By Carl Siechert, Co-Author, Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out

One of the fun things about Windows XP and Windows 2000 is that there is so much tweaking you can do if you want to. You don't need to do any of the things that I described at a recent Pasadena IBM User Group presentation, but if you like peeking under the hood and making a few adjustments so things run just the way you like, you can. Here's a little more information about some of the topics I discussed:

Group Policy

Group Policy lets you make all manner of settings–everything from configuring the desktop to hiding certain drives to preventing the creation of scheduled tasks. These settings (and hundreds more) are stored in the registry, which you can edit directly.

But Group Policy is much easier to use than a registry editor. A few notes before you dive in:

• To use Group Policy, you must have Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 it's not available in Windows XP Home Edition.

• To use Group Policy, you must be logged on using an account that's a member of the Adminstrators group.

• If your computer is not a member of a Windows 2000 Server domain, any settings you make in Group Policy affects everyone who uses your computer. (There is a crude workaround that lets you set up two groups of users those who are affected by Group Policy settings and those who are not. For details, check out pp. 1074-5 in " Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out." [Caution: this is the first of several plugs for my books.])

Ready, Set Go…

Start Group Policy by choosing Start, Run and typing " gpedit.msc" . (If you end up using Group Policy very much, you'll want to make a shortcut to gpedit.msc.) The next two folders and their subfolders house the most interesting policies, although you might want to check out the others as well.

Then, in the left pane, select a subfolder of Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates or User Configuration\Administrative Templates. Select a useful sounding policy in the right pane, and an explanation of the policy appears. Keep poking around until you find something that interests you. To make a setting, double-click the policy name and then choose an option in the dialog box that appears.

Pretty easy stuff, but you're exploring where few Windows users dare to tread. Unless you work hard to enable policies that, for example, prevent you from logging on, the settings under Administrative Templates are pretty safe. Nonetheless, you should read the explanation carefully before you make a policy setting.

Want more information? For a complete reference to Group Policy in Windows 2000, visit

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/default.asp

Look for Windows 2000 Group Policy Reference in the contents pane. Nearly all the information in this reference applies to Windows XP Professional as well, although it doesn't include the policies that are available only in Windows XP. Another good resource is the Group Policy Object Settings spreadsheet, which you can download from

http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/pro/techinfo/productdoc/gpss.asp

Although the spreadsheet doesn't explain the settings, it lists all Administrative Templates policies and shows which ones apply to each operating system it also provides a convenient way to record your own settings. You'll also find more information in " Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out" (Chapter 34) and in our new book, " Microsoft Windows Security Inside Out for Windows XP and Windows 2000" (Chapter 19). The latter book, which should be in stores in August, includes a number of specific recommendations online prescription cialis about policies you can set to better secure your system.

It’s At Your Service

I also mentioned the Services snap-in, which is included in the Computer Management console. To open Computer Management, right-click My Computer (on the Start menu or in an Explorer window) and choose Manage. In the left pane of Computer Management, select Computer Management (Local)\Services and Applications\Services. (Tip of the day: You can open the Services snap-in within its own console. You can find a shortcut to Services in the Administrative Tools folder, or you can simply choose Start, Run and type " services.msc" .)

So which services should you turn off by changing their startup type to Manual or Disable? This Web site offers some good advice: http://www.blkviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

And (time for another plug) " Microsoft Windows Security Inside Out for Windows XP and Windows 2000" provides a brief description of every service included with Windows XP and Windows 2000 and offers recommended settings.

Have you ever noticed that Windows XP always highlights the new programs you install on your computer in the Start menu? I mean, it’s helpful if you’re new to computers and you’re not sure where to go after installing a new program, but sometimes Windows will also highlight multiple aspects of the installed programs that aren't really necessary, such as the "Read Me" files and so on. Plus, those items remain highlighted until you actually run them. That can get quite annoying, especially once you become more experienced with your computer and know where the items go once they’re installed. Talk about frustrating!

