All Pc Tips

Removing The Recycle Bin

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:21:00 PDT

To remove the Recycle Bin from you desktop, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Start button and select Run
2. Type in 'regedit' and press OK
3. Look for this string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\Namespace

4. Click on the 'Namespace' string in the left pane
5. Delete the 'Recycle Bin' string in the right pane.
6. Close regedit and reboot your computer

Running CHKDSK In Windows XP!

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:21:00 PDT

One way to run a chkdsk (this is like Scandisk that was with Win9X), is to

1. Double click on My Computer
2. Right click on the drive you want to check
3. Select Properties
4. Click on the Tools tab
5. Click on the Check Now button
6. Check to Automatically fix file system errors - This is the same as running chkdsk /f
7. If you want to Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors, check that box - This is the same as running chkdsk /R. It can also add a lot of time to the scan
8. Reboot if necessary
You can also run chkdsk from the command line with will give you more options.

The following switches are available:
/F - fix any errors
/R - identifies bad sectors
/V - with FAT32, displays a verbose output
With NTFS Volumes:
/I - Performs simpler check (stage 2)
/C - Skips the checking of cycles within folder structures
/X - Forces the volume to dismount if necessary. Intended for server administrators and should be avoided for normal use.

Remove Items from the Add/Remove list

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:21:00 PDT

If you share your computer with other people in your house and they have a habit of uninstalling programs from the Add/Remove list, or you don't want them seeing what is installed on your computer, you can take out any program from the list without actually uninstalling it. Just follow these steps.

1. Click on your Start button, select Run and type in regedit
2. Look for this key:
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Uninstall
3. Look for the program you want to hide under the Uninstall
     subkey and highlight it (If you see all numbers and
     letters, highlight that key and look in the right pane
     for the programs name)
4. Select Export from the File menu and select a name and
     location for the .reg file that will be created
5. Now delete the program under the Uninstall subkey
If you ever decide to uninstall a program, simply double-click on the .reg file to restore the uninstall data then launch the Add/Remove Programs.

Remove The Shortcut Arrows

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:21:00 PDT

If you want to remove those irritating arrows from your desktop shortcut icons and not change their properties, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on an empty space on the Desktop
2. Select 'Properties'
3. Click on the 'Appearance' tab
4. Select 'Item' then Scroll for 'Icon'
5. Change the default size of 32 to 30
6. Click 'Apply'

Make your PC boot faster

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:01:00 PDT

1. Take a moment to defrag

To improve performance in applications, including booting, is to make sure the drive is defragged. When a drive is fragmented, chunks of each file are scattered so in order to read them, the hdd's read/write head has to jump all over the platters wich takes time. By defragging, your files are arranged in sequential order. Use any defragmentation utility like Diskeeper.

2. Clean the rest of the startup folders

To find which apps are loading every startup, click Start, Run then type MSCONFIG, then click the startup tab. Every item in this tab checked runs every time you boot, so cleaning the list will shave your boot time especially on systems with tons of apps. Anything having to do with your display, antivirus or spyware utilities can stay. If you dont know something, it is better to leave it be. If you are sure it is junk, delete it.

3. Prefetch (For Windows XP only)

Whenever you run a program or open a file, Windows will add bits of the file to the prefetch folder on your harddrive so the next time you open that app, Windows can deliver it to you faster. Sometimes Windows prefetches items you do not need, sucking system resources. You can see what Windows is prefetching by going to C:\Windows\Prefetch. Go to the prefetch folder by clicking start, run and type prefetch. Delete all files that are there. Next, open Regedit then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters. Look for the “EnablePrefetcher” in the right side pane. Right click & click Modify. If you change the value to 2, it will prefetch only boot items. Type in 3 and it will prefetch apps and boot items. I recommend typing 2. Close Regedit then restart your computer to save your changes.

