Enable Font Smoothing on the Welcome Screen (Windows XP)
Windows XP includes a new feature called Clear Type which is designed to make fonts more readable on LCD and low resolution screens. This tweak allows you to enable font smoothing on the Welcome screen where it is normally disabled.
Change the Log Off and Shutdown Settings (Windows NT/2000)
These settings control what action the system should take when the Log Off and Shutdown commands are used.
Enable Quick Reboot (Windows NT/2000)
This setting allows you to use the quick reboot function to restart Windows immediately without shutting down. When enabled, press Shift + Ctrl + Alt + Delete for a quick reboot.
Manage the Windows Prefetcher Service (Windows XP)
The Windows XP Prefetcher component helps to shorten the amount of time it takes to start programs by fetching and storing commonly used files. This tweak allows you to manage the service and cache.
Enable Shutdown Event Tracker (Windows XP)
The Shutdown Event Tracker provides a simple and standard mechanism you can use to consistently document the reasons for shutting down or restarting your computer. The information provided is recorded in the system log in Event Viewer.
Disable Ability to Skip Startup Programs (Windows NT/2000/XP)
Normally if you hold the Shift key while Windows is loading you can prevent the Startup applications from being launched. This setting disables the ability to by-pass these programs.
Use Crtl + Alt + Delete to Restart the Computer (Windows 3.1/95/98)
Normally when you press Ctrl + Alt + Delete the Windows task list is displayed. Using this tweak the key combination will instead reboot the computer.
Disable Automatic Modem Connections at Startup (All Windows)
If remote connections are enabled in Windows, the system may try to initiate an Internet connection at Windows startup or at the start of many applications. This setting disables that behaviour.
Specify the Response Time for Hung Applications (All Windows)
This setting controls the amount of time to wait for a response from a hung application before the system task manager automatically terminates the task.
Allow Portables to Undock Before Logon (Windows XP)
This setting controls whether users with portable computers have the option to undock the system before they have logged onto the computer.
Disable the Creation of Last Known Good (Windows NT/2000/XP)
This setting allows you to disable the creation of the LastKnownGood configuration, which stores a copy of the configuration after each successful boot-up.
Change the Startup and Shutdown Screens (Windows 95/98/Me)
Microsoft has a knack for making the Windows startup and shutdown screens pretty boring. Luckily it's relatively easy to replace these images with pictures of your own.
Power the Computer Off After Shutdown (Windows NT/2000/XP)
This setting controls whether Windows should automatically power down or reboot your computer once it has finished the shutdown process.
Clear the Page File at System Shutdown (Windows NT/2000/XP)
Windows does not normally clear or recreate the page file. On a heavily used system this can be both a security threat and performance drop. Enabling this setting will cause Windows to clear the page file whenever the system is shutdown.
Modify the Duration that the Startup List is Displayed (Windows NT/2000/XP)
This setting allows you to change the default 30 second timeout for the Startup List which normally allows you time to choose and boot an alternative operating system.
Automatically Reboot on the 'Blue Screen of Death' (Windows NT/2000/XP)
Windows will usually freeze when getting a dreaded 'Blue Screen of Death' (BSOD). Changing this setting will force Windows to automatically reboot when it crashes instead.
Suppress Safe Mode Warning Message (Windows 95/98/Me)
Enabling this setting suppresses the safe mode warning message when booting up, and bypasses the Startup menu.
Automatically Ending Hung Applications (All Windows)
When this tweak is enabled it will force Windows to shutdown immediately ending all tasks without attempting to safely close any applications that have hung.
Read Environment Variables in Autoexec.bat File (Windows NT/2000/XP)
When this value is enabled the variables declared in the Autoexec.bat file will be parsed and included in the current user environment.
Disable Save Settings at Exit (All Windows)
When Windows exits it normally saves the desktop layout, including icon location, appearance and other parameters. This setting disables any changes from being saved therefore allowing you to preserve a configured layout.
Manage the Programs Run at Windows Startup (All Windows)
You can automatically start programs whenever Windows launches. If you have programs automatically starting that you have not loaded then you can remove them using this tip as well.
Show the Windows Boot Menu (Windows 95/98/Me)
Windows does not display the boot menu normally unless a key is pressed during bootup (F8 for Windows 95 or CTRL for 98/Me). The boot menu allows you to selectively boot Windows in different modes, including Safe Mode and Command Prompt Mode.
Control Whether Scandisk is Run Automatically (Windows 95/98/Me)
When Windows is incorrectly shutdown, or the turn is power turned off, the system will attempt to run Scandisk on the next boot. This setting control whether automatic checking is disabled, prompts before running, or runs automatically.
Allow Booting to the Previous Operating System (Windows 95/98/Me)
If you installed an upgrade version of Windows, you can normally press F4 to boot your previous version of Windows. This option can be disabled.
Display the Windows Splash Screen While Loading (Windows 95/98/Me)
When Windows is loading normally you see the Windows clouds splash screen, this can be disabled to show the background DOS boot process.
Control Whether the Windows Desktop is Loaded (Windows 95/98)
By default Windows automatically loads the Windows Desktop (or GUI) at startup. With this key you can control whether the GUI is loaded or if you just want the MS-DOS prompt.
Change the Function Key Timeout (Windows 95/98/Me)
Windows normally enables the function keys during the boot sequence for 2 seconds, these keys allow you to control the boot process. The duration can be changed using this tweak.
Disable Function Keys During the Boot Sequence (Windows 95/98/Me)
By default Windows 9x enables the function keys on boot, these allow you to control the boot process. For example pressing F5 while the "Starting Windows 95..." message is displayed will boot Windows in Safe Mode.
Startup and Shutdown