Explorer enables you to set the view
for folder information using the View
menu and the toolbar. From the menu select View > Folder Options and make sure that the check-box Remember each folder's view settings - on the View tab -
is checked.
 

To set Explorer to show your Drives "collapsed" when first started:

1. Right-click the Start button
2. From the menu choose Explore
3. Go to Start Menu > Programs
4. Right-click the shortcut for Windows Explorer
5. From the menu choose Properties
6. In the Target: box, type:
   C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE /E,/SELECT,C:\
7. Click Apply and OK

To Customize the way your system operates, open Windows Explorer (Select Start > Programs > Windows Explorer) and choose Folder Options from the View menu.

There are 3 options:

• Web Style - Your computer looks and acts like the Web (e.g., single click)
• Classic Style - Your computer defaults to Windows classic settings
• Custom - based on settings you choose
   

• From within the respective Folder, select View from the menu bar, and select as Web Page

• Start Explorer and select View > Folder Options from the menu Check Web Style on the General Tab This is how Control Panel looks when viewed as a Web Page:

You can make any folder on your system into a toolbar:

Just right-click a blank part of the Taskbar, select Toolbars from the context menu, and choose New Toolbar from the menu. Then use the dialog box that appears to select a folder.

You can select any folder on your local hard disk or on a network drive, as well as the Desktop, My Computer, Printers, Control Panel, Dial-Up Networking, and Scheduled Tasks folders. Windows creates a toolbar with one icon for every file in the folder you picked.

Ever wonder what's going on behind that splash screen? Well, now you can find out!

• Right click My Computer
   
• Select Properties then click on the Advanced tab.
   
• Next click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
   
• Click Edit
   

You'll need to edit this file "BOOT.INI"

• Add /SOS right after /fastdetect with a space between them.
   

The line should look something like this:

• multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows="Microsoft Windows Whistler Professional" /fastdetect /SOS
   

After you restart, the splash screen should be gone! You can set it back simple by removing the /SOS switch

You can have a cascading menu of the My Computer folder on your Toolbar:

Just right-click a blank part of the Taskbar, select Toolbars from the context menu, and choose New Toolbar from the menu. Then use the dialog box that appears to select a folder. select the My Computer folder.

Now resize this folder, by "grabbing" it's handle, and dragging it to the right site of the Toolbar, until you only see the words My Computer, and all icons will be hidden. You will also note a » sign. When you click on it, a cascading menu will appear with the contends of My Computer.

It is a good idea to keep your system up to date with the latest security updates!

• Click Start | Help and Support. Under “Pick a task,” click Keep your computer up–to–date with Windows Update.
   
• Click Click Scan for updates
   Click Yes when prompted to install any required software or device drivers.
   

This will keep your system automatically updated with the latest security updates!

System Restore is a great utility should anything go wrong with your system. You can restore you system back to the last restore point.

Creating a Restore Point:

• Access the System Restore Wizard through Help and Support Center. (Click Start | Help and Support. Click Performance and Maintenance | Using System Restore to undo changes | Run the System Restore Wizard.
   
• Click Create a restore point, and then click Next.
   
• In the Restore point description box, type a name to identify this restore point. System Restore automatically adds to this name the date and time that this Restore Point is created.
   
• Click Create
   

Now if something ever happens to your system, you can always restore you system back to this restore point:

• to return to this restore point, from the Welcome to System Restore screen of the System Restore Wizard select Restore my computer to an earlier time. Then select the date when the restore point was created from the calendar in the Select a Restore Point screen.
   

Annoyed by those silly balloons that keep popping up?

• Right-Click on Start and select Properties
   
• On the Start Menu tab click Customize
   
• Select the Advanced tab
   
• Uncheck the box labeled Highlight Newly Installed Programs
   
• Click OK.
   

The settings can be located using REGEDIT

• Click Start | Run and type REGEDIT
   
• Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE | Software | Microsoft | Windows NT | CurrentVersion
   
• Right-click on RegisteredOwner and select Modify
   
• Change the Value data: to your the new owner name
   
• Right-click on RegisteredOrganization and select Modify
   
• Change teh Value data: to the new organization name
   

Reboot!

Tired of accidentally resizing your taskbar?

• Right-click somewhere on the taskbar where there is empty space.
   
• Select Lock the Taskbar
   

ClearType is an effect that smooths the text fonts on the screen. For some reason, it is disabled by default.

• Click Start | Control Panel
   
• Click the Appearance And Themes tab
   
• Click the Display icon | Appearance tab | Effects button
   
• Check the box labeled Use The Following Method To Smooth Edges Of Screen Fonts and select ClearType
   
• Click OK.
   

Older OS's would autoplay a CD that has music or software to install

XP goes a step further and display or find another way to present the data. This can be rather annoying everytime you want to insert a CD.

• Double-Left-Click on My Computer
   
• Right-Click on your CD-ROM icon and click Properties
   
• Click AutoPlay to bring up the options for this selection
   
• Select the content-type from the drop-down list
   
• Click the radio button for Select An Action To Perform and choose your desired action.
   

NOTE: By selecting Take No Action with a data CD, the CD will no longer open when you are installing new software.

Ever tried to run software that was design for Win98 or WinME and had problems?

Perhaps running the software in Compatibility Mode will enable this software to function properly.

• Right-Click on the shortcut to the problematic software and select Properties
   
• Select the Compatibility tab and check the box marked Run This Program In Compatibility Mode For and select the OS from the dropdown list
   
• Click OK.
   

The Windows key does more than just open the start menu.

1. Tapping the Windows Logo Key Once Opens the start menu
    
2. Holding down the Windows Key and tapping:
    
   • D - minimizes the open windows. (Doing it again re-opens all the windows)
      
   • E - opens Windows Explorer
      
   • F - opens the File Search window
      
   • R - opens the Run window.
      
   • U - opens the utility manager
      
   • Break - opens the System Properties window.
      
   • F1 - opens the Help & Support Center window.
      

PowerTools are created by Microsoft to add to or enhance your Windows XP system.

• You can download them here.

If you've bought a used computer with Windows XP and need to change the registered owner, or for any other reason:

• Click Start | Run and type "regedit"
• Follow the directory to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
• Right click on RegisteredOwner and select modify
• Change any other needed values in this directory

Microsoft has their own set of How-To Articles for Windows XP which is the next place you might look for more tips and tricks!

• For Windows XP Pro:
  http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/default.asp
• For Windows XP Home:
  http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/howto/default.asp

Creating a shortcut to your favorite folder can save you the time and frustration of having to locate the same folder all the time.

• Click Start | My Computer to open Windows Explorer
• Locate the folder that you want to create a shortcut by navigating through the list
• Right click on the folder and select Send To | Desktop (Create Shortcut)