Juggle Wi-Fi At Work And Home

If you use wireless Ethernet in the office and in a second location, such as your home or a remote office, one configuration may work for both. Windows XP usually auto-detects and connects to available wireless LANs.

If you need to enable the Zero Config Wi-Fi, click Control Panel | My Network Connections | View Network Connections. Right-click on the Local Area Connection (Wireless) and click Properties | TCP/IP. Under the General tab, make sure Obtain an IP address automatically is checked. Then go to the Wireless Networking tab and check Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings. Click on Advanced, and check for access to Any available network. If you need specific settings for a second location, go to the Alternate Configuration tab to enter settings for that location.

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Keep the core system in RAM

Windows XP takes portions of the operating system, applications, and data files that aren't currently needed in RAM and temporarily stores the data on the hard disk in the paging file. During a normal computing session, Windows regularly moves data back and forth from RAM and the paging file.

If you have a considerable amount of RAM in your system--512 MB or more--you can improve system performance by preventing the OS from sending user-mode and kernel-mode drivers, as well as kernel-mode system code, to the paging file.

You can do so by changing a setting in the registry. Here's how:

1. Launch the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).

2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\
Session Manager\Memory Management.

3. Double-click DisablePagingExecutive DWORD value.

4. Change the value in the Value Data text box from 0 to 1, and click OK.

5. Close the Registry Editor.

Note: Editing the registry is risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before making any changes.

Keep Windows Up To Date

You can update Windows XP manually by choosing Start | All Programs | Windows Update. In Windows 98, Me, and 2000, this option is listed at the top of the Start menu.

Windows XP and 2000 offer an Automatic Updates feature to ensure that you always have the latest Windows fixes. In Windows XP, you can turn Automatic Updates on from the System Properties dialog box. Open the Control Panel and choose System. Next, choose the Automatic Updates tab; turn the feature on, if necessary, by clicking the check box Keep my computer up to date at the top, then choose one of the options for how you want updates to be handled. For Windows 2000, you set options by going to Control Panel | Automatic Updates.

If you want a lot of control over what's being installed (or don't want to be a guinea pig for brand-new updates), choose the option to have the system notify you before downloading updates and again before installing them. This lets you review what updates are available and decide whether to download and install them on a case-by-case basis. But remember, it's a good idea to install security updates as soon as they are available.

Keep Your Start Menu to Yourself

The items in the Start menu come from two sources: one that is user-specific and one that is shared. The Windows XP upgrade puts all existing Start menu items into the shared area. If you delete any items from your account's Start menu, they are deleted from each user's Start menu.

To permit individualized Start menus, you must click on Start, select My Computer, and click the Folders toolbar button. Next, navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start menu. Right-click on that folder and select Copy.

Now right-click on each user's folder inC:\Documents and Settings and select Paste. You may be asked to confirm replacing items in the Start menu folder; answer Yes to all. Finally, delete C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start menu. Now each user has a personal copy of the Start menu and can freely delete unwanted items without affecting others.

Installing programs may add new items to the shared area. To move these to your personal Start menu, right-drag them to the desktop and choose Move here. Then right-drag them back to the Start button and again choose Move here.

Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows XP

KEY(S) What do they do ?

CTRL+C Copy.

CTRL+X Cut.

CTRL+V Paste.

CTRL+Z Undo.

DELETE Delete.

SHIFT+DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin.

CTRL while dragging an item Copy selected item.

CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item Create shortcut to selected item.

F2 Rename selected item.

CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.

CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.

CTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.

CTRL+UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.

CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys Highlight a block of text.

SHIFT with any of the arrow keys Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document.

CTRL+A Select all.

F3 Search for a file or folder.

ALT+ENTER View properties for the selected item.

ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program.

ALT+Enter Displays the properties of the selected object.

ALT+SPACEBAR Opens the shortcut menu for the active window.

CTRL+F4 Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously.

ALT+TAB Switch between open items.

ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order they were opened.

F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop

F4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer.

SHIFT+F10

Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.

ALT+SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active window.

CTRL+ESC Display the Start menu.

ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name Display the corresponding menu.

Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu Carry out the corresponding command.

F10 Activate the menu bar in the active program.

RIGHT ARROW Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.

LEFT ARROW Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.

F5 Refresh the active window.

BACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer.

ESC Cancel the current task.

SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically playing.

Know When Not To Use Fast User Switching

Fast user switching, which lets users switch between accounts without shutting down programs and logging off, can be a very convenient feature under the right conditions. But it can also be a serious drain on system resources. Essentially, when more than one user is logged on, each user's settings remain active; even the programs each user has opened stay open.

If one user is working on a spreadsheet and another just needs to check e-mail quickly, fast user switching is the way to go. If, on the other hand, one user is playing a graphics-intensive game, that user will experience a noticeable performance hit if other users are logged on.

