Datasheet

CHAPTER 3

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MANAGING THE WINDOWS DESKTOP

Two other ways of reducing the number of icons are to tell applications

not to use the notification area (either when minimizing or when just plain

running), and to reduce the number of applets that load at startup. Some

programs like media players let you choose whether to minimize to the noti-

fication area or to minimize to the taskbar; others, like MSN Messenger,

don’t give you an option. For the latter applications you can change the visi-

bility status as recommended above.

For dealing with applets that load at startup, see the section “Improve

startup with MSCONFIG,” later in this chapter.

Edit desktop settings with Tweak UI

Despite all the improvements in the Windows interface, and new usability

enhancements, there are many aspects of Windows that are odd, get in the

way, or just plain don’t work the way you expect them to. Microsoft develop-

ers found this was true for them as well, so some unsung geniuses developed

the PowerToys.

The PowerToys collection started out as only an interface configuration

application, using checkboxes and tabbed dialog boxes to make changes to

obscure Registry settings. The changes would turn off animated menus, for

example, or clear all search dialog boxes at logoff. The recent batch of

PowerToys has been expanded to include useful utilities, not just for the user

interface, but for other Windows applications including the command line.

Not everyone will need all of them, but if you find that Windows out of the

box is a little too inflexible, the PowerToys are a good first place to look for

opening up Windows.

Tweak UI configures many of the Windows behaviors that are otherwise

difficult to control. If you are acting as the system administrator and you

want the changes to be global, use the Group Policy Editor to make the nec-

essary edits. Otherwise, if you are changing things on a per-user basis only,

Tweak UI is the PowerToy of choice.

Once you have installed Tweak UI, click Start, click All Programs, click

PowerToys for Windows XP, and then click Tweak UI. The window (see

Hack

Want to get rid of the notification area completely? Open gpedit.msc and browse to

User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar. Change the

policy in the Hide the notification area to Enabled and reboot.

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