Windows Annoyances

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Eliminate Windows Annoyances

Everything I can't stand about Windows and what you need to know to fix it.

With every new operating system comes plenty of pre-packaged pluses and minuses. Windows is certainly no exception.

Pluses? New Windows builds are built on the stable NT kernel, boasts easy handling of user accounts and settings, and has loads of cool features. Minuses? Well, everyone's a critic, but fortunately most of Windows little annoyances can be tweaked and hacked into oblivion.

My top annoyances in no particular order:

Crash Reporting

Despite the increased stability of Windows, your applications are still going to crash, and when they do, Microsoft wants to know about it. Windows asks you if you want to send a bug report with your crash information along to Microsoft so the company can fix it.

"Bah!" I say.

First, the question is a disruptive nuisance. Second, you are sending a little more data than you think you are.

Microsoft collects information about the conditions of the crash, content from open documents and running applications, and your product ID and IP address. There is the potential to send individual, identifiable, even sensitive content that can be matched up with your name and registered information.

I don't think Microsoft is really going to sift through all those responses and prosecute or lambaste individuals for their less-than-model behaviour, but the idea is annoying and the pop-ups are intrusive. Fortunately, they are easy to turn off.

Right-click on My Computer
Select Properties
Click on Advanced
Choose Error Reporting
Check the box to disable error reporting.

Ahh, I feel better now. Let's move on ...

MSN/Windows Messenger

Microsoft sure does love its instant messenger -- the company tries to push it down our throats every chance it gets.

When you first start your Windows machine, balloons pop up begging you to register for a Passport account. Then the Messenger will magically appear every time you open a Microsoft application. Then Microsoft has the audacity to hide NetMeeting deep inside the operating system in a brazen attempt to force us into using MSN Messenger instead. Just type "conf" into the Run menu, and you will find your old familiar friend.

You'll notice that MSN Messenger does not appear in Add/Remove Programs. Go here for a system hack that will make the messenger appear in Add/Remove Programs http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/windowstips/story/0,24330,3352313,00.html.
If one day you decide you need it, it is easy to reinstall and free to download.

Balloon Tips

I don't like to be talked down to. I am very sensitive. So I bet you won't be surprised that I don't enjoy the little balloon reminders that pop up from the corner of the screen.

Don't worry, balloon tips are easy enough to turn off and get out of your life.

Disable Balloon Tips ..

Get rid of those condescending 'helping hints' forever.

Microsoft Windows has been called the Fisher Price operating system for more than just its bright colors and rounded edges. This is an OS for everyone, clear and easy to use. If you are ever lost, balloon tips appear to tell you where a new program is hiding, among other "helpful" messages.

While these tips can be convenient for mom and pop, they are far from necessary for the power user. Some of these tips, like the balloon urging you to sign up for a Passport account, give up after a while and stop coming out to play. Others, like the balloon reminding you to download and install the latest and greatest from Windows Update, never leave you.

You can get rid of them all in one fell swoop, and this was the first thing I did when I installed Windows on my home computer. I had enough settings and tweaks to worry about without Windows telling me that it put the Photoshop icon in the Programs menu.

Just be careful to check Windows Update often, because your friendly animated reminder will not pop up to help you out. Another thing you will miss is Windows' reminder that hard-drive space has run low. You will still get a little picture of a hard drive in your task bar, but you won't be accosted by a big yellow balloon that won't go away.

There are two ways to do this little operation. One, you can go here and download Microsoft's PowerToys http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp. This is a set of essential applications offered free from Microsoft. They are unsupported, but the ever-popular Tweak UI has never caused us any undue problems. XP PowerToys is easier to install than previous versions and resides in the program menu, rather than the control panel.

Once you have it installed, go to Taskbar and uncheck "Enable Balloon Tips." This is the easy way to do it, but you're looking at about a 1MB download. If your Internet connection is really slow, your time is limited, or you just hate downloading things, I bring you a second, more risky way as a public service.

You can perform a registry tweak to the same end. If you aren't familiar with hacking your registry, read up on opening your registry, backing it up, and restoring certain keys in case something goes wrong. Registry hacks take place immediately and can cause damage to your system.

The Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Create a new DWORD value, name it EnableBalloonTips, and set it equal to 0. If EnableBalloonTips is already there and equal to 1, set it equal to 0. Quit the registry editor, log off, and log back on. Voila! Your computer will stop talking down to you.

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