Change location of " Program Files"

Change the default location where software will be installed and where the ?common files? will be stored. These are normally found in C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files\Common Files\.

Both can be on independent volumes. This can be useful if you?re running out of space on the C: drive.Also this will stop any harm to your Operating system due to these softwares.

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion

Specify the String Value of CommonFilesDir &/or ProgramFilesDir to the path of the new directories. From now on all new software that is installed will refer to this key to identify where the common files and program files should be stored by default. Nothing will happen to your exisiting files/softwares. Now you rae free from the burden of pressing ?browse? and selecting the desired location.





This is for win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you think of create it. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Disable Search Assistant

The XP search assistant is annoying. Not only does it have a weird number of counter-intuitive search options, it also connects to the Microsoft site without the user?s permission.

Navigate to:

HKEY_CUURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Set the String value for Use Search Asst to ?no?(without quotes). The default is ?yes?.



This hack will Disable The Search Assistant. Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)





This is for win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you create theit. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Change Location Of Win system Files

This Registry Hack will show you how to Change Location Of Windows Installation Files. If you installed XP from a CD and then copied the installation discs to your hard disk, use this hack to change the default installation folder that XP will look for when it searches for additional setup files later. Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\Setup

Change the String Value called SourcePath to one specifying the path to where the XP setup files are now stored. From now on XP will first look in this new location. No more of you having to click ?browse? and selecting.This is for win xp. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Start menu hacks

This hack will modify the start menu. Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)



Is your Menu list becomes large. This hack will enable you to switch the default Start Menu display mode to a scrolling menu.

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows

\CurrentVersion\explorer\StartMenu\StartMenu

\StartMenuScrollPrograms

To enable Start Menu scrolling, change the value of DefaultValue to Yes. Set the value to N0 for the default multiple-column display.



This is not it you can perform a range of hacks based on your choice. HKEY_LOCAL_.......\Explorer\StartMenu\StartMenu

You need to change the value of DefaultValue to 1. Set the value to 0 or perform something similar.



Like to show favorites in start menu go the folloeing path and change the value from 0 to 1

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_..........\StartMenu\StartMenu\StartMenuFavorites

This is for sistemwide change if you want this to happen only for current user then change HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to HKEY_CURRENT_USER. You need to restart the computer for these changes to take place. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Remove Items From System Tray

We all use the System Tray in the Taskbar, but you cant prevent any items from appearing there untill now. So once you apply this Registry hack, the System Tray will be blank except for the time.This more of a prank than a hack as you would not want to retain it this way.

Navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows

\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Create a DWORD Value in both locations called NoTrayItemsDisplay. Set it to 1 to make items in the System Tray vanish. This is seriously not recomended but if you want to play prank then it's is awesome



This is for earlier versions and might not work in win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you think of create it(key that you think doesn?t exist). Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Create folders in My computer

Wanting to Add A Custom Folder To My Computer(Or The Desktop) then read along.This hack will create a custom folder?like the special My Documents folder?and one that cannot be deleted or renamed!

Navigate to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID

Create a new key with a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). The GUID is a 128-bit identifier that is usually generated by Windows. This should not be confused with UNIX's GID. This can be a random number that is used to uniquely identify COM objects when required for a Registry entry.



Examples of GUIDs are:

{25122d54-1afc-515f-9c65-8e02632f0223}

{e5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}



Now you need to perform the following to achieve . before you begin let me tell you how to create a Key/Subkey/Value. Just select the folder(hive) for which you want to create a subkey and right click on it and select "NEW">>>"KEY"

• We?ll use a random GUID: {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}.
  
  Hence, the key value will be
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  Set the value of the (Default) setting for this key to the name of the folder.



• Create a new sub-key under the main key and call it ?DefaultIcon?.
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ C L S I D \ ..........395e}\DefaultIcon
  
  Set the value of the (Default) setting to the location of the icon file(.ico) you want to use for this folder. If you don?t specify a icon, Windows will use its default folder icon.
  
  
  
  


• Create another sub-key under the main key called InProcServer32.
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e} \InProcServer32
  
  Set the (Default) setting here to shell32.dll .Create another String Value called ThreadingModel, with the value set to Apartment.
  
  
  
  


• Create another sub-key called
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e}\ Shell\Open My Folder\Command
  
  Set the (Default) value here to the command that should be executed when the folder is clicked. In this case, it would be ?explorer /root, c:\Folder_name_you_gave?
  
  



• Create another set of sub-keys called
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e}\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\


• {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  


• Then create another sub-key called
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Navigate to:
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID

  
  
  
  
  Create a new key with a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). The GUID is a 128-bit identifier that is usually generated by Windows. This should not be confused with UNIX's GID. This can be a random number that is used to uniquely identify COM objects when required for a Registry entry.
  
