X 410 / 1 XP: Customise Windows with Tweak UIWindows XP doesn’t have any Service Packs installed. Version 2.10:you probably do have either Service Pack 1 or (more likely) Service

PC Knowledge for Seniors Update 1 January / February 08

X 410 / 1

65

XP: Customise Windows withTweak UIMake Windows Work Your Waywith This Handy Free XP Tweaker!There’s a lot you can change about the wayWindows XP works. A quick glance at the ControlPanel, where most of these options live, hints atthe number of settings available, but these are justthe tip of the iceberg. There are many other secretsettings that can’t be changed – unless you use aspecial ‘tweaking’ program .In this article, I’ll introduce you to the original andbest of the tweakers, Tweak UI. If there are thingsthat bother you about XP, or things you’d like tochange, read on. You may find that Tweak UI cando exactly what you’ve always wanted!

By Don Levison

X 410 / 6

X 410 / 9

X 410 / 10

... Download and install the free Tweak UIsoftware

... Find your way around the program

... Tweak settings to make Windows the wayyou want it

■ Make Menus Open Faster When You Movethe Mouse to Them..........................................

■ Make Picture Thumbnails Larger With aCouple of Clicks...............................................

■ Log on to Windows without Typing YourPassword.........................................................

This article shows you how to:

Windows XP

You can install TweakUI from the Update1/08 CD-ROM in theUpdate Softwaresection

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 65


A Brief History of TweakingOn your travels through the world of computing,you may have heard of something called theregistry. This is a hidden area of Windows whichcontains all your computer’s settings, from the fairlymundane things like which picture you like as yourdesktop wallpaper to the crucial things that keepWindows and your programs working properly.When you change almost any option or setting inWindows, it’s stored in the registry. Windows canthen look it up whenever it’s about to do somethingthat uses that setting.As you know, you choose most settings by tickingcheckboxes, or picking options from lists, orclicking buttons. However, there are lots of optionsthat Windows doesn’t give you any choice about:there are no checkboxes or lists anywhere forthem! Nevertheless, in what may seem like strangebehaviour, Windows still looks them up in theregistry to see what you chose for them.These are ‘secret’ options that Microsoft didn’tofficially tell us about or allow us to change. Theonly way to discover their existence was to digaround in the registry itself and see what waslurking there (which is a job for experts). Onceyou’ve discovered one of these secret settings, youcan change it as you like, and Windows will takenotice of the change.For ordinary users like you and I, delving into theregistry is fraught with danger, so companiesprovided special programs which presented thesesecret settings in a way we’re comfortable with: theusual checkboxes, buttons and lists. Theseprograms came to be known as ‘tweaking’programs. In Windows circles, a ‘tweak’ is usually a

X 410 / 2 XP: Customise Windows with Tweak UI

All Windows settings are stored

in the registry

There are extrasettings you can’t

change inWindows

Tweaking programs give you

access to theseextra options

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 66

PC Knowledge for Seniors Update 1 January / February 08 67

setting you can change which Microsoft neverofficially told us about.The grandfather of the tweaking programs isTweak UI: it was the first of its kind and became aninstant hit, spawning many copycat programs.What’s more, Tweak UI is a Microsoft program.Microsoft’s programmers knew there were theseextra, hidden options in Windows and created thisprogram to let us change them if we wanted to.The word ‘Tweak’ in the name is quitestraightforward, but what about the ‘UI’? Thatstands for ‘user interface’, a rather grand term foreverything you see and work with on your screen.Over the following pages, I’ll explain how todownload and install the free Tweak UI, andthen run through the options I think you’ll find themost useful.

How To Download and Install Tweak UITweak UI is a tiny program that takes almost nospace on your hard disk and doesn’t clutter upyour computer in any way, so (unlike mostprograms) it doesn’t hurt to install it even if you’renot sure whether you’ll find it useful. However, ifyou like to take the sensible approach of finding outmore about any program before installing it on yourPC, feel free to skip ahead and learn some of thethings Tweak UI can do.If you’re ready to install Tweak UI, it’s quick andstraightforward. Just follow these steps:1. Insert your Update 1/08 CD into your CD-

ROM drive , choose Update Softwarefollowed by Tweak UI, and click the blue Clickhere to download Tweak UI link. (If you have

X 410 / 3XP: Customise Windows with Tweak UI

The most famousis Tweak UI

Tweak UI is a tinyprogram

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 67


problems with the link mentioned above, visithttp://windowsxp.mvps.org/tweakui.htm)

2. You’ll arrive at the web page pictured belowwhich gives a choice of two files you candownload:

■ Version 2.00: only use this link if your copy ofWindows XP doesn’t have any Service Packsinstalled.

