This is the first version of Dacris TweakWiz. Dacris TweakWiz provides an interface to the most common registry entries. Although it is a final version, it might still contain a few bugs. Currently known issues include:

Processor	486 (Pentium recommended)
Memory (RAM)	16 MB (32 MB with speech features)
Hard Disk Space	5 MB (10 or more with Agent)
Operating System	Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me/XP*
Other (Software, etc.)	A web browser and a high color display card

Microsoft Agent is installed automatically during Dacris TweakWiz's installation. If it is not installed, Dacris TweakWiz will automatically prompt you to download it at startup.

NOTE: This software is provided 'as is' without any warranty of any sort. Dacris Software is not to be held responsible for any damage that may be caused by this software.

In order for the Dacris TweakWiz dialogs to be displayed properly, you should have the Tahoma font installed. You can install it by downloading Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, by installing Office 97 or later, or by upgrading to Windows 98 or a later version. If you don't have it, Dacris TweakWiz will still run, but the fonts will not look as they should.

Simple! Run 'Twkfull.exe', downloaded from the website ( www.dacris.com/twkfull.exe )

Settings Explanation

Minimize Animation
This is the animation that occurs when windows are minimized or restored. Disabling it is recommended.

Smooth Scrolling
This improves the jagged scrolling effect, adding extra scrolling instructions between one line and the next. This makes the scrolling appear smoother. Enabling this setting is recommended, since it doesn't take away system resources. Available in all versions of Windows.

Window Shadows
In Windows XP, this option enables or disables the drop shadow effect for every window. Drop shadows are alpha-blended shadows drawn underneath windows to make them appear to stand out. It is recommended that you enable this setting only if you have a powerful system.

Flat Menus
In Windows XP, this option enables the new method of drawing menus, using the visual style's bitmaps. This gives menus custom selection bitmaps and borders. It should be enabled for powerful, skin-capable systems.

Drag Full Windows
This option sets the full window dragging option. Rather than displaying just a border of the window, Windows draws the whole window as you drag it. This option should be enabled with fast graphics cards. This option works on all versions of Windows.

Pointer Shadow
In Windows 2000 and Me, this option sets the drop shadow underneath the mouse pointer. You should enable it unless you have problems with it.

Mouse Vanish
In Windows Me and XP, this option sets whether the mouse pointer vanishes (disappears) when you type text. It is recommended that you enable this option.

High Color Icons
This option enables the display of icons with 256 colors rather than 16 colors. This option works on all versions of Windows, but Windows 95 without MS Plus or Active Desktop does not have high color icons built-in. 256 color icons can only be viewed at high color or higher modes. Also, in Windows XP, this option also enables/disables 16-bit color alpha-blended icons. It is recommended that you enable this option unless you have a very slow high-color graphics card or system. It is recommended that you log off and back on for this setting to take full effect.

Show Keyboard Cues
In Windows 98 or later, enables/disables the keyboard underlines for menus and controls. If this option is unchecked, menu underlines will only be displayed when the user activates the menu using the keyboard. This option should be unchecked, because it makes controls look nicer.

Menu Selection Fade
This option enables/disables the fading out of a selected menu item after it's been clicked. When this option is checked, the selected menu item remains on the screen and fades out after it's clicked. This option is only available in Windows 2000 or XP. It is recommended that you enable this option unless you have a slow graphics card.

Font Smoothing
Choose the font smoothing type. Font smoothing removes the jagged edges of screen fonts. Available options are: None, Normal, and ClearType (Windows XP only). None disables font smoothing, Normal enables font smoothing only for large TrueType or OpenType fonts. ClearType enables a special method of all the text on the screen. It is recommended that you set this to Normal if you don't have any problems with this option. But, if you have a laptop computer and want to get better quality from the screen, you should set this option to ClearType at the expense of performance.

Menu, List box, Combo Box, and Tool tip animations
In these combo boxes, you can choose which animations to use when displaying, scrolling, or expanding these controls. Options available are: None (Windows 95/NT/98/Me/2000/XP), Slide (Windows 98/Me/2000/XP), Fade (Windows 2000/XP). Set these to your preference.

Menu Speed
This option sets the delay until the popup submenu is displayed after the mouse has been hovering over it. It is recommended that you set this to the lowest possible delay (the Fast setting) for best productivity.

ClearType Contrast
This option sets the contrast between the background and the ClearType smoothed font. Only available on Windows XP and if ClearType smoothing is enabled.