If you let it continue, your Start menu will start to look like an orange striped zebra! That is, unless you go through and run every program you install at least once (and many times more often than that, because for some unknown reason, some programs will be rehighlighted after restarting your computer). Who has time for all that?! So, if you would prefer not to have to go through all of that, there is a way you can get back to normal. Here's how you can turn the highlighting feature off in Windows XP. Let's go!

First, as with most things, we will begin with the Start menu. It looks like this:

Next, use your right mouse button and right click on any blank space on the Start menu. That will bring up an option to go to the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window:

From there, click on the Properties button when it comes up. Now, you can also right click on the actual Start button to bring up a menu where you can select Properties. Either way brings up the same screen.

Once the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window is open, about half-way down, you will see a Customize button on the first screen next to the version of the Start menu you have selected. (It will be either the Start Menu, which is the original Windows XP style or the Classic Start Menu, which gives it the appearance of earlier versions of Windows). For this tip, we will be dealing with the Customize options under the first default setting of the regular Windows XP Start menu. So, click on the Customize button to bring up the next screen:

Next, you will see the Customize Start Menu window. At the top of that, there are two tabs: General and Advanced. Click on the Advanced tab to proceed.

Under the Advanced tab, the second option is “Highlight Newly Installed Programs” with a checkbox next to it to either enable or disable this feature. To turn it off, just make sure the checkbox is unchecked. Alternatively, if you are following these instructions to turn this feature back on, make sure the box is checked.

Now, all that’s left for us to do is save the settings and close out the windows. To do that, simply find the OK button at the bottom of the Customize Start Menu pane:

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Then just repeat this step in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window (you can either hit the OK button by itself or hit the Apply button, followed by the OK button. In this case, both of them will do the same thing).

There you have it! Now, you don’t have to see every newly installed program highlighted until you run it. It makes for a cleaner looking desktop and it can always be switched back at a moment's notice. Give it a try today!

Takeaway: Are you really excited about the prospect of experimenting with the new features in the Windows Vista operating system, but are not yet ready to give up your existing Windows XP installation? Greg Shultz walks you step by step through the entire dual boot configuration procedure.

This article is also available as a TechRepublic download. A TechRepublic gallery explaining how to create a dual boot configuration is available as well.

Are you really excited about the prospect of experimenting with the new features in the Windows Vista operating system, but are not yet ready to give up your existing Windows XP installation? For instance, you may be on the fence, because you're not 100 percent sure that all your existing hardware and software will work in Vista and you still need them to get your work done.

If so, then you may be the perfect candidate for a dual-boot configuration. With this type of configuration, you can easily experiment with Windows Vista and still use Windows XP. In other words, you get to have your cake and eat it too.

In this article, I'll discuss some of the options you'll need to consider as you begin thinking about and planning for adding Windows Vista to your existing system in a dual-boot configuration. I’ll then walk you step by step through the entire procedure.

The location options

In order to install Windows Vista in a dual-boot configuration along with Windows XP, you need to have either a second partition on your existing hard disk or a second hard disk in your system. To give yourself enough room to experiment, you should have at least 20 GB and preferably 40 GB of space available on either the second partition or on the second hard disk.

If you don't have enough available space on your existing hard disk for a second partition, then you'll need to connect a second hard disk to your system. If you do have enough available space on your exiting hard disk for a second partition, then you'll need to obtain a partitioning software package. I recommend, Symantec’s Norton PartitionMagic only because I’ve used PartitionMagic for years. However, there are other partitioning software packages that I’ve heard are just as good, such as Acronis Disk Director or VCOM Partition Commander Professional.

Of course, detailed instructions on connecting a second hard disk or partitioning your existing hard disk are beyond the scope of this article. However, in either case, the second hard disk or the second partition must be formatted with NTFS before you begin the installation operation. If you add a second partition to your existing hard disk via a partitioning software package, you will be able to format it as NTFS at the same time as you create the partition. If you're installing a second hard disk, the easiest way to format it as NTFS is from within Windows XP’s Disk Manager, which you can quickly access by pressing [Windows]+R to access the Run dialog box and typing diskmgmt.msc in the Open text box.

