XP Secrets file:///E:/My%20Documents%20and%20Settings/New%20folder/My...

XP Secrets
XP Secrets - Secrets Hidden in Windows XP

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Easter Eggs (Definition) - A hidden message or feature in an application. This guide covers unknown
features in Windows XP, some are carryovers from older versions of Windows, all were tested in Windows XP
only. Windows XP is still supported by Microsoft through April 8,
2014 <http://www.populartechnology.net/2009/05/windows-xp-supported-until-2014.html>.

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Notes - This is not a performance related guide, use the Optimize XP Guide <http://home.comcast.net/~SupportCD
/OptimizeXP.html> to improve system performance and the Diagnose XP Guide <http://home.comcast.net
/~SupportCD/DiagnoseXP.html> to troubleshoot a system problem. Technically, Windows XP does not include any
easter eggs - "to supply certain government agencies with software, Microsoft can't include undocumented
features, including Easter eggs". - WindowsITPro <http://windowsitpro.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=23057> -
Microsoft <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/chats/transcripts/bottchat.mspx>

Legal Notice - Reproduction of this page in whole or in part is strictly forbidden. This guide and ALL
versions thereof are protected by copyright under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
<http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf>. Feel free to link to this Guide.

Application Secrets

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Defrag

Secret - Hidden Command Line Switch

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Instructions - Go to "Start", "Run" and Type defrag c: -b to defragment the Boot and Application Prefetch
information.

Notes - Windows XP will run this automatically every three days or so, during system idle periods. BootVis will
evoke this when you run the "Optimize System" function. There is no need to manually run this unless you wish
to immediately optimize a newly installed application's load time.

IExpress

Secret - Hidden Install Creator

Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type iexpress - Source <http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/ie/ieak

/techinfo/deploy/60/en/iexpress.mspx?mfr=true>

Notes - IExpress is a technology designed to simplify creation of a setup program. Using the step-by-step
IExpress Wizard, you can create self-extracting files that automatically run the setup program contained inside.
The setup program can be an .inf file or an executable program. IExpress technology automatically removes the
setup files after installation, saving the user time and frustration.

MS-DOS Editor

Secret - Hidden Text Editor

Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type edit - Source <http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=466>

Notes - Windows XP comes with another text editor besides Notepad - it's called the MS-DOS Editor, and it's
commonly referred to simply as Edit. It has features similar to Notepad, as well as additional features such as
the ability to work with multiple text files and change the background and text colors.

Netmeeting

Secret - Hidden Internet Conference Application

Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type conf - Source <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298327>

Notes - Windows XP is the last version of Microsoft Windows to include NetMeeting. NetMeeting delivers a
complete Internet conferencing solution for all Windows users with multi-point data conferencing, text chat,
whiteboard, and file transfer, as well as point-to-point audio and video.

Notepad

Secret - Create a Log File

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Instructions - Launch Notepad, Type .LOG on the first line, and then press Enter to move to the next line. On
the File menu, click Save As, type a descriptive name for your file in the File name box, and then click OK.
When you next open the file, note that the date and time have been appended to the end of the log, immediately
preceding the place where new text can be added. You can use this functionality to automatically add the current
date and time to each log entry. - Source <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/260563>

Paint

Secret - Image Trails

Instructions - Open an image and hold down Shift then drag the image around to create an image trail.

Secret - 10x Zoom

Instructions - Open an image and select the magnifying glass icon. Left-Click exactly on the line below the 8x.

Private Character Editor

Secret - Hidden Font Editor

Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type eudcedit - Source <http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation

/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/app_start_character_editor.mspx?mfr=true>

Notes - You can use Private Character Editor to create unique letters and logos for your font library.

Windows Chat

Secret - Hidden Windows Chat Program

Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type winchat - Source <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308232>

Notes - You can use Windows Chat on your computer to communicate with someone on another computer. Both
computers must be connected to the same network (for example, a local area network [LAN] or the Internet).
Also, each computer must be running a similar protocol, such as TCP/IP.

