Xana's Fist's Computer Tune-Up Guide EDITED: 4/2/09

[TheLQ offline]

Since I'm tired of what I'm doing, I'll do what I've been wanting to post for a while

EDIT 1/16/09: Gave the reformat section a bit more clarity
EDIT 4/1/09: Rewrote Services entery
EDIT 4/2/09: Added startup enteries

THIS APPLIES TO:

Mainly Windows XP
Some still applies to older or newer versions of windows
Hardware stuff goes with everything except a mac (i think)

WARNING
Please read the instructions carefully! While some of this is harmless, most of it can damage your computer if you delete too much (i speak from experience here). Probably the 3 most dangerous places on windows are the Registry, Your boot files, and msconfig. I"M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE DONE TO YOUR COMPUTER. I'm though willing to help to a point with any problems you have

Windows

1) Defragment your hard drive
Probably the simplest thing you could do. This speeds up the time it takes the computer to read data from the hard drive. If you wish to know more, Google how hard drives work. IMPORTANT: Do NOT exit out the defrager once you've started it! I have corrupted almost half the video's on my hard drive by exiting out early. Due to the length of time it takes anyway, this is something you would run before you left for the night. (this can be run from the command line too, try defrag -? for help)

2) Disk Check
Not really that important, it checks your disk for errors. Just run it every month or so. (NOTE: In windows XP the only easy way to get to it is though the command line. dskchk -?)

3) Virus Scan
Instead of trying to convince you what virus scanner is the best, that is up to you. Check sites like PCWorld.com, PC Magazine's website, and your techie person for what people think is the best. (me, AVG free, because its the best one that's free). The reason to scan?: Viruses, Spy ware, and Mal ware can seriously slow down your computer. If your on a slow computer, its even worse because spy ware can have resource hungry methods of spying on you.

4) CCleaner
This is a replacement of windows inadequate Disk Cleaner. Download it from here. Install and run.
A)Now, you should see a whole bunch of check boxes on the left-ish. DO NOT START RANDOMLY CHECKING EVERYTHING! Some of it you might want. If you don't know what it is, don't check it. And try not to check everything in the last group. That's basically most of your theme for your computer. When your done, click Run CCleaner, and yes to the prompt. (this will go ahead and delete the files)
b)Next is Registry Cleaning. NOTE: THIS CAN BECOME DANGEROUS. Keep everything checked and run the scanner. When its done, you'll be given a pop up to say yes or no to each key if you want it deleted or not. Since i am lazy i do clean all, knowing that if something important was deleted, i could recover it. For most people, that's what i recommend, because 1) you probably won't know what the key is and b) I've been doing that for a few years and nothing bad has happened. For you paranoids out there, you'll have to Google Windows XP registry structure to get more info on what is what, since i only have a general understanding.

5) Autoruns - Logon Entries
This is where it gets dangerous. Autoruns is a program made by Microsoft that gives you a much better view of your computer than any other program I've used. Download it here. It doesn't install anything. Open the program, it should start scanning. While its doing that, read this: UNCHECKING OR DELETING ENTRIES HERE CAN MAKE YOUR COMPUTER NOT BOOT!! A general rule of thumb is that you shouldn't uncheck anything made by Microsoft. What were concerned with is the logon tab. This is a list of all the programs that start when windows does (if your wondering whats with the discrepancy with the programs in the list and the total processes now, you'll see with System Explorer that one or 2 or the programs that start spawn many different processes). Some notes: If your anti-virus program (IE AVG) does not have real-time protection, then it doesn't need to start. The reason is that the only reason it starts is gather updates and wait for a scan (which you can usually initiate through workarounds), which wastes system resources. Just remember to turn it on once in a while, update it, and run scans.
For the rest of the stuff in there, it takes Google or risk. I used more risk than Google for this, you might only if you know what you are doing.
(EDIT)Here's a list of stuff i disabled after a recent reformat:
IgfxTray and Hkcmd: Used for quick access to graphics properties for intel based stuff. Takes up tray icon. Since i don't change my screen stuff very often, i'd rather goto graphics properties the long way then have an icon taking up space in my system tray.
Smax4pnp: Used for custom "effects and environments". No idea what it is. Since i only use basic windows sound, i'm disabling it.
CFTMon: Read this (yes, i know it says its for vista but xp instructions are there as well)
SunJavaUpdateSched: Checks for java updates, but is always running. I just made a bi-weekly schedualed task that ran it instead of every day.
Windows Search: With Windows Search 4, a new icon is in your system tray. Err, no thanks. If i want to search, i'll just click the search button in folders or goto start > search.
Startup enteries before: 13. After: 6. 3 Are needed windows stuff, avg anti-virus, comodo firewall, and system explorer

