1. Shutdown Windows XP quicker: By default windows xp gives programs 20 seconds to clear up after themselves when you shut down; you can shorten that time by changing the WaitToKillAppTimeout value (in milliseconds) in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

2. You can also shut down services quicker: Windows XP also wait 20 seconds for services to finish, so if your systems take a long time to shut down, try changing WaitToKillServiceTimeout in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l in the registry.

Enjoy!! :P

good one - keep them coming THANKS!