Windows Vista's Aero looks and effects are generally nice to look at, but when you're trying to squeeze the last bit of power and life out of a battery, or just running some memory-hungry stuff, you don't always need them. Windows Vista Magazine details a registry hack you can make to add "Aero On" and "Aero Off" shortcuts to your desktop right-click menu, making it simple and quick to toggle the fancier stuff (it's the second major tip, about 1/3 down the page). We've already shown how to disable Aero for particular programs, but this trick might work better for working on the go, gaming, or other situations where you need to cut out the whiz-bang stuff.

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If you're a veteran Windows XP user, you're familiar with the "helpful" count of your unread email messages you'll find at the login screen—which is usually wrong or overstated (my screenshot came from a fresh install of Thunderbird). The Online Tech Tips blog shows how to eliminate this stress-inducing reminder through a registry hack. Readers comfortable tweaking in regedit can find the values and instructions at the link below; those who don't mind installing a free (and very handy) power-user program can accomplish the same thing using TweakUI (here's where to look once you've busted out this power tool).

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When icons start disappearing from Windows Vista's system tray—like the networking, volume control, or time display—and you can't restore them from the standard options menus, the itch to re-install can be strong indeed. The How-To Geek, however, finds the balm for disappearing Vista icons in the registry, where a few key options need to be deleted to restore your system tray to functionality. Hit the link for instructions on how to kill out the options yourself, or download a registry hack that does it for you.

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Microsoft Outlook has three "risk levels" it can apply to attached files, which determines whether it warns you before downloading, tries its best to block you entirely, or just lets a file be grabbed without comment. If it doesn't know what kind of file is attached, however, it prompts, which can be annoying for workers who regularly pass around certain file types. The gHacks tech blog explains how you can set Outlook to see files of any kind as low-risk, through a registry hack. Details of the hack after the jump, but be sure to back up your registry before marching forward.

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If you use Windows' built-in feature that groups similar program windows on the taskbar, you've noticed it only works when you've launched enough windows to fill the taskbar. The CyberNet blog offers up a customisable registry tweak that activates the grouping with just two or more windows open. Not everyone enjoys the grouping function, as it was downgraded to a non-default setting in Vista, but for those who do, the hack can be a real helper. You can download a registry fix file at the link below, or make the change yourself at the following key:

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Windows only: Windows utility TweakNow puts a friendly interface on the most common registry settings on your PC, complete with an Undo button. Tweak your Start menu, Control Panel, Desktop, user acounts, and other settings using TweakNow, which shields you from the decidedly not-fun and risky undertaking that is editing the registry by hand. This looks particularly useful for locking down a PC for the kids—for instance, you can use it to disable access to the Control Panel and desktop context menus. TweakNow is a free download for non-commercial use, Windows only.

Whenever Windows XP or Vista run across a file type the system doesn't recognise (regardless of whether you do or not), the user is prompted with either selecting a program to open it or to "Use the Web service to find the correct program"—which has yet to work even once, at least for me. The How-To Geek shows how to disable this prompt and head straight to the program selector, using a quick registry hack.

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Despite its slim profile and Windows 3.1-style interface, Notepad is a tool that Windows users have come to know and love, using it for all manner of tweaking, quick editing, and other tasks. The How-To Geek explains a pretty simple registry hack that lets you add "Open with Notepad" to the right-click context menu anywhere in Windows, saving most of us a few screens' worth of clicking through the "Open with ..." dialogs. We've previously show how to accomplish the same kind of tweak with the freeware apps Sent to Notepad and the larger Send To Toys, but the Geek's solution requires no extra software and just a little bit of registry hacking (which means, of course, it's time to make a backup). Follow the link for instructions, or a file that can add the right key for you.

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