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TIPS & TRICKS


Most of these tips are quite simple but require editing the Registry. That's why I've labelled them as "Advanced Tips".
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ADVANCED TIPS
** IMPORTANT - Backup or export the Registry before making changes. **

 1. Remove shortcut arrows from icons.

 2. Add 'Open with Notepad' to the right-click context menu.

 3. Add 'Open with (any program)' to the right-click context menu.

 4. Add 'Open With...' to the right-click context menu.

 5. Add Toolbar Wallpaper to all your windows.

 6. MS Paint Fix (MSPaint Fix) - Open and Save JPG and GIF files.

 7. Typed URLs - Remove them from Internet Explorer.

 8. Lock icon positions on your Desktop.

 9. Make JPG and GIF files open in Internet Explorer again.

10. Restore Preview and Thumbnail feature for image files.

11. Change Internet Explorer Window Title.


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 1.)  Would you like to remove the shortcut arrows from all your icons? You can use a program like TweakUI to do it, or you can edit the Registry manually.

  • Go to Start > Run, type REGEDIT, and click OK.
  • When the Registry Editor opens, click the + sign beside HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and locate the key called 'piffile'.
  • Click on it and in the panel on the right, right-click on the string 'IsShortcut'.
  • Select Rename and give it any name you want ('WasShortcut' for example).
  • Still under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, find the key called 'lnkfile' (LNKFILE).
  • Perform the same operation on its 'IsShortcut' string.
  • Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

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 2.)  You can add 'Open with Notepad' to the right-click context menu so that when you right-click on any file you have this option. A bonus is that any unknown file (meaning unassociated file type) will open in Notepad if you double-click on it.

  • Run REGEDIT.
  • Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ * \shell ( * is the first key (folder) listed).
  • If the 'shell' key doesn't exist, right-click on the * key and choose New > Key, and name it 'shell' (without the quotes).
  • Right-click on 'shell' and choose New > Key.
  • Name it 'Open with Notepad' (without the quotes).
  • Right-click on the new 'Open with Notepad' key and choose New > Key.
  • Name this key 'command' (without the quotes).
  • In the right pane double click on default, and enter this Value Data: notepad.exe %1
  • Click OK and close Regedit.

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 3.)  You can add any program to the right-click context menu. When you right-click on any file you'll have the option to use this program to open the file. I'll use an image viewer program I have called IrfanView as an example.

  • Run REGEDIT.
  • Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ * \shell ( * is the first key (folder) listed).
  • If the 'shell' key doesn't exist, right-click on the * key and choose New > Key, and name it 'shell' (without the quotes).
  • Right-click on 'shell' and choose New > Key.
  • Name it 'Open with IrfanView' (For the purpose of my example only. You use the program name that you are adding).
  • Right-click on the new 'Open with IrfanView' key and choose New > Key.
  • Name this key 'command' (without the quotes).
  • In the right pane double click on default, and enter the path to the program as the Value Data. (i.e. C:\Program Files\IrfanView\i_view32.exe %1).
  • Click OK and close Regedit.

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 4.)  You can add 'Open With...' to the right-click context menu so that when you right-click on any file you have this option. This is ideal when you want to open a file with a program other than the default.

  • Run REGEDIT.
  • Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ * \shell ( * is the first key (folder) listed).
  • If the 'shell' key doesn't exist, right-click on the * key and choose New > Key, and name it 'shell' (without the quotes).
  • Right-click on 'shell' and choose New > Key.
  • Name it 'Open With...' (without the quotes).
  • Right-click on the new 'Open With...' key and choose New > Key.
  • Name this key 'command' (without the quotes).
  • In the right pane double click on default, and enter this Value Data:
    c:\windows\rundll32.exe shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1
  • Click OK and close Regedit.

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 5.)  Add Toolbar Wallpaper to all your windows so that you have something more interesting and pleasing to the eye rather than the default plain gray or beige. By using a BMP file as your toolbar wallpaper, you can add some color or even an image. Here are a couple of screenshots of what you could make your Internet Explorer Toolbar look like: Gold and Chrome.

