Windows Explorer Replacement

Manual Replacement
You can replace explorer.exe in Windows XP by changing the key to e.g.  or something like. A basic problem of replacing Windows Explorer is that the System Tray is inaccesible. Use a program like AM Productions TrayModule to emulate the System Tray.

You might have to start stuff manually to get e.g. WLAN working. Run  and check the 'Startup' tab for any essential programs.

Alternative Desktop
Alternatively, you could install a replacement like the Emerge Desktop

Windows 98
You can replace explorer.exe in Windows 98 by editing : [boot] shell=c:\programmer\totalcmd\totalcmd.exe

How's that for a 'totally commanded' machine?