3 files,\nchanging, 119\ndefault launch app, changing, 118\ndefault view of Windows XP, 129\ndefault Windows XP boot screen, 5\ndefending spyware, 307\ndefragmenting your drive, 263\ndesktop icons, customizing, 73\nDetails view, 130\ndevice driver, 178\nDHCP server, 191, 225\ndiagnostic tool, 178\ndialup connection, 225\ndifferent subversions of a particular skin,\nselecting, 115\ndigital signature, 101\n345\nIndex I C–D\n"
},
{
"page_number": 369,
"text": "disable hardware devices, methods to, 192\ndisabling a specific protocol, 270\ndisabling unneeded services\nDCOM support, 295\nmessenger service, 292\nremote desktop connection, 290\nremote registry access, 295\nUniversal Plug and Play (UPnP), 292\ndisk defragmenter utility, 263\ndisk defragmenter, using, 203\nDisk Drives, 193\nDiskeeper, 264\nDisplay Adapters, 193\nDisplay Properties control panel applet\nchanging themes through, 92\ncustomizing, 94\nDisplay Properties, 101\nDistributed Component Object Model\nDllName property, 33\nDNS servers, 227\ndomain controller, 40\ndownload Welcome screens, sites to\nDeviantArt, 21\nSkinbase, 21\nSkinPlanet, 21\nWinCustomize, 21\nDr. Delete utility, 316\nDriver Delay information, 168\nDWORD data type, 17\ndynamic network card configuration, 225\nE\ne-mail address, 305\nenable ClearType, methods to, 150\nEnablePrefetcher options\n0, 250\n1, 250\n2, 250\n3, 250\nEnablePrefetcher setting, 248\nencrypted Web pages, 321\nencrypting files, 331, 333\nencryption key, 298, 332\nencryption, enabling, 333\nentries that appear in all context menus,\nremoving, 121\nentries that appear only under certain file \ntypes, removing, 122\nexecution protection, 312\nexisting boot.ini file, modifying, 191\nexploring other Windows enhancements,\n137\nexternal links blocking, 305\nexternal Web server, 87\nextra fonts for speed, removing, 193\nF\nfaking digital signature, 101\nFAT16 file system, 234\nFAT32 file system, 232, 330\nfile access timestamp, disabling, 232\nfile browsing and access, speeding \nup, 231\nFile System Benchmark, 176\nfiles\ndeleting steps, 316\nencrypting steps, 333\nencrypting, 331\nsetting permissions, 329\nsharing and security, 330\nFilmstrip view, 129\nfiltering software, 305\nfine-tune ClearType settings, method \nto, 151\nfine-tune the fonts, methods to, 93\nfine-tuning ClearType, 150\nfine-tuning the Windows paging \nfile, 255\nfirewalls, 282\nFirstcolor property, 26\nflash-based storage devices\ncompact flash-based cards, 176\nUSB pen drives, 176\nflat panel LCD monitors, 34\nfloating point operations, 176\nfloppy drive, 184\nfolder icon and folder picture,\nchanging, 126\nfolder icon and picture, changing, 126\nfolder permissions, setting, 329\nfolder settings to all folders,\napplying, 132\nfont-smoothing technology, 34\nfree e-mail, 304\nFreeShade keyboard shortcuts\nALT \u0002 1 on num pad, 150\nALT \u0002 2 on num pad, 150\nALT \u0002 3 on num pad, 150\nALT \u0002 4 on num pad, 150\nALT \u0002 5 on num pad, 150\nALT \u0002 6 on num pad, 150\nALT \u0002 7 on num pad, 150\nALT \u0002 8 on num pad, 150\nALT \u0002 9 on num pad, 150\n346\nIndex I D–F\n"
},
{
"page_number": 370,
"text": "ALT \u0002 , 150\nCTRL, 150\nfrequently run programs list, clearing, 325\nG\nGlass2k to make your windows transparent,\nusing, 146\nGlobal logon/Welcome settings, 34\nGoogle search engine, 216\nGroup policies, overview of, 40\nGroup Policy Editor, 40, 71\nGroup Policy Editor to customize the Start \npanel, using, 40\nGroup policy features to customize the Start panel\nAdd Log Off to Start Menu, 42\nPrevent changes to Taskbar and Start Menu \nSettings, 42\nRemove All Programs list from the Start \nmenuStart Menu, 42\nRemove Logoff on the Start Menu, 42\nRemove pinned programs from the Start \nMenu, 42\nRemove user name from Start Menu, 42\ngrouping, features of, 62\nguest account renaming, 299\nH\nhacked system file, 4\nhacking\nContext menu, 120\ndesktop, 73\nfile associations, 117\nWindows Explorer, 117\nhard drive transfer speeds, 173\nhardware protection, 313\nHelp