Programatically change display settings

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mark Carter
  • Start date Start date
M

Mark Carter

Looks like my XP box is becoming unstable AGAIN. Time for a nice clean
reformat.

I would like to know how to *programmatically* alter the display
settings: screen saver, appearance, and settings.

Any ideas?
 
Mark said:
I would like to know how to *programmatically* alter the display
settings: screen saver, appearance, and settings.
Click to expand...

Information about computer monitors
http://www.computerhope.com/help/monitor.htm
WinXP: Customizing the Look
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=288
WinXP: Messing with the Display
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=308
What does "Optimal" Refresh Rate really mean?
http://www.d-silence.com/video/refresh2.shtml
 
Mark said:
Looks like my XP box is becoming unstable AGAIN. Time for a nice clean
reformat.
Click to expand...

Before you format, try all these, nothing to lose.

You may need to print this.

I use all these cleaners for W2K/XP, each one specialises in a
different area, you will with use, get to know which ones suit your
computer.

Do not be supprised if hundreds of files are found.

Files are either removed to the programs backup or the Recycle Bin (
make sure the Recycle Bin is empty, before using the cleaners, that way
you know the files you have removed )

All ( except DustBuster ) allow you to restore them back into the
system, either by right clicking on the reg file in the programs folder
( example Regclean & OleClean > Windows Explorer > Unzipped, click on
either RegClean or OleClean ) & clicking on Merge.

jv16 PowerTools, RegCleaner & RegSeeker both store in Backup on their
main page.
Opening Backup allows you to either Restore or Delete.

EasyCleaner removes to the Recycle Bin, if needed again, open the
Recycle Bin, right click on the files & select Restore.
Has an Update button. Checks you have the latest version & blacklist.

CCleaner, one advantage of this cleaner is, when Issues is clicked &
the boxes ticked, it will tell you before you fix ( doing one file at a
time ) why the file is there.
Configure the Windows, Applications & Issues panels to suit.
Tutorial
http://www.download.com/How-to-use-CCleaner/1200-2023_4-5159733.html?tag=nl.e415

RegScrub
Click on Restore, click the backup to be restored, click on Restore
Selected backups.

DustBuster
Very quick, if you want to know what it cleaned, takes about 1 min to
clean ( depends on the speed of your comp ) you have about 4 seconds to
read the message displayed, when it is finished. Don't use whilst
online.

Find Junk Files
I use only > Find Dead Links, which is part of Find Junk Files. Start >
All Programs.

Eusing
My choice after 1st time use, is not to tick > MRU & History lists.

Backups
Once you are sure they are not needed again ( about one week ) they can
be deleted.

=============================

jv16 PowerTools 1.3.0.195, which doesn't expire.
http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/page7.html
http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/index.html#jv16
http://www.pricelessware.org/thelist/sys.htm
Click on Registry tool > Tools > Registry Cleaner > Continue > Start.
When finished, Click on Select > Special select > Items that should be
safe to remove > Remove.

Or, the renamed later version ( dos'nt hurt to use both )
RegCleaner
http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/
http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/dload/RegCleaner.zip
RegCleaner 4.3.0.780 ( last freeware version ) OS: Win9x/NT/ME/2000/XP
Click on Tools > Registry Cleanup > Do them All
When finished, click on Select > All, then down the bottom, click on >
Remove Selected.

==================================

RegClean
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download458.html
http://www.download.com/3000-2094-881470.html
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,4666,00.asp
Microsoft's RegClean ( freeware ) very conservative.
By default it puts the 3 files into Windows Temp.
I prefer them in Unzipped.
Right click in an empty space in Unzipped, select Folder & name it
RegClean.
Now when you click unzip ( during install ) select the new folder.
To use, you can either open up the folder & doubleclick on RegClean or
right click & make a shortcut to your desktop & then put it anywhere
you like.

===========================

OleClean ( Freeware. I tick all 8 boxes in Options )
http://www.majorgeeks.com/OleClean_d452.html
http://www.geocities.com/maurizioferreira/oleclean.html
http://www.webgrid.co.uk/system_13.html
http://www.webgrid.co.uk/index.html
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=oleclean

===============================

CCleaner
http://www.ccleaner.com/
One advantage of this cleaner is, when Issues is clicked & the boxes
ticked, it will tell you before you fix ( doing one file at a time )
why the file is there.
CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) is a freeware system optimisation tool. That
removes unused and temporary files from your system - allowing it to
run faster, more efficiently and giving you more hard disk space. The
best part is that it's fast! (normally taking less that a second to
run) and Free. :) Windows 95/98/NT4/ME/2000/XP/2003

