In this page, I'll show you how to speed up folder access on your computer. Why you need to speed up folder access? In my opinion, you need to do that if you have a lot of folders and sub directories on your computer. Because when you access a directory, your windows system will wastes a lot of time updating the stamp showing the last access time for that directory. So you need to disable access update to stop your computer from doing this. Follow these steps to speed up folder access by disable access update on your computer.
1. Click on RUN, type Regedit in the open box and then click "OK".
2. Find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > System > CurrentControlSet > Control > FileSystem
3. Create new DWORD Value called NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate by right-click in a blank area of the window on the right and then select DWORD Value.
4. Double click on "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate", change the value data to 1 and then click OK. That's all. :)
Sunday, March 30, 2008
How to Speed Up Folder Access
How To Remove Orkut MUHAHA Virus
My friend had given me a pen drive. I remembered it while browsing net on Firefox. When I put that in my PC and double clicked, it didn't open. I knew at once: I had activated a virus. But I didn't have any idea about the kind of virus that might have come to my PC, until I switched back to Firefox. Immediately a message box was displayed: I DNT HATE MOZILLA BUT USE IE OR ELSE... with title as USE INTERNET EXPLORER U DOPE. I just remembered the experiences of my friends. I tried to locate the virus by running the Task Manager. But there were no suspicious entries there. I had to bow the owner of the virus. I used Internet Explorer to search about it. The first entry in Google took me to the Mozilla Forum page, and after going through some pages, I came to know that the same virus also displayed another message when you opened Orkut. Orkut is banned you fool, The administrators didnt write this program guess who did?? MUHAHAHA!! with title ORKUT IS BANNED. Well, a similar message was displayed for YouTube also. So I went through all the posts, and finally found a solution given here:
Now how to get ride this.. A quick way for orkut addicted those who want a quick access to orkut is as follows..
► Press alt+ctrl+del and goto processes tab
► There you will see a list of processes under the different username, arrange the processes according to your username and search for the process svchost.exe
► Right click and end process or end process tree. Make sure you end the imagename or process which are under your username and not that which are under LOCAL SERVICE OR NETWORK SERVICE.
► This gives you instant access to orkut..
A Similar of this variant gives you error on opening firefox.
"I DNT HATE MOZILLA BUT USE IE OR ELSE…", "USE INTERNET EXPLORER U DOPE",
The above 4 Steps solution works for the same..
Now a fix to permanently get rid of this nuisance, this pulls the interest of my friends who called me up and took help to access their orkut accounts instantly..
Follow as :-
REPEAT THE ABOVE 4 STEPS AND THEN CONTINUE.
► Click start->run type c:\heap41a and press Enter. You cannot find this folder by looking through windows explores i.e. My Computer, as this is a hidden folder.
► Delete all the files under this folder by pressing ctrl+a followed by shift+del key
► Now again goto Start->Run and write regedit, this opens registry editor for you.
► Press ctrl+f , a find dialog box opens, type heap41a and let it show you some results
► You should see "[winlogon] C:\heap41a\svchost.exe C:\heap(some number)\std.txt"
► Now delete whatever you see there :D cause you love orkut .. hahahah
Well your PC/LP is cleaned up and now you can open your orkut account without that nuisance.
Make sure you delete all the .exe files which are present at the root of ur pendrive which got created automatically(which you never created). Rather scan your pen drive with a good antivirus.. That should allow you stealth your PC from the attack of MUHAHA
Other Effects
Well this worm/virus removes hidden folder options or you are unable to see hidden folders. so enable the hidden folder option follow the steps as :-
► Goto Start->run type regedit again to open registry editor
► traverse as HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer3.
►There you will see a DWORD key as "NoFolderOptions" . Set its value to 0 or simply delete it
How do you solve hidden files does not appear After effected by virus?
How do you solve hidden files does not appear After effected by virus?
Answer:- RAVMON.EXE,MDM.EXE,SVCHOST.EXE Hidden files options not working (solution)
First Stopping the virus: u need to check the task manager to see if there is a (SVCHOST.EXE) running under the current logged in username and try to terminate it.
Note: After u terminate the virus try not to double click on any of you computer driver coz this action will start the virus allover again, when u need to access any of ur drivers (Hard Disk Partition), type it's drive letter in the address bar and it will open without starting the virus process.
