Delete a Service

Normally it should not be necessary to manually delete a service. Uninstalling an application should remove its associated service (if any).

However, should it be necessary to manually remove a service:

1. Run Regedit or regedt32.
2. Fnd the registry entry:

            HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services

1. Find the service there and delete it.
   You may wish to look at the keys and see what files the service was using and perhaps delete them also.

or

From CMD

 

1. Start->Run and type cmd in the Open: line. Click OK.
2. Type: sc delete <service name>
3. Reboot the system

 

Note:

• You will have to reboot before the list gets updated in server manager.
• I have had it pointed out that some programs are cunning and prevent you from removing their service easily. (For example the spyware\malware called ‘Command Service’ - "cmdService".) These change the permissions to make it more difficult for you to delete them. For these you will have to right click on the ‘service’ in regedit (regedt32), go to permissions and grant the administrator full control before the service can be deleted.

Windows 7 – Moving Program to System Tray Instead of Task Bar When Minimized

AIM

    1. Menu->Settings->Buddy List

    2. Check box for “Hide the taskbar icon when I close the Buddy List”

MediaMonkey

    1. Tools->Options->General

    2. Uncheck “Always show tray icon”

    3. Select Minimize to MicroPlayer

Skype

    1. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Skype\Phone

    2. On the Compatibility tab Check box for “Run this program in compatibility mode for”

    3. Select Windows Vista (Service Pack 2)

Winamp

    1. Options->Preferences->General Preferences

    2. Uncheck Show Winamp in Taskbar

    3. Check Show Winamp in System Tray

Windows Live

    1. Navigate to C:\Program Files \Windows Live\Messenger

    2. Right click msnmsgr.exe and select properties

    3. On the Compatibility tab Check box for “Run this program in compatibility mode for”

    4. Select Windows Vista (Service Pack 2)

Yahoo

    1. Messenger->General

    2. Check box for “Remove the taskbar button when I minimize the main window”

DNS Settings

8.8.8.8 Google
8.8.4.4 Google
4.2.2.1 GTE
4.2.2.2 GTE
208.67.222.222 opendns
208.67.220.220 opendns

Home users can either do this on your router on the computer's NIC.

For business on Active Directory, try this
On your Active Directory server, navigate to DNS Manager
1. Right click the server name and select properties
2. Forwarders tab
3. Click Edit button
4. Add IP Address from above
5. Click OK
6. Click OK

ADP iPayStatements Not Viewable; Get Red X for PDF

ADP iPayStatments may not be viewable in Internet Explorer and you receive a red X instead of your statement in PDF form. In the above example, I am using XP sp3, Internet Explorer 8, and Acrobat 9. I have also come across this issue with Adobe Reader 9 regardless of patch version.

First, verify you have these two proper settings:

1. In Adobe Acrobat/Reader, navigate to Edit->Preferences->Internet and verify that “Display PDF in browser” is checked.
2. In Internet Explorer, navigate to Tools->Internet Options->Advanced tab and verify that “Do not save encrypted pages to disk” is not checked.

If you have the above settings and still have the problem the continue reading.

The root of the issue is that a previous versions of Adobe Reader/Acrobat did not fully remove all registry entries when it was uninstalled. Sites like ADP are calling some function of Adobe Reader/Acrobat but the registry entry is pointing to a previous version of Adobe Reader/Acrobat and therefore you get the red X.

ADP support was not much help. Their response was that XP sp3 and Adobe Reader/Acrobat 9 was not supported even though XP sp3 has been available since May 2008. Adobe Reader/Acrobat 9 has been available since July 2008. ADP support solution was downgrade Adobe Reader/Acrobat 9 to 8. This was not an acceptable solution for several reasons. Adobe Reader/Acrobat 9 is the current offering and has the most current security and Adobe recommends 9 over 8. Also, the client that I’m helping has a license for 9, not 8.

The fix is to delete the following folder in the registry:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0]

for others they may have [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\6.0] or[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\7.0]

You can copy the following into a txt file and give change the extension from .txt to .reg. Double click the .bat file and it will automatically delete the folder for you.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0]

Here is an alternative fix that takes a little longer and may require restarts. You also have to have admin rights on the computer.

1. Uninstall Adobe Reader/Acrobat 9
2. Install Adobe Reader/Acrobat 8 without and patching.
3. Uninstall Adobe Reader/Acrobat 8 and and install Adobe Reader/Acrobat and then patch. Adobe Reader for Windows updates. Adobe Acrobat for Windows updates.