feature, 61\nhex editor, 65\nhidden files\nrevealing, 133\nworking with, 132\nHTML (HyperText Markup Language), 86\nHTML editor, 86\nHTML images, disabling, 307\nHTML mail, 305\nHTML tags, 88\nHTML-based e-mail, 305\nHyperText Markup Language (HTML), 86\nI\nicon drop shadow effect, customizing, 74\nicon of specific file type, changing, 120\nicon of any file type, changing, 119\nicon Web sites\nFood’s Icons, 82\nI heart NY, 81\nIconica, 81\nI-cons, 82\nWBC Icons, 82\nxIcons, 82\nicons on the desktop, changing, 81\nIDE Disk Controllers, 193\nimage of an object in Visual style using \nStyleBuilder, using, 111\nIndexing Service to disabled, setting, 246\nIndexing Service, disabling, 244\nInitialKeyboardIndicators entry, 38\nIntel Application Accelerator\ninstalling, 255\nsystem requirements for, 253\nusing, 251\nworking of, 253\nIntel Application Accelerator compatibility\n440, 254\n810, 254\n810E, 254\n810E2, 254\n810L, 254\n815, 254\n815E, 254\n815EG, 254\n815EM, 254\n815EP, 254\n815G, 254\n815P, 254\n820, 254\n820E, 254\n840, 254\n845, 254\n845E, 254\n845G, 254\n845GE, 254\n845GL, 254\n845GV, 254\n845PE, 254\n848P, 254\n850, 254\n850E, 254\n852GM, 254\n852GME, 254\n855GM, 254\n855GME, 254\n855MP, 255\n860, 255\n347\nIndex I F–I\n"
},
{
"page_number": 371,
"text": "865G, 255\n865P, 255\n865PE, 255\n875P, 255\nInternet Connection Benchmark, 177\nInternet Connection Firewall (IFC) software, 283\nInternet connection for speed, tweaking, 271\nInternet Explorer\nimage used at the background of the \ntoolbar, 141\nlocking down, 311\nprivacy protection, 315\nsecurity policy, 319\nsecurity settings, 322\nInternet Explorer Favorites menu, 54\nInternet files, temporary, 318\nInternet Peerage Benchmark, 178\nInternet Protocol (TCP/IP), 226, 270\nInternet security, testing\nAutomatic Updates, 282\nSecurity Newsletter, 281\nWindows Update, 281\nInternet Service Provider (ISP), 178\nIP address, 225\nISP (Internet Service Provider), 177–178\nItem drop-down box, 93\nitems from the context menu, removing, 121\niTunes for Windows, 117\nJ\njunk e-mail address, 305\nK\nKDE, 84\nL\n.logonxp file extension, 21\nlarge icons on the desktop, enabling, 77\nlast user logged on, clearing, 34, 299\nLastcolor property, 26\nlegacy filename creation, disabling, 234\nlinks, blocking, 305\nlist of different effects for best balance between\nappearance and performance\nanimate windows when minimizing and \nmaximizing, 240\nfade or slide menus into view, 240\nfade or slide ToolTips into view, 240\nfade out menu items after clicking, 240\nshow shadows under menus, 240\nshow shadows under mouse pointer, 240\nshow translucent selection rectangle, 240\nshow window contents while dragging, 241\nslide open combo boxes, 241\nslide taskbar buttons, 241\nsmooth edges of screen fonts, 242\nsmooth-scroll list boxes, 242\nuse background image for each folder type, 242\nuse common tasks in folders, 242\nuse drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop, 243\nuse visual styles on windows and buttons, 243\nLIUtilities, 267\nlocal user and groups method, 214\nlocation of the boot files, optimizing, 203\nlocation of the paging file, changing, 260\nlogo animation, changing, 137\nlogon background, changing, 29\nlogon screen, customizing, 14\nlogon, speeding up, 210\nLogonStudio to change the Welcome screen, using, 21\nLogonStudio, 21\nLogonStudio, features of, 28\nLogonUI & Boot Randomizer application, 7\nlogonui.exe file, 20\nLogonUIBootRandomizer.exe, 7\nluna.msstyles folder, 108\nM\n.MSC file, 166\nmaking computer load faster, 209\nmaking theme file format, steps for, 100\nmaking your computer more responsive, 231\nMaster File Table (MFT), 205\nmedia players\niTunes, 217\nRealPlayer, 217\nWinamp, 217\nWindows Media Player, 217\nMemory Bandwidth Benchmark, 176\nmenu delay, reducing, 237\nMessage Center features, disabling, 221\nMessage Center, 219\nmessenger service, disabling, 292\nMETA Refresh line, 88\nMFT (Master File Table), 205\nMicrosoft FrontPage, 86\nMicrosoft installer, 187\nMicrosoft Security Newsletter, 281\nMicrosoft Virtual Desktop Manager (MSVDM), 85\nMicrosoft, different themes available in\nWindows Classic theme, 92\nWindows XP, 92\nMicrosoft’s Windows Update Web site, 281\n348\nIndex I I–M\n"
