A Grab Bag of Great Vista Interface Hacks

Hack ClearType

You can, however, turn off ClearType. To do it through the GUI, right-click the desktop and select
Personalize→Windows Color and Appearance→Open classic appearance properties for more color.
options→Effects. The screen shown in Fig appears. In the drop-down box, select Standard,
and click OK and OK again. ClearType is now turned off
Remove the Text from Desktop Icons

Rightclick an icon and select Rename. Then, while holding down the Alt key, type 255 on the keypad, then
click the icon. The text will disappear from your desktop. If you’re using a laptop, you’ll need to turn
on numlock, and use the K key for the letter 2, and the I key for the letter 5, to enter 255

Use Checkboxes to Select Items in Windows Explorer
in Windows Explorer select Organize→Folder and Search Options→View.
Scroll to the bottom of the screen, and check the box next to “Use check boxes to select items.”
Click OK.

Get Back Your Favorite Desktop Icons

Right-click the desktop and select Personalize. On the lefthand side of the
screen, select Change Desktop Icons.Check the boxes
next to the icons you want to appear, and click OK.