6) Services
(This part has been moved to viewtopic.php?p=252275#252275)

7) Use portable applications
A portable application is defined as a program that doesn't leave any files or registry entries. This helps with the junk that many programs put and leave on your computer. Try Portableapps.com, Portable Freeware Collection, and just prefixing your program with portable in Google.

8) Make a virtual os
This requires 2 things: a fast computer, and time to learn. A virtual OS is an OS inside of an OS. For example, you can run windows inside of a window on a mac and Linux in a window on Windows. The advantages of this is that when your Virtual OS gets a virus, becomes horribly slow, or other things, your main windows isn't affected. (Due to the resource strain Virtualizing something takes, playing games in your VOS isn't the best idea.

9) Complete System Reformat
This is by far the most time consuming and risky option here. But its the best one. Why? Because Windows tends to collect junk after a while. Your computer begins to deteriorate. Me being a semi-gamer, i've watched Halo 1's boot times get longer, and Rise Of Nations to become excessively laggy. A reformat would solve this. It returns it back to (even better than) the way it was as it rolled of the assembly line. Pristine, new. I've done this several times on my computers, and i can tell you, it works. Suddenly you find that lost power, and can give you that extra FPS to make the game smooth.
But this is not for the feint heated. You will need several tools: Your Windows Reinstalation Disk, Another large storage medium besides your main hard drive, DriverMax, and a print out of this guide. I'll try to guide you through as much as i can.
Step 1) Backup all documents and folders through out the entire hard drive (yes, even that secret folder) to another storage place. DO NOT BE LAZY AND MAKE A FULL BACKUP OF THE DRIVE, OR COPY THE ENTIRE DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS FOLDER. Only copy what is necessarily.
Step 2) Download and install DriverMax. This program will update, then backup all the drivers you have on your computer. This saves you the headache of staring at a 800x600 screen, trying to get your network card working so you can download the drivers (this is from experience). Back to DriverMax. After installing it (and running the driver index), open up Drivermax AGENT (right click on the system tray icon and click Show Drivermax Agent Window), goto the Avalible updates tab, and see if it ran an update. If it did, open up each of the drivers and download the most recent one. After you've downloaded them, install them by double clicking on their names in the Agent Status tab. Once your done installing EVERYTHING, run Drivermax (not the Agent), and goto Driver Operations>Export Drivers. Now click Next, wait for it to index drivers, click Select All, click next, select an empty folder on your backup drive (you can use a zip archive if you have very limited backup space), click next, and wait for it to backup.
Step 3) Download all the installers (try portables first! Tip 7) for all the programs you NEED (remember, were trying to get rid of stuff we don't need). Also, download the IT VERSION of XP SP3 if your run XP. This will solve alot of problems with Windows Update.
Step 4) If your sure you've written down and backed up everything, now its time to bring out your XP reinstalation disk. First though, get into your bios (try mashing one of the function keys as soon as your computer turns on.) and set it to boot from the cd drive FIRST. If you don't see it, then you need to get a new bios if your on a really old computer, a very complicated process, Google flash bios for help; or your in the wrong place. Look around in your bios. Its there 99.9% of the time.
Step 5) (NOTE: In this section the exact keys and setup menu's might be slightly diffrent) Once you get the CD to boot first, you'll see something after you boot saying Press any key to boot from CD. Hit enter. Wait for windows to load the necessary drivers. When its done, press Enter to start installing Windows. Read the EULA, and press F8 to agree. Now you'l see a screen listing the drives which windows is installed. Unless you have 2 versions of windows, select your main one (Usually C:\Windows), and press Escape to install a Fresh copy of windows without Repairing. Now select the drive that has windows on it, press D to delete it, press Enter, hold your breath, and press C. When its done, select the right Drive and press enter to install windows. Choose between quick or full format (full does a better job, but takes a while), and press Enter. Once its done, i'll start installing Windows. Sit in front of your compy till it gets to Installing Windows in the progress area. Here you will get bombarded with prompts. Anwer through any of them. Wait till you go a while with out getting asked any questions before leaving.
Step 6) Once its done, your computer will restart. DO NOT BOOT FROM CD! Ignore it and wait till it goes to more configuration screens. Answer an questions. NOTE: One of the things is Activate Windows. I would recommend waiting until your sure your internet is working before activating windows. Another screen askes for internet configuration. If your on a WIRED network or hooked up directly to internet through ETHERNET, then select I connect to internet through My network etc. Unless you have fancy connection setups, just check Obtain IP Automatically and Obtain DNS Automatically. If your not on a network or hooked up to internet, just skip.
Step 7) Once your done configuring, welcome to your new Windows in your video cards native resolution! First, install Windows XP SP3 with that IT Version you downloaded. When its done, remember that DriverMax backup we made? Well, now lets use it. First, install DriverMax. Now, goto tools>import drivers. Find the file, select all the drivers, and start importing. When done, RESTART!
Step Now its time to Activate Windows. You'll need an internet connection in order for it to work. Just click on activate windows in the system tray or in the start menu. Answer the simple questions and wait for it to verify. Shouldn't take long.
Step Now that all your drivers are back, start installing programs you need! Set back your theme too. And your done! Welcome to Your Faster Windows!

