One of the most common annoyances users have with a lot of different software products is their inability to remember their state from session to session. For example, how many times have you selected the Details view in Explorer, only to find that it has been turned back to Icons or Tiles the next time the folder is opened?

For the most part, Explorer's apparent inability to remember settings is fairly easy to fix. All that is required is an understanding of the battle between Microsoft's default settings, your most recent choices, and the preferences you wish to make permanent.

There are two ways to save most of your preferences in Explorer:

Setting defaults for all new folders

Choose the icon size, sort order, and—if using the Details view—the column widths and positions you want to keep as the defaults. Then, go to Tools > Folder Options > View tab, and click Apply to All Folders. The settings you've set for the current folder will be used for all newly-opened Explorer and single-folder windows.

The only exception is if you've configured individual folders to remember their settings, as follows:

Remembering settings for individual folders

Go to Tools > Folder Options > View tab, and turn on the Remember each folder's view settings option. With this option enabled, Explorer will temporarily save the settings for approximately 30 of the most recently viewed folders. These saved settings will override the defaults (set as described above), at least until Explorer forgets them.

Your choices are stored in the Registry rather than in the folders themselves, which not only explains the limit on the number of folders Explorer can remember, but exposes a rather annoying flaw in the system. Say you choose the view settings for a folder called Lenny. When you close and reopen Lenny right away, your settings will remain. However, if you rename the Lenny folder to, say, Karl, it will instantly revert to Explorer's defaults and forget the settings you made only seconds earlier.

Your hard disk is more than just a storage device; it's used to hold your operating system and to supplement your system's memory. The speed and configuration of your hard disk is a major factor in your computer's performance, not to mention its reliability and security.

a. Defrag your hard disk

The best way to ensure maximum performance from your drive is to regularly (weekly or bi-weekly) defragment it (also called optimizing). Figure 5-3 shows how frequent use can cause files to become fragmented (broken up), which can slow access and retrieval of data on the drive, as well as increase the likelihood of lost data.

To defragment your drive, run the Disk Defragmenter (dfrg.msc), which rearranges the files on your hard disk to make them contiguous (not broken into pieces). It also defragments the free space, and optionally places the files you access more frequently (such as programs and recently modified documents) at the start of the drive and less frequently accessed files at the back of the drive. If you're compulsive about disk defragmentation, superior alternatives to Disk Defragmenter include Norton Speed Disk (included with Norton Utilities, http://www.symantec.com) and Diskeeper (http://www.executive.com/).

Prefetch is a new feature in Windows XP that stores specific data about the applications you run, in order to help them start faster. Prefetch is an algorithm that helps anticipate cache misses (times when Windows requests data that isn't stored in the disk cache), and stores that data on the hard disk for easy retrieval.

This data is located in \Windows\Prefetch, and, as the theory goes, periodically clearing out the data in this folder (say, once a month) will improve performance. As new applications are subsequently started, new prefetch data will be created, which may mean slightly reduced performance at first. But with older entries gone, there will be less data to parse, and Windows should be able to locate the data it needs more quickly. Any performance gains you may see will be minor, but those wishing to squeeze every last CPU cycle out of their computer will want to try this one

The filesystem is the invisible mechanism on your hard disk that is responsible for keeping track of all the data stored on the drive. Think of the filesystem as a massive table of contents, matching up each filename with its corresponding data stored somewhere on the disk surface. Windows XP supports three different filesystem types:[6]

[6] There's actually a fourth type, CDFS, used by CD-ROMs.

FAT (File Allocation Table, 16-bit)

FAT is used for all drives under 512 MB, including floppy and ZIP disks. The largest drive supported by the FAT filesystem is 2GB, which is why older drives larger than 2GB were often divided into several partitions.

FAT32 (File Allocation Table, 32-bit)

Designed to overcome the 2 GB partition limit with the FAT system, FAT32 is supported by newer operating systems. In addition to the support for larger drives, it also supports smaller file clusters (described later), so it's more efficient than FAT.

NTFS (NT Filesystem)

NTFS was designed from the ground up to completely replace FAT/FAT32. It supports encryption, compression, and robust security,[7] and is typically more reliable than FAT/FAT32 as well.

[7] The encryption and security features of NTFS are discussed in Chapter 8. NTFS compression is discussed in Section 5.2.5, later in this chapter.