Second Fixing the show hidden files and folders: ________________________________________
Then u need to open "Registry Editor" and then go to
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL" And delete the Existing "CheckedValue" of the type "String" and create another one of the same name but of the type "DWORD" and set it's value to "1" Then open "My Computer" and go to: Tools> Folder Options> View> and select "Show hidden files and folders" and Uncheck "Hide protected operating system files".
Third Deleting the virus: ________________________________________
The easiest part, all u have to do is to delete the following files from your computer ( don't forget how u should open the drivers or u will have to do it from the start )
1.C:\windwos\SVCHOST.EXE
2.C:\windwos\SVCHOST.inf or ini (probably they will be together side by side)
3.C:\RAVMON.EXE
4.C:\Autorun.inf
Then check the rest of the hard drivers you have on your computer ( D, E, or whatever) for the files Number (3 and 4)
Restart your computer and run XoftspySE latest Version (4.31.232) u can download it from the internet.
i hope it was of a help!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Menu bar/Toolbar Missing in Windows Explorer and/or Internet Explorer
SYMPTOMS:- When you open Windows Explorer or Internet Explorer you may find that your Menu bar and/or Toolbar is missing.
CAUSE:-For Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer, this behavior is caused by one or more corrupt values in the Windows
RESOLUTION WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. To resolve this problem, edit the registry to remove the corrupt value(s). Close all open Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer windows. Start the Registry Editor (Click Start, Run and enter REGEDIT.EXE). Go to the following Registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
Back to the top
MORE INFORMATION Notes: Any Toolbar layout customizations will be undone, and the affected Toolbar will be reset to its default configuration. For Windows Explorer, in Windows XP Home Edition, it may be necessary to re-enable the Address bar in Windows Explorer. To do this open Windows Explorer. Then right click a blank area of the Toolbar or Menu bar and select the Address bar item. IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Folder Options is Disable
NO Folder Options
go to run n type regedit find the given path below
User Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]Value Name: NoFolderOptionsData Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)Value Data: (0 = show options, 1 = hide options)
See Also
http://virushandling.blogspot.com/2008/03/tweak-ui-has-been-disabled-by-your.html
Tweak UI has been disabled by your administrator
When you run the Tweak UI PowerToy for Windows XP, the following message may be displayed:
Tweak UI has been disabled by your administrator.
More information :-
This error occurs if the DisableRegistryTools Policy is enabled. With this policy enabled, you receive the following error message when you start the Registry Editor (regedit.exe):
Registry Editing has been disabled by your administrator
IMPORTANT: If this policy was enabled in your system (not connected to a corporate network) without you doing anything or without your knowledge, then it's highly likely that a Virus has blocked the usage of Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) in your system by enabling the DisableRegistryTools policy via the registry. It's highly recommended that you perform a thorough checkup of your system immediately. Steps listed in this article will help you unblock the Registry Editor, but that does not remove the Virus (if any) from your system.
For standalone Windows XP systems, perform the steps below to remove the registry editing restrictions.
Method 1: Using the REG.EXE console tool
1. Click Start, Run and type this command:
You should be able to launch Tweak UI, as well as the Registry Editor.
Method 2: Using the Group Policy Editor (Windows XP Professional only)
· Click Start, Run and type gpedit.msc and press ENTER
· Go to the following location:
User Configuration Administrative Templates System
· Double-click Disable registry editing tools and set it to Not Configured
· Exit the Group Policy Editor
Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator
When you try to open Task Manager, the following error may occur:
Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator
Resolution
This error is caused if the DisableTaskMgr restriction is enabled. To enable Task Manager, try one of these methods:
IMPORTANT: If this restriction was enabled in your system without you doing anything or without your knowledge, then it's highly likely that a Virus has blocked the usage of Task Manager in your system by enabling the DisableTaskMgr policy via the registry. I strongly suggest that you perform a thorough checkup of your system immediately. Steps listed in the Resolution section of this article helps you unblock the Task Manager, but that does not remove the Virus (if any) from your system.
Method 1
Click Start, Run and type this command exactly as given below: (better - Copy and paste)
Top of Form
REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableTaskMgr /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Bottom of Form
Method 2
· Click Start, Run and type Regedit.exe
· Navigate to the following branch:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies\ System
· In the right-pane, delete the value named DisableTaskMgr
· Close Regedit.exe
Method 3: Using Group Policy Editor - for Windows XP Professional
· Click Start, Run, type gpedit.msc and click OK.