Here is the big .reg file I used to remove all previous versions of Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader prior to version 9:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

# Adobe 6 Removal
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\6.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Elements\6.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\6.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\6.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Reader\6.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Synchronizer\6.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\6.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Elements\6.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\6.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\6.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Repair\Adobe Reader\6.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Repair\Adobe Acrobat\6.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\6.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\6.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\6.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\6.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\6.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1547161642-2077806209-682003330-1219\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\6.0]

# Adobe 7 Removal
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\7.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Elements\7.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\7.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\7.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Reader\7.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Synchronizer\7.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\7.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Elements\7.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\7.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\7.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Repair\Adobe Reader\7.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Repair\Adobe Acrobat\7.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe Systems\Common Install\Shared Service\B2E57000]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Features\68AB67CA3301B7447A50000000000020]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products\68AB67CA3301B7447A50000000000020]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\7.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\7.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\7.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\7.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\7.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1547161642-2077806209-682003330-1219\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\7.0]

# Adobe 8 Removal
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\8.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Elements\8.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\8.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Reader\8.0]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Synchronizer\8.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\8.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Elements\8.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\8.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Repair\Adobe Reader\8.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Repair\Adobe Acrobat\8.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products\68AB67CA7DA73301B7448A0000000020]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{AC76BA86-7AD7-1033-7B44-A80000000002}]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\68AB67CA7DA73301B7448A0000000020]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\68AB67CA7DA73301B7448A0000000020]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Low Rights\ElevationPolicy\{358E6F10-DE8A-4602-8424-179CA217F8EE}]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Low Rights\ElevationPolicy\{9C6A861C-B233-4994-AFB1-C158EE4FC578}]
[-HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\8.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\8.0]
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\MUICache]
"C:\\WINDOWS\\TEMP\\Adobe Reader 8\\setup.exe"=-
[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\MUICache]
"C:\\WINDOWS\\TEMP\\Adobe Reader 8\\setup.exe"=-
[-HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1547161642-2077806209-682003330-1219\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\8.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Adobe\Backup\Preferences\brr1\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Adobe\Backup\Preferences\brr2\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0]
[-HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Adobe\Backup\Preferences\brr3\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0]

The fix to the issue was discovered using Active Registry Monitor and these:

• Remove Adobe Reader 6.x (Windows XP and 2000)
• Remove Acrobat Standard 6.x (Windows XP and 2000)
• Manually remove Adobe Reader (7.x on Windows)
• Manually remove Acrobat Standard (7.x on Windows)
• Manually remove Adobe Reader (8.x on Windows)
• Manually remove Acrobat Standard (8.x on Windows)

UPDATE 8/21/2009

I just read this Adobe KB article. Even though I got mine working from doing the above, you can try these additional steps:

In the registry delete the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroExch.Document and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroExch.Document.7.

When I launched Acrobat it launched the installer and repaired the registry keys and prompted to restart the computer. If you still have problems perform a repair by going to Add Remove Programs and highlighting Adobe Acrobat/Reader and clicking Change/Repair.

How do I assign a customized default user profile on Windows XP?

6775 » How do I assign a customized default user profile on Windows XP?
When a new user logs on, they are assigned a default user profile. The default profile is located in the C:\Documents and Settings\Default User folder.
To create a customized default user profile:
01. Log on to the computer as the administrator and create a local user account.
02. Log off the administrator account and log on as the newly created account.
03. Customize the profile. Install printers, map drives, make explorer and Internet Explorer settings, etc...
04. Log off and log on as administrator.
05. Make sure that Show Hidden files and Folders option on the Folder Options / View / Advanced Settings menu is enabled.
06. Open Control Panel and double-click System.
07. Select the Advanced tab.
08. Under User Profiles, press Settings.
09. In the User Profiles dialog box, select the user profile that you created and then press Copy To.
10. In the Copy To dialog, in the Copy profile to area, press Browse.
11. Select the C:\Documents and Settings\Default User folder and press OK.
12. In the Permitted to use area , press Change.
13. Press Everyone and OK.
NOTE: If Everyone is not available, press Advanced / Find Now / Everyone / OK.
When a new user logs on, Windows XP will assign the customize default user profile.

CMD does not support UNC paths as current directories

In a command console, here is how you change directories (cd) to an unmapped network path.

Use pushd instead of cd to change the current directory to a share accessed via a UNC path (e.g.: >pushd \\myserver\myshare).

When done, use popd to get back to prompt.

Ultimate List of Free Windows Software from Microsoft

This site maintains a list of free downloads from Microsoft.  If you have any problems with the links go to bhandler.spaces.live.com and navigate your way from there.

