Q:
How do you turn off the CD AutoRun feature in Windows XP? I see a tip on it for Windows 98 and ME, but what about XP? Please help!

A:
It's time to get back to the basics! You're right, we have done a tip on how to turn off the AutoRun feature in Windows 98 and ME and if you're interested in that, you can read female viagra does it work title=”http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/1347″>here. But, if you're an XP user, please keep reading!

In case I've already lost you, let me first explain what AutoRun really is. Basically, AutoRun works with your computer's CD ROM drive. When you insert a CD into the drive and you close the drive tray, your CD usually starts up on its own. Hence the name AutoRun! But what if you don't want it to do that? What if you just want the CD to sit there until you pick the program you want to open it up in? Does that sound like a better deal to you? Otherwise, the CD may open in a different program than you want and then you have to go through the process of stopping it, opening up the other program, starting it again, etc, etc. It's just not worth all of that sometimes! So, instead, you can turn off the AutoRun feature and do things the way you want them done. Let's see how!

Okay, now that we have that out of the way, here's how you can turn the AutoRun feature off in Windows XP. Please keep in mind that this tip works with your Registry Editor and you should only do this if you're 100 percent sure you can handle it. If not, please find some help. Here we go!

1.) Go to Start, Run and type in "regedit" (without the quotes). Click OK.

2.) Once you're there, double click on the entry that says HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

3.) Next, double click on SYSTEM, then CurrentControlSet, then Services and finally Cdrom. That will bring up some text on your right hand side panel.

4.) Find the entry that says AutoRun and double click on it. You will then see the value data for the AutoRun. It will probably have the number 1 entered in, so go ahead and erase that and replace it with 0 (zero). Click OK.

5.) Now, just restart your computer and you'll be all set!

That wasn't too painful, was it?! So, from now on, when you use a CD in your computer, you can choose what you want it to do next. It all lies in your hands now!

By Scott Dunn

But that's only true if you bought a retail copy of Windows XP, not a version that came preinstalled on your PC.

Not all copies of XP are licensed equally

does viagra make you last longer /> Regarding the transfer of Windows XP to a different machine, reader Elin H. Flashman made the same point as many readers:

• "I just wanted to correct the error in your article. Most people have preinstalled versions of XP (OEM), and those are legally tied to the motherboard. Only retail editions allow you to transfer from one PC to another. This is explained in a Microsoft document (a Word .doc file), which provides more details."
  

Thanks for clarifying that distinction, Elin.

When looking for XP-compatible drivers for newer hardware, Randy Curtin has this suggestion:

• "Another tip you may give your readers is to check the manufacturer's European sites (for example, English-speaking sites, such as the United Kingdom). They may be offering XP drivers for machines sold in that country. I found three drivers for my Acer notebook that weren't available on their USA site because of Vista's stranglehold here.

  "I actually bought a copy of XP Professional for this notebook (which came with Vista), because it was such a dog. The machine runs great with XP."
  

Thanks, Randy. Many large companies have region-specific Web sites with different content for each. Some ask you to specify a country when you go to the main site. Others require you to select a country from a drop-down list or link. But with a little looking around, you can usually find your way to one of these regional versions.

My Mar. 6 article pointed out some PC makers that still sell computer systems with Windows XP preinstalled or with XP downgrade discs. But reader David Yancey has another suggestion for last-minute shopping before the June 2008 deadline:

• "Your article ignored a major option for those who are trying to avoid the Vista morass as long as possible. With a bit of search work, it is still possible to find refurbished Windows XP desktop computers from reputable online sellers.

  "Those who are queasy about getting a 'used' machine or who think a new one has some advantage over a factory warrantied refurbished machine should seriously reconsider. We always get refurbished systems for all our business uses and have never been disappointed.

  "I recommend only buying a machine with a 90-day factory warranty and getting as much installed memory as you can."
  

Readers Flashman, Curtin, and Yancey will each receive a gift certificate for a book, CD, or DVD of their choice for sending tips we printed. Send us your tips via the Windows Secrets contact page.

Put your Registry-hacking knowledge to good use: hack your way to running Windows XP at top speed.

Creating and marketing tuning and customization utilities for the Windows XP operating system is quickly becoming big business. A Google search will turn up hundreds of sites and programs dedicated to tweaking Windows XP. But no matter what type of interface is developed to make system tweaking easier and safer for the average user, the end result is that the changes are reflected in XP by modifying the Registry. For some people, commercial tweaking utilities might be the method of choice, but with a few precautions and safeguards it’s possible to enhance system performance using only those tools supplied with Windows XP.

As you learned in Chapter 7, you can use the Registry Editor [Hack #83] to edit the Registry. Make sure you take the precautions outlined in that chapter and back up your Registry [Hack #86], no matter how comfortable you are editing the thing.

