Windows Optimizing Blog

Use MSConfig to disable any unnecessary startup items:

Start Menu -> Run -> Type ‘MsConfig’ -> Startup Tab -> Uncheck unnecessary startup items
Windows-MSConfig


Extra startup items are one of the main things that slows down a computer. The startup items are the programs that are loaded into memory when a computer starts up, like AIM, Antivirus programs, all of the little programs sitting in your task bar, and some programs you can’t see. Go through the list and look for any familiar programs and disable those first, then go back and look at the unfamiliar programs and try to find out what application they belong to, google the process name like ctfmon.exe and it should come up with a detailed use for the program in the listings and if it’s harmful or just a system program.

Download TCP/IP Optimizer to enhance the internet connection:

Download TCP/IP Optimizer at SpeedGuide.net -> Open TCPOptimizer -> Click ‘Optimal Settings’ -> Click ‘Apply changes’ -> Check ‘Backup’ -> Click ‘OK’

TCP-IP-Optimizer
TCP/IP Optimizer is a program that changes your Windows XP Network settings to optimize your network and internet performance, it change the amount of bytes it transfers among other things for your network by modifying some registry keys. It gives you a nice boost with your internet connection that Windows XP otherwise limits, and it makes backups that you can restore just in case something goes awry.


Download and Install Cacheman to maximize performance of the caches:

Download ‘Cacheman’, not CachemanXP -> Install Cacheman -> Run Cacheman -> Click ‘Show wizard’ Menu -> Click ‘All’ -> Go through the wizard and leave everything at the default settings, Cacheman will optimize everything -> Go to ‘Options’ -> Uncheck ‘Load Cacheman on Windows startup’

Cacheman
Cache man goes through your cache and optimizes them for maximum performance. It also changes a few other settings that help with memory throughput, performance, and lower the time it takes for Windows to shutdown an application, speeds up the start menu and speeds up Windows XP shutdown.





Disable unused Windows XP services:

Start Menu -> Run -> Type ‘Services.msc’
Windows-XP-Services

It’s important to always save the best for last. This last tweak is going to provide the most performance out of all other tweaks, and it takes the longest to implement. After you’ve opened up the Services windows you’re going to go down the list and look for services that you don’t need, then right click on them, go to ‘Properties’, pull down the ‘Startup type:’ menu and click ‘Disabled, then click ‘OK’. It’s not hard but you have to go through the list of services and figure out what’s needed and what’s not. Actually, someone else has already done that. Head over to Black Viper’s Windows XP Service Configurations. He has a table built that tells you what safe to disable and what you should leave alone, but if you don’t want to take time deciphering his table I’ll just tell you which ones you can go ahead and disable with no problems.

Disable These Services:
Application Management
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Error Reporting Service
HID Input Service (Note: This service will disable the multimedia functions on many multimedia keyboards, so if you have a multimedia keyboard it is recommended that you do not disable this service)

Indexing Service
Net Logon
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
Network Location Awareness (NLA)
Network Provisioning Service
Portable Media Serial Number Service
QoS RSVP
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Remote Registry
Secondary Logon (If you only have one user on your computer)
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Service
Telnet
Uninterruptable Power Supply
WebClient
Windows Time
WMI Performance Adapter

There you have it, the Ultimate Windows XP Optimization Tweak Guide has come to an end. These tweaks have been hand-tested, hand-proven, and took the contributions of many people over the years to discover all of these optimizations to Windows XP. I’d like to thank you all for making this OS faster than ever. If any reader has a major tweak that I may have missed somewhere that offers signicant performance boosts please be sure to drop me a comment or send me an email about it, and I’d be glad to add it to the guide if it is worth it.