Repairing the Windows XP Installation removes SP1

Configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM drive. For more information about how to do this, please refer to your computer's documentation or contact your computer manufacturer.

Insert your Windows XP compact disc (CD) into your CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer. (You can also boot with a Windows 98/Me Startup disk with CD support and run WINNT.EXE in the I386 folder on the CD)

When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD. When you see the following message displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER:
To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.

At this point an option to press R to enter the Recovery Console is displayed. Do not select this option. On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement. Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press the R key to repair Windows XP. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.

SP1 - Uninstalling SP1 and IE SP1 if it isn't listed in Add or Remove

Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. Select a Restore Point that was created prior to installing SP1.  Then Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup.

SP2

Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) will bring users the latest security updates and innovations from Microsoft. It will establish stronger security settings that help defend against viruses, hackers, and worms and will provide unique new security features designed to make it easier for you to protect your PC.

Release notes for Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;835935

What to Know Before You Download and Install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx#XSLTsection126121120120

Application Compatibility Testing and Mitigation Guide for Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9300becf-2dee-4772-add9-ad0eaf89c4a7&DisplayLang=en

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default810.mspx

You can download SP2 from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

Tips on Installing SP2: http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spackins.htm

How to use the Automatic Recovery feature to recover your computer if the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Setup program is not completed successfully
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;875355&Product=windowsxpsp2

Temporarily Disabling Delivery of Windows XP Service Pack 2 through Windows Update and Automatic Updates
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2aumng.mspx

How to manage Internet Explorer add-ons in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;883256

Manually Configuring Internet Connection Firewall in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/columns/cableguy/default.asp

New Networking Features in Microsoft® Windows® XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/columns/cableguy/cg0104.asp

Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/winxpsp2.asp

Windows XP Service Pack 2: A Developer's View
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwxp/html/securityinxpsp2.asp

Windows XP Service Pack 2 - Technical Preview Program
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/sp2preview.mspx

What to do after installing Service Pack 2 (SP2)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;ln;xpsp2installed

Added Issues and Comments:

Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Create Bootable CD
http://www.windows-help.net/WindowsXP/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html

Cannot install Service Pack 2 - Access denied
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm#Cannot_install_Service_Pack_2

The quickest and most thorough way to solve this problem is a batch file, written by fellow MVP Torgeir Bakken.  Download here.

Computer stops responding when you try to install an update in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=885894

Boot or shutdown problems after Service Pack 2 installation
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm#Boot_or_shutdown_problems_after_Service_Pack_2_installation

You receive an "Access is denied" error message when you try to install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm#Cannot_install_Service_Pack_2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;873148&Product=windowsxpsp2

Norton AV needs an update to work with SP2. Here's the link:
http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/enterprise/sp2/compatibility.html

The requested section was not present in the Activation Context
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/debug/base/system_error_codes__12000-15999_.asp

When accessing the Windows Update site, you receive the 0x80072EFD error.
http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/v5consumer/showarticle.aspx?articleid=16&ln=en

When searching for available updates on the Windows Update site, you
receive the 0x8024402C, 0x80240030 or 0x8024502d error.
http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/v5consumer/showarticle.aspx?articleid=26&ln=en

Cleaning Up after Installing SP2 - MVP Alex Nichol

Installing SP2 leaves a lot of space on hard disk taken up by files you would only ever need if you were to uninstall it. Once you are sure you are happy with it:

A very big restore point will have been made. Once a new regular size one has been made in the ordinary way, clean up by going to
Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Disk Cleanup
and in 'More Options' click the bottom button to remove all but the most recent restore point.

Delete the hidden folder of files that would be restored by an Uninstall: C:\Windows\$NTServicePackUninstall
Once done, if you try to use the 'Remove' for Service pack 2 in Add/remove programs, that will fail and offer to remove itself.

Note:  To view the hidden folder - Go to: Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/View/Show Hidden File and Uncheck Hide Protected
Operating System Files.

Note2:  Alternatively (for the $NtServicePackUninstall$ folder):  Notes by MVP Torgeir Bakken

If you make a backup of the folder to e.g. a CD, you can put it back if you need to uninstall SP2. After restoring the backup,
run %windir%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe to start the process.