(Note: Backup this key first before you edit your registry)

4. Disable the splash screen (For Windows XP only)

Every time you boot, you see the same XP splash screen since 2001. Disable this and get a couple seconds of your boot time. To disable, open MSCONFIG, and go to the boot.ini tab. Check the /NOGUIBOOT box, click apply then ok, then restart your pc.
(Note: it will just affect the logo of WinXP on startup, no damage will be made)

5. Tweak your BIOS

The last of relatively simple tweaks will require you to enter your computer's BIOS. To enter it, you must press F2 or DEL key as soon as you turn onyour pc. IF you dont have a floppy drive, it is reccomended to disable your floppy controller. Also. for max boot speed, your hard drive (C:) must be the first boot device. Enable the Quick POST and Fast Boot. Then, disable any unused I/O devices, such as parallel ports, save changes, then reboot your pc.
(remember to backup your old bios settings first)

5. Upgrade your hardware!

If you have gone through all the tweaks listed here, and your machine is still slow, the only way to improve performance is to buy a faster hard drive. Because much of the boot process involve disk reads, a 10,000rpm hard drive will speed things along.

Fix A Corrupt Boot.ini File In Windows XP

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:59:00 PDT

As the Windows XP operating system begins to load, the Ntldr program refers to the Boot.ini file to determine where the operating system files reside and which options to enable as the operating system continues to load. So if there's a problem rooted in the Boot.ini file, it can render Windows XP incapable of booting correctly.

If you suspect that Windows XP won't boot because Boot.ini has been corrupted, you can use the special Recovery Console version of the Bootcfg tool to fix it. Of course, you must first boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console!

To use the Bootcfg tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type Bootcfg /parameter

Where /parameter is one of the required parameters listed in the table below.

Parameter And Description
/Add
Scans the disk for all Windows installations and allows you to add any new ones to the Boot.ini file.

/Scan
Scans the disk for all Windows installations.

/List
Lists each entry in the Boot.ini file.

/Default
Sets the default operating system as the main boot entry.

/Rebuild
Completely re-creates the Boot.ini file. The user must confirm each step.

/Redirect
Allows the boot operation to be redirected to a specific port when using the Headless Administration feature. The Redirect parameter takes two parameters of its own:
[Port Baudrate ] | [UseBiosSettings].

/Disableredirect
Disables the redirection.

Make A Folder Private In Windows XP

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:01:00 PDT

There is a way to keep people who use your PC from viewing your files: You can make every folder under My Documents private--meaning only you can access these folders and their contents. Anyone else is denied access. To make your My Documents folder private:

1. Right-click My Documents and then click Properties.
2. Click the Sharing tab and select the Do Not Share This Folder checkbox.
3. Click OK.

Now all your folders and files are private. If you don't need this much privacy, you don't have to protect everything. You can simply follow the steps above to make individual folders private instead.

To Install Windows Components After An Installation!

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:00:00 PDT

1. Log on to the computer as an administrator.

Note: You must be logged on to the computer as either an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to complete this procedure.

2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

3. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.

4. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.

The Windows Components Wizard starts and the Windows Components screen appears.
The components that are available are:

- Accessories and Utilities
- Fax Service
- Indexing Service
- Internet Explorer
- Internet Information Services (IIS)
- Management and Monitoring Tools
- Message Queuing
- MSN Explorer
- Networking Services
- Other Network File and Print Services
- Update Root Certificates

Note: Internet Information Services (IIS) and Message Queuing are not included in Windows XP Home Edition. They are available only in Windows XP Professional.

5. You can either click to select or click to clear each check box to add or remove a component.

Note: A shaded box means that only part of the component can be installed.

6. To observe what is included in a component, click the component, and then click Details.

Note If the Details button is unavailable, the component does not have any subcomponents that are associated with it.

7. Follow the instructions in the Windows Components Wizard.

Note: Certain Windows components need to be configured before they can be used. If you installed one or more of these components, and you did not configure them, and then you clicked Add/Remove Windows Components, a list of components that you must configure appears. To configure a component, click Configure, and then follow the instructions on the screen. To add a new component, click Components, and then follow the instructions in the Windows Components Wizard.

WINDOWS "Software Counterfeiting" Error !!