Explorer

Enable IE 4/5 Enhancements
Enables or disables the ActiveDesktop enhancement, such as the Favorites menu, the ability to display folders or the desktop as HTML files, the QuickLaunch bar, and other options. It is recommended that you enable these enhancements. You may disable them only in Windows 95/98/Me. In Windows NT/2000/XP, it will cause problems. You must log off and back on for this setting to take effect.

Shortcut To On New Shortcuts
This option sets whether Windows adds the 'Shortcut To' prefix on new shortcuts. It is recommended that you set this to disabled if you make a lot of shortcuts. This option is available in all versions of Windows. You must log off and back on for this setting to take effect.

Shortcut Arrow Icon
This option sets whether to display the tiny arrow icon for all shortcuts. This affects all users. It is recommended that you leave this on the default setting unless the arrow icons really bother you. This option takes effect immediately.

Detect Accidental Double-Clicks
When this option is enabled, Windows detects accidental double clicks. An accidental double-click occurs when the mouse is clicked once and then clicked twice in a slightly different position (offset of 4 or more pixels). An accidental double-click does not invoke the double-click command. It is recommended that you enable this setting unless it is hard for you to click within the same spot twice.

Use Mouse Wheel for Scrolling
This option enables whether you can use your mouse wheel for scrolling or not. Leave this option on enabled unless you're having erratic scrolling problems with this option enabled, or you don't have a wheel mouse.

Scroll By
Type the number of lines to scroll by when you move the scrolling wheel one notch on your mouse. Set this to your preference. Setting it to 0 disables mouse wheel scrolling.

Clear Document History At Logon
This option sets a startup program, "Clrdocs.exe" by Dacris Software, to run at logon and clear the recent documents list automatically. Set this to disabled to speed up startup time or enabled to keep the document history clean.

Automatically Logon At Startup
If you have one user on your computer and running Windows NT/2000/XP, you may wish to enable this setting to avoid typing in the user name and password every time. Disable it for security. Note: The user name and password are not encrypted!

Display Bitmaps As Thumbnails
The icons of bitmap images become the bitmap image's contents when this option is enabled. This allows the user to view the contents of a bitmap in its icon without opening it. Enable this if you use a lot of bitmap files, otherwise disable it to increase performance.

Restore Open Folders On Restart
Specifies whether Windows Explorer will restore the previously open folders when the computer is restarted. This is useful but takes away startup performance.

Auto-Refresh Explorer Windows
Set this to enabled.

Internet Explorer Caption
Type the title of every Internet Explorer window. This is useful for systems that came preinstalled with a branded version of IE.

Better Auto-Complete
This option has no effect. It is reserved for future versions of TweakWiz.

Remove Outlook Express Splash Screen
Enable this option to hide the Outlook Express startup logo whenever Outlook Express starts. Set this to your preference.

Command Prompt for Folders
When enabled, this option adds a 'Command Prompt Here' menu item to the context menu of folders. This allows quick command line access to that folder. Enable this if you use command prompt a lot.

Hung Application Timeout (In Seconds)
This option sets the amount of time Windows will wait before ending an unresponsive task or displaying the 'End Task' dialog box.

Add/Remove Programs

This feature is useful for removing invalid entries from the Add/Remove Programs list. You can also use it to directly access the Add/Remove Programs list and edit or add new entries. Choose an option from the list and click one of the buttons.

Add New
This option adds a new program to the Add/Remove Programs list. Type in the name and the command line for the uninstall program.

Remove
This option removes the selected entry from the list.

Edit
This option allows you to edit the selected entry, modifying the display name and the command line.

Clear All
This option deletes all the entries in the list. CAUTION! Only use this option if you know what you're doing. Removing all the entries from the list will cause you to be unable to uninstall any programs on your computer. Also, it may not allow you to run certain programs any more such as Microsoft Office.

Startup Programs

This feature is useful for removing useless programs that run automatically at startup. You can also use it to directly access the startup programs and edit an entry or add a new startup program. Choose an option from the list and click one of the buttons.

Add New
This option adds a new program to the list. Type in the name and the command line for the startup program.

Remove
This option removes the selected entry from the list. It is recommended that you remove all the useless startup programs from the list, since they take up memory and CPU resources.

Edit
This option allows you to edit the selected entry, modifying the display name and the command line.

Clear All
This option deletes all the entries in the list. It is quite safe to do this, since the system doesn't depend on startup programs.

