Personal memo on Windows (various versions).

Don’t scroll inactive window

Applies to: Windows 10.

Mouse & touchpad
  → Scroll inactive windows when I hover over them

Consistent Windows Explorer

Applies to: Windows Vista and later.

Delete these keys:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU

Add this data:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell]
"FolderType"="Documents"

Reference.

Disable Compressed Folders

Applies to: Windows Vista and later.

Remove these keys (after taking over ownership):

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E88DCCE0-B7B3-11d1-A9F0-00AA0060FA31}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{4F289A46-2BBB-4AE8-9EDA-E5E034707A71}

And same keys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID (when using 64-bit Windows)

Note that there’s another one for lzh files if you’re running Japanese edition of Windows (the installer).

Apparently the following also works:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\CLSID]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CABFolder\CLSID]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\LzhCompressedFolder2\CLSID]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.zip\CLSID]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.cab\CLSID]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.lzh\CLSID]

Disable autorun

Applies to: Windows Vista and later.

Search for AutoPlay Settings.

Disable Aero Peek

Applies to: Windows Vista and later.

System Properties
  → Advanced system settings
    → Performance/Settings
      → Enable Peek (uncheck)

Failing that, regedit:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM]
"EnableAeroPeek"=dword:00000000

Disable Aero Shake

Applies to: Windows Vista and later.

gpedit:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop

Entry: Turn off Aero Shake window minimizing mouse gesture

regedit:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"NoWindowMinimizingShortcuts"=dword:00000001

Disable CD burning feature

Applies to: Windows XP and later.

gpedit:

User Configuration
  → Administrative Templates
    → Windows Components
      → File Explorer
        → Remove CD Burning features

regedit:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoCDBurning"=dword:00000001

Reference.

Disable snap assistant

Applies to: Windows 10.

System
  → Multitasking
    → When I snap a window, show what I can snap next to it

No Auto Restart

Applies to: Windows Vista and later.

gpedit:

Computer Configuration
  → Administrative Templates
    → Windows Components
      → Windows Update
        → No auto restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations

regedit:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU]
"NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers"=dword:00000001

Reference (regedit).

Classic Volume Control

Because the new one is useless.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\MTCUVC]
"EnableMtcUvc"=dword:00000000

Reference.

Per-mouse primary button settings

Use this software: EitherMouse.

No Automated Download Windows Update

Applies to: Windows 10.

Mainly for desktops running 24/7. Also for previous Windows versions but can be done directly through Windows Update interface.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU]
"AUOptions"=dword:00000002

Enable Recycle Bin Confirmation Dialog

Applies to: Windows 8 and up.

Recycle Bin → Properties → Display delete confirmation dialog

Disable Logon Background

Applies to: Windows 10 and up.

regedit:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System]
"DisableLogonBackgroundImage"=dword:00000001

Later builds have the settings in Personalization.

Tips and Tricks in Start Menu (wtf?)

In Personalization settings, Lock screen and Start menu.

Hard Disk Drives Appearing Twice in Navigation Pane

Whoever thought this is a good idea need to be burnt.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\DelegateFolders\{F5FB2C77-0E2F-4A16-A381-3E560C68BC83}]

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\DelegateFolders\{F5FB2C77-0E2F-4A16-A381-3E560C68BC83}]

Smaller Alt-Tab Preview

Applies to: Windows 10.

More stuff, less scrolling.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MultitaskingView\AltTabViewhost]
"Thumbnail_min_width"=dword:00000014
"Thumbnail_min_height_percent"=dword:00000006

Reference.

Always Visible Scroll Bar

Applies to: Windows 10, Windows 11

Just annoying otherwise.

Windows 10:
Settings
  → Ease of Access
  → Display
  → Automatically hide scroll bars in Windows

Windows 11:
Settings
  → Accessibility
  → Visual effects
  → Always show scrollbars

Windows 10

This section describes good and bad thing with Windows 10.

Good

• Kind of free
• Less DWM bug? Especially noticeable in Windows 8 when clicking before DWM reload finishes (transition between non-accelerated theme to accelerated theme)
• Better hardware support?

Bad

• Worse wallpaper selection dialogs (magic run command for old version available)
• Overly thin border with invisible border
• Slow scrolling at Explorer navigation pane
• No drag and drop from jump list anymore
• Useless volume control (regedit to revert back to old version available)
• Return of shadow (+invisible border?), causes crappy window-level screenshot (alt-printscreen or Puush)
• Lots of default stuff need to be disabled
• Even less predictable window resizing hotkeys (win-arrow)
• Windows Explorer seems a bit slow especially for renaming files
• IME is occasionally broken

More will be added as necessary…

Windows Server 2012 R2

This has support for newer processors.

Good

• Less intrusive compared to Windows 10
• Better theme
• Better Explorer navigation pane
• Supports newer processors (compared to Windows 8)

Bad

• Some installers don’t support server edition
• Imgburn and some other apps require elevated privilege
  • Permission problem with generated files can probably be alleviated by saving to exFAT partitions