How To Skip Welcome Screen

If you wish to skip the Welcome Screen and LogOn automatically the do the following:-

1.Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type control userpasswords2, and then click OK.
3. Clear the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this
computer" check box, then click Apply.
4. In the Automatically Log On window, type the password in the Password
box, and then retype the password in the Confirm Password box.
5. Click OK to close the Automatically Log On window, and then click OK
to close the User Accounts window.

Further Reference:-
'How to turn on automatic logon in Windows XP'
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q315231&ID=KB...

System32\drivers\Ntfs\sys

Solution:-
Insert the XP installation CD-ROM and reboot your machine.
When the installation menu appears, press the R key to start an recovery
console session.
When prompted, select the installation and enter the Administrator
password (if no,then it's a blank one)
At the console, navigate to the system32\drivers folder, assuming your
Windows folder is called "windows," by typing :-
cd \windows\system32\drivers
Rename the current ntfs.sys file by typing :-
ren ntfs.sys ntfs.bad
Copy the ntfs.sys file from your installation CD-ROM to your current
location by typing :-
copy :\i386\ntfs.sys
Be sure you include the period at the end of the command to instruct
your system to use the current location.
Remove the XP installation CD-ROM, then restart your machine.

Security Tab is missing In File System

The Problem:-When a user can not find the security tab in his/her file system.

Solution:-
For Windows XP Home:-
You have to start in Safe Mode and log in as an
Administrator in order to access the Security tab.

For Windows XP Professional:-
You have to disable Simple File Sharing.(Folder Options>View tab....scroll down to "Use simple file sharing")in order to access the Security tab.

Faster Shutdown

We can easily make the shutdown faster in Windows XP by tweaking the registry.It considerably decreases the shut down time in case of XP.

Start>Run>Regedit>ok
now navigate to the following key:-

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\DesktopHighlight the 'WaitToKillAppTimeout' value.
Set it to '1000' (the default should be 20000).
Now highlight the 'HungAppTimeout' value
Set it to '1000' .

Start>Run Regedit>ok
Now navigate to the following key:-

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop'
Highlight the 'WaitToKillAppTimeout' value.
Set it to '1000' (the default should be 20000).
Now highlight the 'HungAppTimeout' value.
Set it to '1000'

start>Run>Regedit>ok

now navigate to the following key:-
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\'

Highlight the value 'WaitToKillServiceTimeout'

Change this value to '1000.'

Exit registry editor and reboot computer to get the result.

Index.dat Files

These files contain all of the Web sites that one has ever visited.It not only stores all the URLs,or the web pages but also all the e-mail that has been sent or received.This file is known as "index.dat"file.
When we clear temporary internet files the index.dat files remain there and it starts growing on. If we delete or clear the Temporary Internet Files, there is absolutely no need to index the URL cache because those files no longer exist.

How To Find:-

Any person with even little knowledge about index.dat files locations and structure can see history of almost all of your computer activities. Index.dat files are not the only privacy threat but they are most obscure and dangerous because they are hard to find and even harder to delete. In fact, in most cases it is impossible to delete Index.dat files manually because Internet Explorer and Windows use them all the time.
It is really very difficult to find them.One can not find even with "Show hidden files and folders" enabled.They are not only hidden but designated as system files and can't be found through a casual search.
In Windows XP and Windows2000 index.dat files are located in the following places:-

C:\Documents and Settings\\Cookies\index.dat

C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\History\History.IE5\index.dat

C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\History\History.IE5\MSHistXXXXXXXXXXX\index.dat

C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat

C:\Documents and Settings\\UserData\index.dat

How To Delete:-
Start Computer then press F8 or F5 for advanced boot options; then select "safe mode with command prompt; log in as administrator and then from there you can delete them freely without windows preventing it. just go to the root (c:\) by typing CDthen type del index.dat /s then enter
and all the files names index dat in your computer will be deleted permanently.
There is a nice software which one can use to delete index.dat files also.
Download Index.dat Suite

Quick Launch Toolbar Disappears

The problem:-after every reboot or shutdown the quick launch toolbar disappears.


Solution:-
It may be due to a malware- BlazeFind .Check whether there is any Search Assistant toolbar in the Taskbar or not.
If it is present then:-
Start>Run>Regedit>ok
now navigate to:-
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
In the right-pane, change the value of Userinit to "C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,"
Type the above value exactly.Do not forget to add the comma at the end.
(without the quotes). Exit Registry Editor and restart Windows.

Very helpful references:-
Cannot Create Toolbar - Quick Launch (Line 296)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm


Taskbar Repair Tool Plus! Quick Launch - Repair
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm


Restore Winlogon\Userinit (Line 263 right)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

The Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Error

Sometimes a strange problem appears-it tells that windows management files not found/missing.

How To Resolve The Problem:-

Start>Run and type in the following commands.After the end of each command press ok/Enter key.

regsvr32 %windir%\system32\atl.dll
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\netshell.dll
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\hnetcfg.dll
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\netcfgx.dll
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\netman.dll

Here is a very good information,provided by Ivan Brugiolo [MSFT] on WMI Reinstall.It has been posted at Newsgroups: microsoft.public.win32.programmer.wmi
Date: 2004-04-21 00:46:56 PST

Check it here:-http://tinyurl.com/57teu

For Windows XP Professional the following reference may be handy.
How To Reset Security Settings Back to the Defaults
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=313222

Turning Off Automatic Updates

In Microsoft Public Windows XP General News Group,I was going through a starge request-"Accidentally XP SP2 has been downloaded and it is asking me repeatedly to be installed.How to stop this annoying pop up?"

How To Stop Or,Turn Off Automatic Updates:-

Start>Right Click On My Computer>Properties>Select Automatic Updates>Click the radio button against Turn off Automatic updates>Ok/Apply

Warning:-Doing this your computer may be more vulnerable unless you install updates regularly.

Further Reference:-
"How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;306525