• XP Related http://bhandler.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!70F64BC910C9F7F3!1231.entry?wa=wsignin1.0&sa=59263876
• Vista Related http://bhandler.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!70F64BC910C9F7F3!1844.entry
• Office Related http://bhandler.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!70F64BC910C9F7F3!1344.entry

How to re-create the Show desktop icon on the Quick Launch toolbar

To re-create the Show desktop icon yourself, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type notepad in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Carefully copy and then paste the following text into the Notepad window:

   [Shell]
   Command=2
   IconFile=explorer.exe,3
   [Taskbar]
   Command=ToggleDesktop

3. On the File menu, click Save As, and then save the file to your desktop as "Show desktop.scf". The Show desktop icon is created on your desktop.
4. Click and then drag the Show desktop icon to your Quick Launch toolbar.

The Quick Launch toolbar uses the files in the following folder:

%userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

Alternative method:

1. Click Start, Run and type the following command:
2. regsvr32 /n /i:U shell32.dll

The Show Desktop icon file should be available now

More can be read here
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/190355

Remove Adobe AIR When Not In Add/Remove Programs

I ran File Hippo's Update Checker and it listed Adobe AIR even though Adobe AIR was not listed in the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel.  I found the following suggestion:

Download the latest Adobe AIR installer and save it to your C: drive.
Go to Start->Run and type CMD
Type cd.. and press Enter.  Repeat until you are at c:\>
Type the following: AdobeAIRInstaller.exe –uninstall

Your screen should then display C:\>Uninstalling Adobe AIR (all versions)

I guess the other workaround is to install Adobe AIR completely and it in theory will then be listed in the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel.

I’ve also found that you may delete the Adobe AIR folder located at:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe AIR

How to remove Windows Messenger 4.7 permanently

How to remove Windows Messenger 4.7 permanently

First Step:
Navigate to Control Panel.
select Add or Remove Programs.
select Add/Remove Windows Components.
uncheck Windows Messenger.

Second Step
Click on Start.
Click on Run.
Copy and paste this line into the box: RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

Quick Launch Icons

Here is a quick fix for if ever your Quick Launch Icons change to some other icon.

Right click on your desktop background.
Select Properties.
Select Settings tab.
Change the color quality to something else.
Click Apply.
Click No.

Your icons should be back to normal.

More can be read here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q132668/

"could not initialize the browser's security component" in Firefox

If you get the error "could not initialize the browser's security component" in Firefox, try these steps in order.

Note to get to your profile folder….
C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data folder in Windows 2000 and XP or the C:\Users\user name\AppData\Roaming folder in Windows Vista

Hard drive capacity
Check your hard drive's remaining capacity. To do this on Windows machines:
1. Open My Computer
2. Right click on the C: drive
3. Choose Properties. A dialog will come up.
4. Go to the General tab
If it reports less than 1MB free space, you'll need to make more room.

File permissions
Check the file permissions in your profile folder. The file named cert8.db must not be read-only. To do this on Windows machines:
1. Open your profile folder in Windows Explorer.
2. Right click on the file named cert8.db.
3. Choose Properties. A dialog will come up.
4. Go to the General tab
5. Make sure the "Read-only" checkbox is not checked.
6. Press OK.

Corrupted file
The file cert8.db in your profile folder may have become corrupted. Delete this file while the application (Firefox, SeaMonkey, etc) is closed. To do this on Windows machines:
1. Close the application by choosing File -> Exit.
2. Open your profile folder in Windows Explorer.
3. Click on the file named cert8.db.
4. Press delete.
5. Restart the application. cert8.db will be recreated when you do so.

New profile
Create a new profile. Your current profile might be corrupted due to many reasons, such as changes in your system or lack of hard drive space at one point.



More can be read at:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Could_not_initialize_the_browser_security_component
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder

Not Being Able to Log Into Windows Live Messenger Fix

I had a problem with my work computer not being able to log into Windows Live Messenger.

I was able to login in the past on the computer but all of a sudden no longer. I tried uninstalling the program and installing the latest version but that didn't help. I research the internet for solutions but none worked until this simple fix...
Re-register the wups2.dll by going to the run line and typing the following and then clicking OK:
regsvr32 wups2.dll

Appearently the issue is releated to XP sp3.

Reference:
http://msn-errors.blogspot.com/2007/06/cant-install-windows-live-messenger.html

Office 2007 opens slowly fixes

Some people have observed Office 2007 products taking longer than normal to open. Specifically Excel, PowerPoint and Word. The other issue is that attachments in Outlook 2007 can take a long time to open. Below are several things you can do to improve opening times.

Add-ins can make Office 2007 open very slowly.

Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker - The first thing to check for is Adobe Acrobat add-in PDFMaker. You can do a search on the c drive for “pdfmaker.dot, pdfmaker.xla, pdfmaker.ppa”. Search instructions based on what version of Windows you are running:

Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Microsoft Windows 2000:
1. Click Start, and then click Search.
2. Click All files and folders.
3. In the All or part of the file name box type: pdfmaker.dot, pdfmaker.xla, pdfmaker.ppa
4. Press ENTER.
5. Right-click the file, and then click Delete.