· Navigate to this branch:
User Configuration / Administrative Templates / System / Ctrl+Alt+Delete Options / Remove Task Manager
· Double-click the Remove Task Manager option.
· Set the policy to Not Configured.
The command prompt has been disabled by your administrator
When you attempt to run CMD.exe or a batch file, you may receive the message "The command prompt has been disabled by your administrator". This is caused by restrictions placed in Registry. DisableCMD value is set to 1 or via Group Policy. To enable Task Manager, try any of these methods:
Method 1: Using the console registry tool
Click Start, Run and type this command exactly as given below: (better - Copy and paste)
REG add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System /v DisableCMD /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Open Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System]
In the right-pane, double-click DisableCMD and set it's data to 0
Method 3: Using Group Policy Editor in Windows XP Professional.
Click Start, Run, type gpedit.msc and click OK.
Navigate to User Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ System
Double-click the Prevent access to the command prompt
You can then disable or set the policy to Not Configured. Disabling or setting this policy to Not Configured should solve the problem.
Window Vista Activation Solution
Click on the Start Button and type in Command. The Command Prompt Prompt shortcut will now show up in your start panel search results. Right click on the shortcut and select Run as Administrator. After Command Prompt loads, type in slmgr.vbs -rearm and hit Enter. Reboot.
JUST DO THIS AND YOUR WINDOWS IS ACTIVATE AGAIN!!AND THE GENUIE UPDATE IS GONE .
THEN DO THIS :
Reboot Windows Vista, and boot into Safe Mode.Launch Windows Explorer, go to Folder Options and check (tick or select) “Show Hidden Files” and “Show protected system files” options.Then click OK.Zap the WPA encrypted store by deleting the following files (hidden by default unless you show hidden file as instructed above):“C:\Windows\System32\7B296FB0-376B-497e-B012-9C450E1B7327-2P-0.C7483456-A289-439d-8115-601632D005A0?“C:\Windows\System32\7B296FB0-376B-497e-B012-9C450E1B7327-2P-1.C7483456-A289-439d-8115-601632D005A0?
Uninstall the WGA (Windows Vista Genuine Advantage) update by execute or run the following command:regsvr32 /u c:\windows\system32\LegitCheckControl.dll
Reset the Vista Software Licensing tokens file by copying back the RC1 or RC2 tokens.dat to“C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\SoftwareLicensing\”
Replace the original tokens.dat.
The following step is to remove the Windows Product Activation (WPA) data from the registry.It’s impossible to do this at normal Vista installation bootup, so restart the computer and boot with Windows Vista DVD.Choose to “Repair my Computer” and then select your appropriate Vista installation.Then select “Command Prompt”, and at command prompt window, type “regedit” (without quotes to run registry editor.Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry branch, and then click on File -> Load Hive.Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\config and choose the SYSTEM hive. Give it key name of “temp”.Delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\temp\WPA\ registry branch and remove every registry subkeys under it.Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\temp\ and then click on File -> Unload Hive.Exit from registry editor, exit from command prompt, and then restart the computer.After booting up normally into Windows Vista, the Vista will be in RFM mode(reduced functionality mode) with message of “Your copy of windows is not genuine.”Run slui.exe.Enter any CPP product key (serial key issued during Release Candidate 1 or RC2).Windows Vista should be activated as genuine.Log off (logout) and log on (login) again to reactivate Windows Aero interface.You can now run windows update, by remember point 1 above,uncheck the KB929391 WGA update and if you don’t want to see it forever, hide it.
IMPRTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANTdont forget one important thing…. DISABLE AUTO UPDATE FOR WINDOWS after you done all of this
see my result and that it is NOT a joke...
Hello
If you want your evaluation copy for longer than the end of august, do this:
1. Disable User Account Control coz it just pisses everyone off.
It works.If it works, tell us !
Windows XP Tweaking – Startup and General Performance Tweaks
Introduction:-
Editor's Note: Readers have raised enough doubts as to the effectiveness of some of the tweaks mentioned in this guide that we've asked the author to step in and clarify if possible in the discussion thread. Though none of the tweaks have been alleged to do any serious harm, for now we advise you to check the discussion thread before applying any of these until further notice.
Windows XP is now the predominant consumer OS of both gamers and power users. Sure, many of us still dual-boot with Win9x, because it is faster for many games, but the joy of a true 32-bit operating system with full consumer support is too much for many of us to remain loyal to NT 4.0 or Windows 2000. Now that Windows XP has matured past its infancy and many (but by far not all) of the bugs have been shaken out of it, Ars Technica brings you the first in a series of tweak guides for this illustrious and yet somewhat finicky OS.
