How to uninstall Internet Explorer 8 for Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003

Windows XP or for Windows Server 2003

1. Carefully select and then copy the following command:
   %windir%\ie8\spuninst\spuninst.exe
2. Click Start, click Run, type cmd.exe, and then press ENTER.
3. Right-click inside the cmd.exe window, and then click Paste to paste the command that you copied in step 1.
4. Press ENTER to uninstall Internet Explorer 8. When the uninstall program is finished, restart your computer.

Verify that your earlier version of Internet Explorer was restored.

For Windows Vista

1. Carefully select and then copy the following command:
   FORFILES /P %WINDIR%\servicing\Packages /M Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-8*.mum /c 'cmd /c echo Uninstalling package @fname && start /w pkgmgr /up:@fname /norestart'
2. Click Start, and then type cmd.exe in the Start Search box.
3. In the list of programs, right-click Cmd.exe, and then click Run as administrator.
   Note: If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.
4. Right-click inside the Administrator: Command Prompt window, and then click Paste to paste the command that you copied in step 1.
5. Press ENTER to uninstall Internet Explorer 8. When the uninstall program is finished, restart your computer.

Verify that your earlier version of Internet Explorer was restored.

Unable to open .PPS attachments directly from Outlook Express?

Symptom

After installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Service Pack 3 (SP3), when you open a .PPS file that came as a mail attachment in Outlook Express, the following error may be displayed:

This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel

Whereas the same file may open fine when saved to disk and then viewed.

Resolution

Using the PPSFix utility

Download PPSFix.zip (~12 KB). Unzip the file and run the utility. Select the file types that you want to fix, and then click Fix. Note that you need to login as administrator in order to use this utility.

Manual fix

• Click Start, Run and type CONTROL FOLDERS
• In the Folder Options applet that opens, select the File Types tab
• Scroll down and locate the following entry:

PPS (Microsoft PowerPoint Slide Show)

• Click Advanced
• Click the New button
• Type Open in the the Action: text box
• In the Application used to perform action: field, type the following exactly:

For PowerPoint Viewer 2003:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\PowerPoint Viewer\pptview.exe" "%1"

For PowerPoint Viewer 2007:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\pptview.exe" "%1"

• Uncheck the Use DDE box
• Click OK, OK
• Close the Folder Options dialog

when open Internet Explorer got error message - Buffer overrun detected!

Error message:
"Microsoft visual C++ Runtime library
Buffer overrun detected!
Program C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Iexplore.exe
A bufer overrun has been detected which has corrupted the program's internal state. The program cannot safely continue execution and must now be terminated"

Solution

- Delete unwanted junk files by using command prompt.
click on START -> RUN -> CMD ->OK
xp - Cd local* or vista - cd app*
cd temp
del *.* /s/q/f
cd c:\windows\temp
del *.* /s/q/f
cd..
cd prefetch
del *.* /s/q/f

- Reset Internet Explorer 7
click on START -> RUN -> inetcpl.cpl -> OK
On Internet properties windows -> click the 'Advanced' tab.
Under 'Reset Internet Explorer Settings', click 'Reset'.

Note: Reset Internet Explorer to its default configuration. This step will also disable any add-ons, plug-ins or toolbars that are installed. Although this solution is quick, it also means that, if you want to use any of those add-ons in the future, they must be reinstalled.

- Disable Start up applications and services
click on START -> RUN -> MSCONFIG -> OK

- Download Prevx 3.0 Home & Family Or Prevx 3.0 Business
- Scan your computer.

windows media player error message.

"To finish installing Windows media player, restart your computer and then log on as an administrator or a member of the administratos group"

-Open the registry editor
-Start>Run key in regedit then click on OK or hit ENTER
and navigate to:
-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>Software>Microsoft>MediaPlayer>Setup
-In the right-hand pane, locate and double-click on the value "InstallResult"
-If the current value of InstallResult is 0xd2af9 or 0xC00D2AFB, change it to 0x0
-Exit the registry editor
-Restart your computer

Is the Snipping Tool Missing in Your Windows Vista PC?

The Snipping Tool, a neat little tool included with certain editions of Windows Vista, helps you capture a screenshot of any object on your screen, and then annotate, save, or share the image. Snipping Tool can be launched via Start | All Programs | Accessories | Snipping Tool

Note that the Snipping Tool is part of Tablet PC Optional Components, and is shipped with Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, and Windows Vista Ultimate Editions only.

If you’re using one of the above Windows Vista editions and still unable to find the Snipping Tool, then the Tablet PC Optional Components may have been uninstalled in your system. Here is how to reinstall it.

INSTALLING THE SNIPPING TOOL

1. Click Start, Control Panel.

2. Click Programs, Turn Windows features on or off.

3. If the User Account Control dialog pops up for task elevation confirmation, click Continue.

4. Scroll down the list of entries in the Windows Features dialog, tick the check box for Tablet PC Optional Components.

5. Click OK.

Snipping Tool should now be reinstalled, along with other Tablet PC Components.

Note: You can also open the Windows Features dialog directly by typing OptionalFeatures.exe in the Start, Search box.

