1. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

2. On the Right side pane, open the “MinWidth” entry. If it’s not there, create it by Right-clicking in the right pane, select New, then Select “String Value,” and name the object MinWidth.
3. Change the number in the “Value Data” field the width you want to set for the taskbar icons.
4. Click OK.

And you are done. Its better to have a small sized taskbar button rather than two rows. This trick helps to get more icons in taskbar which can also be achieved by using widescreen laptops or Wide Monitors. To select such laptops or monitors you may also refer to Monitor Review over the internet which can help you in picking one, finally giving you more space @ your desktop.

                          

But its Windows OS, and Windows comes with a hidden yet powerful way of tweaking the settings using Registry. Using a free registry editor PHM Registry editor you may open the registry tree in Windows Mobile. (Analogous to typing Regedit in Windows Desktop).

1. Navigate to the key [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Inbox\SMS]

2. Select the key SMSText

3. It would show the MaxDeletedMsgs subkey with a data value of 50 (0×000032)

4. Double tapping on it opens an editor where you can change the value data. Change it to any number you like.

5. Save it and exit

Now the Deleted Msg Box list has increased. This trick may comes handy a lot of time.

Note: I have used the following trick on my Samsung B7610 Omnia Pro. Registry Keys & Messaging settings may differ on different Windows Mobile versions, Hardwares.

                          

Here is how you can do it too :

• Open Registry Editor (Go to Start Run type Regedit & press enter)
• Naviagte to : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
• In the Right Side pane select & open LegalNoticeCaption and enter a value that you want to see in the Menu Bar.
• Next to it open LegalNoticeText and insert the message you want to display each time Windows boots.
• close Registry & Restart for changes to take effect.

Setting up Menu bar text using LegalNoticeCaption key.

Setting up Message to Display after computer Boots up using LegalNoticeText key.

This trick works with Windows 7 and earlier Versions of Windows as well.

                          

Go to start, and click on Run,type Regedit & press enter there.

Navigate to : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\ LogonUI\Background

Double-click the OEMBackground DWORD key

Set value of the key to 1.

Select a background image for Logon Screen with size less than 256KB in size (Use of Image Resize software like VSO Resizer can help)

Copy that image into the C:\Windows\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds folder

Rename the image to backgroundDefault.jpg

Reboot, and now your logon Image would have changed.

                          

1. Using GPEdit (Group Policy Editor)

This setting turns off the Balloon notification in the notification area using Group Policy editor .

Open Run Dialogue Box (Win + R) and type gpedit.msc

Navigate to Local Computer policy > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu & Taskbar in left hand side pane.

Select Turn off all Balloon notifications setting from right side pane.

Open it and enable it so that no notification balloons will be shown to the user. .

Press OK

2. Using RegEdit (Registry Editor)

Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then press ENTER.

Navigate to the following subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Right-click the right side pane, create a new DWORD value, and then name it EnableBalloonTips.

Double-click EnableBalloonTips, and then give it a value of 0.

Close Registry Editor. 

Note: To make changes to this setting effective, you must log off and then log back on.

                          

1. Reset the folder options view

Organize > Folder & search Options > General > Browse Folders > Select “Open each folder in same windows”

2. Organize > Folder & search Options > View > uncheck Launch folder windows in a new process.

3. Open Registry editor by typing “regedit” in Run dialog box and hit enter.Navigate to the key “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell”.  On the right hand side pane there is a value named “Default” double-click on this value & Set the value to “none“.  Once you make this change, your folders should instantly be back to normal.You must start explorer (Restart/Logoff) for changes to take effect.

4. Get your AntiVirus updated and thoroughly scan your computer as Virus may create an Autorun.inf file in each folder which may cause this problem as well.

                          

To disable the access to USB port, in windows XP ,Vista and Windows 7:
1.Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type regedit, and then click OK. (Or simply open registry)
3. Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsbStor­
4. In the right pane, double-click Start.
5. In the Value data box, change its value to 4,which was 3 and then click OK.

To re-enable a disabled port:
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type regedit, and then click OK. (Or simply open registry)
3. Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsbStor­
4. In the right pane, double-click Start.
5. In the Value data box, change its value to 3,which you changed to 4 to disable the USB drive and then click OK.
6. Quit Registry Editor.

Now whenever a user will attach a USB storage device which is already installed in system, Windows will not detect it and it’ll not be shown in My Computer. However, disabling USB ports totally also disables the ability for Windows to use USB based keyboard, mouse, webcam, printer, scanner and etc, which are common devices for a computer nowadays and essential ones as well.

                          

Windows updates force the OS to shut down after they install.This can be troublesome many a times when you dont want to restart your PC because of some work which is ongoing.So here is how to get rid of Reboot of Windows after Windows update Installation.To prevent Rebooting a registry tweak must be done.Here are the steps:

1. Click start Orb
2.Go to Run & type regedit.

3. In regedit, navigate to :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Polices\Microsoft\Windows
4. In the left pane, right click on Windows, and click on New Key, then type WindowsUpdate

5. In the left pane, right click on WindowsUpdate, and click on New Key, then type AU
6. In the right pane of AU, right click anywhere and select New DWORD 32-bit Value, then type in NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers.
7. Right click NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers & click Modify, then type its value as 1 and press enter.

8. Close regedit.
9. Restart the computer.

Now Windows wont restart once you install updates.

                          

When a user gets logon You might want to have a message pop up to display a Welcome message. This can be used to display Instructions,Company Policy,User related information,any alert,warning or anything you wish to do .

Here is the procedure .Open registry by typing regedit in the Run box.Now navigate here.

                          

It is a 345KB executable, that doesn’t require installation and can be carried out in USB removable device/pen drive. This time, it covers more than 150 tweaks and settings.