4 more Vista tricks

Using your registry preferred settings on another PC

    The registry editor can save the most used keys as favorites. This will make them available more faster for reconfiguration. In order to use them on another computer or after you re-installed your operating system, you will want to secure your "favorites" outside the registry editor.
    Windows is saving the favorites directly from Registry. So, all you have to do is to export from a REG file and import it on the second computer in order to use it there. Here is how it works: in the registry editor open the key
“HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Regedit\Favorites”.
    All the entries from the "favorites" menu are listed here.
Select the key and open „Registration/ Export registration file” or „File/ Export”.
In the next step, give it a name , select the option „Selected substructure” and the path selected there and click on „Save” button.
    On another computer, a double click on this file is enough to read the favorites in a second. These will be imediately available after you have approved their entrance in the registry.

Opening the files without extensions with Notepad

    If you double click a file without extension, Windows will pop up the „Open with” dialogue in order to select a program. You want to open the file in Notepad to check its content, but that option is not amongst the available settings.
Launch the registry editor and locate the key “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT”. Open “Edit | New | Key”, press [.] and then hit Enter. Click in the right side of the window and open again „Edit/New/Key”. Type in "shell" and hit Enter.
Same way, 1 level above, create the subkey „open”. Repeat the step and create the subkey „command”. Now double click "Default" in the current key “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.\shell\open\ command”. Change "value" into “Notepad. exe %1” and confirm with OK. Close the registry editor.

Controling access to registry depending on user account

    In many families, its members share same computer. As a main user and administrator, you want to ensure that the other users will not make changes in the registry.
    Specify on user level to which user it will be denied the access to the registry.
Windows XP:Select from the left side of the structure „HKEY_USERS” and open „File/Load Hive”. In the dialogue, navigate to „C:\Documents and Settings” -the folders of the different profiles of users are listed here.
    In the desired folder, select „ntuser.dat” and click on „Open”. In the next dialogue, type the name of user as name in „Key name”. You now have access to the specific settings of that account. Navigate under that user name to „Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Policies” and open the key „System”. If it is unavailable, create it with „Edit/New/Key”. Mark it and create the entry „DisableRegistryTools” from the „REG_DWORD” data type. Set value to „1”. Now again, in the left part of the structure, select the main folder of the profile of the user and click on „File/Delete structure”. Answer "yes" at the security question. From now on, Windows will block any attempts of accessing registry from that user.

Memory advice using Vista

    Vista is a vacuum for memory -1.024 is considered the lowest limit to run your programs smoothly. If you only have half from this necessary, you want to see if the performance of your computer can be improved despite the lack of RAM.
    If you have a fast USB stick, you can use the new "Ready Boost" facility. If this facility is configured accordingly, Vista is using the flash ram as an add to the system ram and it will write swap files on it. This thing will permit your programs to have more available ram. Despite the flash ram is not as fast as PC RAM, the performance of your system will have an increase.
    This trick also helps when are fast tunning a notebook. The essential part to increase the speed is to understand that a USB stick is not like a third wheel on a bycicle. To get more info on USB sticks, log on to www.grantgibson.co.uk./misc/readyboost/ . At this moment, there are over 500 products compatible with Ready Boost listed on this site. To activate this facility, insert the USB stick and click on "Increase System Speed" in the "Automatic Playback" dialogue. After testing the USB stick, Windows will open the properties for the stick in the ReadyBoost tab. Here, activate the option " Use this device". Use the silder in order to get the size of the memory that is ready for Ready Boost. To do this you should select at least the current value of your current RAM, but be carefully so it will not be only 2.5 bigger then your current RAM.
    In case you have 512MB for example, you can make a setting of "512 MB", but one that is bigger then "1.280" MB is too high. Confirm with "Apply" and click "OK".
    In future, when you start your system Vista will apply the same memory size without any other question and it will free it when your system shuts down. If your USB stick is not compatible and refuses the turbo acceleration thru USB, the only option is to try to access the removable device by making some changes in the Registry.
    Try this and see if the performance is improving. When you insert the USB stick, deactivate "Do not retest the device" in the "Ready-Boost" option dialogue. Confirm now the changes by clicking on "Apply" and then "OK". Remove the USB stick. The next step is to enter the registry editor. If you get a warning from User Account Control just click on "Continue".
Navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\EMDMgmt" key and search for the USB stick subkey. In order to edit it double click on the DWORD value "Device-Status". Then change the value to "2" and confirm changes by clicking on "OK".
    Also, set the values "Read- SpeedKBs" and "WriteSpeed KBs" to "1000" using hexadecimal. Close the registry editor and insert the USB stick. You can configure the Ready Boost now using the method described above.