Update AVG Anti-Virus Silently Using Command-Line

There is an undocumented command-line parameter (/SCHED) that can be used with AVG Updater to check for and install updates automatically. The /SCHED switch can be used with AVG Anti-Virus versions 7 & 8.

AVG Anti-Virus 8.x

"%ProgramFiles%\AVG\AVG8\avgupd.exe" /SCHED=4

AVG Anti-Virus 7.x

"%ProgramFiles%\Grisoft\AVG7\avginet.exe" /SCHED=4

To test if the last update was successful, open AVG User Interface and verify the Last scan/Last update time and the Virus Database version.

Show Hidden Files and Folders Option Missing or Does Not Work

The hidden files and folders in Windows Explorer may not be displayed even though you enable the Show hidden files and folders option in the Folder Options. The files and folders can be viewed when using search, or using the DIR /A command from the Command Prompt window.

Also, when you go to open the Folder Options and click the View tab, both the radio buttons Do not show hidden files and folders and Show hidden files and folders may be enabled.

The above symptoms occur if the system is infected by Malware, which modifies the CheckedValue registry value in these branches:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced \ Folder \ Hidden \ NOHIDDEN

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced \ Folder \ Hidden \ SHOWALL

This ploy is used by many Viruses, so that the hidden file (malicious executable or script) won’t be displayed in Explorer. (REF Google Search Results). Also note that some Viruses remove the above option altogether from the View tab of Folder Options applet.

Registry Fix

To fix the above setting, download foldersettings.reg and save to Desktop. Right-click on the file and choose Merge. This fix can be applied in Windows XP as well as in Windows Vista systems.

Reconfigure the Show hidden files and folders option now. Then update your anti-virus software and run a full system scan. And don’t forget to follow-up with a thorough checkup for Malware.

Configure Task Manager to Display Full Path of Running Processes

Task Manager is a helpful tool which displays information about the performance of your computer and the programs and processes that are running on your computer. By default, the Task Manager does not list the complete path and the command-line arguments for the running processes. This article tells you how to enable those two options.

Task Manager columns

Launch Task Manager (taskmgr.exe). From the View menu, click Select Columns… Scroll down the listing, select the following options and click OK.

• Image Path Name
• Command Line

(Fig 1: Task Manager showing Image Path Name and Command Line)

Note: The options Image Path Name and Command Line are not available in Windows 2000 and Windows XP versions of Task Manager. In Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems, you need Process Explorer or any other process viewer to list the path name and command line of a running process. You’d also like to read my earlier article titled What’s the suspicious Rundll32.exe process? which was originally written for Windows XP.

How to Reset the Norton UAC “Don’t Ask Me Again” List

Norton UAC Beta includes the Don’t ask me again option to turn off prompting for the same action next time. However it doesn’t provide a GUI option to undo the setting or clear the Don’t ask me again white list. For now, this has to be done via the registry.

The Don’t ask me again listing is stored in the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Symantec \ SymConsent \ Data

Each DWORD value in the above branch represents an action. The value names are not obvious as the Norton UAC tool uses some sort of hash algorithm to store each action.

To reset the listing, start Regedit.exe, navigate to the previously mentioned registry branch, and delete all the DWORD values in the right pane.

Information in this article applies to Norton UAC Beta (Version 2008.1.0.11). Future versions of Norton UAC might include this feature as a built-in GUI option.

Fix for Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1 Install Problems With Norton Product Installed

After installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 or Windows Vista Service Pack 1, you may experience the following problems:

• Device Manager is empty
• Missing Wireless network adaptors or other hardware devices
• Unable to connect using a wireless adapter

When you install Windows XP Service Pack 3 or Windows Vista Service Pack 1, a tool that is called Fixccs.exe adds numerous registry keys in many locations but is unable to remove them, if you have a Norton 2008 product in your computer. Symantec has released an update (available via LiveUpdate) that can prevent this problem from occuring. For more information, see FAQ Upgrading to Windows XP Service Pack 3 or Windows Vista Service Pack 1 with your Norton 2008 product installed.

Note: If you’ve already upgraded to XP Service Pack 3 or Vista Service Pack 1 and facing the above problems, download and run the SymRegFix.exe fix from the Symantec link mentioned earlier.

Update

Microsoft has added two new articles containing a fix for this problem. Check these links:

• Device Manager and Network Connections may be blank after you install Windows XP Service Pack 3
• Device Manager may not show any devices and Network Connections may not show any network connections after you install Windows XP SP3

Restore Network Connections Icon to the Control Panel in Windows Vista

Network Connections icon is hidden by default from the Control Panel in Windows Vista. Here is a registry edit to unhide the Network Connections icon.

Add Network Connections icon to the Control Panel

1. Click Start, type regedit.exe and press ENTER

2. Navigate to the following branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Control Panel \ don’t load

3. In the right pane, right-click ncpa.cpl and choose Delete

4. Exit the Registry Editor.

Registry Fix

To automate the above, download ncpa-cpl-unhide.reg and save to Desktop. Double-click the file to run it. To reverse the changes, run ncpa-cpl-hide.reg.

How to Rename the Network Icon in Vista

Q: Is there any way to rename the Network icon (for example, to "My Network Places") in Windows Vista? The context menu which appears when you right-click the Network icon on the Vista desktop doesn’t have a "Rename" option.