■ Version 2.10: you probably do have eitherService Pack 1 or (more likely) Service Pack 2installed. If so, click this Version 2.10 link.

If you’re not sure whether or not you’ve installedany Service Packs for Windows XP, right-click theMy Computer icon on your Start menu or desktopand choose Properties, then look at the first fewlines of text in the System Properties dialog thatappears. If you do have a Service Pack installed,you’ll see the words ‘Service Pack 1’ or ‘ServicePack 2’ just below the words ‘Version 2002’. If youdo see this reference to a Service Pack, click theVersion 2.10 link; if not, click the Version 2.00 link.

3. The file will now start to download and a dialogwill appear asking whether you want to ‘Run’ or‘Save’ the file. Choose Run.


Pick the correct version of

Tweak UI

Click this link ifyou have no

Service Packs ...

... or this link ifyou have Service

Pack 1 or 2

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 68


4. The file will now download to your PC. As it’s asmall file, it should take less than a minute (andjust a few seconds if you have broadband).

5. As soon as the file has downloaded, it will startto install Tweak UI automatically (because youchose ‘Run’ in step 3) and you’ll see the set upprogram appear.

6. The set up is very straightforward: just clickNext to move from step to step. Along the wayyou’ll have to click an option that indicatesyou agree to the license terms, and the rest isautomatic. In the final step, click the Finishbutton and you’re done.

Finding Your Way Around the Tweak UIWindowWhenever you want to use Tweak UI, open theStart menu, go to All Programs > Powertoys forWindows XP and click on Tweak UI. You’ll see theTweak UI window, pictured in the next screenshot.

The program looks rather uninspiring, but it’s veryeasy to use. There’s a list of 15 items at the left, andyou can click one of those to see the settingsavailable for it. (For example, click the Mouse item


Setup starts automatically

Click an item tosee the availablesettings for it

Click a + sign tosee other relatedsettings

Choose from different categories on the left

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 69


to see options relating to your mouse.) Many of theitems have a + sign beside them: clicking thisreveals a few more items and you can click thosein the same way.When you click an item, the settings appear in thelarger section on the right. There you can read briefdescriptions of the settings and change them asneeded. When you’ve changed a setting, click theApply button to store it and make Windows use itfrom now onwards.Before changing something, it’s a good idea tomake a mental note of what its current setting is.That way, if you don’t like the result, you’ll knowhow to change it back again. For all the options Iexplain on the following pages, though, I’ll tell youwhat the ‘normal’ settings are.Right then, let’s dive in and investigate some of themost useful changes you can make using Tweak UI!

Make Menus Open Faster When You Movethe Mouse to ThemWe’ll begin with one of my favourites. If you openthe Start menu, then All Programs, and moveyour mouse up and down the different items,you’ll notice that there’s a pause before eachmenu opens. Using Tweak UI, you can adjust thelength of this pause – usually making it shorterso that you don’t have to wait for each menu toappear. Here’s how:1. Click the Mouse item at the left of the window.2. In the Menu speed section on the right, drag the

slider a little way to the left, as shown in the nextscreenshot.

3. Click the Apply button.


There’s apause before the

menus open

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 70


4. Now open your Start menu, go to AllPrograms, and try moving your mouse todifferent items to see how much faster themenus appear now. If you’d like them evenfaster, drag the slider further to the left and clickApply again. If you think they’re now too fast,drag the slider to the right and click Apply. Thenormal position is on the fourth little tick-markfrom the left, in case you want to return to it.

Incidentally, if you drag the slider all the way to theright (the slowest setting), you’ll have to wait morethan a minute for menus to open – a ludicrouslylong time!

Remove the Little Arrow from Shortcutson Your DesktopYour desktop probably contains a few shortcutsto programs – icons you can double-click to startthe program quickly instead of finding it on the Startmenu. At the bottom left corner of these shortcuts,you’ll see a small black-and-white arrow. The arrowis put there to tell you at a glance that this is just ashortcut, not the program itself, and that you candelete or rename it without removing the programor causing it to stop working.


