Windows XP and 2000 Tips & Tricks UPDATE--June 16, 2003

Windows XP and 2000 Tips & Tricks UPDATE, June 16, 2003, —brought to you by the Windows & .NET Magazine Network and the Windows 2000 FAQ site
http://www.windowsitpro.com

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1. Commentary

2. FAQs

3. Announcements

4. Event

5. Contact Us

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1. Commentary
by John Savill, FAQ Editor, [email protected]

This week, I tell you how to reset the numeric value directory list order in Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and later to match Windows 2000, how to access ATAPI hard disks larger than 137GB, and how to change the XP CD-ROM key. I also explain how to power down on shutdown in Windows NT 4.0 without modifying the hal.dll file and how to reset the "Always ask before opening this type of file" functionality in Microsoft Outlook for a particular file type.

This week has been a quiet week around the industry. Microsoft has announced a line of new handheld PCs that will use the company's new Pocket PC 2003 OS. Microsoft also recently acquired antivirus technology from GeCAD Software, which it plans to incorporate in its products and services.

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2. FAQs

Q. How can I reset the numeric value directory list order in Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and later to match Windows 2000?

A. XP modifies the sorting algorithm that the OS uses to list files with numeric characters as a numeric value instead of string value. For example, the following table displays the listing-order difference between XP and Win2K.

To force XP to use the old sorting method for the current user, you must install XP SP1 or later on the user's machine and perform the following steps:

To make the change take effect for all users, navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer registry subkey instead of the subkey listed in Step 2.

Q. How can I access all of my ATAPI hard disk, which is larger than 137GB?

A. Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows 2000 SP3 add support for 48-bit Logical Block Addressing (LBA), which lets you access hard disks larger than 137GB. To enable 48-bit LBA, perform the following steps:

Be aware that if you multiboot your system with OSs that don't support 48-bit LBA, editing this registry setting might cause data corruption. If you still can't access hard disk space beyond the 137GB limit after you restart your system, your system BIOS might not be 48-bit LBA compatible, in which case you need to talk to your computer manufacturer.

Q. How can I change my Windows XP CD-ROM key?

A. To change your XP CD-ROM key, perform the following steps:

You can also use the following script that Microsoft provides to change the CD-ROM key:

  '   ' Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Script - ChangeVLKey.vbs  '  ' This script changes the product key on the computer. Service Pack 1  ' must be installed.  '  '********************************************************************  ON ERROR RESUME NEXT  if Wscript.arguments.count 0 then  WScript.Echo Err.Description, "0x" & Hex(Err.Number)  Err.Clear  end if  Next

To use this script, go to the command prompt and run

changevlkey.vbs 

where is the name of the new key that you want to activate (e.g., ab123-ab123-ab123-ab123-ab123).

Q. How can I power down on shutdown in Windows NT 4.0 without changing hal.dll?

A. In a previous FAQ, I described how to change hal.dll.softex to let the machine power down on shutdown. The method I described uses the ppntapm.sys file that comes with NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 (SP4) and later. To power down NT 4.0 without modifying hal.dll, perform the following steps:

Q. How can I reset the "Always ask before opening this type of file" functionality in Microsoft Outlook for a particular file type?

A. When you open attachments, Outlook displays a dialog box that prompts you to either "Open it" or "Save it to disk". The dialog box also includes an "Always ask before opening this type of file" check box. If you clear this check box, Outlook will in the future always open that file type without prompting you. To reset the default behavior so that Outlook will prompt you to open or save the file type, perform the following steps:

Outlook will now prompt you every time you open that particular file type.

3. Announcements
(from Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners)

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4. Event
(brought to you by Windows & .NET Magazine)

Join Mark Minasi and Paul Thurrott as they deliver sound security advice at our popular Security 2003 Road Show event.
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5. Contact Us
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