Now that Vista has arrived with more of a thud than thunder, people ask, “What can I do to speed up my slow computer?” Customizing your existing operating System for speed and Performance is a good answer. So, why not keep XP? It is Microsoft’s most stable operating system. Vista will not be stable until the first major service pack update is released. Until then, Vista is about as tough as a house of cards in a tornado. Also, XP to Vista migration causes slow computer performance. If you would rather kick XP up a notch than pay for a system that meets Vista’s outrageous specs for optimum Performance, read on for some expert tips to speed up a slow computer using XP tweaks.
Windows XP’s stability makes it the most “tweakable.” More than a few areas are specifically ripe with opportunities to improve slow computer performance and remedy a slow computer. Let’s start with getting your hard drive running smoothly.
XP Tweaks for Slow Computer Tip #1–Turn Off Windows Indexing Service
If you have ever wondered why your hard drive makes so much noise when idle, this is because your files are indexed to help your CPU find them more easily. However, even the most insignificant files are indexed. This service puts a huge strain on your hard drive, which ironically makes things easier for Windows. Because of this problem, most techs have deemed this Indexing Service insignificant and the cause of slow computer hard drive access. You can turn off the service with the following steps.
1. Double-click My Computer, point to Explorer Bar on the View menu and click Search.
2. Click Change Preferences and then click Without Indexing Service.
3. Click No, do not enable Indexing Service, and OK.
XP Tweaks for Slow Computer Tip #2– Speed Up Your Hard with NTFS.
Windows XP offers NTFS hard drive configuration. This provides better compression, security, and encryption. However, converting from FAT to NTFS standard requires more space on your hard drive. Nevertheless, you will be rewarded with a faster drive. You can easily switch to this System by following the directions below:
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2. Click Run
3. Type cmd and press Enter.
4. At the command prompt
Type convert X:/FS: NTFS(X is your hard drive letter)
5. Hit Enter
XP Tweaks for Slow Computer Tip #3–Disable Unnecessary Startups
Now, let’s tweak Windows to run faster. A slow computer can be attributed to how well you monitor and manage your programs and processes. Windows XP gives you complete control over what programs and processes are loaded into your configuration. There are only six vital programs needed to run your computer. However, dozens are probably running as soon as you start your PC. No wonder you have a slow computer. You can manage your startup configuration by following these instructions.
1. Open your Start menu.
2. Click Run
3. In the command screen, type: msconfig.exe
4. In the “system configuration utility,”
Click either the “service” or “startup” tab
5. Uncheck all programs that you don’t want to use.
6. Click OK
XP Tweak for Slow Computer Tip #4–Increase Virtual Memory
Your computer uses physical memory, RAM, and virtual memory. Virtual memory simulates more RAM when your computer reaches its maximum CPU and RAM usage. It is similar to a bucket filling up with water; in this analogy, your RAM is the bucket, and water is a computer process and program. However, your bucket size is limited by your amount of RAM. The more programs and techniques you use, the more the bucket becomes full. However, you can use a spare bucket to help meet the demand quickly; Virtual memory is that light bucket.
Virtual memory uses free space as a resource. You can change your virtual memory by altering its resources, making the spare bucket bigger. To change the amount of free space reserved for Virtual Memory, Check out “How to clean up a slow computer” for efficient ways to clean up your drive.
Increasing your Virtual Memory is easy. There are some important facts to remember. When you reach the Virtual Memory menu, select the Custom Size check box, then choose the initial and max sizes. Depending on your free space, you can like the free area you want to reserve for the paging file. It’s better to keep the initial and maximum size to cut down on your CPU access. This will stop your CPU from constantly changing your Virtual memory paging file size. Also, set the size at least 1.5 times higher than your physical memory. If you are still confused, this link is below for visual step-by-step instructions.
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Performance and Maintenance and then click System.
3. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.
4. Under Virtual Memory, click Change.
5. Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive containing the paging file you want to change. In most computers, it C:
6. Under Paging file size for selected drive, click the Custom size check box. You can enter the amount of memory you want to reserve for virtual memory by entering the initial and maximum sizes.
7. Click Set
You can take it one step further in your quest to make your slow computer a distant memory. This requires you to perform some registry editing. I suggest you clean your registry before attempting any editing. After your registry is clean, you can perform several tweaks to speed up your slow computer in addition to these tweaks. The site below provides more tips and tutorials to increase PC performance.