Click Mouse

Drag this slider tothe left

Click Apply

The arrow indicates that thefile is a shortcut

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 71


One of the most popular Windows tweaks is toremove these little arrows. If they offend you asmuch as they seem to offend many users, followthe steps below to get rid of them.If you’ve carefully arranged the icons on yourdesktop into a particular layout, applying thischange will cause them all to move into a bunch atthe left of the screen. You can drag them back intotheir original positions again afterwards, but if youcan’t face doing that, it’s best not to follow thesesteps! Also, before you start dragging them back,be sure you’re happy with the change to thearrows. If you were to drag them all back where youwant them, and then decide to adjust the arrowssetting again, they’ll all jump back to the left asecond time!1. Click the + sign beside Explorer and then click

on Shortcut.2. Currently, you’ll see that the Arrow option is

selected. You can choose either Light arrow(which keeps an arrow on your shortcuts, but amuch fainter one) or None (which removes thearrow). Choose whichever of these you preferand click Apply.

3. If you want to put the arrows back again, clickArrow followed by Apply.


A popular tweak is to remove these arrows

Click Shortcut

Choose Lightarrow or None

Click Apply

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 72


If you choose None to remove the little arrows fromshortcuts, how will you know what’s a shortcut andwhat isn’t? The quick way to find out is to right-clickan icon and choose Properties. In the dialog thatappears, see if there’s a ‘Shortcut’ tab at the top. Ifthere is, you can be certain it’s a shortcut; if thereisn’t, it’s not a shortcut. Click Cancel to close thedialog again after checking.

Make Picture Thumbnails Larger with aCouple of ClicksIn Windows XP, there’s a useful option that lets yousee all your pictures without having to start aprogram and open them. If you open your MyPictures folder (or any folder you keep picturesin) and then choose View > Thumbnails, you’llsee small versions of each picture.They are rather small though! At this size, youcan’t see much detail in each picture. Perhapsyou’d like them to be shown at a larger size? Ifso, Tweak UI can help:1. If you’ve just been looking at pictures in a

folder and the folder is still open, close thatfolder’s window.

2. Click the + sign beside Explorer and then clickthe Thumbnails item.

3. In the ‘Thumbnail’ section on the right, you’llsee a small box containing a number (shownin the next screenshot), and this numberspecifies the current size of the pictures. Toincrease it, use the tiny up-arrow button at theright of the box, or more simply, double-clickin the box to highlight the number shownthere and then type in a new number toreplace it. I recommend using 128 to start


Picture thumbnailsare rather small

Choose a size ofup to 256

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 73


with, which makes the pictures about one-third larger than they currently are, but youcan use any size up to 256.

4. After changing the number, click Apply.5. Now open your My Pictures folder (or another

folder containing pictures), choose View >Thumbnails if necessary, and you’ll see largerversions of your pictures.

Of course, you can tweak the size again if you’dlike the pictures larger or smaller, clicking Applyagain after each change. However, you won’tsee the difference straight away, so be sure toclose your pictures folder before making thechange, and then open it again afterwards. If youwant to make the pictures the size they wereoriginally, set their size to 96.

Log on to Windows without Typing YourPasswordWhen you switch on your computer and Windowsstarts, the first thing you arrive at is the ‘logonscreen’. This displays a small picture and your username: to get into Windows, you have to click yourname or picture and then type your password.If you’re the only person who uses your computer(i.e. yours is the only name that appears on thisscreen), you can tweak Windows to take youstraight past this screen automatically, saving youthe need to click your name or type your password:1. Click the + sign beside the Logon item at the left

of the Tweak UI window, then click Autologonbelow it.


Enter a new sizein this box

You have to click your name

and/or type yourpassword

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 74


2. Tick the box beside Log on automatically atsystem startup.

3. Make sure the text box below shows yourWindows username (the name you see andclick when you log on). If it contains a differentname, delete that and type the correct name.

4. Click the Set Password button. A tiny dialog willappear titled ‘Set Autologon Password’. Typeyour Windows password into the two text boxesin this dialog and click OK. (If you use a blankpassword for Windows, meaning that you onlyhave to click your name to log on and not type apassword, leave the two text boxes empty in thislittle dialog and just click OK.)

5. Finally, click Apply. From now on, each timeyou start your computer, Windows will skipstraight past that logon screen as if you’dalready clicked your user name and typed yourpassword.

If you change your mind about this option, go backto the Autologon item on the left, remove the tickbeside Log on automatically at system startupand click Apply.


Tick this boxMake sure yourusernameappears here

Click this button

Type your password twice

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 75


Keep in mind that anyone who switches on yourcomputer will be logged on to Windowsautomatically if you use this tweak. This means thatyour password is no longer providing anyprotection at all.

