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REGISTRY TIPS 12-23

Reviewed:

Advanced users

Make life a little more bearable with these enhancements (Win9x).

Backup the Registry (twice!).

Record current setting(s).

Make ONE change at a time - Reboot & Test it.

ANY REG CHANGE CARRIES A DEGREE OF RISK.

Use at your own discretion Do NOT complain, if it goes wrong!

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12. OPEN FILE IN NOTEPAD Windows 9x THPC favourite

The quick way to open a file in Notepad

This setting will allow you to open any file in Notepad by just right-clicking on the icon. Notepad will also be used to open the files by default if no association already exists.

In future, you will see Open with Notepad as one of the options when you right-click a file.

Backup the Registry, run RegEdit, and locate the Key below

If it does not exist, then create it

Under shell create a new sub-key called open
In its right pane, enter Open With Notepad as the Value Data of (Default)

Under open create a new sub-key called command
In its right pane, enter notepad.exe %1 as the Value Data of (Default)

Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell]

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13. OPEN WITH ... Windows 9x THPC favourite

Open With ... for unregistered files after a simple right-click

The option Open With ... for unregistered files is somewhat hidden from users (highlight file, hold down Shift, and the right-click the file) - most inconvenient!

This alteration allows you to access Open With ... for ALL files types by simply right-clicking a file.

Backup the Registry, run RegEdit, and locate the Key below
[If Shell is not under *, then create it

Under Shell, create a new sub-key called Openas
In the right pane of Openas, enter OpenWith... as the Value Data of (Default)

In the left pane under Openas, make a new sub-key called Command
In the right pane of Command, enter Rundll32.exe shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1 as the Value Data of (Default)

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell

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14. OWNER PROFILES

Changing your Computer's Owner Profiles

Computer Owner and Organization are shown in Control Panel - System - Properties

If you purchased a second-hand computer and/or you wish to make a permanent change to this information:

Backup the Registry, run RegEdit, and locate the Key below

In the right pane locate the two Value Names called
RegisteredOwner
RegisteredOrganization
and change the Value Data of each to whatever you wish to appear onscreen

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

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15. QUICK VIEW Windows 9x THPC favourite

Enable Quick View for all file types

Enabling Quick View on right-click for all file types has obvious advantages. Manu users would call it essential!

Note: Quick View must already be installed on your PC for this to work. If not, then select Control Panel - Add/Remove Programs - Windows Setup tab - Accessories and install it.

Backup the Registry, run RegEdit, and locate the Key below

In the left pane under * , create a new sub-key called QuickView

In the right pane of QuickView, enter * as the Value Data of (Default)

Key: [ HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\* ]

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16. SMOOTH SCROLLING Windows 9x

Disabling Smooth Scrolling

This alteration allows you to disable the Windows Smooth Scrolling function, which can cause performance degradation on low-powered systems.

Backup the Registry, run RegEdit, and locate the Key below

In the right pane of Desktop, change the Value Data of SmoothScroll in the right pane:
to 00 00 00 00 for disable
to 01 00 00 00 for enable
(those are ZEROs, and a number ONE)

If SmoothScroll does not already exist, then highlight desktop, right-click the right pane, and create a new REG_BINARY Value, calling it SmoothScroll and proceed as above.

Key: [HKEY_CURRENUSER\Control Panel\Desktop]

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17. THUMBNAIL IMAGES OF BITMAP ICONS Windows 9x THPC favourite

Icons of bitmap files can look like mini-pictures

You to make the icons for bitmap files ( .bmp ) look like a miniature bitmap of the picture itself. This eliminates the need to open all those bitmaps to view their contents.

Backup the Registry, run RegEdit, and locate the Key:
\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.BMP
In the left pane, highlight the Key .bmp, and then find, in the right pane, the value of (default) (its usually Paint.Picture)

Now locate HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\thatvalue (usually HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Paint.Picture)
Under that Key, create a new sub-key called DefaultIcon

In the right pane of DefaultIcon, enter %1 as the Value Data of (Default)

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18. WINDOWS EXPLORER Windows 9x THPC favourite

A little logic when you open Windows Explore

This non-Registry alteration is THPC's ABSOLUTE favourite convenience tip for Windows 9x.

