Windows XP is a fast operating system especially when compared to the likes of Vista. However, over time it can become bogged down with old programs and files that drag its once speedy performance down to a crawl. In the is article I'll show you how to disable unnecessary services, clean up your hard drive and removing unnecessary programs to return the performance of your PC to its original state
Stop programs from running at start up
This is one of the best things you can do to speed up your computer and it's pretty easy too! Firstly the problem: when you install new programs on your PC many of them will set themselves up to run at when your PC starts. For some programs you may want this but there are many more that you won't want to run automatically. When a program runs at startup it uses some of the available memory and processing power of your PC so unless you absolutely want the program to run constantly in the background you should stop it from auto-running.
Below you'll find some easy steps you can take to stop these applications running until you're ready to use them.
Clear out the startup folder
The easiest place to look for auto-running programs is in your start up folder and the start up folder for the "All Users" account of the PC. Here's the path to the folder locations you need:-
The All Users account can be found here:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Your own account can be found here:
C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup (where %username% is your own username)
Tip: To make it a little easier and if you don't want to navigate down through the folders to find these accounts you can just copy and paste each line of (bold) text into the run box on your PC. The Run box can be found by clicking your Windows Start button and selecting Run.
Once you open these folders you'll see various shortcuts to programs most of which can safely be deleted. Deleting the shortcuts does not delete the program it only stops it from running when your PC starts. If you're unsure as to whether you should delete shortcut you can always cut and paste it to your desktop, this will stop it running but also give you the option to start it manually if you need to and copy it back to the startup folder later.
Find other hidden auto run programs
While the atartup folder is a good place to start it's only the tip of the iceberg. Other programs are slightly more cunning and hide themselves in less obvious locations. To get at these programs you'll need to use a utility that's built in to Windows XP: MSConfig. There's no shortcut to run the MSConfig program so you'll need to use the Run box (click the Windows Start button and select Run) to get to it. Type in MSConfig and click OK. You'll then see the following utility:-
Select the Startup tab and you'll see a list of programs that run when your PC starts. It's not always immediately obvious what the programs are but a quick search on Google for the name will tell you exactly what they are. Then you need only untick the box next to the program to stop it running at start up. To reenable the program you simply need to tick the box next to it again.
Changes you make here won't take effect until your PC restarts.
Use free software to clear out the rest
After you've done the above and if you're still not convinced that you've stopped all the auto-run programs then you need a utility to help you. There's a couple I'd recommend: by fdar the best in my opinion is AutoRuns by Sysinternals, a company that was taken over by Microsoft. This little program looks in every single startup location on your PC. The results can be a little overwhelming at first but spend a bit of time looking through them and all will become clear. The second program, if you don't want quite the technical depth of AutoRuns, is CCleaner. CCleaner is a great little utility with an easy to use interface that you can use to weed out other programs that run at startup.
Disable unnecessary services
Indexing service: The Windows XP indexing service is at best poor at its job and at worst a resource hog so disable it in the services applet in Control Panel.
Error Reporting service: Another unnecessary service gobbling up resources. Disable it in the services applet of Control Panel
Remote Registry service: The remote registry service is more of a security tweak than a performance one. If you have Windows XP Pro you should disable it unless you have a very good reason for leaving it running.
Messenger service: Contrary to popular belief the Messenger service has nothing to do with the popular communication program Windows Messenger. It's a legacy service used to allow the computer to send and receive messages triggered by system events.
Wireless Zero Configuration service: You don't need this service unless you use wireless to connect to your broadband or home network. If if you do use wireless you only need it if your not using another tool to manage your wireless connection
Configure virtual memory for better performance
Virtual memory is a predefined amount of space on your hard drive (the page or swap file) that your physical memory uses when it runs out of space to store running program data. Data stored in Random Access Memory can be accessed very quickly. When physical memory becomes full non-critical data is then swapped out to your hard drive to make room for new processes. This Microsoft support article gives a more detailed overview of how RAM and virtual memory work together.
There are so many differing views on how best to configure your virtual memory but there's really no right or wrong way. Individual systems will benefit from different configurations of pagefile size depending on various factors such as available RAM, available disk space, disk speed, type of work the PC is being used for etc. However, there's one thing that everyone agrees on and that is that putting your pagefile on a separate physical hard disk increases performance. Of course not everyone has the luxury of a second physical hard disk but if you do, give it a try.
Personally I tend to run my pagefile with the initial size and the maximum size the same to save the system from having to dynamically change its size. As for the size of the pagefile the general consensus is 1.5 times the size of physical memory i.e. if you have 2GB of RAM make your page file 3GB
Remove unwanted fonts
Fonts can use up system resources unnecessarily. To increase your PCs performance move the fonts you dont need from the fonts folder in control panel to a backup location. The more fonts you remove the more of a performance increase your system will realise.
Speed up the Program menu
This tweak doesn't really speed up your PC it just removes a restriction that Microsoft have placed on the time it takes to open the Start menu. By default the Windows start menu is set to take 400 milliseconds to open sub menus on the Start menu. The sub menus are the ones that pop out when hovering the mouse pointer over the little triangular arrow on the Start Menu. This default time is set in the following registry key:- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\menushowdelay. Although you can set it as low as zero I strongly recommend that you don’t: it’s very annoying when sub menus fire out prematurely whenever your mouse passes over them on its way to another item further down the menu. Mine is set to 100 and for me the balance is just right.
Reduce the visual effects options
Windows XP is far less flashy in comparison to the graphical bells and whistles of Vista or 7 but is still tries. Unfortunately, on a low end system, these settings can have a detrimental effect on general operating speed.
You’ll find the Performance settings by going to the System applet in Control Panel and selecting the Advanced tab. You have the option to select the Adjust for best performance button but this strip XP of all its character. Instead I recommend choosing custom and unchecking anything that begins, Animate, Fade or Slide. This will have a noticeable effect on a low end system.
Icon lag
Icon lag is the pause that you get when browsing your Start menu in XP. To restore the performance delete the IconCache.db file from your profile (Documents and Settings\Username\Local Settings/Application data - a hidden location). After you delete the file it will be automatically recreated with a noticeable performance increase in your Start menu.