Choose Which Special Icons Appear onYour DesktopYour desktop may contain all sorts of icons –shortcuts to programs you use regularly, shortcutsto documents you frequently edit or refer to, and soon. Along with these, there may be several iconsput there by Windows itself, a prime example beingthe Recycle Bin icon.You can delete most of the icons on yourdesktop very easily, just by clicking them onceand pressing the Delete key on your keyboard,but Windows guards its own icons jealously. Forexample, you won’t delete the Recycle Bin iconhowever hard you try!Another feature of Tweak UI lets you choosewhich of these ‘special’ Windows icons appearon your desktop and which don’t. If you’ve takena particular dislike to the Recycle Bin, you canforce it to be removed; if Windows has put a ‘MyNetwork Places’ icon on your desktop which younever use, you can hide it. Or perhaps you’d like‘My Computer’, ‘My Documents’ and ‘InternetExplorer’ icons on your desktop for quickaccess? If so, it’s a quick and easy job:1. Click the Desktop item at the left of the

Tweak UI window.2. On the right you’ll see a list of the special

Windows icons that can appear on yourdesktop, each with a small checkbox beside it.


You can hide or display

particular icons

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 76

3. Tick the box beside any icon you’d like on yourdesktop, and remove the ticks beside any youwant to remove, and then click Apply.

If you remove any icons from your desktop usingthese steps and later want them put back, simplyfollow the same steps again to place ticks besidethem. The icons were only hidden, not deleted.

Make Sure CDs and DVDs PlayAutomatically when InsertedWhen you insert a CD or DVD into yourcomputer’s CD/DVD drive, it should usually startto play automatically. This is true of audio CDs,DVD movies, and most CD-ROM diskscontaining software (such as your PCKnowledge for Seniors CDs).If this doesn’t happen on your system, Tweak UIcomes to the rescue. Just follow these steps:1. Click the + sign beside My Computer at the left

of the Tweak UI window.2. A little lower down, click the + sign beside

AutoPlay.



Click the boxes toplace ticks besideicons you’d likeon your desktop

Click Apply

Most CDs shouldstart automatically

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 77


3. Click on Types.4. Tick the box beside Enable AutoPlay for CD

and DVD drives.

5. Next, click Drives on the left (just above theTypes item you clicked in step 3).

6. In the box on the right you’ll see a long list ofdrives from A to Z. Most will have little red-and-white question marks over them, indicating thatyour computer doesn’t have drives with thesenames, and you can ignore those. For any thatdon’t have the red-and-white question mark,make sure there’s a tick in the box beside them.

7. Finally, click Apply.


Tick this option

Make sure eachdrive has a tick

beside it

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 78

PC Knowledge for Seniors Update 7 November / December 07 79

Change Internet Explorer’s AnimatedPictureThis is a tiny tweak, and a somewhat strange one,but you may like it. When you use Internet Explorer,you may have noticed a picture of a flag in the topright corner of the window. This flag waves whileInternet Explorer is busy loading a web page, andstops moving when the page has finished loading.This tweak lets you change that waving flag to adifferent animation: a different-coloured flag with aglobe circling it. To try it out, follow these steps:1. Click the + sign beside Internet Explorer at the

left of the Tweak UI window.2. A little lower down, click Small Animation.3. In the ‘Small Animation’ section on the right,

click Internet Explorer, and the ‘Preview’section will show how this new animation looks.If you like it, click the Apply button to use it. Ifyou’d prefer to stick with the normal waving flaganimation, click Windows and then click Apply.


Swap the wavyflag at the top ofInternet Explorer

Click Windowsfor the normalwaving flag ...

... or InternetExplorer for thenew animation

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 79

PC Knowledge for Seniors Update 7 November / December 0780

Which animation you prefer to use makes nodifference to the way Internet Explorer works: it’sjust a tiny visual change to that animation in itstop corner.

Exploring Other Tweak UI OptionsWe’ve covered some of the most useful TweakUI features over the preceding pages, but thereare many others I haven’t mentioned. Some ofthese, such as the Command Prompt andAccess Control items, apply to features ofWindows that I’m sure you never use, but othersare more relevant, so feel free to explore. Justremember, as I mentioned earlier, to take note ofwhat you change, and what its original settingwas, in case you need to change it back.Finally, two quick tips:■ When you click Apply, every change you’ve

made will be applied, not just the changes onthe page you’re looking at. If you can’tremember what changes you’ve made, youcan click Cancel to close Tweak UI withoutcommitting those changes, and then open theprogram again to start afresh.

■ Wherever you see a list of options (such ason the Explorer page), you can click an itemin the list to see a description of it below. Justbe careful to click the text of the item and notthe checkbox beside it if you weren’t planningto change it.


Tweak UI hasmany other

options available

X410.qxd 6/11/07 11:59 Page 80