1001 Secrets for Windows NT Registry
(Publisher: 29th Street Press)
Author(s): Tim Daniels
ISBN: 1882419685
Publication Date: 12/01/97

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I-64 This registry entry lets you manipulate the size of the small icons displayed in the Start menu and in the Explorer windows when looking at files with the Small, List, or Details view settings.

Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Key: Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
Value Name: Shell Small Icon Size
Data Type: REG_SZ
Value: 16 (increase for larger icons)

Setting these values to something other than the default setting can slow down the Start Menu, desktop updates, and Explorer Window updates. Windows must initially regenerate the icons from their original 32 x 32 size, though it caches the regenerated icons. Restart your machine for this value to take effect.

I-65 If you need to change how many colors your desktop uses to display icons, this registry entry is for you. This entry regulates the number of bits per pixel (BPP) that Windows NT uses to render the icons.

Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Key: Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
Value Name: Shell Icon BPP
Data Type: REG_SZ
Value: 4

A value of 4 sets the system to use 16 colors for rendering (default), 8 sets 256 colors, 16 sets 65536 colors, 24 sets 16 million colors, and 32 sets true color. Windows NT can show the icons only at the maximum BPP that your graphics card and monitor can display. If an icon at that color resolution is not available, Windows NT takes the highest color resolution available and renders the icon accordingly. Restart the machine for these changes to take effect.

I-66 Would you like to run something other than the Open With application when you try to open something that Windows NT doesn’t recognize? Change this value.

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: Software\Classes\Unknown\Shell\OpenAs\Command
Value Name: <NoName>
Data Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ
Value: <program you want to run>

Change the value for <No Name> to the name of the program that you want to use to handle Unknown applications; add a %1 at the end for the path and filename of the file that you tried to open. For example, %SystemRoot%\ system32\notepad.exe%1 starts the notepad. Restart Windows NT for this change to take effect.

I-67 Besides being able to customize the shell, you can also have specialty programs run, such as the NT backup program on a dedicated backup machine. This registry entry lets you specify which program is run as the shell.

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\
CurrentVersion\WinLogon
Value Name: Shell
Data Type: REG_SZ
Data: <drivename:\path\program>

I-68 Do you want to make the control panel or printers available from your desktop — not a shortcut, but the real thing? This registry entry lets you do just that.

Hive: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
Key: CLSID\{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
Value Name: Default
Data Type: REG_SZ
Value: Control Panel

I use Regedit for this one so that I can use the copy key function.

After you copy the control panel object’s CLSID (class ID) value to the clipboard, you need to

1.  Right-click on your desktop and add a new folder.
2.  Rename the new folder Control Panel. Be sure to add the period after Control Panel.
3.  Press Ctrl + V to paste the Control Panel’s CLSID into the folder’s name.
4.  Edit the folder so that it appears as follows: Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

You now have the control panel on the desktop.

I-69 The same procedure applies for the printer control.

Hive: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
Key: {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
Value Name: Default
Data Type: REG_SZ
Value: Printers

After you have copied the printer object’s CLSID value to the clipboard, you need to

1.  Right-click on your desktop and add a new folder.
2.  Rename the new folder Printers. Be sure to add the period after Printers.
3.  Press Ctrl + V to paste the printer’s CLSID into the folder’s name.
4.  Edit the folder so that it appears as follows: Printers.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}

You now have the Printers on the desktop.

I-70 Would you like to modify or disable the task switcher (Alt-Tab, also known as the cool switch)? These registry entries show you how.

Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Key: Control Panel\Desktop
Value Name: Coolswitch
Data Type: REG_ SZ
Value: 1

The default value is 1, which enables the task switcher. A value of 0 disables the task switcher.


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