I use this tip constantly on Windows 2000 Server. Haven't tried it on Windows 2000 Professional, but I assume it works. (Editor's note: Sure does.)

The Export List command on all the major Administrative Tools that use Microsoft Management Console windows (e.g., Internet Services Manager, Computer Management, Event Viewer) is a tremendous timesaver.

How many times have you needed to generate a list of users in a particular group for a status report, or needed to export a list of events displayed on the screen to a spreadsheet?

Well, by using the Export List command, you can create a comma-delimited or tab-delimited, plain or Unicode, text list of items displayed on the right list-view pane in the Microsoft Management Console. One other great feature is the ability to customize the columns that are displayed on the list-view pane via the Choose Columns command.

Enabling Indexing Service

This tip applies to both Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Professional:

Enabling Indexing Service greatly speeds up searches by maintaining an index of the files and folders on your computer. This is especially useful if you do a lot of searching for files or folders.

To enable it, click the Start button on the taskbar, click Search, and choose For Files or Folders. Then click Search Options (below the Search Now button), and click the Indexing Service hyperlink at the bottom of the Search Options box field to open the Indexing Service window.

Opening a Command Prompt from Windows Explorer in a Particular Directory

With the previous versions (of Microsoft Windows NT), I've always associated Cmd.exe with Windows Explorer folders so I can immediately open a command prompt in the highlighted directory in Windows Explorer by right-clicking and selecting the entry I established for Cmd.exe.

Well, it was with slight dismay that I discovered that Windows 2000 wouldn't allow me to use my old and trusted technique to do just that. The old technique being, of course, to go to the Windows NT Explorer Options/File Types and associate the File Folder item with Cmd.exe.

As the File Folder item is not available in the file types list in Windows 2000, I've resorted to going direct to the registry. By inserting the simple keys listed below, an item labeled Command will appear when right-clicking on a folder. Selecting that item will open a command prompt in that directory.

Looking to transfer data from an old PC to your new PC with Windows 2000 Professional? The direct-connection method is very easy to set up! I set up a parallel port connection (4 megabits per second) in just a couple of minutes, and was able to move files and folders to my new machine without a hitch.

Here's how to set this up in Windows 2000:

• Open the Networking and Dial-up Connections folder in Control Panel.
• Double-click Make New Connection to start the Network Connection Wizard, then click Next .
• On the Network Connection Type page, click Connect directly to another computer, then click Next .
• Complete the wizard to specify the role of your computer, Host or Guest, and the connection device (infrared, serial, or parallel port) page, who may use the connection, and the name of the connection.