Hardware

Now i'm not all knowledgeable about hardware, but i know enough of the basics.

Essentially you can upgrade almost anything on your computer except motherboards.

To do this you need to be comfortable opening your computer, steady with a screwdriver, and a screwdriver. Before you start touching sensitive electronics, GROUND YOURSELF. Do not go into your computer after shuffling down a shag carpet.

These items are very fragile. Their not supposed to bend. Their not made to be rammed into their slot. A LIGHT push works on most things.

These items are very expensive to. If you shock your motherboard, you have to shell out over $200 for a copy of your motherboard. Handle gently.

This only applies to desktops. Laptops are very complex and isn't recommended for newbies

RAM
This is very easy to do. First, do you need ram? Ask yourself what are you doing that needs ram. Do you consistantly multitask so much you computer laggs horribly? For people that are wondering if they need ram, here are some general stats: 1 GB is ok for general use. Not that much. 2 GB is almost standard. 4 GB is quickly becoming the standard. Most likely you don't need 4 GB ram unless you do very resource hungry tasks at the same time. I'd recommend 2 GB for anyone that has intigrated graphics. That should give you good FPS in games. (NOTE: I have a P4 processor and 256MB ram and only when i multitask does my computer slow to a crawl.)

Now to upgrading, first, the ram is the long skinny sticks sticking out of your motherboard. Looks like this. They have tabs on the sides holding them in. Slide them out, then GENTLY pull STRAIGHT out. Look on there for the ram type (IE in that image its PC-3200U). Now, look at the slots you have and the size of your chips. You want to try to have 2 identical sticks for better management. I have 3 slots so if i had money i'd get 3 512MB ram chips. You might want 2 1GB + some random ram for your setup. Take into account money and slots. DON'T GET DDR3 RAM! Its not that good for the price.

