Questions tagged [windows-xp]

For questions specific to Windows XP. Use [windows] instead for questions involving Windows in general.

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75 votes
7 answers
73k views

How do I reset the Windows XP Administrator password?

I have forgotten the Administrator password of my Windows XP installation and locked out. Is there a way to reset it? I do have physical access to the PC.
Ashwin Nanjappa's user avatar
51 votes
15 answers
154k views

How can I monitor all and any Internet traffic from my home PC?

I would like to monitor all and any Internet traffic from my home PC to see what programs installed on my home machine are accessing the Internet. I thought I could use Fiddler for this, but I ...
Paul Rowland's user avatar
  • 1,237
64 votes
9 answers
54k views

How do I delete a 'locked' file?

On Windows XP, when I try and delete a specific file it says: Cannot delete blah.blah: Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use. How can I ...
Ron Tuffin's user avatar
  • 2,520
29 votes
5 answers
59k views

Installing Windows XP from USB pen drive

I want to install Windows XP on my desktop computer (only XP), but my CD drive is not working. I've only found installation tutorials on how to install it on the pen drive rather than from the pen ...
OrangeRind's user avatar
143 votes
9 answers
202k views

Is it safe to delete from C:\Windows\Installer?

I've been looking on an XP machine what is using all that diskspace, and it turns out C:\Windows\Installer is high up there on the list of directories that use the most diskspace. It seems to contain ...
Stijn Sanders's user avatar
40 votes
5 answers
51k views

USB sticks and multiple partitions

I've got a USB stick with multiple Partitions on it (FAT32 (active), FAT32, Ext2, but that's another story) and it seems like that my Windows XP can only mount the first partition of the stick. If I ...
Bobby's user avatar
  • 8,974
31 votes
6 answers
166k views

Change Windows sound volume via the command line

Is it possible to change the volume in Windows XP via the command line?
underskor's user avatar
  • 564
7 votes
4 answers
2k views

Recover hard disk data after deleting partitions

When I reinstall Windows XP by mistake I deleted all five partitions. I did not format them yet though. How can I recover the partitions? When I attach the hard disk to another PC it just says that ...
user avatar
29 votes
11 answers
174k views

How to delete files and folders that cannot be deleted?

I have a backup copy of a previous Windows' Documents and Settings folder which only contains my original user and within 2 more directories: Favorites and Local Settings. When I try to delete Local ...
13 votes
5 answers
8k views

PC Blue Screens and then instantly reboots. How do I stop this or find the error later?

I've started getting random blue screens from my (admittedly aged PC). Unfortunately it reboots straight away so I don't get chance to read the error. It's been happening when browsing Stack Overflow ...
ChrisF's user avatar
  • 41.3k
11 votes
6 answers
15k views

Clone a hard disk content to another hard disk

I subjected my hard disk (C drive) to a disk scan and found that there was 12 KB of bad sectors. I now consider that disk to be unreliable, and am looking forward to transferring all my data to ...
Graviton's user avatar
  • 5,680
4 votes
5 answers
1k views

WinXP dir command: 3 and 4 char extensions are the same?

I'm trying to recursively search a directory tree to find all of the .asp files using the following command: dir *.asp /s For some reason, this returns not only the asp files, but also the aspx ...
chris's user avatar
  • 9,365
181 votes
12 answers
362k views

Apostrophes and double quotes don't show up until I type the next letter

in Windows XP, when I type an apostrophe ', or dumb/typewriter quote ", no character is displayed. If I type another character, the apostrophe or dumb quote and the next character appear at the same ...
fastmultiplication's user avatar
108 votes
10 answers
442k views

How to make a shortcut from CMD?

How can I create a shortcut file (.lnk) to another file or executable, using command line utilities?
Shantanu's user avatar
  • 1,355
65 votes
6 answers
33k views

How do I remove a file named "NUL" on Windows?

I have a Windows XP box (NTFS filesystem) on which I found a file named NUL. I have not been able to remove this file in any usual way. The file appears to be owned by Administrator in the SYSTEM ...
Greg Mattes's user avatar
  • 3,372
9 votes
3 answers
14k views

Install Windows XP to USB Hard Drive and Run from It

I wanted to know if there was a way (that worked!) to both Install and Run Windows XP Pro from a USB 2.0 connected Hard Drive. My system does allow to boot from external usb hard drive, but when I ...
user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
3k views

Remote connection to a PC over internet [closed]

I have a PC running Windows Vista Home Premium with Norton Internet Security 2009. I like to help my father and sister by connecting their PCs over the internet and taking full control. My father has ...
Mehper C. Palavuzlar's user avatar
42 votes
5 answers
247k views

Force Windows XP to output only mono sound

So, the 'right' half of my pair of headphones broke (the transducer+wire are fine, but the earpiece broke on the headband and so the earpiece won't sit over my ear). So now the right channel is being ...
J. Polfer's user avatar
  • 2,342
17 votes
7 answers
20k views

How to delete (invalid) files with colon in their name under Windows?

