The second part of our quick tips section.
- Still in the system properties window. Disable error reporting. This sends error reports to Microsoft. Click on the error reporting button at the bottom of the screen. Check the box that says “Disable error reporting” and uncheck the box that says “but notify me when critical errors occur”. Click on ok and apply.
- Turning off harddrive indexing. Windows XP makes an index of all the files on your harddrive to speed up file searching. Using this option will slow down your pc and unless you use it a lot you can disable this option. Open “My Computer” or press the Windows key and E. Then right click on each of the drives and select properties. Uncheck the box that says “Allow the indexing service to index this disk for fast file searching” under the General tab. In the pop up window select the box that says “Apply change to (drive letter):\, subfolders and files” and click on ok. After you have done each drive I would recommend to reboot.
- Uninstall unwanted programs. Besides increasing your available space on your harddrive it will decreases the number programs to start up. Go to the Control Panel, then select Add/Remove Software to see what packages are installed. Remove software you don’t want or use. In the top corner there is a dropdown menu called “Sort on”. Here you can select different sorting options. Besides “Name” you can also sort the list on the last time you used the program. Programs which aren’t used that often are probably safe to remove.
- Uninstall windows components. Remove windows components which you are not using. Besides saving you valuable hard drive space it reduces chances of having programs with security issues on your pc.
- Microsoft Bootvis. Microsoft BootVis is a program which analyzes your system during the startup of Windows and can optimize start up and shutdown times. It was originally developed for developers to analyze boot times and see where there are slowdowns. You can download BootVis here.
- Microsoft PowerToys puts Windows XP on steriods. You can download Microsoft PowerToys here.
To read our review of the best registry cleaners click here!
Windows registry cleaners can be used to keep your pc running fast and smoothly. A common cause of Windows crashes, error messages and performance problems are the result of an inconsistent registry. To fix these problems there are two solutions either you can format your harddisk and reinstall all your programs starting with the Windows operating system or you can get a free registry cleaner to scan and repair registry inconsistencies. Running these programs at least once a month will keep your pc running smooth and fast. You can use the links below for free registry cleaners to test your computer.
The register is a file which is created and maintained by Windows and consists of information about the hardware and software settings on your pc. All the changes which are made to the pc are stored as keys in the registry. From the moment you start the Windows operating system it will read and add registry settings about your hardware and software. Each time software is installed or uninstalled entries are changed or removed.
Unfortunately these entries in the registry are not removed properly causing problems in performance or failures like system errors. Due to the adding and removing of hardware and/or software to the system the registry increases in size and it takes more time for Windows to read the registry. With registry cleaning software you can successfully purge these entries from the registry geting better performance and a smooth running pc.
RegCure
RegCure is compatible with all major Windows operating systems. It includes an automatic backup utility so that your operations are secure and safe. The product has an easy interface and is easy to use.
Benefits & Features
- Back-up Registry
- Automatic/Manual Removal
- Shows scan progress
- Built in scheduler
- Organizes Windows Startup items
- Manage/Cleanup
- Program shortcuts
- Removes Invalid DLL entries
- Deletes empty Registry Keys
- Checks invalid Class Keys
Screenshots of RegCure - click on the thumbnails to open full size image
Registry Fix
Registry fix also offers a free trial download.
- Missing file associations
- Missing startup programs
- Invalid device drivers
- Invalid application paths
- Missing DLL files
- Missing help files
- Missing system fonts
- And much more!
Screenshots of Registry Fix
Registry Smart
- RegistrySmart Repair Features
- Fix Windows Installer Errors
- Repair DLL Files
- Windows Startup Errors
- Internet Explorer Errors
- Runtime Errors
- Prevents PC from Freezing or Crashing
- Restore Correct File Registry Paths
- Broken DLLs, OCX, and ActiveX Components
- Corrupt Files
- Stabilize Scripting Errors
- Tune Repair Your PC with Diagnostics
Screenshots of Registry Smart
To read our review of the best registry cleaners click here!
These quick tips will help you to get your pc back into shape.
- Defragment your pc regularly! Every time data is written of removed from your hard drive the windows file system gets fragmented resulting in performance degradation. Defragmenting your file system results in better arranged files which makes the harddrive access files faster. I recommend at least once a week or after big changes in software removal or installation.
How? Click on start select all programs, accessories, system tools, disk defragmenter. Select the volume (partition) you want to defragment and click on the defragement button.
- Msconfig. Click on Start , Run and type “msconfig” and press enter. The last tab is called “Startup”. Here you can disable programs which are started automatically. If you are not sure what a program does you can leave it untouched.
Also if you are infected by a virus you can find the virus (most of the time) as well in this list. To disable a virus it is better to startup windows in safe mode (press F8 key during startup) and then disable the program in the “Startup” tab because otherwise it can reactivate the program automatically.
- Scan your registry regularly for errors. A common cause of Windows crashes, error messages and performance problems are the result of an inconsistent registry. See our page with free registry cleaners for more information and download links.
- Scan for malicious programs on your pc. These programs also called spyware, adware, keyloggers, dialers and worms decrease system performance and even more importantly send information to other people. The following programs can be used to scan for these programs: xoftspy, noadware, Adware Alert.
- This one is really a no-brainer. Activate automatic updates for Windows. You can activate these settings by going to the security center. Software bugs are constantly found and fixes are released regularly to fix these bugs. Besides performance enhancing fixes there are important security fixes which are released.
- Adjust Windows Visual Effects. Select system from the control panel or right click on the “My Computer” icon and select properties. Select the “advanced” tab and click on the settings button at the performance section. Choose the option Adjust for best performance and click apply and then ok. Now there are no effects and this frees up memory. It is also possible to disable a few settings. You can use the custom setting for this.
