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MASTER TUTORIAL: Make Your Windows XP Super Fast


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#1 Vishal Gupta

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Posted 06 March 2008 - 10:37 AM

Guys!

This tutorial is meant for increasing the performance of Windows XP, either it can be a fresh installed windows or an old windows. :)
Actually these r some tips/tricks, which I always apply whenever I do a fresh installation of windows. So here I’m sharing many of those tips-n-tricks:

1.) First I’ll tell some Registry tricks, which can be applied without any problem or doubt and I believe these tricks will surely help in increasing the performance of your windows. Copy the following code in Notepad, save the file with name "Vishal.reg" (including quotes) and then run the file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Copy To]
@="{C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}"
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Move To]
@="{C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\DosHere]
@="Command &Prompt Here"
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\DosHere\Command]
@="%windir%\\System32\\cmd.exe /k cd \"%1\""
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\Shell\DosHere]
@="Command &Prompt Here"
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\Shell\DosHere\Command]
@="%windir%\\System32\\cmd.exe /k cd \"%1\""
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"Link"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"AutoEndTasks"="1"
"HungAppTimeout"="1000"
"MenuShowDelay"="8"
"WaitToKillAppTimeout"="2000"
"LowLevelHooksTimeout"="1000"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoLowDiskSpaceChecks"=dword:00000001
"ClearRecentDocsOnExit"=dword:00000001
"NoRecentDocsHistory"=hex:01,00,00,00
"LinkResolveIgnoreLinkInfo"=dword:00000001
"NoResolveSearch"=dword:00000001
"NoResolveTrack"=dword:00000001
"NoInternetOpenWith"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control]
"WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="2000"

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer]
2.) Right-click on Desktop and select Properties, Now in the new window goto Appearance tab and click on Effects button. Now in the new opened window uncheck the following options:

a.) Use the following transition effect for menus & tooltips.
b.) Show shadows under menus.
c.) Show window contents while dragging. (you may remain this option checked as I hv in my screenshot. It depends upon ur choice.)
d.) Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts. You may select “Standard” for this. I hv selected “Clear Type” coz I hv a TFT, it doesnt work properly for CRT monitors.

Posted Image

3.)
Right-click on My Computer icon on Desktop and select Properties (or press <WIN> key + <Pause/Break> key), now goto Advanced tab in new window and click on Settings button in Performance section:

Posted Image

Now uncheck all the options in Visual Effects, but u can remain following options checked acc. to ur choice:

a.) Show window contents while dragging.
b.) Smooth edges of screen fonts.
c.) Use common tasks in folders (If u use the left side pane in My computer, I don’t use it.)
d.) Use drop shadows on icon labels on the desktop. (to make the desktop icons label transparent.)
e.) Use visual styles on windows and buttons. (If u use XP themes.)

Posted Image

4.)
Open Tools -> Folder Options and click on View tab:

Posted Image

Now uncheck following options:

a.) Automatically search for network folders & printers.
b.) Display file size information in folder tips.
c.) Display simple folder view in Explorer’s Folders list.
d.) Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color. (I don’t use this option.)
e.) Show pop-up description for folder and desktop icons.
f.) Use simple file sharing.

Other remaining options are totally based upon user’s requirements, they usually don’t affect the performance! So u can enable/disable them acc. to ur requirements.

5.)
Right-click on My Computer icon on Desktop and select Manage. Now goto Services & Applications -> Services. Here you can set many services to Manual, which u don’t want to start as soon as the windows starts. Following is a thread, in which I posted a small tutorial for knowing about which service should be set to MANUAL and which should be set to AUTOMATIC:

Windows XP Services that can be Safely set to MANUAL

6.) Start -> Run and type msconfig, now goto Startup tab and uncheck the entries, which u don’t want to start automatically with the windows, like u can get display settings utility entry there, and many more.

7.) Open Sound & Audio Devices in Control Panel (or type mmsys.cpl in RUN), goto Sounds tab and select No Sounds in Sound Scheme section. Or u can remain some of ur favorite sounds there but set Exit Windows, Start Windows, Windows Logoff, Windows Logon to (None).

8.) For more options/tips-n-tricks for better performance, u can use TweakUI, Tuneup Utilities 2006 and gpedit.msc (Windows XP Professional built-in tool)!

#2 Vishal Gupta

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Posted 06 March 2008 - 10:38 AM

And here is a small description of each registry trick mentioned above: :)

Quote

Adds "Copy To" option in context menu:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Copy To]
@="{C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}"

Adds "Move To" option in context menu:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Move To]
@="{C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}"

Add "Command Prompt Here" in context menu of folders:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\DosHere]
@="Command &Prompt Here"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\DosHere\Command]
@="%windir%\\System32\\cmd.exe /k cd \"%1\""

Add "Command Prompt Here" in context menu of drives:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\Shell\DosHere]
@="Command &Prompt Here"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\Shell\DosHere\Command]
@="%windir%\\System32\\cmd.exe /k cd \"%1\""

Remove "Shortcut to..." Prefix on Shortcuts:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"Link"=hex:00,00,00,00

Following tweaks helps in making the shutting down process faster:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]

Automatically End Task of Hung application:
"AutoEndTasks"="1"

Specify the Response Time for Hung Applications:
"HungAppTimeout"="1000"

Makes the menu opening faster:
"MenuShowDelay"="8"

Specify the time to wait before ending task of hung application:
"WaitToKillAppTimeout"="2000"

Setting a low value (in milliseconds) means that if the hooked program does not respond within timeout period, one that has set the hook would not become unstable or go in infinite wait but would kill itself saving windows resources and improving performance.
"LowLevelHooksTimeout"="1000"

Following tweaks makes system faster:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

Don't prompt that you are on low disk space:
"NoLowDiskSpaceChecks"=dword:00000001

Clear recent documents/applications history while exiting windows:
"ClearRecentDocsOnExit"=dword:00000001

Doesnt store recent documents history:
"NoRecentDocsHistory"=hex:01,00,00,00

Disable Automatic Network Shortcut Resolution:
"LinkResolveIgnoreLinkInfo"=dword:00000001

Disable Comprehensive Search for Broken Shortcuts:
"NoResolveSearch"=dword:00000001

Disable Tracking of Broken Shortcut Links:
"NoResolveTrack"=dword:00000001

Doesnt prompt you to search the required application on Internet, when you select "Open With" for opening a file:
"NoInternetOpenWith"=dword:00000001

Speed up shutdown:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control]
"WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="2000"

Speed up Network Browsing by removing Network Scheduled Tasks:
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer]


#3 TheBearLT

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Posted 06 March 2008 - 11:21 AM

Yeah ;) I remember doing all those performance tricks on my old PC.

But, with dual core and GTX I basically have no slow downs at all.. Especially in XP. It runs really really fast ;)

p.s. Adding addition context menus is really cool, and truly increases your productivity on work machine.
Personally I find keyboard shortcuts more comfortable. But world is big, ones prefer Keyboard... others mouse ;)

Thank you very much Vishal, those are really nice tutorials you giving to us :)

Edited by TheBearLT, 06 March 2008 - 11:27 AM.


#4 Vishal Gupta

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Posted 06 March 2008 - 11:29 AM

Thanks buddy. :)

#5 Guest_scaramonga_*

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Posted 15 July 2008 - 10:40 PM

The excellent BlackViper site is there if one needs to really make XP fly :cheers: Vista tweaks there also, but it never really flies no matter what you do :)

Edited by scaramonga, 15 July 2008 - 10:42 PM.





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