Windows 7 Search

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa965711%28VS.85%29.aspx - Advanced Windows 7 Search Syntax Searching for a filename in Windows 7, prepend the search with filename: filename: Somefile.*

Changing System Restore Storage Space in Vista

vssadmin list shadowstorage - List ammount of shadow storage space

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /on=[drive letter]: /For=[drive letter]: /Maxsize=[maximum size]GB - Resize the shadow storage

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /on=C: /For=C: /Maxsize=15GB - Eg: Resize system restore space for drive C (using space on drive C) to 15GB.

Re-Enable Hibernate Option in Windows Vista

Found this trick here

In the command line type:

powercfg /hibernate on

Blocked Files

Sometimes when you receive a file from another computer, say through live messenger or something similar, it ends up blocked. When you try to run it you get the following error "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permission to access the item."

I found the solution here.

Right click in windows explorer on the item and then click on the "Unblock" button at the bottom as seen here:

Symbolic Link Tools

Moving Apps or Games - Using symbolic links to make an app appear on one drive whilst they are stored on another
Shell based link tool
Looks like the most intuitive tool to me

Symbolic Links in NTFS

How to use symbolic links in Vista
Tools for creating hard links in XP
See here as well

Using Junction

Junction tool for creating symbolic links
Use junction to list junctions:
Usage: [-s]
-s Recurse subdirectories
Examples:
To determine if a file is a junction, specify the file name:

junction c:\test

To list junctions beneath a directory, include the –s switch:

junction -s c:\

To create a junction c:\Program-Files for "c:\Program Files":

C:\>md Program-Files
C:\>junction c:\Program-Files "c:\Program Files"

To delete a junction, use the –d switch:

junction -d c:\Program-Files

IDE ATA and ATAPI disks use PIO mode after multiple time-out or CRC errors occur

These notes are taken from here

1. In regedit.exe search for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
   
2. Expand the registry node. You should see entries labeled "0000", "0001", "0002", etc.
   
3. Double-click on each key entry and in the right side panel look for the subkey "DriverDesc". Verify that the "DriverDesc" reads "Primary IDE Channel" or "Secondary IDE Channel".
   
4. Check to see if the registry entry "ResetErrorCountersOnSuccess" is already present and set to 1 (ie. "0x00000001"). If it is set to 0, double-click on "RestErrorCounterOnSuccess" and change the value to 1, close regedit, reboot your system, and after reboot check to see if DMA mode has been enabled.
   
5. If "ResetErrorCountersOnSuccess" it is not present, then select the "Edit" menu, select "New" and click on "DWORD value".
   
6. Enter the name "ResetErrorCountersOnSuccess" and press enter.
   
7. Double-click on "ResetErrorCountersOnSuccess" and enter the value 1.
   
8. Close regedit and reboot the system. After reboot, check the value of "Current Transfer Mode" for the channel(s) updated.

Disable Auto Play

Put the following in a registry file and execute it to disable AutoPlay on all drives
See more details here

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer]
"NoDriveTypeAutoRun"=dword:000000ff

You can selectively drives with the following values (that can be 'Or'ed together)

Value Meaning
0x1 Disables AutoPlay on drives of unknown type
0x4 Disables AutoPlay on removable drives
0x8 Disables AutoPlay on fixed drives
0x10 Disables AutoPlay on network drives
0x20 Disables AutoPlay on CD-ROM drives
0x40 Disables AutoPlay on RAM disks
0x80 Disables AutoPlay on drives of unknown type
0xFF Disables AutoPlay on all kinds of drives 

Manually Installing/Uninstalling a Codec In Windows

To install

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32]
"something.XXX"="XXX.acm"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\drivers.desc]
"XXX.acm"="Some textual description here"

To uninstall

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32]
"something.XXX"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\drivers.desc]
"XXX.acm"=-

CACLS

Give full rights permissions to users on a directory

cacls {dir} /E /G BUILTIN\Users:F

For more details see here

Speed Up Windows Shut Down

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop]
"HungAppTimeout"="5000"
"WaitToKillAppTimeout"="4000"
"AutoEndTasks"="1"
"MenuShowDelay"="100"

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop]
"HungAppTimeout"="5000"
"WaitToKillAppTimeout"="4000"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\]
"WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="4000"

Clear Page File At Shutdown

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]
"ClearPageFileAtShutdown"=dword:00000001

Disabling AutoRun

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom]
"AutoRun"=dword:00000000

Event ID 4226

If you get an system event error of
"TCP/IP has reached the security limit imposed on the number of concurrent TCP connect attempts." then user the patcher found here to fix it.