  
  
  Examples of GUIDs are:
  
  {25122d54-1afc-515f-9c65-8e02632f0223}
  
  {e5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  Now you need to perform the following to achieve . before you begin let me tell you how to create a Key/Subkey/Value. Just select the folder(hive) for which you want to create a subkey and right click on it and select "NEW">>>"KEY"
  
  
  
  
• We?ll use a random GUID: {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}.
  
  Hence, the key value will be
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  Set the value of the (Default) setting for this key to the name of the folder.





• Create a new sub-key under the main key and call it ?DefaultIcon?.
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ C L S I D \ ..........395e}\DefaultIcon
  
  Set the value of the (Default) setting to the location of the icon file(.ico) you want to use for this folder. If you don?t specify a icon, Windows will use its default folder icon.
  
  
  
  



• Create another sub-key under the main key called InProcServer32.
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e} \InProcServer32
  
  Set the (Default) setting here to shell32.dll .Create another String Value called ThreadingModel, with the value set to Apartment.
  
  
  
  



• Create another sub-key called
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e}\ Shell\Open My Folder\Command
  
  Set the (Default) value here to the command that should be executed when the folder is clicked. In this case, it would be ?explorer /root, c:\Folder_name_you_gave?
  
  





• Create another set of sub-keys called
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e}\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\



• {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  



• Then create another sub-key called
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Navigate to:
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID

  
  
  
  
  Create a new key with a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). The GUID is a 128-bit identifier that is usually generated by Windows. This should not be confused with UNIX's GID. This can be a random number that is used to uniquely identify COM objects when required for a Registry entry.
  
  
  
  Examples of GUIDs are:
  
  {25122d54-1afc-515f-9c65-8e02632f0223}
  
  {e5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  Now you need to perform the following to achieve . before you begin let me tell you how to create a Key/Subkey/Value. Just select the folder(hive) for which you want to create a subkey and right click on it and select "NEW">>>"KEY"
  
  
  • We?ll use a random GUID: {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}.
    
    Hence, the key value will be
    
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
    
    Set the value of the (Default) setting for this key to the name of the folder.
  
  
  
  • Create a new sub-key under the main key and call it ?DefaultIcon?.
    
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ C L S I D \ ..........395e}\DefaultIcon
    
    Set the value of the (Default) setting to the location of the icon file(.ico) you want to use for this folder. If you don?t specify a icon, Windows will use its default folder icon.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Create another sub-key under the main key called InProcServer32.
    
    HKEY_CL.................395e} \InProcServer32
    
    Set the (Default) setting here to shell32.dll .Create another String Value called ThreadingModel, with the value set to Apartment.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Create another sub-key called
    
    HKEY_CL.................395e}\ Shell\Open My Folder\Command
    
    Set the (Default) value here to the command that should be executed when the folder is clicked. In this case, it would be ?explorer /root, c:\Folder_name_you_gave?
    
    
  
  
  
  • Create another set of sub-keys called
    
    HKEY_CL.................395e}\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\
  
  
  • {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Then create another sub-key called
    
    HKEY_CL.................395e}\ShellFolder
    
    Under this key, create a new Binary Value called Attributes with the value ?00 00 00 00?.
  
  
  
  
  To put the folder on the Desktop, add the following key:
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
  
  \CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
  
  \{V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  To place the folder in My Computer, add the following key:
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
  
  \CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace
  
  \{V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  This is for win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Show hidden Control panel options

There are so many options in the Control Panel that you never use. Hence they are some times hidden.This hack will let you unhide any of the hidden options in the Control Panel or hide options that you never use.

Navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\don?t load

Note:- This key has an apostrophe.probably the only one that has it



To hide you need to create a String Value for the filename of theoption and set the value of the setting to No. To display delete the key entirely.



The filenames of most of the common ones are as below. You might or might not find all the following on your system . Also there could be more on your system not mentioned here.



access.cpl - Accessibility

appwiz.cpl - Add/Remove Programs

console.cpl - Console

timedate.cpl - Date and Time

desk.cpl - Display Properties

fax.cpl - Fax

hdwwiz.cpl - Hardware Wizard

irprops.cpl - Infrared Port

intl.cpl - International and Regional Settings

inetcpl.cpl - Internet Settings

joy.cpl - Joystick

liccpa.cpl - Licensing

main.cpl - Mouse and Keyboard

mlcfg32.cpl - Mail

mmsys.cpl - Sound and Multimedia

modem.cpl - Modem and Phone

ncpa.cpl - Network and Connectivity

netcpl.cpl - Network and Dial-up Connectivity

nwc.cpl - Netware Client

devapps.cpl - PC Card

ports.cpl - Ports

powercfg.cpl - Power Management

sticpl.cpl - Scanner and Camera

srvmgr.cpl - Server Manager

sapi.cpl - Speech Properties

sysdm.cpl - System

telephon.cpl - Telephony

nusrmgr.cpl - User Manager

quicktime.cpl - QuickTime

S32LUCP1.cpl - Norton Live Update





This is for win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you think of create it(key that you think doesn?t exist). Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Add 'Copy to' To The Right-Click menu

An extremely useful hack, which adds "Copy to" and "Move to " folder option to the right-click menu of every file and folder. When you select, say, "Copy to" you'll get an Explorer-style menu where you can navigate and choose the destination folder.

Navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

OR

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

Create a new keys here called "Copy To" or "Move To" . Change the (default) value to {C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}



Create a new keys here called "Send To" . Change the (default) value to

7BA4C740-9E81-11CF-99D3-00AA004AE837



The change will be effective immediately.This hack is for BOTH older versions of windows and Xp Service Pack 2 Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Free ram memory

After an application is closed, XP has the annoying habit of leaving the associated DLL files in memory. This can hog precious resources and memory, and also cause stability problems. Make

the DLLs unload themselves from memory after the program is done running. This is for older version of windows (before XP SP2). Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows

\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AlwaysUnloadDLL

Create the DWORD AlwaysUnloadDLL (right-click on AlwaysUnloadDLL and select new) if absent. Set the Value of the (Default) setting to 1. Application-associated DLLs will get unloaded when the application is closed.



This is one of the job done by several ram optimizer softwares. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you think of create it(key that you think doesn?t exist). Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

CPU Job control

There are 2 kinds of process running Foreground(fg) and background(bg). You surely want the process/softwares that you run to work faster.Then let me tell you it's possible. This is called job control. You can prioritize your process.



Unix/LINUX provides excellent support for this but not windows. In windows you can prioritize all the foreground process. Here's how. Use this registry hack to perform job control in windows.Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet

\Control\PriorityControl

Set the DWORD Win32PrioritySeparation to any of the following values.

• 3 (the default): Foreground and background tasks have equal priority.


• 2: Foreground tasks have higher priority than background tasks


• 1: Foreground tasks have maximum priority


• 0 (not recommended): Foreground tasks run in real-time.
  
  

This is for win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Auto complete filenames

This is a hack inspired from the UNIX shell command completion feature. You can type in the first few characters of a file name and then press a key to have the system complete it. This works when you are performing command line operations like those in MS DOS

Navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor

And

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor

Set the DWORD Value CompletionChar to an hexadecimal value. This is the value of the control character for the required keyboard stroke. You will find a detailed info over here wikipedia.org/ASCII_control_characters



The complete list of possible control characters can be found there. The representation is in the

form ^letter, where ^ represents the [Ctrl] key. Thus ^Z = [Ctrl] + [Z]



Type in the first few characters of the filename and press the key to complete it. If you have multiple files that begin with the same character string, press the [Ctrl] key multiple times to cycle through the available list of files. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Back up your registry before you do it(click here). For more hacks see the registry hack section

Source Viewer With IE

If you are a developer then this is the coolest ie hack. When you view source in Internet Explorer, Notepad is launched as the text editor. In most cases NOTEPAD Sucks. You may open it withIf you want to change this, here?s how.

Navigate to:

HLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\InternetExplorer\ViewSourceEditor \Editor Name

Modify the key ?Editor Name? (create if it does not exist). Set the (Default) value to equal the full path and filename of the required text editor, for example, ?C:\Program Files\MyEditor?. Wordapad is a better editor.



This is for win xp. You need to restart the Internet Explorer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you think of create it(key that you think doesn?t exist). Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Change Onwer/Name

If you?ve accepted the default owner name in office/college or if you?ve entered the wrong information during installation or if you just want to change. You can use this Registry hack to change the details like Registered Owner And Organization Name

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft

\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

Modify the String Values RegisteredOwner and RegisteredOrganization as required. Put in the new values without the quotes. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you think of create it(key that you think doesn?t exist). Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Tweak Windows Search

An incredibly useful hack! Every time you search you surely click a lot of check boxes(select options), then specify that it?s case-sensitive, then specify that you want to search subfolders, and so on and so forth.



Use this Registry hack to specify the search parameters that makes it most comfortable for you to search your system.Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows

\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Create/Modify the following DWORD Values. Use 1 to set or 0 for otherwise based on what you want.

• CaseSensitive: Do a case-sensitive search


• IncludeSubFolders: Search subfolders


• SearchHidden: Search hidden files and folders


• SearchSlowFiles: Search tape backup


• SearchSystemDirs: Search system folders

The next time you conduct a search, you won?t need to click on a single check box!



This is for win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you think of create these keys . Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Optimisats Boot Files

Normal file fragmentation scatters the pieces of a file all over your hard disk. This invariably also affects the files that load at boot time. You can defragment the files that load at system startup to enable faster loading. Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg

\BootOptimizeFunction

A setting called Enable under this key needs to be set to Y . This setting Defragments the boot files, and it might relocate start-up files into contiguous clusters on the volume, reducing the movement of the disk head when reading the volume.



You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Back up your registry before you do it(click here). For more hacks see registry hacks section