Hacking Windows XP (ExtremeTech)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 384 pages
• Published by: Wiley August 6, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0764569295
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0764569296
• Book Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Weighs: 1.2 pounds

Product Review
“…excellent…up-to-date guide…” (PC Utilities, No. 54, 2004)

Product Description

• Get ready for some down-and-dirty hackin'! Over 200 serious hacks readers can use to force Windows XP to do it their way, written in the ExtremeTech no-holds-barred style
• Sinchak doesn't waste time tweaking Movie Maker or Instant Messenger-these hacks are heavy-duty, detailed instructions for squeezing every drop of power from Windows XP and maximizing speed, appearance, and security
• Not for the faint of heart! This book is written for users who aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves, risk voiding their warranties, take total control of the task bar, uninstall programs that are supposedly permanent, and beef up boot speed
• Mines gems like unlocking hidden settings, customizing boot screens, supercharging online and program launch speed, maximizing the file system and RAM, and dumping hated features for good
• Written by the creator of TweakXP.com, a site considered Mecca for Windows hackers and trusted by more than ten million Windows XP users worldwide
• Includes a hacker's dream CD-ROM with a set of ready-to-install hacks, theme creation tools, custom boot screens, "undo" files that help the reader tinker with Windows XP's registry, and a whole lot more

Reader Reviews
Don't let the title of this book fool you - there is nothing evil going on here. The word "hacking" in the title refers to all the tweaks, modifications, optimizations, and customizations covered in the book. If you are a Windows XP user who already knows the basics, this book is the perfect source for making your Windows XP install your own. Steve Sinchak does a great job of guiding even first time "hackers" into the world of system customization. Contents at a Glance: Part I: Customizing Your System Chapter 1: Customizing the Look of the Startup Chapter 2: Customizing User Navigation Chapter 3: Hacking the Desktop Chapter 4: Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface Chapter 5: Hacking Windows Explorer Chapter 6: Exploring Other Windows Enhancements Part II: Increasing Your System's Performance Chapter 7: Analyzing Your System Chapter 8: Speeding Up the System Boot Chapter 9: Making Your Computer Load Faster Chapter 10: Making Your Computer More Responsive Chapter 11: Speeding Up Your Computer Part III: Securing Your System Chapter 12: Protecting Your Computer from Intruders Chapter 13: Fighting Spam, Spyware, and Viruses Chapter 14: Protecting Your Privacy The first 6 chapters are about fiddling with the user interface and some pretty cool eye candy. You'll find out how to change the system bootscreen, building a custom Welcome/login interface, an easy way to recompile explorer.exe to change START button text (with the book it's not as hard as is sounds,) build virtual desktops, create custom themes, and hack Windows Explorer. Part II was the most interesting to me, and in my opinion is the best part of the book. If you are looking to squeeze every possible ounce of speed from your XP machine, here you will find answers. First you will get a snapshot of your system's current speed situation using some great benchmarking and analysis tools. Next,this book guides you through shaving time off the boot process by hacking the boot.ini file, tweaking BIOS settings, turning off services you dont need (complete with great explainations of what each one does, and a couple of suggested configurations for maximum boot speed,)and maximizing boot file location on the hard disk. Once the boot is complete, the book shows you how to make XP load faster by adjusting startup programs, making registry hacks to filesystem settings, and even network IP settings for faster load times. And when XP is up and running you'll get a look at how the prefetcher works, registry hacks to tweak its performance, boost Intel CPU performance, tune the paging file, optimize Internet connections for maximum speed, and boost the speed of your home network browsing. The book wraps up with some great tricks for securing your XP install, dealing with Viruses and Spyware, and protectig your privacy. This title does include a CD, and I generally write those off as a little gimmicky. But in this case, it adds tremendous value to the book. Not only does it come with 45 hacking tools and toys, most importantly it includes .reg files for registry hacks, and many of them have "undo" files if you want to revert to the old settings. Simply double clicking on these .reg files makes the registry hacks automatic, and keeps you from having to trudge through the Win XP registry. If you are a Windows XP beginner, this book is not for you. This is a great guide for Windows XP power users - those who know the basics, and are not afraid to dive in and do some under the hood work on their system. Recommended.