Vista - Tips, Tricks & Tweaks

By Herby
in Tips, Tweaks & Customization

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Grand Master

Denis W. Veteran

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Because some people may ask how to replace the Startup sound, here's a small guide:

How to replace Vista's startup sound

Vista is the first version of Windows to include a non user-customizable startup sound. This is played while the Pearl (or Orb) animates. By default, the sound either plays or it doesn't. Changing this sound cannot be done using the Sound control panel. Instead, follow these steps:

1) For best results, boot out of Vista and into an alternative OS, such as XP. (This is assuming you dual boot.)

2) Locate the file "imageres.dll" in Vista's System32 folder. For instance, E:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll. Copy that file into a different location, i.e. your desktop.

3) Download ResHacker.

4) Open ResHacker. Open the imageres.dll file in ResHacker.

5) Find the folder that reads "WAVE" and expand everything below that. This is what it should look like:

post-99705-1163636050_thumb.jpg

6) Right click 1033 (this could have a different name depending on your locale), and click Replace Resource. Click "Open file with new resource", and find the wave file you want to replace it with. Once you're done, in Resource Type, type "WAVE", in Resource Name type "5051", and under Resource Language type "1033" (or whatever number you have). Once done, click Replace.

post-99705-1163636407.png

7) Click File, then click Save. Now you can copy this file to Vista's System32 folder. Keep the imageres_original.dll file ResHack left behind in case you want to revert back to the original sound.

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Veteran

Herby

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Disabling Hibernation using Disk Cleanup does not work!

I tried it twice, even with rebooting, but no go. Only the second method using the command line works.

Thanks,.. tested + edited the first post! :)

I couldn't find a "Guided Help: recommended links" in RC2.

It'll be back again in January -> source

Heres a couple of my own tweaks so far:

Put Control Panel in "Computer" like you've been able to do since windows 95.. they turned it off by default in XP and removed the option from folder options in vista.

To restore it, open notepad and save this as control panel.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1d6c6c6d-680e-4f50-a7a9-78a0a94c2c86}]
@="Control Panel"
"InfoTip"="Control Panel"
"{305ca226-d286-468e-b848-2b2e8e697b74} 2"=dword:ffffffff
"SearchHelper"="Control Panel"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1d6c6c6d-680e-4f50-a7a9-78a0a94c2c86}\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Windows\\System32\\SHELL32.DLL,21"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1d6c6c6d-680e-4f50-a7a9-78a0a94c2c86}\Shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1d6c6c6d-680e-4f50-a7a9-78a0a94c2c86}\Shell\Open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1d6c6c6d-680e-4f50-a7a9-78a0a94c2c86}\Shell\Open\Command]
@="C:\\Windows\\System32\\control.exe"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1d6c6c6d-680e-4f50-a7a9-78a0a94c2c86}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:00000100
"WantsFORPARSING"=""

once saved just double click it.

Pin the sidebar to the desktop so it's still visible if you press 'Show Desktop'

Download Pinner a program I made originally for XP but works on vista. Run it and check the box next to sidebar.

If there's enough demand I'll make a program for the sidebar, one that launches the sidebar and immediately pins it to the desktop.

If anyone knows how to do these things without resorting to these hacks please tell me :p

Thanks,.. you forgot to add the lines to add the CLSID to "Computer":

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace\{1d6c6c6d-680e-4f50-a7a9-78a0a94c2c86}]
@=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,\
  6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,\
  00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
  2c,00,2d,00,34,00,31,00,36,00,31,00,00,00

@ rm20010: thanks for the guide! :)

@ zedaxax: thanks, great links! :)

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Rising Star

Jazket

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This is a list of short Words to interact with your Desktop faster when running applications through the Start Menu. Note when you try to run an application such as "Remote Desktop Connection" you can simply type in remote, all lower case, meaning it doesn't necesarly has to start with the capitalized letter "R" in order to run the application; no matter how you type it, just make sure you type it fast, that's the goal on this tip, to get what you want as soon as posible; Time is a precious thing and you can start to forget about your Mouse sometimes... :)

How to: on your Keyboard, pressing the "Windows Key" + keyword + Enter key.

