Disable registry resets and all that other automated XP stuff ... (can't remember what it's called .

  • Thread starter Thread starter StargateFan
  • Start date Start date
S

StargateFan

I read a few weeks back in the archives why XP is so much more
annoyingly "automated" as a default than Win98SE, etc. I'd realized
that when I first started working on friends' and family's XP since
over a couple of years ago. I've had my XP for several months now and
would like to start changing things so that they stick.
Unfortunately, though I saw the term, I wasn't sure that was the cause
of this "resetting" behaviour, but I'd like to get things like the
details view in WE to stay beyond each reboot, etc., etc.

Anyway, sorry for vagueness but I've searched and searched the
archives and I can't remember what this behaviour is called that I
absolutely must shut off. But it's what allows us to make registry
edits, file association changes and folder views in WE, etc., etc., so
that they stick to what _we_ determine and not what XP determines, and
so that our choices are adhered to _always_ beyond a reboot or beyond
a few weeks of use. Right now, eventually -- sooner or later -- XP
always goes back to certain defaults no matter what I do.

Thanks. :oD
 
Hello,

Open a folder and customize as you want - e.g. set View to Details

Start > Control Panel > Folder Options > View (Tab) > Apply to All folders.

The association thing is under the File Types tab.
Click to expand...

Doesn't work. I've tried _everything_ recommended in many threads and
nothing works re getting folder view to do the above. There is a
problem with some people's systems and mine is one of them. Something
as obvious as these instructions above (which I've used in Win98SE
successfully for years) I've done tried many, many (many, many, many,
many, many, many) times. In fact, it's so bad with this computer here
that I have to reset after every reboot. I followed all the
instructions from the archives for everything to do with getting this
feature to work but nothing has. It won't remember beyond a reboot
and it doesn't even do a good job for each session. It doesn't
remember column widths properly at all. The only thing XP has going
for it for me is actually a couple of minimal things - it seeems to
work faster, which is not even so much an OS thing and new devices
don't require the hassle of searching for drivers. Quite frankly, the
latter is about the only thing that is worth anything, and I lived
without that for 8 years in Win98SE without it bothering me.

Anyway, I finally found a message with one term that I remember coming
across, XP's WFP (Windows File Protection). I want to shut down _ALL_
this automation incl WFP. I didn't have it in Win98SE - or if it did
do any of that, it didn't interfere with changes I made - and I don't
need it.

The biggest thing I really, really, really hate about XP is that it
wants to be absolute ruler _all_ the time. Any registry edits I make,
any file associations that I do, etc., etc., it might take days, weeks
or even months but it almost always eventually switches back to a
default. Frankly, after 6 months of this behaviour here on my home
system, I'm really, really fed up to the teeth. The new XP system at
the office works a helluva lot better so I'm for the first time not so
pissed off with this OS knowing that if it works there, perhaps I can
do something here to get it to obey commands. XP still has issues at
the office, but certain things are working properly there that have
never worked here. That is contrary to all the XP experience I have
on family's/friend's home systems that perhaps a "commercial"
installation is different from the average "home" one. And that's
what I want to figure out.

If someone can point me in the right direction into getting back
control and removing a lot of this automation in XP, I'd greatly
appreciate it. I haven't had time but I'm a step away from
partitioning one of the drives and installing Win98SE, XP has been
that stupid to work with. It takes a little more work each time I
bring on board a new device, but I had Win98SE working perfectly with
all the software I needed for 8 years. The only reason I'm using XP
is because it came installed on this new system. I embrace things
that work whole-heartedly. When new versions of software come up and
I upgrade, if it works, I leave the old behind. But this OS has been
one headache after another. thanx







p.s., a case in point - just this weekend, after months of having to
reset folder views after each reboot (and sometimes adjusting column
widths mid-session, too!), at least I didn't have to go and untick all
the other junk the details view initially displayed. All of a sudden,
though, I've now getting picture dimensions and all that other junk
appearing in details view. I'd turned that off months ago. Even
after each reboot's folder view setting, it's gone back to displaying
that junk again. Hair-pulling frustration, let me tell ya.
 
