Tweak UI

There's no doubt that the freeware Tweak UI is a tool designed for people comfortable and confident with mucking about in the guts of their Windows XP installation. If that's not you, we strongly caution against using this program capriciously.

However, if you're the kind of person who likes to get your hands dirty with XP customizations, read on. Tweak UI can alter most of the routine behaviors of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, but it also can affect some of the more advanced ones, too. From customizing the Alt Tab program switcher to removing the white arrow that appears on shortcut icons, from killing the autoplay feature for specific drives to configuring file and print sharing settings, Tweak UI is a must-have.

The interface is basic, but that's all the program needs. Use the left-nav tree to select settings to tweak, and the subchoices appear in the center pane. Old installation problems have been resolved by a standard self-extracting EXE, making this program not only useful but easy to install. Still, to prevent unwanted or potentially damaging alterations, we recommend that only power users confident in making these changes go ahead and use Tweak UI.