Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.. If the Control Panel is in category view, click the Appearance and Themes category, and then click the Taskbar and Start Menu
Trang 1Figure 10-7: Five HKEY registry keys
5. A new column of registry keys appears Double-click Software
6. A long column of registry keys appears Scroll down until you find Microsoft, and then double-click it
7. Another long list of registry keys appears Scroll down and double-click Windows
8. Double-click the CurrentVersion registry key
9. Double-click the Explorer registry key
10. Click the Advanced registry key (see Figure 10-8)
Figure 10-8: Accessing the Advanced registry key
11. Click the Edit drop-down menu located in the upper-left corner of the Windows Registry Editor
12. Select New
13. Select DWORD Value
14. In the right window pane, a new registry value appears Rename it EnableBalloonTips (see Figure 10-9)
Chapter 10: Customizing Windows for Your Personal Preferences107
16_068557 ch10.qxp 12/13/06 6:15 PM Page 107
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
Trang 2Figure 10-9: Renaming the registry value
15. After renaming the value, double-click it to open it
16. Under the Value Data heading, make sure there is a 0
17. Click the OK button
18. Exit the Registry Editor by clicking the X button in the upper-right corner
19. If you change your mind and want to allow the balloon tips
to appear, all you have to do is repeat these steps to locate the EnableBalloonTips registry key Open it, delete the 0,
and type 1 in its place.
Stop Highlighting New Software
Whenever you install new software, its name will automatically become highlighted in your Start menu’s list of programs The pur-pose of doing this is to help you quickly find your new software in case you need to configure it If you prefer not to see this highlight-ing, you can easily turn it off as follows:
1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows
2. Click the Control Panel (If you don’t see this option, your Start menu is in classic mode In that case, click Settings, and then select the Control Panel.)
3. If the Control Panel is in category view, click the Appearance and Themes category, and then click the Taskbar and Start Menu icon If the Control Panel is in classic view, simply double-click the Taskbar and Start Menu icon
4. A window opens Click the Start Menu tab
5. Click the Customize button
6. Another window opens Click the Advanced tab
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
Trang 37. Under the Start Menu Settings heading, remove the check-mark from the Highlight Newly Installed Programs box
8. Click the OK button
9. You are returned to the previous window Click the Apply button
10. Click the OK button
Turn Off Error Reporting
When Windows XP crashes or hits a snag, it usually displays an error message and asks for permission to report the problem to Microsoft via the Internet To prevent these messages from appearing, turn off the error-reporting feature:
1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop If this icon is not available, click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows and right-click My Computer If you can’t find the My Computer icon anywhere, do the following:
a Right-click in the empty space on your desktop.
b Select Properties.
c A window opens Click the Desktop tab.
d Near the bottom of the window, click the Customize
Desktop button
e Another window will open On the General tab,
beneath the words Desktop Icons, place a checkmark
in the My Computer box
f Click the OK button.
g You are returned to the previous screen Click the
Apply button
h Click the OK button.
i The My Computer icon appears on your desktop.
Double-click it
2. Select Properties
3. A window opens Click the Advanced tab
4. Click the Error Reporting button located in the lower-right corner of this window
Chapter 10: Customizing Windows for Your Personal Preferences109
16_068557 ch10.qxp 12/13/06 6:15 PM Page 109
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
Trang 45. Select the option to Disable Error Reporting If you still want to be notified when serious errors occur, put a check-mark in the But Notify Me When Critical Errors Occur box If you want to disable all types of error reporting so that you never see any error messages, remove the check-mark from this box
Disable Step-by-Step Searches
Windows has an internal search companion that enables you to quickly locate files, folders, or programs on your computer By default, this search engine takes you through a step-by-step process designed to refine your searches and make them more successful Some computer users prefer to disable this feature to make their searches more streamlined and fast Here’s how:
1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows
2. Click Search
3. The Windows Search Companion opens Use the scroll bar
to locate Change Preferences, and then click it
4. Scroll down and click Change Files and Folders Search Behavior
5. Click the Advanced button
6. Click the OK button
Disable the Search Characters
Another aspect of the Search Companion is the animated characters that provide entertainment during your searches If you prefer, you can disable these characters:
1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows
2. Click Search
3. The Windows Search Companion opens Use the scroll bar
to locate Change Preferences, and then click it
4. Click the Without an Animated Screen Character option The character will make a humorous exit and disappear
5. If you change your mind and want to bring back the ani-mated character, follow the previous steps, but this time click With an Animated Screen Character
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
Trang 5Show Inactive Icons
If you have a large number of programs installed on your computer, you might have noticed that the right corner of Windows is jam-packed with icons that are actually shortcuts to your programs To keep this area clean, Windows XP automatically hides the icons for any programs that have not been used recently If you prefer to have these icons remain visible at all times, you must disable the feature known as Hide Inactive Icons Here’s how:
1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows
2. Click the Control Panel (If you don’t see this option, your Start menu is in classic mode In that case, click Settings, and then select the Control Panel.)
3. If the Control Panel is in category view, click the Appearance and Themes category, and then click the Taskbar and Start Menu icon If the Control Panel is in classic view, simply double-click the Taskbar and Start Menu icon
4. A window opens Click the Taskbar tab
5. Remove the checkmark from the Hide Inactive Icons box
6. Click the Apply button
7. Click the OK button
Re-Sync the Windows Clock
If the clock in the lower-right corner of Windows ever displays the wrong time, you can synchronize it with an atomic clock on the Internet — which will ensure that your computer displays the precise time every time
Note
This feature is not available on computers that belong to a network
“domain” (usually domains are found in offices or other business settings)
To reset your clock:
1. Connect to the Internet
2. Double-click the clock located in the lower-right corner of Windows The Date and Time Properties window opens, displaying a clock and a calendar
Chapter 10: Customizing Windows for Your Personal Preferences 111
16_068557 ch10.qxp 12/13/06 6:15 PM Page 111
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.