Top 20 Tips for Keeping Windows XP Fresh

Subject: Top 20 Tips for Keeping Windows XP Fresh Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:14 pm

Top 20 Tips for Keeping Windows XP Fresh

Vista may be on the way, but XP hasn't outlived its usefulness. These tips will
help you keep the older operating system vibrant.
Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system is almost here, but do you
really need it? If you don't yet feel the need to invest in a new OS, or if
your hardware doesn't meet Vista standards,
you'll find that a regular maintenance regimen--along with an occasional
checkup--will keep XP rolling along for years to come. In fact, a few simple
tweaks can tip the scales in favor of keeping XP around while early-adoption
pioneers work the bugs out of Vista.

These 20 tips will keep your XP system lean and mean by tuning its performance,
minimizing some of its bells and whistles, and tweaking the six-year-old OS to
bring it up to speed with more recent applications, such as media playback and
wireless networking.

Tip 1: Get Off the Upgrade Bandwagon

If you constantly upgrade to the latest powerhouse versions of your favorite
applications without also upgrading your hardware and Windows version, your
system will seem older and creakier than ever. Instead of listening to the
siren call of endless upgrades, stick with application versions that you know
work well with your system.
In the same vein, consider turning off the auto-update features that so many
applications have these days (with the exception of your firewall, antivirus,
and anti-spyware tools). An example is Adobe Reader, which seems to phone home
faster than you can open a file; to block automatic updates in Adobe Reader 7,
click Edit, Preferences, Updates and select Do not automatically check for
critical updates. Why should developers decide when and how you update your
apps? If you're experiencing a specific problem with a program, or if you need
a particular new feature, surf over to the vendor's Web site and download the
upgrade manually.
Individual products use different methods tomonitor for upgrades, so you'll
have to check the documentation of each one. It also helps to have a tool like
Startup Control Panel to help you remove software that runs in the background
and constantly checks for updates.

Tip 2: Swap When You Need To

Windows designates a portion of hard-disk space as virtual memory (also called
the "swapfile" or "pagefile") to supplement RAM. The OS
assigns some virtual-memory space to all processes, and the virtual memory
itself gets used even if some RAM is still available. Accessing a hard disk is
always slower than using RAM, so if your system has oodles of memory, you may
improve performance slightly by telling Windows not to use the pagefile for
some of its own code until it has used up available RAM. How much memory is in
an oodle? That depends on the number and types of applications you typically
run on your system--but don't make this adjustment unless your PC has at least
1GB of RAM.
To make Windows use virtual memory only as a last resort, you have to edit the
Windows Registry. And because anything can happen when you change your
Registry, you must back it up first; see "Care and Feeding of the Windows
Registry" for instructions. (Note that Microsoft recommends against
eliminating your pagefile entirely.)
With your Registry backup in place, choose Start, Run, type regedit, and press
. In the tree pane on the left, navigate to and select
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Contro l\\Session Manager\\Memory
Management. Double-click the Disable, Paging,Executive icon in the right pane.
Change the '0' in the Value data box to 1, click OK, and restart your computer.

Tip 3: Go With the NTFS Flow

If you've been hanging onto your old FAT32 hard-disk format, it's high time you
switched to NTFS. Besides being faster and more secure, NTFS also gives you
encryption, folder and disk compression, and other superior features. About the
only reason to stick with FAT or FAT32 is if you need to be able to access your
disk from DOS or Windows 98 (puh-leaze!)
Don't worry; you can switch to NTFS without reformatting your hard disk and
restoring your apps and data from a backup. Just choose Start, Run, type
cmd.exe, and press to open a Command Prompt window. Now type
convert followed by a space, the drive letter, a colon, another space, and
finally /fs:ntfs. For example, enter convert c: /fs:ntfs if you want to convert
your C: drive to NTFS.

Tip 4: Reset Your System Restore Priorities

System Restore has saved my bacon many times, so I reserve as much disk space
as possible for its restore points. (Not everyone feels the way I do about
System Restore, however, because it doesn't always work.
To adjust the amount of disk space System Restore claims, right-click My
Computer in Explorer or on the desktop and choose Properties. Click the System
Restore tab and select a drive whose storage settings you want to change.
Choose Settings, drag the slider to the desired level, and click OK twice.
Refer to my article "Windows Hacks: Registry Remedies"; for more on
tweaking your System Restore settings.