A: Yes, the Network icon text can be renamed. But it takes a registry edit. Follow these steps:

Click Start, type regedit.exe and press ENTER

Navigate to the following location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Classes \ Local Settings \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Shell \ MuiCache

In the right-pane, locate the value named @C:\Windows\system32\NetworkExplorer.dll,-1

Double-click @C:\Windows\system32\NetworkExplorer.dll,-1

Replace the existing data ("Network") with your preferred text (say, "My Network Places")

Click OK and exit the Registry Editor.

Press F5 to refresh the desktop icons.

Turn on or Off Thumbnail Display on Network Folders in Vista

There is a new Policy setting in Windows Vista which allows you disable the display of thumbnails on network folders in Windows Explorer. I don’t know if this speeds up the access of network folders, but thought I’d add this tip anyway.

In Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions, you can use the Group Policy Editor to configure this setting.

Disable Thumbnail display on Network folders

1. Click Start, type gpedit.msc and press ENTER

2. Go to the following branch:

User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Explorer

3. Double-click the following option and set it to Enabled

Turn off the display of thumbnails and only display icons on network folders

4. Click OK.

If you enable this policy, Windows Explorer will only display icons and never display thumbnails on network folders.

Registry Fix

This setting can be configured using a Registry-based Policy. Download network-thumbs.zip. Unzip and extract the contents to a folder. Double-click the file disablenwthumb.reg to run it. Logoff and login back. To undo the setting, run the file enablenwthumb.reg.

The REG files adds data to the following branch:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer

Value Name : DisableThumbnailsOnNetworkFolders
Value Data : 1 or 0
Value Type : REG_DWORD

Enable or Disable Thumbnail Preview for PDF Files

Adobe Acrobat Reader includes a thumbnail extractor shell extension which generates thumbnail preview for PDF files in Explorer. If you want to disable PDF thumbnail generation for performance or for other reasons, use the steps listed below:

(This assumes that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in your system.)

Disable Thumbnail Preview for .PDF files

Note: For an automated solution using REG files, see section Registry Fix in this article.

1. Launch Regedit.exe and navigate to the following branch:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ AcroExch.Document.7 \ Shellex \ {BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}

2. Backup the branch using the Export option under File menu.

3. Right-click {BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1} and choose Delete. Click Yes when prompted for confirmation.

4. Exit the Registry Editor.

5. Logoff and login back for the change to take effect.

Tip: Existing PDF files may still show thumbnail preview from the thumbnail cache. In Windows XP you can simply delete the hidden file named thumbs.db (thumbnail database file) to refresh the views. In Windows Vista, use the Disk Cleanup tool to clear the thumbnail cache.

If you’re using Windows Vista, the Preview pane can still generate preview for PDF files, despite the above setting.

Registry Fix

1. Download pdf-thumb.zip and save to Desktop.

2. Extract the files to a folder.

3. Double-click pdf-thumb-disable.reg to run it.

4. Logoff and login back for the change to take effect.

Undo information: To reverse the changes, run the file pdf-thumb-enable.reg.

How to Add a Drop Shadow Effect for Image Thumbnail Previews in Windows Vista

When you open a folder containing image files in Windows Vista, the thumbnail images have a photo border by default. You can remove the photo border and add a drop shadow effect using a registry edit.

Add Drop Shadow Effect for Thumbnails

1. Click Start, type Regedit.exe and press ENTER

2. Navigate to the following branch:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT SystemFileAssociations image

3. Double-click the value named Treatment

4. Set its Value data accordingly. See table below for possible data.

Value Data	Meaning
0	No Adornment
1	Drop Shadow
2	Photo Border
3	Video Sprockets

(REF MSDN - Thumbnail Providers)

5. Exit the Registry Editor.

Screenshots

Fig 1: No Adornment

Fig 2: Drop Shadow

Fig 3: Photo Border

Fig 4: Video Sprockets

How to hide the "Delete" command from Recycle Bin context menu in Windows Vista

Summary

How to restore the Recycle Bin icon to the Desktop in Windows Vista. This article tells you how to hide the Delete command from the Context Menu of the Recycle Bin, and replace it with Search... command. This is a counter-measure to prevent accidental deletion of the Recycle bin icon from the Desktop in Windows Vista.

More information

The Delete command from the Recycle Bin context menu in Windows Vista cannot be removed, but can be hidden by using a tweak. To hide the Delete command and replace it with a Search... command, use these steps:

• Download the file Vista_recyclebin_hidedelete.reg (from the Attachments section below)
• Save the file to your Desktop
• Right-click on the file and choose Merge
• If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation
• Click Yes to continue
• After applying the REG file, the Recycle bin context menu will appear as in Fig 1 below:

(Fig 1)

How to undo the above tweak?

To undo the above tweak, and to show the Delete option (default setting), download and apply the Vista_recyclebin_showdelete.reg file. After applying the undo REG file, the Delete option should be restored, as in the figure below.