When you open Windows Explorer, it opens with all the C:\ directories showing onscreen. This denies you access to other drives without considerable scrolling. If you frequently open Explorer, it becomes a real pain in the neck!

Most users, correctly, keep their files and installed software away from the Windows drive, and will, most often, want to view anything except the C:\ drive.

Fortunately the answer is quite simple:

Right-click on the Windows Explorer Shortcut
Click on Properties, and then the Shortcut tab
Change the entry in the Target box, to
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE /n,/e,/select,C:\
Click OK

From now on Explorer opens with all drives visible and ready for use. What a relief!

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19. RUN - the DROP-DOWN LIST Windows 9x THPC favourite

This is an example of using a REG File instead of manually altering the Registry. It modifies the Run drop-down list that appears after you click Start - Run and click on the down-arrow.
It is copied (without ANY changes) into Notepad and the file saved with an extension of .reg. For example, save it as RUN_mine.reg. It assumes C:\Windows is the Win installation partition.
Backup the Registry before you run this file

REGEDIT4

; RUN - Modify the 'Run' Drop-Down List (an example)
; Clicking on this .reg file will *automatically* make the following REG changes

[HKEY_CURRENUSER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU]
"(Default)"="(value not set)"
"a"       "C:\\Windows\\Command.com\\1"
"b"       "C:\\Windows\\Sysmon.exe\\1"
"c"       "C:\\Windows\\System\\Sysedit.exe\\1"
"d"       "C:\\Windows\\Poledit.exe\\1"
"e"       "C:\\Windows\\Qfecheck.exe\\1"
"f"       "C:\\Windows\\Winipcfg.exe\\1"
"g"       "C:\\Windows\\System\\Mkcompat.exe\\1"
"MRUList"="abcdefg"

;

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20. ARROW - Remove it from Shortcuts Windows 9x

Many users find that arrow overlay on Shortcuts highly annoying and unnecessary.

To remove it:

Use TweakUI

OR

Backup the Registry, run RegEdit, and locate the Key below

In the right pane, look at the Value Data of IsShortcut.
Delete any value in Value Data so that it has no value.

Key: (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile]

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21. BACKGROUND COLOR - during bootup

If you are tired of the 'ugly' background color during bootup, you can change it easily enough with this Registry alteration.

The change you can make via Control Panel - Display affects the Desktop background color AFTER bootup. This changes the background color DURING bootup.

Backup the Registry, run RegEdit, and locate the Key below

In the right pane, change the Value Data to 0 0 0
which is the RGB for black (those are ZEROs)

If you know about RGB then select your own color.

Key: (HKEY_USERS\.default\Control Panel\Colors\Background)

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22. BUFFER COMMITS Windows 9x

Asynchronous or Synchronous

Windows uses Synchronous Buffer Commits by default i.e. it checks that data has been correctly written to the disk drive.

This alteration will enable Asynchronous Buffer Commits. There will not be a check to ensure data has been written to disk. Therefore there is a possibility of data loss should an 'event' occur.

Consider carefully before deciding to use this, even though the speed benefit may be notable.

Backup the Registry, run RegEdit, and locate the Key below

In the right pane, alter the Value Data of AsyncFileCommit to either:
0 for Synchronous
1 for Asynchronous

Key: (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]

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23. CD AUTORUN - if it does not work Windows 95

A CD-ROM may not run automatically when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.
A simple Registry alteration may correct this problem.

If you do not have the problem, then ignore this.

Backup the Registry, run RegEdit, and locate the Key below

If NoDriveTypeAutoRun does not appear in the right pane, then creat a new Value Name called NoDriveTypeAutoRun in the right pane.

Change the Value Data of NoDriveTypeAutoRun to
99 00 00 00

Key: [HKEY_CURRENUSER\Software\Microsoft\Windows
\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

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* ALWAYS BACKUP FIRST * ALWAYS RECORD SETTINGS * ALWAYS MAKE ONE CHANGE AT A TIME

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