Tips

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/what-is-ctfmonexe-and-why-is-it-running/

How to enable dvd library

1. Exit Windows Media Center if it is running.
2. Click StartStart button, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then click regedit in the Programs list. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.
3. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: 

 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Settings\DvdSettings

4. In the results pane, right-click ShowGallery, and then click Modify.
5. Delete the contents that appear in the Value data box, type Gallery in the Value data box, and then click OK.
6. Exit Registry Editor.

How to activate adobe acrobat if it is in repair mode activation

Go to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\FLEXnet\, find the file name looks like adobe_00080000_XXX.data, delete the data file, then the acrobat will ask you to activate with the normal activation code.

How to disable simplified sharing and set permissions on a shared folder in Windows XP

If simple file sharing is enabled, you see the simple file sharing user interface appears instead of the Security and Sharing tabs. By default, this new user interface is implemented in Windows XP Home Edition and in Microsoft Windows XP Professional if you are working in a workgroup. If you turn off simple file sharing, the classic Security and Sharing tabs appear, and you can specify which users and groups have access to shared folders on your computer.

To turnoff simple file sharing

  1. Open My computer
  2. Tools --> Folder Options --> Files
  3. Un check "Use Simple file sharing (Recommended)"

making 64-bit WMP as default

In Windows Vista x64 (64bit version), the 32-bit edition of Windows Media Player 11 (WMP 11) is set as the default Windows Media Player. This is done to avoid and reduce any compatibility issues or problems that may arise with codecs or other DirectShow related plug-ins or add-ons that majority of them still built for 32-bit operating system. However, if you decide to use the 64-bit version of WMP11 with your 64bit version of Windows Vista, especially now that more and more codecs support 64-bit computing platform, and a x64 FFDShow codec which can decode virtually any audio or video media files has been released, you can use a few easy method to launch 64 bit WMP11 or simply switch, change or swap the system default media player to x64 Windows Media Player, and revert back to x86 version when you need to.

By default, the 32-bit WMP 11 x86 is located at path of “\Windows Media Player”, and 64-bit WMP11 x64 is located at folder of “\Windows Media Player”. So the first method to use 64-bit Windows Media Player is by launching WMP from its x64 location.

Go to Start -> Run, and execute “\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe” (without quotes). Alternatively, you can create a shortcut with target and location set to the above, and place the shortcut on desktop for easy access.

There is second method that make the WMP 11 x64 as the default media player for the Windows Vista. You need to perform 2 steps each to swap to 64-bit version or to undo the change back to 32-bit version WMP. First step of unregmp2.exe command change the operating system shortcuts to point to WMP 64bit, while the second registry step changes the file associations default program to WMP64-bit, which determines which program will be used when you double click on a media file.

To switch and change to x64 or 64-bit of WMP11, open an elevated command prompt as administrator and type the following command:

% windir%\system32\unregmp2.exe /SwapTo:64

Then, open Registry Editor (regedit), then navigate to the the registry key of “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\wmplayer.exe”.
Then set the registry subkey “Path” to be 

 \Windows Media Player

and “(Default)” subkey (normally the first entry) to 

 "\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" (include quotes).

To undo the x64 change, switch, swap, revert and change back the default media player to Windows Media Player 11 x86 32-bit edition, also open an elevated command prompt with administrator privileges, but issue the following command instead:

\system32\unregmp2.exe /SwapTo:32

Then, run Registry Editor, and reset the value for registry subkey of “Path” and “(Default”).

With either one of two methods, you will have complete full x64 Windows Media Player experience.

Get help or contribute tips or tricks at My Digital Life Forums.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/what-is-ctfmonexe-and-why-is-it-running/

MSN Live messenger not working with Zone Alarm Security

Open Zone alarm --> Program Control --> Programs --> Select Messenger and remove it.

Re-start the Live messenger.

Registry Edits for Windows XP

Tweaks and tips

   http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
   http://www.tunexp.com/tips/

What is the Shared Documents folder used for? Can I remove this option from Windows XP?

Shared folders are counterparts to your personal folders: My Documents, My Pictures, and My Music. Shared Documents, Shared Pictures, and Shared Music provide a place for you to store files, pictures, and music that everyone on your computer can access.

Moving or copying a file or folder to Shared Documents makes it available to everyone who uses your computer. The contents of the shared folders are always available to anyone who uses your computer.

To share files and folders on your computer:

Open My Documents.

Click the file or folder you want to share.

Drag the file or folder to Shared Documents in Other Places.

If you are connected to a network domain, the Shared Documents, Shared Pictures, and Shared Music folders are not available.

To disable this option you should do the following:
Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).

Locate the following key in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace\DelegateFolders

Locate the key {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. Right click on it and select delete.

Reboot or Log off and Log on again to take effect.

To remove the My Sharing folder installed by MSN Messenger

First, check what version of Windows Live Messenger. Run Windows Live Messenger, go to Help -> About Messenger and you should see version there.

For version Live Messenger version 8.0.0812.00, run the following command. 

 regsvr32 -u -s "C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\fsshext.8.0.0812.00.dll"

The above command will remove the my sharing folder from My Computer window.

Open two excel windows Side by Side

One of the weird and annoying things about Excel is that it shows you an item on the Windows taskbar for each document that you have open, but it doesn't let them operate as separate windows. If you're using dual or multiple monitors you'll notice that you can't place one document on each monitor to see them side by side because they share the same window. The following steps will allow you to open Excel documents side by side, but they involve some tweaks to the file system settings in Windows. If you don't fully understand the changes below I would recommend that you not make them as they will be a challenge to fix on your own and could mess up your system. To get Excel to open documents in separate windows so you can place them independently you can do the following:

Excel 2007: 

    * Click the Office Orb in the upper left corner to bring up the menu.
    * Select Excel Options from the bottom right corner of the menu.
    * Click the Advanced tab.
    * Check the "Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange" box and save.

Excel Versions Prior to 2007 

    * Tools|options|General tab|Ignore other applications (check it).

Then in Windows Explorer 

   1. Go to Tools -> Folder Options.
   2. Select the File Types tab.
   3. Select the XLS file type and click "Advanced".
   4. Uncheck the "Browse in same window" checkbox if it is checked.
   5. Select the "Open" Action in the Actions listbox and click "Edit".
   6. In the "Application used to perform action" textbox add "%1" to the end of the line and be sure to include the quotes around the %1.
   7. Uncheck the "Use DDE" checkbox if it is checked.
   8. Click "OK" and "OK" again.
   9. Repeat steps 3-8 for the XLSX file type if you have Office 2007 installed.
  10. Click "OK" to dismiss the Folder Options dialog.

Friday, June 20, 2008 6:34:42 AM (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-07:00)