Windows Vista is only a couple of years old, and having over $10 billion worth of investment, Microsoft did a lot to make sure that this latest version of Windows is better structured and more stable than ever before. That's all well and good but it doesn't help the people who are unfortunate enough to have a slow computer thanks to a corrupt or damaged registry.

If your computer is running slow or if you are experiencing a lot of errors with your computer system, then the problem could likely be to do with the registry. The long term Achilles heal of Windows is actually the central database it relies on to store your settings and options. Everything from your desktop wallpaper to your Internet favorites are stored inside this database and it's accessed every single time you use your PC (even now).

The problems arise when the files in this database start to get corrupted or damaged. Because Windows is constantly moving and updating these files, the chances for it to accidentally ruin some are absolutely great and some computers have have 1,000's of broken registry files all clogging up the system. This is bad because Windows doesn't actually know how to fix the problems itself so they either make your system a lot slower and start bringing up a bombardment of errors.

In order to fix this, you need to fix the corrupt registry files. This is no mean feat as there are literally 10,000's of files in the registry and if you ruin one by accident, it could spell DISASTER for your PC. So in order to be sure that you're cleaning your registry properly, you can use a program known as a "registry cleaner" to fix the broken and lost files for you.

Author:-James Henry Johnson

When it comes to finding a safe way to repair registry files you need the right information and knowledge in order to make an informed decision on which approach you should take.

There are essentially 3 options available to you when faced with a registry problem:

1. Manually fix your registry

2. Employ the services of a computer technician or specialist

3. Use specially designed software for a safe way to repair registry

The first option should never be attempted by anyone who does not possess an advanced level of experience or knowledge of registries.

One wrong move when manually fixing your registry can lead to severe computer problems. In some cases, it can lead to your computer failing to boot up ever again.

The second option, whilst being a much safer and easier solution than the first option, is expensive. Computer technicians and service specialists charge a sizable hourly fee.

When you consider that most registry problems can be solved in less than 2 minutes using a relatively inexpensive software package, this option appears to present a much less attractive solution than perhaps first thought.

These specially designed software packages are called 'registry cleaners'. They perform a thorough scan of your Windows registry, weeding out and removing any invalid or redundant entries.

There is much skepticism surrounding the effectiveness and the safety of these registry cleaners, with some people claiming that they have removed vital registry entries from their PC's, thus rendering certain software and applications useless.

So we decided to perform a test.

This test consisted of taking the 10 most popular registry cleaners available and judging each according to the predetermined criteria of repair skills, eases of use, and customer service. We also checked the safety features of each software package.

Overall, Perfect Optimizer came out on top, scoring a hugely impressive 4.5 out of 5 in the overall test.

Perfect Optimizer performs a thorough scan of your Windows registry with extreme precision, ensuring that only unneeded and/or invalid entries are discovered and removed. This is something that other registry cleaners lack.

It truly is the safe way to repair registry files.

In order to provide added safety protection for your computer, Perfect Optimizer also lists all of the invalid registry entries that it finds, allowing you to double-check whether or not they are linked to essential pieces of software installed on your computer, in the unlikely event that it wrongly recognizes these as invalid entries.

It also backs up your registry before performing each scan, ensuring that if anything goes wrong throughout the process, the registry can easily be restored to its original state.

With free registry error scans taking just 2 minutes to complete, it can make the problems on your computer that were once perceived to be rather severe seem rather easy to rectify.

For a safe way to repair registry files, perform a no obligation, FREE registry scan today by clicking the link below:

http://www.registry2aid.com/Free-Registry-Scan.html

You really do have nothing to lose

Author:-Riley Edwards

A lot of programs you install will add themselves to the right-click menu of your files and/or folders. And most times, you have no choice in the matter and, as a result, your right-click menu can get very long with added items you don't even use. The last person I was helping with this had a right context menu so long that the Rename option was no longer visible!

Fortunately, you can easily remove those unwanted menu items, if you know the registry values to edit. And it's not at all difficult once you know the keys responsible for the additions.

