Hi.
I have been using WIndows XP edition for the past 6 months and I found it just fabulous and upto the mark.I am totally satisfied by it and it is meant just for computer users who enjoy computers thats it.
You wont change your operating system once u use it and u get used to using it also.
So here are some tips and tricks to Windows XP and certain remedies to the problems faced by the people using it.
1.Automatically defrag drives with a new context menu item:-
Create a new Registry import file named context_defrag.inf in Notepad(be sure to save with it with the Save as type set to All Files and not Text Documents) and place the following text inside:
; context_defrag.INF
; Adds Defrag to the right click context menu in Windows XP
[version]
signature=’$CHICAGO$’
[DefaultInstall]
AddReg=AddMe
[AddMe]
HKCR, ’Drive\Shell\Defrag\command’, ’DEFRAG.EXE%1’
Then, right-click and choose Install. This will add a context menu to XP that allows you to automatically defrag drives, using the command line version of the built-in defragmentation utility. To use it, navigate to a drive in My Computer, right-click, and choose Defrag. A command line window will appear, and that drive will be defragged. When it’s complete, the window just disappears.
2.Speed up the Start Menu
The default speed of the Start Menu is pretty slow, but you can fix that by editing a Registry Key. Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ MenuShowDelay
By default, the value is 400. Change this to a smaller value, such as 0, to speed it up.
If this doesn’t work for some reason, then you might try the following: Navigate to Display Properties then Appearance then Advanced and turn off the option titled Show menu shadow. You will get much better overall performance.
3.Getting older programs to run on Windows XP:-
Most programs run properly on Windows XP. The exceptions are some older games and other programs that were written specifically for an earlier version of Windows. To run your program on Windows XP, you can try the following, Run the Program Compatibility Wizard. As an alternative, you can set the compatibility properties manually. Update your program, drivers, or hardware. These options are covered in detail below.
The Program Compatibility Wizard
This wizard prompts you to test your program in different modes(environments) and with various settings. For example, if the program was originally designed to run on Windows 95, set the compatibility mode to Windows 95 and try running your program again. If successful, the program will start in that mode each time. The wizard also allows you to try different settings, such as switching the display to 256 colors and the screen resolution to 640 x 480 pixels. If compatibility problems prevent you from installing a program on Windows XP, run the Program Compatibility Wizard on the setup file for the program. The file may be called Setup.exe or something similar, and is probably located on the Installation disc for the program. To run the Program Compatibility Wizard click Start, click Help and Support, click Find compatible hardware and software for Windows XP, and then, under See Also in the navigation pane, click Program Compatibility Wizard.
Set the compatibility properties manually
As an alternative to running the Program Compatibility Wizard, you can set the compatibility properties for a program manually. The settings are the same as the options in the Program Compatibility Wizard. To set the compatibility properties for a program manually Right-click the program icon on your desktop or the shortcut on the Start menu for the program you want to run, and then click Properties. Click the Compatibility tab, and change the compatibility settings for your program.
The Compatibility tab is only available for programs installed on your hard drive. Although you can run the Program Compatibility Wizard on programs or setup files on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, your changes will not remain in effect after you close the program. For more information about an option on the Compatibility tab, right-click the option and then click What’s This.
Update your program or drivers
If your program does not run correctly after testing it with the Program Compatibility Wizard, check the Web for updates or other fixes, as follows:
Check the Web site of the program’s manufacturer to see if an update or patch is available.
Check Windows Update to see if a fix is available for the program.
Click Home on the menu bar of Help and Support Center, then click Windows Update in the right pane.
If the program is a game that uses DirectX, ensure that you are using the latest version of DirectX. In addition, check the Web site of the manufacturer of your video card or sound card to see if newer drivers are available for either of them.
4.Are you a MP3 fan? Add ability to rip MP3 songs in Windows Media Player 8
I am not that great a fan of MP3 but do appreciate its power. If you have a truckload of CDs that you would like to listen to but do not want to carry all of them at the same time, you can rip them into MP3. Yes it can be done technically and that too from Windows Media Player even though make sure you have legally on right side of fence, meaning you own the CD that you would rip MP3 from. That said here is the little tweak in registry. Open Registry by going to START-RUN and typing REGEDIT. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayerSettings\MP3Encoding] and adding following entries
’LowRate’=dword:0000dac0
’MediumRate’=dword:0000fa00
’MediumHighRate’=dword:0001f400
’HighRate’=dword:0002ee00
which corresponds to 56, 64, 128 and 192 Kbps. Following table would help with other settings as well:
320 Kbps= dword:0004e200
256 Kbps= dword:0003e800
224 Kbps= dword:00036b00
160 Kbps= dword:00027100
112 Kbps= dword:0001b580
You will surely get thrilled and enjoy using your OS now as its fully loaded now.
I am looking and searching for more tips and will provide it to u all very soon.
Kepping checking out and let me know if it works coz it did on my computer and I am enjoying it too.
Do let me know about your experience.