8 favourite windows XP tips

1. Check for unsigned system files
Open the Run dialogue box and type ‘sigverif’. Then click on Start in the utility that opens and your hard drive is scanned for questionable system files. Now check the files the scan brings up using google.

2. Use Safe Mode
A lot of problems can be solved by restarting Windows XP in Safe Mode. It loads only the minimum of drivers and services, so you can repair dodgy ones without having them flare up in the first place. Access this by pressing [F8] before Windows starts to load.
I always do an antivirus search and spyware/malware checks in safe mode. Many forms of malicious software will protect or reinstall themselves constantly if they are allowed to start in the first place. These programs will situate themselves in one of the many autorun locations in the Windows XP registry and file structure. When you start the PC in safe mode, these autorun locations are not used, allowing virus and spyware removal programs the opportunity they need to correctly and completely remove the malicious software.

Safe mode is the single best thing to try if you are experiencing problems booting your system or if running certain software causes issues with your PC. Using safe mode can let you determine if the problems you are experiencing are hardware malfunctions or software issues. Safe mode is the first thing any tech will do when confronted with a PC that will not boot fully into Windows.

3. Turn back time
What if Windows crashes before it gets to the desktop? Hit [F8] just before Windows starts loading and select ‘Last Known Good Configuration’. This starts Windows using a system checkpoint stored in the registry to undo whatever trouble was happening. Make sure you have system restore ON for this to work.

Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties. In the System Properties dialog box, click the System Restore tab.
Click to clear the Turn off System Restore check box(on the drive with OPERATING SYSTEM). Or, click the Turn off System Restore on all drives check box.
Click OK.

Do you want to create a restore point at any time?
(START - ALL PROGRAMS - ACCESSORIES - SYSTEM TOOLS - SYSTEM RESTORE)

4. Repair Windows XP
When your system gets too unsteady, you can make it repair itself by inserting your original Windows XP CD and restarting, booting from the CD. When you get to the licence agreement, press [F8] and then [R] to perform an in-place repair, leaving your saved files in place and untouched. Run Windows Update when you finish.

5. Find out where that virus is hiding
If you’ve got a worm or virus that your anti-virus software says it’s removed but it reappears, it can be hiding in System Restore files, dormant. Open System Properties, go to System Restore and turn it off. Scan with anti-virus software and turn System Restore on.

6. Add items to the right-click Send To menu
In Windows Explorer, click on Tools > Folder Options > View.
Select ‘Show hidden files and folders’.
Browse to C:\Documents and Settings to see a folder with your name on it. Open it to find a folder called Send To. Drag and drop shortcuts to programs and folders in here.

7. Replace your missing Windows XP files
Error messages warning you of missing .dll files or flaky programs indicate that some core parts of Windows XP are missing, so open the Run dialogue box and type ‘sfc /scannow’. A utility scans your system for missing system files and replaces them. You may be prompted to insert your original Windows XP installation CD, so keep it close to hand.

8. Make USB memory devices read-only (my favourite)
Stop people copying your files on to an external drive or USB key by navigating to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies in RegEdit.
Create a DWORD value called WriteProtect and set it to 1.
To turn it off, set it to 0.

If you don't have this in registry, Click on the Start button, click on Run and type "regedit" and click on OK to start the regedit utility.

Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control.

From there right click and create a new key and name it "StorageDevicePolicies".
In the window on the right then create a new DWORD value and label it WriteProtect, give it a value of "1" and users can no longer write to USB drives.