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Sun, 17 May 2009 10:07:00 PDT

Problem:
every time i switch on the PC there is a message telling me that

"You may be a victim of software counterfeiting."

Solution:

Firstly goto C:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files

Within that folder, remove any files or folders associated with .WGA

then Reboot your computer and as soon as Windows logs off, start repeatively tapping the F8 Key on your keyboard.

As soon as you see the Windows Advanced Startup options select Safe Mode within Safe Mode get yourself into these folders…

C:\Windows\System32 (Rename wgatray.exe to wgatrayold.exe)

C:\Windows\System32\dllcache (Rename wgatray.exe to wgatrayold.exe)

(remember Dllcache is a hidden folder, to view hidden folders do the following, go to Start, Control Panel, Folder Options,Select the view Tab and under the Hidden Files option, select Show hidden files and folders)

after that Click on Start, Run and within the open dialog box type regedit and click OK.

Within the Registry Editor navigate your self to

HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\WGALOGON

Right Click and Export the WGALOGON Folder (this should be saved onto your machine for backup purposes)

After Exporting the folder, DELETE the WGALOGON folder

After deleting close all applications and Restart your machine back to Normal Mode

goto www.microsoft.com/genuine

Get into the site above and manually re-validate your copy of Windows.

After being prompt of a successful validation, Restart your Machine.

OR

SIMPLY DOWNLOAD THIS TOOL FROM HERE.

Run it and Restart your computer.Done.

Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library, In mpc, error!!

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Thu, 14 May 2009 09:44:00 PDT

Problem:
when i closed the MPC then the systerm tell me that

Runtime Error

Program:c:\Program Files\Media Player Classes\mplayerc.exe
R6002

- foating point not loaded

Solution:

Firstly............

Uninstall Media Player Classic

Click start then all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, then also from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, (all files will highlight), right click any file, click delete, confirm then reboot.

Download, install and run Tune Up

Run Tune Up disc clean up

Run Tune Up registry clean up

Click Optimize and Improve to run Reg Defrag, the screen will lose colour during the process which can take a few minutes and then needs a reboot

Those will have cleared the drive of obsolete software errors

These are suggestions for making the most of the free trial

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot.

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot.

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

Re-install Media Player Classic.

Disable Compression On Xp, NTFS partition, Disk Cleanup

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:38:00 PDT

On an NTFS partition, Disk Cleanup can compress old files
to save space. But calculating the savings and performing
the compression often take a long time, and on some systems,
Disk Cleanup hangs during the process. If that happens, or if
you don't care to wait, use this Registry tweak to disable the
compression: Delete the key
HKEY_ LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Compress Old Files.

How To Rename Multiple Files In Winxp

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:39:00 PDT

XP lets you rename files in bulk by simply selecting multiple files within Windows Explorer and pressing the F2 key. When you use this feature, the OS applies the name you enter to the first file and applies the same name with a number in parentheses to the other files you selected (the file extensions remain unchanged).

For example, if you select the following files,
* notes.doc
* figures.xls
* disney.jpg
* holiday.gif

and rename the first file (notes.doc) to SoD.doc, XP renames the remaining files as follows:
* SoD (1).xls
* SoD (2).jpg
* SoD(3).gif

Enable Folder and Icon Refresh

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 10:39:00 PDT

This reg file Enables Folder and Icon Refresh.

1. Copy the following (everything in the box) into notepdad.

QUOTE
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NoNetCrawling"=dword:00000000

2. Save the file as disablerefreshundo.reg
3. Double click the file to import into your registry.

NOTE: If your anti-virus software warns you of a "malicious" script, this is normal if you have "Script Safe" or similar technology enabled.

Disable Windows Logo Key

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:39:00 PDT

i was recently playing games and this nasty windos logo key keep annoying me , cause i often accidently clicked it , and i start to search a solution to solve my problem, and found the following article in microsfot website, and it did work, hope this helps, thanks!

CODE
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=181348

or in other articles, u can copy the following messages into ur notepad and save as *.reg, and use it..

