Enable Quick Reboot

This Hack will allows you to use quick reboot function to restart Windows immediately without shutting down. When its enabled, you can restart the Windows by press Shift + Ctrl + Alt + Delete.

Navigate to:
HLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Create a new or modify the existing String value called "EnableQuickReboot" and set it to "1" to enable it.

Note: USE this METHOD only when the system has stopped responding.

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Enable Font Smoothing on Welcome Screen

Windows XP have a new feature called "Clear Type" which is designed to make fonts readable on LCD and low resolution screens in a better way. This tweak allows you to enable font smoothing on Welcome screen (it is normally disabled).

Navigate to:
User Key: HCU\Control Panel\Desktop
System Key: HU\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

Set the value of "FontSmoothing" to "2" and the value of "FontSmoothingType" to "2" to enable Font Smoothing.

Note: Restart Windows for the change to take effect.

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Show Detailed Information in Device Manager

After doing this tweak/Hack Device Manager will show you detailed OR additional information about the devices which is not shown generally.

Navigate to:
HLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment

Create a new String value / modify existing value, named "DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS" and set it "1" to enable details device information.

NOTE: restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.

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Restrict Users from Running Specific Applications

This tweak will allows you to specify applications and filenames that other users of the Computer will not able to execute or run.

Navigate to:
HCUSoftware\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Policies\Explorer

Create a new DWORD value as "DisallowRun" set the value to "1" to enable application restrictions.

Then create a new sub-key called

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\DisallowRun

Define the applications the are to be restricted by creating a new string value for each application and set the value to the file name to be restricted.  (e.g. if you want to restrict the users to run Windows registry, just create a new string value named as "regedit.exe".

Restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

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Allow Fast User Switching

Fast user switching allows you to quickly switch to another user account without closing any programs of current session.

Navigate To:
HLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Create a new or modify the existing DWORD value, called "AllowMultipleTSSessions" and set it '1' to enable Fast User Switching.

Note: Restart OR logout is required for the change to take effect.

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Creating Program Aliases in Windows

Windows registry allows you to create program aliases i.e when you type "spreadsheet.exe" in Run it will open Excel Sheet i.e. C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE

Navigate to
HLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths

Create a sub-key, and call it the name of the alias you wish to create (e.g. "spreadsheet.exe") then Double Click on Default value of the sub-key and enter the complete path of the executable which you want to launch when you execute the alias (e.g. "C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE").

To test go to Start >> Run and type spreedsheet.exe and it will open Excel Sheet.

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Remove Programs from the Add/Remove Programs List

Windows compatible programs must include an uninstall program, sometimes though the program may get removed but the entry in Add/Remove programs does not. This tweak allows you to manually remove any orphaned entries.

Navigate To:
HLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

To see which application each sub-key represents, open it and there should be at least two values 'DisplayName' and 'UninstallString'.

• 'DisplayName' is the name used in the Add/Remove programs list.
• 'UninstallString' is the program used to uninstall the application.

To remove a program from the list you can simply highlight and delete the sub-key representing that program.

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Force Windows to Unload DLLs from Memory

Windows Explorer caches DLLs (Dynamic-Link Libraries) in memory for a period of time after the application using them has been closed. This can be an inefficient use of memory on low memory systems, and may cause problems or delays for programmers developing with Windows DLL files.

Navigate to:
HLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Create a new sub-key named 'AlwaysUnloadDLL' and set the default value to equal '1'.

Restart Windows for the change to take effect.

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