Increase your System Performance(Speed) in XP Professional

Improve your XP Performance; Avoid slowing down your system by the following unnecessary reasons…

#1: System Restore and Indexing Services

This applies for Windows XP Professional and Home Edition.

There are two services which cause unnecessary memory usage of your PC. These services are also a major cause of "missing" disk space. System Restore Service usually takes up 3 GB of space, just on it's own.

Usually System Restore take a snapshot where you can restore that point if any system failure occurs. Though it’s a useful service in windows xp it occupies lot of memory space so it slow down your PC literally. It create a “Restore Point” whenever you install a new driver. So that It can help you to rollback your PC to the working condition if any failure occurs during your new driver or software installation.

In case if you are enjoying this service it’s all good for you. Because if you disable this service your previous restore points also will be erased.

Fine. To disable this service and increase your system speed you got to disable this service. Where do you find it?

With the default Classic Control Panel:

Pretty Two easy steps for user who is familiar of Operating System.

Head to My Computer in the desktop or start menu >> Just do right click on My Computer >> Click on Properties >> There you can find a tab called “System Restore” >> Click on it >> “Turn of System Restore on all drives” Just click (enable) that check box where a tick mark will appear >> You will get a warning “previous restore points also will be deleted” >> Just click Ok >> Here you go….

In Detailed…

Go to Start >>
Select Control Panel >>
Select Performance and Maintenance >>
Select System >>
Select System Restore Tab >>
Check "Turn off System Restore" >>
Select the Ok button to apply the settings >>
With the Classic Control Panel:


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#2: To stop the “INDEXING SERVICES”

Head to Start >> Select “RUN” >> A new pop up window will appear >> Just type “SERVICES.MSC” >> A new Services window will open >> There Just look for “INDEXING SERVICE” >> Just double click on it >> A new properties window will open >> In the Startup Type Select “Manual” >> And if Service status showing “Running” You can stop the service by just click on “Stop” button which is next to “Start” button. Easy isn’t it… J

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#3: Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Sharing

Remove Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Sharing.

Note: Remote Desktop Sharing is not available with Windows XP Home. You may request assistance from someone only using Windows XP Pro.

Where do you find it?

Head to My Computer in the desktop or start menu >> Just do right click on My Computer >> Click on Properties >> There you can find a tab called “Remote” >> Click on it >> “Just Uncheck both checkbox If it is enabled” Just click (disable) that check box where a tick mark will disappear >> Click on “Apply” >> Just click Ok >>
Done…


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#4: Paging File

Adjust the paging file to a respectable level. This is valid for Windows XP Home and Pro.

Can you get rid of the paging file? Yes and no. If you have a boat load of memory (greater than 1GB, but I recommend 2 GB) you may be able to function just fine. Some games requires a certain amount of swap space to be created to run properly, No matter how much RAM available in your PC. Also, under certain times, sound card may goes crazy (or does not even function) in some games with no paging file (oddly enough, Age of Empires 2). If you decide to test your luck with no paging file, you are on your own. :) Paging file is different and each persons requirement of how many applications are open at a time is different.. I usually do not have one "unless something requires it that I am running that day."

Where do you find it?

Head to My Computer in the desktop or start menu >> Just do right click on My Computer >> Click on Properties >> There you can find a tab called “Advanced” >> Select it >> “Under Performance tab” “Virtual Settings” Just click “Settings” >> “Select Change Button” >> Adjust as needed, or select "No paging File," then select the Set button > Select Ok button to apply these settings >> You must restart your PC for the changes to take effect

If anything, create (preferably on a separate partition), a paging of constant size. For example, select Custom Size and place 1000 in "Initial" and 1000 in "Maximum" Size boxes, then click Set Button. This will reduce the amount of work needed to dynamically resize the paging file, usually when you need it most.

Some definitions need to be explained:

Physical RAM ~ The amount of Memory (RAM) installed on a system. Physical RAM is "way" faster than a "paging file."

Paging File ~ The file that is located on your hard drive that "acts" like Physical RAM but is way slower.

Virtual Memory ~ The name used for the sum of Physical RAM and the Paging File. In other words: Physical RAM + Paging File = Virtual Memory. You cannot "disable" Virtual Memory even if you disable the Paging File. Meaning, 2 GB RAM + 0 MB Paging File = 2 GB Virtual Memory.

If you have not already, reboot now.


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#5: Themes

Reduce the overhead associated with WinXP's new Themes. This is valid for Windows XP Home and Pro. I have observed between 4 MB to 12 MB of RAM used for the new themes.

Head to My Computer in the desktop or start menu >> Just do right click on My Computer >> Click on Properties >> There you can find a tab called “Advanced” >> Select “Visual Effects” settings >> Select “Adjust for best performance” >>>> Click Apply and Ok >> Done

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After that, Disable and Stop the Themes service.


Head to Start >> Select “RUN” >> A new pop up window will appear >> Just type “SERVICES.MSC” >> A new Services window will open >> There Just look for “themes” >> Just double click on it >> A new properties window will open >> In the Startup Type Select “disabled” >> And if Service status showing “Running” You can stop the service by just click on “Stop” button which is next to “Start” button. Easy isn’t it… J



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#6: Add/Remove Programs

This is valid for Windows XP Home and Pro. Go to the "Add Remove Programs" and click the "Windows components." Here, take out all the crap you do not need. Such as "MSN EXPLORER" and such.

After Removing the unused Windows components, ensure that you check back up on the services that you disabled. Some like to go back to Automatic after playing with the Windows components (namely COM+ and Help and Support).

You may also adjust a file to "allow" you to remove other Windows components, such as MSN Messenger. Here is how:

NOTE: You will need to enable "hidden file" viewing to see the inf files.

IF YOU ARE SCARED, DO NOT MODIFY THE FILE... Also, you may experience a delay of around 30 seconds or more when loading up Outlook before you can do anything. Putting Messenger back will allow Outlook to function properly again. If you use MSN Explorer, Messenger will also be running in the background. It is how Bill is getting to the ".NET" stuff. "Software as a service" is coming soon.

Go to your Windows\inf folder. The default is ~ c:\windows\inf

edit the file called "sysoc.inf"

Remove the reference of "hide" in this line:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7

To make it look like this:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,,7

You may also remove all references to "hide" in all of the other lines as long as you KEEP the commas. Some components you cannot "uncheck" in the add/remove programs GUI. If you do get them to uninstall, I do NOT support it. You are on your own.


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#7: Drivers!

This is valid for Windows XP Home and Pro. Download and install ALL updated drivers from the hardware manufacture sites. Restart your computer again.


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#8: System Tray

After updating the drivers, remove any excess icons (all of them, basically) from the system tray (lower right) and recheck the services to ensure nothing else was installed (like NVIDIA's "driver helper." Contrary to popular belief, those little "quick access" icons take up a lot of memory.

You can go to the system tray services by typing “MSCONFIG” in the run prompt. In the startup you can remove the unnecessary services like I mentioned above…

For example, MSN messenger takes about 3.6 MB just sitting there unnecessarily... You might not have logged in... Bring it up, select tools, options, then uncheck "load at startup" and uncheck "allow to run in background."

Also, Creatives "AudioHQ" running is REALLY not required.
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