RegS

ScanReg - AutoScan viscous circles
SendTo - for each profile
Shortcut - Arrow Removal
Shortcut to - Remove Text on Shortcuts
Sound - Add to application events
Sound - Changing Record Directory
Speed gain
Start Menu - Add Expanding Control Panel
Start Menu - Add Items
Start Menu - Log Off user removal
Start Menu - Remove Unwanted Entries from Run Command
Start Menu - Speed up
Start Menu - Scroll
Start up - Hidden Programs
System File Protection (SFP)

Microsoft AutoScan and ScanReg viscous circles:

With Microsoft ScanReg and AutoScan, computer could go in viscous circles which will not let you start computer at all if it couldn't fix and restore computer.
To be sure that you are at the steering wheel, run freeware 98Config found in MiniApps. And read below for in detail instructions and how to prevent getting caught in the ScanReg or AutoScan viscous restore circles.

If you are using Win98
Click Start\Run and type MSConfig, click the Advanced Tab, there deselect all except "Disable Scandisk After Bad Shutdown",
This option is pain if you are having little problems, it unnessarily scans the hard drive for errors wasting your time.

Click Start\Run and type MSConfig, click the Start-up Tab, deselect ScanRegistry and both LoadPowerProfile(optional read below).
Deselect TaskMonitor(Optional).
It will ask you to restart computer, click OK.

In the Systray, click each icon, they should have options to be removed.
If you don't want MS TaskMonitor enabled, there is an option for it to be disabled, open it and click Advanced in the file menu and to Pause Task Scheduler.
Once computer Restarted, open 98Config and select to make the following changes:

Win 98Config will do all the following for you:
Open the registry, go to the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run-
or
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Delete the key TaskMonitor.
Delete the Key ScanRegistry.
Delete the key LoadPowerProfile.
You will find another LoadPowerProfile to delete in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices-
or
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
Note the dash after RunServices and Run.

What is LoadPowerProfile
LoadPowerProfile is started twice to provide a power management profile before and after you log on to Windows.
LoadPowerProfile starts as a machine service so that the default power management settings are available when Windows 98 starts. It is loaded again after you log on to Windows to process preferences for individual users of the computer.

Message from ERS98 customer:
I had an instance just last night where I crashed and upon rebooting typed ers at the root copying the latest registry backup. Upon bootup the Registry Checker within System Information started reloading the system files and restoring the registry with its own backup; thereby in effect over writing all the backups I've made with your ERS98. Naturally the system rebooted and came backup to the same error discovering bad system files. It was a viscous circle there for a while going back and forth.
Is there a way to turn off the Register Backup and use just your ERS98?

Go to the Windows directory and open Scanreg.ini, it should open with Notepad,
there change
Backup=1 to Backup=0
and
Optimize=1 to Optimize=0
That will stop auto registry backup and registry optimization.
Use ERS98 to backup your registry and other important files, and every thing is setup for you without sweating it. Why use a backup that backs up any time it feels like it and restores any time it feels like it. Does Microsoft think people are that stupid.
Registry optimisation is still under beta testing and have caused many users unrecoverable registry corruption.

In the Windows Explorer, click View\Folders Option and select Show All files under Hidden Files.
Go to the root directory C, right click MsDos.sys and deselect the Read Only and click OK.
Double click MsDos.sys and select to be opened with Notepad.

Don't make any changes above the XXXXXXXXXXXXX unless you know what are you doing.
Below the XXXXXXXXXXXXX, at the very bottom:
To remove the Windows Logo screen at start-up type: Logo=0
This is a worthless feature that would get you no place but causes pain.
Be sure AutoScan is set to 0
Autoscan=0
Never select AutoScan=2 nor AutoScan=1
Be sure that Bootkeys is set to 1
Bootkeys=1
Check MsDos.sys after computer startups, be sure Windows have not changed it
BootKeys=0
You don't need anything else below the XXXXXXXXXXXXX.

SendTo for each Profile

By default the SendTo folder is a global function which means that even with user profiles set up, the same SendTo folder is used by everyone.
You might want to your SendTo menu different to someone else and it's possible for each user to have their own SendTo folder.

Using Windows Explorer or My Computer create a SendTo folder within each user's personal profile folder.

You must now log on to the computer as one of the users ie User 2, open the Registry Editor go to the key:

HKEY_USERS/User2/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/Shell Folders Remember, You must be logged on as User2 in order to make these changes.

With the subkey Shell Folders open, in the right pane you should see the SendTo value's Data which lists the path to the global SendTo folder in the Windows folder.
This has to be changed so that it points to the new SendTo folder you just created in the User2 personal folder.

