Vista Tips
SpeedUp My PC
This is a great program. I've been using it regularly to
automatically clean out things like old Temp Files, Internet Cache, Cookies
etc. It is very customizable and user friendly
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Opening CHM Files - Added 6/7/09
Changing the Registered Owner and Registered Organization - Added
1/11/09
Fixing the Boot Record - Added 1/9/09
Changing the OEM Information - Added 1/9/09
Using the Windows Explorer Favorites Links - Added 6/13/08
Getting More Information from Programs and Features - Added 6/13/08
Showing Super Hidden Files - Added 6/13/08
Cleanup Files After Upgrading to SP1 - Added 6/13/08
Fixing Corrupted TCP/IP Files - Added 6/13/08
Repairing a Corrupted Winsock Registry Entry - Added 6/13/08
Searching a Folder - Added 3/28/08
Turning Off Vista's Built-In CD Burning - Added 3/28/08
Quick Access to the TEMP Directory - Added 3/28/08
Turning On/Off Thumbnail Preview - Added 3/28/08
Changing the Windows Border Padding - Added 3/28/08
Another Way to Open Command Window Here - Added 3/28/08
Disabling Unneeded Windows Features - Added 1/13/08
Access My Computer (or any Folder) from the Toolbar - Added 1/13/08
Organizing File Display into Stacks - Added 1/13/08
Organizing File Display into Groups - Added 1/13/08
Reliability and Performance Monitor - Added 1/13/08
Changing the Size of the Details Pane - Added 1/13/08
Shutdown Icon is Missing - Added 1/12/08
Changing the Location of the Documents Folder - Added 1/12/08
Quick Access to Programs in the Quick Launch Bar - Added 9/15/07
Easy Access to Clock / Calendar - Added 9/15/07
Displaying a Checkbox For Selecting Files and Directories - Added
9/15/07
Flip3D Task Switching - Added 3/24/07
Changing the Desktop Icon Size - Updated 3/24/07
Installing Vista With No Product Key - Added 3/10/07
Changing the Windows Explorer Columns - Added 3/3/07
Initial Configuration Changes - Added 3/1/07
Changing the Folders Vista Includes to Index and Search - Added
2/28/07
Turning Hibernate On or Off - Added 2/21/07
Changing the Action for the Start Menu Power Button - Added 2/21/07
Opening to a Command Prompt from the Explorer - Added 2/17/07
RoboCopy - Added 2/17/07
Showing the Explorer Menu - Added 2/17/07
Viewing Hidden and System Files - Added 2/17/07
Turning on Single Click for Icons- Added 2/17/07
Displaying the Volume Control on the System Tray - Added 2/17/07
Removing the Shortcut Arrows - Added 2/17/07
Vista Opening Links to Another Web Browser Than IE - Added 2/12/07
Allowing Network Access with Blank Passwords - Added 2/8/07
Adding the IE 7 Icon to the desktop - Added 2/8/07
Resizing Partitions - Added 2/7/07
Access Denied to Folders - Added 2/7/07
Using the Snip Tool - Added 2/6/07
Sending a Picture as an E-Mail - Added 2/6/07
Pinning Programs to the Start Menu - Added 2/6/07
GUI Performance - Added 2/6/07
Displaying Run on the Desktop - Added 2/6/07
Displaying Run on the Start Menu - Added 2/6/07
Changing the Sidebar - Added 2/6/07
Services You Can Disable - Added 2/6/07
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Opening CHM Files
Added 6/7/09
If you get the error "Navigation to webpage was cancelled" when trying
to view a .chm file:
1.. Right click on the File
2.. Select Propertie
3.. Click on the Unblock button
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Changing the Registered Owner and Registered Organization
Added 1/11/09
If you want to change the registered owner and organization:
Start Regedit
1.. For 32-bit - Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion
2.. For 64-bit - Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
3.. From here change the RegisteredOwner and RegisteredOrganization
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Fixing the Boot Record
Added 1/9/09
If the boot record need to be repaired
1.. Boot from the Vista installation CD
2.. Although they are likely set correctly, select a language, a
time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then click on Next.
