Easy Way To Start Windows Explorer In The C Drive

In explorer's properties, use this path and switches in the target:
C:\windows\explorer.exe /n,/e,c:\

Easy way to remove build number from desk

Here is an very easy way to remove the build number from your desktop. Just follow the directions below to remove it.
Right click on the desktop
Expand arrange icons by
Click on lock items to desktop
The build number will be gone. However, you will loose the transparent text background but most of us can live with that.

Easy sendto menu mod

This one is super easy,
first open
X:\Documents and Settings\username\SendTo\ (it is hidden)
where X is your drive letter and username is your username
make and delete shortcuts to folders at will

Easiest way to disable Windows Picture and Fax Viewer

Right Click On image file.
Choose "open with", then "choose program"
Select your favorite image viewer program.
Check the "always use selected program" box
Click OK.
It's just that simple.

Easily Replace uxtheme.dll

The easiest way to replace uxtheme.dll, or any other dll, is to delete the backups of the dll(s) you wish to replace in the dllcache folder (in the system32 folder).
For XPsp1(pro or home), you have to check another backup folder (don't worry, it can't be in both folders, only one or the other) which is X:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386 (X being your system drive)
Once you've deleted the backups, simply right-click-move the dll from the system32 folder to your desktop, click "cancel" in the popup that asks for your Install disk, and "yes" in the popup after that. Then right-click-move your hacked (or whatever) version of the dll to the system32 folder, again, click cancel in the first popup, and yes in the second one.
Restart, and either archive the original (for restoration purposes) or simply delete it. This worked for me when I replaced a hacked version of uxtheme.dll to run a Mac OSX Jaguar Theme (very nice) to give my windows a MacOSX look.
Want more info? check out--> http://www.jonmega.com/~iceman/vs/

Easily rename the Recycle Bin

If you (like me) would like to be able to rename the Recycle Bin to something else (Trash, Waste, Shredder, etc) then this tweak will make it easy to do so.
Open up your favorite plain text editor (notepad, for example) and copy the following text into a new file:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:50,01,00,20
"CallForAttributes"=dword:00000000

Now save this text file as a .reg file, such as "Rename Recycle Bin.reg" and put it wherever you like. Double click on the file, and when it asks you if you want to import it into the registry, choose Yes. You'll notice a new option in the right-click menu to Rename the Recycle Bin. You can also rename it by highlighing the Bin and hitting F2, or by highlighting it and clicking on the file name (just like renaming any other file.
If you want to turn off this new feature, make another .reg file with the same content as above, but change the first number in the "Attributes"=hex: line from 50 to 40 and import that file into the registry.

Easiest way to add a link to the start menu

All you have to do is look at the links tool bar and click on the link you want to add, then drag it onto the start menu. Bam! It's as simple as that ;p

Easier way to kill microsoft tick sound

The annoying "tick" sound is microsoft's default sound for "start navigation" which can be disabled through control panel-->sounds

Easier Way to Get Rid of Search Puppy

1. Open the search dialog
2. Click "change preferences"
3. Click "without an animated screen character"
4. The puppy will walk away

Easier Way of Right-Click to go to Command Prompt

Instead of going through the registry to add a context menu option for opening cmd.exe at any folder, just download the "CMD Line Here" Windows XP PowerToy...
http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP
/EN-US/CmdHerePowertoySetup.exe

Display Windows Icons on Desktop

Below is a easy way to choose what windows icons you want to display on the desktop.
Rightclick on the desktop and select "properties".
In the new "display properties" window, click on the "desktop" tab.
Hit the "customize desktop..." button at the bottom of the window.
Now you can select the icons you want.

Display the Windows version on your desktop

It is possible to display the version of Windows in the lower right corner of your desktop. This requires a modification in the Windows Registry.
Note:
You cannot decide what text you want to appear; it's predefined, based on the version of Windows you are running. For example, the text for Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 will be along the lines of:
Windows XP Professional
Build 2600.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158 (Service Pack 2)

Procedure:
1) Click the Start button, click Run, type regedit and click OK
2) On the left-hand side, navigate to (and highlight)
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
3) On the right-hand side, locate PaintDesktopVersion and double-click it
4) In the pop-up window, change the data to 1 and click OK
Note:
0 = Hide Windows version from desktop
1 = Show Windows version on desktop
5) Close the Windows Registry Editor as well as your other programs and reboot (or log off and log back in).

Display message on startup

If you would like to display a legal message or any other message in a pop-up window when windows starts read below:
Start regedit, if you are unfamiliar with regedit please see our FAQ.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Modify the key legalnoticecaption with what you want to name the window.
Modify the key legalnoticetext with what you want the window to say.
Restart.

Disable Picture Viewer, but have thumbnails still work

There is a tweak for preventing the picture viewer from opening your pictures by
typing "regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll" at a command prompt. This works, except
if you use it, then if you set a folder to thumbnail display mode, your thumbnails
will not work.
If you want to disable the picture viewer but would still like to have your
thumbnails, then change this in the registry:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\image\
ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\
ShellImagePreview\(Default)
It should be set to {e84fda7c-1d6a-45f6-b725-cb260c236066} by default...
just erase its contents to disable the picture viewer. Your thumbnails should
still work. If you did do "regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll" at the command prompt,
you can undo it by going to the command prompt and typing "regsvr32Â shimgvw.dll"

Desktop Manager for "power users". (PowerToys)

Desktop Manager allows you to switch between multiple desktops creating more elbow room for those who like to stay organized while pushing the max thread limit.