Note3:  If you see  %windir%\$NTUninstall* folders which dates back to your SP1 installation, you can delete those. They are not removed by the
SP2 installation in case you want/need to go back to SP1 (and then be able to uninstall the hotfixes in case you need to).

The following folders should be safe to delete:

%windir%\$xpsp1hfm$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallQ<some#>$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallKB<some#>$\

Note4:  Stop and start System Restore to possibly regain some space (but you will lose your current Restore points). You also may want to reduce
the amount of disk space System Restore is allowed to occupy.

How to turn on and turn off System Restore in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310405

More about System Restore here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/newsgroups/faqsrwxp.mspx

There may also be a large folder C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download depending on how you did the installation. That can also be deleted.

Check that the installations temporary folder did get properly removed - it will be on the drive where you downloaded the setup files, so probably
C: and have a long name of random letters. If it is still around, delete it. And burn the downloaded file to a CD so as to have it if you ever need to reinstall.

There will also be a large folder C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles. Do not delete this - it will be used in future by Windows File Protection - but on an NTFS
disk you can compress it to save about 200MB of disk space. R-click on it, Properties, click the Advanced button, and select 'Compress'.

Added info:  Can Hotfixes be removed via Add or Remove?  MVP Ronnie Vernon

Some of the Hotfixes (Mostly security updates) do not have an uninstall feature, these will not appear in the Add and Remove list. If a Hotfix does appear
in the Add and Remove list then it can be uninstalled just like any other program.

If you uninstall the Hotfix, you will lose the benefits of that patch. This should only be done if you can determine that you are experiencing negative effects
from the particular Hotfix.

If you simply do not want them to appear in the Add and Remove list and you are sure that you will not need the uninstall option, you can remove items
from that list by using a registry tweak.

Automated Edit:

Remove Hotfixes from Add or Remove (Line 193)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Manual Edit: Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Expand this branch and look at the list. The Hotfixes are all listed by a "Q" number that corresponds to the entry in the Add and Remove list.
Make sure that you back up each Key before deleting it.

Select the key and then select File/Export and include the Q number in the name of the file. Right click the entries you want to remove and select Delete.

SPCheck.Exe

How to Use the SPCheck Tool in Windows XP

Special Folders

Question: One of my special folders (e.g. My Documents, My Music, My Pictures, Shared Documents, etc) has lost its name, lost its icon, or has the wrong Task Pane template, how can I get it back?

Answer: This problem can occur if the hidden desktop.ini file in the special folder is corrupt or missing. Here are the steps to fix this problem:  Illustrated, detailed instructions here:  http://computers.douglasthrift.net/winxpfaq.html#faq3

Speech Recognition Reminder - Disable

Control Panel/Regional and Language Settings/Language Bar/Details/Preferences/Turn off Advanced Text Services.

Speech Recognition - Troubleshooting

HOW TO: Install and Configure Speech Recognition in Windows XP
HOW TO: Configure and Use Text to Speech in Windows XP
HOW TO: Use Speech Recognition in Windows XP

Speed-Up Share Viewing

Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace. Delete the key called {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} and reboot.

Spell Checker - Error Message or Doesn't Function

Start/Run/EXPAND X:\i386\CSAPI3T1.DL_ C:\CSAPI3T1.DLL (Where X is your CD-Rom drive letter). And then copy it to: Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Proof.  Or download the file here.

Related Issues, Fixes and Information
An error occurred while the spelling was being checked.
Cannot Spell Check Messages in Outlook Express 5
Spell Checker or Custom Dictionary Errors in Outlook Express

Add full-featured, automatic spell checking to Outlook Express without the need to purchase Microsoft Office!
http://www.spellchecker.com/personal/.  Download here.

