config to get screen to never touch the hardware status line in xterm

[Alex Tang]

Hi folks. 

I've been reading on google and in the archives about how folks do cool 
things with the hardstatus and "hardware status" line in xterms.  I'm 
trying to do exactly the opposite...I want screen (when used in a 
terminal program that announces itself as "xterm" e.g. real xterm or 
putty) to never touch the hardware status line (title bar) of the window. 

I tried "hardstatus off", which makes the "C-a w" command and other 
informational messages appear in the last line of the terminal in 
reverse text (as if i was using a vt100 or some other terminal type that 
doesn't have the hardware status capability), however there are still 
some actions (creating a new window, switching windows), that muck with 
the title bar.

I don't have access to the termcap/terminfos so i can't change those.  
I'm looking for a way to do this via command line or via .screenrc.

Is there a config param i missed?  Or does anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks.

...alex...