Remove My Pictures from the Start Menu

Do you want to removes My Pictures from the Documents folder on the Start Menu? No problem. Follow these steps.

1. Click Start > Run > type ‘ regedit ‘ to open registry editor.
2. Find this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\

CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

3. On the right pane make a new DWORD value, and named it ‘NoSMMyPictures‘ (Right click on empty space on the right pane and choose New >DWORD Value).
4. Double click that new DWORD value and set the value to ‘1’ to disable it.
5. Restart the computer.
   

No more My Pictures from the Documents folder on the Start Menu.

Disable the Ability to Right Click on the Desktop

Right click and left click (click) just like ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ like husband and wife, they live in harmony. Right click can boost our productivity more than 100%, but for reasons we can disable this feature maybe just for fun or maybe for security reasons. Here how we can disable this feature.

1. Click Start > Run > type ‘ regedit ‘ to open registry editor.
2. Find this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\

CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

3. On the right pane make a new DWORD value, and named it ‘NoViewContextMenu ‘ (Right click on empty space on the right pane and choose New >DWORD Value).
4. Double click that new DWORD value and set the value to ‘1’ to disable it.
5. Restart the computer.

Disable Recent Documents History

This feature can be a “spyware” in the wrong hand, why? Even this feature looks like simple and harmless, this feature can make records which documents we opened, so if we working on private documents that mean another user can track down on those documents. Of course you can disable this feature, but you also can make this feature enable but not to record anything. I prefer second option than the first one, because with this option we feel like a winner on spying game. Wants to be a winner? follow these steps.

1. Click Start > Run > type ‘ regedit ‘ to open registry editor.
2. Find this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\

CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

3. On the right pane make a new DWORD value, and named it ‘NoRecentDocsHistory ‘ (Right click on empty space on the right pane and choose New >DWORD Value).
4. Double click that new DWORD value and set the value to ‘1’ to enable it.
5. Restart the computer.

Restrict Users from Running Specific Applications

We have more than one applications installed on our computer, and sometimes we also have more than one user. Some applications are not for every users, some applications could be very dangerous in the wrong hand, so we have to do something about this. Yes we can restrict users from running specific applications. Follow these steps to make it happen.

1. Click Start > Run and type ‘ regedit ‘ to open registry editor.
2. Find this key from left pane:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\

CurrentVersion \Policies\Explorer

3. Create a new DWORD value and name it "DisallowRun" set the value to "1" to enable application restrictions or "0" to allow all applications to run. Right click on the right pane > New > DWORD Value.
4. Then create a new sub-key called [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Policies\Explorer\DisallowRun] and define the applications to be restricted. Create a new string value for each application, named as consecutive numbers, and setting the value to the filename to be restricted. To create a new sub-key called DisallowRun, right click on the key Explorer then choose New > Key, named it DisallowRun. Now to make string value to restrict applications, click on new key you just created ‘DisallowRun’ from the left pane, then point your mouse to right pane on empty space and right click then choose New > String Value, named it as consecutive number (named it ‘1’ then the next string value named it ‘2’). Double click on that string value and then put application’s name that you want to restrict (if you want to restrict notepad then type in ‘ notepad.exe ‘ ), for each application that you want to restrict you have to make a new string value.
5. Close registry editor, and try to run an application that you restricted before. You’ll get a warning message.

Note: Don’t restrict regedit, you can’t disable this feature if you restrict regedit.

Floppy disk startup key.

Usually we use an application to lockup our computer, and then next time we startup, we need to plug in a flash disk as a security key. Windows XP provides us with easy and cheap way to do this, all we need is little bit of information how to do this and a blank floppy disk. Here how we can do this.

1. Click Start > Run > type ‘ syskey ‘ this will open a window named ‘Securing the Windows XP Account Database’
2. Choose ‘ Encryption Enabled ‘
3. Click Update button. A window called Startup Key will popup.
4. Choose ‘ System Generated Password ‘, and then choose ‘ Store Startup Key on Floppy Disk ‘.
5. Insert your blank floppy disk to create your floppy disk key. Click Ok button.

Make a copy of your floppy disk to make a backup. Enjoy ...

No recycle files.

If you want your recycle bin always empty, because none of your deleted files moved to recycle bin, this the right tip for you.

1. Click Start > Run > type ‘ regedit ‘ to open your Registry Editor.
2. From left pane find this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\

CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

3. In the right pane create a new DWORD value called ‘NoRecycleFiles’, double click it and set value to 1 to enable.
4. Close Registry Editor, then log off for the change to take effect.

Remove Common Program Groups from Start Menu.

This registry tweak will disables the display of common groups when the user selects Programs from the Start menu.

1. Click Start > Run > type ‘ regedit ‘ to open your Registry Editor.
2. Find this key from right pane:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\

CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

3. Find a DWORD value named ‘NoCommonGroups’ from right pane, if this DWORD value does not exist then make a new one.
4. Double click on ‘NoCommonGroups’ and assign value 0 to disable it or 1 to enable it.

Googling video files.

Here one more tip to use Google power. Again this is for education only not for piracy.

Prepare your Google search engine and type one of these strings to find some video files.

‘ -inurl:htm -inurl:html -inurl:asp intitle:"index of" +(wmv|mpg|avi) ‘

‘ -inurl:htm -inurl:html -inurl:asp intitle:"index of" +(wmv|mpg|avi) +”name of file” ‘

You can change “name of file” with files name, ex: Mr.Bean

‘ -inurl:htm -inurl:html -inurl:asp intitle:"index of" +(wmv|mpg|avi) +"parent directory" ‘