 Remember when your new PC with Windows XP ran fast and snappy? Now its slow and sluggish, programs take ages to open and it's just not fun any more. Do you need to buy a new PC? Upgrade to Vista? NO!!! You can fix all this for FREE in 5 easy steps!!! This web page is a community service to help you make your PC run "as new". It does not venture into the XP vs Vista ideological issues, but provides practical, simple and easy-to-follow advice. SECURITY ALERT: Why Risk Your Windows XP Installation? NOW! Remember this site: 
Running Vista? Click here for Windows Vista Speed-up Guide | ||
| What do I need to do to get my PC running "as new"? 1. Remove any viruses, spyware and malware - by running two simple and well-known free programs! 2. Remove any "garbage" on your computer - using two Windows' built-in tools 3. Do systems maintenance to fix "wear & tear" on your computer - run 3 free programs ... 4. Change some Windows XP settings for optimized operation - basic and advanced. 5. Set up regular maintenance for 1) and 2) - easy! 
That's all! So, are you ready to go? Look at the sections below for details! Of course, the are more complicated and sophisticated ways of optimising a Windows XP PC, but these 5 steps is all you need. Step 1: Remove all Viruses and other Malware from your PC: Run two free Anti-Virus/Spyware programs There are many Virus Checkers. One of the most reliable and popular is the free AVG; it does not slow down your PC. Uninstall any other AntiVirus software first, then download and install the latest version from http://Free.AVG.com. Make sure you enable automatic updating. There are also many Malware/Spyware Checkers, but the most popular is AdAware 2007 Personal Edition - also FREE! Download and install the latest version from www.Lavasoft.com, then do manual update. As a commercial-strength product, we recommend AVG Pro Run both programs repeatedly until they show no more infections. Why:
PC viruses and malware are dangerous and slow down you computer. Step 2: Remove any "Garbage" on your computer: Run two free Windows Clean-up programs ... - Delete unnecessary files: Go to Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools and run "Disk Cleanup", check all boxes but not "Compress Files", unless you want to increase your disk space. After a while you will get a list of the files to be deleted; click "OK". - Delete unnecessary programs: Go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel and run "Add or Remove Programs". Carefully remove any programs you don't want on your PC. Leave all Windows programs and patches alone.
Why: Any "garbage" slows down your PC! Step 3: Do maintenance to fix "wear & tear" on your computer: Run three free programs ... - Check and fix your hard disk: Go to Start -> Run..., then type in "cmd", then type in "chkdsk". The PC will either run the disk check immediately or when the PC is next rebooted. - Fix registry problems (and delete more unnecessary files) with the free www.CCleaner.com. Download (unclicking the Yahoo Toolbar option) and run both CCleaner functions: "Cleaner" and "Registry". The "Registry" option will search for problem entries in the registry - mostly broken links. Scan first, then Fix. The program will ask if you want to save a backup before fixing - choose "yes" so you'll be able to put things back the way they were if necessary. As a commercial-strength product, we recommend RegistryFix or Registry Error Nuker. - Defragment the Registry with the free Registry Defrag utility from Auslogics. This program cleans and compacts the registry; your PC will reboot after the program has compacted the Registry and the program will show the size reduction. - Defragment your hard disk: Go to Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools and run "Disk Defragmenter". To efficiently defragment your hard drive you need to have a minimum of 15% free disk space, but 25% or more is better. The first time you run this, it can take several hours to complete. Re-run until no more fragmented files are reported.
Why: To run "like new", your PC needs regular maintenance just like a car! Step 4: Optimise Windows XP settings for faster operation Unnecessary programs running on your PC can very much decrease performance. You can see some of these programs as small icons in the System Tray next to the clock, the volume control and - for laptops - the battery meter. These additional and mostly unneeded programs use up your memory and processing power. You don't need CD burning, video settings, printer management, instant messaging and similar programs to run continuously. Rather than these program starting automatically when you boot up your PC, start the programs when you need them - your PC will run faster and respond more “snappily”! To stop unnecessary programs from starting at boot-up: Go to Start -> Run..., then type in "msconfig", click "GO" then go to the "Startup" tab. All the programs you see listed are not part of standard Windows XP. Your goal is to remove as many of the programs as possible. Un-check any program listed that you don't need and re-boot. If you are missing an add-on function that is important to you, just go back and re-enable the program... After you reboot, you will see a message saying the configuration utility was edited - mark the check box at the bottom and continue. - Choose simpler and faster display style: Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Performance -> Settings -> Visual Effects -> Adjust for best performance - Fix page-file size: Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Performance -> Settings -> Advanced -> Virtual Memory -> Change -> Custom Size and set the Initial Size and Maximum size to 1500. - Prefetch ??? - Disable check-points
Why: For best performance, PCs need tuning like any other equipment, eg car, etc. P Save our Planet - use Amazon's Green Products! Can't wait? FREE Amazon 2-Day Shipping for your whole household! Step 5: Set up an automatic maintenance schedule - Update Virus and Malware checkers as described in Step 1 - Delete unnecessary files as described in Step 2 (You can also check if some unwanted programs have been installed...) - Defrag Registry and hard disk as described in Step 3 - Check defragmentation - Systernals.com
Why: Windows XP performance continually deteriorates with use and time, so the above must be run regularly = weekly! |
| Today's Special Offers: Cool 3 SkypePhone !!! Compare Bank Loans Lowest % Credit Cards Win iPhone, Wii or Petrol FREE faxing from/to PCs! Domains from $0.99 Cool Dating in Loan Refinancing Smarter Browsing: Alexa Move to Free & Open S/W Easy: Build a Web Site Skype User Guide FREE Skype Download Fix XP in German/Deutsch |
| Info Compiled by: |
| HL7 Systems & Services PO Box 857 AVALON 2107 Australia Ph.: +61 412 746 457 Fax: +61 2 9475 0303 E-mail: |
   E-mail us info to add to these FAQ! |