Author Topic: How to Speed Tweak Windows XP (Read 622 times)

Tequilla · « **on:** February 18, 2003, 10:10:21 AM »

with respect to Joel Durham "Using Windows XP" Vol.8 issue2.

By default, Windows XP is full of clutter and not optimized for anything-hose it out and speed up your games with these tweaks by Joel Durham

Step # 1. MURDER THE MAINTENANCE APPS
Start by choosing the system icon in the control panel. There are 3 things to eliminate System restore, Automatic updating, and remote assistance. Navigate to each tab and check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and select the appropriate radio buttons to cleanse your system of these useless applications.
**Note** I personally leave system restore on just in case i screw up:D
The applications still work you just have to manually activate them.

Step # 2. TOSS OUT WINDOWS MESSAGING
Kill that stupid little buddy icon that no one uses.
Choose Start Run and type C:\WINDOWS\INF\SYSOC.INF
This will open a text file that maliciously hides some programs from the add\remove programs folder.Find the line that starts with "msmsgs=" and edit the word "hide" out of it. Save the file, open Control Panels Add\Remove Programs, and click on the Windows Components button. Scroll down, and you'll find Windows Messaging just waiting to be unchecked.

Step # 3. PURGE UNNECESSARY SERVICES
Open Control Panel, select Administrative Tools and then select services. Here you will see a list of things running in the background to enable certain functions of XP.Some start automatically and you dont need all of them.Turn them off by setting them to manual: right click on the service, choose properties, pull down the startup type box, and select manual. Some functions you will turn off include Automatic Updates, Error Reporting, Indexing, Internet Connection Firewall (unless your using it), Messenger, NVIDEA Driver Helper, Portable Media Serial Number, System Restore and Task Scheduler.

Step # 4. REIGN IN THE SWAP FILE
XP is conservative when it first sets up the paging file and then uses precious resources to resize it.Take that control out of Windows hands by making your swap file huge and static. Open your Control panel and choose System, select the advanced tab, click on the performance setting button, and go to the advanced tab. There, you can set your own swap file size. If you have a large drive and enough free space make it 1000MB. Choose the change button and make both the Initial and Maximun sizes 1000MB. Otherwise make it as large as possible. You'll have to reboot when you are done.

Step # 5. GET RID OF STUPID START UP ITEMS
Finally, you can purge your system of silly files by hitting them where they live: in your Startup Folder and "run" registry key. The easy way to do this is to use the System Configuration Utility. Launch it by hitting the Start button then hitting "run". Type MSCONFIG. Choose the startup tab. Uncheck anything frivolous like Creative Labs Audio HQ, quick launchers from real player, MusicMatch, WinAmp, Kazza, Microsoft Office.
The beauty of the System Configuration Utility is that you uncheck something and discover that part of your system doesnt work, all you have to do is go back in and check it again.

I hope this is a help to some

BNM · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2003, 11:08:54 AM »

Used "msconfig" in 98 I think it was, ME maybe but can't find it in Win2k. Did they leave it out, rename it? Anybody?

Ripsnort · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2003, 11:14:45 AM »

I found this website very useful
http://www.tipsdr.com/windows-xp-tips.html

Siaf__csf · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2003, 12:09:43 PM »

There's no msconfig-like utility in W2k.

But you can download x-setup to get the same functionality + couple hundred tweaks to go.

Edit: The absolute best way to speed up XP is to tie your computer to the next cruise missile launched towards baghdad.

Monark · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2003, 02:20:42 PM »

Other great resource for tweaking Windows XP is here... http://www.blkviper.com/index.html

He has gone through and found out what all those background Processes are and what they do and if you can turn them off. Great job, and really great to tweak everything. There is so much you can turn off...

Monark

dracon · « **Reply #5 on:** February 19, 2003, 08:31:06 PM »

Well...Thanks,

I would add a word of caution!! The System Restore is an awesome utility that has many features. Saving one's Tail Feathers after a goof is a biggie! Yes I have used it. If your going to alter it in anyway I would recommend down-sizing it's cache to about 2 to 5% depending on HDD size. No way would I personally ever turn it off. Course, I hate re-formats. It eats away at one's flying time.
Regards,
Dracon

FOGOLD · « **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2003, 09:43:13 AM »

Watch yourself when tweaking those processes especially if your machine is a network client/server or you are internet connection sharing. Also, its fine to say go back if something screws up, but its not easy sussing what you have changed that has caused the problem!

I leave system restore on too. It has saved my butt too;)