},
{
"page_number": 372,
"text": "modify scroll feature, steps to, 61\nmonitoring processes, 170\nmouse cursors, customizing, 95\nmoving the taskbar, steps for, 68\nMP3 file, 117\nmultitasking processor, 264\nMy Computer icon, changing, 83\nN\nnavigation icons, adding and removing, 44\nnetwork browsing speed, increasing, 269\nnetwork card, 191\nNetwork/LAN Bandwidth Benchmark, 176\nnetworking performance data, 170\nNetworking tab, significance of, 170\nnew boot trace with Bootvis, installing, 168\nNew Windows XP user accounts method, 212, 220\nnormal font smoothing versus ClearType, difference\nbetween, 151\nNormalColor property, 34\nnotification area, removing, 71\nNTFS 8.3 compatibility with regedit, changing, 236\nNTFS detected screen, 7\nNTFS file system, 329, 331\nNTFS master file table, defragmenting, 264\nNTFS, 232\nntoskrnl.exe system file, 3\nNum Lock to be turned on by default, enabling, 37\nNum Lock, 37\nnumber of recently run programs displayed on the Start\npanel, increasing, 48\nO\noperating system boot, modifying, 187\noperating system, 100, 160\nOS Selector, 187\nOS timeout values, lowering, 187\nother performance monitoring utilities\nCPU information, 173\nfan speeds, 173\nmemory information, 173\nnetwork information, 173\nphysical disk information, 173\npower and battery information, 173\nsystem temperature, 173\nsystem uptime, 173\nother shareware boot defrag programs, using, 204\nother time-saving tips, 225\nOutlook Express, spam combating features of, 305\nown boot screens for BootSkin, making, 12\nown branded system screen, creating, 154\nown items to the context menu, adding, 122\nown quick search address command,\nmaking, 140\nown themes, making, 92\nown visual styles, making, 108\nP\npaging file, disabling, 256\npasswords\nadministration, 330\nassigning, 299\nPatch XP, 105\npatcher XP, 102\nPCMark 2004, basic system tests of\naudio conversion, 180\nDivix video rendering, 180\nfile compression and decompression benchmark \ntests, 180\nfile encrypting and decrypting benchmark \ntests, 180\ngrammar check benchmark tests, 180\ngraphics memory, 180\nimage processing, 180\nphysics & 3D, 180\nvirus scanning benchmark tests, 180\nWeb Page rendering, 180\nWMV video Rendering, 180\nPCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card\nInternational Association), 193\nPentium 2.8 Ghz, 159\nperformance application, methods to start, 160\nperformance counter setup, saving, 166\nperformance data, viewing, 170\nperformance options, working with, 238\nPerformance system monitor, 159\nperformance, using. See Performance system \nmonitor\npermissions\nadjusting, 331\nsettings, 332\nPersonal Computer Memory Card International\nAssociation (PCMCIA), 193\npersonalized menus, 60\npinning your programs, 51\npop-up feature, steps to disable, 61\npop-up Help for users of both Start panel \nand menu, removing, 61\nPorts. See Internet security, testing\nPOST screen, 183\npower on self test screen (POST), 183\nPowerToys\nTaskbar Magnifier, 69\nTweak UI, 69\n349\nIndex I M–P\n"
},
{
"page_number": 373,
"text": "Prefetcher\nfeatures of, 203\noverview of, 247\nPreview window, 101\nprivacy protection, 315\nproblems of changing the boot screen, 4\nprogram grouping feature, 62\nprogram grouping, using and adjusting, 62\nprogram highlight feature, 58\nprogram highlights, disabling, 58\nprogram list, clearing, 326\nprogram listing display options for users of the \nclassic Start Menu, changing\npersonalized menus, disabling, 60\nscroll programs feature, working with, 60\nprograms from appearing in the Start panel,\nhiding, 50\nprograms from startup, removing, 216\nprotecting computer from intruders, 277\nQ\nquick boot feature of the BIOS, using, 186\nQuick Launch bar, 63\nQuick Launch bar, customizing, 63\nQuick Launching programs, 63\nR\nRAM (random