Windows:

-- Control Panel:

--- Accessibility Options: access.cpl

--- Add/Remove Programs: appwiz.cpl

--- Automatic Updates Control Panel: wuaucpl.cpl

--- Automatic Updates Manager: XP: wupdmgr.exe Vista: wuapp.exe

--- Bluetooth Properties: bthprops.cpl

--- Display Properties: desk.cpl

--- Firewall Properties: firewall.cpl

--- Game Controllers: joy.cpl

--- Internet Options: inetcpl.cpl

--- iSCSI Initiator: iscsicpl.cpl

--- Java Control Panel: jpicpl32.cpl

--- Licensing Mode: liccpa.cpl

--- Mouse Properties: main.cpl

--- Network Connections: ncpa.cpl

--- Network Setup Wizard: netsetup.cpl

--- ODBC Properties: odbccp32.cpl

--- Power Options: powercfg.cpl

--- Regional and Language Options: intl.cpl

--- Sound and Audio Devices: mmsys.cpl

--- Stored Passwords: keymgr.cpl

--- System Properties: keymgr.cpl

--- Telephone and Modem Properties: telephon.cpl

--- Time and Date Settings: timedate.cpl

--- User Accounts: nusrmgr.cpl

--- Windows Security Center: wscui.cpl

--- Wireless Link: irprops.cpl

-- Other Apps or Commands:

• Component Services: C:\WINDOWS\system32\Com\comexp.msc
  
  
• Computer Management: %SystemRoot%\system32\compmgmt.msc /s
  
  
• Data Sources (ODBC)Properties: %SystemRoot%\system32\odbcad32.exe
  
  
• Event Viewer: %SystemRoot%\system32\eventvwr.msc /s
  
  
• Local Security Policy: %SystemRoot%\system32\secpol.msc /s
  
  
• Lock Windows (I like to make a "porn" shortcut with it): %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
  
  
• Performance: %SystemRoot%\system32\perfmon.msc /s
  
  
• Reboot Windows straight into safemode: msconfig > boot.ini > place check in /SAFEBOOT, /NOGUIBOOT, /BOOTLOG, /BASEVIDEO, /SOS. You can use combinations of these switches if you wish.
• - Other nifty commands in there: /NOGUIBOOT (bootcfg /addsw/ NG/ ID 1): suppresses all bit-mapped graphics during the boot process, including the splash screen and progress bar that precede the logon prompt and the blue background of a bug check screen.
• --Can't get into windows? Edit the boot.ini directly: append to the line [multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect] the any of the following items:
  
• --- /safeboot:[minimal, network, minimal, dsrepair (Domain controllers only).
• --- /noguiboot
• --- /bootlog
• --- /basevideo
• --- /sos
  
  
• --- Remote Desktop Connection: mstsc
  
  
• --- Reset TCP/IP Protocol: netsh int ip reset PATH\resetlog.txt
  
  
• --- Services: %SystemRoot%\system32\services.msc /s
  
  
• --- Shutdown or Reboot Windows: shutdown [-r -s -t ##]
  
  
• --- Start up: msconfig
  
  
• --- System Information: from a command line window run "systeminfo"
  
  
• --- Task Manager: taskmgr.exe
  
  

• --Change RDP (Remote Desktop Connection) Listening Port, XP & Vista: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber. Don't forget to update your firewall.
• --Change the default locaiton of PST and OST files via registry hack: HKEY_ CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook > create a new expandable string value named ForcePSTPath > set it to the path to the folder in which you want Outlook to create .ost and .pst files. You can use environment variables, such as %userprofile%, to specify the path.

• -- hosts file:
• --- Win 9x/ME: c:\windows\hosts
• --- Win NT/2000/XP Pro: c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts (I found this on some website. I don't know how accurate it is. XP puts it here:
• --- Win XP Pro / Home: c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
• -- OST and PST Files: C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
• -- boot.ini: c:\ This file is typically hidden.

• You cannot turn on Automatic Updates on a computer with XP SP2 installed: This comes from KB 916261. Visit c:\windows\inf\ right click on AU > click install > browse > navigate to c:\windows\ServicePackFiles\i386\ > click OK > Automatic Updates should reinstall > reboot PC.
• You have trouble installing applications on Windows: I tried this fix upon receiving the error "can not find acroread.msi". It worked great and might be something to try if you fear that a previous install of the software has failed. First visit microsoft's website and download and install their Windows Installer Cleanup Utility > Under the "Programs" menu option run the "Windows Install Cleanup" application > Look for the title of the applicaiton that failed on a previous install attempt (in this case, Adobe's Acrobat Reader) > BE CAUTIOUS TO ONLY DELETE THE APPLICATION THAT YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE INSTALLING > Once you have selected everything you want to uninstall click "Remove" at the bottom of the box > Go into Add/Remove programs (appwiz.cpl) and see if the application you want removed is actually gone > try reinstalling the application that gave you trouble in the first place.
• Some updates could not be installed: For more inforamtion on this, you can visit KB 943144 which will have you do this 1st: click start > run > type cmd > click OK > type net stop wuauserv > type regsvr32 %windir%\system32\wups2.dll (regsvr32 %windir%\syswow64\wups2.dll if using 64 bit Windows) > ENTER > then run net start wuauserv > exit command prompt. You probably don't have to reboot, but I usually do because I'm silly like that. THEN, if that fails, try downloading and installing the Windows Update Agent.
• "Access Denied" error message when upgrading Windows to SP3: Back up your registry > check to see if subinacl.exe is installed, if not download it from Microsoft.com > create a file called reset.cmd with notepad > fill it with the following content for
  
  XP Home use this:
  
  cd /d "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Resource Kits\Tools"
  
  subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
  subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
  subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
  subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
  subinacl /subdirectories %windir%\*.* /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
  
  
  XP Pro use this:
  
  cd /d "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Resource Kits\Tools"
  
  subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
  subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
  subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
  subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
  subinacl /subdirectories %windir%\*.* /grant=administrators=f /grant=system=f
  
  secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\repair\secsetup.inf /db secsetup.sdb /verbose
  
  Then run the "reset.cmd" file. Note that this file can take a very long time to run, may toss a lot of errors, and might even make your PC speaker go beep for long periods of time. I suggest not running it with the baby sleeping near by > When the program is finished running rebbot > run Windows Update again (wupdmgr.exe).
• "free up disk space, outlook Express can compact messages": I kept getting this message on startup. I don't use Outlook Express and OE was not in my startup programs. As it turns out, the problem was with Microsoft's Desktop Search. It tried to index Outlook Express for me. Right click on the search icon in the system tray > Index Options > Modify > take the check out of all the selections releated to Outlook Express.

• 6005: This denotes when the logging service was started. This is a good indicator that Windows is being started.
• 6006: This denotes when the logging service has stopped. This is a good indicator that Windows is being shut down.