  • Run REGEDIT.
  • Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar (if the Toolbar key doesn't exist, right-click on the Internet Explorer key, and choose New > Key, and name it Toolbar).
  • Click on the Toolbar key in the left frame so that it shows the contents in the right frame.
  • If there isn't a string called BackBitmap, create one by right-clicking on a blank area in the right pane, and choose New > String Value, and name it BackBitmap.
  • For the 'Value data', type in the path that points to a BMP file which you would like to use as your Toolbar Wallpaper. (i.e. C:\Windows\example.bmp or C:\My Documents\sample.bmp)
  • If you'd like Toolbar Wallpaper only on Internet Explorer 5 windows create a string called BackBitmapIE5 instead of BackBitmap.
*Note - This tip also works with IE5.5 and IE6. Regardless of your IE version (IE5 or higher), you would still name the string BackBitmapIE5 if you want to apply Toolbar Wallpaper only to Internet Explorer windows.

Here are some toolbar wallpaper BMPs that you could use. Click on a link to see the BMP and then right-click on the image to save it to your hard drive. Don't worry about the images being small; they will be seamlessly tiled across your toolbar.

- ChromeConsole.bmp
- GoldConsole.bmp
- GreenConsole.bmp
- PinkConsole.bmp
- PurpleConsole.bmp
- qchrome.bmp

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 6.)  MS Paint Fix (also known as MSPaint Fix -- the "MS" is for Microsoft) - This fix should work for Windows 98/ME/2000, but it may not work for Windows 95.

Does MS Paint (MSPaint) allow you to save as a BMP file, but you can't save as JPG or can't save as GIF? Can you open JPG files with MS Paint, but you can't open GIF files? Many people have this problem, yet they know someone else that can use MS Paint to "Save As JPG" or "Save As GIF", and/or "Open GIF" files. Why does MS Paint provide these extra "Open" and "Save" options on some computer systems? It's because those systems have the necessary graphics filters to allow MS Paint to open and save JPG and GIF files. Where did they get these graphics filters? Some applications such as Microsoft Office, FrontPage, and Image Composer install these filters. Before you read any further you should check this link and see if it applies to you:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q298/5/80.ASP


My "MS Paint Fix" should allow you to use MS Paint to Open and Save JPG files, and Open and Save GIF files. The quality of the saved GIF with MS Paint may be reduced because of the limited 256-color palette (See here for an explanation and workaround). A better alternative for opening and saving JPG and GIF files would be to download and install a great FREE image viewer called IrfanView (MS Paint is still better for individual pixel editing, so it's good to have both). You can read more about IrfanView and find a link for it on my Cool Programs page by clicking here.

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If you want to proceed with the MS Paint Fix, you should first do a search on your hard drive to see if you have the jpegim32.flt and gifimp32.flt filters. If you don't have the Graphics Filters you can download them here (I've updated them to more recent versions):

You need to make sure you have both filters in the following folders:
  • C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\grphflt

  • C:\Windows\MsApps\Grphflt

You may already have the JPEG Filter on your system, but only in one location. If that is the case, Copy and Paste it to the other location. Once you have the JPEG Filter in both locations, you may only need to do a simple Registry edit to be able to "Save As" a JPG.

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If you already have the JPEG Graphics Filter on your system (and in both locations as stated above), but MS Paint still won't let you "Save As" JPG, you can manually edit the Registry to correct this. It's a simple fix. Go to Start, Run, type REGEDIT, and click OK. Go to this key by clicking the + signs beside the keys (folders):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Graphics Filters\Export\JPEG.

Click on the "JPEG" key (folder) in the left pane, and you'll see a String Value in the right pane with the name "Extensions". Make sure under the "Data" column it shows only "jpg". If it shows "jpg, jpeg", double-click on the "Extensions" string and from the "Value data" field remove "jpeg" so that it only reads "jpg" (without the quotes).

If it worked, this edit allows you to "Save As" JPG. If it didn't work, or if you want to be able to also open and save GIF files, read on.

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If the filters are in the correct folders, but you still can't "Save As" JPG or can't "Save As" GIF, you'll need to make some changes to the Registry. You can do it manually, but it's easier if you download the REG files listed below (see here), and Merge them with your Registry.

Before you do anything, I would recommend backing up the Registry. Go to Start > Run > type REGEDIT, and click OK. In the Registry Editor click on the + signs beside the keys (folders) until you get to this location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Graphics Filters.

If you click the + sign beside Graphics Filters you'll see Export and Import below it. Click the + sign beside each of these. You'll want to export (backup) any keys named GIF or JPEG. To do this, click on the key to highlight it, then go up to the top left of the Registry Editor window where it says "Registry", and choose "Export Registry File". Give it a name like JPEG_export.reg, or GIF_import.reg depending on which one you are saving. For "Export range" you should see the dot beside "Selected branch" and the path to the correct key. Save it to My Documents or whichever folder you choose so that you can find it easily if you need it later.