I've got a rather large number of files on my Windows drive that have a colon in their name. (These came from unpacking some Unix archives.) When I try to delete them, Windows (XP) complains that ...
Dr. Hans-Peter Störr's user avatar
13 votes
4 answers
11k views

Windows XP SP3 (Legal) download?

I have my CD-key sticker with me but don't have the CD anymore. Is there anywhere I can download Windows XP SP3 installation disc from?
Nimbuz's user avatar
  • 655
7 votes
2 answers
7k views

Having trouble with Windows XP Read Only Settings on a folder

I am having trouble with a folder that needs to be read-write for iTunes to open. For a while it was read-write, but it seemingly inexplicably changed to read-only now. When I try to change it back ...
faceless1_14's user avatar
75 votes
17 answers
211k views

How do I find the largest files and folders on a drive? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: How can I visualize the file system usage on Windows? I am looking for a tool to tell me which files and folders are the largest as I need to do some cleanup.
59 votes
4 answers
104k views

Finding out which app is using the webcam

Yesterday I was working on my laptop. Suddenly I noticed that the indicator light of the webcam was on, despite the fact that I wasn't making a video call or using the webcam in any other way at the ...
Ram Rachum's user avatar
  • 5,210
27 votes
7 answers
64k views

Where in the registry does Windows store with which program to open certain file types?

After installing Adobe PDF reader, it opens files with the .PDF file extension. Ones' default web browser opens .html files and notepad opens .txt files, etc. Where exactly in the registry are these ...
claws's user avatar
  • 4,299
16 votes
8 answers
164k views

How to change keyboard layout via command line cmd.exe on Windows XP/7?

Is is possible to change the keyboard layout via command line on Windows XP/7?
JohnnyFromBF's user avatar
  • 4,938
2 votes
6 answers
9k views

Files with illegal filenames [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: How to force Windows XP to rename a file with a special character? I have a few files whose names have characters such as "?" and ":" that are forbidden by windows. I'm not ...
Josh's user avatar
  • 3,009
2 votes
2 answers
6k views

How to disable copy in shared folder

I am trying to make folder that everyone can view and can't copy,modify. For all answers.I thinking about specially ms office files. I tried following methods Software - copy protect - anti copy ...
Kani's user avatar
  • 29
28 votes
8 answers
191k views

What's the best way to completely remove everything from a computer, without re-installing?

I have a friend who wants to sell their computer, but obviously all personal information and software that it is on it needs to be removed before doing so. Usually I would format and reinstall it, ...
Connor W's user avatar
  • 3,933
12 votes
3 answers
20k views

Task Manager shows 100% CPU utilization, but nothing in process list does

I'm using WinXP, and I notice that in the Task Manager, on the Performance tab my CPU usage is 100%. But When I go to the Processes tab, and sort by CPU System Idle Process is taking up 90%. I've ...
nathan's user avatar
  • 410
9 votes
5 answers
39k views

Stop programs from starting up automatically on boot on Windows

Is there an easy way to prevent programs (Such as Logitech and Windows Live) from starting up automatically when I turn on my computer? I rarely use these, and each time I start my PC, I have to ...
JDelage's user avatar
  • 807
9 votes
5 answers
45k views

Bypassing "Found New Hardware Wizard" / Setting Windows to Install Drivers Automatically

My motherboard finally died after the better part of a decade, so I bought a used system. I put my old hard-drive and sound-card in the new system, and connected my old keyboard and mouse (the rest of ...
Synetech's user avatar
  • 68.8k
5 votes
8 answers
171k views

How to fix UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME (0x000000ED) on my Windows XP Dell laptop?

I have a Dell Latitude D410. Running Windows XP. I am receiving the STOP: 0x000000ED (0X899CF030,0XC0000185,0X00000000,0X00000000) blue screen. Initially, I tried everything specified with the ...
Neil's user avatar
  • 185
55 votes
7 answers
57k views

Create an alias in Windows XP

Back in school, I used to have a .login file along the lines of alias ll = ls -l alias dir = ls -Fhl alias web = cd ~/public/public_www/development I'd like to do that sort of thing with my XP ...
Pops's user avatar
  • 8,473
22 votes
4 answers
64k views

Is there a way to get file metadata from the command line?

