Operating System Tweaks: Windows 2000/XP

Registry Editing

All it takes to restore the registry is going back into regedit and going to File > Import. Make sure this is done in safe mode, for there are some entries that will not be able to be restored in while in normal mode because some of the keys that may need to be restored will be open.

For both Operating Systems, the system Registry Editor, a.k.a. regedit, will be accessed frequently, and you may be asked to create new keys or DWORD values. This is done by right clicking in the whitespace in the right hand panel. Select “New” and then the appropriate item as directed. To modify any existing values, simply double click on the appropriate icon.

Now, there are a few things with XP that should be done before proceeding. Go to Start > Control Panel. On the side pane, select “Switch to Classic View”. This will make things easier later on than having to fumble through XP’s Control Panel. The second thing you may want to do is stick the “My Computer” icon on the desktop. Go to Start and right click on “My Computer”. Select “Show on Desktop. This also works for “My Documents” and “My Network Places”, should you want them.

The other safety net to fall back on in XP is System Restore. Before you start any changes, it would be best if you set a restore point. Kick off by going to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore and select “Create Restore Point” and hit “Next”. Name the restore point and hit “Create”.

To go back to the restore point you created, open up System Restore again, select “Restore my system to an earlier time” and hit “Next”. Go to the date on the calendar that you created the restore point. Make sure you close any programs you have open. Proceed to follow through with all the “Next” buttons that appear. Note that with some Windows updates, there have been changes made to core Operating System components that make restoring impossible. The best way to work around this is to create a restore point just after you install a set Windows updates.

The final safety net that you may want to consider using is a feature that has been available since Windows 9x systems: hardware profiles. What this feature does is allow Operating Systems to have multiple separate hardware configurations, which is normally useful on laptops that dock at different locations.

If you have not used this feature before, the only profile that should be on the list is “profile 1 (current)”. That is the profile and contains the current settings of the Windows session you are working in. Select the profile and click “Copy” to duplicate it. Name the new profile. Next, highlight the new profile, click “Properties” and check the “Always include the profile as an option” box. Once you’re done, reboot. Upon startup, you will be prompted to select a hardware profile. Select the one you have just created. The changes made in this profile will only take place in this profile. If you run into trouble, you can always start back up with the default profile, recopy it and delete the one that was botched.

At this point, you should be all set to begin tweaking your system to your heart’s content.