If Windows XP is the only operating system on your computer, you should be using NTFS—no question. The only compelling reason to use another filesystem is if you have a dual-boot setup with an earlier version of Windows, in which case you'd need to choose a filesystem recognized by all OS's on your computer. See the "File Systems and Multiple Drives" sidebar for more information. Table 5-1 shows which filesystems are supported by all recent versions of Microsoft Windows.

One of the most frustrating and irritating things about Windows is the way that it can seize up for several seconds with seemingly random, pointless disk activity. This is caused by the way that Windows handles disk virtual memory by default.

Normally, Windows loads drivers and applications into memory until it's full and then starts to use part of your hard disk to "swap" out information, freeing up more memory for higher-priority tasks. The file that Windows uses for this type of "virtual memory" is the paging file (a.k.a. swap file), pagefile.sys, and is stored in the root folder of your hard disk.

Because your hard disk is so much slower than your physical memory, the more Windows does this swapping, the slower your computer will be. Naturally, adding more memory will reduce Windows' appetite for virtual memory. But regardless of the amount of installed physical memory in your system, there are always things you can do to improve virtual memory performance.

Windows' defaults here are rather conservative and can fortunately be modified for better performance. It's important to realize, though, that some experimentation may be required to achieve the best configuration for your setup. Different hardware, software, and work habits require different settings; those with ample hard disks, for instance, can afford to devote more disk space to virtual memory, while others may simply wish to place a cap on the disk space Windows consumes.

One of the reasons the default settings yield such poor performance is that the swap file grows and shrinks with use, quickly becoming very fragmented (as illustrated by Figure 5-3, earlier in this chapter). The first step is to eliminate this problem by setting a constant swap-file size.

Note that making the swap file constant will also result in a more constant amount of free disk space. If your hard disk is getting full, consider this solution to restrict Windows from using up every bit of free space:

• Double-click the System icon in the Control Panel, choose the Advanced tab, and click Settings in the Performance section. Choose the Advanced tab here, and then click Change. You'll see the Virtual Memory window.
• The virtual memory settings are set for each drive in your system independently. If you have only one drive, virtual memory will be enabled for that drive. If you have more than one drive, virtual memory will be enabled, by default, only on the drive on which Windows is installed.

For each drive, you have three choices, all of which should be pretty self-explanatory. The total disk space for all drives is shown at the bottom of the window.

Important: after you've made a change for any drive, click Set to commit the change before moving onto another drive or clicking OK.

To specify a constant size, select Custom size, and then type the same value for both Initial size and Maximum size.

The size, specified in megabytes, is up to you. I typically use three times the amount of installed RAM (e.g., 1536 MB of virtual memory for 512 MB of physical memory), but you may wish to experiment with different sizes for the one that works best for you.

e. Defragment the paging file

You'll need to defragment the paging file at least once for it to remain that way in the future. Here are several ways to accomplish this:

• If you have Norton Utilities (http://www.symantec.com), you'll be able to optimize the swap file fairly easily using the Speedisk utility. Speedisk is also able to move your swap file to the physical beginning of your partition, which can also theoretically improve performance. The Disk Defragmenter utility that comes with Windows XP (dfrg.msc) is actually a scaled-down version of Norton Speedisk, but it is not capable of defragmenting the swap file.

• If you don't have software capable of defragmenting your swap file, there are two alternatives. If you have more than one partition or hard disk in your system, start by moving your swap file to a different drive letter (see the previous section for details). Then, run Disk Defragmenter (dfrg.msc) on the partition you wish to hold the swap file permanently, which will set aside a large chunk of contiguous free space. Lastly, move the swap file back to the original partition, making sure its size is set constant.

• If you don't have a second partition, your other choice is to disable virtual memory temporarily by clicking No paging file and then Set in the Virtual Memory window (see Figure 5-7). After restarting Windows, run Disk Defragmenter (dfrg.msc) to set aside a large chunk of contiguous free space. When you're done, go back to the Virtual Memory window, and re-enable the paging file, making sure to set a constant size.

f. Clear the paging file on shutdown

It's possible to have Windows delete your paging file whenever you shut down Windows. There are three reasons you might want to do this:

• If you have a multi-boot system, as described, each operating system on your computer will have its own virtual memory settings. If the paging file from one OS is present while the other is running, it may cause a conflict and will certainly waste a lot of disk space.

