Windows Tips

Setting Up A New Machine

Software

Notepad++
- Edit shortcuts.zml (%APPDATA%\Notepad++\shortcuts.xml): add user defined command for firefox (and/or chrome)
  <UserDefinedCommands>
  <Command name="Launch in Firefox" Ctrl="no" Alt="no" Shift="no" Key="0">firefox "$(FULL_CURRENT_PATH)"</Command>
- Plugins- Plugins Admin - add JsTool, XmlTools, DSpellCheck (then add dictionary)
- For .config syntax highlighting: Settings - Styler Configurator - pick xml - add "User ext" for .config
- Settings - Preferences - Backup - disable Remember Current Session for next launch
Microsoft's Windows PowerToys
WinMerge
IrfanView
Github desktop as a git UI
Firefox extensions:
- Adblock Plus or uBlock Origin
- To viewsource with notepad++:
  - about:config
  - search for view_source
  - change view_source.editor.external to true (just double click)
  - change view_source.editor.path to C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe (no quotes)
Filezilla. To sync, Site Manager/File has import/export.
SysInternals tools (esp Prcoess Explorer)
7zip
Google Drive doesn't like signing on with Firefox, so copy the url into Edge or Chrome.

Windows 11

Set up without internet/local account: on "Let's connect you to a network" shift/F10 opens command window, type oobe\bypassnro
- After restart- do not connect to internet. "I don't have internet" "Continue with limited setup"
Remove ads :(
- Settings - Privacy & Security - Search permissions - More settings / search highlights to OFF
- Settings - Privacy & Security - General - Show me suggested content OFF, and Lets apps show me personalized ads OFF
- Settings - Privacy & Security - Diagnostics & Feedback - Tailored experiences - Let MS ... enhance your product experiences OFF
- Settings - Personalization - Taskbar - Widgets off
- Settings - Personalization - Lock Screen - Personalize - Get fun facts, tricks... OFF
- Settings - Personalization - Device Usage - turn off all (gaming/ entertainment ...)
- Settings - System - Notifications - Additional Settings - clear the "windows welcome" etc
- File explorer - ... menu - Options - View - Show sync provider notifications unticked

Turn off CAPSLOCK

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,2a,00,3a,00,00,00,00,00

For desktops- Shutdown icon: Create a shortcut to Shutdown.exe -s -t 00 (shutdown in 0 seconds) on desktop, customize the icon, then right-click-Pin To Start.

Settings

Development machine- Visual Studio

General options

Tools/Options/ TextEditor/ All Languages - Wordwrap and line numbers.
In a web project File/Browse With - Add Firefox and make default.
Add Resharper
SQL Server (Express) latest + SPs. In Management Studio, server node rightclick/ Properties/ Security/ SQL Server and Windows Authentication (i.e. mixed mode)
SSMS can be slow so uncheck IE Options/Advanced tab/Security-Check publisher's certificate revocation (or put this entry in C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts: 127.0.0.1 crl.microsoft.com)

Obsolete Visual Studio stuff

Visual Studio latest + SPs + extensions/addins.
- Vista/7/8: go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\IDE and right-click devenv.exe. In compatibility tab, set to run as administrator
- Vista/7/8: install IIS7 + IIS - Web Management - IIS6 Compatibility- IIS Metabase and IIS 6 configuration + IIS - WWW Services - ASP.Net + IIS - Security - Windows Authentication. See KB for SQL Server
For SSL:
- PreVista: download/install IIS 6 resource kit and run SelfSSL (selfssl /T for default localhost website)
- Vista/IIS7: all in IIS manager - Scottgu

PATH Environment Variable: required for .net csc.

1.1	;%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322;C:\Program Files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\v1.1\Bin;
2.0	;%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0\Bin;
3.5	%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5
4.0	%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319

Gacutil and the .Net Framework SDK tools are in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\Bin

WindowsXP properties/security tab isn't there by default-
Tools/Folder Options/View tab; deselect "Use simple file sharing"

XP search doesn't search .cs/ .js etc- registry hack

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ContentIndex]
"FilterFilesWithUnknownExtensions"=dword:00000001

Vista/7:

Vista run msi as administrator context menu (third setting stops Vista changing folder templates):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Msi.Package\shell\RunAs]
@="Install As Admin"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Msi.Package\shell\RunAs\command]
@="msiexec /i \"%1\""

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell]
"FolderType"="NotSpecified"

If installed SP1, C:\WINDOWS\system32\VSP1CLN.exe to recover disc space. For sp2, run Compcln.exe

Development machine- Node + Grunt

Install Node.js either with installer or via chocolately cinst nodejs.install
Corporate Proxy
- In project root (project-based) or user root %USERPROFILE% (user-based), create a file ".npmrc" (in Windows explorer, name it ".npmrc." and the last dot will disappear)
- In .npmrc add the lines
  proxy = http://domain\username:[email protected]:8080
  https-proxy = http://domain\username:[email protected]:8080
- The command line version is npm config set proxy http://domain\username:[email protected]:8080
Node includes an older version of npm. Update (as Administrator) npm install npm@latest -g
Install grunt: npm install -g grunt-cli
- To set up a project, create package.json then run npm install
- To run grunt, grunt

Git and Proxies

git.config for external (eg github) and internal. Set the proxy to empty.

[http]
	proxy = http://proxy.corporate:80
[http "https://internal-git"]
	proxy =
	sslVerify = false

Show what's set: git config --get-urlmatch http https://internal-git

Environmental variables always override the git.config. NB: https_proxy must have http url (not https).

http_proxy=http://username:[email protected]:port
https_proxy=http://username:[email protected]:port
no_proxy=https://internal-git

Misc.

Old stuff

VB6

Unfortunately still around :(

Visual Studio add-ins: MZTools.
Also TurboVBLite add in (official) older version (incl more code maintenance, a little buggy with ' but nice)
Mousewheel doesn't work fix (KB with download)
Project Analyzer - fxcop for vb6. Not free.
VB6/ASP3 debugging problems (ms kb)

_Register.bat: For %%f in (*.dll) do regsvr32 /s %%f.
For context-menu Register item, save and merge this reg file (use HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT for whole machine):

REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\dllfile\shell\Register\command]
@="regsvr32.exe %1"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\dllfile\Shell\Unregister\command]
@="regsvr32.exe /u %1"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\Cmd Here\command]
@="cmd.exe /k pushd %L "

Assign a virtual drive letter to a folder

Use DOS subst: subst x: c:\directory

To persist it in w98, put it in autoexec.bat. Cannot be used for network drives (which you can map anyway).

LUA

MS guide and see DropMyRights

DOS

Get a file list: dir *.gif /B > list.txt
Append a number of files together: copy *.txt output.txt

static void