Tip 5: Relocate System Stuff

Some files--System Restore points, for example--must be stored on your Windows
drive. But if you have multiple hard disks or partitions, you can free up space
on your Windows drive by moving other system files elsewhere. Check out my
strategies for doing so in "Five Steps to a Leaner, Cleaner Windows."

Tip 6: Sacrifice Hibernation

When you use Windows' hibernation feature to start up faster, the OS puts
everything in RAM in a single hidden file named 'hiberfil.sys' on your hard
disk. The file is roughly the same size as your RAM--for example, 512MB for a
machine with 512MB of RAM. Like System Restore points, your hibernation file
must be on the same drive as Windows. If you're running out of space on your
Windows drive and you don't use the hibernation feature (or don't find it
terribly useful), you can save a huge chunk of disk space by turning the
feature off, and thereby deleting the hiberfil.sys file: Choose Start, Run, type
powercfg.cpl, and press . Click the Hibernate tab, and uncheck
Enable hibernation. Click OK.

Tip 7: Eliminate Clutter

The easiest way to keep your disks free of clutter is by using Windows' Disk
Cleanup tool to create custom cleaners. This utility lets you discard the junk
you don't want while keeping your Internet cache intact for optimum browsing
performance, among other options.

Tip 8: Clean Deeper

Unfortunately, the Disk Cleanup tool misses certain temp files. Here's a little
batch file to complete the task: Open Notepad or your favorite text editor and
type del /s
/q C:\\Documents and Settings\\Username\\Local Settings\\Temp\\*.*", replacing
'Username' with the name of the user account and adjusting the drive letter as
needed. Save the file with a name like deltemp.bat (be sure to use the .bat
extension) and store it with your other batch files (if you don't have other
batch files, your Desktop or any other easy-to-access folder will do). Then add
the file to your Startup folder (Start, All Programs, Startup) so that it
deletes the files every time you log in to Windows.

Tip 9: Clean Up the Backup

Be sure to check out the Disk Cleanup tool's advanced options, available on the
More Options tab. For example, click More Options, and under System Restore,
choose Clean up to delete all but your most recent restore point.

Tip 10: Avoid Musical Duplicates

If after ripping CDs in the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format, you decide to go
with a tool like iTunes to interface with your portable music player, be aware
that importing songs into iTunes means converting them to the Advanced Audio
Coding (AAC) format, resulting in duplicate music files that will hog your hard
disk. To save space, stick to one music player, or at least to one format (such
as MP3) that multiple players can handle. Windows Media Player 10 can rip music
in MP3 format without any additional software. To select the format for ripping
music from CDs to hard drives in Windows Media Player, choose Tools, Options
and click the Rip Music tab. Choose your desired option from the Format
drop-down list and click OK.

Subject: Re: Top 20 Tips for Keeping Windows XP Fresh Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:14 pm

Tip 11: More Music-Management Magic

Many people who have learned the joys of using their PC as a jukebox soon
discover that they have scads of music files downloaded from the Web or ripped
from their massive CD collection. To get your PC's music collection under
control.

Tip 12: Make Your System Multimedia-Friendly

On the other hand, you may be struggling to get a handle on the photos you've
transferred from your digital camera. For more on previewing image files in a
jiffy, see "Windows' Hidden Image Viewer."

Tip 13: Store Pics Online

Running out of room on your hard disk? Of course you should keep your photos
backed up at home and with family members, but for little or no money
(depending on the service), you may also be able to store and access your
photos online, where it's much easier to share them with Uncle Bert and Aunt
Ernie. Major players to check out include Flickr, Yahoo Photos, and Google's
Picasa Web Albums).

Tip 14: Become a Wireless Wonder

If you just got a wireless router (a router that broadcasts a wireless signal)
and want to set up a wireless network, you can use the wizard in Windows XP
Service Pack 2 to accomplish just that: Choose Start, Programs (or All Programs),
Accessories, Communications, Wireless Network Setup Wizard. But if you already
have a wireless network and are just adding a laptop or other new device to
receive the signal, don't bother with the wizard. You'll probably have better
luck using the software and instructions that came with your wireless hardware
for the installation and for subsequent additions.

Tip 15: Fix Glitches

Nevertheless, Windows' built-in wireless tools can be helpful. For example, to
see what wireless networks are available to you, look for the wireless-network
icon in your system tray (the part of the taskbar near the clock). If you don't
see the icon, choose Start, Programs (or All Programs), Accessories,
Communications, Network Connections. (Alternatively, you can open this window
by right-clicking My Network Places in any Explorer window and choosing
Properties.) Select the icon for your wireless connection and, in the task pane
on the left, click Change settings of this connection. Check the box for Show
icon in notification area when connected and click OK.