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,00,00,5b,e0,00,00,5c,e0,\
00,00,00,00

Disable The Send Error Report, to Microsoft

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:38:00 PDT

To disable the stupid feature in WinXP which tries to send a report to microsoft every time a program crashes you will have to do this:

*************************************************************************

Open Control Panel
Click on Preformance and Maintenance.
Click on System.
Then click on the Advanced tab
Click on the error reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
Select Disable error reporting.
Click OK
Click OK

*************************************************************************

Delete Files From The Recent File List In Windows

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:26:00 PDT

This tip requires a change to the Windows Registry. Please see the MSFN Guide "Backup Your Registry" if you are new to the Windows Registry.

Windows Media Player (WMP) is a built-in application that allows you to play multimedia files. Like many other applications, WMP remembers the most recently played files and displays them in the Recent File List under the File menu. This feature is useful if you regularly play certain files, but you may want to clear the list if you share the computer and a user account or create archives and CDs.

There are two ways you can clear the list:

I. The ClearMRU.exe Utility is available for free in the Windows Media Player Bonus Pack from Microsoft, but Microsoft does not support this tool.

II. You can also manually delete the list through the Windows Registry:

1. Start the Windows Registry Editor, regedit.exe, by typing regedit in the Windows Run Command Line.

2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\RecentFileList.

3. Delete the RecentFileList subkey.

4. If you've also streamed content from the Internet, you can delete the RecentURLList subkey.

5. Exit the Registry Editor.

6. Restart the computer.

To keep certain files in the list, don't delete the entire key. Deleting individual entries within the key will get rid of the files that you no longer want in the Recent File List.

Correcting Currupted Fonts

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:42:00 PST

Correcting Currupted Fonts

If you are having problems with any of your non-true type fonts, follow these steps to correct the problem:

1. Click on the Start button and point to 'Settings'
2. Click on the 'Control Panel' icon
3. Double-click on the 'Fonts' icon
4. Search for the 'Monoytpe Sorts' font
5. Delete this font then reboot your computer.

Copy Files And Folders To A CD In Windows XP

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:42:00 PST

To copy files and folders to a CD:
1. Insert a blank writable CD into the CD recorder.
2. Double-click My Computer, and then click the files or folders that you want to copy to the CD. To select more than one file, hold down the CTRL key while you click the files you want.
3. Click any of the following options:
- Copy this file
- Copy this folder
- Copy the selected items

4. In the Copy Items dialog box, click the CD recording drive, and then click Copy.
5. In My Computer, double-click the CD recording drive.

Windows displays a temporary area where the files are held before they are copied to the CD. Check that the files and folders that you intend to copy to the CD are displayed under Files Ready to Be Written to the CD.

6. Under CD Writing Tasks, click Write to CD.
7. After the CD Writing Wizard starts, follow the instructions in the wizard.
8. When the process is finished, the wizard displays a check box for you to choose to create another CD like the one you just made.

If you want to create multiple copies of the same CD, click Yes, write these files to another CD and insert another blank, writable CD into the CD recorder. Follow the instructions in the wizard.

NOTE: After you copy files or folders to the CD, it is useful to view the CD to confirm that the files are copied.

Create A Compressed Folder In Windows XP

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:42:00 PST

To create a compressed folder, use either of the following methods.

Open My Computer:
1. Double-click My Computer, and then open the folder where you want to make the compressed folder. For example, if you want to make a compressed folder in the root folder of drive C, double-click My Computer, and then double-click drive C to open the root folder.
2. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Compressed (zipped) Folder.
3. Type a name for the new compressed folder, and then press ENTER. Your new compressed folder appears as a folder icon with a zipper.

Right-click a blank area on the desktop or in a folder:
1. Right-click a blank area in an open folder or on the desktop, point to New, and then click Compressed (zipped) Folder.
2. Type a name for the new compressed folder, and then press ENTER. Your new compressed folder appears as a folder icon with a zipper.

Creating A Keyboard Shortcut In Windows XP!

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:56:00 PST

Creating A Keyboard Shortcut In Windows XP!

