Picassa243
Member
- Oct 10, 2007
- 23
- 3
Well it becomes sometimes hard to believe that I keep my system so neat and tidy and despite that on scanning my system from a website relatively unknown but quite helpful I come to know that the site has 52 recommendations for me. All of them are valid. After acting upon these recommendations I come to see the real difference in my PC. Yes I used to think differently before I came over to this website that common tools and utilities provided by Microsoft do not cater for the system well enough. So I am compiling this very valuable treasury of mine to provide you with the best I have so you can feel the change just as I did.
The website I talk about is PC Pitstop.Some of you must have gone there too. This amazing website scans your system from top to bottom providing you a report of where there are leakages in the system and what needs to be done. Yes for peak performance what you need to have is the most important question.
XP is just like an infant and if you do not care for it can become a nuisance for you to look after. A monthly check-up of the system will squeeze the most out of it to provide you with lifetime bliss and also solution to many common problems. I will now recommend a list of things with their websites you must go and check and these things are a must have on your HD. Without them the experience of running windows at top speed is incomplete.
1- Diskeeper:
This amazing utility can do a lot more than the normal windows Disk-Defragmenter. Other than defragging files and folders it also defrags the paging and the swap file. It introduces I-Fast technology to the system for faster disk performance and can also perform scheduled as well as automatic defragging in the background to keep your data arranged for quick access.
http://www.diskeeper.com/defrag.asp
2- Intel® Application Accelerator:
The Intel ® application accelerator enhances the prefetch reducing the system bottle-neck time giving you a faster boot and hence dramatically reduces the time it takes for the applications to launch. This is only designed for P4 and other specific Intel Processors it will not work on Celerons. Give it a try.
For XP Professional:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/fil...scription.html
For XP Home:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,22740-order,1-page,1/description.html
For AMD processors:
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/...l?redir=COGA02
3- Online Scans:
Yes! These online scans can do the most and of course free of cost even which downloading utilities wont do. I give you links for specific system scans that you could do:
Performance:
http://pcpitstop.com
Internet Speed:
http://pcpitstop.com/internet/default.asp
Background Programs:
If a virus has struck your system and disabled the task manager how will you know whats the virus process. This link will give you an in depth summary of what is actually a virus and what is safe and what is optional. You may require IE browser for this
http://pcpitstop.com/spycheck/scan.asp
4- Drivers:
One thing I was amazed to see was the change in the performance after updating my drivers which were out of date. Drivers are constantly being updated and updating them can give you the following benefits
1 Better PC Performance
By keeping your PC hardware device drivers updated your system will run at peak performance.
2 Improved PC Stability
Stop those annoying crashes and slow downs by updating the device drivers on your computer.
http://www2.driveragent.com/?PHPSESS...l7akqmp97072l3
So go for a scan today and update your drivers.
5- Clean That Junk:
Files and junk that is unneeded gets cluttered on your hard disk without your knowledge and information and slows down your PC dramatically. It just takes some seconds for this tool to analyze and clean up the garbage and best of all its free.
http://www.ccleaner.com/
6- Clean System Restore Points:
System restore while it poses a great advantage for those users who frequently crash their PCs it is the biggest cause of data getting fragmented and HD space. Use the default system clean-up tool to gain some space if your running out of it.
7- Clean up the Registry:
Registry is the heart of windows and contains information about what programs you have installed and what have been uninstalled. As time passes the size grows due to the presence of invalid references in it. So clean-up using this Microsoft certified Registry Cleaner
http://www.liutilities.com/products/registrybooster/
8- De-fragment your Registry:
Just as the files and folders need de-fragmentation on the disk registry keys can also get fragmented over time which results in slower program launch. Invalid references to programs that you have installed pose a great burden for this data base. Use this tool to de-fragment you r registry.
http://www.download.com/Registry-Def...-10312816.html
9- Spyware and Adware Free?
Is your system Spyware and Adware free. Do a scan today with Ad-aware Se Personal edition the best rated Adware and Spyware cleaner also have a look at the video on how to use it.
http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html
10- Have sufficient memory?
The Vista look on XP requires lesser RAM than Vista itself but for those interested in gaming do you have the optimal amount of RAM installed on your system or have other question about your hardware? You should visit
http://www.crucial.com/promo/index.aspx?prog=uslp_dram
11- 64Bit or 32Bit OS?
If you have a 32 bit OS and you have invested your hard earned money in a good processor with a preferably high FSB (Front Side Bus). A good memory etc.. Then to get the most out of your OS you should switch to a 64 Bit version of the OS to get more from your hardware. To check 64-Bit XP check out this link
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/default.mspx
12- NTFS or FAT File System?
If your windows is on FAT32 then its high time you switch to an NTFS file system. Besides being quicker than FAT it has many cool features such as lesser data fragmentation and letting you access the encryption system. To check how conversion is done visit
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.php
13- Size of the Browser Cache:
The browser cache stores the temporary files for faster access. The browser cache size as recommended according to the Microsoft guidelines is 50-250MB. To change the browser cache size navigate to Tools---> Internet Options----> Browser History--->Settings and here adjust the cache size to the optimal or recommended value.
14- Vista Ready?
Personally speaking I am not in favor of Vista yet as it still has to become even more stable but if you want a slightly higher edge in security and graphics you should upgrade to Vista. Now there is no need to download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. Simply run a scan on the link provided below and see if you are ready or not.
http://pcpitstop.com/vistaready/default.asp
15-Start-up Programs:
Most malware and spyware load them in the registry to get them executed at strat-up. This hinders performance. Other than this having more than 5 programs in the start-up list will gradually lead to performance deterioration unless your PC has sufficient RAM to handle that. To see what process are running at start-up a tool from Microsoft gives an in-depth analysis of the system. Download now to check
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys.../Autoruns.mspx
I hope that this is useful for you guys. It has been compiled with a lot of effort.
