WinNT stuff

registry settings

nice but useless

change the logon screen :
HKU\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop\Wallpaper REG_SZ: c:\winnt\myfancyimage.bmp

unattended demo

remove Run from start menu :
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoRun REG_DWORD:1
remove settings folder from start menu :
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoSetFolders REG_DWORD:1
remove taskbar settings from start menu :
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoSetTaskbar REG_DWORD:1
remove find command from start menu :
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoFind REG_DWORD:1
hide desktop items :
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoDesktop REG_DWORD:1
disable shutdown :
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoClose REG_DWORD:1
no save settings :
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoSaveSettings REG_DWORD:1

more about it is published in

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation Version 4.0, Microsoft Press, ISBN 3-86063-240-X, german
Managing the WindowsNT Registry, P.Robichaux, O'Reilly, ISBN 1-56592-378-2

a newsgroup :
microsoft : winnt misc

Win 2k unprofessional

No network card ?

Even though a network card or a network chipset is installed and configured, it won't be found unless a network is actually connected. This unprofessional behaviour can be corrcted by the following registry entry :

HKLM\System\ControlSet001\Services\Tcpip\parameters\
new DWORD : DisableDHCPMediaSense assign =1

Mixed up access rights on a WinNT Workgroup

Win2k has more options to set access rights, but they are not downward compatible with the WinNT Workgroup. Instead of doing what is possible with the WinNT machines, you'll suddenly get Everyone : Fullaccess or similar. This means : Do not change WinNT machine access rights through a Win2k machine.

The Windows key

The more modern keyboards have the windows key. Some of its meanings :

Windows + E Explorer
Windows + tab Icons on task panel
Windows + F Search
Windows + M Minimize all windows
Windows + Shift + M undo minimize all windows
Windows + R Execute dialog
Windows + Pause Show system properties
Windows + L Lock PC

On your own risk :winkey a utility that extends the usage of the windows key.

WinXP the odyssey continues

where are the Win2k admin tools ?

When you need to assign a disk, partition a disk or such, there used to be the "administrative tools" in the control panel. They are gone now. But the soultion is here. Run mmc from the Start - Run menu. This also works for Win2k. You'll get a console with an MDI interface. Nothing spectacular. There open the console menu and select add/remove snap-in. Standalone, add, then select whatever your heart wishes. Disk management, computer management, and so on. This is it. The rest is as known and rather intuitive to use.

installing XP on a newer system with a SATA drive only

my latest notebook is having a SATA drive. I skip the question for a SCSI driver knowing that I have a normal hard drive. Yet half a minut later I'm stuck with the termination of the setup due to not having a hard disk. Apparently at the time where a SCASI driver can be sourced, only a floppy is accepted. Without a floppy on the system, the other optin is to provide an XP CD which includes the SATA driver. There is a tool that does this nicely. XPisoBuilder It is recommended to use the same operating system and the same servicepack to create the new CD, but if none is available, another has to do. ..... Somehow this tool didn't work, the driver was is a directory named "$".. and somehow not found by the installer. Luckily, there was anoyther tool : nLite With it, I was able to have the driver in place. It did boot Win XP.

Stop Windows from searching the internet for applications suitable to a file extension

At least from Win XP onwards, Windows starts seaching the internet when an unknown file extension is encountered. This behaviour is a nuissance and can be stopped with the following registry entry under HKLM.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system

Add DWord NoInternetOpenWith = 1

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last updated: 27.june.07 or perhaps later

Copyright (99,2007) Ing.Büro R.Tschaggelar