Posts Tagged ‘registry’

Fix for Event Log Service Startup Error 1079

When you start the Event Viewer, the following error message may be shown.

Event Log service is unavailable. Verify that the service is running.

Any attempts to start the Event Log service results in the following error:

Windows could not start the Windows Event Log service on Local Computer.
Error 1079: The account specified for this service is different from the account specified for other services running in the same process.

As the Windows Event Log service isn’t running, starting Task Scheduler results in the following error:

Windows could not start the Task Scheduler service on Local Computer.
Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start.

This problem was reported by one of our readers via email, and it has been fixed. Service startup error 1079 occurs if the logon account for the service is incorrectly set. Usually this is resolved by fixing the service logon account (via the Log On tab in the Property sheet) via the Services MMC (services.msc)

This can’t be done in case of Windows Event Log, where the Log On tab controls remain grayed out by default.

So, we need to alter the ObjectName registry value in the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\eventlog

Start the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to the above branch:

Double-click ObjectName value and set its data as NT AUTHORITY\LocalService {for Windows Vista & Windows 7}

Double-click ObjectName value and set its data as LocalSystem {for Windows XP}

Restart Windows.

Registry Fix

To automate the above setting, download eventlog-svc-fix.zip and run the REG file which is applicable for your Operating System. The zip file includes the REG fixes for Windows XP and Windows 7/Vista. Restart Windows after applying the fix.

How to Disable Explorer Search Box Suggestions in Windows 7

Earlier we saw how to clear the search MRU entries in Windows 7. Are you one of those who find the Search Box suggestion pop-ups annoying, and don’t require this feature? Here is a registry edit which disables the search box suggestions in Windows Explorer.

1. Click Start, type Regedit.exe and press ENTER

2. Navigate to the following branch:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Explorer

Note: The above key may not exist by default, and you may need to create the above branch manually.

3. Create a DWORD value named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions

4. Double-click DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and set its data as 1

5. Exit the Registry Editor.

This setting disables suggesting recent queries for the Search Box and prevents entries into the Search Box from being stored in the registry for future references.

Registry Fix

To automate the above download w7-disable-search-suggest.zip, unzip and run the enclosed REG file. To reverse the changes run the file undo.reg

Using the Group Policy Editor

This is only for Windows 7 editions that include the Group Policy Editor.

1. Launch the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)

2. Navigate to the following branch:

User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Explorer

3. Set Turn off display of recent search entries in the Windows Explorer search box to Enabled

4. Exit the Group Policy Editor.

Note: If you enable this policy, Windows Explorer will not show suggestion pop-ups as users type into the Search Box, and it will not store Search Box entries into the registry for future references. If the user types a property, values that match this property will be shown but no data will be saved in the registry or re-shown on subsequent uses of the search box.

How to Remove “Always Use the Selected Program” Option From Open With Dialog

The Open With dialog in Windows allows you to open a file using different programs. Also, you can create or change the file type association by selecting the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" checkbox in the Open With dialog. Sometimes, users wrongly associate file types and end up having to fix the associations manually. To prevent this, you can remove the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" checkbox so that file type association using Open With dialog is not possible.

1. Launch Regedit.exe and navigate to the following branch:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer

Note: If the above branch does not exist, you need to create it manually.

2. Create a new DWORD value named NoFileAssociate

3. Double-click NoFileAssociate and set its data to 1

4. Exit the Registry Editor.

The above registry change effects the current user account only. To implement the change for all users (machine-wide), create the NoFileAssociate value in the following branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer

Additional Information

The above edit when used in Windows 2000/XP, results in a grayed out "Always use the selected program…" checkbox. Whereas in Windows Vista & Windows 7, the checkbox is removed completely.

How to Adjust Aero Peek Desktop Preview Mouse Hover Delay in Windows 7

Aero Peek is a new feature introduced in Windows 7, which allows you temporarily view the desktop, without having to minimize all the open windows. You can temporarily preview the desktop by moving the mouse pointer over the Show desktop button at the end of the taskbar. The default hover delay is 1 second. If this time is too short for you, you can delay it further more to avoid accidental preview of the desktop, using the registry hack discussed in this article.

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How to Disable Internet Explorer 8 Welcome Screen (Tour and RunOnce) for All Users

When you open Internet Explorer 8 the first time, you’ll see the Set Up Windows Internet Explorer 8 screen asking you to configure the search and accelerator settings. After configuring the settings, a new tab window opens automatically, redirecting to Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 Website. This article tells you how to disable the Internet Explorer 8 Tour (Set up & Welcome screen) for all user accounts.

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Fix: Places Bar in Open/Save as (Common Dialog) Box Is Empty in Windows XP

The places bar which appears in the left side of the Open and Save As dialog boxes in Windows XP, contains shortcuts to the following folders by default:

  • Recent
  • Desktop
  • My Documents
  • My Computer
  • My Network Places

The default places can be customized by editing the registry. After adding/removing custom places using a third-party tool, you may experience a problem where the places bar is completely empty.

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How to Remove the “Download Windows Search” Prompt in Internet Explorer 8 Address Bar

When you type something in the Internet Explorer 8 Address bar, you may be prompted with the message Download Windows Search to improve history and favorites results. This message is shown in systems where Windows Search is not installed or if it is disabled. I’m sure there are still a lot of users who prefer not to install Windows Search, and want to remove the annoying "Download Windows Search" prompt in IE8.

Microsoft KB968513 instructs to download Windows Search in order to remove the prompt, but does not tell how to remove the prompt without having to install or enable Windows Search. That’s the reason I wrote this article. (more…)

How to Disable the Empty Recycle Bin Confirmation Box in Windows 7

Earlier we saw how to disable the confirmation window when emptying the Recycle Bin in Windows XP and Windows Vista. Here is a Registry hack to accomplish the same in Windows 7, using the excellent NirCmd tool. This registry hack replaces the Empty Recycle Bin command with NirCmd command-line so that the Recycle Bin can be emptied silently without any prompts. This also works from the Recycle Bin Tasks pane. (more…)

How to Add Icons to Custom Right-Click Menu Options in Windows 7

When working with Windows 7 RC this week, I stumbled upon another nice and useful feature which I thought I should write about. Windows 7 allows you to add icons to your custom right-click (static) menu entries. Usually, to display a right-click command with an icon, one needs to write a context menu handler Shell Extension (DLL). Now, you can assign icons for static menu items as well, without having to program anything. (more…)

Enable InPrivate Filtering by Default for All Internet Explorer 8 Sessions

InPrivate Filtering is a feature introduced in Internet Explorer 8 which provides users with greater control over which third-parties can potentially track your browsing activities. InPrivate Filtering is turned off by default, and can be activated using the CTRL + SHIFT + F key sequence, or via the menu options. The problem is that the InPrivate Filtering feature is not automatically enabled when you open a new Internet Explorer window, and users need to enable it on a per-session basis. However, there is a registry edit to enable InPrivate Filtering by default in every Internet Explorer session. (more…)