Launch the Start menu and then click on the graphic that Windows has automatically assigned to your account. When the User Accounts window opens, select the ‘Browse for more pictures’ option to find and add your own photo to the menu.
A simple Registry edit can significantly speed up your Start menu. Click Start, Run and type ‘regedit’ (without the quote marks) into the box. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ MenuShowDelay and change the value to 100. The menu should respond much more quickly now.
If you want to remove the text underneath a Desktop icon, leaving just the icon itself, select it and press F2. Hold down Alt and type 255 on your numeric keypad. if you want to do the same with a second icon, repeat the process, release Alt, hold it down again and type 255 a second time.
You can swap the friendly XP Welcome screen for the more secure Windows 2000 log-on box. Go to Start, Control Panel, User Accounts, choose ‘Change the way users log on or off’ and then uncheck the ‘Use the Welcome screen’ option.
As well as storing shortcuts for your favourite programs, the Quick Launch toolbar can also hold folders. Just drag-and-drop one onto the toolbar to make it appear there. If the Quick Launch bar isn’t visible, right-click a blank area of the Taskbar and select Toolbars, then Quick Launch.
XP can check the integrity of important system files and replace them with fresh and undamaged copies if need be. Go to Start, Run, type ’sfc/scannow’ (without the quote marks) and click OK.
If you find Windows takes an age to shut down, there’s a quick solution. Hit Start, click Run and enter ’shutdown -f -t 0′ (without the quote marks) into the box. This will close any open windows and shut your system down immediately.
Turning on ClearType makes text easier to read on flat-screen monitors. Right-click the Desktop, select Properties and click the Appearance tab. Click the Effects button. Put a tick next to ‘Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts’, select ClearType then OK.
