Missing show Desktop icon

Mistakenly deleted the Show Desktop icon from the Quick Launch bar? Still, you can use keyboard shortcut to show desktop, simply use a key with Window symbol on it and D to minimize all windows and show up you desktop. But if you don't want to use alternative and want to restore your Show Desktop icon, do one of the following steps.

1. Download Fix it for me file and run executable to restore your icon
2. Download this zip file, extract and copy Show Desktop icon to %userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
   OR
3. Open note pad Start Menu » Run » notepad.exe, copy and paste following lines into new notepad document;
   
   

   [Shell]
   Command = 2
   IconFile = explorer.exe,3
   [Taskbar]
   Command = ToggleDesktop
   

   
   Save notepad document on Desktop with Show Desktop.scf name, click and drag the Show desktop icon to your Quick Launch toolbar ... NOW YOUR ICON IS RESTORED :)

Working with Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

You can change following settings under Taskbar and Start Menu Properties,

• Maintain appearance of Taskbar.
• Appearance of Notification area.
• Start menu style.
• Icon size.
• Number of programs in Start Menu.
• General Start Menu settings and
• Recent documents.

Use Alt+Enter combination or right click on Taskbar to open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

Maintain appearance of Taskbar: Under Taskbar appearance; "Lock the taskbar"; If checked, hides all sizing handles on the taskbar; stops you from resizing taskbar. Gain more screen space? Make taskbar automatically hide when it is not being used, check "Auto-hide the taskbar". You can keep the taskbar always visible, even when you run a program in full screen by checking "Keep the taskbar on top of other windows". You can group together multiple items into single button opened from the same program by checking "Group similar taskbar buttons". Check "Show Quick Lunch", a customizable toolbar known as Quick Lunch will appear right to the Start Menu.

Appearance of Notification area: Under Notification area; check/uncheck "Show the clock" to show or hide system clock. Use "Hide inactive icons" option to stop inactive program's icon from being displayed in system tray (left to system clock).

Start menu style: Switch between default Windows XP Start Menu or old or Classic Windows Menu. Further settings from this point depends on the selection. If you are selecting "Start menu" i.e default Windows XP Start Menu; go to the next paragraph else Click Here.

Default Windows XP Start menu settings

Select icon size under "Select an icon size for programs" and number of most frequently used programs being displayed in Start Menu under "Programs", minimum 0 and maximum 30. Click Clear List to clear current most frequently programs from Start Menu. Under "Show on Start menu"; check Internetand/or E-mail and select default browser and Email program (respectively) from the list to appear it on the top in Start menu.

This step is very simple, change the way submenu opens and highlight newly installed programs, as well as show or hide items of start menu under "Start menu items". Check "List my most recently opened documents" to display My Recent Documents menu in Start Menu, click Clear List to clear My Recent Documents menu items.

Classic Start menu settings

Click Add to add new Start Menu program icon and Remove to remove. Click Advance to manage Start Menu programs if you are smart enough. Sort command will sort Start Menu items alphabetically whileClear clears the My Recent Documents items. Hide/Show common items under "Advanced Start menu options".

How to add a new file extension in IIS

MIME or Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions is a set of specification for file formats. Although IIS (Internet Information Services) supports common file or mime types but many unique or non common files cannot be host on IIS, to host or use new file extension with IIS you should follow given steps.

NOTE: You can figure out easily if your server is configured to support desired file extension by posting that file on a server and navigating to the URL of that in a browser. If you see a LONG string of garbage on the screen or 404 not found error, your server isn't set up for that file and needs to have the MIME type set up.

Go to Start Menu » Administrative Tools » Internet Information Services, it will bring up IIS Snap-in. If Administrative Tools are not displaying in Start Menu refer to this article "Customize your Start Menu" or go to Control Panel and click on Administrative Tools.

Now IIS Snap-in is open, on the left pan "XXXX (local computer)", where XXXX is your computer/server name, click Web Sites and right click on any website (in my case it is gikso) and clickProperties.

Select HTTP Headers tab and click File Types (bottom right), it will bring up File Types window.

Click New Type and add new file type. Let me take .dmg file extension as example. Enter .dmg inAssociated extension and application/x-apple-diskimage in Content type (MIME) and press enter or click OK

New extension will be appear ... click OK twice and close IIS Snap-in, verify new extension by navigating to the file having .dmg file extension in a browser.

Disable Display Properties in Windows XP

Google definition: Group Policy is a feature of the Microsoft Windows NT family of operating systems. Group Policy is a set of rules which control the working environment of user accounts and computer accounts.

Lets do some useful tricks with gpedit.msc, open Run box, click Start Menu and click Run or useWindow Key+R combination, type gpedit.msc to open a Group Policy window.

I am going to disable Display Properties to restrict user not to change any thing related to Display Properties, like desktop wallpaper, screen saver, skin or theme, appearance, power options etc. So, on the left panel of Group Policy click Administrative Templates » Control Panel » Display, on the right side look for Remove Display in Control panel.

Double click or right click and select Properties to modify current settings, check "Enabled" radio box, click Apply to save settings. You changes will take immediate effect without system reboot or log off.

Now when you want to open Display Properties, system will show following notification.

You can do more fun with gpedit.msc to restrict peoples while using your PC or notebook having Windows XP installed :)