Windows Vista
1. Click Start , type pdfmaker.dot (for Microsoft Office Word), pdfmaker.xla (for Microsoft Office Excel), or pdfmaker.ppa (for
Microsoft Office PowerPoint), and then press ENTER.
2. Right-click the file, and then click Delete.

Outlook 2007 Add-Ins - Uninstall any unnecessary 3rd party ad-ins.

1. Open Outlook and go to Tools->Trust Center
2. Navigate to Add-Ins in the left column
3. Select COM Add-ins in the Manage drop down and click Go
4. Uncheck any unnecessary add-in like Norton or Symantec product and Click OK

Modify the Way Windows Opens and Shares Data

1. Launch Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) by double clicking My Computer.
2. Navigate to Tools->Folder options.
3. Click File Types tab
4. Select list item XLS (Microsoft Office Excel 97-2003 Worksheet) and click on Advanced. (hint, you can quickly type xls))
5. Select Open and click Edit
6. In the “Application used to perform action” box, scroll to the end. Add a space and then “%1” . Make sure to include the double quotes.
Example for Excel would be "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE" /e "%1"
7. Uncheck Use DDE.
8. Click OK
9. Repeat steps for Read Only and then repeat steps 4 – 8 for the following file types:
xlsx
doc
docx
ppt
pptx

Or put the following in a text file and save as .bat. Double click the .bat file for it to automatically populate the registry for you.
# doc
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Word.Document.8\shell\Open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office12\\WINWORD.EXE\" \"%1\""
# docx
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Word.Document.12\shell\Open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office12\\WINWORD.EXE\" \"%1\""
#xls
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.8\shell\Open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office12\\EXCEL.EXE\" /e \"%1\""
# xlsx
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.12\shell\Open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office12\\EXCEL.EXE\" /e \"%1\""
#ppt
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PowerPoint.Addin.8\shell\Open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office12\\POWERPNT.EXE\" \"%1\""
#pptx
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PowerPoint.Addin.12\shell\Open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office12\\POWERPNT.EXE\" \"%1\""

The next time you open Office 2007 it should be faster. If not, unregister the products and reregister them. To do this Navigate to Start->Run and type each line in separately. Note that each time done it will open the product.
Excel /unregserver
Winword /unregserver
POWERPNT /unregserver
Excel /regserver
Winword /regserver
POWERPNT /regserver

Last but least, install Microsoft add-in, Lookup Wizard, to Excel 2007.

More can be read at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302596
http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=328399&sliceId=2
http://www.m3rlin.org/wordpress/slow-opening-excel-2003-files-in-excel-2007/
http://help.lockergnome.com/office/Excel-extremely-slow-opening-ftopict950153.html

http://excel2007-slow-open-file.blogspot.com/

Make new tab home page instead of blank in IE 7

By default everytime you open a new tab in Internet Explorer 7 the url displayed is about: blank. You can modify a setting to make a new tab open as your home page instead of blank.

In IE 7 navigate to Tools->Internet Options
In the Tab section , click Settings button
Check "Open Home page for new tabs instead of a blank page"
Click OK
Close IE

Open IE
Click New Tab (small tab next to current tab)
At the bottom of the page check the box that says "Don't show this page again"
Click Save
Close IE

Now everytime you open a new tab it will be your home page

Disable Vista User Account Control

Windows Vista has a new feature called User Account Control (UAC) that can get bothersome if you are not used to it.

You can disable UAC by going to Security Center in the control panel and unselect the "Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer".

If you don't have the option to unselect then you will need to open msconfig disable UAC there.
To do this navigate to Start->Run and type MSCONFIG. Click on the Tools tab. Scroll down till you find "Disable UAP". You may need to restart your computer.

More info can be found at http://www.petri.co.il/disable_uac_in_windows_vista.htm

Open in Regedit in Internet Explorer

I stumbled upon a simple but handy tool the other day. The progam is called "Open in Regedit in IE " and I found it on Petri.co.il (great website for computer info and how-to).

The tool is an Internet Explorer add-in that will directly take you to the registry path when listed on a webpage. This comes in very handy when you are reading instructions on how to modify the registry. Instead of having to go to Start->Run->regedit and navigating to the path you simply highlight the path on the website, right-click and select Open in Regedit.

Here is a little tip. The program will only work in Internet Explorer. What about if the instructions that tell you the registry path is from a non-website source like an email or PDF. Copy the path and paste it in any textbox in Internet Explorer like Google search box and right-click. You now have the option to Open in Regedit.

This program is a time saver and error saver.

You can download the program here. A quick search found something similar for Firefox.