Registry Edits

Launch the Task Manager Quickly (Windows NT/2000/XP) Popular
Launching the Task Manager can sometimes be difficult depending on the situation. Some people didn't know that the Task Manager can actually be launched in at least three different ways to make it easier to use when you need it the most.
First Method:
Press CTRL + ALT + DELETE and click on the 'Task Manager...' button on the Windows NT Security dialog.
Second Method:
Right click on the Windows NT taskbar and chose 'Task Manager...'
Third Method:
Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC and the Task Manager will be launched instantly.
______________________________________

Expand and Contract Folders With Ease (All Windows) Popular
It can be a time-consuming process to expand a folder by clicking on the (+) for each and every sub-directory. This tip lets you expand and contract them all at once, with one keystroke.
While in any application that is based on the explorer interface (e.g. Windows Explorer) simple highlight the parent folder you wish to expand and press '*' (asterix on the keypad) and all the sub folders will expand out, press '-' (minus on the keypad) and they'll all contract back again.
Hint: This works in regedit.exe as well!
______________________________________

Close Parent Windows Automatically (All Windows) Popular
Have you ever had a screen full of explorer windows on your desktop after digging through heaps of directories? This tip lets you close the current window and all it's parent windows in one easy step.
To close a folder and all its open parent folders, simply press the SHIFT key while clicking on its Close box or alternatively press ALT + SHIFT + F4.
______________________________________

Make the Columns Fit (All Windows) Popular
Want to quickly see all the column in explorer without having to resize them individually? This tip does it for you.
Simple press CTRL + + (press the plus button twice on the numeric keypad), this will adjust the column width so you can view the info in each column.
This tip may also work with programs based on the Windows explorer interface. Try it out!
Note: You may have to expand the window borders to see all the columns.

______________________________________

Re-Initialize Your Registry Without Rebooting (All Windows) Popular
Some registry changes require you to restart Windows before they are enabled. This tip lets you re-initialize your registry and refresh your desktop without having to leave Windows.
Save your work before attempting this tip!
Press CTRL + ALT + DELETE, to bring up the Windows task list. Highlight 'Explorer' and click on 'End Task', if the Shutdown screen is shown, click 'Cancel'. After a few seconds an error message will popup, click on 'End Task' and the Windows explorer will be reloaded along with any new registry settings.
For Windows NT or 2000, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select "Task Manager". Choose the "Processes" tab and locate the "explorer.exe" process, highlight it and click "End Process". Select 'File -> New Task', then enter 'explorer' and click OK.


>> Recommended Download - check, repair and optimize your registry now with Registry Mechanic <<
 ______________________________________

Disabling My Computer 

In areas where you are trying to restrict what users can do on the computer, it might be beneficial to disable the ability to click on My Computer and have access to the drives, control panel etc.
To disable this:
1.Open RegEdit
2.Search for 20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D
3.This should bring you to the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID section
4.Delete the entire section.
Now when you click on My Computer, nothing will happen.
You might want to export this section to a Registry file before deleting it just in case you want to enable it again. Or you can rename it to 20D0HideMyComputer4FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D. You can also hide all the Desktop Icons, see Change/Add restrictio

______________________________________

Recycle Bin Edit

Fooling with the recycle bin. Why not make the icon context menu act like other icon context menus.
Add rename to the menu:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:50,01,00,20
Add delete to the menu:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:60,01,00,20
Add rename and delete to the menu:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} \ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:70,01,00,20
Restore the recycle bin to Windows defaults including un-deleting the icon after deletion:
Restore the icon.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows \CurrentVersion\ explorer\
Desktop\NameSpace\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
@="Recycle Bin"
Reset Windows defaults.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} \ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,00,20
Other edits to the recycle bin icon:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ ShellFolder
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,01,20 ... standard shortcut arrow
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,02,20 ... a different shortcut arrow
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,04,20 ... and still another shortcut arrow
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,08,20 ... make it look disabled (like it's been cut)
For Windows XP and 2000 also edit HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
For Windows ME also edit HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software\ Classes\ CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
______________________________________