Display Your Own Error Messages

When you try to delete Microsoft Outlook from the desktop, you get the warning message "The Outlook Desktop icon provides special functionality and we recommend that you do not remove it." If you like, you can edit that message to display whatever you want. In the CLSID's subkeyfor example, {00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} for Microsoft Outlook you'll find the value Removal Message. Edit this value to whatever text you want, and your warning message will appear whenever someone tries to delete the icon. This is just an example. Follow the suit for customizing the error messages for other icons too!

All About Your Recycle Bin

Add rename to the menu:


HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:50,01,00,20


Add delete to the menu:


HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:60,01,00,20


Add rename and delete to the menu:


HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:70,01,00,20


Restore the recycle bin to Windows defaults including un-deleting the icon after deletion:
Restore the icon.


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer
\Desktop\NameSpace\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
@="Recycle Bin"


Reset Windows defaults.


HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,00,20


Other edits to the recycle bin icon:


HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,01,20 ... standard shortcut arrow
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,02,20 ... a different shortcut arrow
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,04,20 ... and still another shortcut arrow
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,08,20 ... make it look disabled (like it's been cut)


For Windows XP and 2000 you have to also edit the following key:


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CLSID\{645F
F040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

Switch to Windows' basic search tool

Open the Registry Editor. Now Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software \Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer \ Cabinet State. Go to Edit New String Value. Name the new value. Double-click the new value, type no in the Value Data text box, and click OK. Close the Registry Editor, and restart the system. To switch back to the Search Companion, just go back to the Registry Editor, and change the Value Data to yes.

Faster Network Access

When you use My Network Places to browse for other machines on your network, Windows XP first checks for the scheduled tasks on the target machine before listing the shared resources present on the computer. We can do a registry hack to avoid this delay. Invoke the Registry Editor by typing regedit at the command line. Open the following Registrykey:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace. Delete the following key {D6277990-4C6A-11CF- 8D87-00AA0060F5BF}. Now close the Registry and reboot.