Denney

Hmm... go figure how I missed that...

Take a look at this thread... all your answers are there: Removing the "My eBooks" folder , how do you stop it coming back? And please use the search feature before you ask again.

OFF I permanently have WFP off on all of my machines. In my experience it only causes trouble. I've had SFC off since I first installed Windows XP the day it came out and I'm yet to find ANY problems with programs or viruses overwriting protected files. It basically comes down to how smart you are with computers. If you don't open email attachments and download stupid programs that will cause problems, then your probably better off turning it off.

@jimbojones: Not to rain or your parade but that little answer is in the resource kit on the Windows XP cdrom.... Read the ref.chm file in the "support.cab" file in the SUPPORT directory on the Windows XP cdrom.

IRC is peer to peer when you think your downloading something of someone else and not a website etc.

I only use 6 programs for all my downloading needs: IRC (how can you not?) ReGet Deluxe (best download accelerator in the world for me) FlashFXP (best FTP program I've found) NewsBin Pro (best program to find pictures of EVERYTHING) BitTorrent (great for those obscure things you can't get elsewhere) eMule Plus! (best place to find those OLD songs that you can't buy anywhere - I have that happen a lot in Australia)

Time for my input I guess... I have used Firefox, Mozilla, Opera and a whole lot of other browers (including MyIE2), so why do I still use Internet Explorer? Compatibility! You will find that the higher majority of websites are compatible with IE... More sites support IE that any other browser. My ISP for instance, supports only Windows and IE... They won't provide support for Linux or Mozilla, Opera and Firefox. I know that's only one example but I'm sure many more companies only support IE and nothing else. IE might suck on those websites but what about the MAJOR sites that general Joe Blo might visit... Like google.com, yahoo.com, msn.com, launch.com, etc. They're all built to be compatible with IE. If all the major sites suddenly started to build to the standard, I'm sure that Microsoft would update their brower. I think Microsoft hasn't updated they browser because they don't see a need. I don't use multi-tabbed browsers, I don't use a sophisticated favorites list... I have no need for the extra stuff in Mozilla, Firefox and Opera. I will admit that the other browsers are better at rendering websites that require them but for the most part, all the websites Joe Blo will visit will work perfectly. I am yet to find a website that I browse frequently that doesn't render right. I think IE is actually more compliant with the WEBSITES you view rather than the W3C recommendation... As you said, you found those websites only by SEARCHING for them on Google... How many people are going to search specifically for websites that won't work in IE? If one day, you stumble across a website you found with some actual content on it and it doesn't display correctly in IE, let me know... And websites that have coding examples for other websites in the don't count. I'm thinking more along the lines of, say, a shopping website or scientific documents from a university. Overall, the point of this post it to say that sure, IE may suck, but how can you argue with the majority of websites/users who support and use IE. Ah... well, that was fun... now onto something else...

At least the RAM might still work... it's about the only thing not bent. So it's not a total rightoff... But that is one hell of a screwed up case... I won't even fathom how it happened. I don't even want to think about it.

UxTheme Hacks for major versions of Windows: Windows XP Vanilla: At offset (0000B6BB) change: 81 EC 80 00 00 00 56 57to: 33 F6 8B C6 C9 C2 08 00 Windows XP SP1 (1106): At offset (0000C3FF) change: 81 EC 80 00 00 00 56 57to: 33 F6 8B C6 C9 C2 08 00 Windows XP SP2 (2055): At offset (00027F5D) change: 81 EC 88 00 00 00 A1 D8to: 33 F6 8B C6 C9 C2 08 00 Windows XP SP2 (2082): At offset (0002A3BA) change: 81 EC 88 00 00 00 A1 DCto: 33 F6 8B C6 C9 C2 08 00 Windows XP SP2 RC1 (2096): At offset (0000FF28) change: 81 EC 88 00 00 00 A1 7Cto: 33 F6 8B C6 C9 C2 08 00 Windows XP SP2 RC2 (2149): At offset (00015086) change: 81 EC 88 00 00 00 A1 24to: 33 F6 8B C6 C9 C2 08 00 Windows XP SP2 (2162): At offset (00010C6A) change: 81 EC 88 00 00 00 A1 14to: 33 F6 8B C6 C9 C2 08 00 Windows XP SP2 RTM (2180): At offset (0001BB8C) change: 81 EC 88 00 00 00 A1 18to: 33 F6 8B C6 C9 C2 08 00 Windows Server 2003 RTM (3790): At offset (00021BEB) change: 81 EC 84 00 00 00 A1 2Cto: 33 F6 8B C6 C9 C2 08 00 I'll try to keep this list updated with all the UxTheme hex edits as versions of Windows appear. If you have any other hacks for other versions, PM me and I'll add them to this list. Maybe make this a sticky? Update: 15 July: Added XP SP2 Build 2162. 07 August: Added XP SP2 RTM Build 2180.

@XtremeMaC: With the new sfc_os.dll file, you have to restart before the SFCDisable setting in the registry will take effect. Windows Setup has a habit of setting that registry entry to "0" when it hits the T-6 minute. Unfortunately, there isn't another option to run anything after that time before setup finishes. BTW: The hacked file is on the CD.

