http://xptools.tripod.com WINDOWS XP TIPS TRICKS SECRETS SUPER SITE: 68+ TIPS

[xptips]

Hello Folks,
I had to register a new id because my home internet connection is down and I don't remember my own password !!!!!!!. I do wanted you all to have an update. I am writing this mail from my dail job and would be brief. As you all know http://xptools.tripod.com was hacked on Jan 14th. I never understood the point hacker was making as this tripod.com site is a free site and not maintained by me. Anyways its fixed for now. I would be updating it with 12-15 more tips in next or two, If I can only get the connection back . (Its a CABLE connection and its down from their side due to line problems).
As you would see there are 68 tips now.
Thanks for the support so far.
I would be adding tips on fine tuning EFS (encrpting file system) as well pretty soon.
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[xptips]

In the meantime use this for your other tips needs
69. EFS cache validation tip: Navigate to HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NTFS\EFS\Parameters and set the parameter of EFSKCACHEPERIOD to a value between 2 and 30. default is 5. Value suggest the time in seconds the kernel will cache the session key for a user for a given file. The Kernel will not validate the user credentials during this cache period. This has the net effect of faster access to encrypted files that may be opened several times during a given time period.This is helpful in kernel and user mode of the EFS (encypting file system) as it provides quicker access to frequently use components.
Similarly navigate to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\EFS and set the value of KeyCacheValidationPeriod to a value in units of second from 1 minute to 1 day (60 to 86400).

Microsoft has an interesting article on this at <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%2fsearch%2fviewDoc.aspx%3fdocID%3dKC.Q278256%26dialogID%3d9447395%26iterationID%3d1%26sessionID%3danonymous%7c7093801">Registry Keys Used to Tune EFS Caching (Q278256)
</a>. Read it for complete details

Thanks,
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[xptips]

70. Customize your Start Menu setting and preferences

You can open group policy editor (gpedit.msc) and go to User Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Start Menu and Taskbar and set a variety of preferences for your startmenu. Or if you want you can open registry editor and change the navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer and enable/diable various parameters by changing 1 to 0 and viceversa. I am doing a cut/paste of list available at microsoft site. Visit the site to get details on this registry values

Registry Value:"NoSimpleStartMenu"
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuPinnedList"
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuMFUprogramsList"
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuMorePrograms"
Registry Value:"NoCommonGroups"
Registry Value:"GreyMSIAds"
Registry Value:"NoWindowsUpdate"
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuMyMusic", "NoSMMyPictures","NoFavoritesMenu","NoRecentDocsMenu"
Registry Value:"DisableMyPicturesDirChange", "DisableMyMusicDirChange", "DisableFavoritesDirChange".
Registry Value:"NoSMMyDocs"
Registry Value:"DisablePersonalDirChange"
Registry Value:"NoRecentDocsMenu"
Registry Value:"MaxRecentDocs"
Registry Value:"ClearRecentDocsOnExit"
Registry Value:"NoFavoritesMenu"
Registry Value:"{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}" under
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\NonEnum.
Registry Value:"NoNetworkConnections"
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuNetworkPlaces"
Registry Value:"NoRecentDocsNetHood"
Registry Value:"NoSMHelp"
Registry Value:"NoFind"
Registry Value:"NoRun"
Registry Value:"MemCheckBoxInRunDlg"
Registry Value:"NoResolveSearch"
Registry Value:"NoResolveTrack"
Registry Value:"ForceStartMenuLogoff"
Registry Value:"StartMenuLogoff"
Registry Value:"NoClose"
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuEjectPC"
Registry Value:"NoChangeStartMenu"
Registry Value:"NoSetTaskbar"
Registry Value:"NoInstrumentation"
Registry Value:"NoUserNameInStartMenu"

I read about this on Microsoft Web Site. Here is the link Policy Settings for the Start Menu in Windows XP (Q292504)

 

[xptips]

71. How to Add a Control Panel Tool to a Category : Tips on customizing categories

Have you noticed the new view of control panel in XP. Well as its says,its a view and you can swich to a classic view anytime. But if you like the view but want to customize the categorises, there is again a good article on How to do this : How to Add a Control Panel Tool to a Category (Q292463). You can get complete details by visiting the site but in brief a control Panel tool can be included in a particular category by adding a registry DWORD entry for the tool in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2
Value category ids are:
0x00000000 : Other Control Panel Options (any tool that does not specify a category ID is placed in this category)
0x00000001 : Appearance and Themes
0x00000002 : Printers and Other Hardware
0x00000003 : Network and Internet Connections
0x00000004 : Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices
0x00000005 : Performance and Maintenance
0x00000006 : Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options
0x00000007 : Accessibility Options
0xFFFFFFFF : Do not put the tool in any category (for special tools such as Add/Remove Programs which only start directly)


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[xptips]

72. Protect yourself from denial of service attacks: UPnP weakness in Windows XP

You might have heard of the denial of service attacks. Recently there was a news in media of XP vulerability for such attacks due to certain weakness in plug and play functionality. Microsoft has provided a fix for it. You can read completete details at [L=http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS01-059.asp =http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS01-059.asp [/L] But in brief few registry tweaks can save the day for you in unlikely case of you being the target .

1. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\UPnP Control Point and add "DownloadScope" key and put a value of 0 to 3. Here is the description of these values:
0 - on the same subnet
1 - same subnet or at a private address
2 - same subnet or at a private address or within 4 hops
3 - anywhere

2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SSDPSRV\Parameters and add key "TTL" and sets its value to max number of rounter hops allowed in the PnP device search on internet .

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