How to keep WinXP really fast & stable. this question was asked
http://www.techist.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55862.
HereÂ’s how to keep windows fast. I donÂ’t know about 2 years though. There are too many chances for user error
Tricks to speed your computer
1.Reformat. Use the XP CD to break it into 2 partitions. Make one 15-30 gig for your operating system, the rest for your data (gamers need to make a 3rd 10-20 gig partition for your games). You can move my document to the 2nd partition. Go to start right click my documents, click properties (you can only do it here) and select move. Move it to you second partition. This will speed up disc performance plus if you have to reformat, you won't lose your data. Download all new things to the first drive and after a few weeks and you are sure they contain no virus or Trojan horses, then move them to the 2nd drive
2. If you have a second hard drive you need to move your paging file there. Make 2 partitions. The first is 3 gigs which will be your swap file drive (it is faster at the beginning)
3. If you can get customizer XP, get it. I am not sure but I don't think it is free anymore. It does a million things to speed up your computer.
http://www.tweaknow.com/
4. Go to display properties, change your desktop theme to windows classic, also change in the appearance tab to windows classic. Change these 2 things to classic will free up 60mb of ram alone. You use any old picture as desktop wallpaper
5. Install zone alarm. Turn on cache cleaner to make it clean your temporary internet files every 2 week. It will delete spy ware like files that the XP clean up disc can't. Or use Netscape 8. You can set it to erase your tracks every time that you exit it.
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp
6. Get evidence eliminator to disable all of windows XP tracking services for you. half of XP resources is use to track everything that you are doing. http://www.internet-washers.com/. You will find a much faster computer when you are done
7. DonÂ’t use IE
http://ftp.netscape.com/pub/netscape8/english/8.0/windows/win32/nsb-install-8-0.exe
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
8. DonÂ’t download free music. If you must download from file sharing programs, get you a dummy computer that you don't care if it gets a virus or spyware
9. start, run type msconfig check startup remove all of the check item except your firewall and antivirus and email programs so that you won't have so many things running in the background that are just wasted computer resources.
10. Get adaware, sybot and spyware blaster (you can change the first 2 programs for other spyware programs like spysweeper and MS antispyware, but spyware blaster is a must. It blocks sites from ever accessing your computer.
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
11. Get an antivirus. Avast is free. I don't recommend Norton
http://www.avast.com/
http://www.techist.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55862.
HereÂ’s how to keep windows fast. I donÂ’t know about 2 years though. There are too many chances for user error
Tricks to speed your computer
1.Reformat. Use the XP CD to break it into 2 partitions. Make one 15-30 gig for your operating system, the rest for your data (gamers need to make a 3rd 10-20 gig partition for your games). You can move my document to the 2nd partition. Go to start right click my documents, click properties (you can only do it here) and select move. Move it to you second partition. This will speed up disc performance plus if you have to reformat, you won't lose your data. Download all new things to the first drive and after a few weeks and you are sure they contain no virus or Trojan horses, then move them to the 2nd drive
2. If you have a second hard drive you need to move your paging file there. Make 2 partitions. The first is 3 gigs which will be your swap file drive (it is faster at the beginning)
3. If you can get customizer XP, get it. I am not sure but I don't think it is free anymore. It does a million things to speed up your computer.
http://www.tweaknow.com/
4. Go to display properties, change your desktop theme to windows classic, also change in the appearance tab to windows classic. Change these 2 things to classic will free up 60mb of ram alone. You use any old picture as desktop wallpaper
5. Install zone alarm. Turn on cache cleaner to make it clean your temporary internet files every 2 week. It will delete spy ware like files that the XP clean up disc can't. Or use Netscape 8. You can set it to erase your tracks every time that you exit it.
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp
6. Get evidence eliminator to disable all of windows XP tracking services for you. half of XP resources is use to track everything that you are doing. http://www.internet-washers.com/. You will find a much faster computer when you are done
7. DonÂ’t use IE
http://ftp.netscape.com/pub/netscape8/english/8.0/windows/win32/nsb-install-8-0.exe
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
8. DonÂ’t download free music. If you must download from file sharing programs, get you a dummy computer that you don't care if it gets a virus or spyware
9. start, run type msconfig check startup remove all of the check item except your firewall and antivirus and email programs so that you won't have so many things running in the background that are just wasted computer resources.
10. Get adaware, sybot and spyware blaster (you can change the first 2 programs for other spyware programs like spysweeper and MS antispyware, but spyware blaster is a must. It blocks sites from ever accessing your computer.
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
11. Get an antivirus. Avast is free. I don't recommend Norton
http://www.avast.com/