access memory), 186, 256\nrandom access memory (RAM), 186, 256\nRealPlayer, features of, 219\nRealPlayer’s automatic updates, disabling, 220\nrebrand to change the title of the Internet Explorer\nwindow, using, 155\nrecent document list, clearing, 327\nrecently opened documents list, clearing, 326\nrecommended fonts to keep\nArial, 194\nMS Sans Serif, 194\nTahoma, 194\nTimes New Roman, 194\nTrebuchet, 194\nVerdana, 194\nrecommended service setup, 202\nrecovery methods for\nfiles, 331\nfolders, 331\nRecycle Bin, renaming, 79\nregedit, 17, 67, 223\nregistry editing utility, 223\nRegistry Editor adding a new DWORD value, 233\nRegistry Editor, 29, 118\nregistry file, 98\nregistry to optimize the Prefetcher, hacking, 248\nremote desktop connection, disabling, 290\nremote registry access, disabling, 295\nremovable Storage/Flash Benchmark, 176\nremoving clock from the taskbar, 71\nremoving user passwords, 211\nresource editing tool, 64\nResource Hacker, 23, 64\nresource-hacking tools, 23\nS\n.scr extension, 36\nsafely change your boot screen, 4\nSandra Standard benchmarking suite, 174\nSAproxy Pro application, 306\nsaved passwords, removing, 329\nsaving changes to theme file, 100\nscreensavers, working with, 36\nSCRNSAVE.EXE entry, 36\nscroll feature, 60\nscroll programs feature, 58\nsecure Web connections, 321\nSend To menu, modifying, 125\nService Pack 2, 4\nShadows to your windows, adding, 144\nshell32.dll file, 53\nshortcut arrow from icons on the desktop, removing, 80\nshortcut arrow settings, steps to change, 80\nsimple account management, 212\nsize of the paging file, adjusting, 258\nskin base, 112\nskinning engine, 100, 101\nskinning the Windows interface, 97\nsmall icons for frequently run apps, switching to, 45\nsneaky programs, removing, 217\nsorting processes by memory usage, 171\nSound File Windows, 95\nspam\neliminating, 303\nfighting, 303\nfilters, 305\nstopping, 304\nSpam Inspector filters, 306\nSpamKiller application, 306\nspammer’s servers, 305\nSpamNet filters, 306\nspecial effects to Windows, adding, 144\nspecific applications with prefetch, accelerating, 249\nspeeding up the system boot, 183\nspeeding up your computer, 247\nspeeding up your network, 268\nSpybot Search & Destroy, 309, 312\n350\nIndex I P–S\n"
},
{
"page_number": 374,
"text": "spyware\ndetecting, 307\noverview of, 307\nremoving, 307\nspyware for computer immunizing, 312\nspyware, 303\nSSL, 321\nstandard CPU benchmarks\nDhrystone (integer arithmetic such as whole number\naddition), 174\nWhetstore (floating point arithmetic such as decimal\naddition), 174-75\nStart button to replace the Start, hacking, 64\nStart Menu/Panel program listings, customizing, 55\nStart panel features\nControl Panel, 46\nHelp and Support, 46\nMy Computer, 46\nMy Documents, 46\nMy Music, 46\nMy Network Places, 46\nMy Pictures, 46\nNetwork Connections, 47\nPrinters and Faxes, 47\nRun Command, 47\nSearch, 47\nSet Program Access and Defaults, 47\nSystem Administrative Tools, 47\nStart panel, customizing, 39\nstartup programs for different users, customizing, 223\nstartup programs, adjusting, 216\nstorage devices, 251\nStorage/Flash benchmark, 176\nSTREAM memory benchmark, 176\nStyle XP\napplication, 101\nprogram, 101\nshareware, 101\nStyle XP 2.0 to change the visual style, using, 105\nStyle XP 2.0, features of, 104\nStyle XP to use non-Microsoft visual styles, using, 104\nStyleBuilder program, 109\nStyleBuilder to modify Visual style from the Web, using,\n110\nSubnet Mask, 227\nsuper hidden files, revealing, 134\nSygate personal firewall, using, 289\nSymantec’s antivirus software, 235\nsystem boot screen, disabling, 189\nSystem Configuration Utility, 216\nsystem hardware, monitoring, 159\nsystem icons, steps to change, 82\nsystem memory, 186\nSystem Properties, 238\nSystem Registry\nHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, 118, 121\nHKEY_CURRENT_USER, 134, 237\nHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, 204\nsystem Registry Editor, 17\nsystem sounds, modifying, 95\nsystem tray, 