Spell Checker for Edit Boxes - http://www.quinion.com/mqa/spell.htm

Splash Screen for Windows XP - Disable

Right click My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Startup and Recovery, Edit.  Edit BOOT.INI. Add "/SOS" right after "/fastdetect" with a space between.  The line will look something like this:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /SOS.  When you're finished.  The first part, multi(0)..... may not be the same on your machine.  Upon restarting, the splash screen will be gone. It can be re-enabled by removing the new switch.

Splash Screen for Windows XP - Remove

Right click My Computer, go to Properties, Advanced, Startup and Recovery, click the Edit button.  Add the following to the line that loads XP:   /SOS   The results should look something like this:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /SOS

     Tip:  Disable Status Messages - Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

Right click in the right pane and select New, DWord value.  Name the new value DisableStatusMessages. Double click the new value and set it to 1.  Status messages will no longer show during boot/shutdown/logon/logoff.  A value of 2 will give you Verbose status messages.

Spyware

CleanComputing.com is here to help with spyware removal, parasite removal, deleting internet cookies, killing viruses, stopping spam, and ensuring your computing experiences are safe.

Unwanted information routinely collects on your computer.  Not only does it clog up disk space, but it threatens your privacy. Many programs surreptitiously load extra programs that will track what you do on your computer.  These programs have only one use - to steal your privacy.

SSL

SSL Connection Does Not Work on Windows XP

Standby

Troubleshooting Standby Issues in Windows XP
Computer Does Not Resume When You Press a Key on Your USB Keyboard (Q314293)

To automatically put your computer on standby

  1.. Open Power Options in Control Panel.
  2.. In Power Schemes, click the down arrow, and then select a power scheme. The time settings for the power scheme are
       displayed in System standby, Turn off monitor, and Turn off hard disks.
  3.. To turn off your monitor before your computer goes on standby, select a time in Turn off monitor.
  4.. To turn off your hard disk before your computer goes on standby, select a time in Turn off hard disks.

 Notes

  a.. To open Power Options, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Power Options.
  b.. You might want to save your work before putting your computer on standby. While the computer is on standby, information in computer memory is not saved to your hard disk. If there is an interruption in power, information in memory is lost.
  c.. To create a new power scheme, specify the time settings you want, and then click Save As.
  d.. If you're using a portable computer, you can specify one setting for battery power and a different setting for AC power.
  e.. To put your computer on standby, you must have a computer that is set up by the manufacturer to support this option.
  f.. Using Power Options in Control Panel, you can adjust any power management option that your computer's unique hardware configuration supports. Because these options may vary widely from computer to computer, the options described may differ from what you see. Power Options automatically detects what is available on your computer and shows you only
the options that you can control.

To manually put your computer on standby

  1.. Open Power Options in Control Panel.
  2.. On the Advanced tab, under When I press the power button on my computer, click Standby. If you are using a portable computer, click Standby under When I close the lid of my portable computer.
  3.. Click OK or Apply, and then turn off the power or close the lid of your portable computer.

 Notes

  a.. To open Power Options, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Power Options.
  b.. You can also put your computer on standby by clicking Start and then clicking Shut Down. In the What do you want the computer to do drop-down list, click Stand by.
  c.. You might want to save your work before putting your computer on standby. While the computer is on standby, information in computer memory is not saved on your hard disk. If there is an interruption in power, information in memory is lost.
  d.. To put your computer on standby, you must have a computer that is set up by the manufacturer to support this option.
  e.. Using Power Options in Control Panel, you can adjust any power management option that your computer's unique hardware configuration supports. Because these options may vary widely from computer to computer, the options described may differ from what you see. Power Options automatically detects what is available on your computer and shows you only
the options that you can control.

Start Menu

Add a Website link to Start menu
Policy Settings for the Start Menu in Windows XP
Frequently Used Programs Not Automatically Added to Start Menu
HOW TO: Prevent a Program from Being Displayed in the Most Frequently Used Programs List in Windows XP

Start Menu - Add Shortcuts To Start Menu

When you click Start to display Windows XP's new Start menu, you'll see a list of six most-frequently-used programs on the left side of the menu (below Internet and Email). Want to squeeze a couple more in there?

