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--- windows_tips_tricks_and_notes [2024/12/25 08:58] – mike
+++ windows_tips_tricks_and_notes [2025/02/25 09:58] (current) – mike
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Windows Tips, Tricks and Notes ======
 ----
+~~NOTOC~~
 ===== Windows 10 annoyances and how to overcome them =====
@@ Line 8: / Line 10: @@
   * Uncheck the “Show me the Windows welcome experience after updates…”, “Suggest ways I can finish setting up my device…” and “Get tips, tricks and suggestions…” items under Notifications.
+=== End the automatic upgrade/automatic reboot madness ===
+Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)\\
+Navigate to the following path:
+  Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update
+Change the following 3 settings:
+**Configure Automatic Updates** -> Enabled, 4 - Auto download and schedule the install\\
+**Configure auto-restart required notification for updates** -> Enabled, 2 - User Action\\
+**No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations** -> Enabled\\
+=== Require username to be specified at logon (disable user listing) ===
+Open the Local Policy app (secpol)\\
+Navigate to **Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Interactive Logon: Don’t display last signed-in** and set to Enabled.
+=== Enable ICMP ===
+Open a command window in Administrator mode and enter the following command:
+  netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="ICMP Allow incoming V4 echo request" protocol=icmpv4:8,any dir=in action=allow
+=== Disable "helpful" reminders to login to a Microsoft Account (insert puke emoji here) ===
+Open the Group Policy Editor\\
+Navigate to **User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Account Notifications**\\
+Set **Turn off account notifications in Start** to **Enabled**
+----
+===== How Windows determines whether or not the machine has internet access =====
+Windows attempts to download a file from a dedicated Web server. Depending on which version of Windows, it’s ''http://www.msftncsi.com/ncsi.txt'' or ''http://www.msftconnecttest.com/connecttest.txt''. If the download is successful and contains the correct contents, then Windows concludes that you have full Internet access.
+If something goes wrong, Windows will report either limited or no Internet access, depending on what exactly went wrong.
+More details on this are available [[https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/networking/internet-explorer-edge-open-connect-corporate-public-network|here]].
 ----
-===== Ways to personalize Windows 10 without activating it =====
+===== Personalizing a non-activated Windows 10 system =====
 === Disable Taskbar Button Grouping with Group Policy ===
@@ Line 20: / Line 54: @@
 === Setting Desktop Wallpaper via Group Policy ===
-Start the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)\\
+Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)\\
 Navigate to ''Local Computer Policy -> User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Desktop -> Desktop''\\
 Select 'Desktop Wallpaper'\\
@@ Line 28: / Line 62: @@
 Wallpaper modification will take effect on the next login.
+=== Setting Desktop Wallpaper using Registry Editor ===
+Open the Registry Editor app.\\
+Navigate to //Policies// in //HKCU//.\\
+Right-click on Policies > New > Key.\\
+Name it as //System//.\\
+Right-click on System > New > String Value.\\
+Name it as //Wallpaper//.\\
+Double-click on it and enter the wallpaper path.\\
+Right-click on System > New > String Value.\\
+Name it as //WallpaperStyle//.\\
+Double-click on it to set a Value data; the values below are valid:
+- Center
+- Tile
+- Stretch
+- Fit
+- Fill
+- Span
+Click OK to save the change.
+Wallpaper modification will take effect on the next login.
+=== Removing the wallpaper ===
+In case you want to remove this wallpaper, navigate to the following path:
+  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
+And right-click on **Policies > Delete**. Then, confirm the change by clicking the Delete button again.
+----
+===== Helpful Commands and Procedures =====
+==== Creating/extracting files with 7-Zip ====
+=== Create or add to an archive: ===
+z a -p <zipfile name> <file(s) to add>
+=== Create an archive, recursing the directory specified: ===
+z a -rp <zipfile name> <file(s) to add>
+=== Extract the archive: ===
+z x <zipfile name>
+==== Resurrecting a USB Stick ====
+Connect your flash drive to the computer at first, and make sure it can be detected.
+. Click “start” and type “command prompt”.
+. Then, right click “command prompt” and select “run as administrator”.
+. After that, type “diskpart” and press “Enter”. Then execute the below commands in turn:
+    list disk
+    select disk n
+    clean
+    create partition primary
+    format fs=fat32 quick: If you want to format to NTFS, type “format fs=ntfs quick”.
+{{:cmd.jpg?600|}}
+==== Bulk Installation of Programs ====
+Visit www.ninite.com
+==== Checking a file's hash ====
+  certutil -hashfile c:\Users\YourUserName\Desktop\wire.exe SHA256