Master Tutorial to Make Your Windows XP Super Fast



This tutorial is meant for increasing the performance of Windows XP, either it can be a fresh installation or an older windows.

1.) Following is a registry file containing a few registry modifications, which are completely safe and can increase the performance of Windows. Just download the attached ZIP file, extract it and then run the file:

Tweak Windows XP

Restore Default Settings (Use this file if you want to restore default Windows settings)

2.) Right-click on Desktop and select Properties, Now in the new window goto Appearance tab and click on Effects button. Now in the new opened window uncheck the following options:

a.) Use the following transition effect for menus & tooltips.
b.) Show shadows under menus.

3.) Right-click on My Computer icon on Desktop and select Properties (or press <WIN> key + <Pause/Break> key), now goto Advanced tab in new window and click on Settings button in Performance section.

Now disable all unnecessary options in Visual Effects tab, you can remain following options enabled according to your requirements:

a.) Show window contents while dragging.
b.) Smooth edges of screen fonts.
c.) Use common tasks in folders (If you use the left side pane in My computer)
d.) Use drop shadows on icon labels on the desktop. (to make the desktop icons label transparent.)
e.) Use visual styles on windows and buttons. (If you use XP themes.)

4.) Open Tools -> Folder Options and click on View tab:

Now uncheck following options:

a.) Automatically search for network folders & printers.
b.) Display file size information in folder tips.
c.) Display simple folder view in Explorer's Folders list.
d.) Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color.
e.) Show pop-up description for folder and desktop icons.
f.) Use simple file sharing.

Other options don't affect the system performance. You can enable/disable them according to your requirements.

5.) Right-click on My Computer icon on Desktop and select Manage (You can also open it by typing services.msc in RUN and press Enter). Now goto Services & Applications -> Services. Here you can set a few unnecessary services to Manual, which will not start with windows and will decrease the boot time and will increase system performance. Please follow the following tutorial to know about which services can be safely set to MANUAL:

Windows XP Services that can be Safely set to MANUAL

6.) Type msconfig in RUN and press Enter. Now goto Startup tab and deselect the unnecessary entries, which you don't want to start automatically with Windows, e.g. you can disable VGA driver utility, Sound Card utility, etc to speed up the startup time and to increase system performance.

7.) Open Sound & Audio Devices in Control Panel (or type mmsys.cpl in RUN), goto Sounds tab and select No Sounds in Sound Scheme section. Or you can remain some of your favorite sounds but set Exit Windows, Start Windows, Windows Logoff, Windows Logon to (None).

8.) For more options/tips-n-tricks, you can use TweakUI, Tuneup Utilities 2006 and gpedit.msc (Windows XP Professional built-in tool).



This article was posted in Windows XP.

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262 Comments

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  • Raghav

    I am having a problem as i enter my password the computer shows an error code csrcs.exe not found.
    Kindly suggest what to do to remove this error.

  • VG

    ^^ Type regedit in RUN and press Enter. Now go to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

    In right-side pane, change value of "shell" to explorer.exe

  • LEO O FORTUGALEZA

    Dear Vishal,

    Thanks a million! Visiting your site daily has been very educational for me. I am able to keep all three desktops and one notebook at home (OS: Win XP SP3 plus all security updates) up to par despite their average age of six years.

    Please keep up with your generosity so that a lot more people all over the world could learn from you.

    More power!

  • Memo Kings

    Goodday Vishal:

    I applied your tweaks to make my laptop runs faster and it is flying.. wow! as "speedy Gonzalez"

    However there is a problem: when I open 2 or more applications and/or windows at the same time, the last menu that I open (so it should be the active one) goes to the back (or background) of the other opened windows. Therefore I have to minimize all opened windows/applications to run it.

    Sometimes it looks like after I double click on the file/application and it does not open, but it does and I realize after I have closed other applications/windows leaving and missing important executions pending.

    Other symptom is the "ObjectDock" bar behavior related with the "flying menus". Before the tweaks it was OK but after I applied it the "flying menus" work only when system is idle; if any application is running then the "flying menu" zooms in and immediately zooms out; so I do not have a chance to open my shortcuts from the "flying menu" on the ObjectDock bar icon(s).

    I have tried restoring the default settings with the file that you have provided to us and nothing happens. The worst thing is that I'm working in a project and I cannot make a system restore because it is linked in real time with workmates and office.