The website I talk about is PC Pitstop.Some of you must have gone there too. This amazing website scans your system from top to bottom providing you a report of where there are leakages in the system and what needs to be done. Yes for peak performance what you need to have is the most important question.
XP is just like an infant and if you do not care for it can become a nuisance for you to look after. A monthly check-up of the system will squeeze the most out of it to provide you with lifetime bliss and also solution to many common problems. I will now recommend a list of things with their websites you must go and check and these things are a must have on your HD. Without them the experience of running windows at top speed is incomplete.
1- Diskeeper:
This amazing utility can do a lot more than the normal windows Disk-Defragmenter. Other than defragging files and folders it also defrags the paging and the swap file. It introduces I-Fast technology to the system for faster disk performance and can also perform scheduled as well as automatic defragging in the background to keep your data arranged for quick access.
http://www.diskeeper.com/defrag.asp
2- Intel® Application Accelerator:
The Intel ® application accelerator enhances the prefetch reducing the system bottle-neck time giving you a faster boot and hence dramatically reduces the time it takes for the applications to launch. This is only designed for P4 and other specific Intel Processors it will not work on Celerons. Give it a try.
For XP Professional:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/fil...scription.html
For XP Home:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,22740-order,1-page,1/description.html
For AMD processors:
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/...l?redir=COGA02
3- Online Scans:
Yes! These online scans can do the most and of course free of cost even which downloading utilities wont do. I give you links for specific system scans that you could do:
Performance:
http://pcpitstop.com
Internet Speed:
http://pcpitstop.com/internet/default.asp
Background Programs:
If a virus has struck your system and disabled the task manager how will you know whats the virus process. This link will give you an in depth summary of what is actually a virus and what is safe and what is optional. You may require IE browser for this
http://pcpitstop.com/spycheck/scan.asp
4- Drivers:
One thing I was amazed to see was the change in the performance after updating my drivers which were out of date. Drivers are constantly being updated and updating them can give you the following benefits
1 Better PC Performance
By keeping your PC hardware device drivers updated your system will run at peak performance.
2 Improved PC Stability
Stop those annoying crashes and slow downs by updating the device drivers on your computer.
http://www2.driveragent.com/?PHPSESS...l7akqmp97072l3
So go for a scan today and update your drivers.
5- Clean That Junk:
Files and junk that is unneeded gets cluttered on your hard disk without your knowledge and information and slows down your PC dramatically. It just takes some seconds for this tool to analyze and clean up the garbage and best of all its free.
http://www.ccleaner.com/
6- Clean System Restore Points:
System restore while it poses a great advantage for those users who frequently crash their PCs it is the biggest cause of data getting fragmented and HD space. Use the default system clean-up tool to gain some space if your running out of it.
7- Clean up the Registry:
Registry is the heart of windows and contains information about what programs you have installed and what have been uninstalled. As time passes the size grows due to the presence of invalid references in it. So clean-up using this Microsoft certified Registry Cleaner
http://www.liutilities.com/products/registrybooster/
8- De-fragment your Registry:
Just as the files and folders need de-fragmentation on the disk registry keys can also get fragmented over time which results in slower program launch. Invalid references to programs that you have installed pose a great burden for this data base. Use this tool to de-fragment you r registry.
http://www.download.com/Registry-Def...-10312816.html
9- Spyware and Adware Free?
Is your system Spyware and Adware free. Do a scan today with Ad-aware Se Personal edition the best rated Adware and Spyware cleaner also have a look at the video on how to use it.
http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html
10- Have sufficient memory?
The Vista look on XP requires lesser RAM than Vista itself but for those interested in gaming do you have the optimal amount of RAM installed on your system or have other question about your hardware? You should visit
http://www.crucial.com/promo/index.aspx?prog=uslp_dram
11- 64Bit or 32Bit OS?
If you have a 32 bit OS and you have invested your hard earned money in a good processor with a preferably high FSB (Front Side Bus). A good memory etc.. Then to get the most out of your OS you should switch to a 64 Bit version of the OS to get more from your hardware. To check 64-Bit XP check out this link
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/default.mspx
12- NTFS or FAT File System?
If your windows is on FAT32 then its high time you switch to an NTFS file system. Besides being quicker than FAT it has many cool features such as lesser data fragmentation and letting you access the encryption system. To check how conversion is done visit
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.php
13- Size of the Browser Cache:
The browser cache stores the temporary files for faster access. The browser cache size as recommended according to the Microsoft guidelines is 50-250MB. To change the browser cache size navigate to Tools---> Internet Options----> Browser History--->Settings and here adjust the cache size to the optimal or recommended value.
14- Vista Ready?
Personally speaking I am not in favor of Vista yet as it still has to become even more stable but if you want a slightly higher edge in security and graphics you should upgrade to Vista. Now there is no need to download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. Simply run a scan on the link provided below and see if you are ready or not.
http://pcpitstop.com/vistaready/default.asp
15-Start-up Programs:
Most malware and spyware load them in the registry to get them executed at strat-up. This hinders performance. Other than this having more than 5 programs in the start-up list will gradually lead to performance deterioration unless your PC has sufficient RAM to handle that. To see what process are running at start-up a tool from Microsoft gives an in-depth analysis of the system. Download now to check
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys.../Autoruns.mspx
I hope that this is useful for you guys. It has been compiled with a lot of effort.