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Vista Tips and Tweaks


Martin L

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You have a tweak or tips for Microsoft Windows Vista users? Post them inhere and it will be added to this post.

Enable Sidebar in Vista

Go to Program Files/Windows Sidebar/sidebar.exe

turn on file extensions contributed by FthrJACK

Why windows always comes with file extensions hidden by default i dont know.. its stupid, leaves you open to installing a virus.exe thats been given a zip icon or something then named virus.zip.exe

you just see a zip icon and virus.zip.. double click it and bam. also its a pain if you need to rename files.. change .txt to .bat or rename a file so it sends through messenger for example.

to turn it on, go to any folder, documents for example.

Layout > show classic menus -

Tools > Folder Options -

View Tab.

Untick "Hide Extensions of Known File Types"

close, go back to Layout, and put it back as it was

Enable Glass without a supported card contributed by harunaksoy

Download the file here. It just adds a key in your registry

Enabling addition Avalon effects contributed by harunaksoy

Once you have the new Aero engine enabled on your build of Windows codename Longhorn, you can enable additional transition effects that are currently turned off in builds. Follow the steps below to add some additional desktop and explorer effects:

1. Open up regedit.
2. Navigate thru HKEY_Local_Machine, Software, Microsoft, Windows, Current Version, and Explorer.
3. Create a new DWORD and call it MILDesktop.
4. Set the value of MILDesktop to 1.
5. Create a new DWORD and call it MILExplorer.
6. Set the value of MILExplorer to 1.
7. Exit explorer and restart.

I hope your system and drivers can handle the new effects!

Enable DWM on None supported Video Cards contributed by gunsmokingman

Note: Open Taskmanager and set the uxss.exe to normal as this is set to high using this tweak

The Reg Tweak

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DWM]
"perUser"=dword:00000000
"DebugDumpTree"=dword:00000000
"DebugMessages"=dword:00000000
"DebugMouse"=dword:00000000
"DebugZOrder"=dword:00000000
"EnableMachineCheck"=dword:00000000
"ForceSoftwareD3D"=dword:00000000
"Glass"=dword:00000001
"UseAlternateButtons"=dword:00000001
"Animations"=dword:00000001
"AnimationsShiftKey"=dword:00000001
"Blur"=dword:00000001
"Composition"=dword:00000001
"UseDPIScaling"=dword:00000001
"RenderClientArea"=dword:00000001
"MagnificationPercent"=dword:00000064

Software to Tweak Vista

TweakVista: http://www.tweakvista.com/TweakVistaUtility.aspx

NOTE: This thread will be cleaned once in a while; this means that all non-relevant replies will be removed so that only the tips and tweaks stay

Edited by Martin L
cleaned the topic
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  • 3 weeks later...

Why windows always comes with file extensions hidden by default i dont know.. its stupid, leaves you open to installing a virus.exe thats been given a zip icon or something then named virus.zip.exe

you just see a zip icon and virus.zip.. double click it and bam. also its a pain if you need to rename files.. change .txt to .bat or rename a file so it sends through messenger for example.

to turn it on, go to any folder, documents for example.

Layout > show classic menus -

Tools > Folder Options -

View Tab.

Untick "Hide Extensions of Known File Types"

close, go back to Layout, and put it back as it was :)

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Sorry i missed that one :yes:

Here's another tweak

Enabling addition Avalon effects!

got that somewhere ......enjoy!

Once you have the new Aero engine enabled on your build of Windows codename Longhorn, you can enable additional transition effects that are currently turned off in builds. Follow the steps below to add some additional desktop and explorer effects:

1. Open up regedit.

2. Navigate thru HKEY_Local_Machine, Software, Microsoft, Windows, Current Version, and Explorer.

3. Create a new DWORD and call it MILDesktop.

4. Set the value of MILDesktop to 1.

5. Create a new DWORD and call it MILExplorer.

6. Set the value of MILExplorer to 1.

7. Exit explorer and restart.

I hope your system and drivers can handle the new effects!

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Since this only works on build before 5270 I am removing the sfx files and just am

going to post the code for it.

Save as TurnOnDWM.vbs

Const ABOVE_NORMAL = 32768, BELOW_NORMAL = 16384, NORMAL = 32
Dim Act, Fso, RegKey, strComputer, SD, Ts
strComputer = "."
Set Act = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
Set Fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set Ts = Fso.CreateTextFile("Dwm_On.reg")
Ts.WriteLine "Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00"
Ts.WriteLine "[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DWM]"
Ts.WriteLine """perUser""=dword:00000000"
Ts.WriteLine """DebugDumpTree""=dword:00000000"
Ts.WriteLine """DebugMessages""=dword:00000000"
Ts.WriteLine """DebugMouse""=dword:00000000"
Ts.WriteLine """DebugZOrder""=dword:00000000"
Ts.WriteLine """EnableMachineCheck""=dword:00000000"
Ts.WriteLine """ForceSoftwareD3D""=dword:00000000"
Ts.WriteLine """Glass""=dword:00000001"
Ts.WriteLine """UseAlternateButtons""=dword:00000001"
Ts.WriteLine """Animations""=dword:00000001"
Ts.WriteLine """AnimationsShiftKey""=dword:00000001"
Ts.WriteLine """Blur""=dword:00000001"
Ts.WriteLine """Composition""=dword:00000001"
Ts.WriteLine """UseDPIScaling""=dword:00000001"
Ts.WriteLine """RenderClientArea""=dword:00000001"
Ts.WriteLine """MagnificationPercent""=dword:00000064"
Ts.Close
Act.Run("REGEDIT /S Dwm_On.reg"), 1, True
Fso.DeleteFile("Dwm_On.reg")
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colProcessList = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_Process Where Name = 'uxss.exe'")
For Each objProcess in colProcessList
objProcess.Terminate()
Next
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colProcessList = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_Process Where Name = 'explorer.exe'")
For Each objProcess in colProcessList
objProcess.Terminate()
Next
Dim Cnt : Cnt = 0
Do
Cnt = Cnt + 1
Loop Until Cnt = 10000 * 3
SD = Act.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%systemdrive%")
If Fso.FileExists(SD & "\TurnOnDWM.vbs") Then
Fso.DeleteFile(SD & "\TurnOnDWM.vbs")
End If
Act.Run("taskmgr.exe")
Act.Popup "Please turn the Uxss.exe to Normal", 15, "Lower Uxss.exe", 0 + 32

