Disable the Getting Started dialog

by Wayne Maples [Published on 20 April 2004 / Last Updated on 20 April 2004]

W2K displays the Getting Started dialog box when you first logon. There are three options available:

  • Register Now that runs the Windows 2000 Registration Wizard
  • Discover Windows that runs a multimedia introduction to W2K features
  • Connect to the Internet that runs the Internet Connection Wizard.
Most of us turn it off immediately by clearing the Show this screen at startup check box on the Getting Started with Windows 2000 screen. . This turns it our in your profile. Each new user of a W2K workstation will be presented the Getting Started dialog box. As an administrator, if you want to stop the option from being presented to each new person logging onto a workstation, you will need to turn the option off in the Default User profile which is used to create the profile used by each new user of the workstation. To edit the Default User's registry

  • start regedt32
  • click the HK_Local_Machine window
  • choose Registry
  • load Hive
  • browse to and select \Documents and Settings\Default User\Ntuser.dat
  • when prompted for a key name, enter any name you wish but I used defaultuser
  • expand the loaded hive and make the following registry change:

    Key: Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Tips
    Name: Show
    Type: REG_DWORD
    Value: 0

  • click the defaultuser hive
  • choose Registry
  • unload Hive
  • close the Registry Editor
You can test the hack by logging onto the workstation with as a new user. If it worked, you will not get the Getting Started dialog box. If you need to get to the Getting Started dialog box for any profile, it can be started from the Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools.

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