(Fig 2)

Attachments

* Vista_recyclebin_hidedelete.reg
* Vista_recyclebin_showdelete.reg

Recycle Bin icon does not refresh automatically

How to fix Disk Defragmenter problems in Windows XP

Symptoms

When you open the Properties dialog box for the local hard disk and then click the Tools tab, one of the following symptoms may occur:

• The Defragment Now button is unavailable
• When you click Defragment Now, you receive the following error message:

The Disk Defragmenter is not installed on your computer. To install it, double-click the Add or Remove Programs icon in Control Panel, click the Install/Uninstall tab, and then follow the instructions on your screen.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

• Click Start, click Run, type %Windir%\Inf, and then click OK.
• Right-click the dfrg.inf file, and then click Install.

Alternately, you can reinstall Disk Defragmenter using the following command:

Click Start, Run and type:

rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 %windir%\inf\dfrg.inf

If the Defrag Snap-in fails to initialize, type these commands in Start, Run dialog one by one:

• regsvr32 dfrgsnap.dll
• regsvr32 dfrgui.dll

Error "Automation server can't create object" while viewing the system information in Help and Support Center

Symptoms

When you attempt to use the View the status of my system hardware and software or Find information about the hardware installed on this computer options in the Help and Support Center, the progress bar may stop and the following error message may appear:

Automation server can't create object

Also, when you scan using Network Diagnostics, the scan process may stall at 99% while "formatting results".

Resolution

To resolve the problem, disable all script blockers if any temporarily and try again. If that does not help, execute the following commands from Start, Run dialog:

• regsvr32 jscript.dll
• regsvr32 wshom.ocx
• regsvr32 scrrun.dll

If the problem persists, try reinstalling Windows Script 5.6 from Microsoft site. The download URL is given below:

Windows Script 5.6 for Windows XP and Windows 2000

Error "This language is no longer available for spell checking" when using the Spell Checker in Windows Mail

When you use the Spell check feature when composing a new mail message in Windows Mail, the following error message may be displayed:

This language is no longer available for spell checking. Please select another in the spelling options dialog.

Resolution

This happens if the default language is not set in the spell checker options. Follow these steps to resolve the problem:

1. Start Windows Mail

2. From the main screen in Windows Mail, click the Tools menu and choose Options...

Note: In step 2, make sure that you select the Tools menu from the main window, not the New Mail message window.

3. Click the Spelling tab From the Language drop-down, select English even though it's already listed as the default selection, and click Apply.

4. Click OK

How to remove "My Sharing Folders" from My Computer?

Windows Live Messenger introduces the Sharing Folders feature which allows you share files with your contacts. It also creates a special folder named My Sharing Folders in the My Computer view.

If you don't plan to use the feature, or to remove the folder from My Computer, use the following steps:

Method 1

Click Start, Run and type:

regsvr32 /u "%programfiles%\MSN Messenger\fsshext.8.0.0792.00.dll"

Press Enter.

Note that the above file name may vary depending upon the version and build number for Windows Live Messenger. Therefore, it's better to see if the above file (fsshext.8.0.0792.00.dll) exists. For example, in build 0787, the file name may be fsshext.8.0.0787.00.dll.

Method 2

• Click Start, Run and type Regedit.exe
• Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ MyComputer \ NameSpace \ {FC9FB64A-1EB2-4CCF-AF5E-1A497A9B5C2D}

• Backup the above key by exporting it to a file.
• Select the {FC9FB64A-1EB2-4CCF-AF5E-1A497A9B5C2D} key and delete it.
• Close Regedit.exe

How to disable Fast User Switching in Windows Vista

Disabling Fast User Switching in Windows Vista

• Click Start, type gpedit.msc and press Enter
• Go to the following location:

Local Computer Policy | Administrative Templates | System | Logon

• Set Hide entry points for Fast User Switching to Enabled
• Quit the Group Policy Editor.

By enabling the policy, Administrators hide the Switch user button in the Logon UI, the Start menu and the Task Manager. Note that the Group Policy Editor does not exist in certain editions of Windows Vista. Alternately, you can configure the setting via the registry.

Registry edit

• Click Start, type regedit.exe and press Enter
• Navigate to the following branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ System

• Create a DWORD (32-bit) Value named HideFastUserSwitching
• Set the Value data for HideFastUserSwitching to 1
• Quit the Registry Editor.

Error "Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator" when you open the Registry Editor in Windows Vista

Symptom

When you attempt to start the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) in your Windows Vista system, you may receive the following message:

Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator

Resolution

If the above error message is shown in a standalone system, then it may be a result of Malware infection. It is also possible that the DisableRegistryTools policy had been enabled by a third-party tweak program which you may be using. It's highly advisable to follow up with a complete system checkup for Virus and Malware, especially when you're unsure about the cause.

Note: If your system is connected to a domain, your network administrator may have enabled the DisableRegistryTools Policy setting. In that case, you'll need to contact the network administrator to relax this restriction, if need be.

Method 1 - Using Group Policy Editor

If you are using an edition of Windows Vista (Windows Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate editions) which includes the Group Policy Editor, follow these steps:

• Click Start, type gpedit.msc in the Search box, and press ENTER
• Go to the following branch:

User Configuration | Administrative Templates | System

• Double-click Prevent access to registry editing tools
• Set it as Not Configured

Important: If it's already set to Not Configured, set it to Enabled and click Apply. Then repeat the steps and revert the setting back to Not Configured. This removes the registry based policy if set already.