    I'm sure the fixing of this problem is a easy task for you and maybe you are thinking that I'm hopeless but PLEASE HELP !!!

    I'm running Win XP sp3 PRO; I'm using your Black Vista Theme; I have TuneUp Utilities 2009 and it is set to "Very good performance but some reduction in visual appearance" profile. Maybe it helps to solve something.

    Thanks again and I'm so sorry for this inconvenience,

    memonio

    PS
    Please answer

  • VG

    ^^ Believe me the registry code has nothing to do with this strange behavior. Its the first time when someone mentioned such kind of problem after applying the tweak.

    And after running restore reg file, every tweak should be removed from your system. So definitely there must be some other reason behind this problem.

    You can post your HijackThis log file in "Virus Scan" topic.

  • memo

    Hello dear Vishal:

    I had a problem with the active windows/menu. It's have been solved.

    How come?
    It was my fault because I installed "WinSplit-Revolution" and it enabled/installed the "X-Mouse" feature. I uninstall this program without knowing about the X-Mouse; after that feature was still on and it was making my laptop get crazy with the active windows/menus and the ObjectDock flying menu.

    I tried to unable it through "tweakui", "TuneUp", and the registry editor. It was not possible.
    As a matter of luck, I installed "Vista Start Menu 3.15" just to tried it and surprise! at the end of the installation it asked me to uninstall X-Mouse for compatibility issues, and of course I clicked "unistall" and now my laptop is OK (later I uninstalled Vista Start Menu 3.15).

    Then, if some one has similar problems here is the solution.
    I laugh a lot about it.

    I will keep reading your tuts and I tell you again: THANKS BUDDY YOU CHANGE MY LIFE AND YOU ARE A GIFTED PERSON

    All the best: money, work, girls, laptops for you,

    memo

  • Yaduvendar Raghav

    Sir,

    Having a problem with my computer. When any user opened any programme then the open with dialog box apperars and now each and every programme even word,excel, lotus and other programmes do not open directly and i have to manually select them every time to open even from the start > programmes>word
    they do not open. while the c drive is opened on double click.

    Kindly suggest earliest plz........

  • VG

    ^^ Check solution of Point 33:

    http://www.askvg.com/frequently-asked-problems-with-solutions-part-1/

  • Jay Jay

    VG you posted:

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Copy To]

    [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Move To]

    [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\DosHere]

    [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\Shell\DosHere]

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad]
    "StatusBar"=dword:00000000

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad]
    "fWrap"=dword:00000000

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
    "AutoEndTasks"="0"
    "HungAppTimeout"="20000"
    "MenuShowDelay"="400"
    "WaitToKillAppTimeout"="20000"
    "LowLevelHooksTimeout"="20000"

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
    "NoLowDiskSpaceChecks"=dword:00000000
    "ClearRecentDocsOnExit"=dword:00000000
    "NoRecentDocsHistory"=hex:00,00,00,00
    "LinkResolveIgnoreLinkInfo"=dword:00000000
    "NoResolveSearch"=dword:00000000
    "NoResolveTrack"=dword:00000000
    "NoInternetOpenWith"=dword:00000000

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control]
    "WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="20000"

    Does that only erase all installed information like MSN, CD Rom games, FrostWire, Corel/Microsoft Word and such, but keep the basic commands of your computer? Forgive me I am super dumb when it comes to computers.

  • Jay Jay

    VG you posted:

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Copy To]

    [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Move To]

    [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\DosHere]

    [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\Shell\DosHere]

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad]
    "StatusBar"=dword:00000000

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad]
    "fWrap"=dword:00000000

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
    "AutoEndTasks"="0"
    "HungAppTimeout"="20000"
    "MenuShowDelay"="400"
    "WaitToKillAppTimeout"="20000"
    "LowLevelHooksTimeout"="20000"

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
    "NoLowDiskSpaceChecks"=dword:00000000
    "ClearRecentDocsOnExit"=dword:00000000
    "NoRecentDocsHistory"=hex:00,00,00,00
    "LinkResolveIgnoreLinkInfo"=dword:00000000
    "NoResolveSearch"=dword:00000000
    "NoResolveTrack"=dword:00000000
    "NoInternetOpenWith"=dword:00000000

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control]
    "WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="20000"

    Does that only erase all installed information like MSN, CD Rom games, FrostWire, Corel/Microsoft Word and such, but keep the basic commands of your computer? Forgive me I am super dumb when it comes to computers.

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