Windows XP 100 tips tricks (12)

Keep Your Favorite Programs Near the Top of the Start Menu
Do you have a favorite program that you frequently use? Elevate its priority on the Start menu by putting it at the top of the list. This ensures that the program will remain on the Start menu and cannot be bumped by other programs, even if you use the others more frequently.
· Right-click the link to your favorite program on the Start menu and select Pin to Start Menu. Your program will be moved permanently to the top part of the list, just below your browser and e-mail programs.

Stop Password Expiration
After you have run Windows XP for a while, you may receive this message when you log on: "Your password will expire in 14 days.....". By default, Windows XP is set up with passwords which will expire after 42 days. And 14 days in advance, Windows will start warning you of this fact.
· Go to Start > Run > type control userpasswords2
· Select the Advanced tab in the User Accounts window.
· Press the Advanced button below the Advanced user management header.
· Select Users in the Local Users and Groups.
· In the right pane, right-click the user name for which you want to change the setting, and select Properties.
· On the General tab, check Password never expires.
· Click Apply and OK (all the way out).

Display Hibernate Option on the Shut Down dialog
For some reason, Hibernate isn't available from the default Shut Down dialog. But you can enable it simply enough, by holding down the shift-key while the dialog is visible.
Now you see it, now you don't!

My Computer Won't Shut Down Itself After Installing XP
There are a number of users who have been complaining that their PC will no longer automatically power down/shut off without pressing the power off button on the computers unlike in Windows Me/95/2000. There could be a number of reasons for this, but the main one seems to be that ACPI is not enabled on the computer or in Windows XP:
· Click Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options tab.
· Then click APM > Enable Advanced Power Management Support.

Create a Password Reset Disk
Microsoft has enhanced security features in XP including the ability to create a floppy diskette to recover your password in case it is forgotten.
· Click Start > Control Panel > User Accounts.
· Click on the account which you want to create a password disk.
· Click Prevent a forgotten password which starts the Forgotten Password Wizard .
This is found under Related Tasks.
· Insert a blank, formatted disk into drive A, and click Next.
· Enter the password in the Current user account password box.
To use the recovery disk, at the Welcome screen:
· Click the user name whose password is on the recovery disk.
· Click the question mark button, this causes the "Did you forget your password
message" to appear.
· Click use your password reset disk. This will start the Password Reset Wizard.
From this point, just follow the wizard's instructions and you will be able to set a new password.

source:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/191328/Windows-Xp-100-Tips-Tricks