Increase Your System Performance with a Few Basic Windows XP Tweaks

Windows XP is currently the most popular operatingsoftware that siphon of your WinXP machine's
system for personal computers and comes in twoperformance.
broad categories--XP Home and XP Pro. XP home isOnce you have implemented the above vital
designed for home users who do not need the moreWindows XP tweaks, it is time to look at other
heavyweight corporate applications such as a webperformance based steps that you can use. The
server but still require a scalable and reliable operatingWinXP registry is a centralized data structure that
system. While Windows XP runs well out of the box,WinXP programs, including WinXP itself, use to store
there are tricks that can be used to optimize yourconfiguration data. The registry can quickly become
installation. There are great Windows XP tweaks thatcrowded and hence more slow to search. Particularly
involve broadband settings, registry entries, and otherif you remove unused programs that do not uninstall
under utilized components of WinXP.properly, they may leave behind garbage in the
While this first group of tips can not properly beregistry that can cause registry searches to slow.
considered Windows XP tweaks, they are soSince registry searches can occur at any time during
important that they should be included in any guideprogram execution (particularly during start up), a
that discusses WinXP performance and efficiency.clogged WinXP registry can cause the entire system
The single most important thing you can do toto slow. There are numerous free and share ware
ensure to WinXP performance is to make sure thatprograms out there that can help you clean your
your computer is free from viruses, trojans,WinXP registry. It is not advisable to muck around
spyware, and other pieces of software that couldthe registry yourself, and always be sure to back up
serve to slow down or otherwise compromise theyour registry before making any changes.
functioning of your WinXP computer. The first thingAnother important class of Windows XP tweaks is to
that you should do, particularly if you have an alwayskeep your hard drive defragmented. Hard drives
on broadband connection, is to install a firewall. Abecome fragmented when application programs save
firewall locks down the software entry points (calleddifferent parts of files in different places on your
ports) that applications use interact with yourhard drive. For example, in order to maximize available
computer. Ports are simply numbers that, whenspace, WinXP may decide to save part of your file in
combined with your internet protocol (IP) address,different places on the hard drive. This means that
specify a single channel of network communication.access time for that file will become slow. Over time,
Some ports should usually be open, such as port 80your hard drive can accumulate many such
which allows web HTTP communication to occur, butfragmented files and generally become a mess. This
others should be locked unless they are needed by acan slow your computer down a great deal.
legitimate program. By default, the entire range ofFortunately, it is easy to de-fragment your hard drive
ports is open to the world on a WinXP machine. Ausing built in WinXP utilities. The process can take a
firewall blocks all unused ports and lets the WinXPnumber of hours to complete, so many people
user decide which ports to open. WinXP service packchoose to de-fragment their hard drive overnight.
2 contains a firewall that is on by default. AnotherOptimize, secure, and maintain your computer
member of this class of Windows XP tweaks is toabsolutely FREE with these explosive Windows XP
install anti virus and anti spyware software. TheseTweaks!
programs can clear up the malicious pieces of