Boot Options

Enable Fast Reboot
This option bypasses some shutdown operations in Windows 98/Me.

Turn On Num Lock Key At Reboot
Turns on the num lock light on the keyboard every time the system boots.

Disable Boot Delay
Disables the 3-second delay at the 'Starting Windows [95 / 98]...' message.

Display list of Operating Systems in Windows NT
This option displays the list of operating systems in Windows NT, 2000, and XP at boot. Disable this option to automatically boot to the default operating system on startup. Otherwise, enable this option to view all the startup operating systems.

Clear Page File At Shutdown
This is a security feature in Windows NT/2000/XP that allows Windows to clear the paging file at shutdown to prevent users from viewing its contents. Disable this option unless in a highly secure environment. This option adds a 5-10 second delay in the shutdown process.

Power Off After Shutdown
This option allows Windows to turn off the computer when it has been shut down. Enable this option unless you experience strange reboots at shutdown.

Automatically End Tasks That Are Not Responding
If this option is enabled, Windows bypasses the End Task dialog box and automatically ends the task that is not responding. Be careful! If you set the Hung Application Timeout to 0 seconds and this option to Enabled, Windows NT/2000/XP will no longer boot properly!

Optimize Shutdown Speed
In Windows NT/2000/XP, this option reduces the timeout for shutting down services. By default, Windows takes 20 seconds to shut down all the services. This option reduces that timeout to 5 seconds, effectively speeding up the shut down procedure. Enable this option unless you are having data corruption problems.

Optimize Cache Size
In Windows 95/98/Me, this option allows you to change the default cache size for Windows using the scroll bar. Drag the scroll bar to the desired cache size. Set it to a low size to conserve physical memory or to a large size to speed up hard disk operations.

Large Disk Cache
In Windows NT/2000/XP, you are not allowed to set the cache size precisely. This option allows you to set whether Windows favors the cache over the physical memory or the physical memory over the cache. Large disk cache makes Windows increase the cache as much as possible. If this option is disabled, Windows only allocates a small percentage of the physical memory for caching.

Constant Cache
Windows 95/98/Me: This option sets the minimum cache size and the maximum cache size to be the same size. Recommended if you don't want Windows to automatically increase/decrease the cache size.

Optimize I/O Pages
Windows 2000/NT/XP: Allows you to set the amount of physical memory for Windows to allocate for hard disk operations. By default, this is set to 512 KB. Set it to 1/8 to 1/4 of your RAM size and test the performance of the hard disk to determine which setting is best.

Contiguous File Allocation Size
Windows 95/98/Me: This option sets the minimum amount of contiguous space that Windows allocates for files written to the hard disk. Set this to a higher setting to prevent fragmentation. Set it to a lower setting if you don't have large contiguous spaces on your partition.

Optimize File Name and Path Cache
This option sets the file name and path caches of Windows 95/98/Me to the largest possible setting. Enable if you have lots of RAM.

Optimize CPU L2 Cache
Windows 2000/NT/XP: This option sets the amount of L2 cache of your processor that Windows should use.

Conservative Swapfile Usage
Windows 98/Me: This option sets whether Windows uses the swapfile only when needed or uses it even when there's enough free memory. In Windows 95, this option is always enabled. Set this to enabled in Windows 98/Me to improve performance.

Disable Extra Services
Sets extra Windows services to 'Manual' to save memory and improve startup speed.

Optimize Page File
This option allows you to set the page file size. In Windows NT/2000/XP, this option is disabled. Use the default System control panel applet to set the size under Windows NT/2000/XP. Under Windows 95/98/Me, the size specified for the page file is both the minimum and the maximum, creating a fixed page file. In Windows NT/2000/XP, set the minimum and maximum size to the same value.

Disable NTFS Last Access Update
Disables keeping track of each file's last accessed date. Check this option to improve file system performance, especially on a server.

Disable Paging The NT Executive
Windows NT/2000/XP: When checked, this option keeps the NT Executive in physical memory, making access to the operating system drivers and services faster.

Video and 3-D

Enable Overclocking Support
CAUTION! Enables support for changing the clock speed of the Nvidia video card.

Fix Problems With AMD Athlon
Enables the famous Large Page Minimum fix for AMD Athlon systems with Windows NT/2000/XP and Nvidia video cards.

Optimize Card For
Choose how TweakWiz optimizes the graphics card. Choose Performance, Balance, or Quality.

