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3. You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks regarding the mouse. Create a new shortcut at your desktop using a right mouse click, furthermore enter rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. Thats it -- just double click at it furthermore your computer will be locked. And if thats not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.

4. XP hides some system software you might want toward remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can tickle it furthermore make it disgorge everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search beneficial to the word hide furthermore remove it. You can then go toward the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components furthermore there will be your prey, exposed furthermore vulnerable.

5. For those skilled in the art regarding DOS batch files, XP has a number regarding interesting new commands. These include eventcreate furthermore eventtriggers beneficial to creating furthermore watching system events, typeperf beneficial to monitoring performance regarding various subsystems, furthermore schtasks beneficial to handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? will give a list regarding options -- theyre all far too baroque toward go into here.

6. XP has IP version 6 support -- the next generation regarding IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this at your LAN. Type ipv6 install into Run... (its OK, it wont ruin your existing network setup) furthermore then ipv6 /? at the command line toward find out more. If you dont know what IPv6 is, dont worry furthermore dont bother.

7. You can at last get rid regarding tasks at the computer from the command line by using taskkill /pid furthermore the task number, or just tskill furthermore the process number. Find that out by typing tasklist, which will also tell you a lot about whats going at in your system.

8. XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if youve got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files well alone by typing regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can put things back as they were by typing regsvr32 zipfldr.dll.

9. XP has ClearType -- Microsofts anti-aliasing font display technology -- but doesnt have it enabled by default. Its well worth trying, especially if you were there beneficial to DOS furthermore all those years regarding staring at a screen have given you the eyes regarding an astigmatic bat. To enable ClearType, right click at the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu furthermore enable the selection. Expect best results at laptop displays. If you want toward use ClearType at the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType toward 2.

10. You can use Remote Assistance toward help a friend whos using network address translation (NAT) at a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal toward email you a Remote Assistance invitation furthermore edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your chums real IP address -- they can find this out by going toward www.whatismyip.com -- furthermore get them toward make sure that theyve got port 3389 open at their firewall furthermore forwarded toward the errant computer.

11. You can run a program as a different user without logging out furthermore back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As... furthermore enter the user name furthermore password you want toward use. This only applies beneficial to that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need toward have administrative permissions toward install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times at the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.

12. Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking beneficial to auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger furthermore so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might slip the bonds regarding sanity before that point, run Regedit, go toward HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced furthermore create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value regarding 0.

13. You can start up without needing toward enter a user name or password. Select Run... from the start menu furthermore type control userpasswords2, which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box beneficial to Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, furthermore click at OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name furthermore password beneficial to the account you want toward use.

14. Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options... furthermore Advanced, go down toward the Security area furthermore check the box toward Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.

15. XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you cant see the LEDs twinkle at your network card. Right click at My Network Places at the desktop, then select Properties. Right click at the description beneficial to your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. Youll now see a tiny network icon at the right regarding your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.

16. The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides toward appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 toward something a little snappier. Like 0.

17. You can rename loads regarding files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set regarding files in a window, then right click at one furthermore rename it. All the other files will be renamed toward that name, with individual numbers in brackets toward distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alpha betised groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.

18. Windows Media Player will display the cover art beneficial to albums as it plays the tracks -- if it found the picture at the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didnt, or if you have lots regarding pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy regarding the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg furthermore Windows Media Player will pick it up furthermore display it.

19. Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.

20. The next release regarding Windows XP was code named Longhorn.