This first guide aims to cover two main areas of contention: the boot process (sans the system services, which are an entire guide of their own) and a mishmash of general computing tweaks. The boot tweaks will be comprised of not only system settings, but also several under-utilized applications that can dramatically reduce load time. The general performance tweaks are simply various tweaks that do not quite fit in with the theme of this article, but still have a significant effect on system startup performance (because most any tweaks that one performs should have some kind of effect on the startup time of the system).
Before we begin, several pieces of laundry need to be aired out. To begin with, if you have already tweaked the services on the computer in question, please return them to the default settings. One of the applications I am recommending requires that several systems be enabled that most power users frequently disable (e.g., Task Scheduler). Once you have completed the tweaks mentioned in this guide, feel free to return said services back to your preferred settings, as they only need to be enabled for a short time.
In addition, please run the disk defragmenter prior to and after applying these tweaks. We will be moving the MFT to the fastest part of the drive, defragmenting it, and resizing it so that (hopefully) it will remain contiguous forever after. Defragmenting prior to this process will allow the program to move the MFT more quickly, and defragmenting afterwards will clean up the mess that the fragmented and unoptimized MFT wreaked upon your system. No, a normal defrag does not do this, and no, a normal defrag will not undo the changes made by the boot optimizer.
Also, Windows XP is something of a fair-weather friend. As I was researching this guide, I corrupted my registry no fewer than three times testing out various tweaks (which obviously did not make their way into this guide). However, as a precaution, please back up your system, or at least the registry, prior to undertaking the steps outlined in this guide. Neither Ars Technica, nor the author of this article, will be responsible for any damage you do to your computer by following the steps outlined herein. You have been warned.
StartupWindows Prefetcher[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management \ PrefetchParameters]
Under this key there is a setting called EnablePrefetcher, the default setting of which is 3. Increasing this number to 5 gives the prefetcher system more system resources to prefetch application data for faster load times. Depending on the number of boot processes you run on your computer, you may get benefits from settings up to 9. However, I do not have any substantive research data on settings above 5 so I cannot verify the benefits of a higher setting. This setting also may effect the loading times of your most frequently launched applications. This setting will not take effect until after you reboot your system.
Master File Table Zone Reservation[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ FileSystem]
Under this key there is a setting called NtfsMftZoneReservation, the default setting of which is 1. The range of this value is from 1 to 4. The default setting reserves one-eighth of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 2 reserves one-quarter of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 3 for NtfsMftZoneReservation reserves three-eighths of the volume for the MFT and setting it to 4 reserves half of the volume for the MFT. Most users will never exceed one-quarter of the volume. I recommend a setting of 2 for most users. This allows for a "moderate number of files" commensurate with the number of small files included in most computer games and applications. Reboot after applying this tweak.
Source: Microsoft Technet
Optimize Boot Files[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Dfrg \ BootOptimizeFunction]
Under this key is a text value named Enable. A value of Y for this setting enables the boot files defragmenter. This setting defragments the boot files and may move the boot files to the beginning (fastest) part of the partition, but that last statement is unverified. Reboot after applying this tweak.
Optimizing Startup Programs [msconfig]MSConfig, similar to the application included in Win9x of the same name, allows the user to fine tune the applications that are launched at startup without forcing the user to delve deep into the registry. To disable some of the applications launched, load msconfig.exe from the run command line, and go to the Startup tab. From there, un-ticking the checkbox next to a startup item will stop it from launching. There are a few application that you will never want to disable (ctfmon comes to mind), but for the most part the best settings vary greatly from system to system.
As a good rule of thumb, though, it is unlikely that you will want to disable anything in the Windows directory (unless it's a third-party program that was incorrectly installed into the Windows directory), nor will you want to disable anything directly relating to your system hardware. The only exception to this is when you are dealing with software, which does not give you any added benefits (some OEM dealers load your system up with software you do not need). The nice part of msconfig is that it does not delete any of the settings, it simply disables them, and so you can go back and restart a startup application if you find that you need it. This optimization won't take effect until after a reboot.