Just tried it... here is what happened: First RunOnceEx entries were added (001 and 100), then I restarted. Upon boot, 001 was executed and then 100 (as usual). 100 added the next set of RunOnceEx entries (001, 005, 100). 100 then finished, deleted the new 100 entry (so it deletes them as they go) and then deleted the new TITLE registry key. Upon restart, the new set of RunOnceEx settings were executed but without a title and without the 100 entry. So, yes it worked and no it didn't. I worked in the sense that as long as you don't want a title for the new setup box and you don't have a new entry with the same number as the one that's adding the entries it will work as expected.

Heh. Yeah I figured as much. My only question is does Windows delete the original RunOnceEx keys BEFORE or AFTER the last RunOnceEx command is executed? If it is AFTER then the new commands that get added by that last command would be deleted. I don't know. I guess I'll have to try it out somehow... maybe using this comp... just install 2 small programs or something to test out my theory.

@dkreifus: FYI: Outlook uses Outlook Express for newsgroups.

Normally I would do that but the PC I'm on at the moment isn't really capable of running VMWare. My main PC is being repaired at the moment (waiting for a new mobo+cpu after the last ones broke ) and I want to have a brand new unattended CD ready for when it's fixed. I could test it on my spare PC but it'd take forever to install (P2-250, 96MB RAM).

Hey guys. After my RC2 sfc_os.dll problem, I was wondering if it's possible to perform RunOnceEx on 2 boots rather than 1? To clarify: After setup finishes and computer boots, I apply the sfc_os.dll reg hack and restart (using RunOnceEx). When Windows starts the second time, I want it to perform additional tasks (install programs, reg edits etc.). Can I just add another RunOnceEx.cmd that gets imported at the end of the first boot? I don't think that would work because that would just overwrite the entries it is running now, is that right? This has probably confused you as much as it has confused me upon reading this.

Yes, that is correct (at least to the best of my knowledge). You can specify the $OEM$ directory in the answer file I think. Have a look at the ref.chm from the support tools for clarification. Please remove your CD-Key from the unattend.txt file you posted!!

@BFS: I wouldn't recommend uninstalling Outlook Express. It has been reported that removing Outlook Express will break Outlook as well. Plus, Outlook using Outlook Express for newsgroups.

Thankyou so much! I've been looking for a solution to this. Can I ask, where you found that information? I must have missed it somewhere in my travels (I could swear I searched everywhere).

If you use nLite you can remove that zipfldr.dll file and information and the update shouldn't show up either. That's what I'm using at the moment.

I have a similar setup to Joe User 99 (not as many pc's though). I have my comp, my girlfriends, my spare one, the jukebox pc, mum's 3 computers (don't ask) and 2 servers. I have one server setup as a gentoo firewall and the other is a W2k3 server with PDC, web server, mail server, ftp etc. I make sure everyone uses passwords because I'm a security freak (or so I'm told). If you don't use a password on my network, you don't get in, it's as simple as that. I'm also looking into a media center but first, I need a bigger lounge room. :S I have my stereo connected to one of my old computers at the moment and using it as a jukebox... guess I could update it to provide video... would be great with all the DivX movies I have. Anyway, I voted password as a habit because it is.

I have and it works fine. Just trying to figure out WFP. Do you have any questions about it or are you just asking? I would recommend using nLite to slipstream and modify your installation CD. Failing that, you can slipstream using the following cmd line: xpSP2.exe -s:C:\WinXP Ofcourse, replace "xpSP2.exe" and "WinXP" with the filename of sp2 and your copied installation CD directory.

Just a bump so people will re-read my post... explaining why this hack won't work and that I jumped the gun.

@XtremeMaC: I mean it's the actual file from RC2 rather than the one from SP1 which also works. I tried putting that registry entry into the hive files but setup overwrites that entry later on in the setup. You could be thinking of my modified SP1 file where you add "SFCSetting" to the hive file... not "SFCDisable".

Yeah. Hopefully they won't change the SFC_OS.dll file between RC2 and RTM like they did with RC1 to RC2.

Updated & Fixed: Credit goes to vorte[x] for the original hex edit to disable WFP. I added mine to change the registry setting. Ok. Well, after a couple of more tries, I have finally fixed it. This modified file works EXACTALLY the same as my other one except it uses the SP2 RC2 sfc_os.dll rather than the SP1 sfc_os.dll so no campatibility problems should arise. To use it, simple replace the sfc_os.dl_ file on your Windows XP SP2 RC2 CD with the one attached here, then, edit HIVESFT.INF and add the following line after "SfcQuota" (search for it). HKLM,"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon","SFCSetting",0x00010003,0xffffff9d That's it!! You have now disabled WFP for good. If you want to re-enable it, change the above registry setting to 0x00000000 rather than 0xffffff9d. Simple. Hope you all enjoy my work. BTW... this file has been modpe'd and compressed, ready to go onto a CD. SFC_OS.DL_