Restoring windows XP default settings.

[JTrader]

Hi

I've played about with my windows XP settings in order to free up memory, and this has resulted in a few changes such as -

1. The text for all icons on my desktop is now in a distinct block. Previously, this block did not exist.

2. When i log on, as my settings load, i still see the log-on screen for a long while, B4 i see my desktop. Previously, as soon as i logged on, i could see my desktop.

I can't remember what changes i made, because i was following an obscure help files sequence of instructions.
What i am wanting to know is if there is a way to restore my main Windows XP settings to their default settings, without using stystem restore, or removing windows update downloads etc.

Many thanks.

 

[MarkB]

Hi JTrader,

I can help you with No.1
Click START.
Right click MY COMPUTER.
Down to PROPERTIES.
Click ADVANCED tab
Under "performance" click "settings" button.
Scroll the menu to the bottom. The second heading up from the bottom says
"Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop"
Make sure the box is ticked.
Click "OK"
Click "OK"

Should be clear headings now. Don't know about the log-in screen though.
Hope this helps.

 

[ashwoka]

XP Settings

I have exactly the same problem with the log on screen coming on before windows starts.
I have been playing around with the "Services" that run in the background as was having a problem with my Ethernet connection.

As soon as I started changing some of these from manual to disabled to automatic I started having the Logon screen. I forgot which ones I changed but remember playing around with the "Network" named stuff.

Also Is there anyway to reset the services that run in the background to default settings, I'm guessing not because of all the software you uninstall and install over time starts and stops some stuff. I do not have the Restore cd that comes with the machine. And is there anyway to restore a XP Pro machine without this CD?.

Thanks

 

[Lightning McQueen]

this link may be of help

http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/defserv.htm

 

[JTrader]

Hi JTrader,

I can help you with No.1
Click START.
Right click MY COMPUTER.
Down to PROPERTIES.
Click ADVANCED tab
Under "performance" click "settings" button.
Scroll the menu to the bottom. The second heading up from the bottom says
"Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop"
Make sure the box is ticked.
Click "OK"
Click "OK"

Should be clear headings now. Don't know about the log-in screen though.
Hope this helps.

Hi Mark

no that didn't work.
All this did was change the appearance to "windows classic" (grey task bar, start menu etc.).
The icon text still remains within a blue box. I want to restore the settings so that the box is see-through.

Thanks.

 

[JTrader]

this link may be of help

http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/defserv.htm

Hi LMQ

I checked these by typing in run - services.msc. All my settings were set to the default SP2 settings.

Thinking about it, :idea: perhaps my best bet of restoring to defaults would be to re-install SP2, and then do automatic updates. A bit of a ball acher, but should get the job done!

Thanks.

 

[Lightning McQueen]

Hi LMQ

I checked these by typing in run - services.msc. All my settings were set to the default SP2 settings.

Thinking about it, :idea: perhaps my best bet of restoring to defaults would be to re-install SP2, and then do automatic updates. A bit of a ball acher, but should get the job done!

Thanks.

ok, try this prog, gets good reviews, comprehensive but couldnt find anything specific in there for your probs. may be worth a peek yourself as you may find the right bits to twiddle with. Lots of tweaking awaits and the program allows you to save and load your windows settings in case of a dodgy move, which could be a bonus for the future in your case:cheesy:

one which im going to try on my trusty old surfer/trawler is "use max physical ram before using swap file" it worked a treat on my now deceased w95 pit pony, gave the wheezing old girl some zip....well sort of

FreshUI

http://www.download.com/3000-2094_4-10490154.html

registration may be required to download.

 

[Atilla]

ok, try this prog, gets good reviews, comprehensive but couldnt find anything specific in there for your probs. may be worth a peek yourself as you may find the right bits to twiddle with. Lots of tweaking awaits and the program allows you to save and load your windows settings in case of a dodgy move, which could be a bonus for the future in your case:cheesy:

one which im going to try on my trusty old surfer/trawler is "use max physical ram before using swap file" it worked a treat on my now deceased w95 pit pony, gave the wheezing old girl some zip....well sort of

FreshUI

http://www.download.com/3000-2094_4-10490154.html

registration may be required to download.

Hi guys,

I thought I was a techy but I honestly don't know the depths you chaps take all these individual settings to.

See if this helps with your login query...

START / CONTROL PANEL / USER ACCOUNTS

From USER ACCOUNTS select CHANGE THE WAY USERS LOG ON OR OFF

There is a LEARN ABOUT - LOGON OPTIONS which may answer whether you get the logon screen or welcome screen etc...



As a piece of advice, I wouldn't go and install every Windows desktop utility offering this and that onto your computers as these only feed all kinds of information back to the software provider.

Also you don't know which are legit and which maybe written by some half baked SW developers with badly written code.

Eventually, this is the single reason why most peoples computers grind to a halt IMHO as they are full of freebee add ons which don't do much at all.



Good luck...



Regarding changing the text background on the icons. I've looked at those settings and ended up in all sorts of places I never new existed. Very deep down and dark places of the Windows registry indeed. Unfortunately I had to cancel my way back as I was well and trully out of my natural habitat. :cheesy:

Interesting challenge but I'll have another go perhaps when I have more time on my finger tips.


Cheerio...

 

[Lightning McQueen]

Hi guys,

As a piece of advice, I wouldn't go and install every Windows desktop utility offering this and that onto your computers as these only feed all kinds of information back to the software provider.

Also you don't know which are legit and which maybe written by some half baked SW developers with badly written code.

Eventually, this is the single reason why most peoples computers grind to a halt IMHO as they are full of freebee add ons which don't do much at all.

Good luck...

Interesting challenge but I'll have another go perhaps when I have more time on my finger tips.

Cheerio...

Hi Atilla

Hope you are well and not too overworked at the mo, I agree with you regarding bloating out the system with iffy software, the trick I suppose is to keep only a few of the more useful ones on board, but the prob is which ones.

The people most at risk are the ones with only one machine, a sort of jack of all trades (couldn't resist:cheesy: ) pc, anyone who is or contemplating trading should have a trade only pc, loading nothing else on but the tools required for trading (have we been there before?).

Jtrader not wishing to use system restore creates a challenge for sure, that would be my first pill for the sickly patient:cheesy:

Regards

 

[rossored]

The visual tweaks can be adjusted by following Mark B's advice - with some minor adjustments:

Right-click on My Computer, select Properties from the pop-up. Click the Advanced tab, click the Settings button under the Performance subheading, and select "Adjust for best appearance" or "Let Windows choose...". Either of these should result in the default visual settings being applied.

The slow boot process is normally down to startup programs, poorly written uninstallers and so on. You can remove some of this and improve overall performance by using a program like CCleaner which removes temporary internet files and also unused DLLs etc, but basically the best way is to backup your data and reinstall the OS; this can only be done if you either have a manufacturers' restore CD, or an XP installation CD - there is no other way. A format and reinstall should take no more than an hour, plus additional time spent reloading programs and copying the data back.

 

[rossored]

Ashwoka, if you're getting the logon screen no matter what, it could be Java-related. Take a look in Control Panel, User Accounts. If there is an account there named ASP.NET, delete it and the settings related to it. Reboot. Assuming you have not selected to use the welcome screen, this should bring you straight to the desktop.

 

[JTrader]

The visual tweaks can be adjusted by following Mark B's advice - with some minor adjustments:

Right-click on My Computer, select Properties from the pop-up. Click the Advanced tab, click the Settings button under the Performance subheading, and select "Adjust for best appearance" or "Let Windows choose...". Either of these should result in the default visual settings being applied.
...........

Thanks guys.

Because my PC performance isn't affected, its just the appearance, and fact that it didn't look like this when it loaded up previously, if rossored's minor adjustments don't do the trick, I'll leave it as it is. Not worth spending much time over really as its not a biggy!

 

[JTrader]

The visual tweaks can be adjusted by following Mark B's advice - with some minor adjustments:

Right-click on My Computer, select Properties from the pop-up. Click the Advanced tab, click the Settings button under the Performance subheading, and select "Adjust for best appearance" or "Let Windows choose...". Either of these should result in the default visual settings being applied.

This didn't seem to make a difference to my issues, as the icon text blue background still remains, and i still get a plain blue screen B4 my desktop picture loads (previously my custom desktop picture would load straightaway, with nothing B4 it).
But thanks anyway.

 

[Lightning McQueen]

This may help, it may not

JT if you've Done as Mark B says and it didnt work you're desktop may be locked, to see if this is the case do the following:

right click the desktop

go to properties

click the desktop tab

click customize desktop

click the web tab

uncheck the lock desktop items box, if it is ticked

click ok

then go through MarkB's instructions making sure the "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" is ticked.

 

[Atilla]

This didn't seem to make a difference to my issues, as the icon text blue background still remains, and i still get a plain blue screen B4 my desktop picture loads (previously my custom desktop picture would load straightaway, with nothing B4 it).
But thanks anyway.

That's what I call some serious flooding.

Now do you believe in Global Warming? :cheesy:

 

[JTrader]

That's what I call some serious flooding.

Now do you believe in Global Warming? :cheesy:

HaHa very funny
It's Loch Ness....
I've always believed in Global Warming. GW & climate change are a fact. The causes are questionable.

 

[Atilla]

HaHa very funny
It's Loch Ness....
I've always believed in Global Warming. GW & climate change are a fact. The causes are questionable.

Hi JTrader,

I have had another good half hour of twiddling with all my various XP settings and just can't fathom your quirky highlights. I gave up in the end and started playing that snooker game you posted.

I'm going for your score but can't get past 3000 at the mo.

Regards,

 

[JTrader]

This may help, it may not

JT if you've Done as Mark B says and it didnt work you're desktop may be locked, to see if this is the case do the following:

right click the desktop

go to properties

click the desktop tab

click customize desktop

click the web tab

uncheck the lock desktop items box, if it is ticked

click ok

then go through MarkB's instructions making sure the "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" is ticked.

Well thanks LMQ,

that seems to have done the trick !

Thx for the effort chaps !

 

[JTrader]

Hi JTrader,

I have had another good half hour of twiddling with all my various XP settings and just can't fathom your quirky highlights. I gave up in the end and started playing that snooker game you posted.

I'm going for your score but can't get past 3000 at the mo.

Regards,

Hi Atilla

minipool is slightly addictive is it not
Yep, scores all about speed, you can complete the game and become a "pool master" with only around 3000 points.

I was hooked on it 3 summers back when doing a temp job - as they had me sat twiddling my thumbs for 3 hours per day!
i got the whole office at this construction firm hucked on it - I reigned supreme though .