Once you see the icon, it's a simple matter of right-clicking it and choosing
View Available Wireless Networks. If this doesn't open the Wireless Network
Connection window, the software for your network may be intercepting the
command to display its own dialog box. If so, you can get to the Windows
version by opening the Network Connections window (see steps above), selecting
your connection, and clicking the View available wireless connections link in
the task pane on the left.

If no networks are listed in the Wireless Network Connection window, or if you
don't have a Wireless Networks tab in your wireless connections properties
dialog box (right-click the connection icon in the Network Connections window
and choose Properties to see whether you do), you may not have Windows'
Wireless Zero Configuration service started. To fix that, choose Start, Run,
type services.msc /s, and press . Find Wireless Zero Configuration
in the list of services and double-click it. Choose Automatic from the Startup
type drop-down list, click Apply, choose the Start button, and click OK.
Finally, return to the Wireless Network Connection window (if it isn't still
open) and click Refresh network list in the task pane on the left.

Tip 16: Jump From Signal to Signal With the Greatest of Ease

You may spend part of your day using your notebook computer on your home
wireless network, another part of the day using the wireless signal at your
office, and yet another block of time linked to a signal from your favorite
coffee shop or Internet cafe. Do you really want to open your wireless
hardware's utility (or Windows' own dialog boxes, for that matter) to switch
networks manually each time you change locations? I think not. Fortunately, you
can set up XP's wireless settings to connect to your favorite networks
automatically when they are available, and even set the priority order.
To do so, right-click your network tray icon and choose View available wireless
networks as described above. If you're already connected to a network that you
normally use, the word 'Connected' and a yellow star will appear to the right
of its name. If you don't see any other networks that you want to use, you may
need to take your laptop to the location where you'll get the other signal that
you commonly use and then return to this window.
Once you see a network that you are not currently connected to--but would like
to use regularly--double-click its name in the Wireless Connections dialog box
to initiate a connection. Enter any passwords or network keys you need. Repeat
these steps for all wireless networks that you use regularly. As you do this,
the network entries will get marked as 'Automatic' in the list of available
networks.
While still in the Wireless Network Connection window, click Change the order
of preferred networks in the task pane on the left. Doing so will open the
Wireless Network Connection Properties box. In the Preferred networks list in
the middle of the dialog box, select your most frequently used network and
click Move up--repeatedly, if necessary--to move it to the top of the list.
Continue selecting networks and using the Move up or Move down button until the
list reflects the priority order you desire. Click OK.
The next time you move your notebook to a new location, Windows will try to
link to your preferred, or automatic, networks in the specified order until it
finds a connection, without any fuss or bother on your part.

Tip 17: Boost Your Bandwidth

Wireless networks continue to run faster and faster, but that doesn't mean
you're PC is connected at your network's top speed. If you'd like to give your
wireless network some pep, read Glenn Fleishman's "Beating the Wireless
Blues."

Tip 18: Emulate Vista

Modernizing Windows may mean adding a few low- or no-cost enhancements. If your
hardware can handle some degree of upgrading but you don't want to risk a whole
new OS, check out these free and nearly free options to get some of the glitz
that Vista offers.

Tip 19: Check Directory Sizes at a Glance with Folder Size

When you view Windows Explorer in Details view, the Size column shows the space
consumed by individual files but provides no information on the size of
directories. Not to worry. Rather than find a different file managing tool, just
download and install the free Folder Size utility, which adds this feature to
Windows Explorer. Once you've installed Folder Size, choose View, Choose
Columns, and check the box for Folder Size. You may also want to uncheck the
Size box, since this column is now superfluous. Click OK. The new Folder Size
column will show the size of folders and of individual files. Calculating the
size of large folders can take a while, which is probably why Microsoft never
added the feature to begin with. Still, this approach is much better than
having to open a Properties dialog box for each folder one at a time.

Tip 20: Master Maintenance

Now you've successfully re-engineered Windows XP to face the future. To keep it
fresh, you need to get on a regular maintenance schedule. Fortunately, these
days, you can set up your housekeeping chores to take care of themselves
automatically. For detailed set-it-and-forget-it strategies, see my earlier
columns "Check Your Disks for Errors, With a Single Click"--on automating
disk scans--and "The Fast, Simple
Way to Defragment Your Disks"--on disk
defragging.

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