• If your paging file becomes corrupted or highly fragmented, Windows may load more slowly (or not at all). Deleting the paging file will force Windows to recreate it the next time it starts, which may alleviate this problem.

• If you're concerned about the security of your data, it is theoretically possible for a hacker to extract sensitive information from your paging file.

Naturally, if you've gone to the steps to defragment your paging file, as described earlier in this topic, you probably won't want it to be deleted (lest it become fragmented when it is recreated).

Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Local Security Settings console (secpol.msc). See Chapter 8 for more information on the settings in this window.

2. Navigate to Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options.

3. Double-click the Shutdown: Clear virtual memory pagefile entry on the right.

4. Select Enabled and then click OK. You'll need to restart Windows for the change to take effect.

g. Increasing Disk Space (or What to Throw Away)

Parkinson's law states that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. Along the same lines, it's safe to say that files will quickly expand to fill the amount of available disk space.

Low disk space doesn't just make it harder to store files, however; without ample room for virtual memory (discussed earlier in this chapter), Windows' performance will slow to a crawl. Lower disk space also increases file fragmentation, as Windows scrambles to find places to place the data; this, in turn, greatly lowers performance. Keeping a healthy amount of free disk space is vital to a well-performing system.

Additionally, removing drivers and applications that are no longer used clears more memory and processor cycles for your other applications, which can substantially improve overall system performance.

Even before you install your first application, your hard disk is littered with files from the Windows installation that you most likely don't need. The standard installation of Windows XP puts about 10,000 files in more than 600 folders, consuming more than a gigabyte of disk space.

Whether you need a particular file can be subjective; the 2.5 MB of .wav files that one person might consider excessive might be valued by another. Naturally, it makes sense to be cautious when removing any files from your system. The removal of certain files can cause some applications, or even Windows itself, to stop functioning. It's always good practice to move any questionable files to a metaphorical purgatory folder before committing to their disposal. And I don't have to tell you that routinely backing up your entire hard disk is very important.

What follows are some tips to help you identify the more common files and folders that can be safely removed, as well as those that should be left alone.

Windows XP files that can be deleted:

The following tips apply to files located in your Windows folder or a subfolder thereof. Select Search and then For Files or Folders from the Start Menu, type c:\windows in the Look in field (assuming Windows is installed on drive c:), and type the filename as described later in the Search for files or folders named field. For example, to search for all files with the .tmp filename extension, you would use the asterisk wildcard character, like this: *.tmp.

Note that this is only a guideline; I'm not instructing you to delete all of these files (okay, maybe I am a little). If you're in doubt about a specific file, see the Section 5.2.5.4 section that follows for details on finding out what's inside of most types of files. The following files are typically safe to delete:

• Any file with the filename extension: *.log, *.old, *.- - -, *.bak, and *.000, *.001, *.002, and so on.

• Any files with the extensions *.bmp (bitmap files), *.wav (sound clips), and *.avi (video clips). These can take up a great deal of space and usually are superfluous.

• In the Windows folder only, there are a ton of text files (*.txt), which are essentially "Readme" and log files and can be safely deleted. Double-click any text file to view its contents.

• Any files or folders found in your \Windows\Temp folder. You won't be able to delete some files in this folder, because they will be in use by whatever applications you may have open. But applications in previous Windows sessions may not have deleted files there, and those types of files tend to accumulate very rapidly. It's not uncommon to find dozens of megabytes of useless files here. If you find files in your Temp folder that have a date and time earlier than the last time you started your computer, you can safely delete them. See Section 4.4.2 for more information on the Temp folder.

Files found elsewhere on your system:

In addition to those files in your Windows folder, there are plenty of files elsewhere that you can consider deleting:

• There are some unnecessary files in the root directory of your boot drive (usually c:\); these include files with the extensions *.txt, *.prv, *.log, *.old, and *.- - -. Most files with the *.dos extension (except for Bootsect.dos—see Section 5.2.5.3 later in this chapter) are also safe to delete.

• Other files that can be deleted include Mscreate.dir, an absolutely useless, empty, hidden file created by older Microsoft application installers. There may be hundreds of these empty files on your hard disk.

• Folders named ~Mssetup.t, msdownld.tmp, WUTemp, or something similar are temporary folders created when some applications or Windows updates are installed. They can all be removed, as long as you've restarted your computer since said installation took place.