To put ram in, slide it in STRAIGHT. DO NOT FORCE INTO SLOT. Once its in there correctly, slide the locking mechanisms on it. YOUR DONE

Graphics Card
This is where i get lost in the multiple types of cards, speeds, and ram. For me, unless your playing games and study FPS OR you don't have that much ram and multi-task alot. Having a GPU free's your system ram for important stuff. Its up to you

IDE DVD/HDD/Floppy Drive
Since i have only been consistently around IDE (ribbion cabble) based motherboards, thats what i'm focusing on. Unless you have a nice motherboard, you have 2 or 3 IDE connections on the motherboard. This splits out to 4 to 6 TOTAL connections. This includes HDD's, DVD drives, and Floppy Drives.

Upgrading any one of these things is pretty much the same. Open up your case, and CAREFULLY disconnect the cords. (IMPORTANT: DO NOT TRY TO TAKE OUT THE RIBBION CABLE BY THE CABLE! You will just tear the connection making that cable useless). Now try to find all the screws for the think your taking out (HDD's usually have their own covering. Take off the covering with the HDD in it, then take off the covering.) If it still doesn't come out, try opening up the front case. Usually (don't know about Le Fancy cases) its held in with tabs. Just squeeze where the tabs are and it'll come out. Screws should be revealed. Slide out. Take out any covering. To replace, do backwards.

Overclocking
THIS CAN RUIN YOUR CPU! -- Overclocking bumps up the GHZ of your processor, making it faster. But it also increases heat. Also, most CPU's are locked. Get into your bios and see if you can change it. If you can, google around for Overclocking X processor.

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I can't think anymore. Hope i wrote everything clear enough.

-Xana's Fist

[Gadget offline]

Very good my friend, you have done your research. Everything is correct I just thought I should clarify some information.

Over clocking
If you change your processors speed in your bios it will make the computer think it is a faster processor. But unless you have that speed of a processor it won’t do anything. If you try to do it this way it will say you have a faster processor, But your computer wont run any faster.

Actually Over clocking involves opening your computer and changing your mother boards jumper settings to allow more voltage to go to your processor, in turn making it go faster.

And I need to say the same thing XF did. This makes your processor run at a higher voltage then it was designed to, and it can/will cause un-repairable damage to your processor.

How to do it- It’s different on different motherboards but it’s basically the same method. If you decide to ignore the warnings and wish to try it, PM me, or email me at GadgetServerNetwork@hotmail.com
Its not something that Everyone should try, so I will only release the information threw PM or email.

Defragmentation
Everything XF said about this is actually correct. I just want to explain what defragging is.

Ok so you save a file to your hard drive. Now without going to deep into details it basically breaks up the file into small pieces and just throws them onto the first spaces it finds on the hard drive. When you access delete modify or move files it changes there positions on the hard drive. You keep moving all these pieces around and they get all mixed up. Thus every time you want that file, your computer has to look for all those pieces to gather them and open the file.

The defrag organizes these pieces into much more organized groups. Allowing your computer to find these files much faster.

You should defrag your computer no less then once a month and no more then once a week.

Virtual OS
No corrections just a suggestion. If you’re using Linux I suggest using Wine. That’s what I use and I love it.

Reformatting
Remember the basic rule of computer repair. Reformatting should always be your LAST RESORT. All problems are repairable on a computer. You can even remove all that built up junk.

Also you should only format your computer if you feel comfortable doing it. Once you start it there is no turning back. And if your not sure how to or you don’t know how to partition a drive then you shouldn’t try it.

RAM
When buying RAM never get the cheap kind. Let’s say there is a set of 2 GB for sale for $30 and there is a 1 GB stick for sell for $70, get the $70 one.

Ok here is what happens; the companies that make the chips that go on the sticks always will test every chip. Now they will do several tests, and how well they do will determine the price. Some companies buy the expensive ones some buy the cheap.