3.. Click Repair your computer
4.. Click the operating system, and then click Next.
5.. In System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
6.. At the command prompt, type in Bootrec with the option you want
, and then press the ENTER key.
/FixMbr
The /FixMbr option writes a Windows Vista-compatible MBR to the system
partition. This option does not overwrite the existing partition table. Use
this option when you must resolve MBR corruption issues, or when you have to
remove non-standard code from the MBR.
/FixBoot
The /FixBoot option writes a new boot sector to the system partition
by using a boot sector that is compatible with Windows Vista. Use this
option if one of the following conditions is true:
The boot sector has been replaced with a non-standard Windows Vista
boot sector.
The boot sector is damaged.
An earlier Windows operating system has been installed after Windows
Vista was installed. In this scenario, the computer starts by using Windows
NT Loader (NTLDR) instead of Windows Boot Manager (Bootmgr.exe).
Typically you would run either bootrec /fixmbr or bootrec /fixboot
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Changing the OEM Information
Added 1/9/09
When you right click on My Computer, you can see information for the
Manufacturer, Model, Phone Number, Support Hours and Web Site
If you want to change these:
1.. Start Regedit
2.. Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OEMInformation
3.. From here you can make any of the changes you would like.
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Changing My Pictures and My Music
Added 9/26/08
Normally, when you open up the Start Menu, below Documents, is shown
My Pictures and My Music
If you want, you can change these to any other locations you may use
more frequently.
1.. Start Regedit
2.. Go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders
3.. On the right side, change the location for My Pictures and My
Music
4.. This new location will now show on the start menu
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Using the Windows Explorer Favorites Links
Added 6/13/08
One of the useful features of the Internet Explorer is the Favorite
Links section.
It allows you to put shortcuts to your commonly used folders on your
hard drive.
1.. Simply start the Explorer
2.. In the upper left hand panel is the Favorite Links section
3.. Simply drag shortcuts from whatever folders you want to this
panel
4.. You can even organize them so the most commonly used ones of
these are at the top.
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Getting More Information from Programs and Features
Added 6/13/08
When you go to the Control Panel's Programs and Features page,
normally you get a view somewhat similar to what was available with XP.
With Vista you can customize the information shown on that page.
For example, normally you only see the Name, Publisher, Installed On,
and Size.
a.. If you right click on the menu bar with these names, you can add
in other useful information like Support Link, Used and Version.
b.. Support Link lets you directly go to support for a particular
program.
c.. You can then sort by Used to see which programs you use the
least. Perhaps there are some you can remove to help keep a cleaner system.
d.. You can look at the Version to make sure you are current with
your applications.
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Showing Super Hidden Files
Added 6/13/08
Even with the Folder options configured to show hidden files, there
are super hidden files that you still can't see.
To view them:
1.. Start Regedit
2.. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \
CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced
3.. In the right hand panel, scroll to SuperHidden
4.. Change the value to 1
5.. Reboot
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Cleanup Files After Upgrading to SP1
Added 6/13/08
During the upgrade to SP1, Vista makes a backup of all the files it is
upgrading. This is in case you want to uninstall SP1 for any reason.
If you have no problems with SP1 and want to remove the backup files,
run:
vsp1cln.exe
You will be prompted if you want to remove the files. Simply press the
Y key.
