Click on Start/Run
Type regedit
Click on OK

How to Search for something in the registry...

Windows Update is a handy feature of Windows 98, having to register your personal details before being able to use it isn't as good! With this tip you can bypass the registration process.

Open your registry and find the key below.

Create a new string value called 'RegDone', or modify the exisiting value, to equal '1'.

Check that the key
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Welcome\RegWiz]
exists, if it doesn't then create a new key.

Next time you run Windows Update it shouldn't ask you to complete the registration process.

Registry Settings:
Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]
Value Name: RegDone
Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
Data: (0 = disabled, 1 = enabled)

Want easy access to the Control Panel options? With this tip you can add an expanding Control Panel folder to the start menu. This trick will work with most special folders too.

The first step is find the system ID of the folder you want to add, these ID's can be found under the
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID] key.
The Control Panel's key is called
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}]
and the ID is the last set of number after CLSID, in this case
'{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}'.

Once you've found the ID the hard work is done, now all you need to do is right-click on the Start button and chose open.

A hidden feature in the Windows registry allows you to create program aliases. Allowing you to create, for example, an alias called JBLOGGS.EXE that when executed actually runs another program, e.g. NOTEPAD.EXE

1. Open your registry and find the key below. Under it should be a number of sub-keys.
2. To create a new alias create a sub-key, and call it the name of the alias you wish to create (e.g. 'JBLOGGS.EXE').
3. Modify the (default) value of the sub-key to equal the fully qualified path and filename of the application you want to be launched when you execute the alias (e.g. 'c:\windows\notepad.exe').
4. Exit Regedit, and to test use the Start | Run command type in the name of your alias (i.e. 'JBLOGGS.EXE') and the aliased program should be launched, in this case Notepad.

Registry Settings:
Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths]
Value Name: (Default)
Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
Data: Fully Qualified File Name (e.g. c:\windows\notepad.exe)

Unfortunately Windows only gives you the limited options of center or tile for the placement of the desktop wallpaper. With this setting you can move the image anyway on your desktop.

Open your registry and find the key below.

Create two new string values of 'Wallpaperoriginx' and 'Wallpaperoriginy'. If the values already exist then you simply modify them.

Set the value of 'Wallpaperoriginx' to equal the horizontal offset, and set the value of 'Wallpaperoriginy' to equal the vertical offset. Then either restart Windows, or change your background image through the Control Panel.

Note: The image is offset from the center of your desktop, so you can use positive and negative values.

For example, the setting may look like:

Wallpaperoriginx "100"
Wallpaperoriginy "300"

Registry Settings:
Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
Value Name: Wallpaperoriginx, Wallpaperoriginy
Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
Data: Distance in Pixels

Would you like to make you Recycle Bin into something a bit more exciting? Maybe a glowing toxic waste bin? With this tweak you can change the icon to be whatever you like.

Open you registry and find the key below.

Within the key are three values: '(Default)', 'Empty' and 'Full'. Set the values to equal the icon you'd like to display for the various states of the Recycle Bin.

Note: These changes should take place immediately, you may need to refresh your desktop by clicking on a blank area and pressing F5.

For example, the setting may look like:

(Default) "c:\icons\toxic.ico"
Empty "c:\icons\toxic.ico"
Full "c:\icons\toxic_full.ico"

Registry Settings:
Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon]
Value Name: (Default), Empty, Full
Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
Data: Path to Icon File

If you entered the wrong regististration information when you installed Windows you can change it and other miscellaneous settings such as ProductID and ProductName.

Using Regedit, open the key appropriate for your operating system:

Windows 9x:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]

Windows NT:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion]

Then modify the values of 'RegisteredOwner' and 'RegisteredOrganization'.

Registry Settings:
Value Name: RegisteredOwner, RegisteredOrganization
Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)

This key lets you change the wallpaper that appears prior to anyone logging in to the system.

1. Using Regedit, open the key below.
2. Modify 'Wallpaper' to equal the BMP you want to use as the background (e.g. 'c:\windows\mylogo.bmp').
3. Reboot your PC for the changes to take affect.

Note: In the same key, you should also be aware of, and possibly set: "Pattern"="(None)" "TileWallpaper"="0"

Registry Settings:
Key: [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop]
Value Name: Wallpaper
Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)

All Windows 9x or NT compatible programs must include an Uninstall program, sometimes though the program may get removed but entry in Add/Remove programs doesn't, from this key you can remove those orphaned entries.

Using Regedit open the key below. Under this key will be a number of sub-keys, each representing an installed application.

To see which application each sub-key represents, open it and there should be at least two values 'DisplayName' and 'UninstallString'. 'DisplayName' is the name used in the Add/Remove programs list, and 'UninstallString' is the program used to uninstall the application.

To remove a program from the list you can simple delete the sub-key representing that program.

Registry Settings:
Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall]

1. Open Regedit and find the key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
2. Now find the value NoDrives and change the value to the corresponding number below. (ex. if you want to hide c: change the value to 4).
3. The values are: A: 1, B: 2, C: 4, D: 8, E: 16, F: 32, G: 64, H: 128, I: 256, J: 512, K: 1024, L: 2048, M: 4096, N: 8192, O: 16384, P: 32768, Q: 65536, R: 131072, S: 262144, T: 524288, U: 1048576, V: 2097152, W: 4194304, X: 8388608, Y: 16777216, Z: 33554432, ALL: 67108863

1. Open Regedit and find the key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
2. Find the Value Name NoClose and change its data
3. If you want to enable shutdown change the key value to 0 if you want to disable it change it to 1.

1. Open Regeditn and find the key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
2. Find the value NoDesktop
3. Change the value to 0 to enable it. Change the value to 1 to disable it.

1. Open Regedit and find the key [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
2. Find the Value NoFavoritesMenu
3. Change the value to 1 to enable it. Change the value to 0 to disable it.

1. Open Regedit and find the key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
2. Find the value NoDesktop
3. Change the value to 0 to enable it. Change the value to 1 to disable it.

1. Open Regedit and find the key [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion]
2. Find the Value Run or RunOnce
3. To start a program automatically just create a new entry. Or to stop the program from starting delete the entry.
4. There may be other keys starting programs automatically to find them just go to Edit » Find and type 'Run' there you may find other values