Hello,

Not sure what you have tried, so ignore the below if you have already tried
them

1) Hit Reset All Folders and try customizing the folder again and then Apply
to all folders again
2) http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm (line 2, left)
3)
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.windows-xp/browse_thread/thread/5eca46531425fb10/c6f608b9baf311eb

If you manage to find a fix in any of these links or on your own, please
post back as it will help future users who encounter this problem.
--
Singapore Website Design
http://www.bootstrike.com/Webdesign/
Singapore Web Hosting
http://www.bootstrike.com/WinXP/faq.html
Windows XP FAQ
 
StargateFan said:
Doesn't work. I've tried _everything_ recommended in many threads and
nothing works re getting folder view to do the above. There is a
problem with some people's systems and mine is one of them. Something
as obvious as these instructions above (which I've used in Win98SE
successfully for years) I've done tried many, many (many, many, many,
many, many, many) times. In fact, it's so bad with this computer here
that I have to reset after every reboot. I followed all the
instructions from the archives for everything to do with getting this
feature to work but nothing has. It won't remember beyond a reboot
and it doesn't even do a good job for each session. It doesn't
remember column widths properly at all. The only thing XP has going
for it for me is actually a couple of minimal things - it seeems to
work faster, which is not even so much an OS thing and new devices
don't require the hassle of searching for drivers. Quite frankly, the
latter is about the only thing that is worth anything, and I lived
without that for 8 years in Win98SE without it bothering me.

Anyway, I finally found a message with one term that I remember coming
across, XP's WFP (Windows File Protection). I want to shut down _ALL_
this automation incl WFP. I didn't have it in Win98SE - or if it did
do any of that, it didn't interfere with changes I made - and I don't
need it.

The biggest thing I really, really, really hate about XP is that it
wants to be absolute ruler _all_ the time. Any registry edits I make,
any file associations that I do, etc., etc., it might take days, weeks
or even months but it almost always eventually switches back to a
default. Frankly, after 6 months of this behaviour here on my home
system, I'm really, really fed up to the teeth. The new XP system at
the office works a helluva lot better so I'm for the first time not so
pissed off with this OS knowing that if it works there, perhaps I can
do something here to get it to obey commands. XP still has issues at
the office, but certain things are working properly there that have
never worked here. That is contrary to all the XP experience I have
on family's/friend's home systems that perhaps a "commercial"
installation is different from the average "home" one. And that's
what I want to figure out.

If someone can point me in the right direction into getting back
control and removing a lot of this automation in XP, I'd greatly
appreciate it. I haven't had time but I'm a step away from
partitioning one of the drives and installing Win98SE, XP has been
that stupid to work with. It takes a little more work each time I
bring on board a new device, but I had Win98SE working perfectly with
all the software I needed for 8 years. The only reason I'm using XP
is because it came installed on this new system. I embrace things
that work whole-heartedly. When new versions of software come up and
I upgrade, if it works, I leave the old behind. But this OS has been
one headache after another. thanx







p.s., a case in point - just this weekend, after months of having to
reset folder views after each reboot (and sometimes adjusting column
widths mid-session, too!), at least I didn't have to go and untick all
the other junk the details view initially displayed. All of a sudden,
though, I've now getting picture dimensions and all that other junk
appearing in details view. I'd turned that off months ago. Even
after each reboot's folder view setting, it's gone back to displaying
that junk again. Hair-pulling frustration, let me tell ya.
Click to expand...

It sounds to me like it's time to update your backups and reinstall the
system. You have system corruption somehow.
First I'd try a Repair Install (instructions all over the place on the
'net). That way you don't lose any data but you do have to redo updates.
Still update your backups though; "stuff happens".
If that failed then I'd do a complete reinstall from scratch.

Your wish to have complete desire over and prevent any changes to the
registry are unrealistic: The registry is bieng change on-the-fly for many,
many good reasons as I mentioned in another post. It's just not that
simple.
You can not equate win98 to XP operationally; they are two entirely
different animals, built on two entirely different structures. The registry
is no longer just a few specific files on the drive.

