Clean The Temp Folder At Startup

Use can use a simple BAT file to clean out your Windows Temp folder every time you reboot your computer by opening Notepad and entering these lines into it:

rd %temp% /s /q

md %temp%

Save the file to your Desktop as 'cleantemp.bat'. Now click on the Start button and go to Programs then right-click on Startup. Select 'Open' to open the Startup folder then drag and drop the 'cleantemp.bat' file into this folder.

Now every time you reboot your computer, Windows will automatically delete all the files in your Temp folder. You should not, however, use this file to clean out your Temp folder at shutdown as this could cause problems with a newly installed program that requires you to reboot your computer.

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Change The Size & Font Of Desktop Icons

You can make your desktop icons and text as big or as small as you want by follow these steps:

  1. Right click on an empty space on the
     desktop and select 'Properties'
  2. Click on the 'Appearance' tab then
     click on the 'Advanced' button
  3. In the 'Item' drop down box select
     'Icon'
  4. Change the number in the 'Size' box
     to makeyour icons bigger or smaller
  5. Do the same in the 'Font' drop down
     box tochange the font and size of the
    icon text
 6. Click on the OK button then click
     'Apply'on the Properties window

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Change The Look Of The Desktop

Windows XP has a default Desktop theme and a variety of new icons and navigation options. If you prefer the classic look of prior Windows, you can change the appearance. Right-click on the Desktop and select 'Properties'. Click on the 'Themes' tab and select 'Windows Classic' from the dorp-down menu.

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Change A Hard Drive's Icon

If you would like to change the icon for your hard drive, there are to ways to accomplish this.

The first option is to create an inf file. First you must find the icon you want to use then the icon's index number. To find the index number, right-click on any shortcut on your Desktop (except for folders) and select 'Properties'. Click on the 'Change Icon' button then click on the 'Browse' button and look for the icon you want to use. Now count all of the icons with the first icon being number zero. Count each row from top to bottom then work your way to the right counting each row. The number you end at will be your index number. Now click on the 'Cancel' button twice to exit the windows so you actually change the icon for that shortcut. Now open Notepad and copy these lines into it:

[autorun]

ICON=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SHELL32.DLL,23

Change 'C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SHELL32.DLL' to where your icon is located and change '23' to your icon's index number. Now save the file as 'autorun.inf' to the 'C:\' folder. Restart your computer and your hard drive icon should now be changed.

The second option requires using the Registry. Click on the Start button and select Run. Type in 'regedit' and press OK. Look for the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

In the right pane right-click on an empty space and select 'New->Key'. Name the new key 'DriveIcons'. Now create another new key and name it 'C' or the letter of the drive you are changing. Now, create one last key and name it 'DefaultIcon'. And finally, rightclick on the 'Default' key in the right pane and select 'Modify'. Insert the full path and name where your icon is located followed by a comma then the icon's index number (no spaces). Restart your computer and your hard drive icon should now be changed.

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Bigger Thumbnails In Windows XP

You can increase the size of the thumbnail images in Windows Explorer's thumbnail view by using Microsoft's TweakUI Utility or by changing the Registry settings. To use TweakUI, simply run the program and open the Explorer item in the tree at the right and select Thumbnails. If you do not have TweakUI, simply follow these steps:

1. Click on the Start button and select Run
2. Type in 'regedit and press OK
3. Look for this key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
4. In the right pane right-click on the 'ThumbnailSize' key and select
   'Modify'
5. You can set the Value between 32 and 256, the higher the number you
   choose, the larger you thumbnail will be
 6. Now right-click on the 'ThumbnailQuality' key and select 'Modify'
7. You can set this value between 32 and 100, with a higher number
   making the thumnbnail a better quality

If the ThumbnailSize and ThumbnailQuality keys do not exist, you can create them by right-clicking on an empty space in the right pane and selecting 'New->DWORD Value'.

NOTE: If you make your thumbnails bigger and of better quality, they will require more disk space and may cause your folders to load more slowly.

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