WINDOWS: Skip 'Open With Web Service' Window

When you try to open a file and you haven't set a handler for a file extension, a window pops up in XP saying:

"Windows cannot open this file:"
To open this file, Windows needs to know what program created it. Windows can go online to look it up automatically, or you can manually select from a list of programs on your computer.
What do you want to do?
- Use the Web service to find the appropriate program
- Select the program from a list

This is really irritating because no one would ever want to use 'the Web Service' anyway. BTW Microsoft, look up Web Service at wikipedia.

To skip that step, make a file with the following contents, and open it and the registry setting will be automatically imported into your system.

skipOpenWithWebService.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"InternetOpenWith"=dword:00000000

source(s): http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/1314/

C++: Edit The Registry in Borland C++ Builder 5

#include <registry.hpp>//put this line in your header file

void MakeSerKey(String gSerial)
{
   TRegistry *Reg = new TRegistry();

   Reg->RootKey = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE;
   if(!Reg->KeyExists("SOFTWARE\\TestSoftware"))
   {
       if(!Reg->CreateKey("Software\\TestSoftware"))
       {
           ShowMessage("Can't Create Key","Error",MB_OK);
           delete Reg;
           return;
       }

       try
       {
           if(Reg->OpenKey("Software\\TestSoftware",FALSE))
           {
               Reg->WriteString("SERIAL",gSerial);
               Reg->CloseKey();
           }
           else
           { 
               ShowMessage("Registry RootDir error");
           }
           Reg->CloseKey();
       }
       catch(ERegistryException &E)
       {
           ShowMessage(E.Message);
           delete Reg;
           return;
       }
   }
   delete Reg;
}

void UpdateSerKey(String gSerial)
{
   TRegistry *Reg = new TRegistry();

   Reg->RootKey = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE;
   if(Reg->KeyExists("SOFTWARE\\TestSoftware"))
   {
       try
       {
           if(Reg->OpenKey("Software\\TestSoftware",FALSE))
           {
               Reg->WriteString("SERIAL",gSerial);
               Reg->CloseKey();
           }
           else
           {
               ShowMessage("Can't open key.");
           }
           Reg->CloseKey();
       }
       catch(ERegistryException &E)
       {
           ShowMessage(E.Message);
           delete Reg;
           return;
       }
   }
   delete Reg;
}

REG: Remove Dangling Shared Folders in XP

Problem:
On my local area network (LAN) in windows, I had shared a folder, then deleted it. From another machine, it still shows that the folder is shared, yet is inaccessible, how can I remove it?

Solution:
Windows settings are in the registry editor. This includes shared folders which are just keys in the registry.

In Windows, in your Start Menu, click on [Run], type "regedit" and click OK. Using the registry key below, you can find your a registry entry for your shared folder. Remove the registry entry/key with your shared folder's name and it will remove the shared folder.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SYSTEM
\ControlSet001
\Services
\lanmanserver
\Shares

REG: Missing System Tray Icons in Windows XP

If you google the topic you will find this link:
http://www.techzonez.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-16911.html

It looks all professional, but it isn't actually helpful.

The cause of the problem for me was when I was setting automatic login on my laptop to true (with a password), then later going in and disabling the automatic login.

I did however find a solution.

In your registry editor, search for keys named "NoTrayItemsDisplay", and delete them.
ie:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SOFTWARE
\Microsoft
\Windows
\CurrentVersion
\Policies
\Explorer
"NoTrayItemsDisplay"=dword:00000000

or 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\SOFTWARE
\Microsoft
\Windows
\CurrentVersion
\Policies
\Explorer
"NoTrayItemsDisplay"=binary:00000000

source: http://www.techzonez.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-16911.html

REG: Remove WMP Explorer Shell Extensions

HARD WAY:
Remove Windows Media Player (WMP) Explorer Shell Extensions From the Context Menu

Go into your registry editor, and remove the following keys to remove "Add to Playlist" from your context menu for video files.

This may also be done for:
Add to Now Playing List
Add to Sync List
Add to Burn List
Play on My TV

;Remove Add to Now Playing List and Add to Playlist for WMV files
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WMVFile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\WMPAddToPlaylist]

;Remove Add to Now Playing List and Add to Playlist for MPEG AND MPG Files
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mpegfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\WMPAddToPlaylist]

;Remove Add to Now Playing List and Add to Playlist for ASF Files
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ASFFile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\WMPAddToPlaylist]

;Remove Add to Now Playing List and Add to Playlist for Avi Files
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AVIFile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\WMPAddToPlaylist]

;This key also needs to be removed along with any of the 4 keys above
;It is found in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
[...root\SystemFileAssociations\video\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\WMPAddToPlaylist]

You can do the same for audio files.

EASY WAY:
download ShellExView and disable WMP extensions.