Thoosje Quick XP Optimizer: get better performance out of XP

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Osiris

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Description: Thoosje Quick XP Optimizer is a free program that provides 1-click performance enhancement for Windows XP, including faster startup, faster HD access, faster apps, faster intente, and faster overall system performance. It also offers the option to completely undo whatever intervention that it performed on a system.
I occasionally receive emails that say “help, my computer is slow and sluggish, how can I make it faster, do I have a virus?”. To these my standard response is: try to remove unnecessary entries from loading up on startup with a program like Starter, clean up your hard drive with something like CCleaner, install JKdefrag GUI and defrag the HD, and install a good freeware antivirus and antispyware programs and perform a scan (I do not generally recommend a registry cleaner so as not to be responsible if something goes wrong).

However, I also know that it is possible to optimize registry settings to boost performance, and “Thoosje Quick XP Optimizer” is a nice program that offers 1-click registry optimization. Here are more notes on this program:
  • How it works: it optimizes Windows XP registry settings (removing limits and “useless checks”) and by removing unnecessary files/clutter from your harddrive. More info here.
  • The user interface: is simple and attractive; a checklist where the only required user intervention is to check a box by each desired entry. You can get information on any one of the optimization entries by clicking on the link next to it.
  • Optimizations offered: (1) faster shutdown/restart/booting. (2) faster internet, (3) faster hard drive and processor performance, (4) faster application performance, (5) faster Win XP performance, (6) erasing history and surfing traces, (7) preventing a “list of websites” from installing cookies (although there is no info on what these websites may be), (8) cleaning junk files and/or the recycle bin, (9) flushing the DNS cache, and (10) a rudimentary but functional startup folder manager.
  • Undoing the intervention: if, after using this, you prefer to go back you can use the “restore” button to undo all changes that the program made.
But does it work?: generally speaking, its hard to know the extent to which the better performance is cosmetic and the extent to which it is real (and, as a third criterion, the extent of the “placebo” effect in the mind of the user after running this).
There are things that you can see immediately: the start menu becomes much more responsive, programs seem to open faster, etc. Although it is technically possible to easily compare startup times and internet speed changes I did not do this (I am, in fact, partial to TCP Optimizer for internet speed optimization and did not use the internet optimization option provided by this program, even as it might be a good one).
The verdict: I like this program for its 1-click simplicity and the option to undo whatever it does. I also like that it just does performance tweaks rather than being an all-out Windows tweaker and overwhelming the user with dozens of options and decisions.
From a purely subjective perspective my computer seems generally faster and more responsive. On the other hand, bear in mind that if your computer is slow there is probably a reason (or reasons) why that is the case, and this program is not designed to “fix” these problems necessarily, even as it might contribute to in a lift in performance.

Thoosje Quick XP Optimizer: get better performance out of XP - review & download link | freewaregenius.com
 
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