Method 2

This method should work in all editions of Windows Vista.

• Download reg_enable.vbs attached at the end of this article, and save it to Desktop
• Open an elevated command prompt. To do this, click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
• Switch to your Desktop directory by typing the following command, and then pressing ENTER:

cd /d %userprofile%\desktop

• Then, type the following command and press ENTER

wscript.exe reg_enable.vbs

• Type EXIT to close the Command Prompt window.

If everything worked fine, the DisableRegistryTools policy should have been removed by now. See if you're able to launch Regedit.exe now.

Customize the drive letter display in Windows Vista

Summary

When you open the Computer window, the drive-letter for disk drives appear after the drive description, such as:

Local Disk (C:)

Using the utility discussed in this page, you can change how the drive-letters are shown in Computer.

[DriveLetterView] Utility for Windows Vista

• Download DriveLetterView.zip from the Attachments section of this article
• Save the file to your Desktop
• Extract the archive to a folder
• Double-click DriveLetterView.exe to run it
• Select the appropriate option from the list, and click Apply
• Click Start, click Computer.
• When the Computer window opens, press {F5} to refresh the view.

Screenshot

This utility runs in Windows Vista systems only.

"Error 2" when starting the Windows Firewall service

Symptoms

When you try to start the Windows Firewall service in a Windows XP Service Pack 2 computer, the following error may occur:

Could not start the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service on Local Computer.

Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified.

Also, the following event may be recorded in the Windows Event Log:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7023
Date:
Time:
User: N/A
Computer:
Description:
The Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service terminated with the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

Resolution

This problem occurs if one or both of the files ipnathlp.dll or ipnat.sys are missing. To resolve this problem, extract a new copy of the missing file from the Windows XP CD-ROM. Ipnathlp.dll should be present in the %systemroot%\system32 folder, and ipnat.sys should be present in the %systemroot%\system32\drivers folder on the computer's hard disk. To extract the missing files, follow these steps:

• Insert the Windows XP disk into the CD drive.
• Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK
• At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER.

expand X:\i386\ipnathlp.dl_ %systemroot%\system32\ipnathlp.dll

• Similarly, expand ipnat.sys file to the Drivers folder. Use the following command:

expand X:\i386\ipnat.sy_ %systemroot%\system32\drivers\ipnat.sys

NOTE

1. Where X:\ represents the letter of the computer's CD drive. And the %systemroot% environment variable represents the path and folder in which the Windows is installed. For example, if the CD-ROM drive-lettter is E and Windows is installed in C:\Windows, run the following command:
   
   expand E:\i386\ipnathlp.dl_ C:\Windows\system32\ipnathlp.dll
   
2. To close the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER. Restart Windows.
3. Use the %systemroot%\ServicePackFiles\i386 folder as the source path (instead of using the Windows XP CD-ROM as the source), if the following conditions are true:
   
• You installed Windows XP SP2 from a Windows XP SP2 CD that included SP2 as part of the base installation.
• You downloaded and installed Windows XP SP2 from the Microsoft Web site.
• Note If the ServicePackFiles folder is not present on the computer, you can copy the files from a slipstreamed Windows XP SP2 installation CD.

Recycle Bin icon does not refresh automatically

Symptom

The Recycle Bin icon in Windows Vista may not change to show whether or not it is full or empty. It may be either stuck on the empty icon or the full icon, but the Recycle Bin icon updates correctly when you press the F5 button on the keyboard to refresh the Desktop manually.

Resolution

I have observed that this problem occurs if you use the Restore Default button in the Desktop Icon Settings dialog to reset the Recycle Bin icon, and this appears to be a minor bug in Windows Vista. Use one of the following methods to correct this problem:

Option 1

Download recyclebin_icon.reg from the Attachments section (scroll down further) of this article, and save the file to Desktop. Double-click recyclebin_icon.reg to run it. Click Yes when asked for confirmation.

Option 2

Note: It's important that you try the solution below even though the Desktop Icon Settings dialog may show the correct icons for Recycle Bin (empty) and Recycle Bin (full).

• Right-click on the Desktop and choose Personalize
• In the Tasks pane, click Change desktop icons
• Select the Recycle Bin (full) icon and click Change Icon
• In the Change Icon dialog, choose the full Recycle Bin (Refer Fig 1 below)
• Click OK to close the Change Icon dialog.
• Now, select the Recycle Bin (empty) icon and click Change Icon
• In the Change Icon dialog, choose the empty Recycle Bin icon (Refer Fig 1 below)
• Click OK to close the Change Icon dialog.
• Click Apply, OK

(Fig 1: Change Icon dialog)

Note: The icon highlighted in Blue is the full Recycle Bin icon, which has the Icon Index of 48. The empty Recycle Bin icon in the above image is highlighted in Yellow. The empty Recycle Bin icon has the Icon Index of 49.

Attachment : * recyclebin_icon.reg

Restore Recycle Bin icon on Vista

• Click Start, type Control desk.cpl,,@Web and press Enter
• In the Desktop Icon Settings dialog, enable the Recycle Bin checkbox
• Click OK

How to hide the "Delete" command from Recycle Bin context menu in Windows Vista

How to rename the Recycle Bin in Windows XP

Summary

This article tells you how to rename the Recycle Bin in Windows XP.

