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Optimizing Windows XP: Hints & Tips
If you're interested in optimizing your system to increase performance...
checkout these links:
http://www.fixyourwindows.com/optimizewindows.htm
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2002
http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub...1/09/XP_startup
Add others, if you have any - Thanks!
checkout these links:
http://www.fixyourwindows.com/optimizewindows.htm
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2002
http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub...1/09/XP_startup
Add others, if you have any - Thanks!
Right, it will save you little time rebooting if you only boot up once a year...
But optimizing your system is still helpful (if not important) to increase performance that is "while you’re actually using your computer" and running applications, browsing the Internet, managing your email, playing software games, etc.
- Totally unconvinced. I responded the way I did only because one of your links made an issue of boot time. As I write this response there are fifty-four processes running. The average CPU usage is under five percent The commit charge is high, about six hundred megabytes, but that is because there is a blocked grid process, like SETI @Home, that runs instead of a screen saver. But since my commit charge is less that my real memory, one gigabyte, it has no impact. In conclusion, since my commit charge less that my real memory and my CPU utilization is under five percent, removing any startup processes will have essentially no effect on overall performance. I will, later, comment on your other links
msgale, Have you ever tried optimizing your system or just keep everything as is using only default settings?
I think it may surprise you what a little tune-up can do to increase performance and handling.
I've been running through a series of tweaks and adjustments, and I'm still seeing improvements in how my system runs during different tasks.
It's worth taking a look at the first link (it's not about just loading your pc faster).
http://www.fixyourwindows.com/optimizewindows.htm
- Actually I have, and I feel that the possible gain are not worth the risk. For one thing the information providers who attempt to determine what each and every start up task and service do, in some cases "haven't a clue." One example a poster made a long and detailed explanation why removing entries from the registry would speed up performance, unfortunately the explanation was based upon the extra time necessary to perform a linear search. According to all of my research the registry is searched using a hashed access method. Removing unused programs as recommended in the link provided has absolutely no effect on performance, it like having an extra book in my library, there is no additional cost unless I have to buy another bookcase. Again the same for "annoying sounds." I am at a loss to understand why "having automatics updates enabled" is a performance issue, in fact the author states,
"I prefer manual updates simply because it gives me a greater control over my computer. I don't like when my box does things without my explicit permission. Besides, some updates (at first) create more problems than solve"
I fundamentally don't agree with the author reasoning, but that aside, nowhere does he claim it as a performance issue.Enable Windows firewall and disable Windows Massager, are both stated as security issues not performance issues.The author also makes some very bold and what I consider dangerous statements, in the section called "Clean Startup and hidden Startup (Start menu and Registry Editor"
Clean Startup and hidden Startup (Start menu and Registry Editor) The following recommendation is made "Your Startup should be empty", how without knowing or understanding what items are there can such statement be made? The author does state "You may have antivirus or firewall application listed here. If so, don't delete it, as it may disable system autoprotect."The author then recommends removing unnecessary items from the “run” registry keys, while carefully ignoring what is an “unnecessary item”. Again quoting the author “Removing items from the Run folder will not remove the corresponding program from your computer. It will simply prevent the program from loading automatically, and running in background, consuming valuable resources.” A blocked program/service consumes almost no resources. If your commit charge is less than you real memory, saving memory will have no effect, and a block process consumes no CPU cycles.
- Automatic updates for WindowsXP can cause online procedures to slow down. A very excellent example of this is an online game where "Ping" is the most important the factor, like Counter-Strike. If my computer is downloading an update from Microsofts servers then a good deal of my bandwidth is being used for this download. Some downloads are incredibly large and force my ping to spike between 100-400 when its usually steady at around 40. Also, it is widely known throughout the PC community that many Windows Updates have created more issues than they actually solved. Magazine like PC World / Maximum PC / CGW have all stated this at one time or another. The author most likely does not list what is an unnecesary service because only the end-user can in all reality know what they do and do not need.
- To NS_MaNiAc:
Absolutely!
In the default Windows XP SP1 installation there are 37 unneeded Services:
http://www.fixyourwindows.com/optimizewindowsservices.htm
that can be safely disabled on any standalone home desktop computer + DNS Client (+ some more, if anything besides Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) installed in the Local Area Connection Properties:
http://www.fixyourwindows.com/optimizewindowsnetwork.htm).
I consider this to be a HUGE GLOBAL WASTE.
They did disable (mostly switched to Manual) some of them in SP2 ... but just some. "In the default Windows XP SP1 installation there are 37 unneeded Services" this statement reminds of a line in the "Manchurian Candidate", it is said by Angela Lansbury and directed to James Gregory. No one without knowing what you are doing nor which services are running, can determine if there any unneeded services and if so what they are.
I further contend that the “unneeded services” are typically inconsequential, since most are blocked waiting for a triggering event. My PC has been running about two days. Currently there are fifty-nine items in the process list as reported by the Task Manager, twenty-eight have each has accumulated less than one second of CPU time. Unless the memory they uses causes the committed memory to exceed your real memory the services will not effect performance, except in one case, boot-time will be longer with the extra tasks. Last time someone measured the boot-time for me the improvement in was sixteen seconds, as we said in my youth “Big Deal”.
msgale
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Posted January 17th, 2005 03:00