Bootvis ApplicationThe program was designed by Microsoft to enable Windows XP to cold boot in 30 seconds, return from hibernation in 20 seconds, and return from standby in 10 seconds. Bootvis has two extremely useful features. First, it can be used to optimize the boot process on your computer automatically. Second, it can be used to analyze the boot process for specific subsystems that are having difficulty loading. The first process specifically targets the prefetching subsystem, as well as the layout of boot files on the disk. When both of these systems are optimized, it can result in a significant reduction in the time it takes for the computer to boot.
Before attempting to use Bootvis to analyze or optimize the boot performance of your system, make sure that the task scheduler service has been enabled – the program requires the service to run properly. Also, close all open programs as well – using the software requires a reboot.
To use the software to optimize your system startup, first start with a full analysis of a fresh boot. Start Bootvis, go to the Tools menu, and select next boot. Set the Trace Repetition Settings to 2 repetitions, Start at 1, and Reboot automatically. Then set the trace into motion. The system will fully reboot twice, and then reopen bootvis and open the second trace file (should have _2 in the name). Analyze the graphs and make any changes that you think are necessary (this is a great tool for determining which startup programs you want to kill using msconfig). Once you have made your optimizations go to the Trace menu, and select the Optimize System item. This will cause the system to reboot and will then make some changes to the file structure on the hard drive (this includes a defragmentation of boot files and a shifting of their location to the fastest portion of the hard disk, as well as some other optimizations). After this is done, once again run a Trace analysis as above, except change the starting number to 3. Once the system has rebooted both times, compare the charts from the second trace to the charts for the fourth trace to show you the time improvement of the system's boot up.
The standard defragmenter included with Windows XP will not undo the boot optimizations performed by this application.
IRQ Priority Tweak[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl]
You will need to create a new DWORD: IRQ#Priority (where # is the number of the IRQ you want to prioritize) and give it a setting of 1. This setting gives the requisite IRQ channel priority over the other IRQs on a software level. This can be extremely important for functions and hardware subsystems that need real-time access to other parts of the system. There are several different subsystems that might benefit from this tweak. Generally, I recommend giving either the System CMOS or the video card priority. The System CMOS generally has an IRQ setting of 8, and giving it priority enhances the I/O performance of the system. Giving priority to the video card can increase frame rates and make AGP more effective.
You can give several IRQs priority, but I am not entirely certain how the system interacts when several IRQs are given priority – it may cause random instabilities in the system, although it is more likely that there's a parsing system built into Windows XP to handle such an occurrence. Either way, I would not recommend it.
QoS tweakQoS (Quality of Service) is a networking subsystem which is supposed to insure that the network runs properly. The problem with the system is that it eats up 20% of the total bandwidth of any networking service on the computer (including your internet connection). If you are running XP Professional, you can disable the bandwidth quota reserved for the system using the Group Policy Editor [gpedit.msc].
You can run the group policy editor from the Run command line. To find the setting, expand "Local Computer Policy" and go to "Administrative Templates" under "Computer Configuration." Then find the "Network" branch and select "QoS Packet Scheduler." In the right hand box, double click on the "Limit Reservable Bandwidth." From within the Settings tab, enable the setting and then go into the "Bandwidth Limit %" and set it to 0%. The reason for this is that if you disable this setting, the computer defaults to 20%. This is true even when you aren't using QoS.
Free Idle Tasks TweakThis tweak will free up processing time from any idle processes and allow it to be used by the foreground application. It is useful particularly if you are running a game or other 3D application. Create a new shortcut to "Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks" and place it on your desktop. Double-click on it anytime you need all of your processing power, before opening the application.
Windows Indexing ServicesWindows Indexing Services creates a searchable database that makes system searches for words and files progress much faster – however, it takes an enormous amount of hard drive space as well as a significant amount of extra CPU cycles to maintain the system. Most users will want to disable this service to release the resources for use by the system. To turn off indexing, open My Computer and right click on the drive on which you wish to disable the Indexing Service. Enter the drive's properties and under the general tab, untick the box for "Allow the Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching."
Priority Tweak[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl]
This setting effectively runs each instance of an application in its own process for significantly faster application performance and greater stability. This is extremely useful for users with stability problems, as it can isolate specific instances of a program so as not to bring down the entire application. And, it is particularly useful for users of Internet Explorer, for if a rogue web page crashes your browser window, it does not bring the other browser windows down with it. It has a similar effect on any software package where multiple instances might be running at once, such as Microsoft Word. The only problem is that this takes up significantly more memory, because such instances of a program cannot share information that is in active memory (many DLLs and such will have to be loaded into memory multiple times). Because of this, it is not recommended for anyone with less than 512 MB of RAM, unless they are running beta software (or have some other reason for needing the added stability).
