The Windows NT Family

Windows XP, 2000 and NT are all related. And even though NT is aging, a lot of people still use it. Wherever possible, the tweaks here will apply across the board, but most will be confined to 2000 and XP since they are in broader use.

If you don't know what the heck NT is, that's OK. You can read about the history of its development and how Windows XP came to be built on its foundations in a lot of places on the web. I recommend Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows as the place to go for the straight beans, in particular the Road to Gold series.What is important to understand is that all of Microsoft's efforts going forward are based on the original Windows NT platform. It looked a lot like Windows 95/98/ME but the way it works is completely different.

Here are the tips that I use.

• Backing up the registry
• Changing the default user folders - My Music, My Pictures
• Change Explorer's habit of modifying typed filenames
• Disable Error Reporting in Windows XP
• The Definitive Guide to Disabling/Removing Messenger
• Disable Checking for Scheduled Tasks on Remote Network Computers
• Disable "Shared Music" and "Shared Pictures" Folders
• How to make custom folder views stick
• How to create a command-prompt shortcut on the context menu
• Speed up Windows by killing eye candy/visual effects

Additional Resources

There are also a few excellent NT resources for you to check out, with far more tips than I will ever publish here - these are the tweaks and tips that I use, but I don't aim to cover it all. Feel free to peruse these links for more stuff:

• Woody's Lounge
• Windows NT/2000/XP FAQ
• JSI, Inc. FAQ
• The Expert's Exchange