Copyright © 2001 - 2009 BIOSS
All rights reserved.
WinTWEAKSA room with a view.
Introduction
On this page you will find information and links to Windows resources.
Enter a keyword to lookup on this page (IE supported only)
Topics
my PC peripherals
Shared environment description
All my PC's are connected by an ethernet LAN with shared printer and Internet access. The Desktop PC is configured as a server to store common files and to perform some shared functions. Bear in mind that shared functions need more care and administration than a single user environment. Install and update software will need administration privileges. It is wise to logon regularly (at least once a month) with the Administrator Account to make sure updates are processed correctly (such as Anti-Virus and Windows updates). Some settings need tweaking to get it working in a multi-user environment. Finally, you also want to define perimeters for each user or share resources with as many as defined.
Tuning the XP and Vista environment
The Registry plays a crucial part of the operating system and may become fragmented and cluttered with obsolete and invalid data. Essential system and application configuration settings are stored in 'ini' files. Here are some techniques (for advanced users only) to improve the performance of a Windows XP system.
Windows System Configuration Utility (Msconfig)
'MSCONFIG' is a system tool that allows you to temporarily change, enable or disable startup programs and services.
Services that I have disabled for Windows XP:
Distributed Link Tracking Client
Help and Support
Indexing Service
IPSEC Services
Messenger
Net Logon
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
Network DDE
Network DDE DSDM
QoS RSVP
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Remote Registry
Routing and Remote Access
Secondary Logon
Security Accounts Manager
Security Center
Server
Smart Card
System Restore Service
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet
Terminal Services
Uninterruptible Power Supply
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
WebClient
WMI Performance Adapter
References used:
Dutch digest of XP and Vista help pages by PcLeek.com.
sysinfo.org, Startup Application list.
Security Task Manager 'known processes' by A. Neuber.
Windows System Environment Settings
In general, I apply these acceleration tricks:
Enable DMA on primary IDE channel
Disable the error reporting function in the system settings
Move the Temporary Internet Files (TIF) folder from the default location.(Internet Options - General tab, Temporary Internet Files box, Settings button, Move Folder button.)
Dedicated drive partition for your data
In general, I create a drive partition to hold all system files (e.g. the C: drive) and a dedicated partition to hold all data files (e.g. the D: drive).
This allows an easier housekeeping of your data and reduces the risk of data loss when windows needs to be re-installed (and the c: drive reformatted).
Additionally, changes can be made for security and to optimize the disk space use:
Move 'My Documents' to a dedicated Data partition (e.g. the D: drive)to make this change, right click on the folder, select properties
in the Target tab, select Move
Move the 'Temp' folders to the D: driveto make use of these folders, you must change the Environment Variables of the System Properties
create the directories first, then go to the control panel and open System
select Advanced of the System Properties and edit the environment variables:
in User variables:
Temp -> replace %USERPROFILE% by D:
TMP -> replace %USERPROFILE% by D:
in System variables:
Temp -> replace %SystemRoot% by D:
TMP -> replace %SystemRoot% by D:
To optimize XP for audio and video
Turn off system soundsAdjust Video Effects for best performanceUnder Processor Scheduling, select "Background services” Under Virtual Memory, select "No paging file" (provided that enough RAM is installed)
XP HousekeepingThe foundation to make the housekeeping process easy and efficient is the partioning of my hard disk(s).
While the primary partition holds the operating system and programme files, the secondary is dedicated to the data files. This way, the operating system may be re-installed at any time without data loss. Disk cleanup and deframentation will run faster and more efficient. Finally, also the system performance may be improved (see above).
Removing unused and temporary information from your system allows Windows to run faster and more efficiently:
Perform a regular disk cleanup and defragmentation of the volumesCleanup the Prefetch folder (keep 'layout.ini') C:\WINDOWS\PrefetchCleanup the registry regularly (with a reliable tool)Perform a regular complete virus scan of your disksPerform a regular complete spyware scan of your systemDefrag the registry with pagedfrg (available from Windows Sysinternals)Check my Best of Breed section for a selection of freeware tools to help you with these tasks.
Dutch speaking users may check PcLeek.com which offers an excellent digest of XP and Vista help pages!
Windows File and Print Services
File and Print services over TCP/IP have been disabled on all my PC's for security reasons. All PC's communicate over IPX/SPX for File and Print sharing. To share file & print services, only bind the IPX protocol to the card with LAN users. Enable Netbios over IPX/SPX - if not, your shared resources will not show in the network browser network domain (read more about NetBIOS security).
No NT-domain is used. To avoid conflicts with laptops configured for office use (and a company's NT Domain), do not configure an NT domain on the File and Print server. Only define the Workgroup name. This setting can be found in the control panel in 'System', 'Network Identification' settings. Use the same workgroup name on all networked pc's, this will speed up the network lookup of PC's.
Windows Vista and XP Network Sharing
Microsoft has removed IPX/SPX support from Windows Vista. You will need to add these protocols manually (IPX/SPX Protocol in Vista (32bit).
