Windows saves the desktop icon layout when the user logs off, and the setting is read during logon. Recently I came across a case where the desktop icons rearrange to their default positions after a restart or logoff/logon cycle. This turned out to be a Permissions issue with a registry key, which kept Windows from writing to it. Are you experiencing the same problem in your Windows XP/2003/Vista/7 PC? If so, here is a solution that you can give it a go. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘XP’
Fix for Desktop Icons Layout Not Getting Saved Upon Restarting Windows
How to Install and Run the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility if Windows Installer Fails to Work
If you’re greeted with the Windows Installer setup screen for an existing product everytime when you try to install a new program, you usually repair the existing application, or use the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility to remove the installer information of the existing application before reinstalling it. The problem is the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility Setup itself uses Windows Installer and hence it may not run in the above scenario. Here is an option which can be used to launch the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility without installing it. (more…)
How to Remove Blank Entries From the MSConfig Startup Tab in Windows XP
Sometimes after uninstalling software, you may end up with blank entries in the System Configuration Utility (MSConfig.exe) in Windows XP. This happens if the startup entry is present in the registry with blank value data. This article tells you how to remove those orphaned entries by editing the registry.
On Resume, Password Protect vs on Resume, Display Welcome Screen Setting in Windows XP
When you open the Display Settings Control Panel applet and click the Screensaver tab, one of the following options are shown:
- On resume, display Welcome screen
- On resume, password protect
The second option is seen in systems which are connected to domain (which disables the Welcome screen.) If you enable this option, you’ll see the "Unlock Computer" classic logon prompt when resuming from screensaver mode. Whereas the former displays the Welcome screen when resuming from screensaver mode.
What if the "On resume, password protect" option is shown in a standalone system where the Welcome screen is enabled? What causes the "On resume, password protect" option to be shown in standalone systems and systems in a Workgroup?
This was asked by many Windows XP users over these years in various forums where I participate, but no entire explanation for this observation has been found anywhere. Hence this article was written.
The "On resume, password protect" is displayed if at least one the following conditions is true:
- Fast User Switching is disabled. (REF Enable Fast User Switching in Windows XP)
- There is only one user account in the system (not taking the "Guest" account into consideration)
- There are more than one user account, but only one is shown in the Welcome Screen and all others hidden.
- Terminal Services is not running. This in turn disables Fast User Switching. (To start Terminal Services, launch Services.msc, double-click Terminal Services, set its start type to Manual. Restart Windows.)
Fix Services MMC Extended View Is Blank in Windows XP
The Extended view of Services Management Console (services.msc) displays the service description and also has links to Start or Stop services. In some systems, the Extended view may appear blank, as in figure below:
This has to do with broken JScript.dll registration. To fix this problem, login as Administrator or equivalent, and then run the following command from Start, Run dialog:
regsvr32.exe jscript.dll
Press {ENTER}
You should see the output message "DllRegisterServer in jscript.dll succeeded."
This fixes the Extended view. Close and re-open Services MMC.
RegASSASSIN Resets ACL Permissions and Deletes Stubborn Registry Keys Easily
When dealing with a Malware infested PC, you may have to prune several registry entries manually in case the cleanup tool you use does not remove all of them. In most cases, you would get an error ("Error Deleting Key") stating that you don’t have permissions to delete the specified branch. So, additional steps are required to reset the registry ACL Permissions first, before deleting the key. RegASSASSIN from MalwareBytes makes it very easy to reset the ACLs and delete the keys. Whew! You don’t have to perform half a dozen steps to reset the permissions for each key.
RegASSASSIN is a portable application which makes difficult to remove registry keys placed on your system by Malware a thing of the past. The program allows you to remove registry keys by resetting the keys permissions and then deleting it. Please use with caution as deleting critical registry keys may cause system errors.
Let’s assume that a Malware has added a Service to the registry and protected the key using ACL Permissions. Deleting the key using the Registry Editor causes the following error.
Caution: It’s prudent to backup the registry completely before modifying it. For more information, read articles Take a complete registry backup using ERUNT & How to backup the Windows Registry?