Double-click the SendTo value to open the Edit String dialog box and enter the path to the new SendTo folder.

This new SendTo value must also be added to the User Shell Folders subkey which you will find in the left pane somewhere below Shell Folders.

HKEY_USERS\user2\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Open the User Shell Folders subkey and right click in an empty space within the right pane, select New, and then String Value.

Name this SendTo, press [Enter].

Double-click the new entry and enter the same path in the Value Data text box as you did above
Click OK, close the Registry Editor, and restart Windows 95.

This procedure has to be repeated for each person who uses the system.
You can now place personalised shortcuts to file destinations in each user's SendTo folder.

Remove Shortcut Arrow

In the registry, edit four entries to remove the overlays

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\piffile
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\lnkfile
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\piffile

Within each of the above entries you will find an entry for IsShortcut. Delete it
Then reboot.

Remove 'Shortcut to...' Text on Shortcuts

Don't like having 'Shortcut to...' appended to every Shortcut?
With this tip you can stop Windows adding this text when creating links.
Open your registry and find the key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Create a new BINARY value, name it link , or modify the existing value, to equal '00 00 00 00' to have the Shortcut text disabled.

This tweak can also be applied to the [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer] key, to change all users.

Note: Restart your computer before creating any new shortcuts.

Add sounds to application events

By now you should all realise that you can add sounds to quite a few system events. Those can be located in the Control Panel Sounds dialog. But, did you realise that with the Registry, you can also add sounds to Application events?

1. Open up the Registry Editor.
2. Go to the following SubKey:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps

3. You will find two SubKeys .Default and Explorer.
4. Right-Click on the SubKey APPS, choose NEW KEY.
5. The new value should be the name of the application that you wish to create event sounds for.
6. Right-Click on the SubKey you just created, and select NEW KEY.
7. An example to get you started: Key: Open Then, create another SubKey called Close.
8. Go to the Control Panel Sounds, and the Application Event SubKeys you just created will now appear in the list that is displayed in the Sounds tab.
9. Add whatever sound files you wish for these events.
10. The very next time that you Open and/or Close that particular application, the sounds will play.
11. For each and every application on your system, you can add sounds to all these standard events:
Close; Open; G.P; Fault; RestoreDown; Maximise; RestoreUp; MenuCommand; SystemAsterisk; MenuPopup; System Exclamation; Minimise; System Question;
There may be other events possible, but that depends on the particular application events that are used in any given Windows application.
Button and Icon bars are NOT such events.

Changing Sound Record Directory

Many people get annoyed when every time they use a program that came with Win95 to record sound, it would set the default directory at C:\ Windows \ Media \.
And when they change the sounds in their control panel it would start there. Well, here is a way to change it:
Goto:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \CurrentVersion

There you will find a string entry called MediaPath.
Enter the path to the Directory that you want.
You can also change the default program directory (ProgramFilesDir).

Speed Gain

Click the Start button, then Settings, then, Control Panel. In the Control Panel, click on the System Icon. Once in System, select the Performance tab. Click on the File System button. Change the machine role to Network Server. This will drastically enhances the use of upper memory especially in machines with more than 32MB of RAM

Set file system to cache about 3 times higher than the 'Network Server' default setting.
MaxCache will use 128KB RAM and provide for 6144 Cached Files and 204 Directories. For comparision NetworkServer uses 40KB RAM and provides 2729 Files and 64 Directories.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates]

@="Max Cache"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Max Cache]

@="Max Cache"
"NameCache"=hex:00,18,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:80,00,00,00

Add an Expanding Control Panel to Start Menu

Easy access to the Control Panel options, You can add an expanding Control Panel folder to the start menu.
This should work with most special folders too.
The first step is find the system ID of the folder you want to add, these ID's can be found under the [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID] key.
The Control Panel's key is called
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}]
and the ID is the last set of numbers after CLSID, in this case '{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}'.
Once you've found the ID the hard work is done, now all you need to do is right-click on the Start button and chose open.
Now create a new folder with the name of the folder followed by a dot and the folder ID. For Control Panel create a new folder called 'Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}'. The new folder should now change into the Control Panel logo. Close the explorer window and click on the Start button, and there should now be a new expanding folder for the Control Panel.

Add Items to the Start Menu

To add new items to the Start button right-click menu, launch Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell Right-click on "Shell" and select "New" Key.
Type in the name of the program you want to see listed under the Start Menu, and then press Enter.
NOTE:-
This will affect other directories too, not only the Start Menu!
In the Default name that shows in the right hand pane, you can add an "&" character [ampersand] to the title (don't type the quotes), in front of the first letter of your shortcut.
To use that particular letter on the keyboard as shortcut key to open your new Start Menu item Right-click on the Registry key you just created and create another subkey under it called command.

