Make Windows XP Run Faster! - Comments Page 4

Thanks for your website, it's great. One thing though - I followed your recipe above, down to the REGCLEAN, and when I restarted my computer, one of my user accounts seems to have disappeared. Before I had 3 accounts, "Administrator", "Kate" and "Guest", and now I can't find "Administrator", which is the account I normally use and all of my files are saved on. I'm kinda freakin' out here, so any help would be great!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Kate, I think you should do a System Restore.

My computer has windows XP home edition I have it conected to the internet with a Lan wireless

how do I get it to upload and download faster ? is there anything I can change to help that ? please let me know , thanks

EDITOR'S NOTE: This may help: http://askbobrankin.com/boost_your_wifi_signal.html

Thank you! After trying to rearrange the two computers in our house to accomodate a third, better computer (YAY! :D), this was the most helpful article in getting the slow, older computers to run much quicker. Thanks for all your help and expertise!

You have this theory? more like omg you like every one else that knows how to use a computer has common since? that is not your theory and i give this theory to every one with a brain. when trying to make a computer faster...delete unnessesary files... increase virual mem and ram...also use a virus finder and deleter. another thing is ....defrag and run c drive cleaner outer or whatever it is called...if it still doesnt work there is always something call geeksquad...

EDITOR'S NOTE: So, after reading my article, you have the same advice to offer? How nice that we agree. (Except for calling Geeksquad. Doing it yourself was the whole point.)

Bob: Your site and expertise are greatly appreciated. My cheapo rig (Presario 3000 & XP) run much faster after applying your techniques. Your suggestion of unloading Norton helped speed things up as well. I installed AVG AntiVirus and Windows Defender AntiSpyware and am pleased with them both. For those who have Google Toolbar, dump it. It made my comp run slower. If anyone has Webroot SpySweeper and or WindowWasher, these programs will install as part of the Startup Menu in XP and will be a major pain in the ass causing slowness, starting/stopping and freeze ups. Go into the Startup Utility. Uncheck the boxes next to "SpySweeper" and "wwDisp". This will get rid of the problems. D.W. Whitlock.

Michael: You're out there. You're angry. We hear you! But you're not literate. Go back to school you cheeky lil' pecker, and ask your parents to give you a good spanking every day about breakfast time. Disrespect to one's elders always sounds so much better when it is done with lucidity, simplicity and euphony. You have a ways to go.

The most effective way I found to speed up Windows is to use the first step in this article, then to install SP3. It reduced my start up time from about 2 min. to less then 20 sec.

I reformatted my hard drive, installed XP, Firefox, then defragmented my computer, and it still runs just as slow as it was before I reformatted the hard drive... I am wondering if there may be failure with a piece of hardware... I have a Dell OptiPlex 270 with a GeForce 5200, a 1GB/512MB/2x128MB RAM chips, and my fan is rather loud and probably needs replaced... This thing is 4 years and 1 month old. So it is about time to get a new one anyways... My second question is, is there a certain order to put the RAM chips in for best results? Thank you for any ideas from anyone, and this is a great site.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I don't think there's any magic in the order that the RAM sticks are inserted. You'll probably get the best bang for your buck if you invest $400-$500 in a new system.

I am having so many problems with this computer that I can't keep it running long enough to download SP3. Every time I start it somewhere in the middle it crashes. I have programs that I have uninstalled that are still there.

It's a old computer but it still does what I need when I can keep it running. It crashes to the blue screen about 2 x's a night and then all the different browsers crash. I don't know whether to go through the steps above or just re-format (I don't really want to do that). When you read different pages, everyone tells you to do something different. I just need one concise CHEAP way to get this cleaned up so I can use it without crashing every 10 minutes (literally!).

EDITOR'S NOTE: At this point I would recommend that you follow all the suggested steps in this article, and if that doesn't help, reformat and re-install Windows. It's also possible that a failing hardware component (RAM, motherboard, power supply) could be causing the glitches.

You have very little info on Vista?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Most (if not all) of these tips apply equally to Vista.

my mate sent me here, and woot, it works. still slow like, but normal slow (only i little computer wit alot of stuff on it), not the creeping pace it was doing an hour ago. things open when i click on them. ta very much!

Thanks! Great info! My PC has been driving me nuts! btw Do you know anything about a site called registryeasy.info ? They say they'll scan your computer for free, and clean and optimize your system automatically and make it 10x faster with one click? Anyway, ~Thanks again!

EDITOR'S NOTE: I haven't seen that site, but it sounds like something you should stay FAR AWAY from.

Hi Bob, Great article, as usual. I do all of the things you mentioned and when all else fails, I know it is time to do the hardest part of all, re-format hard drive and re-install. Especially, for those who like to try 'beta' versions, trial or demo games, utilities, software, so on and so forth. Too many times, stuff is left in the registry, even when you remove or uninstall these programs. Plus, when you seem to 'collect' lots of programs, about every 12 or 18 months or so, you really should just simply re-format and re-install your OS. Most geeks recommend this practice. Oh, and please don't forget to open up the side panel of your computer case and BLOW OUT all of the DUST BUNNIES!!! In other words, while you are at it, physically clean your computer on the inside. Dust built up is one of the best ways to 'kill' your computer and cause major issues with components.

All of these are fine ideas & I believe I've tried them all at one point or another - one other trick that I've applied to save hard drive space and (seemingly) gained speed from is - periodically going through and uninstalling all of the windows patches (that can be, some can't), then allowing auto update to just install the batch patches. I find it best to do this around the time of a service pack update.

Good summary for non techies Bob! Only comment I'd add is that instead of using the clunky msconfig to "Slim Your Startup Selections" is to use "Autoruns" instead. More control, more info (see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx)

i think bobrankin is good. i've been sitting here all day though, i don't want to invite anyone to fix my computer. i know step by step i'll learn and my pc will get better, will help others someday if i get time.

thanks.

It all worked remarkably well for me. Start up and shut down time is now only 90 secs. from 5 or 6 mins. I recommend it.

Everything listed here is very good information. I, however, have had some problems with Windows/Microsoft update. I am still working on that. Just a suggestion, an excellent anti-malware program is Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. Another suggestion for getting rid of viruses is Norton 360 2.0. Once you do all these steps for a couple of days with restarts very often you can get your computer up and running faster than before in no time.

Wow! nice advice but I think by the time I follow the recipe for 'Making Windows Run Faster": Applying Updates that some failed installing to begin with, Using the Anti-virus program that barely runs because the computer is so hosed-up, Removing unnecessary Software? (how long would that take me?), Scrub the harddrive, change your start-up, Clean your registry, set your ram and virtual memeory,Turn Off Extraneous System Services then hope when you restart your computer everything will be back to normal. Why can't this be simpler and just like Defrag, clean-up and disguard? Oh! Formatting is very time consuming and I worry about internet stuff too.

Thanks for your advice and I will probably use it.

rob

Good information. I also really like the AutoRuns program - it's like MSCONFIG but but more powerful, really helped me with start up items that were making my PC slow! Info found at: http://www.MySlowPC.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=41

Thanks again!