Windows Tricks
Overcoming Installation Problems
Overcoming Damage Done by a Windows 10 Update
Managing Serial Ports and USB ports
Configuring Windows to not automatically power down USB ports
Changing the COM port number that Windows assigns to a USB-to-serial-port adaptor
Resetting a Serial Port's RTS and DTR Signals when Windows Starts
Time Synchronization
Improving Appearance
Recovering a window that is no longer visible on your monitor
Preventing Windows from reducing the resolution of an application's windows
Improving Performance
- Make sure your anti-malware applications (firewall, anti-virus) applications are considered "safe"
- failure to do this can result in long startup delays
see Booting Windows into Safe Mode with Networking below
- Investigating resource utilization: CPU cycles, memory, mass storage, networking
- Defragment your Hard Drive
If the printer selected on DXKeeper's QSL Configuration window's Printer tab is not local, make sure the printer is accessible; otherwise, DXKeeper's startup time may be significantly increased.
Using memory in your storage device to speed up your PC running Windows 7
Using Multiple Monitors
Booting Windows into Safe Mode with Networking
One way to determine whether applications or services being automatically started by Windows is to boot (restart) Windows into Safe Mode with Networking. In this mode, only basic device drivers are loaded, and no applications or services are automatically started. Serial ports and USB devices won't be operational, but a DXLab application that starts up promptly in Safe Mode with Networking but takes much longer to start up when Windows has been booted normally indicates that one of the applications or services by automatically started by Windows is responsible for the behavior.
To boot Windows 2000, NT, Vista, XP, 7, or 8 into Safe Mode with Networking, follow these instructions
To boot Windows 10 into Safe Mode with Networking, follow these instructions
Controlling Windows and Anti-Malware Updates
Configure Windows and Anti-Malware applications to automatically download updates, but to not automatically install them. When you see that updates are available, direct Windows to create a restore point. After installing the updates, verify that your DXLab applications continue to work correctly. If there's a problem and you're using Windows 10, follow these instructions to revert to the previous version; on other flavors of Windows, revert to the restore point you created.
Out of the box, Windows 10 cannot be stopped from downloading and installing updates.
This article explains how to use the Local Group Policy Editor to configure Windows 10 Professional to download new updates and notify you of their availability, but wait for you to initiate installation
This article explains how to remove problematic updates that have already been installed, and how to prevent specific updates from being installed. The Show or Hide Updates tool mentioned in this article is available from Microsoft via https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3073930.
How to Uninstall and Block Updates and Drivers on Windows 10
How to temporarily prevent a driver update from reinstalling in Windows 10
Viewing Windows Event Logs
Updating Windows Root Certificates
- Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 automatically update their Root Certificates; no user action is required.
Correcting Damaged Shell Folders Like %AppData%
Registering DLL and OCX components
Advanced Tricks
- Pushing the Limits of Windows (Russinovich)