Why you should consider it: So why do we need tweaking programs? After all, you can do it yourself by manually editing the registry. The answer is that making manual changes to registry settings can be a dangerous and non-intuitive process. A good tweaking program simplifies matters by providing a graphical display of the changes you are making, and giving the user an easy way to undo the tweak if it doesn’t render the desired result.

“One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make
things go, and duct tape to make them stop.” -
G. Weilacher

The Question: Which
Windows tweaks do you use?

Computer users may disagree on the preceeding. Ask a typical power user and
they will tell you there is no limit when it comes to making their computer
run the way they want it to. We asked the members at Short-Media to choose their
favorites. Once you learn the reasons why the winners were chosen they might
become your favorites too.

First it should be defined just exactly what constitutes a “tweak”
and supply some background on what exactly is taking place when you apply a
“tweak” to your computer.

The dictionary defines tweaking as “to adjust” or “fine-tune”.
In the computer world a tweak can be used to improve performance, alter a setting
to match a personal preference, change the appearance of an item, or otherwise
modify the behavior of your machine. Unless you are 100% satisfied with Windows’
default settings you will likely find it handy to have a tweaking program or
two in your toolbox.

Most tweaks are accomplished by changing settings buried deep in the Windows
Registry. The Registry may be viewed as Windows’ central repository of
all of the settings, programs, preferences, plus software and hardware capabilities.
The registry is divided into separate categories, or “Keys”:

• ClassesRoot – Stores information about types (and classes) and their properties.
• CurrentUser – Stores information about user preferences.
• LocalMachine – Stores configuration information for the local machine.
• Users – Stores information about the default user configuration.
• CurrentConfig – Stores non-user-specific hardware information.

When you change a setting in a program or modify a hardware parameter, the
changes are saved in the registry. Windows then checks the registry to apply
your preferences when you use that program. An example would be changing the
way your spell-checker works in a word-processing program, such as Microsoft
Word or Corel WordPerfect. Change the option and you change the registry setting.

So why do we need tweaking programs? After all, you can do it yourself by manually
editing the registry. The answer is that making manual changes to registry settings
can be a dangerous and non-intuitive process. A good tweaking program simplifies
matters by providing a graphical display of the changes you are making, and
giving the user an easy way to undo the tweak if it doesn’t render the
desired result.

Would you rather deal with the registry directly like this:

or with a friendlier point-and-click interface such as the following example?

Obviously it is much easier to know exactly what you are changing when using
a tweaking program.

By now you may be eager to dive in and start making changes to how your computer
operates. To help you get started the members of Short-Media have provided a
list of their favorite tweaking programs. Let’s examine their choices and give
a little background about capabilities.

X-Setup, from Xteq
Systems, is one of the more comprehensive tweaking programs available.

“X-Setup offers several advantages, making it the ‘ultimate tool
for black belt system tuning’. It’s runs on any Windows version (including XP),
is clutter-free, easy to use, extensible, powerful, covers any aspect of your
computer and has more configuration options than any other tweaker.”

X-Setup controls more than 810 hidden functions, enough to keep even the most
dedicated user busy getting their system “just so”. There is an
Explorer-like layout (as pictured above), and also an extensive collection of
wizards to lead you step-by-step through your tweaking adventures. If you have
more than one computer, there is a “Record” function that allows
you to apply your changes to multiple computers without requiring you to install
the program on every machine. A detailed log file keeps track of your modifications,
making it easy to restore the default setting should you decide that you aren’t
fond of a particular tweak.

X-Setup is free to home users; business users should contact Xteq Systems for
pricing details.

WINner Tweak
is one of the newest tweaking programs available. It has already become a favorite
here at Short-Media (see the Short-Media Downloads
section for quick access).

“WINner Tweak – powerful software for tweaking, optimizing, tuning
Windows 2000/XP.With WINner Tweak you can easy increase performance and manage
your system using tweaks and utilities. This system tweak package includes tweaks
for Windows, Hardware, Security, Network and Software. It provides a Disc Cleaner,
Registry Cleaner, Shortcut Cleaner, Uninstall manager, Start-up Manager, Popup
Blocker, Password Manager, Folder Protector, Folder Drive Creator, File Shredder
and System Backup.”