• If you're trying to create more disk space, you can also delete application help files (*.hlp and *.chm) you may never need (as a last resort). Also, many applications include bitmaps (*.bmp), sound clips (*.wav), and video clips (*.avi , *.mov, and *.mpg), which take up enormous amounts of disk space for virtually no reason. To view a video clip before deleting it, just double-click the file icon.

Files NOT to delete:

In your travels, you may encounter some of the following files, all of which should be left alone:

• Any files in your root directory not mentioned earlier should be left alone. This includes Bootsect.dos, Boot.ini, Ntldr, and Ntdetect.com, all parts of the Boot Manager. You may also see Io.sys, Msdos.sys, and Command.com, if you've set up a dual-boot system with Windows 9x/Me.

• Be extremely careful with anything in the \Windows, \Windows\System, and \Windows\System32 folders, as they may be vital Windows support files.

• Your Registry hive files should never be moved or deleted.

• Any files and folders in your \Program Files or \Windows\MSAPPS directories that have names like Microsoft Shared and Common Files. These files can be used by several applications simultaneously, which is why they haven't been placed in the folders of the applications that put them there.

If in doubt:

Before you delete any questionable file, there are several things you can do to get a better idea of what the file contains:

• Start by double-clicking a suspicious file to open it in its default application. If you then see the Open With dialog box, it means the specific filename extension has not yet been registered. In that case, your best bet is to drag-drop the file into an open Notepad window.

• Right-click the file, and select Properties. If the file has a Version tab, it's likely an application, driver, DLL, or other support file. Choose it to view the manufacturer, copyright date, and possibly the application it accompanies.

• If you're not sure if something should be deleted but want to try anyway, move it to another directory first to see if everything works without it for a week or so. If all is clear, toss it.

• Check the file's Last Accessed date (right-click it, and select Properties). The more recent the date, the more likely it's still being used. For information on removing a particular application, contact the manufacturer of that application or refer to the application's documentation.

General Troubleshooting Techniques:

Troubleshooting a computer involves more than just whining about it. One of the first things you need to do to solve a problem is to find the right words to describe the problem. You don't know how many people have come to me simply saying, "it doesn't work." I have to prod them to find what they did (or didn't do), whether or not they received an error message, if they saw smoke billowing out of one of their drives, or if the computer simply didn't do what they expected.

Like it or not, most problems are simply caused by poorly written software. As soon as you remove yourself (the user) as a potential cause of the problem, it makes it much easier to track down the real source of the problem and fix it.

Computer problems can come in many forms: error messages, crashes, lock-ups, unexpected results, and corrupted data. A crash is usually attributed by a cryptic error message of some sort (General Protection Fault, Blue Screen of Death, etc.), followed by having the application—or the entire operating system—shut down abruptly. A lock-up is what happens when an application (or Windows) stops responding to the mouse and keyboard; sometimes a lock-up is recoverable (often by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del or just waiting a few seconds), and sometimes it isn't.

Most troubleshooting requires nothing more than a little reasoning. If you're looking for a chart of every conceivable error message and its cause, you're out of luck: such a thing simply doesn't exist. There is effectively an infinite combination of computer systems, add-on devices, application software, and drivers; unfortunately, some of those combinations can be fraught with headaches. However, Appendix E does have a list of common BSoD (Blue Screen of Death) error messages, typically considered the most extreme you'll encounter.

The most important step—and usually the most difficult—in troubleshooting a computer system is to isolate the problem.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you're trying to isolate a problem:

Is this an isolated incident, or does this problem occur every time I perform some action?

As much as Microsoft will deny it, crashing is a fact of life on a Windows system, even when using Windows XP (although some users will swear up and down that their systems are "rock-solid").

An isolated incident is often just that, and, if nothing else, is a good reminder to save your work often. On the other hand, if a given error message or crash repeatedly occurs at the same time, in the same place, or as a result of the same mouse click, you need to be aware of that fact if you hope to solve the problem.

Did I install or remove any software or hardware around the time this problem started occurring?

Sudden changes in your computer's behavior are almost never spontaneous; if something suddenly stops working, you can bet that there was a discernible trigger.

Is the problem with a specific application or hardware device, or is Windows at fault?

You can rule out specific applications if the crash or another problem doesn't just occur in one program. You can rule out most hardware by removing or disabling the unnecessary devices attached to your system. And you can rule out Windows by installing a second copy of the operating system on a different drive, as described in Chapter 10.