* An additional note - The reason you exported individual keys instead of the whole Registry, is because if you try to Import or Merge a backed-up Registry, it doesn't remove Registry entries. It only adds any new entries. For more information on how to actually restore an entire previous Registry file, click here. To remove entries you have to manually delete them from the Registry. You can export the whole Registry, and import it later, but you'll still have to manually delete any entries you don't want. If you do have any problems with this MS Paint Fix, you can delete the Registry entries you added, and then find your backed-up versions and right-click on them and choose Merge. Your Registry will be restored to the way it was.

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If you don't want to edit the Registry manually, or you don't know which edits to make, here are the four REG files. You can download them individually, or download a ZIP file containing all four. Once downloaded, to use the REG file, right-click on it and choose Merge. Remember that it's a good idea to Export (backup) the original keys before you Merge the new ones.


  • Download this REG file to be able to open JPG files in MS Paint.
    It will add a key to the Registry at this location:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Graphics Filters\Import\JPEG


  • Download this REG file to be able to open GIF files in MS Paint.
    It will add a key to the Registry at this location:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Graphics Filters\Import\GIF


  • Download this REG file to be able to save JPG files in MS Paint.
    It will add a key to the Registry at this location:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Graphics Filters\Export\JPEG


  • Download this REG file to be able to save GIF files in MS Paint.
    It will add a key to the Registry at this location:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Graphics Filters\Export\GIF


  • Or download a ZIP file of all four REG files.

Once you've completed all of this, the change is immediate. Open MS Paint and go to File. If you select "Open", and/or "Save As" you should now see JPEG Filter and GIF Filter both listed in the drop-down menu as "Files of type". If you have problems with any of the Registry entries that you've added, delete them, and restore your exported (backed-up) versions.

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Working with GIF images in MS Paint can be frustrating. You are limited by the palette that is attached to the GIF image that you've opened. Sometimes you'll notice that you can't change certain colors to the color that you want. (I have a workaround for this in the next paragraph.) You'll also notice that there will be a major loss of quality in some images if you try to save as a GIF, because GIF images are limited to a 256-color palette. If you try to save a JPG (which can consist of up to 16 million colors) as a GIF (which can only consist of 256 colors) you'll definitely notice the loss of image quality. JPG files are best for photos and shouldn't be saved as GIF files. GIF files are best for graphics (especially on the Web) and many computer generated images, cartoons, and animations.

A workaround for working with GIF files in MS Paint is to do the following. Open the GIF file in MS Paint and immediately save it as a 24-bit Bitmap (BMP). Now you can work on this BMP file which will have a palette that consists of 16 million colors. When done, save it as a GIF file. If you use more than 256 different colors while working on it as a BMP, some will still be lost when you try to save as a GIF because a GIF file is still limited to a 256-color palette. But at least now you'll have a way to edit the GIF file and won't be subject to the palette limitations of MS Paint when working with GIF files.

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 7.)  Remove typed URLs from the Address bar drop-down list in Internet Explorer.

Often people want to remove typed URLs that appear in the Address bar drop-down list for Internet Explorer, but are unsure how to do it because entries can't simply be deleted individually. Here are a few things you can try.


  • Method 1

    One of the most popular methods is to open Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options > General tab > press the 'Clear History' button. In most cases, this will delete all the entries from the Address bar. In some cases, it may be necessary to restart your browser or computer to notice any changes. It should be mentioned that you are not only deleting items from the Address bar, but you are also deleting your entire History of all the sites you've visited, not just the ones you've typed in. This method might be overkill for some.

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  • Method 2

    Another option is to go to the Start button > Settings > Taskbar & Start Menu > 'Start Menu Programs' tab > 'Documents menu' section > press the 'Clear' button. This will remove all the entries from the Address bar, but once again it also removes other items such as anything listed in the 'Run' drop-down list and all items in the MRUD (Most Recently Used Documents) list. If you feel this option is also overkill, read on.

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  • Method 3

    The typed addresses aren't stored in a folder -- they are stored in the Registry. In fact, you can remove individual addresses by editing the Registry. Go to Start > Run > type REGEDIT, and click OK. Navigate to the followign key (folder) by clicking on the + signs:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs

    If you click on the TypedURLs key in the left pane, you'll see the contents in the right pane. You can right-click on any of the entries in the right pane and choose Delete. Each entry is numbered url1, url2, etc. If you delete any entries you may have to rename (by right-clicking) some entries so that no numbers are skipped. For instance, if you delete url3, but you don't rename another entry url3, only url1 and url2 will be displayed when you click on the drop-down arrow of the Address bar. All the URLs following the deleted URL will not be displayed.