Renaming the Recycle Bin

Method 1

• Click Start, Run and type REGEDIT.EXE
• Navigate to the following location:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

• From the File menu, choose Export and backup the branch to a REG file.
• Double-click the value named LocalizedString and set its data accordingly. (For example, set its Value data to Trash if you want to change the Recycle Bin icon to read as Trash.)
• Exit the Registry Editor.
• Press {F5} key on the keyboard to refresh the desktop icons.

Method 2

The VirtualPlastic.net website (a site known for some really excellent tweaks for Windows) has a tweak that enables the Rename option when you right-click on the Recycle Bin icon. Here is an excerpt from the VirtualPlastic site.

There's an old regtweak to add a rename option to the recycle bin. It involves the shellfolder subkey of the recycle bin clsid:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08 -00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder
There's a binary value usually set to "40 01 00 20" there. If you change it to "50 01 00 20" the bin gets the option ("Rename" option) added.

For more information, refer to the section named Attributes in this page.

Server service is missing

Symptom

When you open Services MMC applet in a Windows XP computer, the Server service may be missing. Also, you may be unable to share your files and printers across the network.

Resolution

This happens if the File and Printer Sharing service is not installed in your computer. Follow these steps to resolve the problem:

1. Click Start, Run. Type ncpa.cpl and press {ENTER}
2. Right-click on the LAN connection, and choose Properties
3. Click Install
4. Select Service, and click Add
5. Select File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
6. Click OK.

windows update is not working in vista

windows update fix for vista when windows cant check for updates

first Synchronize the time with internet and then try these steps

1. Stop windows update , bits and cryptographic service in services.msc

2. Rename c:\widnows\software distribution folder

3. Delete windowsupdate.log file in c:\windows

4. Rename c:\windows\system32\catroot2 folder

5. Register the files below

regsvr32 /s c:\windows\system32\wuapi.dll

regsvr32 /s c:\windows\system32\wuaueng.dll

regsvr32 /s c:\windows\system32\wuaueng1.dll

regsvr32 /s c:\windows\system32\wuauserv.dll

regsvr32 /s c:\windows\system32\wucltui.dll

regsvr32 /s c:\windows\system32\wups.dll

regsvr32 /s c:\windows\system32\wups2.dll

regsvr32 /s c:\windows\system32\wuweb.dll

Start the windows update , BITS and cryptographic service

6. Open the command prompt with Admin privs and type the following commands

7. takeown /f C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml

8. cacls C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml /G :F Type the user name without <>

9. del C:\windows\winsxs\pending.xml

10. restart the computer

11. Install Windows update agent from

http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7...gent30-x86.exe

12. Restart the computer

13. Set the automatic updates to install automatic

14 . Try to install the updates

How to Clear IE8 Last Browsing Session History Using CCleaner

Internet Explorer 8 introduces the Reopen Last Browsing Session option in the Tools menu, which reopens the last browsing session from the most recently closed instance of Internet Explorer. Clearing the browsing history using Internet Options removes the last browsing session history as well. If you like to use CCleaner to clear the last browsing session history, here is how.

Clearing the Last Browsing Session in IE8

The following assumes that you have CCleaner installed in the system already.

1. Open Control Panel, double-click Folder Options.

2. In the View tab, click Show hidden files and folders

3. Click OK.

4. Start CCleaner and click the Options button on the left.

5. Click Include, click Add Folder.

6. Select the following folder:

Windows Vista

C:\ Users \ {username} \ AppData \ Local \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Recovery \ Last Active

Windows XP

C:\ Documents and Settings \ {username} \ Local Settings \ Application Data \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Recovery \ Last Active

7. Once you’ve added the custom folder to be cleaned in the Options screen, select the Custom Files and Folders option under the Windows Tab => Advanced.

You’re done! Contents of the IE8 Last Browsing Session History folder will be cleared every time you run the cleaner.

Note that the last browsing session history is not saved if you use the InPrivate Browsing mode.

More Information

Internet Explorer 8 stores the last browsing session history in two .dat files in the following location:

Windows XP

%USERPROFILE% \ Local Settings \ Application Data \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Recovery \ Last Active

Windows Vista

%LOCALAPPDATA% \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Recovery \ Last Active

If Internet Explorer runs elevated, it saves the last browsing session history in the following location instead:

%LOCALAPPDATA% \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Recovery \ High \ Last Active

The .dat file names would look like this, with the {GUID} string varying for each session.

The Default View Source Editor Has Changed in Internet Explorer 8

When you click the View Source command in Internet Explorer 8, it uses the built-in viewer, which is part of the Developer Tools in Internet Explorer 8. The built-in viewer lets you dynamically refresh the view source window, increase or decrease the text size and lists other standard options.

The new viewer does not allow editing the source though. Previous versions of Internet Explorer use Notepad as the default source editor, which lets you modify the source before saving. To set Notepad as the default view source editor in Internet Explorer 8 (and previous versions), use the instructions below.

