Ways to improve Windows XP performance

Tech, Windows Tips Comments Off

Sep 162008

1.Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you’re not sure, here’s how to check:

First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties.

Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data.

Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key.

This process may take a while; it’s important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.

2.Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can “prefetch” portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That’s fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.

Install Windows XP from DOS

Windows Tips No Responses »

Aug 232008

Install Windows XP from DOS (ie. no OS on a new hard drive):

Boot with a Windows 98 Start Up disk

Insert the Windows 98 CD into the CD reader

Run smartdrv.exe from the Win98 directory on the windows 98 CD (file caching)

Type cd.. to back up to the root directory

Insert Windows XP CD into the CD reader

Copy the i386 folder to C:\

Go into C:\i386 folder on C: and type winnt.exe to launch the setup from the hard drive.

optimize the DSL-CABLE connection speed

Computer Information, Networking, Windows Tips No Responses »

Aug 202008

Goto Start, then run.

Type in regedit in the box.

Next, goto the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\VxD\MSTCP

Now, find the string DefaultRcvWindow . Now, edit the number to 64240 then restart your computer.

There you go. High speed cable modem now without loading a program. Original value is 373360

Fix your windows installer problem.

Computer Information, Windows Tips 2 Responses »

Aug 192008

This kind of problem happens whenever you attemp to install an application in windows 2k, xp

“The Windows Installer service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance.”

The ms website knowledge article 324516 gives 2 methods as a way of fixing this problem.

Well, the solution is very easy:

1. right click your root windows installation drive i.e drive where you installed windows

2. click properties at the bottom

3. select security tab

4. click Add and scroll down to SYSTEM account click add and click OK.

5. allow Full control permission and click Apply and then Ok.

This should solve your problem with windows installer.

Give Warning to the Unwanted Users Accessing the Computer

Tech, Windows Tips 1 Response »

Aug 122008

Wanna tell your friends about the do’s and dont’s in your computer when they login in your absence. Well you can do it pretty easily by displaying a legal notice at system start up.

Display legal notice on startup:
Go to start–>run and type

REGEDIT
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system]
“legalnoticecaption”=”enter your notice caption”
“legalnoticetext”=”enter your legal notice text”