Windows Xp Hacks/tweaks If you have any, to the registry or MS programs, post here

[fsastraps 0]

Well to start the topic off here is one that some of you guys might like:

 

Extending your screen real estate with virtual desktops

 

At any point during the day, i might be writing software, listening to music, purchasing computer equipment, messing with my mp3 player and sofware, playing computer games. Sometimes I'm doing all those things at once. It's a wonder that i can keep all the windows organized. Forunately, i dont have to do all the organizing myself.

 

Virtual Desktop Manager (VDM) gives me a way to organize the work I'm doing, using up to four switchable desktops. VDM is part of the unsupported PowerToys collection from Microsoft that includes TeakUI, which is another "hack".

 

Download VDM from https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/products/windows powertows.asp and install it on your machine. Once you have installed VDM, you will not notice anthing new. You have to activate its toolbar before you can begin using it. To activate VDM, right-click on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen and select the Toolbars -> Desktop Manager.

 

After you activate VDM, you will notice a new toolvar on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. To switch between desktops, press one of the numbered blue buttons. At first, the desktops will appear the same, because you havent done anything in them to make them unique.

 

Click button 1 and then launch your web browser. Next, click button 2 and then open something else. Now click the green button and youll see that you have a full view of the desktops, and what is open in which.

 

Now if you right click on the toolbar, threre are some options that come up, which lets you configure the desktop images and the shortcut keys. You can also check or uncheck, the animations, and to chose to share Desktops or not.

Its up to you, just change things and play around with it.

 

I hope it helped!

 

 

I corrected the typo in the title of this thread (teaks -> tweaks)

Edited March 26, 2005 by snlildude87 (see edit history)

[JJBDude 0]

Thats a nice tweak/hack but not something I will really be needed. If I understand this correctly then it is giving you a easier way to change your Desktop right? It might be a little easier but it will only really save a few seconds offchanging your Desktop the original way.

[fsastraps 0]

Well if you have used linux before, most linux have different desktops that you can work on, and you can switch between them. That is what that is for.

[ramon 0]

Handy trick, I' going to try this one out soon.I have another hack for xp pro...If you use remote desktop, then there is a limitation, only 1 person can be logged on to the pc simultanious (counting local and remote),by replacing a .dll file, it is possible to log on locally and remote at the same time (you can even tell windows how many concurent connection are allowed).if you are interrested, let me now, so i can get you the required dll file and the needed actions (replace dll, remove file from cache and add registry setting.)greetings.

[fsastraps 0]

Ok, well its been a while since ive posted on this topic, and felt like posting again, see if anybody has any good hacks/tweaks.

 

Add Shorcut Menu Items to Specific File Types

 

When you right-click on a file in Explorer, you get a shourcut menu that includes a list of programs with which you can open the file. But the programs that you want to open those file might not always be on the shorcut menu. It's easy to add new programs to that list. Let's say that you want to add a shorcut menu item that allows .gif files to be opened with a Photoshop. From Windows Explorer, choose Tools -> Folder Options -> File Types. In the Registered File Types list, select the file type for which you want to add a new shorcut menu item. In our example, we'll choose a GIF file. After this hack, any time you click on a file of this type youll get a new chooice to open the file with.

 

One you've chosen your file type choose Advanced -> New. You'll see a New Action dialog box.

 

In the Action box, type the text you want to appear on the shorcut menu for example, Open with Photoshop. In the "Application used to perform includin the full path. Surround it by quotation marks. Then leave a space and type in "%1". The "%1" is a placeholder; it will be used as a substitue for the name of the file on which you right-click. In our instance, the entire string looks like this:

 

"C;\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

 

Click OK. the change will take place immediately, and the new command will appear on teh shorcut menu for the specified file type!

 

I hope you enjoy this little tweak! if any problem... let me know.