Window XP Tips & Tricks

2009-11-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for anything that happens as a result of

using any of this information which is provided as-is and has no warranties

implied or otherwise.

Running Applications in Compatibility Mode

With Windows XP, you can run programs as if though they were being run under

a different operating system. (This is known as "emulation".) Simply

right-click a shortcut, select "Properties" and then check "Run in

compatibility mode" and select the operating system you wish to make the

program believe it is being run under. This fools or tricks the program into

thinking you are really using a previous version of Windows, such as NT, 2000,

98, or 95. This is especially useful for certain games that won't run

properly. Be careful *not* to use this with certain system utilities, such as

antivirus, defrag, registry, and disk tool applications.

Customizing the Start Menu

Right click on the "Start" button and left click "Properties". From here, you

can select the new Windows XP style Start Menu, or return to the Windows

2000/Millennium style one. You can also customize the two possible choices

using their corresponding "Customize" buttons. This also allows you to turn on

or disable cascading menus and other options that are useful, such as large or

small icons and more.

Bring Back Those Desktop Icons

After you install Windows XP, you probably noticed that some of your icons

from previous versions of Windows you've used are missing. Microsoft did this

intentionally to help simply and reduce clutter. Of course, for some people,

this isn't the best choice or the user preference. So, if you want those icons

like "My Computer" and "My Network Places" back, just open Display Properties

(right click Desktop Wallpaper, left click "Properties") and click the

"Desktop" tab. Click the "Customize Desktop" button and on the "General" tab

check the items you want. You can also change the icons used by these desktop

items in the same screen. One final tip related to this screen is the "Clean

Desktop Now" button, which notifies you of unused icons on the desktop and

offers to remove them if you choose.

Give Me My ClearType

Windows XP includes a great new visual technology, called "ClearType" which

increases horizontal legibility by approximately 300% and it looks great. Go

back into "Display Properties" [see tip: "Bring Back Those Desktop Icons" for

instructions] and this time, go to the "Appearance" tab. Click "Effects" and

for the second drop down box, labeled "Use the following method to smooth

edges of screen fonts", select "ClearType". Click OK twice and you're all set.

Lock Computer vs. Welcome Login Screen

You must go into Control Panel and open the "User Accounts" applet to change

this setting. Click "Change the way users log on or off". For maximum

security, uncheck the "Use the Welcome screen" option. This re-enables the use

of the "Lock Computer" option from the ALT CTRL DELETE menu, but prevents

multiple users from being logged on locally at a single time. This also

returns to the Windows 2000 style login screen. If you'd rather have the

ability to *not* be able to use "Lock Computer" and would rather allow

multiple users to logon to the computer at a single time locally, leave this

setting checked and also check "Use Fast User Switching".

Looking for a Windows XP Compatible Driver?

If you can't find a driver for a hardware device under Windows XP, you can try

to use a Windows 2000 compatible driver for the same hardware. Usually this

tends to work, and in my experience so far, it always has. However, if you can

find a driver specifically designed for use with Windows XP, that is usually

the best and safest option. You can also e-mail the hardware manufacturer and

ask them about Windows XP compatibility and drivers.

WINDOWS XP TIPS AND TRICKS

Window XP Tips & Tricks