Now most lower end computers will use the cheaper RAM just fine. But higher end models usually don’t like the cheap ones that much. Macs are incredibility bad about this. They don’t like to work with anything except the best. Now PC are pretty good about using almost any RAM.

HARDWARE NOTEBe aware of something called ESD (electrostatic discharge). Always ground yourself before touching a computer component. Even if you don’t see a static spark, there could still be a small amount of static electricity pass from you to the part and that can be enough to completely destroy the part.

Just needed to put that information out there, But pretty much what XF said is correct. The only thing that you got wrong my friend was the over clocking.

Another note: O YES GADGET IS BACK!!!

[TheLQ offline]

Thanks for the help. Just got a problem here

Reformatting
Remember the basic rule of computer repair. Reformatting should always be your LAST RESORT. All problems are repairable on a computer. You can even remove all that built up junk.

Also you should only format your computer if you feel comfortable doing it. Once you start it there is no turning back. And if your not sure how to or you don’t know how to partition a drive then you shouldn’t try it.

Err, no. You can't remove everything unless you go to the extream and use a windows recovery disk and re-copy the entire windows directory, which will screw up your programs so much you would be better to reformat.

I have tried many programs early on cleaning everything i can. Still didn't work. Then i reformatted. Only then could Rise of Nations and Halo not lag as much. Firefox started faster. IE7 didn't take 20 minutes to open. Clean clean clean.

And you don't need to know how to partition a drive in order to reformat (although basic knowledge is good). Essentially a partitioning a drive is splitting up the drive into multiple drives (instead of seeing just your c:\ drive, you see c:\ d:\ e:\ etc for as many partitions you have. Its good when you dual boot your computer. If you see 2 or more partition under one HD (people that have never formatted and have a dell, listen up), erase both partitions, then it should merge into one drive.

While a reformat should be near the bottom of the list (IE no "hmm my computer is slow, lets reformat!"), it doesn't need to be the last resort. You just need to be conformable doing it and realize that if you screw up, it will take a while to fix because you can't use that computer to access the wonderful internet.

Other then that, thanks!

Thought of another one:
10) Remove unneeded drivers
One thing you can do to prevent driver conflicts is to uninstall unneeded drivers. The problem is that windows dosen't show devices that aren't connected by default. Theirs a simple workaround.
Step 1) Open up command prompt
Step 2) Type this exactly: SET devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
Step 3) Now type: devmgmt.msc
Step 4) Goto View>Show Hidden Devices
Step 5) Any device that's grayed out is not connected. NOW BE CAREFUL! Some drivers are created by programs (IE TrueCrypt). If its not needed, then uninstall the device. DO NOT UNINSTALL DEVICES THAT ARE NOT IN GREY!

[Feneeth of Borg offline]

I generally agree with all this, but I have some more information about hardware in general and in specific. The concept of overclocking does involve increasing the voltage of the CPU, but only to the amount a higher clocked version would use, considering that in a line of CPUs, that they are built exactly the same except for the the clocks of the core/s and the Front Side Bus (FSB). Motherboards don't even have pins for voltage anymore considering you can change it in the BIOS. Just make sure you have good cooling and be cautious. All CPUs have a range of voltages that they are functional on and is even documented.

Graphics
The graphics card in your rig may be the one most important piece of hardware for gaming, weather its freeware or a game like CRYSIS. Regardless of what you choose, make sure you are using a card rather than the integrated graphics, because it can't be overclocked, and poorly cooled. I suggest the Radeon 9800 Pro for any rig with an AGP port because you can get them for a few dollars on Ebay since they are soooooo common and can be overclocked considerable more thant most cards. The graphics memory is not just extra RAM for the system to use, its necessary for gaming because the distance between the GPU and the system RAM is unacceptable.