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Fixing Corrupted TCP/IP Files
Added 6/13/08
If you suspect you have corrupted TCP/IP files, run:
netsh interface ipv4 reset
netsh interface ipv6 reset
Then reboot
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Repairing a Corrupted Winsock Registry Entry
Added 6/13/08
If you suspect you have a corrupted Winsock Registry Entry (one of the
symptoms is that you can't connect to the Internet), run:
netsh winsock reset
and then reboot
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Searching a Folder
Added 3/28/08
With Vista, when viewing a directory, you can configure it to
automatically start searching when you type in text,
1.. Go to the Control Panel
2.. Select Folder Options
3.. Click on the View tab
4.. Scroll to the bottom
5.. Check Automatically type into the Search Box
Now when you are in a folder and simply start typing in text, Vista
will start a search
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Turning Off Vista's Built-In CD Burning
Added 3/28/08
Since most computers come with 3rd party programs that are easier to
use than Vista's CD/DVD burning,
you can turn this off with a simple registry edit.
1.. Start Regedit
2.. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \
CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer
3.. Create a new DWORD key NoCDBurning
4.. Give it a value of 1
5.. Log off and back on again
Download Reg File
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Quick Access to the TEMP Directory
Added 3/28/08
If you want to quickly access a user's TEMP directory:
1.. Click on the Start (Search) button
2.. Enter %temp%
3.. This will bring up the currently logged on user's TEMP directory
This can be useful when you want to clean out unneededitems in that
directory which can often accumulate.
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Turning On/Off Thumbnail Preview
Added 3/2808
If you want to show a thumbnail preview of graphic files
1.. Go to the Control Panel
2.. Select Folder Options
3.. Select View
4.. Uncheck Always show icons, never thumbnails
5.. To turn this off, check the box
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Changing the Windows Border Padding
Added 3/28/08
By default, Vista has a somewhat thick border around the windows. If
you want to reduce this:
1.. Right click on an open area of the desktop
2.. Select Personalize
3.. Click on Window Color and Appearance
4.. If you have Aero then Open classic appearance properties for
more color options
5.. Click on the Advanced button
6.. In the Item section, select Border Padding
7.. Change the size
8.. Apply / Ok
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Another Way to Open Command Window Here
Added 3/28/08
When using the Windows Explorer, and you want to open a CMD prompt to
a particular directory,
another way to accomplish this is to hold down the Shift key while you
right click on a directory in the right hand panel
Then select Open Command Window Here
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Disabling Unneeded Windows Features
Added 1/13/08
There are likely Windows Features running on the computer you don't
need.
To see what these may be and make any changes you want:
1.. Start / Control Panel
2.. Programs and Features
3.. Click on Turn Windows features on or off
4.. It typically takes a little while for this window to populate
5.. Hovering the mouse over an entry gives a short description of it
6.. From here you can check or uncheck any entries you want.
7.. For example, you may not need Windows Fax and Scan
8.. Click the OK button when you are done
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Access My Computer (or any Folder) from the Toolbar
Added 1/13/08
Often I want to access files on My Computer but the desktop is full of
Windows.
Rather than having to close them down, it is easy to add My Computer
to the toolbar
1.. Right click on an open area of the toolbar
2.. Select Toolbars / New Toolbar...
3.. Click on Computer in the left panel
4.. Click on Select Folder
5.. Now when you click on the >> on the new toolbar, you will see a
listing of all your hard drives.
6.. Of course you can add any folder you want in the same manner.
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Organizing File Display into Stacks
Added 1/13/08
Normally when you look at files in the Explorer, they are commonly
shown alphabetically or by type
There is another way you can view them which is in Stacks. This is
different than organizing into Groups
1.. Start the Windows Explorer
2.. Go to a directory that has different types of files
3.. Hover over Type in the bar at the top
4.. Click on the down arrow
5.. At the bottom, click on Stack by Type
6.. Now you will see icons representing the different file types.
You won't see the actual files at this point
7.. Clicking on one of the icons will show the files that are in
that type
8.. If you Stack by Name, files will be grouped into 0-9, A-H, I-P,
and Q-Z
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Organizing File Display into Groups
Added 1/13/08
Normally when you look at files in the Explorer, they are commonly
shown alphabetically or by type
There is another way you can view them which is in Groups
1.. Start the Windows Explorer
2.. Go to a directory that has different types of files
3.. Hover over Type in the bar at the top
4.. Click on the down arrow
5.. Click on Group
6.. Now you will see your files sorted by Group with the heading for
each group type clearly shown. This heading makes it easier to see what type
of files it is.
