Settings Tab

  • Thread starter Thread starter ajohn075
  • Start date Start date
A

ajohn075

I recently had to restore the original Windows 98 factory
settings to my PC, and I lost the "Settings" tab, so I
was unable to change my screen resolution. I upgraded my
OS to Windows XP, but I still don't have the "Settings"
tab. Does anyone have an idea of how to get the feature
back on my PC?
 
Kelly,

Someone else suggested that I update my display driver,
but I has having a hard time finding an update online. I
downloaded your file, and it worked instantly. Please
indulge my ignorance, but exactly did the file do, and
was this something I could have done myself?

Thanks again!!
 
How about you reply to the original poster with some helpful info.. I have
just had a full day of it, and made the remark tongue-in-cheek.. in other
words, anonymous, NUTS..

Yo Mike

Was your nastiness really necessary?
 
Mike,

I am the original poster, and I took offense to
the "tongue in cheek" comment. If I was out of turn,
then please accept my apology. However, please keep in
mind that I, as well as others, have turned to this site
for assistance with our software problems, and to read
comments of this type is not at all helpful.

Aisha (no longer Anonymous)
 
Yo Aisha.. aka anonymous

I have every sympathy with people like you.. computers and software are
purchased in all good faith that they will work and work easily, and for the
most part, they do just that.. but when they start to fail, the average user
is left scratching his/her head.. I have had my fair share of ups and downs
with computers in the past.. all of my early learning was down to correcting
mistakes that I had made, and the knowledge that I picked up served me well
as a computer hardware/software engineer in latter years.. I still make
errors of judgement now on occasion (I would not be human if I didn't), but
they are way more rare than back in the days of DOS 2.11..

What you should do is pay a visit to these newsgroups at regular intervals
and just read through a few of them.. it is not always easy to help people
from a distance.. trying to work out exactly what the user may have done
prior to the fault based on the information given, and in some cases the
information that was not given (maybe down to just not wanting to appear
foolish or computer illiterate, or they just didn't know what they had done)
makes it difficult to give a definitive answer.. one has to also try to
ascertain the level of understanding of the person with the problem.. there
is little point in sending a URL to a website full of technical jargon if it
will only help to confuse even further..

If I had unlimited funds and no work committment, I would gladly drive to
houses and fix all of everybody's computer problems for free.. nothing would
please me more than to help and train people, and in this way further the
computing experience.. until that day, I sit here in my spare time,
sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, and occasionally walking away in total
frustration..

I hope that you get any problems fixed, and that all goes well for you..
stay safe always

Mike


Mike,

I am the original poster, and I took offense to
the "tongue in cheek" comment. If I was out of turn,
then please accept my apology. However, please keep in
mind that I, as well as others, have turned to this site
for assistance with our software problems, and to read
comments of this type is not at all helpful.

Aisha (no longer Anonymous)
 
I completely understand, and I realize now that I read
more into the message. Again, I do apologize.

Having said that, I wondered if you would be able to
answer this question for me. I did successfully download
the file that Kelly directed me to on her website, and I
figured out that the file made changes in my System
Registry, but I am still curious to know exactly what
changes were made, and if this was something I would have
been able to do myself.

I know System Registry information is extremely sensitive,
and that you could jack-up (technical term - lol) a PC if
you do the wrong thing. Would you be able to enlighten me
on what this file actually changed?

Thanks again,

Aisha
 
Aisha

Manually editing the registry is indeed possible, and there are many tweaks
that can be made assuming knowledge of the registry and how it works..
however, the tweaks supplied on Kelly's website do it all for you, and there
is no chance of the newcomer to registry jacking/screwing (delete as
applicable) up the registry to the point where the computer will not work..

Essentially, the downloaded fix re-wrote certain lines in registry back to
the default value that had been changed by a piece of bad programming or
file corruption..

Here is some night time reading for you.. if you can make anything of some
or all of it, then you get the prestigious award "Queen of Registry".. pls
note that there is no land title, monies or any other cashable asset
attached to this award.. not even a paper badge.. :)

http://www.winguides.com/registry/

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;256986

http://www.systweak.com/winreg/winreg.htm

and remember what I said.... "there is little point in sending a URL to a
website full of technical jargon if it will only help to confuse even
further.." .. :)

As before, stay safe always..

Mike


I completely understand, and I realize now that I read
more into the message. Again, I do apologize.

Having said that, I wondered if you would be able to
answer this question for me. I did successfully download
the file that Kelly directed me to on her website, and I
figured out that the file made changes in my System
Registry, but I am still curious to know exactly what
changes were made, and if this was something I would have
been able to do myself.

I know System Registry information is extremely sensitive,
and that you could jack-up (technical term - lol) a PC if
you do the wrong thing. Would you be able to enlighten me
on what this file actually changed?

Thanks again,

Aisha
 
Mike,

One last question ... the SpyBot on my PC is picking up
the file as spyware ... since the registry changes have
already occurred, would there be any adverse impact to my
deleting those items on my SpyBot?

A.
 
Aisha

I guess not, but Spybot has a feature where you can exclude certain stuff
from being detected (in advanced mode).. look into that first or just keep
the link to Kelly's page..

Mike


Mike,

One last question ... the SpyBot on my PC is picking up
the file as spyware ... since the registry changes have
already occurred, would there be any adverse impact to my
deleting those items on my SpyBot?

A.
 
Hi,

1. If you know you have the exact make and model there shouldn't be a
problem at all finding the drivers. If you are not sure, either pull the
card out manually, check the device manager or use Belarc:

For a detailed list of all installed software and hardware:
http://www.belarc.com/Download.html

In the Software Versions section you'll see all of your installed software.
At the end of each entry is a clickable asterisk that will take you to the
folder the software is installed in.

Or...

Enterprise System Information -Line 317
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

2. To read any of my edits or script, they can be opened in Notepad. This
particular regedit, to answer your question, yes, could have been done
manually and would go as follows:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoActiveDesktopChanges"=hex:00,00,00,00
"NoActiveDesktop"=dword:00000000
"NoSaveSettings"=dword:00000000
"ClassicShell"=dword:00000000
"NoThemesTab"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"NoDispAppearancePage"=dword:00000000
"NoColorChoice"=dword:00000000
"NoSizeChoice"=dword:00000000
"NoDispBackgroundPage"=dword:00000000
"NoDispScrSavPage"=dword:00000000
"NoDispCPL"=dword:00000000
"NoVisualStyleChoice"=dword:00000000
"NoDispSettingsPage"=dword:00000000
"NoDispScrSavPage"=dword:00000000
"NoVisualStyleChoice"=dword:00000000
"NoSizeChoice"=dword:00000000
"SetVisualStyle"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop]
"NoChangingWallPaper"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ThemeManager]
"ThemeActive"="1"
"DllName"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
74,00,25,00,5c,00,72,00,65,00,73,00,6f,00,75,00,72,00,63,00,65,00,73,00,5c,\
00,54,00,68,00,65,00,6d,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,6c,00,75,00,6e,00,61,00,5c,00,\
6c,00,75,00,6e,00,61,00,2e,00,6d,00,73,00,73,00,74,00,79,00,6c,00,65,00,73,\
00,00,00

That said, I think the edit is easier. :o)



Kelly,

Someone else suggested that I update my display driver,
but I has having a hard time finding an update online. I
downloaded your file, and it worked instantly. Please
indulge my ignorance, but exactly did the file do, and
was this something I could have done myself?

Thanks again!!
 
I hear you, Mike. Is ok, though! Is great when some folks truly want to
understand the mechanics. Not all do. :o)
 
Back
Top