Speeding Up Share Viewing

When you connect to another computer with Windows XP, it checks for any Scheduled tasks on that computer - a fairly useless task, but one that can add up to 30 seconds of waiting on the other end - not good! Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to disable this process.

First, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace
in the Registry. Below that, there should be a key called {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}. Just delete this, and after a restart, Windowswill no longer check for scheduled tasks - major performance improvement!

Renew IP address

Often using a LAN inside a home, users will encounter one or more PC's that refust to renew the IP address and bring the network back to a fully usable state. However this took care of that problem for us I hope it will for other XP home and PRO users.

• Releasing and Renewing an IP address on Windows NT/2000/XP

1. Click the Start menu in the lower left hand part of the screen.
2. Click Run.
3. In the space provided type "ipconfig /release" and click OK. Note that there is a space between ipconfig and the /release.
4. To renew the IP address from the DOS prompt, type "ipconfig /renew". Note that there is a space between ipconfig and the /renew.

• Releasing and Renewing an IP address on Windows XP

1. Click the Start menu in the lower left hand part of the screen.
2. Click Run.
3. In the space provided type "ipconfig /release" and click OK. Note that there is a space between ipconfig and the /release.
4. Type "ipconfig /renew". Note that there is a space between ipconfig and the /renew.

Turn Off Error Notification of Script Error

Only the webmaster has to know about every single script error. To turn off the error messages that pop-up, do this:

1. Go to Tools, Internet Options. Click Advanced on the far right.
2. In the browsing set, you should see one that says "Display Notification of Every Script Error". Uncheck it if its checked.
3. Also, click "Disable Script Debugging" to stop that, also.

Faster and more powerful Internet searching then ever before

This tweak will have you searching the Internet faster and more powerfully then you ever have before.

1. Get TweakUI Powertoy for WindowsXP

2. Start -> Programs -> Powertoys for Windows XP -> TweakUI for Windows XP

3. Click the '+' next to 'Internet Explorer'

4. Hightlight 'Search'

5. In the right plane click on the 'Create' button.

6. For the Prefix, type in 'Google' or if you're REALLY lazy (like me) then just 'g'

7. for the URL, enter: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%s&num=100

The 'hl' is language, the 'q' is the query, and the 'num' is the number of results per page. To search for multiple keywords at a time, use the format 'google monkey+cars' or just 'g monkey+cars' depending how you chose to set it up.

If you use another search engine, then you must have never tried Google.

Here are some reasons to help sway you: http://www.google.com/technology/whyuse.html

It has no graphics to load, no popups, no graphical ads, and codes your search terms in bold to prove the pages it lists have all you wanted.

And if that didn't work, try installing a BSD or *nix type OS, and finding solutions to cryptic error messages using any other search engine.

Sooner or later you'll realize Google is tops. Just give it a month's trial and see if you ever leave it ;)

On request for advanced users only. If you don't want to use TweakUi, use this registry file or make the according changes manually.

;--begin copy below-------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\g]
@="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%s&num=100"
" "="+"
"#"="%23"
"&"="%26"
"?"="%3F"
"+"="%2B"
"="="%3D"

;--end copy---------------------------------------------------------

Copy and paste into notepad, save as "search.reg", right click - merge.

Disable IE's Macromedia Flash plug-in

The Flash player is necessary for many of those pop-up ads and graphics on the internet, particularly on many of Yahoo!'s webpages. To prevent these annoyances from appearing, do the following:

1. Ensure Internet Explorer is closed.

2. Determine your path to the flash plug-in (the plug-in will be a file whose name contains the word 'flash', and the extension .ocx) For most installations, it will be C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\swflash.ocx.

2. Unregister the plug-in by typing the following at the Start|Run prompt:

regsvr32 c:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\swflash.ocx /u


When you restart IE, most (if not all) of those pop-ups should cease to bother you.

Can't connect to computers in your network?

This may not solve everyone's problem with networking, but this is one way to fix a problem if you can't connect to users' computer.


1. Click start button

2. Click "My Network Places"

3. Right-click and click on "Properties"

4. Right-click on "Local Area Connection" and click on "Properties"

5. click on the "Authentication" tab

6. Uncheck "Enable network access control using IEEE 802.1X"

7. Click "OK"

Hopefully that should fix the problem. If it didn't then you have a different problem. Enjoy!

Assigning a Static IP Address

To assign a Static IP Address to your network connection follow these steps:

1. Open Network Connections

2. Right click the connection you wish to assign a Static Address to and choose Properties.

3. In the Properties box that comes up select "Internet Protocol TCP/IP" and click the Properties button beneath.

4. In Internet Protocol TCP/IP Properties place a dot in "Use the following IP Address".

5. Enter the IP address you wish to use and OK the change. Click OK on Local Area Connection Properties.

6. Reboot

Activating Passive FTP Mode

If you have problems connectiong to FTP servers using Internet Explorer when your computer is behind a firewall, you need to enable passive mode so you can connect a different way.

1. In IE6 XP open the Tools tab -> go to Internet Options -> Advanced tab -> scroll down till you find "Use Passive FTP (for firewall and DSL modem compatibility)" -> TICK this setting -> hit Apply

This should resolve all problems with accessing FTP servers.