Is there a way to get a file's metadata from the command line in Windows XP and above? Particularly, I'm interested in getting the information one might normally see on the "Details" tab of a file's "...
Iszi's user avatar
  • 13.8k
18 votes
4 answers
33k views

How can I add a program to the context menu of all files?

Similar to the way Notepad++ adds "Edit with Notepad++" to the context menu of all files, or how most Antivirus products will add a global "Scan this file" option, I would like to add a particular ...
Iszi's user avatar
  • 13.8k
11 votes
1 answer
5k views

How can I force certain applications to use specific network connections?

Let's say I have two active network connections that let me out to the internet. I want certain applications to only use Network Connection 1, while some others should use Network Connection 2. Is ...
snicker's user avatar
  • 706
10 votes
5 answers
15k views

How can I determine the installed edition of Windows XP if the OS does not boot up?

I have a drive that I cannot boot, but it has an installation of Windows XP on it. I need to know what type of XP it has, and MS's solution (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310104) presupposes I can ...
user avatar
6 votes
6 answers
42k views

How to dual boot when Windows XP was installed after Windows 7?

It seems pretty straightforward to dual boot those versions of Windows when the newest is installed after Windows XP. But the inverse isn't happening on my machine. I tried even editing the BOOT.INI ...
Jader Dias's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
13k views

Change to default start folder for Windows command prompt

My new Windows XP work computer's command prompt automatically brings up "H:\>" when I open it. Is there a way for me to change that safely? Specifically, to "C:\foo\bar\Something Else"? I found ...
Pops's user avatar
  • 8,473
119 votes
11 answers
392k views

Does an equivalent of Time Machine exist for Windows? [closed]

A simple Google search for "Time Machine for Windows" results in a flurry of different little apps. But instead of relying on forum anecdotes and advertisements, I call on the much wiser Super User ...
26 votes
4 answers
19k views

How to change the Windows XP console font?

I have been using Cleartype and Vista fonts on Windows XP for quite a while now. I love the Consolas font for working with source code. I would love to have it as the font of my Windows console (...
Ashwin Nanjappa's user avatar
23 votes
9 answers
143k views

How to get the date in a batch file in a predictable format?

In a batch file I need to extract a month, day, year from the date command. So I used the following, which essentially parses the Date command to extract its sub strings into a variable: set Day=%...
AngryHacker's user avatar
  • 18.6k
13 votes
3 answers
13k views

Is there any way to ensure that a specific USB key always gets the same drive letter?

Depending on what's currently connected to a PC, a USB key does not always get the same drive letter. This is an issue for me because I want to use this key as a backup destination, and I thus have ...
Xavier Nodet's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
66k views

Disable internet access but leave LAN working

I'm looking for a command (or command line program) to toggle (disable/enable) internet access to the outside world in Windows XP machines. It should temporarily block internet access but leave the ...
user219175's user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
2k views

How to make a multiboot USB key?

I want to cut my 8 GB USB key into several partitions to use WinToFlash for a Windows XP (maybe nLited before). I also want to put the Framakey ubuntu-fr remix pack into it such that it has the ...
zillion's user avatar
  • 468
6 votes
3 answers
14k views

Mouse button and keypress counter for Windows

I am trying to kick the habit of using a mouse where I could use keyboard shortcuts, for ergonomic reasons. I believe that if I see some statistics of my use of both input devices, I could reduce my ...
Yuval F's user avatar
  • 213
5 votes
3 answers
11k views

Random directories in c:\ that I cannot delete

I just noticed a few directories in C:\ with long, random hex values. Each of these contains an update directory. When I click on the update directory, I get an access denied message, even though my ...
chris's user avatar
  • 9,365
5 votes
4 answers
19k views

How to clone a Hard Drive to a slightly smaller Hard Drive?

I have a hard drive which is 153 GB with 116 GB free space. I would like to clone this drive to a hard drive which is a 149 GB big (this is the largest hard drive I have... It would be typical that my ...
Kryten's user avatar
  • 2,055
2 votes
2 answers
5k views

Can I run Windows XP from a USB flash drive? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Install Windows XP to USB Hard Drive and Run from It Like Linux, can I run a Windows XP live version from my USB flash Drive?
user avatar
125 votes
4 answers
431k views

How to add command line options to shortcut?

How can I add command line options to an executable in a shortcut in Windows XP? For example in the shortcut properties in target I have: "c:\path\to\exe\pogram.exe" I want to add some options: "c:...
Karl Voigtland's user avatar

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