=================================

RegSeeker
http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm
RegSeeker is a perfect companion for your Windows registry!
RegSeeker includes a powerful registry cleaner and can display various
informations like your startup entries, several histories (even
index.dat files), installed applications and much more! With RegSeeker
you can search for any item inside your registry, export/delete the
results, open them in the registry. RegSeeker also includes a tweaks
panel to optimize your OS! RegSeeker is FREE for personal use only!
Requires: Win All
My personal use, is to, delete only the Green entries.
Click on Select All and choose > Select all Green items.
Right click on a Green item to delete all Green files.

=========================================

EasyCleaner
http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts
http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm
Use the Updates button, before using. Checks you have the latest
version & blacklist.
1: Click on Unnecessary.
I tick > Normal types, Extra types & Temp directories.
If you try & remove a file that is being used, it will after about a 15
second delay, inform you so & will not delete.
2: Now click on Registry & run.
Don't use Duplicate files unless you really know what your'e doing.

==================================

RegScrubXP
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=2048
http://www.sofotex.com/RegScrubXP-download_L7528.html
Registry Cleaner for Windows XP/2000 Systems (under development is a
version that will run in Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP)
I have made it very easy for you to backup the registry prior to using
RegScrubXP. This backup process uses Microsoft's reg.exe program.
Follow these directions:
Go into the folder where RegScrubXP was installed.
Double-click on these two programs: HKLM.cmd and HKCU.cmd
You should see two files created: HKLM.reg and HKCU.reg
Copy these two files to a safe place.
If you ever need to fully restore your registry back to normal,
double-click on HKLM.reg and HKCU.reg to fully restore your registry as
it was before you used RegScrubXP.

==================================

Eusing Free Registry Cleaner
http://www.eusing.com/free_registry_cleaner/registry_cleaner.htm
Eusing Free Registry Cleaner is a free registry repair software that
allows you to safely clean and repair registry problems with a few
simple mouse clicks. The Windows Registry is a crucial part of your
PC's operation system.
Problems with the Windows Registry are a common cause of Windows
crashes and error messages. Registry problems can occur for many
reasons, including references left behind after uninstallation;
incorrect removal of software; missing or corrupt hardware drivers; or
orphaned start-up programs. This will significantly increase the
Registry size and slow down your computer, because Windows will need
more time to load, search, and read data from the Registry.
Eusing Free Registry Cleaner will scans your Windows registry for
invalid or obsolete information and provide a list of the errors found.
After fixing the invalid entries, your system will be more stable and
run faster. For maximum safety, Eusing Free Registry Cleaner will make
a backup of the repaired entries. You will be able to restore any
changes made using the software by choosing Restore registry backup.
Eusing Software products are free of spyware and adware. Windows
9x/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003

====================================

DustBuster
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=1182
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=1182&file=11&evp=bfd7730c44fba586eaed019edd92d63c
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=1182&file=10&evp=bfd7730c44fba586eaed019edd92d63c
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=1182&file=12&evp=bfd7730c44fba586eaed019edd92d63c
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=1182&file=9&evp=bfd7730c44fba586eaed019edd92d63c
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=1182&file=13&evp=bfd7730c44fba586eaed019edd92d63c
http://majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=1182&file=14&evp=bfd7730c44fba586eaed019edd92d63c
DustBuster is a garbage file removing utility for Microsoft Windows
operating systems. It searches for junk files and temp files that are
of no use and are just taking space on your hard drive. Based on a
"common sense" scanning technology, DustBuster now cleans over 1500
different types of useless temp files and directories in a single
click, detecting and deleting all these unneeded files automatically.
This will increase hard disk space on Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/2003.
Slimming Down Windows XP
http://www.bold-fortune.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=229
http://www.bold-fortune.com/forums/index.php?showforum=13

==================================

Find Junk Files
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Find_Junk_Files_d1953.html
Find Junk Files is a user-friendly utility designed to free up disk
space by deleting useless junk files.
Each time you use your PC, unwanted files are created that increasingly
use more space on
your hard drive.
Find Junk Files can find more than 165 types of junk files with ease.
Unlike many other programs Find Junk Files will let you choose which
drive or drives to clean, which file types to search for, and what
folders to include or exclude.

