19 hidden Windows XP Secrets

19 hidden Windows XP Secrets

Uncover some of Windows XP’s secrets.

1.
It boasts how long it can stay up. Whereas previous versions of Windows
were coy about how long they went between boots, XP is positively proud
of its stamina. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from
the All Programs start button option, and then type
’systeminfo’. The computer

will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to
keep these, type ’systeminfo > info.txt’. This creates a
file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional
Edition only).

2. You can
delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin
first. Go to the Start menu, select Run… and type
‘gpedit.msc’; then select User Configuration,
Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find
the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it.
Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system
options, but take care — some may stop your computer behaving as
you wish. (Professional Edition only).

3.
You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a
new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter
‘rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation’ in the location
field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That’s it — just
double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if
that’s not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.