1. Right-click the desktop shortcut, and then click Properties.

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

3. Press the keyboard combination that you want to use to start the program. The shortcut combination must consist of one character (a letter, number, or symbol) plus at least two of the following three keys: CTRL, ALT, and SHIFT.

4. Click OK.

- The default combination is CTRL+ALT; if you press only a character key, Windows XP automatically adds CTRL+ALT. To use other combinations of the three required keys, press those keys before you press the character key.
- A keyboard shortcut does not work if it conflicts with a keyboard combination that is used in the program that is currently active.

Note: This feature works only with program shortcuts on the desktop or the Start menu. This feature does not work if the desktop shortcut is a shortcut to another shortcut.

Control Remote Desktops Through A Web Browser

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:42:00 PST

Remote Desktop is a new feature in Windows XP that allows you to control a remote computer and see the screen as if you were sitting behind that computer. Usually, you would use a special client application to connect to the remote computer.

By default, Windows XP setup installs such an application: Remote Desktop Connection. You can also access the remote computer without another application, using instead your Web browser. However, before you can do this, you must first install certain components on the remote computer. To do this:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Open the Add/Remove Programs dialog box.
3. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
4. Select Internet Information Services in the Windows Components Wizard and then click Details.
5. Select World Wide Web Service and click Details.
6. Make sure Remote Desktop Web Connection and World Wide Web Service are checked.
7. Click OK.
8. Click OK.
9. Click Next and follow the wizard to complete the installation.

After the setup installs all of the necessary files, you can access the remote computer by typing http://remote_computer/tsweb in your Web browser. When you connect to the remote computer for the first time, the computer will download ActiveX components, which requires you to have administrative privileges on the local computer.

Create A Drive Menu For My Computer In Windows XP

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:42:00 PST

By default, the My Computer item on the Start menu is configured to work like a standard folder window. If you need to access a specific drive, select My Computer from the Start menu, wait a moment for the window to appear, and then double-click the icon for the drive that you need to access.

When you're in a hurry, this two-step procedure can be time-consuming and frustrating--especially if My Computer contains a large number of drive icons. However, Windows XP makes it easy for you to configure My Computer so it works like a menu, with each drive listed as a menu item.

Follow these steps:

1 Right-click the Start button, and select Properties.
2 Click Customize, which is adjacent to the Start Menu radio button, and select Advanced.
3 Scroll through the Start Menu Items list box until you see My Computer.
4 Select Display As A Menu, and click OK twice.

Now, when you select My Computer from the Start menu, you'll see a menu of individual drives. To access the contents of that drive, just select the drive letter from the menu.

Control RegEdit's Key Memory

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:41:00 PST

The feature that permits the Registry to remember the last-used key was added to Windows XP, along with the ability to save often-used keys as Favorites. The only way to disable this feature is to block the Registry from saving the last-used key information. To do this, open the Registry and look for this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Regedit

Right-click on the 'LastKey' value in the right pane and select 'Modify'. Erase everything in the 'Value Data' box and leave it blank then click OK. Now, with the 'RegEdit' key in the left pane highlighted, go to 'Edit->Permissions' at the top of the Registry window. Select a User Name then select the 'Deny' checkbox next to 'Full Control' and click OK.

The Registry will now no longer save the last used key, but remember that you will no longer be able to use the Favorites menu. If you prefer not to disable this feature, a fast way to colapse the menu tree is to hold down the left arrow key on the keyboard until only the My Computer entry is visible then tap on the left arrow key once to bring back the five root keys.