Right click the Start button (or a blank area of the Start menu) and select Properties. On the Start Menu tab, click the Customize button next to Start Menu. Under Programs, use the up and down arrows to adjust the number of programs in the list--the max is 30, although you'll only be able to see up to eight with the default large icon size--then click OK twice.

     Tip:  Windows XP can only display up to eight most-often-used programs on the left side of the new Start menu. If you'd
              like to see more at a time (up to 14), decrease the size of the icons displayed there.  Right click the Start button (or
              a blank area of the Start menu) and select Properties. On the Start Menu tab, click the Customize button next to
              Start Menu. On the General tab, select Small icons, then click OK twice.

Start Menu - Add/Remove Items On Right Side Of Start Menu

When you open the Windows XP Start menu, you notice a shaded row of options on its right side--My Documents, My Pictures, My Music, Favorites and so on. See anything there that you don't need or want? Remove it. While you're at it, you can change certain links (without arrows to expand them) into pop-out menus, or vice versa.

Right-click the Start button or a blank area of the Start menu and select Properties. On the Start Menu tab, next to 'Start menu,' click the Customize button. Click the Advanced tab and you'll see certain items selected under Start menu items. To remove an item from the Start menu, de-select it or choose its 'Don't display this item' option.

To display a commonly-used item, such as the Control Panel or My Documents folder, as a pop-out menu, select 'Display as menu' below that item. When you're through making changes, click OK.

Start Menu - Clean

At the top there are links to the Internet and E-mail programs; these default to the Microsoft programs. Under those two shortcuts, we find the "Most frequently used" programs list. But when you start using other programs, you'll notice that Microsoft has given its own an apparent "head start", as they will be slow to disappear from the list.

It is, however, easy enough to remove a program from this list: just right-click on the program you want to remove, and from the menu select Remove from This List. When you right-click, you might also note that Pin to Start menu is an option. When you select that option, the shortcut will be moved to the top of the Start menu, directly below the E-mail link.

You can also remove a program that was pinned to the Start menu by right-clicking, and choosing Unpin from Start menu (which will restore it to its position on the lower part of the start menu), or choosing Remove from This List, which will remove it completely from the Start menu.

Next you will notice a great number of links on the right side of the Start menu such as My Documents, My Recent Documents, My Pictures and My Music.

Well, I don't know about you, but that's nothing that I need there! Just right-click an empty space on the Start menu, click Properties, click Customize and select the Advanced tab.

Now you can customize the look & feel of your Start menu in whatever way you want! There are a number of items (Control Panel, My Computer, My Documents, My Music, and My Pictures) for which you have these three options:

Display as link
Display as menu
Don't display this item

It is especially useful to have the Control Panel as menu, as this will create faster access to the individual Control Panel applets. One other option that deserves mention is the Highlight newly installed programs. This is another annoyance you will want to switch off quickly! Not only will newly installed programs be listed with a yellowish highlight in the All Programs menu, you will also receive a pop-up when you open the start menu that tells you New programs installed.

On the General tab (after pressing Customize on the Taskbar and Start Menu properties), you can also change the Internet & E-mail programs listed on the Start menu. The drop-down boxes should contain all programs installed on your system.

Also you can change the number of shortcuts listed on the (left side) Start menu, as well as clear the whole list of programs in one shot. On the Taskbar and Start Menu properties itself, you can also choose Classic Start menu. Choosing this option will make your start menu look like the Windows 2000 Start menu.

Start Menu Policy Settings

Start Menu Scrolling - Enable

When there are more items on the Start Menu than can fit on the screen, Windows can either create a second column of items or it can create a scrolling menu. This tweak controls that functionality.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. Value Name: StartMenuScrollPrograms, Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value), Value Data: "Yes" or "No".  Create a new String value, or modify the existing value, called 'StartMenuScrollPrograms' and edit the value according to the settings below. Exit your registry, you may need to restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.