Save as TurnOffDWM.vbs

Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
Dim strKeyPath, strComputer, Act
Set Act = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
strKeyPath = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DWM"
strComputer = "."
Set oReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")
Dim DWMdel : DWMdel = Array("perUser", "DebugDumpTree","DebugMessages","DebugMouse","DebugZOrder","EnableMachineCheck",_
"ForceSoftwareD3D","Glass","UseAlternateButtons","Animations","AnimationsShiftKey","Blur","Composition",_
"UseDPIScaling","RenderClientArea","MagnificationPercent")

For Each strDWMdel In DWMdel
oReg.DeleteValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strDWMdel
Next
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colProcessList = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_Process Where Name = 'uxss.exe'")
For Each objProcess in colProcessList
objProcess.Terminate()
Next
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colProcessList = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_Process Where Name = 'explorer.exe'")
For Each objProcess in colProcessList
objProcess.Terminate()
Next
Dim Cnt : Cnt = 0
Do
Cnt = Cnt + 1
Loop Until Cnt = 10000 * 3
Dim SD, Fso
Set Fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
SD = Act.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%systemdrive%")
If Fso.FileExists(SD & "\TurnOffDWM.vbs") Then
Fso.DeleteFile(SD & "\TurnOffDWM.vbs")
End if

Edited by gunsmokingman
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  • 4 months later...

Vista 5308:

How to disable user access protection ( UAP )-

1. While logged in with admin rights.

2. Press the key combo Win+R (the "Run command" box comes up).

3. Run "msconfig".

4. Go to the "Tools" tab.

5. Scroll down to "disable UAP", & click the "launch" button below.

6. It will execute a command & leave behind a CMD window, exit that, reboot Vista, and you're done!

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  • 1 month later...

Show Administrator on Welcome Screen

start > run = " control userpasswords2 " select administrator account, click reset password (input new pass) / Ok

start > run = " regedit " create the key below

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

create "DWORD (32bit) Value"

Value Name: Administrator

Value Data: 1

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Show Administrator on Welcome Screen

start > run = " control userpasswords2 " select administrator account, click reset password (input new pass) / Ok

start > run = " regedit " create the key below

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

create "DWORD (32bit) Value"

Value Name: Administrator

Value Data: 1

1:\ Right Click Computer Icon Select Manage

2:\ Expand The Local User And Groups

3:\ Rename the administartor account to match the name in the reg file, you can also just leave the

name the same for the admin, but the name must match the reg file.

This is a easier a way, change the Green text to the name you want.

I posted this before in a earlier thread.

Save As AddAdmin.Reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList]"HelpAssistant"=dword:00000000

"TsInternetUser"=dword:00000000

"SQLAgentCmdExec"=dword:00000000

"NetShowServices"=dword:00000000

"IWAM_"=dword:00010000

"IUSR_"=dword:00010000

"VUSR_"=dword:00010000

"PLACE_NEW_NAME_OR_ADMINISTARTOR_NAME_HERE"=dword:00000001

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Open Command Prompt Here

Right-click on any folder on your Windows Vista while holding down the shift key. You'll see an extra context-sensitive menu item there: Open Command Prompt here.

O.T.

Only tips & tweaks in here. Thread will be cleaned.

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Bringing Back Start / Run

Temporary:

Win+R shortcut key

Permanently:

1. Right-click on the Start menu and choose Properties;

2. Select the Start Menu tab and click on the Customize... button;

3. Ensure the "Run command" option is checked.

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Yep, the shift key method works but doesn't work every where. However, There is a registry tweak that does enable the command prompt here on the right click context menu that works every where. Make your own by using the below:

; add command prompt to right click context menu

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\Open Command Prompt Here]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\Open Command Prompt Here\command]

@="cmd.exe /k pushd %L"

Or you can just use the cmd_prmt_here.reg file I attached to this post.

Open Command Prompt Here

Right-click on any folder on your Windows Vista while holding down the shift key. You'll see an extra context-sensitive menu item there: Open Command Prompt here.

O.T.

Only tips & tweaks in here. Thread will be cleaned.

cmd_prmt_here.reg

Edited by Spooky
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You can get rid of the shortcut arrows in vista by using an old reg tweak that still works: Open up regedit and go to:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile]

Then re-name 'IsShortcut' to 'AriochIsShortcut' in the right pane.

Close regedit and reboot - shortcut arrows are gone.

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