Add Information Fields in the Windows Explorer
The Windows XP Windows Explorer doesn't include attribute information. This information is very helpful when you need to quickly view which files are marked as Read-only or Hidden or System. This information and a lot more is available through the Windows Explorer but you have to tell it to show you. Here's how to make it available:
Right click the Start button and click Explore.
Right click on any of the columns in the right pane of the Windows Explorer. For example, right click on the Name column.
You'll see a list of information columns that you can display. Click on the Attributes entry. You will now see the Attributes column.
To make this change stick for all folders, click the Tools menu and click Folder Options.
In the Folder Options dialog box, click the View menu. Click the Apply to All Folders button. Click Yes in the Folder views dialog box. Click OK. Now all folders will show the Attributes column.
|
.Change Password Properties in Windows XP
I got a couple of notes from readers who wondered why they are being prompted to change their password. The reason for this is that a Local Security Policy is set for a maximum password age. You can change the Local Security Policy by performing the following steps:
Click Start and then click the Control Panel.
In the Control Panel, open the Administrative Tools applet.
In the Administrative Tools window, open the Local Security Policy applet.
In the Local Security Policy console, expand the Account Policies node in the left pane of the console.
Click on the Password Policy node. In the right pane of the console there is an entry named Maximum password age. The default setting is 42 days.
Double click on the Maximum password age entry. You can change the number of days you can use the same password by changing the value in the text box. If you want your password never to expire, enter 0 in the text box. Click OK after making the change.
Local Security Policy is available only in Windows XP Professional.
|
Change the Location of the My Music and My Pictures Folders
Several of you have written to me about changing the location of the My Music and My Pictures folders. Unlike the My Documents folder, there is no configuration option to allow you to change the location of these folders. However, you can take advantage of a Windows XP feature called Distributed Link Tracking to move your music and pictures folders. Try this:
Open the Windows Explorer. Find the My Music and the My Pictures folders.
Right click on one of the folders and click the Cut command.
Use the Windows Explorer and go to the location where you want the folder to be. Right click in that folder and click the Paste command. This will move the folder to the new location. Do this for the one or both of these folders.
Now click on the Start menu and click on the My Music or My Pictures link. If nothing happens, close the Start menu and wait a few seconds. Try it again. Bingo! The Distributed Link Tracker has found the new location of the folder. COOL!
Note that you will have to manually change the location of your saved music in the Windows Media Player. In WMP, click the Tools menu and click the Copy Music tab. Click the Change button and select the new location of your My Music folder.
I highly recommend that you back up your music and pictures on a regular basis. Do this especially before moving the folders around. If the system should blue screen on your during the moving process, you could end up losing data.
Change the Title Bar in Windows XP Explorer
If you got a setup disk from your ISP, you might see text in the title bar of the Internet Explorer that says "Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by Blah Blah Blah". If you don't care to see the name of your ISP in the title bar, do the following to fix it:
Click Start and then click the Run command.
In the Run dialog box, type regedt32 in the Open text box and click OK.
Drill down to HKEY_USERSS-1-5-21-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXSoftwareMicrosoftInternetExplorerMain, where the X's represent a long number to the right of S-1-5-21-
Scroll down the right pane of the Registry Editor until you find the Windows Title value. Double click on the value. Replace the Value Data with what you want to appear in the title bar. Click OK.
Close all Internet Explorer windows and open Internet Explorer. Now you can have your name up in lights!
You can put anything you like in the title bar. Have some fun and add "This is MY Internet Explorer - Go Away!"
|
Change the Registered Owner and Organization
Are you tired of seeing that your computer belongs to "valued customer" or "Dell customer"? If so, then you need to make a Registry change so that YOU are identified as the owner of your machine! Here's how:
Click Start and then click the Run command.
In the Run dialog box, type regedt32 in the Open text box. Click OK.
In the Registry Editor, drill down to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion
Double click on the RegisteredOrganization and the RegisteredOwner entries in the right pane of the Registry Editor. In the Value Data section, type in the value you want to show to represent you and your company.
Now your computer is YOUR computer
|