With eleven different utility categories, WINner Tweak covers a wide range
of tweakable areas within windows. The user interface is neatly organized, and
handy pop-up notes (as shown in the picture) give in-depth descriptions of what
is actually being changed. One of the nicest features is that WINner Tweak will
prompt you to set a restore point in Windows XP before enacting any potentially
dangerous modifications.

WINner Tweak is shareware. After the 15-Day trial expires you can register
it (includes free updates to future versions) for $19.95.

MEMBER COMMENTS:

“WINner tweak. Unique features, good program.”

“TweakUI is really the only one I use 100% of the time, but now I’ve
discovered that new WINner Tweak, I’m thinking of retiring TweakUI. Nevertheless,
I voted for both.”

Tweak-XP, from TotalIdea.com,
is another full-featured tweaking program. It includes the following:

• Clean up your registry with Tweak-XP™s Registry Cleaner
• Create a RAM disc drive and load files as fast as possible
• Use Tweak-XP™s DiscDrive Doctor to detect and fix hard disk problems
• Backup your Microsoft software activations
• View and inspect files in your Internet Cache folder
• Restrict access to your start menu items
• Improve the readability of your monitor: ClearType™ configuration
• Don’t let other people see what files you recently used: clear the
  ‘Recent files’ lists of lots of common programs
• Remote-shutdown your system
• Optimize and personalize your Windows® XP with just a few mouse clicks
• Tweak lots of hidden Windows® XP settings
• Customize the Windows® XP start menu
• Tweak lots of desktop settings
• Make the Windows® XP taskbar transparent
• Enable several hidden performance options of Windows® XP
• Block internet banner ads
• Block Internet Explorer Pop-Ups
• Configure Outlook® XP security settings
• Check the integrity of ZIP files and repair them
• Create virtual disk drives
• Convert your compressed folders to self extracting .exe files
• Tweak your CPU and display adapter
• Optimize the physical RAM of your machine
• Optimize the Windows® XP cache settings
• Optimize your Internet connection speed
• Censor the execution of applications
• Protect any folder on your hard disk and hide its content from Windows®
  Explorer
• Control what is started on Windows® startup
• Tweak your Internet Explorer
• Display the internet history files and remove them
• Rename hundreds of files just by one mouse click
• Generate passwords
• Destroy files securely
• Find unnecessary files on your hard disk

Although Tweak-XP costs more than the others, it includes many tools that,
if purchased separately, would add up to far more than its $39.95 list price.
Going beyond tweaking, features such as its hard drive integrity checker, password
generator, RAM drive tool, and zip file tools are usually found only in standalone
applications.

TweakUI is the redheaded stepchild of the Windows tweaking world, and is also
the winner of our poll. Since the days of Windows95, Microsoft has provided
a new version of TweakUI with each new operating system they’ve released,
as part of its “PowerToys” unsupported Windows add-ons. Microsoft
describes them like this:

“PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after
a product has been released to manufacturing. They add fun and functionality
to the Windows experience. Note: We’ve taken great care to ensure that PowerToys
operate as they should, but they are not part of Windows and are not supported
by Microsoft. For this reason, Microsoft Technical Support is unable to answer
questions about PowerToys.”

Many users install TweakUI immediately after installing Windows, and it remains
a mystery as to why Microsoft has never incorporated the program into their
operating system releases. Besides facilitating visual tweaks, like removing
the annoying “shortcut to…” prefix and the icon-cluttering
“arrow” on every new shortcut you make, it also allows you to do
things like easily setting a default logon name and removing unnecessary icons
from the Control Panel.

MEMBER COMMENTS:

“TweakUI… still my favorite one”

“I use TweakUI, very simple and straightforward”

TweakUI is free, and is available at www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Conclusion

If you’ve ever used someone else’s computer, chances are good that
it took a little getting used to, since they may have already tweaked their
system to suit their personal wishes. Tweaking gives you the opportunity to
customize the way your computer works to suit your personal likes. It’s
as if the programmers had consulted you when they designed the operating system.
In an off-the-rack world, a custom fit can be a nice change.

The choice of the Short-Media tweaking program offerings is just like a tweak…it’s
a matter of personal taste.