Changing the View Source Editor in Internet Explorer

Method 1: Using the Built-in Option in IE8

Internet Explorer 8 includes a built-in option to change the default view source editor. The setting is provided in the Developer Tools.

1. Open Internet Explorer

2. Press the F12 button to start the Developer Tools

3. From the File menu, click Customize Internet Explorer View Source

4. Select one of the following options:

• Default Viewer
• Notepad
• Other…

If you choose Other…, you’ll be prompted to select the executable file of your preferred text editor. Use this option to set your third-party text editing program (e.g. Notepad+) to set as the default source editor.

Method 2: Manual Registry Edit

1. Launch Regedit.exe and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer

2. Create a subkey named View Source Editor

3. Under View Source Editor, create a subkey named Editor Name

4. Select the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ View Source Editor \ Editor Name

5. Double-click (default) and set Notepad.exe as its data

Note: If you prefer a third-party text editor (such as Notepad+, Notepad Lite etc), type the full path to the executable.

6. Exit the Registry Editor.

Registry Fix

Download viewsrc_ie8.zip, unzip the file and extract the contents to a folder. Double-click the file viewsrc-notepad.reg to set Notepad as the default View Source editor. To restore the original setting (built-in viewer as the default), run the file viewsrc-default.reg.

Note: The above REG files can be used with previous versions of Internet Explorer as well.

(Last Updated on March 22, 2009. Article modified for IE8 Final.)

New Shortcut Wizard Does Not Work or the Option Is Missing in Windows Vista

When you right-click on the Desktop and click New, the Shortcut option may be missing. In some cases, the Shortcut option would exist but nothing may happen when you click on it, except for the mouse pointer changing to an hourglass for a brief time.

This happens if the .lnk file class has missing or incorrect entries, in the following registry branch:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellNew

Applying the .lnk association fix from the File association fixes for Windows Vista page should fix the problem. In case you’re experiencing the problem in Windows XP, apply the .lnk file association fix from Windows XP File Association Fixes.

SEE ALSO

"Folder" entry missing from the "New" menu in Windows Vista

Show or Hide the Accounts Option Under Tools Menu in Windows Mail

Accounts option under the Tools menu in Windows Mail helps you add or remove mail or newsgroup accounts. This article explains how to hide or show the Accounts option from the Tools menu in Windows Mail.

Hiding Accounts from the Tools menu

1. Click Start, type Regedit.exe and press ENTER

2. Navigate to the following branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Mail

3. From the Edit menu, click DWORD (32-bit) Value.

4. Type No modify accts, and then press ENTER to save the name.

5. Double-click No modify accts and set its data to 1, and click OK.

6. Exit the Registry Editor.

To unhide the Accounts option, simply delete the No modify accts value.

Registry Fix

Download nomodifyaccts.zip. Unzip and run the file hideaccounts.reg. To undo the setting, run showaccounts.reg.

Folder Options Missing From Tools Menu in Windows Explorer

NoFolderOptions Policy hides Folder Options from Control Panel, and the Folder Options… command under Tools menu in Windows Explorer. The Folder and Search OptionsOrganize menu (in Windows Vista) is grayed out as well. command in the

If your system is not part of any network and this restriction was enabled without your knowledge, it could be caused by Virus or Malware. There are plenty of viruses which enable the NoFolderOptions Policy in the registry, and in addition, hides file extensions for known file types. To get the option back, use one of these methods:

Using Registry Editor

Launch Regedit.exe and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer

-and-

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer

Delete the NoFolderOptions value (if found) from the above locations

Exit the Registry Editor.

Using Group Policy Editor

Group Policy Editor is not available in Windows XP Home Edition and Windows Vista Home Editions. For all editions of Windows XP and Windows Vista, you may use the .reg file (under paragraph "Registry fix") to remove the Policy setting.

Note that this only resets the NoFolderOptions per-user Policy, whereas NoFolderOptions can be a per-machine setting as well.

1. Launch GPEDIT.MSC

2. Navigate to the following branch:

User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Explorer

3. Double-click Removes the Folder Options menu item from the Tools menu

4. Set it to Not configured

Registry Fix

Download folderopt.zip, unzip and run the file folderopt.reg.

Turn on or Off Thumbnail Display on Network Folders in Vista

There is a new Policy setting in Windows Vista which allows you disable the display of thumbnails on network folders in Windows Explorer. I don’t know if this speeds up the access of network folders, but thought I’d add this tip anyway.

In Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions, you can use the Group Policy Editor to configure this setting.

Disable Thumbnail display on Network folders

1. Click Start, type gpedit.msc and press ENTER

2. Go to the following branch:

User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Explorer

3. Double-click the following option and set it to Enabled

Turn off the display of thumbnails and only display icons on network folders

4. Click OK.

If you enable this policy, Windows Explorer will only display icons and never display thumbnails on network folders.

Registry Fix

This setting can be configured using a Registry-based Policy. Download network-thumbs.zip. Unzip and extract the contents to a folder. Double-click the file disablenwthumb.reg to run it. Logoff and login back. To undo the setting, run the file enablenwthumb.reg.

