Networking And Computers 423-975-0273

Windows XP Tips
Set a Restore Point: Before installing new software or making any major changes to
your computer, set a restore point. If the new software causes a problem with Windows
you can restore your computer to an earlier point in time. To create a restore point click
Start, Help and Support, and click System Restore to launch the System Restore Wizard.
Select Create a Restore Point, click Next, name your restore point, and click Create. If
you need to use the restore point you created, return to the System Restore Wizard, select
Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time, and select your restore point.

Caution: Any new files or folders added to your system since you created the restore
point are subject to be deleted when restoring to an earlier time. The exception to this is
the My Documents folder. Any documents saved in the My Documents folder will not be
erased by System Restore.

Create a Password Reset Disk: If you forget your password for Windows XP you need
a password reset disk to log in. Click Start, Control Panel, User Accounts, then click your
user account name. Now, click the Prevent a Forgotten Password link under Related
Tasks on the Tasks Panel. Follow the wizard directions for creating your reset disk.

Disable the “Report Error to Microsoft Feature”: From the Control Panel select
Performance and Maintenance and then select System. Click the advanced tab in the
dialog box and click Error Reporting. Now select Disable Error Reporting and click OK.

Shut Down Shortcut: Are you tired of having to make at least 3 different menu
selections in order to turn off your computer? Right click your desktop, point to New, and
click Shortcut on the Shortcut menu. In the “Type the Location of the Item” text box,
Type: %windir%\System32\shutdown.exe –s –t 0
and click Next. Name your new shortcut and click Finish. Now your computer will shut
down with only 1 click.

Change File Associations: Right click any file of the type you wish to change. On the
Shortcut menu select Properties. Select the General tab in the dialog box and click
Change. On the Open With dialog box select the desired program from the
Recommended Programs list and click OK. Click OK on the General Tab.

Browse the Web From Any Window: Open My Computer and Right Click the Standard
Buttons Toolbar. Click the Address Bar on the Shortcut menu. Type any web site into the
address bar or select a site from Favorites and your window turns into a browser. You can
also use the address bar to search your hard drive by clicking the down arrow on the right
side of the Address bar. Simply click a drive or folder to select it.
 Networking And Computers 423-975-0273
Navigate Between Multiple Open Programs: Press and hold the Alt key and then press
the Tab key to display a menu of the programs currently running. Hit the Tab key again
to move to the next program. Once you have selected the program you want, release the
Alt key and that program becomes the active window.

Display Two Windows Side by Side: With one program open, press and hold the Ctrl
key and right click the second window that you want to open. Select Tile Vertically on
the Shortcut menu. This works great for researching on the internet and typing a
document at the same time.

Create Hot Keys for Commonly Used Applications: Right Click an applications
Shortcut icon and click Properties on the Shortcut menu. Next, click the Shortcut tab,
locate the Shortcut Key text box, and type in a letter, number, or assign an F key. For
letters and numbers, Windows adds CTRL-Alt to your shortcut.

Don’t Type http://www. and .com: Simply type the desired web site’s domain name
(i.e. Google) and then press and hold Ctrl and hit enter. http://www. and .com will
automatically be entered for you.

Run Disk Cleanup: Remove unnecessary program files by clicking Start, All Programs,
Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup For, and then select the drive that you want to
clean, and click OK.

Run Disk Defragmenter: Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk
Defragmenter, and select the drive that you want to defragment. This is a slow process so
plan to run it when you don’t need to use your computer for a while.

Increase Available Hard Drive Space: By default Windows reserves 10% of your hard
drive space for the Recycle Bin. In order to reduce the amount of space reserved, right
click on the recycle bin and click properties on the Shortcut menu. Next, click the Global
tab in the dialog box and move the slider to a lower percentage (2% should be ample),
then click OK.

Delete Temporary Files: Every time Windows shuts down improperly or a program
crashes temp files are created and stored on your hard drive. Files stored in the following
3 locations are not needed and can safely be deleted: C:\Windows\Temp, C:\Documents
and Settings\Username\Local Settings\Temp, and C:\Windows\Prefetch. The local
settings folder located under the Documents and Settings folder is hidden by default.
Enable Show Hidden Files and Folders in Folder Options to see this folder. Navigate to
these locations using Windows Explorer and highlight and delete all files.* (Hopefully
you created a Restore Point from TIP #1 before trying this tip!)