Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (
More info?)
You don't want to use regedit for this, especially being a novice. There
are a lot of dependencies in Windows and you have no way of knowing what you
might do that would render the system unbootable or at least unusable.
If you mean by "redecorate" your computer you wish to change it's
appearance, this can and should be done at system level. You can either go
to System in Control Panel, go to the Advanced tab, click the Settings
button under Performance and selectively turn off various elements or turn
off all of the XP eye candy by simply select "Adjust for best performance"
and clicking apply. That selection will give you pretty much the appearance
of Windows 9x.
Conversely, you to Control Panel, select Display, go to the Appearance tab
and change various elements as you desire. Also, while I don't recommend
them because they often cause conflicts and other problems with XP, you
could check into third party theme packages for XP. You can probably find
many such themes searching Google for XP Themes.
If your second comment relates to the first in that you are talking about
removing various Windows components using reedit, that is not advisable
either for the same reason as above. Just use Add/Remove Programs in
Control Panel and the Add/Remove Windows Components option.
As to redirecting the value gained in boosting security, very few of the
components of XP that you could remove offer any value with regard to
security. Security is achieved by using an antivirus program and keeping it
up to date, using a firewall and both of those can be augmented by
connecting to the Internet using a router.
If you are a novice, I'm really not sure what you mean by creating
self-written programs and you don't use the registry for that anyway. A
number of people do create their own programs but they are familiar with one
or more of the various programming languages as well as the requirements for
such applications to work with XP.
As to number 3, see above. You don't achieve security in the manner which
you describe especially when you don't know what you are doing and/or how it
might effect the overall operation of the system. Security is best achieved
using a combination of XP's newer security features along with the items I
described above.
Since you know about these groups, I give you fair warning, if you make the
alterations you describe and get into trouble, there is nothing we would be
able to do to help beyond recommend you format the drive on which XP is
installed and start over, costing you any unbacked up data you have stored
on that drive as well as all the work you've done to customize the setup.
--
In memory of our dear friend, MVP Alex Nichol.
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/communities/mvp.aspx
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
"maceman" <maceman68@msn.com (donotspam)> wrote in message
news:3359D4A0-B377-42C2-BE11-801496579E65@microsoft.com...
> hello
> i am a novice of computers, but i have found the beautiful "hives" of
> regedit..great stuff and my mind racers with proberbilities..well i am a
> very
> 'lone' user with a small buget..i dont want flashy executive enhance media
> and such...what i am trying to ask is
> 1. can i "completly redecorate my computer" with regedit
> 2. with all the non-essential window programs removed can i redirect all
> the
> value gained in boosting security, and creating self written programs
> 3. i see, if i can remove all unwanted windows operations i can make the
> computers security talk to other comonants more quickly as i see that
> communication of security is a key factor in assuring unwanted items
> has anyone got any ideas about this
> --
> maceman thanx you
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