How to Speed up the Start Menu in Windows XP?

The default speed of the Start Menu is pretty slow, but you can fix that by editing a Registry Key. Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ MenuShowDelay

By default, the value is 400 (actually the number is timeout in milliseconds). Change this to a smaller value, such as 0, to speed it up. You may not have this registry parameter at all. In this case, you need to add it. On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry value: "MenuShowDelay"=0.

You may notice that setting the registry value to “0″ might be too quick for your mouse to respond. If that is the case, put the number higher, say 100, and check the effect on startup.

If this doesn't work for some reason, then you might try the following: Navigate to Display Properties then Appearance then Effects and turn off the option titled Show menu shadow. You will get much better overall performance.

Caution: Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on your computer.

How Customize your Computer Properties: Change Support Data and Add your Photo?

All PCs using Windows display OEM information (OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer, but most often refers to a reseller). You can change this information and personalize it to suit your personality. Changing it will make it look a little like you built your computer. Or you can use this modification for shameless promotion of your business if you are computer vendor or repairmen.

To see the OEM information of your PC, right-click on My Computer to call service menu, and select Properties. The window, that opens, defaults to the General tab, which shows the OEM information.

To change this information, follow these steps:

1. You want to find a file called "oeminfo.ini". You can do this by performing a Find File for "oeminfo.ini". The file is in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM folder (or SYSTEM32 folder, depending on the Operating System). Make a backup of this file and save a copy in a safe place. Or leave it there, but rename it for safety reasons to oeminfo.bak. If your computer doesn't have this file, you can create a new one. Just follow the example below. Create a new Notepad document and rename it to oeminfo.ini.
2. Open the existing or newly created file oeminfo.ini file by double-clicking on it. You'll see a list of items that looks something like this:

[general]

Manufacturer= Nesher Computer Services

Model= My Best Old Friend

[support information]

Line1 = Collection of Web Freebies
Line2 = http://webfreebies4u.blogspot.com
Line3 = The Best Information on Web!
Line4 = Yes, we Can!

You can change the information after the = sign. You can delete several lines in the support information, or add some more. If you're creating a new oeminfo.inf file, just type this information, preserving the format properly.

General information is visible on the main tab, and support information is visible when you click on the Support Information button, displayed in the box that pops up.

3. Perform a Save As, and save the file as a .ini file (replace the oeminfo.ini file in the system folder).
4. Check the OEM info by right-clicking on My Computer and select Properties. Your changes should be in effect.

You can also add an image to the OEM info box. To do this:

1. Create a bitmap image with the dimensions of about 175x100 pixels.
2. Save the file as a bitmap and name it "oemlogo.bmp".
3. Place the file in the system folder along with the oeminfo.ini.

Some users reported that their oeminfo data is located in system directory, other – in system32 directory, so place the newly created files accordingly. 

How to run Windows XP as SYSTEM User?

Every user account on a Windows XP machine is part of a local user group on that computer. A user group is a set of users who have a certain amount of control over the Windows XP computer. The four primary user groups are Administrators, Power Users, Users, and Guests. Let’s review the responsibility level for each group:

1. Guests

The Guests group grants limited access to occasional or one-time users. Once a Guest logs out, all files created by the guest is deleted.

Guests Can:

• Log in and out
• Run installed applications
• Navigate through the file system
• Shut down the system

Guests Cannot:

• Do anything else.

2. Users

Users can perform common tasks, but have little power to affect the computer outside of their own account. The Users group is the most secure environment in which to run programs, since a User cannot affect the operating system or program files.

Users Can:

• Create, modify, and delete their own data files
• Run system-wide or personally installed applications
• Change their personal settings
• Install programs for their own use only
• Access the network
• Print to local or networked printers
• Do anything a Guest can

Users Cannot:

• Modify system-wide settings, operating system files, or program files
• Affect other users' data or desktop settings
• Install applications that can be run by other users
• Add printers
• Configure the system for file sharing

3. Power Users

The Power User class can perform any task except for those reserved for Administrators. They are allowed to carry out functions that will not directly affect the operating system or risk security. All domain accounts are part of the Power Users group on public Windows XP computers.

Power Users Can:

• Create local user accounts
• Modify user accounts which they have created
• Change user permissions on users, power users, and guests
• Install and run applications that do not affect the operating system
• Customize settings and resources on the Control Panel, such as Printers, Date/Time, and Power Options
• Do anything a User can

Power Users Cannot:

• Access other users' data without permission
• Delete or modify user accounts they did not create

4. Administrators

Members of the Administrator group have total control over the computer and everything on it. The user named Administrator is the default account within this group. The domain account of each faculty or staff member with a Windows XP computer is part of the Administrator group on his or her computer.

Administrators Can:

• Create, modify, and access local user accounts
• Install new hardware and software
• Upgrade the operating system
• Back up the system and files
• Claim ownership of files that have become damaged
• Do anything a Power User can

If you think Administrator has the largest privileges onto the computer, then you are wrong. There is a user who is named SYSTEM. SYSTEM has full control of the operating system and it’s Kernel. If you open windows task manager (press Ctrl + Alt + Del) you will see that System User controls several processes, which cannot be overpowered or closed by operator with Administrator privileges.

In this tutorial we will present a way to trick Windows into running our computer as System User. So we will get higher privileges over computer.

1. Open Command Prompt. Go to Start, and then choose Run. In Run option type cmd and click OK. After this, Command Prompt will open. You can get to the same option through the Windows Menu: Start->All Programs ->Accessories->Command Prompt.

2. In Command Prompt write at 13:55 /interactive “cmd.exe” and press enter, the time is usually a minute or two ahead of your present time in the 24 hours format.

After a minute or two will appear new Command Prompt Window wit different title bar. It has changed from cmd.exe to svchost.exe.

3. End current explorer.exe process. Open Task Manager, select explorer.exe and click End Process.

4. In new Command Prompt with title svchost.exe write cd.. and press enter, then write explorer.exe and press enter.

After this you will become SYSTEM user. 

Here there is a video tutorial showing you a similar approach to reach this goal:

System User in Windows