Keywords List:

remote - Opens "Remote Desktop Connection"

hardware - Opens the "Add Legacy Hardware" Wizard

control - Opens the "Control Panel" window

sidebar - Starts the Windows Sidebar if not already started

media - Runs "Windows Media Center"

windows - Runs "Windows Media Center"

search - Opens an Internet Explorer window with your default seach engine's history search or search saved link on your Favorites folder; whichever it think should be first

wmplayer - Runs Windows Media Player

moviemk - Runs Windows Movie Maker

default - Opens the Default Programs window

cmd - Opens the Command Prompt window. Note: the word "command" can also be used for the same purpuse; although we are trying to work withe the shortest word.

pictures - Opens your "Pictures" folder

documents - Opens your "Documents" folder

videos - Opens your "Videos" folder

games - Opens your "Games" folder

music - Opens your "Music" folder

computer - Opens your "Computer" folder

sharing - Opens the Network and Sharing Center; Note: using the "network" or the "connect" keyword will bring you to a "Connect a Network Projector" Wizard

wordpad - Opens up WordPad

notepad - Opens up Notepad

regedit - Opens up the Registry Editor

paint - Brings up Ms Paint

accounts - Opens up the "User Accounts" window

parental - Opens the "Parental Controls" window

calc - Runs the "Calculator"

welcome - The sometimes annoying "Welcome Center" (disable by unchecking the Run at Startup option at the bottom of screen)

gallery - Opens up "Windows Photo Gallery"; Note: typing "Photo" while having Adobe Photoshop would bring that last one up instead of the Windows Photo Gallery :/. It all depends on how many junk you've got on your Start Menu and your computer.

Section 2: opening a partition or network drive:

use "X:", for example, for the C Drive, tpye in "C:", for the D Drive use "D:", etc.

Section 3: accessing system directories:

you can access almost any directory under your WINDOWS folder by simply typing in its name, for example: typing system32 will bring up your System32 folder; "drivers" will bring up your Drivers folders under your System32 directory;

Note that these keywords might work for the action listed above as long as you don't have any other application that might conflict with it; for example, "default" will work to open up the "Default Programs" settings as long as you don't have another applcation called "default.exe" or a shortcut called "Default Browser" for example, cause if you compare "Default Browser" with "Default Programs" the first one has the preference, due to having a lower letter on its proceeding word (Browser < Programs, get t? :))

These keywords might start to vary from results when you start to add more applications to your Windows Installation; most of these keywords work as declared above on freshy Windows Installs;

Now, you could always run any application you might have installed on your computer as long as you know the executable name; for example:

For iTunes:

writing iTunes in the seach box and clicking enter will open up the "About iTunes" rtf instead of the application, why? because the About iTunes (pay attention to the letter "A") shows up before the iTunes executable shortcut.

So running iTunes would be as simple as typing: itunes.exe

Tip to add more keywords to your list:

Do a wildcard search of executables over your Program Files Dir (typing in the search box *.exe) and you will find plenty of executables which you can remember so whenever you want to run a program you can simply type its name in the search box and hit enter; remember the trick is to use the windows key and type then enter; it all takes almost 2 seconds, but it will always depend on your keyword; larger app names or keywords such as "help and support" are not that usable since you have to type a lot and those shortcuts are right in the main panel of the Start Menu;

keywords not added:

help and support - takes too long to write, therefore 2 clicks would be the best choice;

help - brings up a custom help from your start menu programs, for example "Adobe Help"

support - brings up a custom support site link from your start menu programs; that seems

to be a random thing;

Using Indexing Services:

try adding any folder of your interest to your Windows Indexing structure for more keywords;

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Apprentice

Barn

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Heres a couple of my own tweaks so far:

Put Control Panel in "Computer" like you've been able to do since windows 95.. they turned it off by default in XP and removed the option from folder options in vista.

erm..... :unsure: :wacko: :wacko: :whistle:

noobfx9.jpg

lol,noobs,you gota love em................ :D :) :D

might i sudgest vision express

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Apprentice

Barn

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I also suggest this. :rolleyes:

With the default window size the Control Panel up in the toolbar is easily hidden from view unless you click >>.

by all means! :D

i just love clicking on dead links,makes such good use of ones time don't you think! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

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Tom B

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erm..... :unsure: :wacko: :wacko: :whistle:

noobfx9.jpg

lol,noobs,you gota love em................ :D :) :D

Erm, yes but it's still not as accessible as having an actual icon where i'm used to it being in every other version of windows.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Neowinian

Richard_uk

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Hi.

when I try to download vistaclocks.zip I get an error

You don't have permission to access /herby/files/VistaClock.zip on this server.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

Anyone got a copy they can re-post

Thanks

R

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Mentor

Luis.A

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Hi, if you mean the main sleep button in the start menu:

Goto control panel and in classic view select Power Options

Click 'Change when the computer sleeps' on the left hand side of window

Click 'Change advanced power settings'

Open the 'Power buttons and lid' options within the list

You'll then see options for Power button, Sleep button and the Start Menu power button

Hope that helps!

Stu

Another beautiful trick courtesy of swayton.

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Grand Master

Linkinfamous

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I wish it was possible to make the transparency of the sidebar perfectly clear. On most wallpapers it leaves an unsightly darkening that does not look good.

If you use that pinner program, it seems to disable the fade in background (Probably not intended, but still, it does what you want.)

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