Windows Media Player 5.1

Secret - Hidden Windows Media Player

Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type mplay32

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Windows Media Player 6.4

Secret - Hidden Windows Media Player

Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type mplayer2 - Source <http://support.microsoft.com/KB/272487>

Notes - Windows Media Player 6.4 (Classic) is installed along with Windows Media Player 7. The only update
is that it now supports the latest codecs.

Game Secrets

FreeCell

Secret - Instant Win

Instructions - Hold down Ctrl + Shift + F10 during game play. Then you will be asked if you want to Abort,
Retry or Ignore. Choose Abort, then move any card to instantly win.

Secret - Hidden Game Modes

Instructions - In the "Game" menu choose "Select Game". Enter -1 or -2 to activate the hidden game modes.

Hearts

Secret - Show All Cards

Instructions - Go to Start, Run, Type: 'Regedit', OK. Edit this registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Hearts

Right click on the Hearts folder, select New, String Value and name it ZB. Right-click on ZB, select Modify and
enter a Value Data of 42, OK and close Regedit. Start Hearts (not Internet Hearts). Once in a game Press Ctrl +
Alt + Shift + F12 to show all the cards.

Background - This secret is a reference to Douglas Adams' book the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. 'ZB' is
the initials of the character Zaphod Beeblebrox, the Galactic President. '42' is the answer to The Ultimate
Question Of Life, the Universe and Everything.

Minesweeper

Secret - Reveal Mines

Instructions - Minimize or close all running applications. Launch Minesweeper, then type xyzzy. Next hold
down either shift key for one second. Now when you move the mouse cursor over a Minesweeper square you
will see a tiny white pixel in the top left corner of your desktop screen. This pixel will change to black when
your mouse moves over a mine. You may need to change you desktop background to a solid color other than

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white or black to see the pixel.

Secret - Stop Timer

Instructions - Launch Minesweeper and start a game so the timer starts counting, then press the Windows Key
+ D to show the desktop. Now when you select minesweeper from the taskbar you can continue playing with
the timer stopped.

Pinball

Secret - Extra Balls

Instructions - Type 1max at the start of a new ball to get extra balls.

Secret - Gravity Well

Instructions - Type gmax at the start of a new game to activate the Gravity Well.

Secret - Instant Promotion

Instructions - Type rmax at the start of a new game to go up in ranks.

Secret - Skill Shot

Instructions - Launch the ball partially up the chute past the third yellow light bar so it falls back down to get
75,000 points. There are six yellow light bars that are worth a varying amount of points:

First: 15,000 points

Second: 30,000 points
Third: 75,000 points
Fourth: 30,000 points
Fifth: 15,000 points
Sixth: 7,500 points

Secret - Test Mode

Instructions - Type hidden test at the start of a new ball to activate Test Mode. No notification will be given
that this is activated but you can now left-click the mouse button and drag the ball around. While in test mode
press the following keys for more secrets:

H - Get a 1,000,000,000 High Score

M - Shows the amount of system memory
R - Increases your rank in game
Y - Shows the Frames/sec rate

Secret - Unlimited Balls

Instructions - Type bmax at the start of a new ball. No notification will be given that this is activated but when
a ball is lost a new ball will appear from the yellow wormhole indefinitely. Once this is activated you will be

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unable to activate other secrets without restarting the game.

Solitaire

Secret - Instant Win

Instructions - Press Alt + Shift + 2 during game play to instantly win.

Secret - Draw single cards in a Draw Three game

Instructions - Hold down CTRL + ALT + SHIFT while drawing a new card. Instead of drawing three cards
you will only draw one.