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Reliability and Performance Monitor
Added 1/13/08
If you want to get a reasonably detailed view of the compter's CPU,
Disk, Network and Memory access,
Start / reliability
From here there is quite a lot of information you can see about your
computer.
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Changing the Size of the Details Pane
Added 1/13/08
When you use the Windows Explorer to view the files on the computer, a
details pane opens along the bottom.
1.. To change the size or hide it all together, right click on an
open area
2.. Select the option you want
3.. If you delete the Details Pane, you can get it back by clicking
on Organize / Layout / Details Pane
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Shutdown Icon is Missing
Added 1/12/08
If the left button is missing so you can't assign it to shutdown your
computer,
you may need to make a change to your Group Policy
1.. Start
2.. Run
3.. regedit
4.. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \
CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer
5.. On the right hand panel, delete the key NoClose
6.. Log off and back on again.
---
Another method is using the Group Policy Editor
1.. Start
2.. Run
3.. gpedit.msc
4.. Go to User Configuration / Administrative Tools / Start Menu and
Taskbar
5.. In the right hand panel, double click on Remove and prevent
access to the Shutdown, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate commands
6.. Double click on Disabled
7.. Click on Apply and Ok
8.. Log off and back on again.
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Changing the Location of the Documents Folder
Added 1/12/08
If you would like to change the location of the Documents folder to a
new location:
1.. Create the new location's folder
2.. Click on the Start button
3.. Right click on My Documents
4.. Select Properties
5.. Click on the Location tab
6.. Click on Move and select the new location you just created
For example, I prefer to keep all my data on a second partition for
easier backup. My Documents folder is moved to D:\Data\Documents
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Quick Access to Programs in the Quick Launch Bar
Added 9/15/07
If you want to quickly access any of the programs in the Quick Launch
bar,
Press the Windows key with the number corresponding to the location of
the program.
For example, if Outlook is your fourth item, you would press Windows+4
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Easy Access to Clock / Calendar
Added 9/15/07
By left clicking on the clock in the system tray, you have a quick
view of the clock and the current month's calendar.
You can then scroll for preceding and upcoming months as well
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Displaying a Checkbox For Selecting Files and Directories
Added 9/15/07
Normally when you want to select a file or folder, it is somewhat
difficult to determine exactly what is check and what isn't.
To change this:
Start the Windows Explorer
Go to Tools / Folder Options
Click on the View tab
Check the box for Use check boxes to select items (it's towards the
bottom)
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Changing the Desktop Icon Size
Updated 3/24/07
By default, the icons on the desktop are quite large.
To change the size
1.. Right click on the Desktop
2.. Select View
3.. Set it to Classic Icons
1.. You can also hold down the Control key while the desktop is
displayed
2.. Use the wheel mouse to make the icons larger or smaller
3.. This gives more control
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Flip3D Task Switching
Added 3/24/07
Added more information on how to use Flip3D Task Switching
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Installing Vista With No Product Key
Added 3/10/07
You can install Vista with no product key and have 30 days to evaluate
it
1.. Boot from the DVD and start the installation
2.. Select the Language, Time and Currency, and Keyboard
3.. Click on Next
4.. Click on Install Now
5.. Don't enter a Product Key
6.. Uncheck Automatically activate Windows when I'm online
7.. Click on Next
8.. Click on No to confirm you do not want to enter a product key
9.. Highlight the version of Vista you want to install
10.. Check that it is the same edition you have purchased (if you
want to enter in a product key at a later time).
