Top 75 Windows tips

Posted on 27 Sep 2006 at 12:57

Windows does a lot to make your computing life efficient and simple, but it could do so much more if you only knew where to look. Mike Price reveals the tweaks and utilities that will open up Windows and make your computing time more.

Windows is packed with features that can make your life easier. We've brought a core selection of these useful nuggets of information together so that you can keep them close to your computer. Each tip is graded according to the level of computing experience needed: beginner, intermediate or advanced. We've also stated to which versions of Windows a tip applies. In this feature, we've used Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). If you still use SP1, most tips will work but some commands and options may be missing. Many of the tips involve making changes to the Registry. Any changes you make here are permanent once you close the Registry editor, so always back it up first.

1 - Pointer schemes
Level Beginner Windows version XP

You can change the mouse pointer scheme to make your PC easier or more fun to use. Select Start, Control Panel in the standard Windows XP view or Start, Settings, Control Panel in Classic View. If you use Category View, click Printers and Other Hardware, then click Mouse. With Classic View, just double-click Mouse. In Mouse Properties, click on the Pointers tab and click the down arrow by the Scheme box to see the list of schemes. Click each in turn to see the styles of mouse pointer on offer. These include the exotic Dinosaur and the more practical Windows Standard large schemes. Pick one you like and then click Apply and OK to save it.

2 - Enable auto-logon
Level Intermediate Windows version XP

If you have several user accounts set up but always want to start up with a particular account, click Start, Run and type control userpasswords2, then click OK. In the list of users, highlight the user account you want to log into automatically. Untick the box next to 'Users must enter a Username and password'. Click Apply. In the next dialog box, enter and confirm the password for the account, or leave the password boxes blank if no password is defined. Then click OK to exit. When you next start up your system, it will log on to the specified account automatically. To sign on to a different account, log off or switch users.

3 - Check system security
Level Advanced Windows version 98/Me/XP

Several websites offer online system security testing to tell you if your firewall's settings provide adequate protection. For example, visit the Gibson Research Corporation website at www.grc.com and scroll down to find the ShieldsUp! Link. Select an option such as Common Ports or All Service Ports. The site will attempt to contact your system over the internet and report back any areas of weakness they detect. There are also comprehensive explanations of the security implications of your Windows settings. For a second opinion on the firewall and to check your system for spyware, visit Audit My PC at www.auditmypc.com.

4 - Toolbar Bitmap
Level Advanced Windows version 98/Me/XP

To add a background image to Windows Explorer toolbars, select Start, Run, type regedit and click OK. Navigate to HKey_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar. Select Edit, New, String Value. Type the name BackBitmapShell and press Enter. Double-click the new value and specify the name and location of the bitmap file you want to use as your background, such as C:\My Info\My Data\Egypt.bmp, then click OK. Close the Registry editor and open Windows Explorer. You can use a bitmap of any size, as it will be tiled if necessary. However, it must be a .bmp file and should be light in colour so that you can read the toolbar text over it. If you rename the BackBitmapShell string BackBitmap, Windows will apply the image to Internet Explorer and Outlook Express too.