1. First grab XP PowerToys from microsoft.com (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/
powertoys.asp)
2. Once installed right click then check: task bar > toolbars > Desktop Manager
You may now view up to four new desktops. I prefer not to have "Shared Desktops" on as it reminds me more of linux (and is cleaner).
Now you may hide the buttons etc. and use Windows key + 1-4 to switch between desktops and Windows key + v to preview.

Delete My eBooks and other special folders in My Doc..

Click Start, then Run and type: regsvr32 /u mydocs.dll

then delete them

Delete/Repair the Windows Media Player Library

If you have moved your music around on your hard drives, Windows Media Player continues to add new entries into it's library instead of modifying the existing ones. This means that you will now have multiple entries for the same song, half of which will not work now because you have moved the files to their new location. To delete the current library and build a new one, do the following:
1. Close Windows Media Player, wait about 3 seconds for the database to close.
2. Using "My Computer", navigate to the following folder:
F (or whatever drive is appropriate for you):\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Index
3. Delete the "wmplibrary....db" file here. This is not your actual music, only the database which Windows Media Player uses as a listing.
4. Start Windows Media Player
5. Hit "F3" and enter the location where you have moved your music to. If it is on muliple drives, check "All Drives". Let it finish.
You're Done! All the old listings will now be gone, and you will only have the new accurate ones.

Delete Unwanted Screen Savers Loaded w/XP

If anyone else was wondering how to get rid of the annoying Screen Savers that Microsoft feels you have to have with XP they made it a little more difficult than normal.

1. First navigate to “C:\windows\system32\dllcache”. Cut and paste or type in your address bar to get there because it is a hidden folder . Once there, delete the Screen Savers in that folder . Otherwise, you will find that they will come back no matter how many times you delete them from your system 32 folder.
2. Then you have to go to C: \Windows\system32 and delete the Screen Savers you want to get rid of . (Answer the file protection popups with cancel and yes.)
3. Voila---no more Screen Savers!!!!

Delete/Repair the Windows Media Player Library

If you have moved your music around on your hard drives, Windows Media Player continues to add new entries into it's library instead of modifying the existing ones. This means that you will now have multiple entries for the same song, half of which will not work now because you have moved the files to their new location. To delete the current library and build a new one, do the following:
1. Close Windows Media Player, wait about 3 seconds for the database to close.
2. Using "My Computer", navigate to the following folder:
F (or whatever drive is appropriate for you):\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Index
3. Delete the "wmplibrary....db" file here. This is not your actual music, only the database which Windows Media Player uses as a listing.
4. Start Windows Media Player
5. Hit "F3" and enter the location where you have moved your music to. If it is on muliple drives, check "All Drives". Let it finish.
You're Done!
All the old listings will now be gone, and you will only have the new accurate ones.

Delete Unwanted Screen Savers Loaded w/XP

If anyone else was wondering how to get rid of the annoying Screen Savers that Microsoft feels you have to have with XP they made it a little more difficult than normal.

1. First navigate to “C:\windows\system32\dllcache”. Cut and paste or type in your address bar to get there because it is a hidden folder . Once there, delete the Screen Savers in that folder . Otherwise, you will find that they will come back no matter how many times you delete them from your system 32 folder.
2. Then you have to go to C: \Windows\system32 and delete the Screen Savers you want to get rid of . (Answer the file protection popups with cancel and yes.)
3. Voila---no more Screen Savers!!!!

Customize Desktop Icons - IE, My Computer, My..

Right click an empty area of the desktop and choose properties. Select the "Desktop" tab and click "Customize Desktop".
On the General Tab place a checkmark in the icons you wish to appear on the Desktop.

Creating 'App Paths' in Windows XP

To create an app path, so you can run an application in Windows Xp from the Run dialog box you need to:
1. Run regedit and go to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths
2. Create a new key with the what ever you want to use as your run command, ie HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\whatever.exe
3. In the key folder that you created, create a new string, call it 'Path' and modify the value to point the specific folder of your executable your running. ie C:\ProgramFiles\whatever
4. Use the default string and modify it's value to point to the executable you want to run.

Creating a Keyboard Shortcut

1. Right-click a shortcut on the desktop or in the start menu, and then click Properties .

2. On the Shortcut tab, click in the Shortcut Key box.

3. Press the key you want to use. Windows will add Ctrl+Alt to it. So if you choose U the combination will be Ctrl+Alt+U.
You can also choose one of the function keys you don't use otherwise, F7 as example. Just one button to click then.

4. Click OK .

Create SendTo menu items

Open Explorer and type the following into the address bar:
X:\Documents and Settings\username\SendTo (Where X: is your System Drive letter and "username" is your Username)
Add a shortcut to the file or program of your choice.

Copy to... and Move to... Context Options

To add Copy to... and Move to... context menu options (similar to Win95 Powertoys send to folder option) create the following registry keys
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\
ContextMenuHandlers\Copy To
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\
ContextMenuHandlers\Move To

For Copy To set the default value to {C2FBB630-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}
and for Move To set the default value to {C2FBB631-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}
Now when you right click on a file or folder, above the send to option are two new options: Copy to Folder and Move to Folder
You can copy or move files or directories to other folders with this.