Post by thread:[OT] WinXP is just too helpful

'[OT] WinXP is just too helpful'

I'm sure most of you know what the subject means.

I just bought a laptop with XP Home on it.  I've been resisting it

for a long time, but finally had to buy a new one.

Now I wish I hadn't.  XP is constantly nagging me about one

thing or another.  It works well, it's just kind of...pushy.

For example, does anyone know how to tell it not to ask me

to run the desktop icon wizard thing?  My wife called me this

morning complaining of that.

Or how to get the nice, 2k/XP Pro style drop down menu for

shutdown options?  It's much nicer just to hit "Enter" than to

search out the "u" or use the mouse.

I also have a wireless network.  How do I tell XP that I don't

want it to display a message when that network connects on

startup?  Especially because that message doesn't 

auto-dismiss.  It just sits there until I click on it.

I know this sounds petty.  "What, you're too lazy to work the

mouse now?" you're probably saying.  But these are beginning

to really annoy me.  At least I figured out how to get the Start

menu back to normal...

Mike H.

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> I just bought a laptop with XP Home on it.  I've been resisting it

> for a long time, but finally had to buy a new one.

I know, one really doesnt like to but haveto... eventually.

> It works well, it's just kind of...pushy.

Mhm, its in ya face all the time. Changing shit behind ya back and

sends stuff out that I dont know about etc. Annoying.

> I also have a wireless network.  How do I tell XP that I don't

> want it to display a message when that network connects on

> startup?

Check the properties for your LAN connection. There is a

checkbox to uncheck that gives u control of that popup msg.

start->settings->network/lan..something

> I know this sounds petty.

Not at all, those are among the first i fix in a new XP install.

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There are 2 books that are absolutely must have for XP users.

The first is called "Windows XP Hacks".  The second, and maybe more

important to have, is called "Windows XP Annoyances".  Both are from

O'Reilley.

The wireless connection thing is in the properties for the connection.  I

think most of the others are in the registry, and it would be better to have

the full description sitting in front of you when you are mucking around

there.

--McD

{Original Message removed}

John Ferrell    

http://DixieNC.US

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Mike Hord" <spam_OUTmike.hordTakeThisOuTgmail.com>

To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." <.....piclistKILLspam@spam@mit.edu>

Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 9:20 AM

Subject: [OT] WinXP is just too helpful

{Quote hidden}> I'm sure most of you know what the subject means.

> 

> I just bought a laptop with XP Home on it.  I've been resisting it

> for a long time, but finally had to buy a new one.

> 

> Now I wish I hadn't.  XP is constantly nagging me about one

> thing or another.  It works well, it's just kind of...pushy.

> 

> For example, does anyone know how to tell it not to ask me

> to run the desktop icon wizard thing?  My wife called me this

> morning complaining of that.

> 

That seems to slow down after a few instances of no change.

> Or how to get the nice, 2k/XP Pro style drop down menu for

> shutdown options?  It's much nicer just to hit "Enter" than to

> search out the "u" or use the mouse.

> 

I seldom shut mine down, just put it in sleep mode...

> I also have a wireless network.  How do I tell XP that I don't

> want it to display a message when that network connects on

> startup?  Especially because that message doesn't 

> auto-dismiss.  It just sits there until I click on it.

> 

On mine, if you ignore it, it goes away.

{Quote hidden}> I know this sounds petty.  "What, you're too lazy to work the

> mouse now?" you're probably saying.  But these are beginning

> to really annoy me.  At least I figured out how to get the Start

> menu back to normal...

> 

> Mike H.

> _______________________________________________

> http://www.piclist.com

> View/change your membership options at

> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist

>

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On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 09:41:47 -0400, John J. McDonough <obf> wrote:

> There are 2 books that are absolutely must have for XP users.

> 

> The first is called "Windows XP Hacks".  The second, and maybe more

> important to have, is called "Windows XP Annoyances".  Both are from

> O'Reilley.

> 

> The wireless connection thing is in the properties for the connection.  I

> think most of the others are in the registry, and it would be better to have

> the full description sitting in front of you when you are mucking around

> there.

> 

> --McD

I'll check them out.  In an amazing coincidence, Borders is having a 25%

off "faculty and staff discount day" this weekend.  Hmmmm...

Thanks!

Mike H.

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Mike,

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 08:20:03 -0500, Mike Hord wrote:

> I'm sure most of you know what the subject means.

> 

> I just bought a laptop with XP Home on it.  I've been resisting it

> for a long time, but finally had to buy a new one.

> 

> Now I wish I hadn't.  

Well there are alternatives!

Cheers,

Howard Winter

St.Albans, England

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John J. McDonough <piclistKILLspammit.edu> wrote:

> There are 2 books that are absolutely must have for XP users.

> 

> The first is called "Windows XP Hacks".  The second, and maybe

> more important to have, is called "Windows XP Annoyances".  Both

> are from O'Reilley. 

    Much of the info in the books is also on the web, at:

        http://www.annoyances.org 

    -Andy

=== Andrew Warren -- .....aiwKILLspam.....cypress.com

=== Principal Design Engineer

=== Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

=== 

=== Opinions expressed above do not

=== necessarily represent those of

=== Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

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> Well there are alternatives!