Deleting a Stubborn Registry Key
1. Copy the Registry key in question. This can be done by right-clicking on the key and choosing Copy Key Name.
2. Download RegASSASSIN from MalwareBytes Website.
3. Run RegASSASIN and paste the registry key that was copied in Step 1.
4. Select the following checkboxes:
- Reset registry key permissions
- Delete registry key and all subkeys
5. Click the Delete button. Click Yes when you see the following dialog:
6. Click Yes when you’re prompted for confirmation:
The registry key is deleted!
RegASSASSIN to Just Reset the Registry Key Permissions?
In case a software installation in your PC fails due to lack of permissions to write to a specified registry key, you can simply reset the corresponding registry key (without deleting the key) using RegASSASSIN. To just reset the ACLs and preserve the registry key, uncheck the Delete registry key and all subkeys checkbox in RegASSASIN.
Editor’s Note
- This tool does not substitute for anti-malware / anti-virus software. All this tool does is to reset the permissions for the specified registry key and delete it.
- This tool needs to be run as administrator (elevated) in Windows Vista & Windows 7. To do so, right-click on the RegASSASSIN executable, and choose Run as Administrator option in the context menu.
- Complex Malware removal is to be performed by trained personnel, as they’re capable of doing a surgical cleanup without affecting other components of the Operating System. The above article is for informational purposes only.
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.
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.
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 Enable Quick Edit Mode in the Command Prompt by Default
We saw how to use the mouse to copy Command Prompt text to the Windows Clipboard, by enabling the Quick Edit option in Command Prompt shortcut properties. What if you don’t use a desktop shortcut to open Command Prompt, and rather run cmd.exe directly? Here is a registry edit which enables Quick Edit option by default for Command Prompt. This works regardless of the methods you use to open the Command Prompt window.
This article was edited on Sep 24 2009 to include the method suggested by reader Mike (Thanks, Mike. I’ve clearly overlooked the GUI option.)
Enable Quick Edit by default in Command Prompt
Using the GUI
1. Open a Command Prompt window (cmd.exe)
2. Bring up the menu by clicking the top left corner (or press ALT + Spacebar)
3. Click Defaults
4. In the Options tab, place a checkmark near Quick Edit Mode
5. Click OK.
Using the Registry Editor
1. Launch Regedit.exe and navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Console
2. Double-click QuickEdit and set its value data to 1
3. Exit the Registry Editor.
This has been tested in Windows XP, Windows Vista & Windows 7, and may work in other Windows Operating Systems as well.
Registry Fix
To automate the above steps, download quickedit.zip and run the enclosed REG file.
Using the Mouse to Copy Command Prompt Text to Clipboard
A useful tip for mousers. Earlier we saw how to copy Command Prompt output to the Windows Clipboard. Did you know that you can accomplish the same using your pointing device (mouse)? Also, you can select a particular section (word or line) and copy it to the Clipboard. Here is how to do so.
1. Create a Command Prompt shortcut (cmd.exe) on the Desktop.
2. Right-click on the Command Prompt shortcut and choose Properties
3. In the Options tab, enable QuickEdit mode, and click OK.
4. Open a Command Prompt window (using the custom shortcut) and type a command.
5. To copy the output, select the text area using the mouse pointer and click the right-mouse button (or press ENTER.)
This tip applies to Windows Vista & Windows 7 as well.
Editor’s note: The above setting works only if you access the Command Prompt using the desktop shortcut that you created earlier. In one of the upcoming articles, we’ll instruct how to make the Quick Edit setting enabled by default, so that it works irrespective of the method you use to access the Command Prompt.
Windows Easy Transfer Wizard Runs When Double-Clicking a Drive in Windows XP
After using the Windows Easy Transfer wizard to collect files and settings in the source computer running Windows XP, you may notice that the Windows Easy Transfer wizard runs every time when the drive is double-clicked in My Computer. Also, the drive icon is changed, representing the Windows Easy Transfer program icon.