62\ntaming RealPlayer, 218\nT\nTask Manager to adjust priorities, using, 265\nTask Manager to display CPU monitor,\nconfiguring, 170\nTask Manager, 67\nTask Manager, using, 170\ntask switcher, 143\ntask switcher, replacing, 143\ntaskbar location, modifying, 68\nTaskbar Magnifier PowerToy setup, steps for, 69\nTaskbar Magnifier PowerToy, using, 69\ntaskbar, customizing, 62\nTCP/IP protocol, 270\nTempCleaner application, 328\ntemplate of a folder, changing, 127\ntemporary files, removing, 327\ntemporary Internet files, automatic clearing, 318, 324\ntext below the icons, removing, 78\nTGT Soft’s Style XP, benefits of, 102\nTheme file, 95\nthemes, working with, 91\nthird-party cookies, 320\nthrobber. See logo animation, changing\nThumbnails view, 129\ntoolbar background, changing, 140\ntracing your system start, 167\ntraditional Windows icons, displaying, 75\nturn on clear type, 34\nturning off the logon music, 228\nTweak UI autologon feature properties, 211\nTweak UI program, 62\nTweak UI to change Internet Explorer’s\nanimation/throbber, using, 139\nU\nunhiding hidden files, 132\nUniversal Plug and Play (UPnP), disabling, 292\nunneeded hardware devices, disabling, 191\nunneeded protocols, disabling, 270\nunneeded services, disabling, 290\nupdate interval value, updating, 165\n351\nIndex I S–U\n"
},
{
"page_number": 375,
"text": "update interval, setting, 161\nupdating your computer, 281\nURL cache, 316\nUse Drop Shadows, 74\nUser Accounts applet, 212\nuser accounts, hiding, 17\nuser autologon password with Tweak UI, setting, 212\nuser interface, speeding up, 236\nuser navigation, customizing, 39\nusernames, viewing, 329\nUXTheme Multi-Patcher application, 102\nUXTheme Multi-Patcher to \nenable use of non-Microsoft Visual styles,\nusing, 105\npatch the Visual style engine, using, 106\nUXTheme Multi-Patcher, 105\nuxtheme.dll file, 101\nV\nview folder, customizing, 129\nviewing protocols on your network adapters, 270\nvirtual desktop feature, 84\nVirtual Desktop Manager PowerToy, using, 84\nVirtual Memory Settings window, 259\nviruses, 303\nviruses, defending against, 312\nvisited Web sites history, 316\nvisual enhancements, other, 142\nvisual style alternatives, 112\nvisual style and color scheme, changing, 32\nvisual style the theme will use, choosing, 97\nvisual styles\nchanging, 107\ndownloading, 102\ninstalling, 102\nmodifying, 100\ntweaking, 108\nvisual styles engine, 101\nvisual styles file, 97\nW\nWallpaper Changer, 90\nwallpaper PowerToy, using, 89\nwallpaper, changing, 98\nwallpaperstyle property, 98\nWeb page file, 86\nWeb page, 166\nWeb pages, encrypted, 321\nWeb server IIS, 160\nWeb site links to Start panel, adding, 52\nWeb site privacy policy, 304\nWeb site, 52\nWeb sites from which Bootvis can be download\nMajor Geeks, 167\nOld Microsoft Download Link, 167\nSoftPedia, 167\nWeb sites history, clearing, 316-317\nWeb sites, 81\nWeb technologies, 87\nWelcome screen from hacked system file, creating, 23\nWelcome screen with LogonStudio, creating, 25\nWelcome screen, 14\nWelcome screen, creating, 23\nWelcome screen, working with\nuser from the Welcome screen, removing, 17\nusers icon on the Welcome screen, changing, 15\nWelcome screen, changing, 17\nWEP for secure communication, using, 297\nWEP setting steps, 297\nWEP, 297\nWi-Fi Protected Access. See WPA\nwindow environment for Unix, 84\nwindow environments, 84\nwindow metrics and fonts, modifying, 92\nwindow metrics, 92\nwindow style, adjusting, 99\nWindowBlinds\nbenefits of, 112\nlimitations of, 112\nWindowBlinds Advanced Configuration editor,\nusing, 114\nWindowBlinds Enhanced, 113\nWindowBlinds program, 112\nWindowBlinds to change the way Windows XP \nlooks, using, 113\nWindowBlinds version 4.2, 113\nWindows 2000 logon screen, 14\nWindows 2000 style user manager, 214\nWindows Explorer, 117\nWindows File Protection window, 106\nWindows firewall\nconfiguring, 284\nenabling, 284\nusing, 283\nWindows flag, 137\nWindows Indexing Service, 244\nWindows interface, 325\nWindows Management Interface, 160\nWindows Messenger, 216\nWindows paging file, defragmenting, 263\nWindows Prefetcher, 248\nWindows Prefetcher, working with, 247\nWindows roll up, making, 149\nWindows Task manager, 170, 265\n352\nIndex I U–W\n"