> Cheers,

> Howard Winter

> St.Albans, England

Alternatives the same way there are alternatives to gasoline autos.

I've gone hither and thither, Mac to Windows to Linux to Windows,

and back and forth, several times.  The bottom line is, Mplab and

PicBasic Pro keep me mired in the Windows world.  That, and my

wife.  She wants nothing to do with Linux or anything other than

Windows.  I had a heck of a time convincing her of Firefox and

OpenOffice.  But we use them now, so maybe there's hope.

Mike H.

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If you want the windows 2000 logoff dialog, you should switch to the

Windows Classic THEME. (Right click on your desktop, choose properties,

change theme to Windows CLassic).

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004, Mike Hord wrote:

{Quote hidden}> On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 09:41:47 -0400, John J. McDonough <obf> wrote:

> > There are 2 books that are absolutely must have for XP users.

> >

> > The first is called "Windows XP Hacks".  The second, and maybe more

> > important to have, is called "Windows XP Annoyances".  Both are from

> > O'Reilley.

> >

> > The wireless connection thing is in the properties for the connection.  I

> > think most of the others are in the registry, and it would be better to have

> > the full description sitting in front of you when you are mucking around

> > there.

> >

> > --McD

>

> I'll check them out.  In an amazing coincidence, Borders is having a 25%

> off "faculty and staff discount day" this weekend.  Hmmmm...

>

> Thanks!

>

> Mike H.

> _______________________________________________

> http://www.piclist.com

> View/change your membership options at

> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist

>

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Mike,

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 13:16:43 -0500, Mike Hord wrote:

> > Well there are alternatives!

> > Cheers,

> > Howard Winter

> > St.Albans, England

> 

> Alternatives the same way there are alternatives to gasoline autos.

There are indeed!

> I've gone hither and thither, Mac to Windows to Linux to Windows,

> and back and forth, several times.  The bottom line is, Mplab and

> PicBasic Pro keep me mired in the Windows world.  That, and my

> wife.  She wants nothing to do with Linux or anything other than

> Windows.  

Ah, so you didn't actually want a solution to the problem you mentioned!  :-)

> I had a heck of a time convincing her of Firefox and

> OpenOffice.  But we use them now, so maybe there's hope.

Keep up the Good Work!

Cheers,

Howard Winter

St.Albans, England

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Again, multiple replies in one response...

>If you want the windows 2000 logoff dialog, you should switch to the

>Windows Classic THEME. (Right click on your desktop, choose properties,

>change theme to Windows Classic).

Aha!  Most excellent.  I shall give that a try.

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 21:29:42 +0100 (BST), Howard Winter <obf> wrote:

> > Alternatives the same way there are alternatives to gasoline autos.

> 

> There are indeed!

After I wrote that, I realized that it may come across wrong, and I forgot

a smiley.  Although you seem to have sussed out my intent, let me state

clearly:  I mean that, there are viable alternatives, but not as yet anything

which is in all ways as personally convenient as a gasoline (or diesel)

automobile.  Most of the (pure) electric cars have some serious drawbacks,

as do bicycles and public transit.  With cars, as with Windows, I am not

yet tired enough of the negatives to make the pains of the alternatives

worthwhile.  On the whole, the little irksomes of Windows are much less

painful that the big irksomes of Linux (software availability in particular).

And yes, I know, most everything has a Linux "clone", but again, I'm just

not ready to make the leap.

> > I had a heck of a time convincing her of Firefox and

> > OpenOffice.  But we use them now, so maybe there's hope.

> 

> Keep up the Good Work!

I have almost become preachy in my presentation of Firefox to others.  It

is so huge an advance over IE I can't believe I suffered for so long with no

need to have.

As far as OO, I find that to be no better or worse than MSOffice, but the

price tag makes me feel better when I can't get it to behave.  I don't feel

like I wasted a huge chunk of change on something that I have to strong

arm into working.

> Cheers,

> Howard Winter

> St.Albans, England

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Mike Hord wrote:

> For example, does anyone know how to tell it not to ask me to run the

> desktop icon wizard thing?  My wife called me this morning

> complaining of that.

> I also have a wireless network.  How do I tell XP that I don't want

> it to display a message when that network connects on startup?

> Especially because that message doesn't auto-dismiss.  It just sits

> there until I click on it.

   IIRC, these are put up by the "Alerter" service.   You could disable

the service or probably fiddle in the registry somehow to turn it off,

but then you'd miss out on gems like this:

   http://showcase.netins.net/web/iabonsai/dumberror.jpg

   Yes, that's a real screen shot and no trickery was involved.

Tad Anhalt

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>>If you want the windows 2000 logoff dialog, you should switch to the

>>Windows Classic THEME. (Right click on your desktop, choose properties,

>>change theme to Windows Classic).

> 

> Aha!  Most excellent.  I shall give that a try.

IIRC, this is not a theme thing, this has to do with the multiple

concurrent user feature. You may have to disable the feature to switch

users without logging off the current user before you get back to the

"classic" logoff dialog.

There are many sites about these annoyances... I forgot where I got my info

from.

Gerhard

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