various windows registry hacks

open pdfs in seperate windows automatically

in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroExch.Document.7\shell\Read\command add a /n option before "%1" to open each pdf in a separate window.

[HKCR\AcroExch.Document.7\shell\Read\command]
"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe" /n "%1"

fix windows timesymt

windows often gets the wrong date, and then when trying to fix it using it's internet time sync you will get the annoying:

For security reasons, Windows can not synchronize with the server
because your date does not match.  Please fix the date and try again.

to fix this set these registry keys:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config
  MaxNegPhaseCorrection=dword:ffffffff 
  MaxPosPhaseCorrection=dword:ffffffff

opening files in vi

add 'open with vi' to the 'open with list' for all files:

[HKCR\*\OpenWithList\vi.exe]
=""

[HKCR\Applications\vi.exe\shell\edit\command]
="c:\local\bin\vi.exe "%1""

make files without extension open as .txt:

[HKCR\.]
="txtfile"

exec bash scripts with commandline without typing 'bash script' but directly with 'script'

[HKCR\.sh]
="bashfile"

[HKCR\bashfile\shell\open\command]
=expand:"%CYGWIN%\bin\bash.exe "%1" %*"

another method:

[HKCR\Applications\bash.exe\shell\open\command]
="c:\local\cygwin\bin\bash.exe" "%1" %*

add 'open shell here' option to directory context menu's

[HKCR\directory\shell\cmd]
="Open Command Window Here"

[HKCR\directory\shell\cmd\command]
="cmd.exe /k c:\\se.cmd %L"

windows mobile

prevent the 'configure sync' dialog from activesync

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows CE Services
   GuestOnly=dword:1

add subkeys here to automatically run an executable when your device connects

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows CE Services\AutoStartOnConnect

not using dos 8.3 names in winxp

this prevents winxp from generating 8.3 dos filenames for each long filename under winxp. disabling this prevents the annoying feature that wildcards sometimes get unexpected matches when windows finds a match with the 8.3 dos filename.

HKLM\system\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
    NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation=dword:00000001

fix .chm file problem from network drives

windows .chm files can not be loaded from network drives by default, this can be very annoying.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\HTMLHelp\1.x\ItssRestrictions]
"MaxAllowedZone"=dword:00000004

disable keys

disable both windows keys

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,00,00,5B,E0,00,00,5C,E0,00,00,00,00

make many key changes:

hklm\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard]
Scancode Map=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,52,e0,3a,00,d2,e0,ba,00,38,00,5b,e0,b8,00,db,e0,38,e0,5c,e0,b8,e0,dc,e0,29,00,56,00,a9,00,d6,00,56,00,29,00,d6,00,a9,00,00,00,00,00"

explanation:

    00000000 	header version (zero)
    00000000 	header flags (zero)
    0000000b 	number of entries (including terminator)
    003ae052 	make caps lock -> ins
    00bae0d2 	break caps lock -> ins
    e05b0038    make left windows key -> left alt
    e0db00b8    break left windows key -> left alt
    e05ce038    make right windows key -> right alt
    e0dce0b8    break right windows key -> right alt
    00560029    make plusmin -> tilde 
    00d600a9    break plusmin -> tilde 
    00290056    make tilde -> plusmin
    00a900d6    break tilde -> plusmin
    00000000 	null terminator map

keycodes used:
make  break
0029  00a9   tilde
002a  00aa   left shift (0x2A)
003a  00ba   caps lock
0056  00d6   plusmin
0038  00b8   left alt
e038  e0b8   right alt
e052  e0d2   ins
e05b  e0db   left windows key
e05c  e0dc   right windows key

see these links for an explanation:

disable autoplay

[hklm\system\currentcontrolset\services\cdrom]
autorun=dword:0
[hklm\system\currentcontrolset\services\disk]
autorun=dword:0

[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
NoDriveTypeAutoRun=dword:ff
NoDriveAutoRun=dword:03ffffff