The installation options

You can approach the dual-boot installation operation in one of two ways — by cold booting from the Windows Vista DVD or by inserting the Windows Vista DVD while Windows XP is running. As you can imagine, you'll encounter slightly different liquid cialis introductory screens depending on which approach you use, but once you get stared the operation is essentially the same.

While both methods will produce the same result, I prefer the cold booting from the DVD method. The main reason is that you don't have to worry about any interference from antivirus/antispyware/firewall software on your existing Windows XP installation.

Performing the installation

Once you have your second partition or second hard disk operational, just insert your Windows Vista DVD, restart the system, and boot from the DVD. Once the system boots from the DVD, Windows Vista’s Setup will begin loading and will display the screen shown in Figure A.

Figure A:

Windows Vista’s Setup will take a few moments to load files before the installation actually commences.

In a few moments, you’ll see the screen that prompts you to choose the regional and language options, as shown in Figure B. As you can see, the default settings are for U.S. and English and if that’s you, you can just click Next to move on.

Figure B:

The default settings on the regional and language screen are for the U.S. and English.

On the next screen, you’ll be prompted to begin the installation procedure, as shown in Figure C. To begin, just click the Install Now button

Figure C:

To get started, click the Install Now button.

In the next screen, you’ll be prompted to type in your product key for activation, as shown in Figure D. By default, the Automatically Activate Windows When I’m online check box is selected; however, you’ll notice that I’ve cleared it. The main reason that I’ve done so here is that while writing this article, I’ve experimented over and over with this installation procedure and want to conserve on the number of times that I can legitimately activate this copy of Windows Vista before Microsoft locks it down and requires me to call in and manually request a new product key.

Figure D:

At this point in the installation, you’re prompted to type in your product key for activation.

Now, if you just want to temporarily install Vista in a dual-boot configuration while you experiment, but plan on installing it as your main operating system once you’re satisfied with the way that Vista behaves with your hardware and software, you too may want to disable the automatic activation routine. Even though you’ve disabled the automatic activation routine, you can still install Windows Vista and use it as you normally would for 30 days.

If you want to keep Vista in a dual-boot configuration, you can activate your license online anytime you want. If you decide to make Vista your main operating system, you can repartition your hard disk, reinstall Vista on the main partition and activate the new installation in the process.

If you decide to disable the automatic activation routine, you’ll see a confirmation dialog box, as shown in Figure E, which contains a harsh warning and prompts you to reconsider. You can just click No to continue.

Figure E:

Even though this dialog box contains a harsh warning, Microsoft wouldn’t have made automatic activation a choice if opting out was really dangerous.

Because, I didn’t enter in a product key, Setup doesn’t know what edition I’ve purchased and prompts me to select one of the seven editions on this disk, as shown in Figure F. Since, I'm working with the Ultimate edition, I selected that edition, checked the box, and clicked Next.

Figure F:

When you don’t enter a product key, Setup doesn’t know what edition you have a license for and so prompts you to select one of the seven editions

On the next page (Figure G), you’ll see the Microsoft Software License Terms and are prompted to read through them. However, unless you’re very curious you can just select the I Accept The License Terms check box and click Next.

Figure G:

Unless you’re very curious, you can just click through the license terms screen.

If you’re booting from the DVD, when you get to the Which Type Of Installation Do You Want page, the only option is Custom (advanced) as shown in Figure H. To move on, just click the Custom icon.

Figure H:

When you boot from the Windows Vista DVD, the only installation type that is available is the Custom (advanced).

When you arrive at the Where Do You Want To Install Windows? page, you’ll see your second partition or second drive. I created a second partition on which to install Windows Vista, so my page looked like the one in Figure I.

Figure I:

I created a second partition on a 160 GB hard disk on which to install Windows Vista.

Once the select a partition or disk and click Next, the rest of the installation will continue as it normally would. As such, I won’t follow the installation procedure any further in this article.

