Best XP Tips
50 Percent Increase In Your Computer Speed In Just Five Minutes
Computer operating speed is of concern to almost everyone. In a recent series of tests PC SPY identified several programs that were responsible for the biggest cause of system performance slow downs.
Number one culprit...
Norton Internet Security which was responsible for slowing down the test computer by a staggering 58 percent.
Here are several other offenders...
Top 5 Windows XP Reinstallation Tips
Here are 5 top Windows XP reinstallation tips that will save your bacon.
1. Download and save any hardware drivers you might need on a USB key or blank CD beforehand, so you can install them quickly when Windows XP has finished installing itself.
2. Make sure you've got any other driver discs and program CDs to hand before starting; there's nothing more frustrating than running around looking for that missing Microsoft Office CD.
Add Custom Locations To the Places Bar
The Places bar contains shortcuts to key locations to make it quicker to navigate to your hard drive. You can change these by clicking Start > Run and typing "regedit."
Access Your System-Checking Tools Easily
You can find out a great deal of information about your computers, as well as accessing a number of handy system-checking tools by clicking Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Information.
Optimize The Paging File And Alter Settings
When the programs you are running have occupied all available RAM, Windows XP has to use a section of your hard drive as virtual memory. This is know as paging file and Windows can change its size as and when required.
Use The System File Checker To Repair Files
If you're regularly encountering errors (such as warnings of missing DLL files or programs not loading) and you think that some part of Windows XP may be to blame, you can check your system files to make sure they're in good order.
Quick Access To The Device Manager
If you are having problems configuring a piece of hardware. The Device Manager section of System Properties is the place to go to, and as driver installation usually requires frequent rebooting you'll be spending a lot of time opening it up.
Repair Your Windows XP Installation
If you find that your Windows XP is suffering from poor performance or random crashes, don't immediately assume that your need to reinstall everything from scratch. You may well discover that a repair installation will solve all your problems.
Unload Unnecessary DLLS From Memory
Normally, when you close a program, any associated DLL it has been using will also be terminated - but this isn't always the case. This can result in a sluggish and unstable system if you leave your computer running for a while. To ensure that DLLs are always unloaded from memory...
Alphabetise The Start Menu For Ease Of Use
With a fresh installation Windows XP, all of your programs appear in the Start menu alphabetically. As you install more software the order becomes disorganized. You can sort things out right-clicking one of the entries in the menu and selecting 'Sort By Name'.
Add Background Images To Spice Up Your Folders
Open the folder you'd like to customize and click Tool > Folder Options. Tick 'Show Hidden File And Folders' in the view tab, and untick 'Hide Protected Operating System Files'. Click OK.
Analyse Your PC's Recurring System Problems
Should your computer suffer from frequent recurring system errors it is possible to find out what the cause of the problem is.
How Do I Find My Computers IP Address?
How Do I Find My Computers IP Address? Go to start/run type 'cmd' then type 'ipconfig'
