How to Speed up a Windows XP Computer with picture

How to Speed up a Windows XP Computer

Perfectly good Windows XP computers go slower and slower over time. You don't want to have to buy a new computer or pay somebody, you just want it to work like it did when you first got it! Try the steps below to speed up your computer.

1.Regularly use Reginout registry cleaner to increase XP performance. First, backup the registry using the cleaner program. Maybe you have uninstalled an application without using the Add or Remove Programs function in the Control Panel, or perhaps an object or file in the registry got moved. Eventually, this orphaned or misplaced information accumulates and begins to clog your registry, potentially slowing down your PC and causing error messages and system crashes. 

2.Remove Spyware and Viruses. Spyware and viruses are leading causes of computer slowdown because you may have several spyware cookies or trojans that are taking up your processor time for reading and storing and reporting your activity to several spy databases. Read Rid-Your-Computer-of-Adware,-Spyware-and-Viruses to learn how to remove them and speed up your system. Update and run your spyware and virus software every week.

• If you do not have tools installed to protect against malware and spyware then you can download Spyware Blaster, and for viruses, download a free copy of AVG - "Anti-Vir Guard" or this one Avira - "Anti-Vira guard" (all three of those are free "For Personal Use"), all three are also available in Business or Pro versions. Also, Microsoft's Windows Defender is a widely-used anti-spyware tool that is currently distributed freely for users with a "Genuine" verified copy of Windows. "Windows Defender" is also included with other Microsoft services and products such as "Live OneCare" and "Vista."
• Download and install Mozilla Firefox, Opera or Google Chrome. It will allow you to import all of your Internet Explorer settings, and is much less prone to malware than Microsoft Internet Explorer. It will prompt you with a "Set as Default Browser" message. Check "Don't show this again" and click "Yes". Firefox also has a cool feature to delete cookies, cache, and temporary internet files each time you close it. You are strongly recommended to use this option. It can speed up your internet experience. You should also check Google Chrome which is noticeably faster and less prone to virus attacks from internet Chrome.
• If you have a really complicated virus infection, try using the Quick Virus Remover. It is a free utility, though not a replacement for commercial products but can be helpful for removing some of the most common viruses infecting your system.

3.Perform a disk clean up. Clean up your disk quickly to remove unnecessary files.

• Click start in the bottom left corner, then click run.
• Type, "cleanmgr.exe" in the text field.
• Press "okay". This can take a while if you have never done it before. 

 

 

 

 4. Remove unwanted/unneeded software which may be the reason for slowdown. We've all been there before, having downloaded something we no longer plan on using — except that we no longer use it, plan on using it, or ever really planned on using it.

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  • Click start, then click control panel.
  • Click add/remove programs.
  • Highlight any old software you do not use and then click "remove".
  
  
  5. Defragment Your Computer. This will place similar files physically closer on the hard disk and will help improve load speeds.
  
  
  
  • Click start, again, then click run.
  • Type, "dfrg.msc" in the text field.
  • Click Defrag to start it.
    
  6. Stop unwanted Start-Up programs. Limit the number of programs that automatically start when your computer turns on.
  
  
  
  • Run msconfig
  • Choose startup box
  • Select uncheck programs you don't want to run on startup
  • Alternatively,Click here and download StartUpCPL.
    
    • Install the software you have just downloaded.
    • Open control panel, select Start up.
    • Disable any programs you do not want load automatically.
      
  • Programs can also schedule tasks to launch automatically when windows starts to stop such programs use windows task scheduler.To open Scheduled Tasks, click Start, click All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Scheduled Tasks.
  • Disable All Services you do not use or need. Open control panel, open Administrative Tools, and select Services. Disabling the wrong Services may lead to serious problems that you may not notice right away. Please consult a reference such as overclockersclub.comfor information on specific Windows XP Services. If you do not know what it is, do not disable the service
    
  7. Make windows load faster. Do this by adjusting the "timeout" tab.
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  • Click Start, then Run.
  • Type in 'msconfig' and press enter.
  • Click on the BOOT.INI tab at the top.
  • Over to the right there will be a box labeled Timeout with 30 in it. Change the 30 to a 3.
  • After you apply this step, your pc will want to do a restart for changes to take effect. After the restart, you'll get a System Configuration Utility window; just check the radio box that begins "Don't show this message."
   