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Configuring the system without the annoying warning messages for Windows Vista and changing the size of the symbols on the desktop

       Configuring the system without the annoying warning messages

       After the installation, you want to make some modifications to the system. You are being annoyed by the fact that you get warning messages constantly and every action you make must be confirmed twice. You can temporarily close User Account Control in order to configure the system without the annoying warning messages. Reactivate the control in the same way you will deactivate it, following these steps. There are 2 options to close it: first is to double click on "User Accounts" and then on "Switch on or switch off user account control" in the Control Panel. Confirm the process by clicking on "Next". Then deactivate "Use user account control to contribute to the protection of the computer" and confirm that with "OK". All you need to do afterwards is to reboot your computer, procedure that can be initiated directly from the dialog window. You can also activate and deactivate that function within "msconfig". In order to do that, type "msconfig" in the search field from the start menu and press "Enter". Click on "Tools" tab. Select "Disable user account control" and click "Start". Restart your computer.

Quick Note: User Account Control increases the security of the system and prevents unauthorized installation of different software and any changes in the system. If you shut down this function, not even safe mode from Internet Explorer will not work.

       Changing the size of the fonts on the desktop

       Vista displays very large symbols on the desktop. Users that are used to have a crowded desktop full of icons of programs that they are working with rather enjoys small icons. The size of the icons can be easily changed. In order to do that, click on desktop. Hold down CTRL button and move the wheel of the mouse in any direction. Vista will change the displayed symbols dynamically.

Note: The process works even within Windows Explorer.



       5 applications that will make your Windows XP look like Vista

       For all those who cannot afford to install Vista on their computers or just want to wait or just can't drop on the old friend Windows XP, i have thought to offer you a few applications to "dress up" your XP to look like Vista:



1. Copernic Desktop Search
The search options of Windows Vista are fast and far more complex same as those offered by this application. The categories of files search: e-mails, files, music, images, contacts, Internet Favorites and History will allow you to find anything as fast as possible. Creating and saving of the searches is now very easy to make, and the function "while you type" is also extremely useful. Copernic Desktop Search examines Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF files and also other kind of files like e-mail messages, video clip files and also image files. It can search specific types of documents or even words included in this documents. The application uses an index of the files from the computer in order to return almost instantaneously results, updating automatically when the system is not busy with other tasks. The last version of this application is installed automatically into the taskbar as a separate toolbar. For any inadequate options you have installed, right click on an empty portion from the taskbar, select Toolbars and choose Copernic Desktop Search.


2. Desktop Sidebar Vista
This application offers a sidebar that provides a calendar, a calculator, a quick link to the media player and also RSS feeds. Desktop Sidebar is built from different components and each of them can be separately configured. It offers similar options that can be improved with a files browser, a weather forecast, a news program and with an e-mail checker. It also integrates controls for Windows Media Player, the QuickLaunch taskbar and many others. You can also configure its layout and its design. It can also be displayed all the time or to be hidden when it is not utilised.







3. Vista Start Menu SE
This application represents an alternative for the standard Windows Start Menu offering a different layout, made to help us access more effectively our applications without having to access more menus. You can open a program or access a document without lifting your fingers from the keyboard. The zooming options helps a lot those who own large screens or just use high resolutions. It also supports navigating in the tabs.



4. Visual Task Tips
Folders, applications, web pages, all this windows from taskbar will now be displayed in thumbnail style when the mouse is positioned above them. This is an easy option and also a lot useful especially for those who use the mouse pretty often.



5. Folder Maker
This program is a batch tool that will allow you to create a large number of folders and files very easily. It has an option to count all this as well as prefix and suffix options that will allow you to personalize the names in order to categorize them more effectively.

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Creating a new boot screen for Vista and adding the missing "Run" command in the start menu

Creating a new boot screen for Vista

      Vista is a very attractive operating system with its new Aero interface. When it boots, the screen remains black except one tiny loading bar. The Boot Logo Generator is a small tool ( only 595 kilobytes) that can offer you a colorful boot.
The program generates a Bootscreen file from a graphic file in just a few steps.
Requirements: the graphic file has to be a bitmap file on 24 bytes with a 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768 resolution. You can download this little tool from http://www.computa.co.uk/staff/dan/?p=15. After the installation is finished, this program starts automatically. With "Browse for image..." you can load your bitmap files. Then save using "File/Save Boot Screen File As..." and copy both graphic files into the folder "C:\Windows\System32\en_US". In order for Vista to display the start image even when it boots, adjust the system settings: type "msconfig.exe" in the search field from the start menu and press Enter. Choose "OK" at the warning message from Vista and the program will start. In the "Start" tab, check the option "No GUI-Start".


Adding the missing "Run" command in the start menu

      You got used to quick access some specific commands using the "RUN" command from the start menu. In Vista, this option does not exist. What's there left to do ?

      In Vista, the search function substitutes the "Run" command. But you can reactivate this command using a small trick. In order to accomplish this, right click on the taskbar and choose the contextual command "Settings". Activate the "start menu" tab and click on "Customize". Now, search for option "Run Dialog" in the list and check it. Confirm the open dialogues with "OK".
And here is the rest of it.

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