The REG files adds data to the following branch:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer

Value Name : DisableThumbnailsOnNetworkFolders
Value Data : 1 or 0
Value Type : REG_DWORD

Restore Missing Options to the Personalize Page in Windows Vista

When you right-click on the Desktop and choose Personalize, the following options are displayed by default in the Personalize appearance and sounds page in Windows Vista:

1. Window Color and Appearance
2. Desktop Background
3. Screen Saver
4. Sounds
5. Mouse Pointers
6. Theme
7. Display Settings

If one or more of the above options are missing, this may be due to Policies applied in your system. Here are the related Group Policy settings. (Each one links to the Microsoft Technet Website.)

• NoDispCpl
• NoDispAppearancePage
• NoDispBackgroundPage
• NoDispScrSavPage
• NoThemesTab
• NoChangingWallPaper

With these Policies enabled, you’ll see the following message when clicking Change desktop icons Tasks pane option in the Personalization window, or when accessing Display Settings.

Your system administrator has disabled launching of the Display Settings Control Panel.

If your system is a part of a company network, the Policies may have been enabled by your network administrator, and there is no way to bypass these Policy settings. In case your system is not connected to any network and you have administrative privileges in the system, you can remove the Policy settings via the registry or using the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc). Note that the Group Policy Editor is unavailable in Windows Vista Home Editions.

Removing the Policy settings

Download personalize_restore_vista.vbs and save to Desktop. Double-click the file to run it. Click Continue when you see the User Account Control (UAC) elevation prompt. Logoff and login back (or restart Explorer.exe process) for the change to take effect.

More Information

Here are the registry locations where the Policy settings for the Personalize page are stored:

Under HKEY_CURRENT_USER and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ System

Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer

Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ ActiveDesktop

SEE ALSO

Restore missing tabs to the Display properties dialog in Windows XP

Restore Missing Folders to the Group Policy Editor in Windows XP

When you open the Group Policy Editor in Windows XP Professional, some of the categories under Administrative Templates may be missing. For example when you expand Administrative Templates, the System category may be missing. This article provides information on how to restore the missing folders to the Group Policy Editor.

Add the Missing ADM File

Method 1

1. Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)

2. Expand Computer Configuration

3. Right-click Administrative Templates, and click Add/Remove Templates…

4. Click Add…

5. Select the file system.adm and click Open

6. Click Close.

Method 2

Using Windows Explorer, copy the file system.adm from the C:\Windows\INF folder to C:\Windows\system32\GroupPolicy folder. In a standard Windows XP installation, the target folder has the following ADM files by default:

• conf.adm
• inetres.adm
• wmplayer.adm
• wuau.adm
• system.adm

Copying the missing file from the ADM folder should restore the missing folder in the Group Policy Editor. If that does not work, make sure that filtering is turned off.

Turn Off Filtering

1. Expand Computer Configuration, and select Administrative Templates

2. From the View menu, click Filtering…

3. Uncheck the following checkboxes:

• Filter by Requirements information
• Only show configured Policy settings

4. Click OK.

Fix for System File Checker Error 0×000006ba RPC Server Is Unavailable

When you attempt to run the System File Checker (sfc.exe /scannow command) to restore missing or corrupted system files, the following error message may be seen:

Windows File Protection could not be initiate a scan of protected system files.

The specific code is 0×000006ba [The RPC Server is unavailable.]

This happens if the Windows File Protection (WFP) is disabled in the registry.

Editor’s Note: If you’ve used nLite to build custom Windows installation package, you may have enabled the Disable SFC (File Protection) checkbox, which disables WFP and the System File Checker.

Enable the System File Checker

Use the following steps to re-enable WFP.

1. Click Start, Run. Type Regedit.exe and press ENTER.

2. Navigate to the following branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon

3. Double-click SFCDisable and set its Value data to 0

4. Exit the Registry Editor and restart Windows.

How to Clear Task Scheduler History in Windows Vista and Windows 7

Task Scheduler in Windows 7/Vista store the tracked events for each task, which can be viewed by opening the task properties and clicking on the History tab. The entries are stored in the Microsoft-Windows-TaskScheduler event log. To clear the events history for all tasks, use the instructions in this article.

Click Start, type Eventvwr.msc and press ENTER.

Navigate to the following branch:

Event Viewer (Local) / Applications and Services Logs / Microsoft / Windows / TaskScheduler / Operational

Right-click Operational and click Clear Log…

Click the Clear button.

This erases the task scheduler events history for all tasks.

Start Internet Explorer 8 in InPrivate Mode Using the Start Menu Internet Icon

Earlier we covered some tips about the InPrivate feature in Internet Explorer 8. Here is another tip (a registry edit) to start Internet Explorer in InPrivate Browsing mode when the user clicks on the Start menu Internet icon.

Browse in InPrivate mode - Set as default action

Download ie8-sm-inpriv.zip, unzip/extract the contents to a folder. Double-click ie8-sm-inpriv.reg to merge the contents to the registry.

This adds the Browse in InPrivate mode option to the right-click menu of Internet Explorer icon in the Start menu, and sets it as the default action.

More Information

The REG file adds the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Clients \ StartMenuInternet \ IEXPLORE.EXE \ shell \ private \ command

and sets the following command for the (default) value

%ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe -private