If you’re running Windows XP, chances are you’re running it on an older computer. You probably don’t have a very fast processor, a lot of RAM or a large hard drive. When your computer gets bogged down with lots of unnecessary software and files, it can slow down to a snail’s pace. Fortunately, Windows XP has many built-in tools to help you speed up Windows XP and get it running smoothly again. There are also other free utilities you can download to make Windows XP run faster. The trick to speeding up XP is to streamline your system, removing the junk and keeping only essential programs.
Running a Virus and Spyware Scan
When you’re running Windows XP, it’s easy to get malware without realizing it. These threats can slow down your computer by using up your computer’s system resources, including your processor time, memory and bandwidth.
There are plenty of free anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities available online. They include Avast!, AVG, Comodo, Avira Antivir and Windows Defender. You can also run a free virus scan online on websites like Symantec.com and Kaspersky.com. Whatever malware solution you choose, be sure to run a full scan, not just a quick scan. A full scan will do a thorough, deep analysis of all the drives on your computer, checking for and offering to eliminate threats.
Using the Microsoft System Configuration Utility
The Microsoft System Configuration Utility lets you disable unwanted programs from loading when Windows XP starts, thus speeding up your computer’s boot time. To use the utility, click Start, Run and type “msconfig” in the field. Click “OK.” Click the “Startup” tab. Go through the list to see what programs are loading at startup. If you don’t know what a program is, you can look its filename up on a website like ProcessLibrary.com. Clear the check box beside any program you don’t want to run at startup, then click “OK.” Save your work and close any programs you have open, then click “Restart” to enable your changes.
Using Services and Applications
Services and Applications is part of the Microsoft Computer Management Console in Windows XP. This advanced utility lets you stop, start, pause and resume any service or application running in Windows XP. It will also let you prevent applications from starting automatically when Windows XP starts. To use this utility, click Start, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, Administrative Tools and then double-click Services. Right-click on any entry marked as Automatic or Started, then select Properties. Again, make sure you know what the process does before you make any changes to the way it starts. For best results, choose “Manual” as the “Startup type.” This will prevent the process from loading automatically when Windows XP boots. If you like, you can also click “Stop” to immediately stop any process marked “Started.”
Using Add or Remove Programs
You can use Add or Remove Programs to remove any programs that you don’t regularly use. This is important for speeding up Windows XP, since many installed programs load processes at startup, slowing down boot times and eating up memory and processor resources. To remove unneeded programs, click Start, Control Panel and Add or Remove Programs. By Sort by, select Frequency of Use. Review any program marked Rarely to see if you want to uninstall it. If so, click the program’s entry and select “Remove.”
Using Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup can remove any unneeded files from your Windows XP computer, including temporary Internet files, offline webpages and the Recycle Bin. It can also compress old files to save space. To run Disk Cleanup, click Start, My Computer and right-click the icon for your system hard drive and click “Properties.” Click “Disk Cleanup.” Select the check box beside the files you’d like to delete, and choose whether you want to compress old files, then click “OK.” After the disk cleanup, your computer’s hard drive will have more free space for virtual memory, an essential Windows feature that keeps your computer running fast.
For more information, read How to Troubleshoot Computer Startup Problems in Windows XP and Vista.
Sources:
“How to troubleshoot configuration errors by using the System Configuration utility in Windows XP” Microsoft.com
“How to change or remove a program in Windows XP” Microsoft.com
“Using Disk Cleanup” Microsoft.com