11.. Click on Next
12.. Check accept the license and terms
13.. Click on Next
14.. Install a clean copy and continue as with a regular install
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Changing the Windows Explorer Columns
Added 3/3/07
By default, the Windows Explorer displays file's Name, Date Modified,
Size and Type
If you want to Add or Change these,
1.. Right click on any of the columns
2.. Check or Uncheck any times you want
3.. Click on More to display an extremely rich list of options to
display
To Move columns
1.. Left click and drag the column to the location you want
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Initial Configuration Changes
Added 3/1/07
Although some of these are covered in other sections of the tips area,
I compiled a page with the more common Vista Initial Configuration
Changes I have been making on
all new computers with Vista.
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Changing the Folders Vista Includes to Index and Search
Added 2/28/07
When you search for files, the default setting for Vista is to search
only in the User's Documents folder
To add to the locations that are included in Vista's Indexing
1.. Open the Control Panel
2.. Go to System and Maintenance
3.. Go to Indexing Options
4.. Click on the Modify button
5.. Click on the Show all locations button
6.. Check the Drives or Folders in Drives that you want to include
7.. Click on the Close button
For more details with screenshots see Vista Indexing and Search
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Turning Hibernate On or Off
Added 2/21/07
If you don't need your computer to Hibernate or want to turn it back
on again
1.. Open the Start Menu
2.. Right click Command Prompt
3.. Select Run as administrator
4.. To turn Hibernation off - powercfg -hibernate off
5.. To turn Hibernation on - powercfg -hibernate on
6.. If you turn it off, it won't even show on the Start Menu
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Changing the Action for the Start Menu Power Button
Added 2/21/07
At the bottom right of the Start Menu are three icons.
The left one (circle with a vertical line) is the Power Button
To change the action (Sleep, Hibernate or Power Off)
1.. Go to the Control Panel
2.. Select System Maintenance and then Power Options if it is the
Default View or
3.. Select Power Options if it is the Classic View
4.. Under your current plan, click on Change plans settings
5.. Click on Change advanced power settings
6.. Click on the + by Power buttons and lid
7.. Click on the + by Start menu power button
8.. For the Setting, select Sleep, Hibernate or Shutdown
9.. Click on Apply and OK
10.. Now when you hover over icon, you can see the action it will
take.
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Opening to a Command Prompt from the Explorer
2/17/07
If you are using the Windows Explorer, and want to open a folder to a
command prompt:
1.. With the folder in the right hand panel
2.. Hold down the Shift key
3.. Right Click
4.. Select Open Command Window Here
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RoboCopy
Added 2/17/07
RoboCopy or Robust File Copy for Windows is an enhanced file copy that
far surpasses what you can do from either the Explorer or XCOPY.
It is a very robust command line driven program with a huge amount of
switches and options. In addition to standard switches like /S for
subdirectories,
Just a short list is:
a.. /PURGE :: delete dest files/dirs that no longer exist in source
b.. /MOV :: MOVe files (delete from source after copying)
c.. /MON:n :: MONitor source; run again when more than n changes
seen.
d.. /MOT:m :: MOnitor source; run again in m minutes Time, if
changed
e.. /MAX:n :: MAXimum file size - exclude files bigger than n bytes.
f.. /MAXAGE:n :: MAXimum file AGE - exclude files older than n
days/date
g.. /R:n :: number of Retries on failed copies: default 1 million
h.. /TBD :: wait for sharenames To Be Defined (retry error 67)
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Showing the Explorer Menu
Added 217/07
By default, the Windows Explorer does not show the menu bar.
1.. To temporarily display the menu, press the Alt button
2.. To turn it on permanently, press the Alt button.
3.. Tools / Folder options
4.. Click on the View tab
5.. Check Always show menus
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Viewing Hidden and System Files
To configure the Explorer to view hidden and system files.
1.. Click on the the Control Panel / Folders icon
2.. Click on the View tab at the top
3.. Check or uncheck the options you want
4.. Common ones to change are:
a.. Check Show hidden files and folders
b.. Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types c.. Uncheck Hide
protected operating system files
