If you have more than 256KB of L2 cache, Windows NT might not be using all of it. To correct this, make an emergency repair disk (rdisk /s). Run Regedt32.exe.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, select System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\MemoryManagement.
On the right side of the window you will find SecondLevelDataCache. This defaults to 0, which is the correct value for 256KB of L2 cache. Double-click SecondLevelDataCache to bring up the D_WORD Editor. Click the Decimal radio button, enter the amount of L2 cache you have, and click OK. Exit RegEdt32.
When you tell Windows NT to shut down, it first sends shutdown requests to any running processes. Most 32-bit applications honor these requests and shut down, but older 16-bit apps running in the Virtual DOS Machine often won't. When this occurs, the operating system prompts you with a dialog box asking if you want to kill the task, wait for the task to die on its own, or cancel the shutdown. By modifying the Registry, you can automate this process.
You can force NT to kill all running processes on shutdown by adding a REG_SZ value named
HKEY_USER\<SID>\ControlPanel\Desktop\AutoEndTasks and set the value to 1.
You can also add this value to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT so that all new accounts will shut down the same way.
In Control Panel/Add Remove Programs, titles won’t disappear after you have deleted or uninstalled them:
Start/Run and type REGEDT32.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/MICROSOFT/WINDOWS/CURRENTVERSION/UNINSTALL.
Select the title that you want to vanish and hit your DELETE key. Say ‘bye-bye’ to that annoying entry. This is also to the advantage of those who do not want titles visible for whatever reason in Add Remove Programs. The disadvantage is that you won’t be able to uninstall the product without recreating the entry so a cut and paste to save it to a file would be prudent.
FINDING THE ETHERNET HARDWARE ADDRESS
If TCP/IP is installed, typing ipconfig /all at the command prompt will show all the parameters. If only IPX is installed, type ipxroute config to get the network address and the Ethernet card address. This tip can come in handy when connecting a SQL client over a WAN link to a SQL server running only IPX.
Do you support users where the hardest part is trying to determine their computer name or the logged-on username? Wouldn't it be great if this information were always on the desktop? Here's how:
1. Start the Registry editor (regedt32.exe)
2. Move to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}.
3. Select the <No Name> value and Delete.
4. From the Edit menu select Add Value.
5. Leave the value name blank and set the type to REG_EXPAND_SZ.
6. Click OK and enter the text "User: %USERNAME% on: %COMPUTERNAME%".
7. Click OK.
Click the desktop and press F5 (for refresh) and the change takes effect. Now, when each user logs on to the workstation, the My Computer icon on the desktop will have the text "User: xxxxxx on: wwwwww" in place of the text "My Computer." The usual warnings and disclaimers about editing the Registry apply.