11. You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again.
Right click the icon, select Run As... and enter the user name and password you want to
use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have
administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can
have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users,
but this can have unforeseen effects.
12. Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a
Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but
if you feel you might slip the bonds of sanity before that point, run Regedit, go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Win
dows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/Advanced and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with
a value of 0.
13. You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run...
from the start menu and type 'control userpasswords2', which will open the user accounts
application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And
Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box
will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.
14. Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to.
Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options... and Advanced, go down to the
Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser
is closed.
15. XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can't see the LEDs
twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then
select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection,
select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box.
You'll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely
during network traffic.
16. The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things
along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control
Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.
17. You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in
a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to
that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you
can arrange icons in alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.
18. Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks -- if
it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn't,
or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in
the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will
pick it up and 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 things you didn't know about Windows XP
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