},
{
"page_number": 376,
"text": "Windows visual style, 103\nWindows XP\nbitmap image file, 4\nboot screen, customizing, 3\nProfessional, 40\nService Pack 2, 8, 305, 312\nServices utility, 201\nsignatures, 101\nskinning engine, 105\ntaskbar, 62\nWindows XP visual style color schemes\nBlue, 97\nOlive Green, 97\nSilver, 97\nWindows XP, 4\nWindows XP, branding\nbranding IE, 153\nbranding system properties, 152\nWindows XP, other new features of, 76\nWindowsFX, using, 144\nWindowsFX’s animated drag, 145\nWinFlag color scheme, 103\nWinTasks Pro, 267\nWinTasks to profile your priorities, using, 267\nWired Equivalent Privacy. See WEP\nwireless networks, 296\nWPA for secure wireless connection, 298\nWPA, 298\nX\nXP skins, 112\nXP style icons, 81\nZ\n.zip file extension, 21\nZoneAlarm\nsetting steps, 286\nusing, 285\nZoneAlarm’s program control, configuring, 288\n353\nIndex I W–Z\n"
},
{
"page_number": 377,
"text": ""
},
{
"page_number": 378,
"text": "Wiley Publishing, Inc. \nEnd-User License Agreement\nREAD THIS. You should carefully read these terms and conditions before opening the software packet(s)\nincluded with this book “Book”. This is a license agreement “Agreement” between you and Wiley\nPublishing, Inc. “WPI”. By opening the accompanying software packet(s), you acknowledge that you have\nread and accept the following terms and conditions. If you do not agree and do not want to be bound by\nsuch terms and conditions, promptly return the Book and the unopened software packet(s) to the place\nyou obtained them for a full refund.\n1. License Grant. WPI grants to you (either an individual or entity) a nonexclusive license to use one\ncopy of the enclosed software program(s) (collectively, the “Software”) solely for your own personal\nor business purposes on a single computer (whether a standard computer or a workstation component\nof a multi-user network). The Software is in use on a computer when it is loaded into temporary\nmemory (RAM) or installed into permanent memory (hard disk, CD-ROM, or other storage\ndevice). WPI reserves all rights not expressly granted herein.\n2. Ownership. WPI is the owner of all right, title, and interest, including copyright, in and to the\ncompilation of the Software recorded on the disk(s) or CD-ROM “Software Media”. Copyright to\nthe individual programs recorded on the Software Media is owned by the author or other autho-\nrized copyright owner of each program. Ownership of the Software and all proprietary rights\nrelating thereto remain with WPI and its licensers.\n3. Restrictions on Use and Transfer.\n(a)\nYou may only (i) make one copy of the Software for backup or archival purposes, or (ii)\ntransfer the Software to a single hard disk, provided that you keep the original for\nbackup or archival purposes. You may not (i) rent or lease the Software, (ii) copy or\nreproduce the Software through a LAN or other network system or through any com-\nputer subscriber system or bulletin-board system, or (iii) modify, adapt, or create derivative\nworks based on the Software.\n(b)\nYou may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Software. You may transfer\nthe Software and user documentation on a permanent basis, provided that the transferee\nagrees to accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement and you retain no copies. If\nthe Software is an update or has been updated, any transfer must include the most recent\nupdate and all prior versions.\n4. Restrictions on Use of Individual Programs. You must follow the individual requirements and\nrestrictions detailed for each individual program in the About the CD-ROM appendix of this\nBook. These limitations are also contained in the individual license agreements recorded on the\nSoftware Media. These limitations may include a requirement that after using the program for a\nspecified period of time, the user must pay a registration fee or discontinue use. By opening the\nSoftware packet(s), you will be agreeing to abide by the licenses and restrictions for these individual\nprograms that are detailed in the About the CD-ROM appendix and on the Software Media.