For the command value enter the full path and program executable (including the file extension) you want.
From now on whenever you right-click on the Start button, your new program will show up.
No need to reboot for this change to take effect.

Example:
If you like to add ScanDisk to the Start menu, you need to add its name as the first key, under "Shell".
The default in the right hand pane would be &ScanDisk , so when you right click on the Start Button, the letter S would be underlined and you only need to press the S key to run ScanDisk.
The appropriate ScanDisk command would be (case insensitive):
C:\WINDOWS\SCANDSKW.EXE Command line parameters are optional (if supported by your program).
NOTE:-
You have to assign DIFFERENT letters as hot keys to your shortcuts listed in the same folder! Duplicates are NOT allowed.

Remove "Log Off user" from the Start menu

Start the Registry Editor and go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Right-click an open area in the right pane and select New DWORD Value
Name it NoLogOff
Double-click this entry and add the value 1
Exit Regedit and Restart Windows

To put "Log Off user" back on the Start menu, simply rename the value to 0

Note: might have to use Binary instead of DWORD

Remove Unwanted Entries from the Start Menu's Run Command

Whenever you use the Start Menu's Run command to launch a program, that program is added to a history.
Since this is a possible cause to an irritating problem, a solution is provided here for clearing this history:
Run the Registry Editor and go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ RunMRU\.

Delete all of the values in this key (everything in the right pane, except for (Default)).
Close the Registry Editor when finished.
You'll probably have to refresh the Desktop or restart Windows for this change to take effect.
NOTES:
You can clear the 'OtherFolder' history by repeating the same process in:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ OtherFolder\.

For clearing Norton Navigator's File Assist History, the registry path is:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Symantec\ Navigator\ FileAssist\ History_Lists\ [application name]
where [application name] is the name of the application for which the history is stored.

For clearing Norton Navigator's Run History,the registry path is:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Symantec\ Navigator\ SYMFDLG4\ History_List\ Run.

With the new additions in TweakUI, one of Microsoft's PowerToys, these lists can be cleared automatically at bootup by enabling options under the Paranoia tab.

Speed up the Start-Menu

Create a new string value under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop (of the Registry) named MenuShowDelay and set it's value to a number from 1 to 10. (1 is the fastest).
This is an undocumented feature.

Start Menu Scroll

How to switch from scroll to multiple column lists for the START program menu:
Go to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advance

In the right hand pane, Right Click, Select New, then String Value.
Type; StartMenuScrollPrograms (all one word), then press Enter.
Right-click the name you just created, then click Modify.
In the Value Data box, type False, then click OK.
Exit the Registry Editor.
It should not be necessary to restart Windows.
When you click Start and then Programs, your menu should show multiple columns instead of a single column with scroll arrows (assuming you have a long Programs list).
To reverse this, make the value data True

Hidden Start-up Programs

Having problems trying to find those programs that load but are not in your start-up folder?
Go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, Software, Microsoft, Windows, Current Version, Run or Run service.

This is where things like system agent, NetMeeting, the active movie check and other such things hang out.

System File Protection (SFP)

System File Protection (SFP) is a feature of Windows Me.
SFP prevents the replacement of certain monitored or protected system files.
By preventing the replacement of essential system files, file version mismatches can be avoided. SFP runs in the background.

SFP monitors a database of protected files, while having access to the same files on a hidden location on the hard disk. If one of the protected files is deleted or replaced by an older version (or a version not approved by Microsoft), SFP will copy the original version of the file from the hidden location. The process runs without user intervention, and SFP does not display an error message or any other type of message during this process.

There is a way to enable SFP to give you Popup Notification.

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ SystemFileProtection
Double-click on the ShowPopups value, and change the value from 0 to 1

Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows

SFP maintains a log of all protected files that have been replaced.
Sfplog.txt, can be found in the \Windows\System\SFP folder. If there are any entries in the log file (other than the log entry that is added when Windows first starts), then SFP had to protect some files.

You can view the list of files protected by SFP (nearly 900 files) by viewing Filelist.xml which is found in \Windows\System\Restore\.

If you want to determine if a particular file is being protected by SFP, you can do so using this method:

Double-click the Sfpdb.sfp file located in the \Windows\System\SFP\ folder
In the Open With dialog box, click WordPad, and make sure that the Always use this program to open these files check box is unchecked, then click OK
Click Find on the Edit menu (in WordPad)
Type the name of the file you want to check for SFP protection, and then click Find Next
If the file is found, the file is protected by the SFP feature. If you receive a WordPad has finished searching the entire document message, without finding the file, the file is not protected