Windows Boot Manager

Once the installation is complete, you'll see the Windows Boot Manager screen, as shown in Figure K. As you can see, booting either Windows XP (listed as an Earlier Version of Windows) or Windows Vista is a simple menu choice. This menu will appear on the screen for 30 seconds before Windows Boot Manager launches the default operating system, which is Windows Vista.

Figure J:

The Windows Boot Manager allows you to select which operating system you want to boot.

The Activation countdown

Since I described installing Windows Vista without activating it for testing purposes, I wanted to point out that the Windows Vista will indeed keep track of your 30 day trial on the System screen, as shown in Figure K. In addition, it will regularly display

Figure K:

If you decide not to activate during your dual-boot installation, you can keep track of how many days you have until you must activate on the System page.

Configuring Windows Boot Manager

As I mentioned, the Windows Boot Manager menu will appear on the screen for 30 seconds before Windows Boot Manager launches the default operating system — Windows Vista. However, if you wish to adjust the countdown or change the default operating system, you can do so from within Windows Vista.

Once you've booted into Windows Vista, press [Windows]+[Break] to access the System page. Next, click the Advance System Setting link in the Tasks pane and confirm though the UAC prompt. When you see the System Properties dialog box, click Settings in the Startup and Recovery panel. You’ll then see the Startup and Recovery dialog box, as shown in Figure L.

Figure L:

You can use the controls in the Startup and Recovery dialog box change the default operating system and the number of seconds that the Windows Boot Manager menu will appear on the screen.

In the System Startup pane, you can change the Default Operating System setting from the drop down list as well as use the spin buttons to adjust, up or down, the number of seconds to display the menu before launching the default operating system.

Conclusion

Installing Windows Vista in a dual-boot configuration along side Windows XP is a great way to experiment with the new operating system until you get comfortable with it. In this article, I’ve shown you how to how to create a Windows Vista dual-boot configuration.

Takeaway: A bootable flash drive can come in handy–but trying to create one might have you pulling out your hair. Windows expert Greg Shultz shares the method he followed, from configuring the BIOS to allow the USB port to act as a bootable device to creating a bootable image of Windows XP using the free PE Builder software (and a pair of Windows Server 2003 SP1 files) to formatting and copying the image onto a UFD.

This article is also available as a PDF download and a gallery.

The ability to boot Windows XP from a USB Flash Drive (UFD) offers endless possibilities. For example, you might make an easy-to-use troubleshooting tool for booting and analyzing seemingly dead PCs. Or you could transport your favorite applications back and forth from home to work without having to install them on both PCs.

However, before you can create a bootable UFD, you must clear a few hurdles. You saw that one coming didn't you?

The first hurdle is having a PC in which the BIOS will allow you to configure the USB port to act as a bootable device. The second hurdle is having a UFD that that will work as a bootable device and that's large enough and fast enough to boot an operating system such as Windows XP. The third hurdle is finding a way to condense and install Windows XP on a UFD.

If you have a PC that was manufactured in the last several years, chances are that its BIOS will allow you to configure the USB port to act as a bootable device. If you have a good quality UFD that's at least 512 KB and that was manufactured in the last couple of years, you've probably cleared the second hurdle. And once you've cleared those first two hurdles, the third one is a piece of cake. All you have to do is download and run some free software to create the bootable UFD.

I'll start by showing you how to determine whether your PC's BIOS will support booting from USB and explain how to configure it to do so. Then, I'll show you how to download and use the free software to create a bootable UFD running Windows XP Professional.

The UFD hurdle

You probably noticed that I didn't mention how to determine if your UFD would support being configured as a bootable device, except that it must be a good quality unit of recent manufacture. Well, I've discovered that when it comes to the actual UFD, you'll just have to try it and see what happens. As long as you have a PC with a BIOS that will allow you to configure the USB port to act as a bootable device and you have configured the installation correctly, it should work. If it doesn't, you probably have a UFD that can't boot.

