There are many areas in Windows Vista and XP that you can delete temporary files and decrease disk usage. Sure you can download free tools that clean up temp and orphan files, but do they really catch everything and guide you in decreasing unnecessary usage of disk space in windows?
If you want do do things right, you do them yourself sometimes. In this tutorial PCWizKid shows you how you can easily free up 10 gigs or more of space on your PC.
There are various ways of saving anywhere from a few hundred MegaBytes to GigaBytes of space. The video walks you through these step by step.
Notes from video:
Places to Delete temp files from:
C:\windows\system32\dllcache\
C:\windows\Temp\
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\
Areas to save disk space
- Turn off or decrease size of disk usage for system restore
If your not using the
Windows System Restore feature, then why have it enabled?
If you are using it, perhaps you want to re-evaluate how much disk space its using up (which can be several GigaBytes) for saving checkpoints. If you only want to have 1 or 2 good saved checkpoints to restore from decrease the allocated space for system restore to a few hundred meg.
- Decrease the disk usage size of the recycle bin
The most common area on a users PC in which Windows allocates a chuck of space for itself is the recycle bin. If you rather have files be deleted instantly and not put in the recycle bin or you want to decrease the space it uses to hold deleted files, a simple adjustment of the properties for it will do the trick as specified in PCWizKid's video tutorial.
- Empty or Decrease your Web Browsers disk usage for Cached files
Every web browser has a preferences or options area to adjust the temporary internet files and cache usage. In ths video tutorial we use Internet Explorer as an example on how to save space with an adjustment of the temporary internet files space it uses.
- Disable Hibernation in Windows.
If you dont know what
Hibernation is , chances are you arent using it. You might want to disable it to save a few GigaBytes of space that function requires as shown in the video tutorial.
For Vista users you can opena command prompt and type powercfg -H off
-Run the Windows Clean Manager
Windows comes already with a built in cleaner that does simple basic tasks to free up disk space.
To access it click start -> Run -> type cleanmgr -> press OK, as shown in the video tutorial.
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Try to rename the recycle bin in windows. You cant!
But wait, a simple registry tweak, and your all set to rename it to what ever you want!
Watch the tutorial which takes you through the steps.
Notes from video:
- Navigate in the registry to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/ folder.
- Look for the folder within the brackets that is called {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} then expand it.
- Double-click Shellfolder.
- Change the binary value data from default 40 01 00 20 to 70 01 00 20
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Written by PCWizKid on June 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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PCWizKid's Tech Talk has created a variety of Windows Vista and XP Tips and Tweaks in the form of video tutorials. You can scroll through the videos below and pick what you want to watch.
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Written by PCWizKid on June 6th, 2008 with no comments.
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If you want to play a trick on someone in Windows XP, you can prevent them from shutting down thier PC by disabling the shutdown button.
This PCWizKid video tutorial shows you how.
Notes from video:
- In the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Win dows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
- Create a new DWORD value named NoClose with a data value of 1.
- Exit the Registry and reboot in order for the change to take effect.
Remember! You won't be able to shut down Windows in the normal manner from now on, use the shutdown -r or -s command instead from the run field.
If you want to re-enable normal shutdowns, delete the NoClose value from the registry and restart your computer using the shutdown -r.
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Written by PCWizKid on May 27th, 2008 with no comments.
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This tutorial shows you how to create a hidden folder in Windows XP. Do you have have something to hide from view?
Note you need to use the Number Pad on the keyboard and not the regular numbers under the special characters. Also, this has been tested to work on Windows XP only.
Notes from video:
Hold down the ALT key and using the Number Pad (not the numbers where the special characters are) press 0160 for a blank folder name.
In order to delete the folder you’ll need to rename it in a command prompt by typing:
ren " " foldername
That’s not a space in between the quotes. You need to press ALT+1060. You’ll then be able to delete the folder.
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Written by PCWizKid on May 26th, 2008 with no comments.
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This Windows XP TIP shows you how to create a shortcut which quickly shuts down or can restart your PC.
Video Notes:
For a Restart Shortcut shutdown.exe -r
For a Shutdown Shortcut shutdown.exe -s
Additional Options:
-t xx (used for time delay)
-c "Enter a message to display"
-l (used to logoff the current user)
Example used in video shutdown.exe -r -t 30 -c "Thanks for Watching PCWizKids Tech Talk"
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Written by PCWizKid on May 25th, 2008 with no comments.
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In 60 seconds you can create a shortcut for Suspending Your PC running Windows XP.
Video Notes, the shortcut information to enter is:
rundll32.exe PowrProf.dll, SetSuspendState
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Written by PCWizKid on May 19th, 2008 with no comments.
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If your a Windows user you've probably had the occasional desktop freeze. In most cases you would just restart your PC losing any unsaved data in open programs. However, you maybe able to salvage what your working on without restating your PC.
This tip shows you how to restart the Windows Vista Explorer Shell without restarting Windows Vista. This tip also applied to Windows XP, though the screens vary a little, the steps are basically the same.
1. Next time you find yourself in this scenario with a desktop freeze and becomes unresponsive, press Ctrl+Alt+Del. If you get the Task Manager window proceed with step 2.
2. Click the Start Task Manager button, as shown here
3. Click the Processes tab, then scroll down to find the explorer.exe process.
Right-click on explorer.exe and select End Process.
6. A Task Manager warning pop-up is displayed asking you to confirm that you really want to end the process. Click Yes to end the process, which should make the desktop clear itself.
7. In Task Manager still open, click on the File menu, and select New Task then chose Run, as shown here
8. Lastly type explorer.exe, and click OK. The Windows Explorer Shell restarts and should make the desktop, along with applications you had open, reappear.
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Written by PCWizKid on May 10th, 2008 with no comments.
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Make Windows XP shutdown faster with a quick registry tweak.
In less than 60 seconds you can do a registry change that decreases the waiting period that Windows XP takes when you initiate the shutdown command.
I put a quick video tutorial together which shows you the steps
Notes from Video:
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControl Set/Control.
Click on the "Control" Folder.
Select "WaitToKillServiceTimeout"
Double click on it and set a value lower than 1000.
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Written by PCWizKid on May 10th, 2008 with no comments.
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Useful, quick shortcuts to common actions are not always available in a OS, specially Windows. luckily we can hack are way into the registry or tweak easily the default behavior and its functionality to suite our needs.
Below are three tutorials I put together recently for Windows XP (and Vista) users.
Windows Hack - Add Options to Right Click Menu
Add the option Copy To and Move To on the Windows Explorer Right Click Menu.
This hack can be applied to Windows XP and Vista.
Notes from video:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
Copy To {C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}
Move To {C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}
Windows Hack -Add a Command Prompt Shortcut to the Right Click Menu
This Windows XP tip allows you to access hidden functionality by adding a right click option to select "Command Prompt Here" from the menu in windows explorer on a directory.
Windows Trick - Create a Special Shortcut to Lock Your PC
Create a Shortcut for Locking Your Computer Screen in Windows XP or Vista.
Notes from video:
Shortcut information to enter is:
rundll32.exe user32.dll, LockWorkStation
The icon can be changed to a system icon if you point to the file in c:\windows\system32\shell32.dll when browsing for a new icon to change it to.
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Written by PCWizKid on April 16th, 2008 with no comments.
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