Display DLL files with separate icon(Windows XP, Vista, 7)

               As a standard, all DLLs are given a single icon by the system. You would rather like to use a unique icon contained within each DLL file for display in the Explorer.
              With a small change in the registry, you can change the appearance of the standard icons. In order to change the DLL icons, type ‘regedit’ in the search field of the start menu or in the ‘Run’ dialogue and if necessary confirm the query of the user accounts manager with ‘Yes’ or ‘Continue’. Then, navigate to the key ‘HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\dllfile\defaulticon’. On the right, the character string ‘Standard’ is defined which symbol is used by the Windows system for display. For editing this, double click on this entry. Change ‘Value’ to ‘%1’ and confirm with ‘OK’. Through this parameter, the particular file will itself be referred to for the icon. Then, close the registry and open Windows Explorer.
               In the future, you will immediately recognize in the Explorer if a certain DLL contains any icons at all. All other DLL files will only get an standard empty icon.

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Keep jump lists at all times in spite of the active clean up tool(Windows 7)

              In Windows 7, you lose some of the jump lists in the taskbar from time to time. But you would like to work with them always and are therefore searching for the cause as well as solution of the problem.
              The reason behind the deleted jump lists are tools like CCleaner. However, you can change the settings so that the jump lists of Windows 7 are not removed. For this, start CCleaner and select the category ‘Cleaner’ on the left. In the section ‘Windows’, search for ‘Windows Explorer’. Deactivate the option ‘Taskbar Jump Lists’ under this.

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See icons in DLL files and extract them(Windows XP, Vista, 7)

                While searching for other program and desktop icons, you should comb through the available DLL files in the system. However, the icons in them cannot be copied easily.
                There are innumerable DLL files in the Windows system folders which contain diverse icons in addition to procedures as libraries that are already used by the system. In order to use such icons yourself, you either have to extract them from the DLL file and save as a separate ICO files, or at least know the serial number of the icon within the library. Both these tasks are easily and quickly done with the help of the NirSoft tool IconsExtract (www.nirsoft.net/utils/iconsext.html). After a short installation or unpacking from the ZIP archive, you can start the tool immediately.
                 The dialogue box ‘Search For Icons’ will appear automatically at the start. Activate the option ‘Scan icons in files’ and enter the complete path to the appropriate file containing the icons under it. Basically, you can also search through folders with subfolders or drives for this. However, it is not recommended for ‘C:’, as this can take a long time. With ‘More Options’ the selection can be limited to certain characteristics. With a click on ‘Search For Icons’, the main window shows all the matches found. They are the assigned the file name of the origin and the index numbers within this file in brackets. You will need this value, for example, to refer in the registry to a certain icon from a file. The index number cannot be determined in other dialogues by counting. All icons can also be exported individually to ICO files. For this, mark one or more, if necessary with the pressed [Ctrl] key. Then open the command ‘File | Save Selected Icons’, change the target folder and the process by clicking on ‘Save Icons’. All icons will then be in individual files which still contain the original file names and the index numbers.

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Open context menus instead of jump lists(Windows 7)

              The new jump lists with frequently used commands and recently opened files appears on right-clicking icons in the taskbar or the superbar.
              To open the traditional context menu, keep the [Shift] key pressed and right click. The familiar context menu will then appear with the ‘Restore’, ‘Move’, ‘Change size’, ‘Minimize’, ‘Maximize’ and ‘Close’ commands, instead of the new jump lists.
              Without using the [Shift] key, open the jump lists as usual and you will see the frequently used commands and last opened files.

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Superimpose Outlook data directly on the desktop(Windows Vista, 7)

               You use Windows’ desktop gadgets to always have important information like time or climate in view. Now, you also want to view the latest information from your Outlook mailbox.
              The free gadget Outlook Info gives you the most important information from Outlook in a very compact manner directly on your desktop. You thus stay informed without having to switch to the program; the installation file is available from gallery.live.com. Open the file by double clicking it. Confirm the opening of ‘Outlook.gadget’ via ‘Windows-Miniapplications’.
              Now start Outlook. The gadget should display the information shortly. To adjust its settings, hover the mouse pointer over it and click the superimposed setting icon. Even the number of displayed items for every field can be changed there. Besides, you can adjust the structure and the Outlook folders used. As the gadget requires a working copy of Outlook, you can let it start automatically via the option ‘Outlook startup’ using the ‘Start Outlook program’ option. For flawless operation, Outlook from version 2007 onwards is required. Version 2003 functions with a few restrictions. Clicking the icons to the right will take you directly to the relevant field in Outlook.

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Minimize programs in the taskbar or the info field(iTunes)

             You play music on iTunes 24x7, but you don’t like the fact that the icon of iTunes occupies space in the taskbar even though you seldom access it.

              In the program options, you can configure a setting so that the icon is automatically minimized in the info field of the taskbar. You can also decide with the functionality of Windows whether the icon should be displayed or hidden. For this, select the command 'Edit | Settings' and click the Advanced icon in iTunes. Activate the 'Display iTunes icon in taskbar' option there. This is deceptive because the icon is still displayed but the option moves the display in the info field. Then activate the 'Minimize iTunes window in the taskbar' option.
             The next time the program window is minimized, it is visible only in the info field and disappears from there after some time. If you want to see the icon, click the small triangle there and then the “Adapt” link. Search for the “iTunes” entry in the list and change the setting to “Display icon and messages” in the relevant combination field to its right. The icon will be visible after you click “OK”.
Note: The mini mode of iTunes is a practical alternative. For this, minimize the program window and right click a free place in the taskbar. Then select the context command “Toolbar → iTunes”. Both these space saving variants are however mutually exclusive. You see a mini control bar that gives you direct access to the important playback and volume functions instead of the program icon only if iTunes is normally minimized.

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Set up quick and easy direct start for important tasks(Kaspersky Internet Security)

               In addition to the automatic protection from threats, you also want to conduct regular checks like system errors. For that, you will need to rummage through the entire menu.

               In Kaspersky Internet Security, you can create new links to directly start regularly used tasks. For this, right click the program icon in the info field of the taskbar and then select the context command “Settings”. Now click the “Scan” tab and then select “General Settings”. Here in the “Scan Tasks Quick Run” section you will find options to create shortcuts for specific tasks. You can use them to create a separate link for the “Full Scan”, the “Quick Scan” or “Vulnerability Scan”. After a click on it, you can change the target location “Desktop” to another one that is less visible and create the link by clicking “Save”. In the other available categories such as “Full Scan”, you also have the option of setting up an automatic, time-controlled execution of the relevant tasks, namely the “Start Mode” option.

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