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  • Method 4

    Use the FREE program EditURLs. This is my favorite method. It's the easiest and doesn't require fiddling around with the Registry. You can delete or edit individual entries. You can save a Master Copy of the URLs that you do want to keep, which can be restored at any time. You can also sort the order of the URLs. With EditURLs, you are only deleting or editing URLs that appear in the IE Address bar drop-down list. Nothing else is affected.

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 8.)  Here's a great tip/trick for saving the position of your Desktop icons.

If you click here, it will take you directly to the tip on another site. It's the fifth one from the bottom called 'Lock Desktop Icons'.

Download the layout.zip which includes a couple of files from the Windows NT4 Resource Kit. To implement it, follow the instructions from the link that I posted above, or continue reading.

Place the Layout.dll in C:\Windows\System (Win95/98/ME) or %systemroot%\System32 (WinNT/2000/XP), and then double-click (Merge) the Layout.reg.

From now on, whenever you right-click on the 'Recycle Bin' or 'My Computer' icons, you will see a new option: "Save [or Restore] Desktop Icon Layout". There are several third-party tools that also do this, but these files are free and only 14 KB in size.

I've tried it, and it works great. It's especially useful if you've ended up in Safe Mode, and when you return to Normal Mode, because of the change in screen resolution, all of your icons have been moved. It's also handy if you want to experiment with some different screen resolutions or locations for your icons.

I should mention this tip/trick works with all versions of Windows. Yes, the files are from the Windows NT4 Resource Kit, but as long as you put the DLL file in the correct folder for your OS (which is explained on the website from the link above), and then Merge the REG file, it will work.

* Note - If all your icons are lined up in columns on the left side of your screen, that means you have Auto Arrange checked. A better way to set up your Desktop is to create groups of icons. To do this, right-click on a blank area of your Desktop, and go to Arrange Icons > Auto Arrange, and make sure it is unchecked. Now you can move your icons wherever you want. Once you have it the way you like it, you can lock it in by saving your Desktop Layout using the tip above.

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 9.)  When Windows 9x is installed, Internet Explorer is the default image viewer. However, over time, some systems lose the ability to open image files in Internet Explorer. This usually happens when other image programs have been installed or uninstalled.

These two Registry fixes will restore Internet Explorer as the default viewer for JPG and GIF files. This may be necessary if you are having problems opening JPG and GIF files, or if they are opening in another program.

Personally, I prefer to open JPG and GIF files with IrfanView, but if you are having problems opening JPG or GIF files, or you would just prefer to have them open in Internet Explorer, try these fixes. Once the fixes are done, you can always assign another program to open JPG and GIF files.

An added bonus of these fixes is that it will restore the Preview and Thumbnail option for JPG and GIF files. Some systems lose these options when the Registry entries for JPG and GIF files are modified, corrupted, deleted, etc.

Download the necessary fix below, and save it to your Desktop (or My Documents) so that you can find it easily. Once downloaded, double-click on the REG file and Merge it with your Registry. If double-clicking doesn't work, right-click on the REG file and choose Merge.

All-In-One JPE/JPEG/JPG Fix

All-In-One GIF Fix

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 10.)  Are you not able to preview image files (i.e. GIF or JPG) in a folder? Do image files not display when you choose the View > Thumbnails option?

If this is the case, I have a fix for you. It should fix GIF and JPG files, as well as many other common image file types.

Download and Save this imagefix.reg file to your Desktop (or My Documents) so that you can easily find it. Double-click it to Merge it with your Registry. If double-clicking it doesn't work, right-click on it and choose Merge.

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 11.)  You can change the text that appears on the Title Bar of Internet Explorer. Most likely yours reads "Microsoft Internet Explorer", but you can change it to anything you want.

  • Run REGEDIT.
  • Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main.
  • Click on the 'Main' key in the left frame so that it shows the contents in the right frame.
  • If there isn't a string called 'Window Title', create one by right-clicking on a blank area in the right pane, and choose New > String Value, and name it Window Title.
  • For the 'Value data', type in whatever you want to appear on the IE Title bar.
  • Click OK and close Regedit.

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^ Back to top ^
To restore the Registry from MS-DOS.

At the prompt, type:

scanreg /restore

This will restore your Registry to its last successful Startup.


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