I tested three UFDs on two new computers and had mixed success. First, I attempted to use a 128 MB PNY Attache but received is cialis over the counter an error message that said "Invalid or damaged Bootable partition" on both PCs. Next, I tried a 1GB Gateway UFD and it worked on both PCs. Then, I tried a 256 MB Lexar JumpDrive Pro and it worked on only one of the PCs. You can find lists of UFD brands that others have had success with on the Internet.

Checking the BIOS

Not every new BIOS will allow you to configure the USB port to act as a bootable device. And some that do allow it don't make it easy. On one of my example systems, it was a no-brainer. On the other, the UFD had to be connected to the USB port before it was apparent that I could configure it as a bootable device. Let's take a closer look.

On the test system with a PhoenixBIOS version 62.04, I accessed the BIOS, went to the boot screen, and found that USB Storage Stick was one of the options. I then moved it to the top of the list, as shown in Figure A, thus making it the first device to check during the boot sequence. (This particular BIOS also allowed me to press the [F10] key during the boot sequence and select any one of the available bootable devices, so it really wasn't necessary to move it to the top.)

Figure A

The settings on the Boot Screen of the PhoenixBIOS made it a no-brainer to select the device.

On the test system with an AMI BIOS version 2.59, I accessed the BIOS, went to the Boot Sequence screen, and didn't find a USB boot option, as shown in Figure B. I then went one step further and checked the Hard Disk Drives screen and still didn't find a USB boot option, as shown in Figure C.

Figure B

A USB boot option didn't appear on the Boot Sequence screen.

Figure C

The Hard Disk Drives screen only showed the SATA hard disk.

I then plugged a UFD into the USB port, booted up the system, and accessed the BIOS. When I checked the Hard Disk Drives screen, the UFD appeared in the list and I could select it as the first drive (Figure D).

Figure D

With the UFD plugged into the USB port, I could configure the UFD as a bootable device.

When I returned to the Boot Sequence screen, the UFD was indeed set as the first bootable device (Figure E).

Figure E

As the Boot Sequence screen indicates, the UFD was set to be the first bootable device.

Rounding up the software

To condense and install Windows XP on a UFD, you'll need a program called PE Builder by Bart Lagerweij. You'll also need two files from the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1. And of course, you need to have a Windows XP Professional CD.

You can download PE Builder from Bart's Web site. At the time of this writing, the most current version of PE Builder was 3.1.10a.

You can download Windows Server 2003 SP1 by following the link in the Knowledge Base article "How to obtain the latest service pack for Windows Server 2003." Be sure to get the 32-bit version!

Keep in mind that at 329 MB, Windows Server 2003 SP1 will take some time to download. And although you need just two small files, the only way to get them is to download the entire package.

Warning

Do not run the Windows Server 2003 SP1 executable file! Doing so will completely corrupt Windows XP. We will use a set of special commands to extract the two files and then delete the rest of the package.

Preparing the software

Installing PE Builder is quick and easy. Just run the installation program and follow the onscreen instructions. To make things simpler, I installed the program in the root directory in a folder called PEBUILDER3110a.

Once PE Builder is installed, you'll need to create a folder in C:\PEBUILDER3110a called SRSP1, as shown in Figure F. This is the folder in which PE Builder will look for the extracted Windows Server 2003 SP1 files.

Figure F

Once PE Builder is installed, you'll need to create folder called SRSP1 in C:\PEBUILDER3110a.

Now, you can begin extracting the two needed files from Windows Server 2003 SP1. When you download the Windows Server 2003 SP1, the executable file will have a long name: WindowsServer2003-KB889101-SP1-ENU.exe. To save on typing, you can rename the file to something shorter, such as WS-SP1.exe.

To begin, open a Command Prompt window and use the CD command to change to the folder in which you downloaded the Windows Server 2003 SP1 executable file. I downloaded the file to a folder called Downloads. Now, to extract the files contained in SP1, type the command

WS-SP1.exe -x

You'll immediately see a dialog box that prompts you to select a folder in which to extract the files and can type the name of the same folder, as shown in Figure G. Click OK to proceed with the extraction procedure. When the procedure is complete, just leave the Command Prompt window open.

