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Increase Your System Performance with a Few Basic Windows XP Tweaks

Windows XP is currently the most popularthat siphon of your WinXP machine's
operating system for personal computers andperformance.
comes in two broad categories--XP Home and XP
Pro. XP home is designed for home users whoOnce you have implemented the above vital
do not need the more heavyweight corporateWindows XP tweaks, it is time to look at
applications such as a web server but stillother performance based steps that you can
require a scalable and reliable operatinguse. The WinXP registry is a centralized data
system. While Windows XP runs well out of thestructure that WinXP programs, including
box, there are tricks that can be used toWinXP itself, use to store configuration
optimize your installation. There are greatdata. The registry can quickly become crowded
Windows XP tweaks that involve broadbandand hence more slow to search. Particularly
settings, registry entries, and other underif you remove unused programs that do not
utilized  components  of  WinXP.uninstall properly, they may leave behind
garbage in the registry that can cause
While this first group of tips can notregistry searches to slow. Since registry
properly be considered Windows XP tweaks,searches can occur at any time during program
they are so important that they should beexecution (particularly during start up), a
included in any guide that discusses WinXPclogged WinXP registry can cause the entire
performance and efficiency. The single mostsystem to slow. There are numerous free and
important thing you can do to ensure to WinXPshare ware programs out there that can help
performance is to make sure that youryou clean your WinXP registry. It is not
computer is free from viruses, trojans,advisable to muck around the registry
spyware, and other pieces of software thatyourself, and always be sure to back up your
could serve to slow down or otherwiseregistry  before  making  any  changes.
compromise the functioning of your WinXP
computer. The first thing that you should do,Another important class of Windows XP tweaks
particularly if you have an always onis to keep your hard drive defragmented. Hard
broadband connection, is to install adrives become fragmented when application
firewall. A firewall locks down the softwareprograms save different parts of files in
entry points (called ports) that applicationsdifferent places on your hard drive. For
use interact with your computer. Ports areexample, in order to maximize available
simply numbers that, when combined with yourspace, WinXP may decide to save part of your
internet protocol (IP) address, specify afile in different places on the hard drive.
single channel of network communication. SomeThis means that access time for that file
ports should usually be open, such as port 80will become slow. Over time, your hard drive
which allows web HTTP communication to occur,can accumulate many such fragmented files and
but others should be locked unless they aregenerally become a mess. This can slow your
needed by a legitimate program. By default,computer down a great deal. Fortunately, it
the entire range of ports is open to theis easy to de-fragment your hard drive using
world on a WinXP machine. A firewall blocksbuilt in WinXP utilities. The process can
all unused ports and lets the WinXP usertake a number of hours to complete, so many
decide which ports to open. WinXP servicepeople choose to de-fragment their hard drive
pack 2 contains a firewall that is on byovernight.
default. Another member of this class of
Windows XP tweaks is to install anti virusOptimize, secure, and maintain your computer
and anti spyware software. These programs canabsolutely FREE with these explosive Windows
clear up the malicious pieces of softwareXP Tweaks!



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