A Windows FAQ
Q. How can I
enable Windows Media Player (WMP) to play DVDs?
A. If your computer has the hardware-based support for playing
DVDs, you can make the following registry change to enable WMP to play
DVDs:
1. Start regedit.exe.
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\Settings.
3. From the Edit menu select New, String value.
4. Enter a name of EnableDVDUI for the new string value, then press Enter.
5. Double-click the new value and set it to Yes. Click OK.
6. Close regedit.
7. To start playing DVDs, select File, Open, DVD, then click Play.
Q. How can I control the number of times an application flashes on the taskbar when it requires attention?
A. If you have several applications open and an application that isn't currently in the foreground wants you to respond, its taskbar entry flashes three times. After 200 seconds the application comes to the foreground.
To change the number flashes or the delay time start regedit.exe and go to - HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Then double-click ForegroundFlashCount and set the Base value to Decimal and change the number of times the taskbar entry should flash, then click OK. Now double-click ForegroundLockTimeout and set the Base value to Decimal, change the number of milliseconds to wait before coming to the foreground (or set this value to 0 if you want the application to come to the foreground immediately), then click OK. Finally Close regedit.
Q. How can I clear the Internet Explorer (IE) History folder?
A. By default IE keeps track (history) of sites you visit. If you want to clear history, from the IE Tools menu select Internet Options|General. And click Clear History. Next click Yes to confirm. and finally click OK to close the Internet Options dialog box. Your (colourful) past has erased.
You can also directly edit the registry; an approach that lets you selectively clear URLs. Start regedit.exe and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs. Delete the URL entries you want to remove--except the (Default) value; it should remain in the list and exit regedit.
Q. I created a slipstreamed CD-ROM. Why do I get an error message when I boot from the installation disks?
A. Windows 2000 introduces the idea of slipstreaming an installation, which lets you apply a service pack to an installation area. If you then copy the installation area to a CD-ROM and boot from the regular installation disks, you might receive the following error "The following value in the .SIF file used by setup is corrupted or missing: Value '0' on the line in section [SourceDiskFiles] with key "SP1.CAB"." To resolve this, copy txtsetup.sif from the I386 folder on the CD-ROM to the first of the four installation disks. Doing so should let you proceed with the installation.
Q. When I connect a USB device to a USB hub, why do I receive an error message about available power?
A. When you connect a USB device to a USB hub, you might receive the following error "The hub doesn't have enough power available to operate the [device] USB Device. Would you like assistance in solving this problem?" As this error message indicates, there is not enough power to operate the device correctly. You should use the AC adapter that came with the device to resolve the power distribution problem.
Q. Can Windows 2000 users change their passwords from the command line?
Q. When I upgraded to Windows 2000, I lost my Windows 98 multimonitor configuration. How do I restore it?
A. Both Win2K and Win98 support multiple monitors. However, Win2K uses a different architecture than Win98. When Win2K installs new video adapters, you lose any Win98 configurations. You need to configure your Win2K multimonitor support from scratch using the Display applet in Control Panel.