 8. Speed up processing time. Turn off the fancy Windows XP graphics will noticeably increase the speed of your computer.

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  • Go to Start, (Settings), Control Panel, System. NOTE: You may need to 'Switch to Classic Mode' to see the System applet.
  • Go to the Advanced tab. Click the Settings button under Performance.
  • Select the 'Adjust for best performance' radio button, then Apply, and OK.
  • The graphics aren't as flashy, but your computer will run a lot faster.
  
  
  9. Set Pagefile size.
  
  
  
  
• Go to Start, (Settings), Control Panel, System. (This is just like the step above this.)
• Go to the Advanced tab. Click the Settings button under Performance.
• Now switch to this Advanced tab, and click on 'Change' under Virtual Memory.
• You will see the 'Initial Size (MB)' and the Maximum Size (MB)'.
• Change 'Initial Size' to the same value as 'Maximum Size' then click set.
  • NOTE This setting will help your gaming process by speeding up your computer.
  • ADDED NOTE: When your computer consumes your computer's hard drive and uses it as RAM, it is referred to as thrashing. Thrashing is bad for your computer and buying a RAM (it's not that expensive) is much more worthwhile.

10.  Set Priorities. Press Control (ctrl) Alt Delete (del) at the same time or right click your taskbar and select Task Manager. Once task manager opens, click the process's tab. Now find explorer.exe, right click it, and set the priority to realtime. This makes your computer focus on explorer.exe, which is your task bar and visual objects. Use this method if you want to keep your visual styles (or your using a transformation pack). This method greatly increases speed and if you are noticing that other programs that you use a lot are slow, you can set their priority to either high or above normal, if you have 2 process's on high at the same time, your computer will be unstable, and might crash.

For users without Admin password: You will not be able to modify the value to realtime. If you aren't on an admin account, or you have insufficient privileges, then the best you can do is set to high.

 TIPS:-

• If this is your first defrag, do it after the disk clean up twice, then a disk defrag, and then another disk clean up. It is suggested to defrag your hard drive weekly.
• Do all the above steps quite often to maintain the speed of your PC.
• For best results, run defragmenter last after performing all other steps and do not use your computer while defragmenter is running.
• Also go to Start/Run type in %temp% and delete them all.
• Although time-intensive, a re-partition and re-format of the hard disk drive, along with a clean installation of Windows XP will improve performance. Performing this task will remove all of your existing data, so a back-up or file copy is recommended first. Only save the files you created, as you will need to reinstall each application on the new installation of Windows. If you did not change the default location when saving documents, it may be safe to copy only the user folder and all files and folders within it (ie: "C:\Documents and Settings\(your user name)"). Typically, most users will need to be sure to copy these files:
  
  
  • Documents created using applications such as Microsoft Word or similar office suite programs
  • Bookmarks/Favorites from your Internet browser
  • Fonts installed that are not included by default with Windows (note that some fonts are installed by applications).
  • E-mail in-box and folders if you use an e-mail client that does not use an Internet browser
  • Any schedule data for programs such as Outlook
  • Financial records for programs such as Quicken
• Download Ccleaner from majorgeeks.com. It's a good freeware program, and if you don't use other unnecessary programs, you will be able to gain a lot of space. It also gives you other features such as:
  • Startup Manager and
  • Registry Cleaner.
• Optimize the registry with a third-party application. Many of these registry tweaking programs are available on the Internet, including freeware, shareware and commercial applications that are released as free trials. If you are not familiar with the registry, do not try to edit it manually -- the registry is vital to Windows' operation.
• Clean your Computer's Inside. Dust off the fans, gently wash the monitor screen, and clean the keyboard/mouse. Dust blocking the fans and heat sink inside the computer can cause performance problems, including memory problems.
• Run an alternate Windows shell to save on RAM usage and boost performance (Shell Shocked: Alternative shells for Windows). Although more expensive, installing additional RAM is a better option. Running an alternate shell is a compatibility risk as many proprietary Microsoft programs, such as their latest game or Visual Studio, may not function properly on a third-party shell.