Figure G

You can extract the files into the same folder containing the Windows Server 2003 SP1 executable file

The extraction procedure will create a subdirectory called i386 and extract all the Windows Server 2003 SP1 files there. Use the CD command to change to the i386 folder and then copy the setupldr.bin file to the SRSP1 folder with the command:

copy setupldr.bin c:\pebuilder3110a\srsp1

Expand the ramdisk.sy_ file to the SRSP1 folder with the command:

expand -r ramdisk.sy_ c:\pebuilder3110a\srsp1

These three steps are illustrated in Figure H.

Figure H

You'll copy and expand the two necessary files to the SRSP1 folder.

Now, using Windows Explorer, verify that the two necessary files are in the SRSP1 folder, as shown in Figure I. Once you do so, you can delete all the Windows Server 2003 SP1 files.

Figure I

You'll want to verify that the setupldr.bin and ramdisk.sys files are in the SRSP1 folder.

Running PE Builder

Now that you've extracted the necessary files from the Windows Server 2003 SP1 package, you're ready to use PE Builder to create a compressed version of Windows XP. To begin, place your Windows XP Professional CD into the drive and hold down the [Shift] key to prevent Autostart from launching the CD. Then, launch PE Builder.

In the Source field on the main PE Builder screen, simply type the letter of drive in which you put the Windows XP Professional CD, as shown in Figure J. Make sure that the Output box contains BartPE and that the None option is selected in the Media Output panel. Then, click the Build button.

Figure J

Fill in the Source field on the main PE Builder screen.

As PE Builder compresses Windows XP Professional into a bootable image, you'll see a detailed progress dialog box. When the operation is complete, as shown in Figure K, click the Close button.

Figure K

PE Builder displays a detailed progress report.

Preparing the UFD to boot Windows XP

At this point, you're ready to format and copy the Windows XP Professional bootable image to the UFD with the BartPE USB Installer. To do so, open a Command Prompt window and use the CD command to change to the pebuilder3110a folder. Then, insert your UFD into a USB port and take note of the drive letter that it is assigned. On my example system, the UFD was assigned drive E.

Now, type the command

pe2usb -f e:

You'll then be prompted to confirm this part of the operation, as shown in Figure L. While the operation is underway, you'll see progress indicators.

Figure L

You'll be prompted to confirm that you want to format your UFD.

Once the BartPE USB Installer finishes its job, you'll be prompted press any key to exit the program. Now you can use your UFD to boot your computer into the BartPE interface for Windows XP, as shown in Figure M.

Figure M

The BartPE interface provides you with a pared down version of Windows XP.

You can find a list of specialized applications on Bart's Web site, which you can install on your UFD as Plugins. For example, you can find such things as Firefox or McAfee command-line virus scanner.

Conclusion

Booting Windows XP from a UFD requires that your PC's BIOS support booting from USB and that you have a UFD that can be formatted as a bootable device. If you can meet these two requirements, all you need is PE Builder, a couple of files from the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, and a little effort to configure a UFD to boot the BartPE interface to Windows XP.

Date: January 15th, 2008

Author: Greg Shultz

Have you ever changed your desktop theme or just your desktop background and discovered that the text for your inexpensive cialis desktop icons is no longer transparent? Instead you now have a colored background box behind the text. If you have experienced this situation, chances are that you searched high and low for a solution, but were unable to find one.

Unfortunately, this is because the setting that allows you to control the icon transparency is very poorly named. Rather than being named something makes sense, Microsoft choose to name the setting “Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop.” To make matters worse, this setting is buried in the Performance Options dialog box rather than on the Display Properties dialog box.

In any case, sometimes that act of changing a desktop theme or desktop background inadvertently disables the Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop setting. Fortunately, re-enabling is it easy. Here’s how:

You should now have your transparent icons back.