Run Commands to access the control panel

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:41:00 PST

Run Commands to access the control panel
-------------------------------------------------------------------
appwiz.cpl - Add/Remove Programs
control admintools - Adminastrative Tools
control color - The Display with the appearance tab open
control date/time - Date and Time properties
control folders - Folder Options
control fonts - Fonts Folder
control infrared - Infrared folder if available
control netconnections - Network and Dial-up Connections window
control netware - Netware window if installed and available

control panel - Control Panle
control printers - Printers Folder control printers
control schedtasks - Schedule tasks window
ccontrol telephony - Location information window
control userpasswords - User Accounts
desk.cpl - Display Properties
findfast.cpl - FindFast control
firewall.cpl - Windows Firewall
Hdwwiz.cpl - Add Hardware Wizard
inetcpl.cpl - Internet Properties
intl.cpl - Regional and Language Options
joy.cpl - Game Controls
jpicpl32.cpl - Java Control Panle
main.cpl keyboard - keyboard Keyboard Properties
main.cpl - Mouse Properties
mlcfg32.cpl - Mail and Fax
mmsys.cpl - Multimedia Properties
mmsys.cpl sounds - Sound Properties
ncpa.cpl - NetWork Connections
netcpl.cpl - Network Properties
netsetup.cpl - Network Setup Wizard
nusrmgr.cpl - User Accounts
odbccp32.cpl - ODBC Data Source Administrator
Powercfg.cpl - Power Options
password.cpl - Password Properties control
sysdm.cpl - System Properties
Telephon.cpl - Telephone Controls
timedate.cpl - Date/Time Properties
wscui.cpl - Windows Security Center
Wuaucpl.cpl - Windows Auto Updater

Creating Quick Shutdown Shortcuts in Windows

hirak94@gmail.com (All Pc Tips) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:56:00 PST

If you are running Windows XP, which I imagine most of you are, it is very easy to make shortcuts on your desktop. "Quick Shutdown" and "Quick Reboot" icons are very convenient tools for your Windows system. In this case, "Quick" means "do it now; do not ask if I want to shut down, reboot or go to logoff."

Let's create a the Quick Shutdown icon, first.

For Windows XP, the first thing you need to do is get to a blank space on your Windows XP Desktop. Then right-click to get the popup context menu. Select "New" from the menu, and "Shortcut" from the new resulting menu. This will create a shortcut on your desktop, labelled "New Shortcut" Do not worry about the label. We'll fix that as part of the setup.

You will also get a message box whose title line reads "Create Shortcut." The text box, inside that message box, is labelled "Type in the location of the item:". There is also a "Browse..." button beside the text box, which you could use to find and select a program to be run by the icon..

We know what we want to use, so in the text box, type the following characters:
shutdown -s -t 0
(be sure to include the word shutdown!) which means "run the program shutdown.exe, delay for 0 seconds and shut down the computer." then, click Next.

On the next screen, you will get a chance to name the icon. The default will be
shutdown.exe
although you do not have to use that. In that box, type "Quick Shutdown" without the quotation marks. Click Finish.

The icon will work now, but it is awfully plain. Let's pick a nicer icon for this.

Right-click on the Quick Shutdown icon to get a context menu, and pick Properties. A small window that has several tabs will open up. Stay on the Shortcut tab, and click the "Change Icon.." button. You will get an warning message that says "The file %windir%\system32\shutdonw.exe contains no icons. Pick an icon from the list or specify a different file. Click OK.

The Change Icon menu will open up. You can pick a different file that contains icons, but let's stay with the default file
(%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll).

You can scroll and look at all the icons, if you like. For Quick Shutdown, I like the one that looks like a stylized on-off switch -- it's on the fourth row and the seventh column, in my system. It is an orange square, ,with a white circle and a white vertical bar inside the circle. Select it, and click OK on the Change Icon window. You should see the new icon now on the Shortcut tab in the Quick Shutdown Properties window. Click OK or Apply and OK. You should now see that the icon on the desktop has been replaced by your selected icon. It's that easy.

To create a Quick Reboot icon, use the characters:
shutdown -r -t 0
(that's a lower case R, short for reboot).

To creat a Quick Logoff icon, use the characters:
shutdown -l -t 0
(that's a lower case L, not a number 1, short for logoff).

I almost always use my Quick Shutdown and Quick Reboot, instead of doing it via the start menu. There are more complicated commands that will let you do this with earlier Windows operating systems.

By the way, %SystemRoot% and %windir% are global variables available in Windows XP. In most cases, they mean the same thing: C:\Windows.