Note: This can be used either on a user by user basis by adding it to HKEY_CURRENT_USER or on a computer wide basis by adding it to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

Start-Up Files

The Complete List of Startup Locations in Windows

Startup Folder on the Desktop

Go to Start/Run/Regedit. Navigate to each key. In the right pane, scroll down to Startup and make sure they read accordingly:

User Shell
%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Shell
C:\documents and setting\[User Name]\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders

Startup Problems - Troubleshooting with Advanced Startup

If your computer doesn’t start correctly, you can use advanced Startup options to run Windows XP Professional to troubleshoot your problem. To start your computer by using an advanced Startup option:

Click Start, click Shut down, click What do you want the computer to do? and then click Restart. Click OK.
When the list of available operating systems appears, press the F8 key.

On the “Advanced Options” screen, select the advanced Startup option you want, and then press ENTER.
Before using Advanced Startup, go to Help and Support Center and type “Safe Mode Options” in the Search box.

Startup Programs - Disable Unnecessary Programs at Startup

How to Modify the List of Programs that Run at Startup

Start/Run/Msconfig/Startup

Start/Run/Regedit. Right Click/Delete unnecessary programs listed here:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Disable Run Commands Specified in the Registry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Value Name: DisableLocalMachineRun, DisableLocalMachineRunOnce, DisableCurrentUserRun, DisableCurrentUserRunOnce

Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = enable run, 1 = disable run)

Create a new DWORD value for each of the optional values above depending on which Run function to stop and set the value to "1" to disable. Restart Windows for change to take effect.

     To remove programs that are listed in the Start Menu:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartPage - Right Pane - Favorites.

     Or to ban them: Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Explorer\FileAssociation\

Right-click the String Value AddRemoveApps, and select Modify
Add the name of the programs executable at the end of the Value data, make sure that the name is preceded by a semicolon (;). Exit/Reboot.

     Tip:  For a detailed list of all installed software: http://www.belarc.com/Download.html

In the Software Versions section you'll see all of your installed software. At the end of each entry is a clickable asterisk that will take you to the folder the software is installed in.

     To Clear Add/Remove:

Removing Invalid Entries in the Add/Remove Programs Tool.  Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

You may have to contact the manufacturer of the program that you want to remove if you need to clean up the disk and registry entries. The procedure described in this section does not remove all the files and registry entries used by the program; it removes only the reference in the Add/Remove Programs tool.

Startup Programs - Without the Startup Folder

Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. Data Type: REG_SZ. Value: path to program.

Startup Services - Remove/Disable

To disable unneeded startup services for a safer, faster XP, use the "Services" Admin Tool (Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services).  If you are a single user of a non-networked machine, you can disable the following items, with no ill effect.

Alerter
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Fast User Switching
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service (Slows the hard drive down)
Messenger
Net Logon (unnecessary unless networked on a Domain)
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server
SSDP Discovery Service ("Universal P'n'P", & leaves TCP Port 5000 wide open)
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet (disabled for extra security)
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (for wireless networks)
Workstation

Status Bar - Disappear

Windows Explorer/View/Status Bar. Then go to Tools/Folder Options/View/Apply to all folders.

Status Messages - Disable

You can disable the Status messages that appear on the screen when you're booting, logging on, logging off or shutting down the system (Starting Windows, Loading Personalized Settings, etc.).

Click Start, Run and enter REGEDIT.  Go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

Right click in the right pane and select New, DWord value.  Name the new value, DisableStatusMessages.  Double click the new value and set it to 1 to disable these messages, 0 to enable them.

Stop Errors - Troubleshooting

Stop Messages
Troubleshooting Stop Errors in Windows XP
Possible Resolutions to STOP 0x0A, 0x01E, and 0x50 Errors
Troubleshooting "Stop 0x0A" Messages in Windows
How to Troubleshoot a Stop 0xC0000218 Error
General Information on STOP 0x0000000A
How to Debug a Stop 0xC2 or Stop 0x000000C2 Error
Microsoft Debugging Tools

When you use volumes that use the NTFS file system on integrated device electronics (IDE) drives with caching enabled, you may receive the following error message during startup:  Download the fix here.

