attn: computer nerds; please help me make XP faster
 

Alright. So I've had this computer for like 4 yrs. But lately my XP has been running really slow. Way slower than usual. Besides adding more RAM or some other suggestions that cost $, what do I want to do to reclaim some memory and processing power? I really need to clean this shit up I think.

Download this
http://download.cnet.com/Glary-Utili...html?tag=mncol

Install and run the "1 Click Maintenance". Beware: Depending on how your computer is, it make take several hours to complete the first time.

I've always found registry cleaners to be idiotic at best and positively lethal at worst. Clear out the registry yourself, make sure you desktop is shortcuts only, defrag, clear unwanted backups (you should only really need the most recent one), move it all to an external hard-drive and do some Google searches on the subject before you download software that can potentially delete important system files. I've not seen this registry cleaner before but I've known registry cleaners that immediately speed up the computer but leave it entirely fucked within a week.

I've used this one for most of this year and it dramatically sped up my XP system.

I'm sure it did; I maintain that, without looking at the PC concerned, downloading these things should be the last resort. Unless Herr redux is a total fanny, in which case he's probably virussed up to the nines prior to either of our intervention.

nah, I'm not worried about viruses or anything. I run virus/malware/etc checks and all that.

I really think it's just a lot of bloating. I'm a packrat by nature, so I've got a lot of shit to clean out. I just went and uninstalled like 15 programs that I never fucking use.

I've never defragged my HD or cleaned my registry. Not even sure I know how.

Any other tricks would be appreciated though. Like startup settings, etc.

Defrag will work wonders. Make sure you have about 15% free space and back up seriously important files.

On XP, the Defragger is under Accessories>System Tools. Analyze first and it will tell you how fragmented it is and whether or not it recommends a defrag. Depending on the size of the drive and fragmentation, allocate 2 to 4 hours for complete defrag.

DON'T FUCK WITH YR REGISTRY IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YR DOING!

and yeah, like glice said, I'd be suspect at letting anything do it automatically. you run the risk of it never booting back up.

you can find defrag under programs: system tools. also, you might try taking some stuff out of yr start-up. go to run: type "msconfig" > startup > uncheck a bunch of shit that doesn't look important. hit "ok" > reboot. you can always manually start those programs.

Delete everything in your registry.

AWWWW YOU GUYS RUINED IT. NO FUN.

Oh yeah, I should probably have specified this. I tend to take a fairly laissez faire approach - but yes, the system registry is not to be fucked with. If you're at all concerned or suspicious, don't change it. And sit down with a pen and paper making a note of any changes you make in the system registry, if you decide to be heroic.

The thing to do is to get people to delete their sys32. The registry is too much faffing.

That faffing is the satisfaction of the purge.

You want purging, why not delve straight into the BIOS? All sorts of irreperable pain there.

That sounds very appealing.

alright, well I figured I'd at least get to page 2 before you jerks tried to get me to fuck myself. Oh well. Thanks Glice and SY37 for the actual trying to help.

SEE IF I EVER TRY TO HELP YOU AGAIN, UNGRATEFUL WHELP.

agh! I'm sorry man. I DID mean to include you as well! Seriously. You were honest and tried to help me.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to floatingslowly again.

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although it's a total pain in the ass, if you really want to make it better, back up everything and do a reinstall of windows.

most computers (that you buy--not put together) come with a factory reset disc. again, it's a pain in the ass to reinstall yr programs, but it will make it good as new (barring hardware problems).

heat can also slow you down, open yr comp up and (gently) take a vacuum attachment to it. my cat makes sure that I have to do that just about monthly.

so far, I uninstalled a bunch of shit that I never use. Then I did the msconfig thing, which I hadn't done in like 2 yrs. And already it's helped a fjuckin' bunch. I'm planning ona defrag. I think all of this will really boost shit. Like I said, I run anti-virus and anti-malwares semi-regularly, so........

what's the deal with virtual memory by the way? I mean, I know I should splurge on some physical memory, but I'm just curious.