There are two parts to this tweak. First is to optimize XP's priority control for the processes. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl and set the "Win32PrioritySeparation" DWORD to 38. Next, go into My Computer and under Tools, open the Folder Options menu. Select the View tab and check the "Launch folder windows in separate process" box. This setting actually forces each window into its own memory tread and gives it a separate process priority.
Powertweak applicationwww.powertweak.com
Powertweak is an application, which acts much like a driver for our chipsets. It optimizes the communication between the chipset and the CPU, and unlocks several "hidden" features of the chipset that can increase the speed of the system. Specifically, it tweaks the internal registers of the chipset and processor that the BIOS does not for better communication performance between subsystems. Supported CPUs and chipsets can see a significant increase in I/O bandwidth, increasing the speed of the entire system. Currently the application supports most popular CPUs and chipsets, although you will need to check the website for your specific processor/chipset combo – the programmer is working on integrating even more chipsets and CPUs into the software.
Offload Network Task Processing onto the Network Card[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ Tcpip \ Parameters]
Many newer network cards have the ability of taking some of the network processing load off of the processor and performing it right on the card (much like Hardware T&L on most new video cards). This can significantly lower the CPU processes needed to maintain a network connection, freeing up that processor time for other tasks. This does not work on all cards, and it can cause network connectivity problems on systems where the service is enabled but unsupported, so please check with your NIC manufacturer prior to enabling this tweak. Find the DWORD "DisableTaskOffload" and set the value to 0 (the default value is 1). If the key is not already available, create it.
Force XP to Unload DLLs[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer]"AlwaysUnloadDLL"=dword:00000001
XP has a bad habit of keeping dynamic link libraries that are no longer in use resident in memory. Not only do the DLLs use up precious memory space, but they also tend to cause stability problems in some systems. To force XP to unload any DLLs in memory when the application that called them is no longer in memory, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer and find the DWORD "AlwaysUnloadDLL". You may need to create this key. Set the value to 1 to force the operating system to unload DLLs.
Give 16-bit apps their own separate processes[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ WOW]"DefaultSeparateVDM"="Yes"
By default, Windows XP will only open one 16-bit process and cram all 16-bit apps running on the system at a given time into that process. This simulates how MS-DOS based systems viewed systems and is necessary for some older applications that run together and share resources. However, most 16-bit applications work perfectly well by themselves and would benefit from the added performance and stability of their own dedicated resources. To force Windows XP to give each 16-bit application it's own resources, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ WOW and find the String "DefaultSeparateVDM". If it is not there, you may need to create it. Set the value of this to Yes to give each 16-bit application its own process, and No to have the 16-bit application all run in the same memory space.
Disable User Tracking[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer]"NoInstrumentation"=dword:00000001
The user tracking system built into Windows XP is useless to 99% of users (there are very few uses for the information collected other than for a very nosy system admin), and it uses up precious resources to boot, so it makes sense to disable this "feature" of Windows XP. To do so, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer and find the DWORD "NoInstrumentation". You may need to create this key if it is not there. The default setting is 0, but setting it to 1 will disable most of the user tracking features of the system.
Thumbnail Cache[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced]"DisableThumbnailCache"=dword:00000001
Windows XP has a neat feature for graphic and video files that creates a "thumbnail" of the image or first frame of the video and makes it into an oversized icon for the file. There are two ways that Explorer can do this, it can create them fresh each time you access the folder or it can load them from a thumbnail cache. The thumbnail caches on systems with a large number of image and video files can become staggeringly large. To disable the Thumbnail Cache, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced and find the DWORD "DisableThumbnailCache". You may need to create this key. A setting of 1 is recommended for systems where the number of graphic and video files is large, and a setting of 0 is recommended for systems not concerned about hard drive space, as loading the files from the cache is significantly quicker than creating them from scratch each time a folder is accessed.
ConclusionsWell, here we are at the end, and amazingly enough, we have only just touched on how to tweak Windows XP. I am sure there was enough stuff here to whet your appetite for more, but if you can't bear the anticipation and just have to know, the next article in the "Tweaking Windows XP" series here at Ars Technica will be focused on the system memory and how it converses with the rest of the architecture. There's a lot of good stuff coming, that's for sure.
I'd like to mention once again to please back up your system, or at least the registry, prior to undertaking the steps outlined in this guide.