Stop 0x000000ED
Unmountable_Boot_Volume

Stop 0x000000ED Error Message When Volume on IDE Drive with Caching Enabled Is Mounted

Storage
1394 Storage Device Does Not Work After You Insert or Remove 1394 Device

Support

Microsoft Product Support Services for Windows XP Professional

Sysinternals

Monitoring, Performance Tools and Utilities

Sysprep.Exe

Event ID 7005 When You Use Sysprep.exe with the -mini Switch
How to Use Sysprep.exe to Automate Windows XP Deployment
Sysprep May Result in "Stop 0x7b (Inaccessible Boot Device)"
Preventing Sysprep from Removing Desktop Icons and Shortcuts
How to Use Cmdlines.txt File During Sysprep.exe Setup Wizard
Sysprep w. Windows Product Activation or Volume License Media
System Preparation Tool and Answer File Usage
Cannot Log On to Recovery Console After Running Sysprep

     Tip:  Sysprep Resizes PageFile - Add this to the [Unattended] section of your sysprep.inf.  KeepPageFile = 1.  The
              value of 0 allows sysprep to delete the current pagefile and revert to system default settings. A value of 1 is
              supposed to keep the current pagefile settings and sizes.

System Backup

System Backup for Windows XP

System Beeps -  Ding.wav missing

Fix the Ding.wav File (Line 6)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

To use the Regedit: Save the REG File to your hard disk. Double click it and answer yes to the import prompt. REG files can be viewed in Notepad by right clicking on the file and selecting Edit.

System Beeps - Disable

Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Sound In the right pane, right click "Beeps", modify, set the value to no. Exit, reboot.

System Information (Msinfo32)

Description and Uses of the System Information Tool

Go to Start/Run and type in: winmsd

Verify your settings here: Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSInfo
Path value = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSInfo\msinfo32.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\msinfo32.exe

Default value = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSInfo\MSInfo32.exe
Path value = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSInfo

Fix for Help and Support and System Information
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/fixwinxphelp.htm

Go to Start/Run/CMD and type in: net stop winmgmt. Then delete the System32\wbem\repository directory. Once done go back to Start/Run/CMD and type in: net start winmgmt.

Error Message: Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Might Be Corrupted (Unable to view System Information (MSinfo32) http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;319101

How to Use System Information (MSINFO32) Switches
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q300887&

If none of the above helps, replace your Boot.ini.

System32 - Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
                    \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

      Suggestion:  To fix the "windows\system32\config\system file is missing or corrupt" where XP wont boot, go to
                            recovery console and type:

cd system32\config
ren system system.old
ren system.alt systemalt.old
copy c:\windows\repair\system
copy c:\windows\repair\regback\system
exit

Cannot Start Windows XP if the System or Software Hive Is Missing or Damaged
How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry
How to Troubleshoot a Stop 0xC0000218 Error

System Folder - Add a Special Folder to My Computer

Add a Folder to My Computer and Desktop (Line 130)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

System32 Folder

System32 Folder Opens When Logging on to Windows

System Performance - Some overall suggestions to increase system performance

Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop In the right pane select, "MenuShowDelay". Right click, modify and set the value to 0. Reboot.

Start, Settings, Control Panel, System, Advanced, Startup and Recovery, System Startup/Display Recovery...set the timeout to 0.

Right click My Computer Icon/Properties/Advanced/Performance/Visual Effects Tab/Adjust for Best Performance/Uncheck everything from: Animate Windows when....all the way down.

1: Right Click on My Computer and select properties.
2: Click on the "Advanced" tab
3: See the "Performance" section? Click "Settings"
4: Disable the following:

Fade or slide menus into view
Fade or slide ToolTips into view
Fade out menu items after clicking
Show Shadows under menus
Slide open combo boxes
Slide taskbar buttons
Use a background image for each folder type
Use common tasks in folders

System Processor - View Information

These values contain information about the system processor, including speed, brand and model.  Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\
CentralProcessor\0
Value Name: ~MHz, Identifier, VendorIdentifier

System Properties - Support Information

This registry file alters the text that appears in the System Properties property sheet. This is the text that appears underneath the OemInfo text.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Hardware\Description\System\CentralProcessor\0]
"VendorIdentifier"="<input>"
"Identifier"="<input>"

There are two files that need to be in C:\Windows\System, OemInfo.ini and OemLogo.bmp.

