Disabling the Right-Click on the Start Button

Normally, when you right button click on the Start button, it allows you to open your programs folder, the Explorer and run Find. In situations where you don't want to allow users to be able to do this in order to secure your computer. 1.Open RegEdit 2.Search for Desktop 3.This should bring you to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory 4.Expand this section 5.Under Shell is Find 6.Delete...

Disabling My Computer

In areas where you are trying to restrict what users can do on the computer, it might be beneficial to disable the ability to click on My Computer and have access to the drives, control panel etc. To disable this: 1.Open RegEdit 2.Search for 20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D 3.This should bring you to the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID section 4.Delete the entire section. Now...

Opening Explorer from My Computer

By default, when you click on the My Computer icon, you get a display of all your drives, the Control Panel etc. If you would like to have this open the Explorer: 1. Open RegEdit 2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\ Shell 3 . Add a new Key named "Open" if it does not exists by right clicking "Shell" and selecting new. 4. . Add a new Key...

Disabling Drives in My Computer

To turn off the display of local or networked drives when you click on My Computer: 1.Open RegEdit 2.Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Policies\ Explorer 3.Add a New DWORD item and name it NoDrives 4.Give it a value of 3FFFFFF 5.Now when you click on My Computer, none of your drives will sh...

Changing the caption on the Title Bar

Change the Caption on the Title Bar for OutLook Express or the Internet Explorer: For Outlook Express: 1. Open RegEdit 2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\OutLook Express For IE5 and up use: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\IDENTITIES \{9DDDACCO-38F2-11D6-93CA-812B1F3493B}\ SOFTWARE\ MICROSOFT\ OUTLOOK EXPRESS\5.0 3. Add a string value "WindowTitle" (no space) ...

Changing Telnet Window

You can view more data if you increase the line count of Telnet. By Default it has a window size of 25 lines. To increase this so you can scroll back and look at a larger number on lines: 1. Open RegEdit 2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Telnet 3. Modify the value data of "Ro...

Changing the Tips of the Day

You can edit the Tips of the day in the Registry by going to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ explorer\ T...

Removing Items from NEW Context Menu

When you right-click on the desktop and select New, or use the File Menu item in the Explore and select New a list of default templates you can open up are listed. To remove items from that list: 1. Open RegEdit 2. Do a Search for the string ShellNew in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Hive 3. Delete the ShellNew command key for the items you want to rem...

Disable Password Caching

To disable password caching, which allows for the single Network login and eliminates the secondary Windows logon screen. Either use the same password or: 1. Open RegEdit 2. Go to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Policies\ Network 3. Add a Dword value "DisablePwdCaching" and set the value to...

Automatic Screen Refresh

When you make changes to your file system and use Explorer, the changes are not usually displayed until you press the F5 key To refresh automatically: 1. Open RegEdit 2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Update 3. Set the value name "UpdateMode" to...

Deleting Registry Keys from the Command Line

There are two ways to delete a key from the Registry from the Command line. At the Windows Command line: RegEdit /l location of System.dat /R location of User.dat /D Registry key to delete You cannot be in Windows at the time you use this switch. Or you can create a reg file as such: REGEDIT4 [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\the key you want to delete] Note the negative sign just...

Change/Add Restrictions And Features

If you want to make restrictions to what users can do or use on their computer without having to run Poledit, you can edit the Registry. You can add and delete Windows features in this Key shown below. Zero is Off and the value 1 is On. Example: to Save Windows settings add or modify the value name NoSaveSettings to 0, if set to1 Windows will not save settings. And NoDeletePrinter...

Creating a Logon Banner

If you want to create a Logon Banner: A message box to appear below your logon on. 1.Open RegEdit 2.Go To For Windows 9x and ME - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Winlogon For Windows 2000 XP 2003 Vista - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Winlogon 3.Create a new String value"LegalNoticeCaption " ...

Creating a Default File Opener

If you have a un-registered file type and want to view it instead of having to select Open With. Use Explorer's Right-click and add your program to the right-click options by: 1. Open RegEdit 2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\Shell 3. Right click on "Shell" and create a New Key and name it "Open " 4. Create a New Key under the "Open" key you just created and name it "Command"...

Adding Explore From Here to Every Folder

When you want to right click on any folder and want to open up an Explorer window of that folder. 1. Open RegEdit 2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell 3. Add a new Key "RootExplore " under the "Shell" Key 4. Set the (Default) value to "E&xplore From Here " 5. Right Click the "RootExplore " Key and add a new Key "Command"to the RootExplore 6. Set the (Default) value...

Changing the Location of Windows' Installation Files

If you need to change the drive and or path where Windows looks for its installation files: 1.Open RegEdit 2.Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Setup 3.Edit the value next to SourceP...

Changing Exchange/Outlook Mailbox Location

To change the location of your mailbox for Exchange: 1. Open RegEdit 2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\Windows Messaging Subsystem\ Profiles 3. Go to the profile you want to change 4. Go to the value name that has the file location for your mailbox (*.PST) file 5. Make the change to file location or name To change the location of your mailbox for Outlook 1....

Add/Remove Sound Events from Control Panel

You can Add and delete sounds events in the Control Panel. In order to do that: 1. Open RegEdit2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Eventlabels. If this key does not exist you can create it and add events. 3. You can add/delete any items you want to or delete the ones you no longer want....

Adding an Application to the Right Click on Every Folder

Here is how to add any application to the Context Menu when you right click on any Folder. This way you do not have to always go to the Start Menu. When you right click on any folder, you can have access to that application, the same as using Sent To. 1. Open RegEdit 2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell 3. Add a new Key to the "Shell" Key and name it anything you like.4....

Change the Registered Change the User Information

You can change the Registered Owner or Registered Organization to anything you want even after Windows is installed. 1) Open RegEdit 2) Got to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion. 3) Change the value of "RegisteredOrganization" or "RegisteredOwner", to what ever you want...

Opening a DOS Window to either the Drive or Directory in Explorer

Add the following Registry Keys for a Directory: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\opennew @="Dos Prompt in that Directory" HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\opennew\command @="command.com /k cd %1" Add or Edit the following Registry Keys for a Drive: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\opennew @="Dos Prompt in that Drive" HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\opennew\command @="command.com...

Changing Windows' Icons

You can change the Icons Windows uses for folders, the Start Menu, opened and closed folder in the Explorer, and many more. 1. Open RegEdit 2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ Shell Icons 3. Add a string value for each Icon you wish to change.Example: "3" ="C:\Windows\Icons\MyIcon.ico,0" This will change the closed folders in...