RAM, FSB, and YOU
People obsess about the amount of RAM they have too much, while not putting a single thought about the clock speed. The only reason why people used to obsess is because rigs with SDRAM could never have enough system RAM to run Win 2000 or XP without using virtualRAM from the Hard disk or even removable media. Now, we have more than we need, so don't waste money on it unless you 512MB or less. check your CPU's FSB speed to see if you can get faster RAM.

[TheLQ offline]

Thanks Feneeth of Borg for the hardware. I'm still attempting to understand your hardware speak. I'll just stick with programming...

UPDATE:
6) Services
Services are usually important things in windows that listen for connections (IE FTP Server) or events (Using an NFTS formatted drive). You can head to the services tab in Autoruns or goto Start>Run>services.msc; whichever GUI suits you. Before we do anything, THIS CAN CAUSE YOU COMPUTER TO NOT RUN OR RUN WEIRD. Google is your friend. If their is something you don't know, google it. If you still can't find it, then you can either disable it and see if you see a problem, or just keep it enabled.

To disable a service, right click it and go to properties. Expand the drop down menu and select disabled, then click apply. Next, click stop. Pretty simple.

EDIT:
After a recent reformat, i'll post the services i disabled that i don't need and you might not need either. This is partially based on info from other sites, sources are at the bottom. Note, i'm not on a network, i use a direct internet connection. Look at comments and see if this will affect your network stuff.

Application Layer Gateway Service
Cryptographic Services: Not doing network authentication, though i am worried about the ftps and sshd server that i have that use authentication
DNS Client: Not on a network
DHCP Client: After a test, if you have a static ip (either on a network or, if on a direct connection, external), then disable it. Since i wasn't, i couldn't use the internet
Distributed Link Tracking Client: A) not on a network B) even if on a network, the only shared folder i have is my desktop
Error Reporting Service: This controls the pop ups when a program crashes, asking if you wish to send error. Since i believe it just goes in the very large round file with everyone else, i'll disable it
Fast User Switching Client Only have one account that is used, would not disable if on shared computer
Help and Support: Used by online help guides for programs (ie Microsoft Office) and the system info program. Would recommend disabling unless you have office and use the guide, or it interferes with other programs
IPSEC Services: A) not on a network B) not on a domain C) very few domains require it anyway
Network Location Awareness (NLA): not using ICS
Print Spooler: Not using a printer, will get back to you if a network printer will fail with this disabled
Remote Access Connection Manager: ISP doesn't need it, test and see if it works for you) (Needed to set it to disable then wait for restart for it to stop
Secondary Logon: Don't have multiple accounts, and even if i did, i don't start programs under other accounts. Would recommend disabling it and seeing other people are affected. Most likely they won't.
Security Accounts Manager: Don't use group policy editor. If you don't know what that is, disable it. (I had to disable and wait for restart to stop)
Server: Not on a network. IMPORTANT: Is needed for file or printer sharing
SSDP Discovery Service: Not on a network. If you connect to network devices other than other computers, test disabling it and see if it works
System Event Notification: Don't care about errors that don't affect me at all. If you regularly look at your event log, then keep it. If not, disable it
System Restore Service: This is where i have a huge issue. System Restore basically rolls back your registry and some background stuff to a previous data. Problems? A) Each backup file is as big as the amount of RAM you have currently. B) When i tried it, it crashed several programs, and i found many settings missing in programs that use the registry instead of INI files for storage. C) Is commonly thought of as a magic fixer for viruses, when infact its not. MY OPINION: Disable it if you don't know what system restore is or never use it, and if you use it, read around google for what people say about System Restore. FOR DISABLING: Right click on My Computer, goto properties > properties (not a typo) > system restore > turn off system restore on all drives. Restart and see if its disabled. If not, manually disable it.
Task Scheduler: BE CAREFUL WITH THIS!!! First, goto Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Scheduled Tasks. Do you see your anti virus software there? If so, don't disable the service. If not, is their anything else worth running? If not, disable the service. Since AVG likes to start a scan when i'm actively using the computer and i don't keep my computer on at night, i'm disabling it.
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper: A) Not on a network B) If your on a network and you don't have a fancy server, disable it C) If your on a network and have a fancy server, disable it and see if it works.
Telephony: If you use the modem or dialup on your computer, skip this. If you use Microsoft outlook or (maybe) other contact managers, (at least on my dad's computer), you will loose the ability to have your area code automatically entered in. Since i don't use outlook or my modem, i'm disabling it. (I had to set to disable because the dependency Remote Access Connection Manager needed a restart to disable)
Terminal Services: This is one of those "test it and see if it works" services. Since random things use this, try network file sharing, file printing, and nfts permissions protected folders. Since i'm not a network, i'm disabling it. (Had to set it to disabled and wait for restart)
Themes: This is one of those services that is optional. When i tested it, it left me with this, instead of the default windows theme. If you like windows 98, disable it. If you like the more polished xp theme, or have changed colors/font sizes/fonts, keep it enabled.
WebClient: I'm in the process of testing this. A description i found said this:

Enables Windows-based programs to create, access, and modify Internet-based files. If this service is stopped, these functions will not be available. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.
*It's been rumored that DOT NET may require this service.

I'm guessing that "web based files" is ftp servers, webdav folders, and (big maybe) shares on other computers. I'm going to test it on a computer on a network and see if it works. On my non-network computer, since i use filezilla, i'm disabling it. I would recommend testing it and seeing if anything is affected.
Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing(ICS): This is another place where i have an issue. ICS is Microsoft's attempt to protect computers with no firewall. But its a very poor firewall, with only incoming packet filtering. If your relying on ICS, the please take a look at the very popular and free Comodo Firewall. If you already have a firewall, disable ICS since having 2 firewalls degrades performance. If your on a very powerful computer, you probably won't see a difference. Since i'm running on a P4 and 256MB RAM, and a P3 with 512MB RAM, i'm disabling it.
Windows Image Acquisition (WIA): Since i don't have a scanner and rarely hook up a camera, i'm disabling. If you regularly hook up your camera, disable it and test if you can see the files on your camera.
Wireless Zero Configuration: Don't use wireless connections. If you don't either, disable it.
Windows Search: This is a highly debated service. What can you loose if you disable it?: Some advanced searching in IE8, Search E-mail in Outlook (at least on my dads computer), fast file searching capabilities, and possibly some other stuff. If you don't use any of these, disable it and remember howto re-enable it. In my tests and online reviews with Windows Search 4, search's seems faster, and is more efficient. For me, i'm keeping it enabled. If you are on a budget computer, disable it so you can gain from the performance boost.
Workstation: Not on a network. If you are, and share files/printers/services/anything, KEEP IT!!!

And finally, I'm done. Services before: 53, Services after: 26.

Great thanks to:
http://beemerworld.com/tips/servicesxp.htm
http://www.jasonn.com/turning_off_unnec ... windows_xp

[Feneeth of Borg offline]

Nice job with the services, I've already cut down on mine along with start-up processes via msconfig. I suggst you learn more about hardware, XANA's fist, because truely understanding software is impossible if you don't know anything about how hardware actually fuctions.

More about RAM, DDR3 is actually worth it, but not for rigs that aren't meant for gaming, beccause you'll never use it to greatest extent, nor is it likey that you have any software for benchmarking your rigs speed, its also unlikely that your rig is running as efficently, to about 98 or more percent considering that you're not using a waterblock, nor pay attention to any clocks but the CPU's. Go to www.guru3d.com to get learned. This is no way an insult to your knowledge, I just have considerable hardware experience with old and new alike, coupled with years of programming experience. Of course you would assume that the only way to improve your system is the buy new hardware or update drivers, and most people don't even realize the latter. You should look for any RAM chips or proccessors that are completely uncooled via heatsink and make rudimentary ones using whatever metal you find lying around that is in the shape of one (Heatsings are the chunks of steel/copper that look like radiators or are comblike) because it helps to draw heat from said chip/CPU but being more conductive of heat than the air. I suggest using staple clips (yes, for staplers), taping two together so that they form a tunnel and then taping that to each chip/CPU that is producing large amounts of heat. I also suggest using a penny for a base for each one, because copper has high heat conductivity.

