Make Windows XP Startup Faster

Do you often get frustrated while you wait around for your slow Windows XP computer to startup? Windows XP will automatically load and startup all the programs that are in the startup folder whether you intend to use them or not. This article will show you how you can speed up the bootup process of your XP PC by removing the programs that usually bog it down.

Steps

  1. Click on Start, then Run, and type "msconfig". Wait for a new window to pop up.
  2. Look under the "BOOT.INI" tab. You will see a box labeled "Timeout:", and a numerical value. By default, it's 30, which means 30 seconds of wait time before boot. This can be changed, make it 4 seconds. (Note: if you have more than one operating system, this means the wait time to startup to the highlighted Operating System is longer. Sometimes you might want a bit more than 4 seconds, then you can opt 5 or 10 seconds)
  3. Delete The Temporary Files Periodically From Your Computer To Make The Applications Run Faster. Type %temp% in the run dialog box by clicking on Start -> Run, and click on "OK". You will see an open folder with many files. Click on the Edit menu and click on Select all and then click on the File menu and select Delete. Note: Always confirm that the folder which is opened has the word "temp" on the top of the menu bar and the folder indicates that it is a temporary folder.
  4. Perform a Scandisk To See That Your Computer Hard Drive is in Healthy Condition and it helps Your Computer Run Faster
  5. Always Perform a Disk Defragmentation at least once a month. Start the disk defragmentation from the System Tools menu available in the Accessories menu from the Start menu. It takes a longer time and it is advised not to run any applications in the computer including the screen savers, while running disk defragmentation.

Hibernation

  1. After doing all this, another method you can do is to allow the computer to hibernate. Hibernation closes and opens Windows faster than usual. However, Hibernation is a good long-term recommended solution, as it does save electricity.
  2. Go to Start->Control Panel->Power Options. Click on the Hibernate tab.
  3. Click on the box that says "Enable hibernation" to check it.
  4. Click on the Advanced tab and change the Power buttons options if you want to hibernate by pressing the sleep button or the power button. Otherwise, holding the Shift key while in the Turn Off Computer menu will give you the option to hibernate.
  5. Restart your computer every week or so to clean your computer.
  6. The power can then be completely turned off, even at the socket so that no power is wasted.

Prefetch

  1. Simply browse to the Windows folder (Ex: C:\Windows) and under there you would see the prefetch folder. Go into the prefetch folder and delete all the files (Beware! It should look like this c:\windows\prefetch). We need to edit a registry key to tweak it. Open regedit and browse to this key:
  2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters
  3. Under this key you should see a value named: EnablePrefetcher
  4. It has 4 possible values:
  5. - Disabled : The prefetch system is turned off.
  6. - Application : The prefetch only caches applications.
  7. - Boot : The prefetch only caches system boot files.
  8. - All : The prefetch caches boot, and application files.
  9. You need to not disable it entirely. This would actually make boot time longer. This is because this feature is also used to speed up the loading of boot files. That is why you should pick the number 2 option. It allows you to keep the advantage of caching system files, without continually clogging the system up with applications.
  10. Set the value to 2 and reboot.
  11. The 2nd time you boot it should boot much faster. Remember that, the side effect is that launching individual applications once Windows has loaded will now be slightly slower.


Tips

  • Uncheck system startup unnecessary startup programs.
  • When installing any new software, choose not to add the program to the startup folder. It often slows start up.
  • Regularly check to see what programs are running in your startup folder as malicious programs such as spyware may have installed itself without your permission.
  • If you accidentally uncheck a program, just retrace the steps above and recheck the program and restart your computer.
  • Adding more RAM to a Windows XP computer helps it boot faster, and since RAM prices are very low these days, adding RAM strength is an easy way to boot faster. NOTE : This only works up to 4 gigabytes of RAM, as Windows XP (x86) doesn't support any more than that.
  • Create a System restore point and Backup Registry before making any changes to your system.
  • Visit http://www.Sysinfo.org and look up the program and its details you don't know what one of the listed programs do.

Warnings

  • Don't uncheck anything from Symantec or any other anti-virus or anti-malware software. Doing so may disable or hinder the protection of your PC.
  • Always Save any open work before making changes.
  • Shut down all applications before making changes.
  • Read your manual before you do any of these steps.

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Sources and Citations

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