Did I read the directions?

Unfortunately, a well-designed interface is still something not implemented by many software manufacturers these days, so if you're not getting the results you expect from your word processor, printer, scanner, mouse, web browser, or other hardware device or application, make sure that you have read the directions (and release notes) that accompany such products and that the product in question is installed properly. Also, software manufacturers frequently release updates and fixes, so it's always a good idea to check to see if you have the latest versions of all applications and drivers. See Section 6.3, later in this chapter, for details.

How likely is it that someone else has encountered the same problem I have?

This is often the most useful question to ask, because the odds are that someone else not only has encountered the same problem (anything from an annoying software quirk to a deafening application crash), but has already discovered a solution and written about it in some online forum. For example, there's a Windows XP discussion forum at http://www.annoyances.org for specifically this purpose!

Am I asking the right people?

If you just installed a new version of America Online and now your Internet connection doesn't work, you shouldn't be calling your plumber. On the other hand, nothing compares to trying to convince a technical support representative that the problem you're experiencing is actually their company's fault and not someone else's.

Am I using the latest version of the software or drivers for the product in question?

Most manufacturers routinely place software patches, updated drivers, and other fixes on their web sites. In many cases, the manufacturer has fixed the problem you're having and all that's left to do is download and install the new version.

The last tidbit of wisdom comes from years of experience. Some problems require hours and hours of fruitless troubleshooting and needless headaches. In some cases, it makes more sense to replace the product that's giving you trouble than to try to fix it.

You're not stuck with XP's default splash logo on the startup screen—use any picture or logo of your choosing.

One of the nice things about XP is how malleable it is. Don't like the way it looks? No problem—change it. Take my splash screen, please!

Many people, myself included, would prefer to see a more interesting splash screen (also called the startup screen) than the default gives you on start-up. You can change your splash screen to any of hundreds that have been created, or make one of your own—for example, with your picture or company logo on it.

To choose from already created splash screens, go to http://www.themexp.org and click on Boot Screens. You'll find over a thousand of them, organized by categories such as Sports, TV/Movies, and so on.

Once you've found the image you want to use as your splash screen, download it. It will be downloaded as a .zip file. I create a general folder for all my boot screen files, called C:\Bootscreens, and then for each bootscreen I download I create a new folder—in this instance, C:\Bootscreens\Wild.

Unzip the contents of the .zip file into the folder. There will be one or more files, including ReadMe files. The boot screen itself, however, will be named ntoskrnl.exe. If you have XP Service Pack 1 installed, you may have to use a different file, named ntoskrnlSP1.exe, that may also be in the downloaded .zip file. Check the documentation of the file you download to make sure. If you're not sure if you have Service Pack 1 installed, it's easy to find out. Right-click on My Computer, and choose Properties> General. Your version of the operating system will be displayed. If you have Service Pack 1, it will say so on that screen.

The ntoskrnl.exe file is an executable file that contains the XP bootscreen. During the boot process, XP executes this file, found in C:\Windows\System32, which in turn displays the bootscreen graphic. So, to change your bootscreen, replace your existing ntoskrnl.exe file with the one you just downloaded. But wait: there's more.

You might think that all you have to do is copy the new ntoskrnl.exe over the existing one and then restart your computer in order for the changes to take effect. That's not quite the case, though. You first have to get around a feature of Windows XP that protects system files from being overwritten. Windows File Protection automatically replaces certain files with the original XP version of the file if they've been replaced, and ntoskrnl.exe is one of those files. However, if you make the change in Safe Mode, Windows File Protection won't kick in and you can safely copy the file.

Reboot your PC and press F8 immediately to get into Safe Mode. Now go to the C:\Windows\System32 folder and find the ntoskrnl.exe file. Copy it to another folder or rename it as a backup so that you can revert to it when you no longer want to use your new bootscreen, or if something goes wrong when you install the new screen. Now copy the new ntoskrnl.exe file into C:\Windows\System32. (If you have to use the ntoskrnlSP1.exe file, rename it to ntoskrnl.exe first, and then copy it over.)

Reboot your computer again but don't go into Safe Mode this time. Your new splash screen will now appear every time you start your PC. To revert to your old splash screen, repeat the steps, copying your original ntoskrnl.exe file over your new one.