Disable Set As Desktop Background in WIN-XP

1. START
2. RUN
3. regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll [Remove Right Click-> "Set as Desktop Background"
4. exit

To Reset the Option in Previous Mode Type "regsvr32 shimgvw.dll" at Step-3

Easily Access My Computer

Do you want to access your drives easily? Simply drag the My Computer icon to the taskbar. Right-click the My Computer taskbar and deselect Show Text to turn off the text display. Now you can hold down Ctrl and click, for example, the drive C: icon. From here you get a menu that displays each folder in drive C:."

Active Desktop Warning

Several people use the Desktop as temporary folder of everything, eye catching pictures that they found from the Internet for example. Unfortunately, if you put the picture by dragging and dropping it directly from Internet Explorer to your Desktop, the annoying "Do you want to add an Active Desktop item to your desktop" message will appear on your screen. Here is the tip to get around this situation:

Drop the image into a folder (or folder shortcut). Or, drag & drop the non-hyperlinked Web graphic into your Outlook or Outlook Express Inbox to automatically attach it to a new mail message, then drag & drop the image's icon onto your Desktop. You may then close the unused message.

Floating Recent File List

Here is the tip to save the time to access your recent document list. Usually you must click the Start button - Documents and access the list from there. Now you can create a special toolbar created to access the list, it will be floating on the top of other opened applications so you can easily access it. To create the toolbar, right-click on your Taskbar, select Toolbars, then choose New Toolbar. Browse to your Windows\Recent folder and click OK. On the taskbar, select the word “Recent” with your left mouse button and drag it to an empty spot on your Desktop. Right-click on its title bar and select Always on top. You can adjust the toolbar size, for example only 2-3 rows so it won't take too many space on you screen.

** The Windows\Recent folder is hidden by default. To display it, open Explorer and click on the Tools – Folder Options menu, move to the View tab, and make sure you have activated “Show hidden files and folders” item.

Bonus:

Right drag any object in your current active application, some text in Microsoft Word document for example, point the mouse over an empty area in your taskbar or system tray, wait a second until you get the clear Desktop, and release the mouse. This is faster than using the Show Desktop icon to get back to your desktop.

Dragging Shortcuts to Hidden Desktop

You want to create a shortcut to a file or a folder from inside the Windows Explorer, but since the desktop is hidden or covered by other applications, then you might think that you cannot use the drag and drop method.

It's not true. Just right drag a folder icon from your Explorer to your Taskbar. Be sure that you hover it over an area on your Taskbar that is not occupied by a button, or over system tray if you like. Wait for a second, and all the applications windows on your Desktop will be closed. Continue drag the icon over the clear Desktop and drop it there. Click Create Shortcut(s) Here.

You can also use this method to move or copy a file or folder to the Desktop. If you decide not to drop the item on the Desktop, just click the other mouse button while dragging. This cancels the command.

Where is My Show Desktop Icon?

If you've accidentally deleted Show Desktop icon from the Quick Launch toolbar and want it back, just follow these simple steps:

Open Windows Explorer and expand the C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch folder. Now in the left pane browse to C:\Windows\System folder and open it. Look through the items in the right pane and locate a file named Show Desktop. Right click and drag the Show Desktop file from the right pane into the expanded Quick Launch folder in the left pane, and release the mouse button. Select Create Shortcut(s) Here from the popup menu. Now the Show Desktop icon will be back in your Quick Launch toolbar.

The Fastest Way to Files and Folders

Windows Explorer is not the only way to locate your files or folders. You can modify a toolbar into a cascading menu that lets you browse quickly through any local or network drive until you find the file you're looking for, without ever opening an Explorer window. Just follow these steps:

Right click on any empty space of the Taskbar and choose Toolbars, New Toolbar from the menu. In the new Toolbar dialog box, select My Computer and click on OK. The My Computer toolbar will appear, with separate icons for every object like local drives, Control Panel, and so on. Put your mouse to the toolbar's sizing handle (the vertical line at the left of the My Computer toolbar). When the mouse pointer turns to a two-headed arrow, click and drag to the right until all you see is only the My Computer label and a double arrow.

Now click on the double arrow. Each entry on the pop-up menu reveals a cascading menu with additional files, folders, and other objects. Browse until you find the file you're looking for, and then click to open it.

If you only want to browse inside a drive or a folder, using the same trick you can create a new toolbar for that object, D:\ or C:\My Documents for example. You can also create it for Network Neighborhood folder. As long as only the toolbar name is visible, Windows will treat it as a cascading menu.

Note: Be careful since the cascading menu contains the actual files and folders, not their shortcuts. If you delete them, then they are gone!

Changing Folder Icons

You want to put several favorite folders on the Desktop or Quick Launch bar, but all the icons are the same. Yes, you can move the mouse over a folder and get its name, but there's a simple solution. Instead of right clicking on the Desktop and selecting New/Folder, create the new folder somewhere else (C:\My Documents, for example). Right click on the folder, drag and drop it to your Desktop, and choose Create Shortcut(s) Here from the Context menu that appears. Right click the shortcut, choose Properties, and select the Shortcut tab. Click Change Icon and then click Browse to locate your new icon. Click OK and OK again.

You can repeat the steps for other folders, and then keep their shortcuts (with different icons) on your Desktop or drag it to the Quick Launch bar.