I almost think you have a virus or other malware on the machine, or had it,
and are suffering the leftovers from it. Some malware can leave a lot of
crap behind and even regenerate itself after awhile. You HAVE run AV and
malware detectors, right? If you haven't, or if you aren't at the SP2
level, then all bets are off; you need SP2 and its updates; it's that
simple.

HTH
Pop`
 
Hello,

Not sure what you have tried, so ignore the below if you have already tried
them

1) Hit Reset All Folders and try customizing the folder again and then Apply
to all folders again
2) http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm (line 2, left)
3)
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.windows-xp/browse_thread/thread/5eca46531425fb10/c6f608b9baf311eb

If you manage to find a fix in any of these links or on your own, please
post back as it will help future users who encounter this problem.
Click to expand...

Yup, like I said, been there ... done that. I tried _everything_ in
the archives. The Bag thing, tweakUI, EVERYTHING!

I've become convinced it's not that these things don't work, it's that
this home installation has fixes in place to prevent users from doing
anything! And I mean _anything_. Simple file associations are a pain
in the butt, etc., etc. I'm not just talking about folder views,
though that's the one that sticks in my craw the most.

Nope, it seems to me that if I can figure out how to disable the
inherent and complete automation of XP against changes that any of the
ixes in the archives for this and other problems will then work.

THAT's what I'm trying to find.

I've been working sporadically on XP on friends'/family's computers
for 2 years now and this new installation at the office is the first
time I've seen XP behave with any decency _at_all_. If one system can
behave properly, then others can.

Like I said, can _anyone_ help take off the automation. I'm _not_
kidding. NOTHING in the archives worked, so the problem lies
elsewhere.

Thanks. :oD
 
It sounds to me like it's time to update your backups and reinstall the
system. You have system corruption somehow.
First I'd try a Repair Install (instructions all over the place on the
'net). That way you don't lose any data but you do have to redo updates.
Still update your backups though; "stuff happens".
If that failed then I'd do a complete reinstall from scratch.

Your wish to have complete desire over and prevent any changes to the
registry are unrealistic: The registry is bieng change on-the-fly for many,
many good reasons as I mentioned in another post. It's just not that
simple.
You can not equate win98 to XP operationally; they are two entirely
different animals, built on two entirely different structures. The registry
is no longer just a few specific files on the drive.

I almost think you have a virus or other malware on the machine, or had it,
and are suffering the leftovers from it. Some malware can leave a lot of
crap behind and even regenerate itself after awhile. You HAVE run AV and
malware detectors, right? If you haven't, or if you aren't at the SP2
level, then all bets are off; you need SP2 and its updates; it's that
simple.
Click to expand...

System corruption??!!!! From DAY ONE ... ???!!! And on everyone's
computer that I've ever worked on for the last 2 years??!!!

HARDLY.

That's not going to be the answer. These things have not worked right
from day one when I unpacked this computer brand new from its plastic
wrap in the box.

ALL the computers ... ALL NEW ... with XP on it that I've worked on
for friends and family _all_ exhibit the same types of behaviour and
limitations. They're all home installations.

This couple of weeks old new installation at work is the absolutely
FIRST one that hasn't got me tearing my hair out several times a day.
So the answer lies with the safeguards that Micro$oft in all its
questionable wisdom saw fit to put into this OS. I want to shut these
damn things off so that I can get on with using the system and not
battling with it so often.

That's what I'm trying to find the answer to.

Thanks. :oD
 
Hello,

You may want to take a look at Group Policy editor and see if it can help
you - Start > Run > gpedit.msc

You may want to do some investigation on your own using Process Explorer
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/ProcessExplorer.mspx

Make some folder options change and see whether any 3rd party software is
interfering. Possibly a permissions problem in the registry.

The problem does not occur on our PCs with all the updates.

Good luck.

--
Singapore Website Design
http://www.bootstrike.com/Webdesign/
Singapore Web Hosting
http://www.bootstrike.com/WinXP/faq.html
Windows XP FAQ
 
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