Oh, yeah and if you don't have a static IP, change to it and manually input your IP and DNS info to generally improve your connection speed and so network logs can be used to track your traffic concerming repeated malware infections, so you can block their IP with more certainty.

I suggest you check Manufactuer websites to see if there are updates for your hardware, because they generally are the most effective way improve hardware perfomance considerably, but this doesn't always apply for graphics chipset/card if they are getting on in years.

Everyone tell me your stats concerning CPU, RAM, graphics (and their driver versions), and sound card so I give specific help to everyone, if you please.

[TheLQ offline]

Nice job with the services, I've already cut down on mine along with start-up processes via msconfig. I suggst you learn more about hardware, XANA's fist, because truely understanding software is impossible if you don't know anything about how hardware actually fuctions.

More about RAM, DDR3 is actually worth it, but not for rigs that aren't meant for gaming, beccause you'll never use it to greatest extent, nor is it likey that you have any software for benchmarking your rigs speed, its also unlikely that your rig is running as efficently, to about 98 or more percent considering that you're not using a waterblock, nor pay attention to any clocks but the CPU's. Go to www.guru3d.com to get learned. This is no way an insult to your knowledge, I just have considerable hardware experience with old and new alike, coupled with years of programming experience. Of course you would assume that the only way to improve your system is the buy new hardware or update drivers, and most people don't even realize the latter. You should look for any RAM chips or proccessors that are completely uncooled via heatsink and make rudimentary ones using whatever metal you find lying around that is in the shape of one (Heatsings are the chunks of steel/copper that look like radiators or are comblike) because it helps to draw heat from said chip/CPU but being more conductive of heat than the air. I suggest using staple clips (yes, for staplers), taping two together so that they form a tunnel and then taping that to each chip/CPU that is producing large amounts of heat. I also suggest using a penny for a base for each one, because copper has high heat conductivity.

Oh, yeah and if you don't have a static IP, change to it and manually input your IP and DNS info to generally improve your connection speed and so network logs can be used to track your traffic concerming repeated malware infections, so you can block their IP with more certainty.

I suggest you check Manufactuer websites to see if there are updates for your hardware, because they generally are the most effective way improve hardware perfomance considerably, but this doesn't always apply for graphics chipset/card if they are getting on in years.

Everyone tell me your stats concerning CPU, RAM, graphics (and their driver versions), and sound card so I give specific help to everyone, if you please.

My problem is that i'm not a gamer. Personally, i'm tired of people that think that every teen computer is a gamer. I'm not. I play old games, and not very much. I'll stick with my ancient halo 1 pc, Star Wars: Empire At War, and Rise of Nations.

Second, with most things on computers i live by if its good enough. Specs on my computer? P4, 256MB ram, Windows XP Home. Do i think my computer is slow? A little. I notice preformance lag when firefox is running (if it wasen't for addons, i would dump it), and games do start a little slow. But they run. I don't study FPS, or get brand spanking new games like Call of Duty: World At war that require a gaming rig to run. The only thing i notice considerable lag is doing very cpu intensive things like encoding or making a dvd in dvdstyler. How do i get around it? Just leave it running through the night! Not that hard.

The only thing that i do notice lag on is another computer i have that was a P3 and 512MB ram, which has the exact oposite problem. P3's suck.

What advice to i give people that computers is slow?
1) Do various cleaning of computer mentioned in this guide.
2) Reformat
3) Get more ram
4) Upgrade processor
5) Get new computer
6) Graphics card