You will also need to download and install the LLTD Responder (Link-Layer Topology Discovery Responder) component on computers running Windows XP to appear on the Network Map diagram on Windows Vista computers.
Windows Folders SharingTo get full control of your Folder sharing options, you may need to modify the Folder Options settings.
In the Windows explorer menu, select 'Tools'. In the 'Tools' pull-down menu, choose the 'Folder Options'. The Folder Options window has a 'View' Tab which lists the Advanced Settings. In the Advanced Settings, untag the 'Use simple file sharing' (see Dutch example below):
You may apply these settings only to one folder or all folders. Once this setting is applied, you will be able to control the access by user and by access type (read/write/etc.).
Read also the NetBIOS security settings.
Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA and/or OGA notification)
Even though you may have a legitimate copy of Windows installed or you did buy a license, it could occur that the Automatic Windows Update installs the WGA notification tool.
To remove this tool, check the following pages:
- removal tool (removeWGA) by Guillaume Kaddouch
- manual remove by WikiHow
- manual remove in the registry by Digitaal Advies (Dutch and English)
To remove Office Genuine Advantage notifications in XP and Vista, you may proceed as follows:
1) open the System32 directory of your %SystemRoot% folder
2) make system and hiden files visible in the folder options
2) locate all files that start with OGA (find files with the extension. Dll and. Exe) and rename the files (e.g. with extension .old)
3) locate the files 'WgaTray.exe' and 'OGAAddin.dll' and rename them (e.g. with extension .old)
4) reboot your PC
Remote Assistance
Remote Assistance with TeamViewer (XP, Vista, MacOS)Remote Assistance the easiest way with TeamViewer (XP, Vista and MacOS)
To offer remote support over the Internet for users at home behind firewalls and/or NAT routers, you may use the Remote Assistance software.
Follow the steps below to download the client software and start the remote assistance client software on your computer:
Download the TeamViewer QuickSupport client This 'thin client' software is available for Windows and MacOS in different languages on the TeamViewer download pages.
Select For the instant customer: TeamViewer QuickSupport (see picture below)
Run the application (Exécuter - Uitvoeren)once the download has been finished, execute the file and grant the operating system and firewall the rights to execute
the firewall and Vista defender module will show a security warning and ask your confirmation to run this application
when you execute the client software in Windows Vista, you will need to validate to authorise the execution of the application
the first time that the application runs, the firewall will request the authorisation to open the necessary ports
communicate the >ID< and >Password< to your helping partnerthe client software will retrieve an ID and associated Password, which is required by your Helpdesk or helping partner
communicate the ID and Password to the 'calling' partner and wait for the connection to be established
(Install and) Run the TeamViewer client on the 'support' siteTo establish a connection you will need the full version which connects to TeamViewer QuickSupport (for instant support).
The 'calling' partner needs to run the TeamViewer (full version) client and enter the ID and Password to connect.
This software is available for Windows and MacOS in different languages on the TeamViewer download pages.
Select For the supporter: TeamViewer (full version) (see picture below)
you may click these links for direct download of this client in English
Remote Assistance the easy way with Microsoft (XP and Vista)
To offer remote support you may use the Remote Assistance built in with XP and Vista. In this example an XP PC requested the assistance from a Vista PC.
First, make sure remote assistance is enabled: check the configuration settings and system properties.
Start the 'Remote Assistance' programme (Hulp op Afstand). Select 'Invite someone to help' (Iemand uitnodigen om te helpen).
This action will send a file (by email) to the person and the pc that will access your pc remotely.
You will need to give the email address of the person that will logon to your pc and define a temporary password (only for one session).
Once the person has received the file with the credentials, he/she can open the file and will be prompted for the password.
Note that the credential file will only be valid for a short while.
If the remote person wants to get control of the pc (Demander le contrôle), then this needs to be granted.
Remote Assistance with VNC
The setup of a PC for Remote Assistance becomes alsmost as important as a good backup policy. Although granting access to your system may create security threats, temporary connections can be made without too many compromises.
VNC is a good Freeware software that helps you around on different OS platforms. In most cases only Component One will suffice to get the job done:
Check here if your VNC Server is running and can be accessed from the Internet.If you have any questions, check VNC FAQ-o-Matic
For easy retrieval over the Internet, assign a DNS name to your PC with Component Two:
If you insist on security, you may install Component Three:
Component Three: Install PuttyVNC and your Firewall
Check the Personal Firewall settings on the PC (it may block the incoming ports that are used by VNC).
If the PC is behind a router or firewall, you may need to enable port forwarding (see picture below):
More information about NAPT mode for SpeedTouch gear is available on the ADSL pages.
Briefcase
REPLICATION & SYNCHRONISATION SETUP between a Laptop and a Desktop:Create a 'briefcase' for those files that you want to keep synchronised with the File server or your Desktop.
'Briefcase' is a standard feature in Windows NT and XP. Copy the files from the lan drive or shared folder on your Desktop to the 'briefcase'. Work off-line with the files and folders in the briefcase. Anytime you connect to the File server or Desktop, you can synchronise the files and folders in your briefcase.
