Windows NT Secrets

Windows NT Secrets

Setup Switches
Auto Filename/Folder completion - DOS box
Skip wait for Login
Uncommon Keyboard Shortcuts

Setup Switches

These options are used with the Windows SETUP.EXE program and change the way Windows can be installed. While case is not normally important, if the option is in upper case, the option MUST be in upper case to work. The portion of the command in italics is a placeholder for user entered text.

/b	Skip making the three Setup boot disks

/c	Skips the check for available free space.

/I:inf_file	Specify the name of the Setup information file. The default filename used is Dosnet.inf

/f	Skip the verifying of files as they are copied.

/l	Creates a log file called $WINNT.LOG. All errors that occur are logged as files are being copied to the temporary directory.

/ox	Creates the three Setup boot disks and then exits setup.

/s:server_path	Specifies the location of the installation source files for installation from a network.

/u	Unattended installation. The /b option to skip making boot diskettes is automatically invoked and the /s option to specify the location of the source files must be used. The /u option can be followed with the name of an answer file to fully automate installation.

/udf	Settings file (uniqueness database) for use during an unattended installation.

/w	Enables the WINNT.EXE program to execute in windows instead of requiring execution from a MS-DOS command prompt.

/x	Skip the creation of the three boot disks. Use this if you have already made them, perhaps in a prior installation on this system.

Auto Filename/Folder completion - DOS box

This feature in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, when activated will show you all the matching files and folders after typing the first couple of characters of a file or folder name, and then pressing a hot-key.

Ctrl-D Hot key for folders (directories) only
Ctrl-F Hot key to complete file and folder names

If you were to type cd my_d and then press Ctrl-D, all matching directories (like My_Documents) would appear.

To activate this feature for one session, at the prompt, type CMD /F:ON. To always activate this feature (and select your own hot-key) run regedit or regedit32 and go to key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Commander Processor

Two DWORD values need to appear:

CompletionChar 0x4 (4=Ctrl-D, 4th letter)
PathCompletitionChar 0x6 (6=Ctrl-F, 6th letter)

Use other digits for related Ctrl-letter combinations.

Skip wait for Login

For a single user Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 system, where you have the Administrator privileges, you can have the computer skip the bothersome Ctrl-Al-Del login step during the bootup process. Of course, this will allow anyone walking up to your computer to get into it, which may be desirable or not.

Load the free Microsoft TweakUI [100 KB, no support]. Once installed, it will appear in the Control Panel (Start, Settings, Control Panel). Click on TweakUI, select the Logon tab. Place a check in the "Log on automatically at system startup" box. Then type a User Name and Password. Click on Ok/Apply.

Uncommon Keyboard shortcuts

Ctrl-+

Autosize the columns in Explorer and some other applications (use Num-pad "+")