How Can I Tune Windows XP?

So you think that the XP and your computer need to be taken aside, since it operates slowly? Or there is a need to dispose the Windows XP because it is now prone to problems? Hold thought for a while. There are still rays of hope out there and what you can do is to tune Windows XP and do some tuning on the computer itself. That's because a carefully-tuned computer that runs on Windows XP can still run as brand new even if it lacks in memory and lacks some fire in the CPU department. Just a thought to remember, if the computer at your home performs so slowly, then the underlying culprit may just be the operating system or more like the Windows XP.

Check if the problem might lie with the hardware. Lack of and insufficient memory may limit the performance of the computer. Also make it a point to check for malware and spyware. These unwanted things may wreak havoc on your system, and perhaps that the reason why the computers begins to slow down. There are other causes of computer slowdown, but remember that these things are the most common. So these steps are what you must do initially to tune Windows XP. To double check if indeed the problem might lie with the hard drive, go for the basic symptoms. Check for slow performance, blue screens and errors and look for sounds coming out of the computer and these sounds are usually in the form of clicks. If you have that gut-feel that the drive is failing you, then turn the computer off. You can download through the internet the Hitachi's Drive Fitness Test. You can burn this on a CD to test the drive, boot and run a scan to ensure that it isn't defective. If your computer has a bad hard drive, then you might encounter great data loss. If you want another way out of it, use the Ultimate Boot CD.

Now one biggest step that you can undertake in order to tune Windows XP and make it faster is to add a few more memory. There is a big possibility that your computer doesn't have enough RAM. Check for the status of RAM in your computer. Check by hitting the Windows and Pause/Break keys at the same time. It should list the status at the bottom right part of the screen. Or you can right click the My Computer icon and choose properties. If the problem doesn't lie there, then your computer is up for some quick tune-ups. Here's what to do; check for visual effects, Add/Remove Programs, Start-up folder, temp files, have a registry cleaning and of course, do defragment. Remove unnecessary programs as well. You can do that by accessing the Add/Remove program. You can go there by accessing the Control Panel and you'll see the set-up Add/Remove Program. As mentioned, clean up registry and temporary files. Remove those extra programs that run the moment the Window starts. That way you can speed up the performance of the XP and the computer. Clean the desktop and the start menu as well. Delete some icons that are no longer needed. Steps such as all these mentioned are great steps you can take that can tune Windows XP.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kris_Mainieri