Enable AGP Fastwrites, Sideband Adressing
These options enable special AGP techniques to get more performance out of the video card.

AGP 4X Support
On some VIA chipsets, enables support for AGP 4X.

Fog Table Emulation
Fixes problems with applications that expect D3D Table Fog support.

Enable V-Sync
Enables synchronization of frame rate to the monitor's refresh rate. Set this to disabled for best performance and quality.

Internet and Network Options

MTU Size
The maximum transmission unit (packet size). Under Windows 95/98/Me, this option sets the MTU size only for one TCP/IP connection, under Windows NT/2000/XP, this option sets the MTU size for all TCP/IP connections.

Receive window multiplier
The maximum number of packets that can be received at once without verification. Large (>64K) receive windows require WinSock 2.0 or later.

TTL
The maximum number of routers before a timeout is reached.

Enable selective acknowledgements
Only verifies certain packets rather than each one. Requires WinSock 2.0 or later.

Priority boost
Raises the priority of TCP/IP to High. This option is available only under Windows NT/2000/XP.

Enable window scaling and timestamp options
Allows the Receive Window to grow/shrink depending on server conditions. Requires WinSock 2.0 or later.

Enable CPU optimizations
Modifies extra settings (such as Send Window) for systems with a fast processor. This option is only available under Windows NT/2000/XP.

Enable path MTU discovery
Enables the negotiation of the best packet size when connection takes place.

Maximum connections
Sets the maximum simultaneous HTTP connections in Internet Explorer. Sets options for HTTP 1.1 servers only.

Enable black hole router detection
Detects invalid routers and uses alternatives.

For more help, the agent in Dacris TweakWiz will assist you.

The Windows Registry

The Windows registry came about with Windows NT in 1993. It contains all the settings in Windows. It was an improvement to INI files because it was stored in only one file and had all the settings in binary which saved space. Here is an explanation of the Windows registry.

Key Name	Description
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT	Contains information about the associated file extensions and registered Windows components (CLSIDs)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE	Contains system-wide information about software installed and hardware configuration. Found in SYSTEM.DAT in Windows 9x/Me or SYSTEM and SOFTWARE in Windows NT/2000/XP.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER	Contains user-specific information about software and most control panel settings. This is probably the safest key to edit values in. If this registry hive becomes corrupt, Windows automatically reloads the default user settings.

To read the Windows registry, applications must use the API functions beginning with 'Reg' or 'SH' (Internet Explorer APIs). To edit the system registry, run the command 'Regedit'.

For trouble-free operation, Windows 98/Me stores several copies of the registry as backups and can revert to any one of them if the registry becomes corrupted. In Windows NT/2000, Windows saves a Last Known Good configuration of the last successful startup.

Troubleshooting

For troubleshooting information consult your Windows help or manual or send a support request.
To restore a previously saved backup of your settings in TweakWiz, choose 'Restore original settings' from the main screen and click 'Go'.
To back up the current settings, choose 'Back up current settings' on the main screen in TweakWiz and click 'Go'.

Best Practices

The best and safest method of tweaking:
1. Identify what settings you need to tweak.
2. Save a backup copy of those settings.
3. Set the settings and apply to the registry.
4. Restart your computer.
5. Test the new settings (Usually by benchmarking)
6. If you're satisfied, save a preset of the settings or a backup copy.
7. If you're not satisfied, reload the backup copy that was saved, apply to the registry, and repeat step 4.
8. If you can no longer get into Dacris TweakWiz, consult your Windows Help or manual for troubleshooting information.

You can repeat this method as many times as you need until you get the best configuration.

About Presets
In TweakWiz, a preset saves the settings from all the dialog boxes in Dacris TweakWiz, except for Add/Remove programs and Startup programs, in one file. You may load that file later to re-apply those settings. Saving a backup copy is similar to saving a preset because it uses the same file format as a preset. However, to save a backup copy you're required to reload the registry settings to ensure that you're saving the correct settings. Also, only one backup copy may be saved and every additional backup overwrites the previous backup. Restoring a backup copy is the same as loading a preset, except it loads the Backup.twk file.

If you have a really good preset, send it over to feedback@dacris.com and we will include it on our baseline page, along with other presets and Dacris Benchmarks baselines.

The main dialog of TweakWiz is quite simple and similar to PC Designer. Just choose the task you want to execute and click 'Go'. Here is a screenshot of the main dialog of TweakWiz.