Find on the Quick Launch Toolbar

You can easily put Find (Win9x) or Search (WinMe) utility on your Quick Launch toolbar. To do so, in Start Menu click Tools/Search, Find, Files or Folder. Make any changes to the Find/Search dialog box necessary to make this your general Find. Click File, Save Search. This saves the Find settings as a shortcut on the Desktop. Change the name of the Find shortcut on the Desktop if you like. Otherwise, just drag and drop it onto the Quick Launch toolbar. Delete the shortcut from the Desktop.

Solution for The Limited Space

Have you frustrated with the very limited space on the Quick Launch toolbar? Don't be, use a Desktop toolbar instead. To create one, right-click on the Taskbar and choose Toolbars, Desktop, and then right-click on the Desktop toolbar and choose Show Title. Drag the Show Desktop shortcut icon and others from the Quick Launch toolbar to the Desktop toolbar. Using the vertical selection handle, reduce the Desktop toolbar to show only the title. Whenever you want to launch a program, click on the double arrow on the right side of the Desktop toolbar to display a list of all the shortcuts on your desktop.

Quick Launch Window

If you want to make changes to items in the Quick Launch toolbar, all you have to do is right-click a blank spot in Quick Launch and choose Open. This opens the Quick Launch window. You can make your changes and then choose File, Close to close the window.

Minimize in The Middle of Drag and Drop

Want to access the Desktop in the middle of drag and drop? Sure you can do that by cancelling the task and then click the View Desktop icon in the Quick Launch toolbar. But you can do that without leaving the task. Just point the cursor over a System Tray and held it there for a few seconds without dropping it (don't release it). All of your windows will be minimized.

Removing Items in the New List

As you probably know, if you right click on the Desktop or a window and select New, Windows gives you a menu of file types for which you can create a new item. If there is an item on the menu that refers to a software application you don't have on your PC anymore, you can remove it from the list. In My Computer or Windows Explorer choose View on the Menu Bar and then Options. Click the File Types tab. Scroll through the list of registered file types and select the item you want to remove from the New list. Click Remove and then click Yes to confirm.

Desktop with Animation

You can place animated gif files on your Desktop and let them play. If you don't have animated gif files you can create it by yourself; there are many of freeware and shareware utilities allow you to create it or search for it on the internet. To play animated gif files on your Desktop, follow these steps:

Right-click your Desktop, and choose Active Desktop, Customize My Desktop. In the Web tab, mark View My Active Desktop As a Web Page. Click the New button, and then click No. In the New Active Desktop Item dialog box, click the Browse button and navigate to your animated gif file. Click the Open button. Click OK and click OK again. Move your mouse pointer over the animated gif, and when the gray title bar appears, drag it to move the gif window to the desired area on the Desktop.

Where is The Secret Icon?

All Windows 9X/Me icons come from SHELL32.DLL file that can be found in Windows\Systems folder. The Windows folder also contains the PROGMAN.EXE and MORICONS.DLL file, which are full of Windows 3.x icons.

There are some other files contain icons in C:\Windows\System folder:
Cool.dll, Pifmgr.dll, Inetcpl.cpl, Mmsys.cpl, Mshtml.dll, Sysdm.cpl, Main.cpl, Sticpl.cpl, Desk.cpl, Joy.cpl, Power.cpl, Awfxex32.exe, Pifmgr.dll, Syncui.dll, and Systray.exe.

Also you wil find some icons in C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Iexplore.exe and C:\Windows\Explorer.exe files.

You can use any of those files to create an icon for a new shortcut or for replacing an old unattractive icon.

Using Screen Saver to Leave a Message

If you left your computer in the power on condition for a long time and at the same time need to send a message to a friend, you can activate screen saver that has a moving message. Just follow these steps: right-click on Windows 9X/Me desktop and then click Properties. Click on the Screen Saver tab, choose Scrolling Marquee, and then click on the Settings buttons. Type your message in the Text box, for example "I'll be back in 5 minutes!" Click on the Format Text box, and then choose large font size and use a contrast color.

Top & Bottom Taskbar

Most people leave the taskbar at the bottom of the screen; others like it at the top. IE lets you put it on both the top and the bottom. Simply drag and drop the individual toolbars you want to the top, and leave minimized applications at the bottom. Right-click on the items you have at the top, select Properties and check Always on Top so maximized windows don't cover it. You can also check the Auto Hide option.

The Alternative Taskbar

You can use Microsoft Office's Shortcut Bar as an alternative taskbar. Install it from your Microsoft Office CD through Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. To use Office Shortcut Bar, first click the Start-Settings-Taskbar-Auto Hide menu to hide the original taskbar. Next, drag the Office Shortcut Bar to the bottom section of Windows desktop, exactly at the “old” taskbar position. Right-click on the Shortcut Bar, and finally select the Programs option. From now on you can activate Windows applications by clicking their icons in the Office Shortcut Bar.

Smaller Desktop Icons

If you have too many shortcuts in your desktop, you may want to make them smaller. To do so, right-click an empty space in your desktop, and then select Properties. Go to the Appearance tab, in the Item column select Icon. Change its size to 16 (its default setting is 32), and finally click OK. If the shortcuts name looks too long then you can make it shorter.