For Files, the secret lies in the "context menu handlers" under the shellex subkey for "All Files" which, in the registry, is nothing but an asterisk - like a dos wildcard, which means the values entered apply to all files. It is at the very top of the Root key, right here:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

Click the the + sign next to the ContextMenuHandlers key, to expand it.
Now you will see some of the programs that have added items to your right-click menu. Simply delete the program keys you don't want.
Yup! It's that simple. If deleting makes you uneasy, just export the key before deleting it. Or, instead of deleting the values, disable them. Simply double click the default value for the program on the right hand pane and rename the clsid value by placing a period or dash in front of it.

ie; - {b5eedee0-c06e-11cf-8c56-444553540000}

Then exit the registry, refresh, and right click a file to see if the item was removed from the menu.
Some programs - like WinZip or WinRar - will add several items to your right click menu but all of them will be removed by deleting or disabling their one context menu handler.

Note that the above key only applies to the right click menu of files.
To remove entries from the right click context menu of folders, you need to navigate to the Folder and Drive keys:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

All you have to do is follow the same procedure as for Files - either disable or delete items you wish to remove.

Adding Items

Adding Items to the right click menu of Files and Folders is also fairly simple using the Registry. It just involves the creation of a few new keys for each item you wish to add. You edit the same keys used for removing items. Let's use Notepad as an example of an item you'd like to add to the right click menu of all your files or folders.

For folders, go to this key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder

Click the + sign next to Folder and expand it so that the Shell key is visible. Right click the Shell key and choose New>Key and name the key Notepad or whatever else you'd prefer (whatever the key is named is what will appear in the right-click menu). Now right click the new key you made and create another key named Command. Then, in the right hand pane, double click "Default" and enter Notepad.exe as the value.
Exit the registry, refresh, and right click any folder. Notepad should now be on the context menu.


For files, go here again:


HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*

Expand the * key and see if a Shell key exists. If it does exist, follow the same procedure as for folders. If it does not exist, you'll have to create a new Shell first. Just right click the * key and choose New>Key and name it Shell. Then right click the Shell key and continue on the same way you did for adding items to the right click menu of folders.

Once done, Notepad should appear as an option in the right click menu of all your files.

Vic Ferri owns the very popular WinTips and Tricks email group. He is also in charge of the Printing Tips and Registry Tips pages at Linda's Computer Stop.

Fooling with the recycle bin. Why not make the icon context menu act like other icon context menus.
Add rename to the menu:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:50,01,00,20
Add delete to the menu:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:60,01,00,20
Add rename and delete to the menu:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} \ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:70,01,00,20
Restore the recycle bin to Windows defaults including un-deleting the icon after deletion:
Restore the icon.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows \CurrentVersion\ explorer\
Desktop\NameSpace\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
@="Recycle Bin"
Reset Windows defaults.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} \ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,00,20
Other edits to the recycle bin icon:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,01,20 ... standard shortcut arrow
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,02,20 ... a different shortcut arrow
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,04,20 ... and still another shortcut arrow
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,08,20 ... make it look disabled (like it's been cut)

For Windows XP and 2000 also edit HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
For Windows ME also edit HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software\ Classes\ CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

This is a Nice trick where you can start or stop programs from executing at boot up by adding or deleting them to/from the run Keys in the Registry. Windows loads programs to start in the following order; Program listed in the Local Machine hive, then the Current User hive, then theWin.ini Run= and Load = lines. then finally programs in your Start Up folder.

To add or remove programs in the Registry

1.Open RegEdit
2.Go to the desired Key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion \Run HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion \RunServices HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion \Run HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion \RunServices

3. Add a new String Value and name it anything you lik

4. For the value data, enter the path and executable for the program you want to run.

By adding the value to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive instead allows the program to start only when that user is logged on.

If you add the value to the RunOnce key the program will run once and be removed from the key by Windows.

Hope you will like it.

There are lots of guys out there who now download from megaupload.com, but now in certain cases we might find that we will first have to download thier toolbar and than download. Well i know some of you guys do not like to download the Megaupload Toolbar due to the current risks involved such as spyware and all,so i found out this stuff useful and thought to share this information with you guys, it expains the hacks on how to download your favourites without installing the toolbar.

FireFox
Download and install the User Agent Switcher extension for FireFox from here: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/59/- Restart the FireFox web browser after installation finished. And afterwards Go to Tools -> User Agent Switcher -> Options -> Options-Then click on User Agents and then click on Add.