No single tweak is going to take an ancient PC and turn it into a gamer’s dream machine. It’s even unlikely that a number of tweaks will achieve substantial performance gains, but every little bit does help. As long as you keep your expectations realistic, you’ll learn something about the Registry and hopefully see a performance increase in the process.

Menu Speed

When XP first appeared, there was a lot of conversation about the new interface, both good and bad. In spite of the initial complaints, most users stick with the default settings rather than reverting to the Classic interface found in previous Windows versions. But you might want to change the delay you notice when you click the Start menu. I see no reason for there to be any delay when I click the Start menu. Effects are pretty, but I wouldn’t click it if I didn’t have business inside, so let’s get it open and get moving. The default speed can be adjusted with a quick Registry hack.

Go to the Registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\MenuShowDelay. The default value is 400. Set it to 0 to remove the delay completely, but if you do that it will be nearly impossible to move the mouse fast enough not to activate All Programs if you mouse over it en route to your final selection. Pick a number that suits your style, make the change, and then test it until you find a good compromise between speed and usability.

System Performance | 475

#110 More Power: Registry Hacks to Speed Up XP

Place Windows Kernel into RAM

It’s a given that anything that runs in RAM will be faster than an item that has to access the hard drive and virtual memory. Rather than have the kernel that is the foundation of XP using the slower Paging Executive functions, use this hack to create and set the DisablePagingExecutive DWORD to a value of 1.

Perform this hack only if the system has 256MB or more of installed RAM!

Edit the Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\DisablePagingExecutive to 1 to disable paging and have the kernel run in RAM (set the value to 0 to undo this hack). Exit the Registry and reboot.

Alter Prefetch Parameters

Prefetching (the reading of system boot canada viagra generic files into a cache for faster loading) is a commonly overlooked component that can have a significant impact on system boot time. This tweak allows you to select which components will make use of the prefetch parameters. To see which files are gathered using each setting, clear the prefetch cache located at C:\Windows\Prefetch and then enable one of the settings listed in this hack. Clear the cache and repeat for each setting.

Set the Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\EnablePrefetcher to 0 to disable prefetching, 1 to prefetch application launch files, 2 to prefetch boot files, or 3 to prefetch as many files as possible.

Disable 8.3 Name Creation in NTFS

Files that use the 8.3 naming convention can degrade NTFS drive performance. Unless you have a good reason for keeping the 8.3 naming convention intact (such as if you’re using 16-bit programs), a performance gain can be achieved by disabling it.

Set the Registry DWORD key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
\NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation to 1. Exit the Registry and reboot.

—Jim Foley

Date: February 20th, 2008

Author: Greg Shultz

If you’ve ever wanted to create your own font or maybe just a special character — for example, a character showing your initials for when you wish to approve documents with your “signature” — you can easily create your own special characters using a hidden Windows XP tool called the Private Character Editor. Here’s how:

Once you save your new character, you can access it using the Character Map tool. Here’s how:

1. Press [Windows]R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type charmap in the Open text box and click OK.
3. When the Character Map appears, select the Font drop-down list and select All Fonts (Private Characters).
4. Select your character, click the Select button, and then click the Copy button.

You can now paste your font character in any document that you want.

We have now covered resetting your password in both Windows XP and Vista, so today, I thought we'd work on tying everything together. And in the process of doing that, we’ll make sure you never need to reset your password again! That's right, we will be creating a password reset disk you can use whenever you forget your password. All you have to do is put the disk into your computer and when you see the Welcome screen, simply choose your new password. Sounds pretty helpful and timesaving, don’t you think? Then let's get to it!

Note: This will only work if you have a floppy drive or a USB flash drive.

1.) First, I’ll show you how to create a password disk for Windows XP.

2.) Click on your Start button and select the Control Panel.

3.) Next, select User Accounts.

4.) Click on your account.

In the window that appears, look to the left sidebar.

5.) Click the "Prevent a forgotten password" option.

6.) Now, the Forgotten Password Wizard will open. Insert your floppy disk or flash best viagra prices drive and click Next.

7.) Next, type in your current Windows XP user account password and select Next.

8.) Your disk will then be created within seconds!

9.) Now, just finish up the wizard and voila! You now have a new password reset disk.

10.) Be sure to label it Password Reset and keep it in a safe place.

Now, in case you ever do forget your password, all you need to do is this:

1.) On the Welcome screen, click on your username and then hit Enter.

2.) A message will then appear, asking you to put in your password reset disk or flash drive.

3.) Next, click the link that says "Use your password reset disk."

4.) The Password Reset Wizard will then open up again. Just follow the instructions for creating a new password.

5.) And you know what the best part is? You don’t even have to create another password reset disk. The same one will work the next time you forget your password (if there ever is a next time!)

The steps are extremely similar for Windows Vista. Here they are:

1.) To access the Forget Password Wizard, go to Start, Control Panel.

2.) Click on User Accounts and then select your account.

3.) On the left pane, choose "Create a password reset disk." Everything else is the same!

This one's a definite must have for all computer users. Enjoy!