So you have a top-secret program that you do not want anyone else to know you have. Every time you run a program on your computer, Windows XP keeps track of it and will place it on your frequently run programs list as a convenience to you. Sometimes, this feature is not always a convenience and is, instead, like a chronic medical problem that will not go away.
For example, let's use the situation of a guy named Larry. Larry plays Solitaire all the time on his computer when he is at work. It is not the best game, but it will help him pass time and it's a great alternative to actually doing work. Every time Larry plays Solitaire, Windows XP automatically puts the game into the frequently run programs list. This tracking is a problem for Larry because he is concerned that one of his fellow employees might see the program on the list and report him. What should he do? First, Larry should buy a copy of Hacking Windows XPand then he should follow these steps:
1. Click the Start Menu and select Run. Type in regedit and click OK to start up the
Registry Editor.
2. Next, expand the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT folder.
3. Search through the list of folders until he finds the folder called Applications and expand that as well.
4. Now he will see a list of every executable file for the programs installed on his computer. To hide a program from the frequently run programs list, he will want to expand the folder that is the executable for the program. To hide Solitaire, he will want to expand the sol.exe folder.
If you do not know the name of the executable file that a program shortcut points to, you can easily look this up by right-clicking the shortcut and selecting Properties. In the Properties box, you will see a full path to where the file is located as well as the name of the file. When you right-click the shortcut in the Start Menu for Solitaire, you will discover that the name of the executable for the game is sol.exe.
5. Can't find a folder called sol.exe? That's because some Windows applications are not listed. If his application was listed, he needs to skip this step. Otherwise, he will need to create a folder. To do so, he selects the Applications folder with the mouse. Then he right-clicks and selects New and then Select Key. Then he types in the name of the executable for the name of the key. For Solitaire, he will want to name the key sol.exe.
6. Now that he has found the folder for the application or has created one, he expands it so that he can see all of its values. Then, he right-clicks the executable's folder that he just created or found in the registry. Select New and then select String. Next, he types in NoStartPage as the name of the string variable.
7. He closes the Registry Editor and logs off and then back in. He will never see Solitaire in his frequently run programs list again.
Now Larry can play as much Solitaire at work as he wants without having to worry about it showing up in his frequently run programs list. Don't get too confident after completing this hack. Remember, people can still look over your shoulder and see your computer screen. To solve that problem, I recommend using a cardboard box to build a shelter over your cubicle to block spying eyes. This will also limit the number of people that can ask you questions, which will allow you to better concentrate on your game of Solitaire.
For example, let's use the situation of a guy named Larry. Larry plays Solitaire all the time on his computer when he is at work. It is not the best game, but it will help him pass time and it's a great alternative to actually doing work. Every time Larry plays Solitaire, Windows XP automatically puts the game into the frequently run programs list. This tracking is a problem for Larry because he is concerned that one of his fellow employees might see the program on the list and report him. What should he do? First, Larry should buy a copy of Hacking Windows XPand then he should follow these steps:
1. Click the Start Menu and select Run. Type in regedit and click OK to start up the
Registry Editor.
2. Next, expand the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT folder.
3. Search through the list of folders until he finds the folder called Applications and expand that as well.
4. Now he will see a list of every executable file for the programs installed on his computer. To hide a program from the frequently run programs list, he will want to expand the folder that is the executable for the program. To hide Solitaire, he will want to expand the sol.exe folder.
If you do not know the name of the executable file that a program shortcut points to, you can easily look this up by right-clicking the shortcut and selecting Properties. In the Properties box, you will see a full path to where the file is located as well as the name of the file. When you right-click the shortcut in the Start Menu for Solitaire, you will discover that the name of the executable for the game is sol.exe.
5. Can't find a folder called sol.exe? That's because some Windows applications are not listed. If his application was listed, he needs to skip this step. Otherwise, he will need to create a folder. To do so, he selects the Applications folder with the mouse. Then he right-clicks and selects New and then Select Key. Then he types in the name of the executable for the name of the key. For Solitaire, he will want to name the key sol.exe.
6. Now that he has found the folder for the application or has created one, he expands it so that he can see all of its values. Then, he right-clicks the executable's folder that he just created or found in the registry. Select New and then select String. Next, he types in NoStartPage as the name of the string variable.
7. He closes the Registry Editor and logs off and then back in. He will never see Solitaire in his frequently run programs list again.
Now Larry can play as much Solitaire at work as he wants without having to worry about it showing up in his frequently run programs list. Don't get too confident after completing this hack. Remember, people can still look over your shoulder and see your computer screen. To solve that problem, I recommend using a cardboard box to build a shelter over your cubicle to block spying eyes. This will also limit the number of people that can ask you questions, which will allow you to better concentrate on your game of Solitaire.
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