Note that the briefcase will also work between 'local' drives. In particular, to synchronise files with an external disk.
The only drawback is system performance and file sharing restrictions with some applications.
Briefcase Plus is a Freeware that also does the job.
Read also the PCSTATS Beginners Guide: Synchronizing Files and Folders
A Windows 2000 Pro Clean (re-)Install description
Format the drive C: partition
Install the drive in a second pc (running windows NT or XP). Select the disk drive as `slave' and format the bootable partition with NTFS support.
Re-install the drive and start Windows 2000 Pro setup from the CD-ROM. If the CD-ROM is not bootable, you may need a bootable floppy disk.
Setup of Windows 2000
Make sure all devices are connected and switched on. In particular, the USB devices.
Recovery of the D: partition
The folders and files stored on the D: partition have been tagged by your previous windows installation with properties and security rights. Since windows has been re-installed from scratch, the security settings have been lost. To grant access to these files, run the Administrative Tools in the Control Panel. In `Computer Management', under `Storage', `Disk Management', the partitions should be listed. Check the Security in the properties. You will find old entries that you can remove. Grant all rights to the users you prefer (you must have administrator privileges, to perform this task). In the Advanced Access Control Settings you must also change the ownership of the files and folders to the administrator or administrators group. Note that some individual files may need a change of the security settings as well.
Install IPX/SPX
IPX/SPX is not installed by default. Use this protocol to share files and print services over your home LAN. Secure your files from the Internet and disable Netbios over IP in the TCP/IP protocol settings (Advanced options).
Workgroup name
If not selected during the installation, then rename the workgroup name. Make sure all your computers on the home LAN use the same name. To change this setting, run `System' in the Control Panel, under `Network Identification', go to the properties.
Setup of the users:
During setup of the operating system, you can setup an Administrator Account,Use this account to install all software,Install and configure all software and drivers before you setup other users,Setup new users without Administration rights to protect the system against malicious Internet attacks,Define the access rights for the users: shared directories and devices.Nero Burning ROM
Read my notes on Admin rights for CD-ROM access.
USB connect
Plug & pray when you attach USB devices. To introduce a USB-hub, may require re-install of the device drivers.
Time Server Synchronisation
Windows XP has built-in support for Time Synchronisation with Network Time Protocol (NTP) public time servers.
Synchronizing with a NTP time server keeps your clock adjusted with high accuracy.
You will find the settings in the Date and Time Properties (see picture below - in Dutch):
Change the default server name (time.windows.com) by a server closer to your host or network (in this example: ntp.skynet.be).
Some ISP's offer synchronisation with their own time server, which may offer the best performance. Here are some examples for Belgian ISP's:
- Skynet (Belgacom): ntp.skynet.be
- Tiscali: ntp.tiscalinet.be
- Telenet: ntp.telenet.be
- UPC (Chello, TVD): time.chello.be
A list of public time servers is published by the Internet Systems Consortium.
Corporate Network users (i.e. on a private network) may not be able to synchronise with public servers (because the ntp protocol is blocked) and should check this feature with their network administrator.
Unlike XP, Windows NT and 2000 have no built-in support for Time Synchronisation. 'Dimension 4' is an excellent freeware, which can be used on all windows platforms that needs accuracy.
Nero Burning ROM
IMAGE RECORDER - no CD-burner found
Typically, this error will occur with Nero Express, when the CD-burner type mismatches with the OEM version. To fix this, remove the version and replace it with the OEM version shipped with the installed CD-burner.
No access to the CD-ROM:
If users on your system have been defined with restricted rights (i.e. no Administration rights), Nero Burning ROM (version 5.x and beyond) may not find the CD-ROM to burn. To fix this, change with the Administrative Tools (note: you need to log in as Administrator first), the Local Security Policy setting:
Restrict CD-ROM access to locally logged-on users only.
Local policy setting:
Enabled
ASPI Drivers to access the CD-ROM:
It must be said, Ahead is providing one of the best supported ASPI drivers for W2k and XP:
Search for the 'wnaspi32.dll'
Alternatively, you may try Adaptec:
Need to know more about ASPI drivers? Bart will tell you.
The SONY-BMG caseInstructions to remove MediaMax 5.0 content protection software:
How to insert a file in an excel sheet
Open the excel sheet where you want to insert the file (in this example a word file) and choose the cel where you would like to place the icon to open the inserted file.
1) Select in the Excel Program Menu: 'Insert'
2) In the Insert pull down menu, select 'Object'
this will open a new window with two tabs: 'Create New' and 'Create From File'
3) Select 'Create From File'
in this tab you can browse for the file that you want to insert
4) In the 'Create From File' window are two options 'Link to File' or 'Display as icon'
flag the option 'Display as icon' and leave 'Link to File' blank
5) Once the 'Display as icon' is enabled, you can select 'Change Icon'
the 'Change Icon' button will open a new window which allows you to change the icon and the text
6) Validate with OK and the file will be inserted in the excel sheet with an icon.
You can still move the icon in the worksheet. When you double click the icon, it will open the file.
Copyright © 2001 - 2009 BIOSS All rights reserved