Keep your activation status intact when reinstalling XP

Have you ever wanted to reformat the hard disk and reinstall Windows XP on a system but you didn't want to mess around with Microsoft's Product Activation after the reinstall? Fortunately, you don't have to.

As long as you aren't making any hardware alterations, you can back up the activation status files before you reformat the hard drive and then restore them after you reinstall the operating system.

To perform the backup, follow these steps:

1. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

2. Copy the Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to a floppy disk or CD.

1. Decline the activation request at the end of the installation procedure, and restart Windows XP.

2. During bootup, press [F8] to access the Windows Advanced Options menu.

3. Choose the Safe Mode (SAFEBOOT_OPTION=Minimal) option.

4. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

5. If they exist, rename the new Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to Wpadbl.new and Wpabak.new.

6. Copy the original Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files from the floppy disk or CD to the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

7. Restart the system.

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Learn the benefits of NTFS

Windows XP supports three disk file systems: NTFS, FAT16, and FAT32. Each of them has advantages, but NTFS is recommended. Here are some reasons why:

• Security: FAT16 and FAT32 have absolutely no security for local folders and files. Anyone who logs on to your computer can gain access to the files. NTFS allows you to define permissions for every user on each individual file/folder.
• Separate Recycle Bins: On FAT16 and FAT32 volumes, everything you delete gets put into the same Recycle Bin, regardless of the current logon account. On NTFS volumes, each user has a unique Recycle Bin.
• Encryption: To truly secure your sensitive files, encrypt them. NTFS offers transparent, automatic encryption.
• Recoverability: NTFS provides the ability to recover from file system errors. It also performs sector sparing to remap data to good clusters and mark bad clusters as unusable.
• Compression: NTFS offers support for file compression, which allows more space for storage.
• Disk quotas: NTFS also supports disk quotas. This feature helps limit disk usage on workstations that are shared by multiple users.

If you didn't specify NTFS during setup, it's not too late. To convert from FAT to NTFS, type convert x: /fs:ntfs in the command prompt and replace x with the drive letter of the partition you want to convert.

Learn the (non) value of disabling QoS

Numerous Internet sites feature tips and tricks on the optimization of Windows XP, and most of them promise huge performance gains. However, a lot of optimization tricks actually do very little to improve performance.

For example, some sites recommend that you turn off the Quality of Service (QoS) RSVP feature because it supposedly reserves 20 percent of the network bandwidth. Turning off this service, they say, will improve network performance.

Unfortunately, disabling QoS RSVP doesn't do much. QoS isn't even used in most home networks; Microsoft enabled it by default on Windows XP Professional to make the deployment of QoS in enterprise environments a bit easier.

Are you still concerned about it reserving 20 percent of the network bandwidth? Don't be. This percentage refers to the bandwidth limit that can be used by QoS applications. It doesn't mean that your other applications will only be able to use the remaining 80 percent.

Lengthen your file extension names

As you may know, when you create a filename for a document in Windows XP, you can use up to 255 characters. In addition, you can give your files longer extension names.

While three-character file extensions are a long-standing convention, you aren't bound to this restriction in XP. Longer extensions come in handy when you need to categorize your data files for organizational purposes.

If you decide to incorporate long file extension names, using four, five, or even six characters is ideal. A 20-character file extension, on the other hand, might be more trouble than it's worth.

When you rename a file extension, XP displays a warning message and prompts you to confirm the change. You'll also need to reassociate the file with the application that you used to create it. Here's how:

1. Right-click the file and select Open With.

2. Choose an application from the Programs list or use the Browse button.

3. Select Always Use The Selected Program To Open This Kind Of File, and then click OK.

Limit the Visual Frills

Windows XP may be more attractive than previous versions, but its good looks come at a cost. Extras such as transparent mouse shadows, font smoothing, and menu effects add little more than aesthetic value while using up valuable system resources.

To disable the effects you can live without (an idea we especially recommend if you're running Windows XP on an older Pentium II system), go to the Control Panel, open the System applet, select the Advanced tab, and click on Settings in the Performance section. You can disable unnecessary items on the Visual Effects tab.

Lose XP "New Program" Pop-Ups

Right-click on the taskbar, choose Properties, and click on the Start Menu tab. Make sure that Start menu is selected rather than Classic Start menu; click on the Customize button next to Start menu. Click on the Advanced tab, locate the box near the top titled Highlight newly installed programs, and uncheck it. Click on OK to accept the change.

For those who like to know such things, this feature is controlled by a value in the Registry, specifically the DWORD value Start_ NotifyNewApps in the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\A dvanced. If it's set to 1 (the default), new applications will be highlighted in the Programs menu and the message balloon will appear. If it's set to 0, neither will happen.