OemLogo.Bmp works best as a 16 color (but can be higher) bitmap with a maximum size of approximately 100 high x 160 wide pixels. Use MS Paint to create.

You can modify what is listed under the Manufacturer and the Support section. But I haven't found a way to make an URL clickable either on the General Tab nor under Support Information.

Also, if a system is not an OEM, there isn't a Support Information tab. To add one, go to Windows Explorer\Windows\System32. In the right pane scroll down to OEMINFO.INI and open it in Notepad.

Here is an example to copy and paste into the opened Notepad window, modify as you wish:

[General]
Manufacturer=Kellys XP Korner
Model=http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

[Support Information]
Line1= For Technical Support and information on frequently
Line2= asked questions, issues and fixes for Windows XP visit:
Line3= Troubleshooting Windows XP
Line4=
Line5= http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp.htm
Line6= http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm

Other tips:

To place a link on the Start Menu, download this edit. As an example you can run it to see where it is placed. To modify the settings open the edit in Notepad and change accordingly.

Add a Website to the Start Menu (Line 52)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Change the Online Support link under the Help Menu in Internet Explorer.

Change Online Support Link under IE/Help (Line 92)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Add a Folder or Link Under the Run Command (Line 180)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

System Restore

Unable to use system restore due to the error:  "missing framedyn.dll. Please reinstall the application to fix this problem".

A temporary fix to address this issue is to make the user copy the framedyn.dll file from \Windows\System32\WBEM directory to the \Windows\System32 directory. We are currently working to determine why this is occurring, one possible case is due to windows path corruption.

System Restore Information, Issues and Tweaks
Create System Restore Points
Troubleshooting System Restore in Windows XP
System Restore Tool Displays a Blank Calendar in Windows XP
System Restore "Restore Points" Are Missing or Deleted
Registry Keys and Values for the System Restore Utility

     Tip:  Restore points are saved in under x:\system volume information\_restore{558C94FD-3C7F-4954-A02D-
              26679E6D849E}.  Each restore point's files are saved in a folder named RPXX where XX is a two digit number
              corresponding to the restore point.

Single Click System Restore Point - VB Script to run unattended Restore Point Creation as a Scheduled Task.  The Restore point will be identified as Automatic Restore Point with the date and time the script was run. http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/xp_sysrestorepoint.htm

     Tip:  System Restore Does Not Restore Your Wallpaper or Background

System Restore Tab Missing

Check your settings here:  For Pro:  Start/Run/gpedit.msc.  Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System, System Restore.

System Settings - Edit Hidden System Settings using Group Policy Editor

Windows XP has a great program called Group Policy Editor that allows system administrators to modify the settings to a great number of windows features. TO start the program up follow the directions below.

1. Open the start menu and click Run
2. Type gpedit.msc
3. The Group Policy MMC appears
4. Click through the different nodes of the tree to see all the hidden features of Windows XP that you can edit without
    touching the registry.

Examples: Changing IE displays, Clearing the pagefile at shutdown, boot-time defrag settings, and many many more. 
Another tip is to add this to your Administrative Tools by adding the shortcut to gpedit.msc

Startup or Shutdown - No System Sounds

If you are using TweakUI go to the General section and check Beep on Errors.

Stop Errors

Stop Messages
Troubleshooting Stop Errors in Windows XP
"STOP 0x0000008e" Error Message During Windows XP Setup
Possible Resolutions to STOP 0x0A, 0x01E, and 0x50 Errors
Troubleshooting "Stop 0x0A" Messages in Windows
General Information on STOP 0x0000000A
"STOP:0xD1" Error Message When You Start Your Windows XP-Based Computer

Svchost.Exe

Error Message When You Try to Dial a Connection: "Svchost.exe Has Generated Errors and Will Be Closed by Windows"

System Volume Information - Where is it?

Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/View/Show Hidden File and Uncheck Hide Protected Operating System Files.