| I've just finished setting up a new PC for a | | | | IP Optimizer. Download and install2. Click |
| friend and I think some of you will be | | | | the General Settings tab and select your |
| interested in some of the tweaks I make to | | | | Connection Speed (Kbps)3. Click Network |
| all of my PCs to make them just a little bit | | | | Adapter and choose the interface you use to |
| quicker. I've focused here on the ones which | | | | connect to the Internet4. Check Optimal |
| are simple to do and won't cause problems if | | | | Settings then Apply5. Reboot7. Optimise Your |
| you get it wrong, rather than listing | | | | PagefileIf you give your pagefile a fixed |
| registry tweaks etc.1. Disable Indexing | | | | size it saves the operating system from |
| ServicesIndexing Services is a small little | | | | needing to resize the page file.1. Right |
| program that uses large amounts of RAM and | | | | click on My Computer and select Properties2. |
| can often make a computer endlessly loud and | | | | Select the Advanced tab3. Under Performance |
| noisy. This system process indexes and | | | | choose the Settings button4. Select the |
| updates lists of all the files that are on | | | | Advanced tab again and under Virtual Memory |
| your computer. It does this so that when you | | | | select Change5. Highlight the drive |
| do a search for something on your computer, | | | | containing your page file and make the |
| it will search faster by scanning the index | | | | initial Size of the file the same as the |
| lists. If you don't search your computer | | | | Maximum Size of the file.Windows XP sizes the |
| often, or even if you do search often, this | | | | page file to about 1.5X the amount of actual |
| system service is completely unnecessary. To | | | | physical memory by default. While this is |
| disable do the following:1. Go to Start2. | | | | good for systems with smaller amounts of |
| Click Settings3. Click Control Panel4. | | | | memory (under 512MB) it is unlikely that a |
| Double-click Add/Remove Programs5. Click the | | | | typical XP desktop system will ever need 1.5 |
| Add/Remove Window Components6. Uncheck the | | | | X 512MB or more of virtual memory. If you |
| Indexing services7. Click Next2. Optimise | | | | have less than 512MB of memory, leave the |
| Display SettingsWindows XP can look sexy but | | | | page file at its default size. If you have |
| displaying all the visual items can waste | | | | 512MB or more, change the ratio to 1:1 page |
| system resources. To optimise:1.Go to | | | | file size to physical memory size.8. Run |
| Start2. Click Settings3. Click Control | | | | BootVis - Improve Boot TimesBootVis will |
| Panel4. Click System5. Click Advanced tab6. | | | | significantly improve boot times1. Download |
| In the Performance tab click Settings7. Leave | | | | and Run Select Trace3. Select Next Boot and |
| only the following ticked:- Show shadows | | | | Driver Trace4. A Trace Repetitions screen |
| under menus- Show shadows under mouse | | | | will appear, select Ok and Reboot5. Upon |
| pointer- Show translucent selection | | | | reboot, BootVis will automatically start, |
| rectangle- Use drop shadows for icons labels | | | | analyze and log your system's boot process. |
| on the desktop- Use visual styles on windows | | | | When it's done, in the menu go to Trace and |
| and buttons3. Disable Performance | | | | select Optimize System6. Reboot.7. When your |
| CountersWindows XP has a performance monitor | | | | machine has rebooted wait until you see the |
| utility which monitors several areas of your | | | | Optimizing System box appear. Be patient and |
| PC's performance. These utilities take up | | | | wait for the process to complete9. Remove the |
| system resources so disabling is a good | | | | Desktop PictureYour desktop background |
| idea.To disable:1. download and install the | | | | consumes a fair amount of memory and can slow |
| Extensible Performance Counter List select | | | | the loading time of your system. Removing it |
| each counter in turn in the 'Extensible | | | | will improve performance.1. Right click on |
| performance counters' window and clear the | | | | Desktop and select Properties2. Select the |
| 'performance counters enabled' checkbox at | | | | Desktop tab3. In the Background window select |
| the bottom.button below.4. Speedup Folder | | | | None4. Click Ok10. Remove Fonts for |
| BrowsingYou may have noticed that everytime | | | | SpeedFonts, especially TrueType fonts, use |
| you open my computer to browse folders that | | | | quite a bit of system resources. For optimal |
| there is a slight delay. This is because | | | | performance, trim your fonts down to just |
| Windows XP automatically searches for network | | | | those that you need to use on a daily basis |
| files and printers everytime you open Windows | | | | and fonts that applications may require.1. |
| Explorer. To fix this and to increase | | | | Open Control Panel2. Open Fonts folder3. Move |
| browsing significantly:1. Open My Computer2. | | | | fonts you don't need to a temporary directory |
| Click on Tools menu3. Click on Folder | | | | (e.g. C:FONTBKUP?) just in case you need or |
| Options4. Click on the View tab.5. Uncheck | | | | want to bring a few of them back. The more |
| the Automatically search for network folders | | | | fonts you uninstall, the more system |
| and printers check box6. Click Apply7. Click | | | | resources you will gain.Hope you find these |
| Ok8. Reboot your computer5. Improve Memory | | | | 10 tips useful. Let me know if you did |
| UsageCacheman Improves the performance of | | | | below, or if you have any other simple tips |
| your computer by optimizing the disk cache, | | | | you want to share with other readers.The |
| memory and a number of other settings.Once | | | | author runs a blog following developments in |
| Installed:1. Go to Show Wizard and select | | | | the internet and mobile internet sectors. |
| All2. Run all the wizards by selecting Next | | | | With over 10 years experience in strategy |
| or Finished until you are back to the main | | | | consulting and business development, and has |
| menu. Use the defaults unless you know | | | | seen and lived through the highs, and the |
| exactly what you are doing.3.Exit and Save | | | | lows of the industry.Based in London, the |
| Cacheman4.Restart Windows6. Optimise your | | | | author can be contacted on |
| internet connectionThere are lots of ways to | | | | admin@connectedinternet.co. |
| do this but by far the easiest is to run TCP | | | | |