 WARNINGS:-

• Be careful when using msconfig. Do not uncheck unfamiliar items, and do not experiment with settings in any other tab. Doing so could prevent your Windows install from booting!
• Always create a restore point before uninstalling software, even better before you start any step.
• Using a registry cleaning software will have very little improvement, if any. Many registry editors imply that registry problems are much worse than they are, or are spyware/adware. In general, do not bother unless there is a problem which requires adjusting the registry.

5 Easy PC Maintenance Tips

 The No. 1 reason consumers replace their computers – short of a complete system failure – is that their current computer is too slow or suffers from poor performance, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll.

If you've noticed a decline in your PC's performance, and you are using your computer for about the same amount of time and for the same tasks that you did when you purchased it, there are simple and free procedures to try before you head out for a replacement.

Here is a five-step process that can be done right from the desktop, no tools required. After the initial tune-up, plan on doing this maintenance routine about every three months if you are the average home computer user, more frequently if your computer is used all day throughout the week, and less if it is used only once or twice a week.

Step 1: Uninstall Programs You Don't Use

Over time, unused software collects in our computers like old keys in a drawer: They were useful for a time, but chances are you can't remember what they are for now. So if you haven't used a program in the last six months, uninstall it to free up space and allow your computer to run the important stuff more efficiently.

To do this, go to the Windows Start button, choose "Control Panel" select "Program and Features" or "Install/Uninstall Programs," depending on the Windows version. Scan the list. If you see a program you recognize and know you don't use it, right click on its name, and then click uninstall. If you are unsure about a program, leave it alone.

Step 2: Delete Temporary and Unnecessary Files

Each time you visit a site online, your computer stores information so the next time you visit, the page will load faster. This is good in principle, but temporary files add up over time, and may ultimately slow the load time of applications. If you haven't deleted temporary files in a year or longer, you may be able to free up 10 percent or more of the computer's memory.

To do this, go back to the Start button, select "Computer" or "My Computer," right click on the "C" drive, select "Properties" click on "Disk Cleanup" and select "All Users" if you get a popup window with that option. Once you give it the go-ahead, Disk Cleanup will calculate how much space you will be able to free up. Click to check the boxes in this window. If you disagree with Disk Cleanup's recommendations, simply make sure that box is unchecked. And then stop – don't click "Okay" yet. Rather, select the "More Options" tab and proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Delete All but Most Recent System Restore

Free up more disk space by removing all but the most recent restore point. As a standard function,Windows takes a snapshot of the contents of your computer at regular intervals. This procedure will keep only the most recent one.

Click "Clean up." This takes a fraction of a second, but as you proceed with the Disk Cleanup, be patient. This process may take up to half an hour or longer if it's been some time since the last cleanup.

Step 4: Defrag

Data is written and stored in disk blocks. Over time, files are deleted and new files are added. If a file cannot be stored in adjacent blocks, they become fragmented. One 5 megabyte jpg. photo file, for example, could be scattered across 5,000 disk blocks. Instead of pulling the pieces of a file from adjacent blocks, the computer has to gather them up, which of course takes longer. Defragging is simply a way of eliminating empty blocks and putting files back together.

Your Properties window should still be open. Select Tools. Click on "Defragment Now." This process may be scheduled as an automatic task about once a week.

Step 5: Scan for Viruses, Spyware, etc.

Now that your computer is clean, use your security software to do a sweep for viruses, worms, and spyware that can damage your computer and compromise your privacy. This step should be faster now because you've already deleted unnecessary programs and files, which can save scan time