Windows Client OS

How can I disable the Shutdown Event Tracker on a Windows Server 2003 machine? Shutdown Event Tracker provides a way for IT professionals to consistently track why users restart or shut down their computers. It does not document why users choose other options, such as Log off and Hibernate. It gathers the reasons users give…

How do I remove the CD Recording feature in Windows XP? I cannot imagine why anyone will want to do that but… Do this if you must: Start – Run – type gpedit.msc (not available in Windows XP Home Edition). Go to User Configuration – Administrative Templates – Windows Explorer. Look for "Remove CD Burning…

How can I disable automatic image resizing in Internet Explorer 6/7? Internet Explorer 6/7 has a feature that causes images that are larger than the display area to automatically be reduced in size, thus removing the need to scroll around the picture. While nice in concept, this feature can be quite annoying. Luckily for us,…

How can I delete the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop in Windows XP/2003? To delete the Recycle Bin icon from the Windows XP/2003 desktop follow these steps: Open Registry Editor. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace Find the following key: {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} Delete the above key. Note: As always, before making…

How can I delay services when Windows starts? In some computers, especially older systems and those with slower peripherals, it may be necessary to delay the loading of a specific Windows NT/W2K service for the computer to boot properly. Or you may want to ensure that one service has started and is available for use…

What are the Windows XP supported update paths? You can upgrade most Windows client operating systems directly to Windows XP Professional. If you upgrade instead of doing a new installation, you will not lose the existing settings and applications on the partition. When preparing for an upgrade, you should first complete the tasks listed on…

In Windows XP, when I right-click a file or folder, sometimes my CPU goes up to 100%. Why? MS KB Article 819101 has more info: In Windows Explorer, when you right-click a file or folder, you may experience any of the following behavior: Any file copy operation that is occurring at that time may appear…

How can I create Local users in Windows XP? How can I open the Local Users applet (from Control Panel) in Windows XP? To control local users and some of their settings from a Windows XP Pro machine you can use the LUSRMGR.MSC MMC Snap-in (run lusrmgr.msc from the Run command).  Alternatively, you can use…

How do I copy a user profile in Windows XP? Why is the COPY TO button grayed out? UPDATE: This method is no longer supported. You need to create an additional account and copy it over that account (and not over the default user profile). To copy a user profile in XP do the following:…

How can I easily control what applications will run when my computer starts? If you want to edit the startup locations manually, just look at the following REGISTRY keys: ​HKU\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKU\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce You should also look in the startup folders for all users and the current version. If you’re using Windows…