\nNone of the material on this Software Media or listed in this Book may ever be redistributed, in\noriginal or modified form, for commercial purposes.\n5. Limited Warranty.\n(a)\nWPI warrants that the Software and Software Media are free from defects in materials\nand workmanship under normal use for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of purchase\n"
},
{
"page_number": 379,
"text": "of this Book. If WPI receives notification within the warranty period of defects in materials\nor workmanship, WPI will replace the defective Software Media.\n(b)\nWPI AND THE AUTHOR(S) OF THE BOOK DISCLAIM ALL OTHER WAR-\nRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION\nIMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A\nPARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE, THE\nPROGRAMS, THE SOURCE CODE CONTAINED THEREIN, AND/OR THE\nTECHNIQUES DESCRIBED IN THIS BOOK. WPI DOES NOT WARRANT\nTHAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET\nYOUR REQUIREMENTS OR THAT THE OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE\nWILL BE ERROR FREE.\n(c)\nThis limited warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights that\nvary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.\n6. Remedies.\n(a)\nWPI’s entire liability and your exclusive remedy for defects in materials and workman-\nship shall be limited to replacement of the Software Media, which may be returned to\nWPI with a copy of your receipt at the following address: Software Media Fulfillment\nDepartment, Attn.: Hacking Windows® XP, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint\nBlvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, or call 1-800-762-2974. Please allow four to six weeks for\ndelivery. This Limited Warranty is void if failure of the Software Media has resulted\nfrom accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement Software Media will be war-\nranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or thirty (30) days, whichever is\nlonger.\n(b)\nIn no event shall WPI or the author be liable for any damages whatsoever (including\nwithout limitation damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of\nbusiness information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising from the use of or inability to\nuse the Book or the Software, even if WPI has been advised of the possibility of such\ndamages.\n(c)\nBecause some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for\nconsequential or incidental damages, the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to\nyou.\n7. U.S. Government Restricted Rights. Use, duplication, or disclosure of the Software for or on behalf\nof the United States of America, its agencies and/or instrumentalities “U.S. Government” is subject\nto restrictions as stated in paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software\nclause of DFARS 252.227-7013, or subparagraphs (c) (1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer\nSoftware - Restricted Rights clause at FAR 52.227-19, and in similar clauses in the NASA FAR\nsupplement, as applicable.\n8. General. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding of the parties and revokes and\nsupersedes all prior agreements, oral or written, between them and may not be modified or\namended except in a writing signed by both parties hereto that specifically refers to this\nAgreement. This Agreement shall take precedence over any other documents that may be in con-\nflict herewith. If any one or more provisions contained in this Agreement are held by any court or\ntribunal to be invalid, illegal, or otherwise unenforceable, each and every other provision shall\nremain in full force and effect.\n"
}
]
}