Stop The 'last access update' Stamp

I found this technique here

Copy this to a registry ('.reg') file and then execute it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]
"NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate"=dword:00000001

Add "Open Command Prompt" To Windows Exporer

This will add a menu option to open a command prompt whenever a directory is selected in windows explorer.

Copy this to a registry ('.reg') file and then execute it:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Command]
@="Command &Prompt"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Command\command]
@="%windir%\system32\CMD.EXE \"%1\""

Reset Cd/Dvd Drives To Dma Mode

Copy this to a registry ('.reg') file and then execute it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0002]
"MasterIdDataCheckSum"=-
"SlaveIdDataCheckSum"=-

You might have to change the '0002' to get the correct drive.
Search on this to find a way to improve the situation:
ResetErrorCountersOnSuccess

Fix Internet Explorer View Source Bug

Copy this to a registry ('.reg') file and then execute it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\View Source Editor\Editor Name]
@="E:\\WIN2000\\System32\\NOTEPAD.EXE"

Running Command Line as Administrator

Running Command Line as Administrator
%windir%\system32\runas.exe /user:Administrator cmd.exe

Control Panel Applets And .Msc Files From The Command Line

AD Domains and Trusts
domain.msc

Active Directory Management
admgmt.msc

AD Sites and Serrvices
dssite.msc

AD Users and COmputers
dsa.msc

ADSI Edit
adsiedit.msc

Authorization manager
azman.msc

Certification Authority Management
certsrv.msc

Certificate Templates
certtmpl.msc

Cluster Administrator
cluadmin.exe

Computer Management
compmgmt.msc

Component Services
comexp.msc

Configure Your Server
cys.exe

Device Manager
devmgmt.msc

DHCP Managment
dhcpmgmt.msc

Disk Defragmenter
dfrg.msc

Disk Manager
diskmgmt.msc

Distributed File System
dfsgui.msc

DNS Managment
dnsmgmt.msc

Event Viewer
eventvwr.msc

Indexing Service Management
ciadv.msc

IP Address Manage
ipaddrmgmt.msc

Licensing Manager
llsmgr.exe

Local Certificates Management
certmgr.msc

Local Group Policy Editor
gpedit.msc

Local Security Settings Manager
secpol.msc

Local Users and Groups Manager
lusrmgr.msc

Network Load balancing
nlbmgr.exe

Performance Montior
perfmon.msc

PKI Viewer
pkiview.msc

Public Key Managment
pkmgmt.msc

QoS Control Management
acssnap.msc

Remote Desktops
tsmmc.msc

Remote Storage Administration
rsadmin.msc

Removable Storage
ntmsmgr.msc

Removalbe Storage Operator Requests
ntmsoprq.msc

Routing and Remote Access Manager
rrasmgmt.msc

Resultant Set of Policy
rsop.msc

Schema management
schmmgmt.msc

Services Management
services.msc

Shared Folders
fsmgmt.msc

SID Security Migration
sidwalk.msc

Telephony Management
tapimgmt.msc

Terminal Server Configuration
tscc.msc

Terminal Server Licensing
licmgr.exe

Terminal Server Manager
tsadmin.exe

UDDI Services Managment
uddi.msc

Windows Mangement Instumentation
wmimgmt.msc

WINS Server manager
winsmgmt.msc

Computer Management
%windir%\system32\mmc.exe %WINDIR%\system32\compmgmt.msc

Accessibility Options
access.cpl

Add/Remove Programs
appwiz.cpl

Add Hardware Wizard
hdwwiz.cpl

Automatic Updates
wuaucpl.cpl

Bluetooth Properties
bthprops.cpl

Display Properties
desk.cpl

Firewall Properties
firewall.cpl

Game Controllers
joy.cpl

Internet Options
inetcpl.cpl

iSCSI Initiator
iscsicpl.cpl

Java Control Panel
jpicpl32.cpl

Licensing Mode
liccpa.cpl

Mouse Properties
main.cpl

Network Connections
ncpa.cpl

Network Setup Wizard
netsetup.cpl

ODBC Properties
odbccp32.cpl

Power Options
powercfg.cpl

Regional and Language Options
intl.cpl

Sound and Audio Devices
mmsys.cpl

Stored Passwords
keymgr.cpl

System Properties
sysdm.cpl

Telephone and Modem Properties
telephon.cpl

Time and Date Settings
timedate.cpl

User Accounts
nusrmgr.cpl

Windows Security Center
wscui.cpl

Wireless Link
irprops.cpl