10 Simple Ways to Speed Up your

Windows XP
1. Disable Indexing Services
Indexing Services is a small little program that uses large amounts of RAM and can often
make a computer endlessly loud and noisy. This system process indexes and updates lists of
all the files that are on your computer. It does this so that when you do a search for
something on your computer, it will search faster y scanning the index lists. If you don!t
search your computer often, or even if you do search often, this system service is
completely unnecessary. To disale do the following"
#o to Start
$lick Settings
$lick $ontrol %anel
&oule'click Add(Remove %rograms
$lick the Add(Remove )indow $omponents
*ncheck the Indexing services
$lick +ext
2. Optimise Display Settings
)indows ,% can look sexy ut displaying all the visual items can waste system resources.
To optimise"
#o to Start
$lick Settings
$lick $ontrol %anel
$lick System
$lick Advanced ta
In the %erformance ta click Settings
-eave only the following ticked"
o Show shadows under menus
o Show shadows under mouse pointer
o Show translucent selection rectangle
o *se drop shadows for icons laels on the desktop
o *se visual styles on windows and uttons
3. Speedup Folder Browsing
.ou may have noticed that everytime you open my computer to rowse folders that there is
a slight delay. This is ecause )indows ,% automatically searches for network files and
printers everytime you open )indows /xplorer. To fix this and to increase rowsing
significantly"
0pen My $omputer
$lick on Tools menu
$lick on 1older 0ptions
$lick on the 2iew ta.
*ncheck the Automatically search for network folders and printers check ox
$lick Apply
$lick 0k
Reoot your computer
. Disable !er"ormance #ounters
)indows ,% has a performance monitor utility which monitors several areas of your %$!s
performance. These utilities take up system resources so disaling is a good idea.
To disale"
download and install the $xtensible !er"ormance #ounter -ist
Then select each counter in turn in the !/xtensile performance counters! window
and clear the !performance counters enaled! checkox at the ottom.utton elow
%. Improve &emory 'sage
Improves the performance of your computer y optimi3ing the disk cache, memory
and a numer of other settings.
0nce Installed"
#o to Show )i3ard and select All
STRONG>
Run all the wi3ards y selecting +ext or 1inished until you are ack to the main
menu. *se the defaults unless you know exactly what you are doing
STRONG>
/xit and Save $acheman
STRONG>ONG>
Restart )indows
STRONG>ONG>
STRONG>ONG> (. Optimise your internet connection
STRONG>ONG> There are lots of ways to do this ut y far the easiest is to run )#!*I!
Optimi+er.
O,-.*S)/O,-.
&ownload and install
$lick the #eneral Settings ta and select your $onnection Speed 45ps6
$lick +etwork Adapter and choose the interface you use to connect to the Internet
$heck 0ptimal Settings then Apply
Reoot
0. Optimise 1our !age"ile
If you give your pagefile a fixed si3e it saves the operating system from needing to resi3e
the page file.
Right click on My $omputer and select %roperties
Select the Advanced ta
*nder %erformance choose the Settings utton
Select the Advanced ta again and under 2irtual Memory select $hange
7ighlight the drive containing your page file and make the initial Si3e of the file the
same as the Maximum Si3e of the file.
)indows ,% si3es the page file to aout 8.9, the amount of actual physical memory y
default. )hile this is good for systems with smaller amounts of memory 4under 98:M;6 it is
unlikely that a typical ,% desktop system will ever need 8.9 , 98:M; or more of virtual
memory. If you have less than 98:M; of memory, leave the page file at its default si3e. If
you have 98:M; or more, change the ratio to 8"8 page file si3e to physical memory si3e.
2. /un Boot3is 4 Improve Boot )imes
;oot2is will significantly improve oot times
&ownload and Run
Select Trace
Select +ext ;oot and &river Trace
A Trace Repetitions screen will appear, select 0k and Reoot
*pon reoot, ;oot2is will automatically start, analy3e and log your system!s oot
process. )hen it!s done, in the menu go to Trace and select 0ptimi3e System
Reoot.
)hen your machine has reooted wait until you see the 0ptimi3ing System ox
appear. ;e patient and wait for the process to complete
5. /emove t6e Des7top !icture
.our desktop ackground consumes a fair amount of memory and can slow the loading time
of your system. Removing it will improve performance.
Right click on &esktop and select %roperties
Select the &esktop ta
In the ;ackground window select +one
$lick 0k
18. /emove Fonts "or Speed
1onts, especially TrueType fonts, use <uite a it of system resources. 1or optimal
performance, trim your fonts down
to =ust those that you need to use on a daily asis and fonts that applications may re<uire.
0pen $ontrol %anel
0pen 1onts folder
Move fonts you don!t need to a temporary directory 4 e.g. $">10+T;5*%? 6 =ust in
case you need or want to ring a few
of them ack. The more fonts you uninstall, the more system resources you will gain.
7ope you find these 8@ tips useful please leave a comment elow and please share any
other tips you may have with other readers.