==================================

ATF Cleaner
http://www.atribune.org/content/view/25/2/
This program is for XP and Windows 2000 only
Double-click ATF-Cleaner.exe to run the program.
Under Main choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.
If you use Firefox browser
Click Firefox at the top and choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.
NOTE: If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please
click No at the prompt.
If you use Opera browser
Click Opera at the top and choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.
NOTE: If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please
click No at the prompt.
Click Exit on the Main menu to close the program.
For Technical Support, double-click the e-mail address located at the
bottom of each menu.
This will remove all files from the items that are checked so if you
have some cookies you'd like to save. please move them to a different
directory first.

=======================================

Drive Cleanup Wizard
http://www.thejackol.com/index.php?p=26
http://www.thejackol.com/2004/06/01/drive-cleanup-wizard/

====================================

Binman
http://steveseymour.0catch.com/
http://anothermirror.tripod.com/free.htm
Seeks out the rubbish left behind by other programs. Use regularly it
will save space. It can auto run at times set by you. Cleans
automatically at boot up.

Or, ( dos'nt hurt to use both )

XP
Auto Delete Temporary Folder
http://www.tweakxp.com/display.aspx?id=2021

First go into gpedit.msc ( only available in the Pro version of XP )

Start > Run, Copy & Paste > gpedit.msc & press Enter.

Next select -> Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates >
Windows Components > Terminal Services > Temporary Folder.

Then right click "Do Not Delete Temp Folder Upon Exit"

Go to properties and hit disable.

Now next time Windows puts a temp file in that folder it will
automatically delete it when its done!
 
Mark said:
I would like to know how to *programmatically* alter the display
settings: screen saver, appearance, and settings.
Click to expand...

I found an interesting resource:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
It contains vbs scripts that do the kinds of things I'm interested in.

It looks like everything can ultimately be boiled down to jiggling
registry settings. The trick is knowing which registry settings to
jiggle. There's the rub.

This is one of the drawbacks of autoinstall programs. They don't tell
you what registry settings they change. Grr. What I'm ultimately aiming
for is to be able to put my installed software onto a CD. So when
Billyboy's fantabulous OS finally runs slower than a snail through
molasses, I reformat, slap on the CD, automatically run a few scripts,
and hey presto, spanking clean system ready to rumble with no cruft. But
it takes time to assemble all this stuff.

It's a pity that Windows applications go down the route of making things
opaque, thereby wresting more fine-grained control away from the user.

I had experimented with saving a partition on a previous occasion, but
it was tedious, and of course you can't mix and match what stuff you
want to install as fancies change.
 
Mark said:
I found an interesting resource:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
It contains vbs scripts that do the kinds of things I'm interested in.
Click to expand...

I don't know why, but things weren't working out as well I expected. Sigh.

Anyway, I found a nice little utlity: NirCmd:
NirCmd is a small command-line utility that allows you to do some useful
tasks without displaying any user interface. By running NirCmd with
simple command-line option, you can write and delete values and keys in
the Registry, write values into INI file, dial to your internet account
or connect to a VPN network, restart windows or shut down the computer,
create shortcut to a file, change the created/modified date of a file,
change your display settings, turn off your monitor, open the door of
your CD-ROM drive, and more...
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html

So you can, for example, disable the screensaver thus:
nircmd.exe regsetval sz "HKCU\control panel\desktop" "ScreenSaveActive" 0

Looks mighty fine to me. Pity MS doesn't have something like this.
 
Mark said:
Looks like my XP box is becoming unstable AGAIN. Time for a nice
clean reformat.

I would like to know how to *programmatically* alter the display
settings: screen saver, appearance, and settings.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Mark;

If I'm understanding correctly, you're looking to "slipstream" (service
packs, apps, etc) into an iso that'll install Winderz and all the other
bits automagically. I've been looking for the same thing. Here's what
I've found so far...

nLite (http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/nLite/1087118197/1)
Publisher's Description:

nLite lets you choose which components to remove from your Windows
2000, XP or 2003 before installation. Removing unneeded components
you gain on your system speed and security. It supports removal of
almost any component and few services. You can make a bootable ISO
with it and even easy slipstream Service pack with a click of a
button. Now added easy cd-key implementation so you don't need to
enter it during setup.
Click to expand...

And Autostreamer (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3JVTEQX3)
AutoPatcher's little brother, has finally gone final! At its current
state, AutoStreamer works as a slipstreamer-only. Basically, all it
really needs is a source (that being an original Windows CD or a
local share) and a Service Pack file.
Click to expand...

www.msfn.org is the best place I've found for discussion on nLIte.
neowin.net forums seem to be the place for autostreamer.

hth,
-Craig
 
Back
Top