OS Secrets

Add/Remove

Secret - Hidden Uninstall Options

Instructions - Warning: Proceed at your own risk! Browse to C:\Windows\inf\ and make a backup copy of
sysoc.inf. Then open the original file C:\Windows\inf\sysoc.inf in notepad. Go to "Edit" and select "Replace".
In "Find what:" type ,hide and in "Replace with:" type , then select "Replace All", save and close the file. Go to
the "Control Panel", "Add/Remove", select "Add/Remove Windows Components". You will now see many
more Windows components to uninstall. Do not remove anything with no label or that you do not recognize or
fully understand what it does. Doing so can break certain functionality in Windows.

Control Panel

Secret - Hidden Control Panel Extensions

Instructions - Download and install TweakUI <http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/c/a/fca6767b-9ed9-45a6-

b352-839afb2a2679/TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe>, launch, go to "Control Panel" and check any item not selected,
then "Apply" and "OK". You will now see the hidden control panel extensions.

Device Manager

Secret - Hidden Devices

Instructions - Go to the "Control Panel", "System" icon, "Hardware" tab and select "Device Manager". Select
"View" and Show hidden devices.

Secret - Phantom Devices

Instructions - Go to "Start", "Programs", "Accessories" and select "Command Prompt". At the command

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prompt, type "set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1" and press Enter. At the command prompt, type "start
devmgmt.msc" and press Enter. Select "View" and Show hidden devices. You can see devices that are not
connected to the computer. - Source <http://support.microsoft.com/?id=315539>

Notes - When you close the command prompt window, Windows clears the
"devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1" variable that you set and prevents phantom devices from being
displayed when you select "Show hidden devices".

MIDI Files

Secret - Hidden MIDI Files

Instructions - Browse to C:\Windows\Media and you will find 3 hidden MIDI files:

flourish.mid
onestop.mid
town.mid

Notes - "MIDI" stands for "Musical Instrument Digital Interface" - A compression format for encoding music.

Music

Secret - Music from the Installer

Instructions - Browse to C:\Windows\system32\oobe\images\title.wma and play.

Notes - "OOBE" stands for "Out-of-Box Experience".

Shutdown

Secret - Display Hibernate Option on the Shut Down dialog

Instructions - Go to "Start", "Turn Off Computer..." and press either Shift key to change the "Stand By" button
to "Hibernate".

Support Tools

Secret - Over 100 Windows XP Support Utilities are on the install CD

Instructions for Pre-SP2 users - If you do not have SP2 (Service Pack Version 2) installed, put the original
Windows XP CD in the CD-ROM Drive, run the D:\Support\Tools\setup.exe file.

Instructions for SP2 users - If you have SP2 (Service Pack Version 2) installed, Download the Windows XP

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Service Pack 2 Support Tools <http://www.microsoft.com/downloads

/details.aspx?FamilyId=49AE8576-9BB9-4126-9761-BA8011FABF38&displaylang=en> and install.

End
This page will be revised as new Secrets are discovered and added. Feel free to submit suggestions or comments
to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]?subject=XP%20Secrets%20Comment>. Do not send
Technical Support Questions.

The following are not secrets, do not submit them:

C:\Windows\clock.avi
C:\Windows\0.log - "0" file

The following are Myths, do not submit them:

'CON' Folder <http://home.comcast.net/~SupportCD/XPMyths.html#Secret> - 'CON' is a reserved file name so is

AUX, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, PRN and NUL.
Notepad Phrases <http://home.comcast.net/~SupportCD/XPMyths.html#Secret> - This is an encoding issue, any
combination of characters in the same order 4-3-3-5 will cause the same problem.
Telnet Star Wars <http://home.comcast.net/~SupportCD/XPMyths.html#Secret> - No hidden version of Star Wars
exists in Windows. These can be viewed online at ASCIIMATION.co.nz <http://www.asciimation.co.nz/>. To
prove this does not exist disconnect your internet connection from your computer and try it again.

www.OptimizeGuides.com <http://www.optimizeguides.com/>

Author: Andrew K
Modified: 1-27-2010
Markup: XHTML 1.0 Transitional
Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrew K. All Rights Reserved.

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