By sharing a folder in Windows XP Pro, it usually means that you want network users to be able to find and access the folder in the My Network Places tool. If you want to share a folder with only certain users, you can use the Net command line tool to essentially hide your computer and shared network folders.
Follow these steps to create the hidden share:
Open a command prompt.
Type this command: net config server /hidden:yes.
Share the folder as you normally would.
If your computer is already sharing network folders, it may take up to 30 minutes for this command to take effect and hide the computer name.
Users who have access to the hidden shared folder can get to it by using the UNC name or by mapping the hidden share to a local drive letter. To unhide the computer, typenet config server /hidden:no.
Note: This tip is for Windows XP Professional only.
Create a new Registry import file named context_defrag.inf in Notepad (be sure to save with it with the Save as type set to All Files and not Text Documents) and place the following text inside:
; context_defrag.INF; Adds Defrag to the right click context menu in Windows XP[version]signature="$CHICAGO$"[DefaultInstall]AddReg=
AddMe[AddMe]HKCR,"Drive\Shell\Defrag\command",,,"DEFRAG.EXE %1"
Then, right-click and choose Install. This will add a context menu to XP that allows you to automatically defrag drives, using the command line version of the built-in defragmentation utility. To use it, navigate to a drive in My Computer, right-click, and choose Defrag. A command line window will appear, and that drive will be defragged. When it's complete, the window just disappears.
UPDATE: To remove this functionality, Open regedit.exe and navigate to the following location:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\
Then delete the Defrag folder and close Regedit.
For some people, pushing CTRL, ALT and Delete (CTRL+ALT+DEL) at the same time can be an inconvenience, if not a complete impossibility. With Windows XP, there are two ways to get around this.First option: Configure the system so that you do not need to press CTRL+ALT+DEL at all during logon (assuming you're not using the Welcome screen, in which case this key combo is not required). Here's how:
- Open Control Panel then User Accounts.- Navigate to the Advanced tab.- Uncheck the Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete checkbox under Secure Logon.Second option: Configure XP's accessibility options so that "sticky keys" will be activated at the secure desktop: That way, you may "press" ALT, CTRL, and DEL sequentially rather than simultaneously. You can turn that on via the Accessibility control panel. (Control Panel then Accessibility Options):- Bring up the Accessibility Control panel and navigate to the Keyboard tab.- Check Use Sticky keys - Navigate to the General Tab.- Check Apply all settings to logon desktop.
Unfortunately, the Disk Cleanup tool misses certain temp files. Here's a little batch file to complete the task: Open Notepad or your favorite text editor and type del /s /q C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Local Settings\Temp\*.*", replacing 'Username' with the name of the user account and adjusting the drive letter as needed. Save the file with a name like deltemp.bat (be sure to use the .bat extension) and store it with your other batch files (if you don't have other batch files, your Desktop or any other easy-to-access folder will do). Then add the file to your Startup folder (Start, All Programs, Startup) so that it deletes the files every time you log in to Windows.