Key in the following information:- Description: MegaUpload, User Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; Alexa Toolbar) Exit by clicking on OK. Whenever you want to download from MegaUpload, go to Tools -> User Agent Switcher and select MegaUpload as FireFox's temporary user agents.After downloading the files, you may want to switch back to original user agents, by selecting Default.

Internet Explorer 6
Run Registry Editor by clicking on Start, then click on Run, type in RegEdit and click OK. In Registry Editor window, navigate to the following branch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent\Post Platform .Right click on Post Platform, then click on New, and then choose String Value.Type in "Alexa Toolbar" in the text box.Restart your PC, and you should have bypassed MegaUpload download limits.

Internet Explorer 7
Follow exactly the same steps as above (IE6), but the Post Platform branch is located at the following tree:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\User Agent\Post Platform.

Windows Registry Fix and Registry Repair TipsAlright, let’s get to it. Your PC is moving as slow as a turtle and all the usual tricks such as defragmentation, disk cleanup and spyware removal does nothing. If this sounds familiar then you are most likely in need of a Registry Fix or registry repair program to get your PC back to its normal working condition.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to know too much about your PC to get this fixed. So put down the drink, or aspirin, or whatever it was you reached for. Take a deep breath, and follow the tips and suggestions below. If all else fails, you could always check out some detailed “fix it yourself registry fix tutorials and guides” or Windows Registry Repair Programs if you don’t want to deal with manually trying to fix the registry.

Tip #1. – Be very careful if you decide to manually fix the registry!!!

The Windows registry is a complex database of instructions for all of your PC’s operations. One little seemingly innocent mistake and your computer will literally not work. However, as I said, if you know a little about PC’s and want to try a few things before having to buy any registry fix software to solve your problem, check out some detailed Do It Yourself Registry Fix Guides

Tip #2 – NEVER do anything without backing up your PC!

Before you try anything, backup your PC. That way, in case you make one of those little mistakes, you can restart your computer from the backup point and go back to how it was before. Click on the following for a detailed tutorial on How to Backup Windows Registry

Tip #3 – Find out if it really is your Windows Registry that needs to be fixed before buying any software.

Click here for Registry Diagnosis Guide to find out what is wrong with your PC and for a detailed overview to find out if your registry actually has any problems and for a detailed overview to find out if your registry actually has any problems. OR click here for a Free Registry Scan from a reputable software provider. Most registry repair programs offer free registry scans, so I always suggest checking this out to see if you do indeed have registry errors. Also, at the bottom of this page you will find a link to some Consumer Reports on Registry Cleaners and Independent Reviews of Registry Cleaners.

Some registry repair software programs offer customizable options and settings for those who like to have more control over the repair process. Others are geared towards less technical users and are point and click simple. Choose a registry cleaner that you feel comfortable with and follow the guided screens to scan and repair your registry. After you tell it what to do, the actual registry cleaning is done automatically.

Tip #4 - Set up a Maintenance Schedule for Your Windows Registry Repair Programs

Over time, your PC will make more errors as you use it in your daily activities. Most of these errors are so minor that they will not be noticeable initially. But, over time these little errors build upon one-another and your PC gets slow, shows error messages, etc.

In order to keep your registry in tip top shape, it will be necessary to perform regular registry maintenance. All good registry repair software programs will come with a built in maintenance scheduler. Our IT team sets the registry fix up for once a month for casual PC use, and on a bi-weekly registry cleaner basis for business use.

Hopefully this article will find you well and will be of good use for you. If you need more detailed guides, tutorials, or want to check out consumer reviews and independent reviews of registry fix programs then check out our link below.

This tweak allows an account that is normally displayed on the Welcome screen to be hidden from view. To log on using the account it's necessary to use the Log On To Windows dialog box similar to the one in Windows 2000.

#[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

#Registry Key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

#Modify/Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s) as detailed below.

#Data Type: REG_DWORD [Dword Value] // Value Name: Type Name of Account to be Hidden

#Setting for Value Data: [0 = Account is Hidden / 1 = Enabled]

#Exit Registry and Reboot...

While the account is hidden on the Welcome screen, note that the account profile will be visible in C:\Documents and Settings or wherever user profiles are stored as well as in Local Users and Groups