Computers are powerful and complicated things, and as much as we would like them to do exactly what we're thinking, it just doesn't work that way. (Yet?) In this article, I'm going to give you 3 specific performance tweaks for your Windows XP computer that should give you a nice little boost at least in those specific areas. Every computer is different and every user and their applications are different, so as the saying goes, your mileage may vary.
A word of caution before we begin - if you are at all uncertain of how to implement these tips, please do not try them or consult a computer expert first.
1. Disable Visual Effects
Windows XP ships with a host of visual effects such as seeing the contents of windows as you're dragging them, seeing an animation effect when a window is minimized or maximized, shadows and fade-ins and fade-outs. The Windows developers designed the operating system such that some of those effects could be disabled on an individual basis.
Right-click on My Computer and select Properties, click the Advanced tab, then click Settings under the Performance section. Select custom and enable/disable effects as wanted. Once you disable an effect and save, you will definitely notice how much faster an action is without the effect.
2. Adjust the Menu Display Delay in the Start Menu
Ever notice that when you go into the Start Menu and hover over a folder, it takes just a tad bit for that menu to pop up? That's because there is a built-in delay that is usually a bit too long for the average person. I like my menus snappier and have turned that value down to 150ms (milliseconds). You can toy with this to get it to your liking. Here's how:
Launch the Registry Editor by clicking on Start, selecting Run, then typing in 'regedit' and hitting Enter. Then navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Control Panel -> Desktop. In that registry key (looks like a folder), double-click the entry called MenuShowDelay and adjust the number in the ValueData field.
3. Disable Legacy Filename Creation
Windows long had a very strong link to MS-DOS and even into Windows XP, it has included a transparent function where it would silently create a MS-DOS-compatible filename (one that was restricted to 8 characters followed by a period and then by 3 more characters.
Of course, Windows has long since surpassed that limitation and we don't think about it any more. However, Windows still maintains that compatibility by default and creates those in the background. Here's a quick way to squeeze just a bit more oomph from your system by disabling the creation of those filenames.
Launch the Registry Editor by clicking on Start, selecting Run, then typing in 'regedit' and hitting Enter. Then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> CurrentControlSet -> Control -> FileSystem. Double-click the NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation value and set its DWORD value to '1'.
You should be able to apply these 3 tips within 10 minutes, longer if you want to experiment some more with the values and results. Of course, there are hundreds of other possible tweaks that you could apply to your system, but it's best to go slow and only 1 or 2 at a time and ensure that they don't conflict with anything else on your computer.
A word of caution before we begin - if you are at all uncertain of how to implement these tips, please do not try them or consult a computer expert first.
1. Disable Visual Effects
Windows XP ships with a host of visual effects such as seeing the contents of windows as you're dragging them, seeing an animation effect when a window is minimized or maximized, shadows and fade-ins and fade-outs. The Windows developers designed the operating system such that some of those effects could be disabled on an individual basis.
Right-click on My Computer and select Properties, click the Advanced tab, then click Settings under the Performance section. Select custom and enable/disable effects as wanted. Once you disable an effect and save, you will definitely notice how much faster an action is without the effect.
2. Adjust the Menu Display Delay in the Start Menu
Ever notice that when you go into the Start Menu and hover over a folder, it takes just a tad bit for that menu to pop up? That's because there is a built-in delay that is usually a bit too long for the average person. I like my menus snappier and have turned that value down to 150ms (milliseconds). You can toy with this to get it to your liking. Here's how:
Launch the Registry Editor by clicking on Start, selecting Run, then typing in 'regedit' and hitting Enter. Then navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Control Panel -> Desktop. In that registry key (looks like a folder), double-click the entry called MenuShowDelay and adjust the number in the ValueData field.
3. Disable Legacy Filename Creation
Windows long had a very strong link to MS-DOS and even into Windows XP, it has included a transparent function where it would silently create a MS-DOS-compatible filename (one that was restricted to 8 characters followed by a period and then by 3 more characters.
Of course, Windows has long since surpassed that limitation and we don't think about it any more. However, Windows still maintains that compatibility by default and creates those in the background. Here's a quick way to squeeze just a bit more oomph from your system by disabling the creation of those filenames.
Launch the Registry Editor by clicking on Start, selecting Run, then typing in 'regedit' and hitting Enter. Then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> CurrentControlSet -> Control -> FileSystem. Double-click the NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation value and set its DWORD value to '1'.
You should be able to apply these 3 tips within 10 minutes, longer if you want to experiment some more with the values and results. Of course, there are hundreds of other possible tweaks that you could apply to your system, but it's best to go slow and only 1 or 2 at a time and ensure that they don't conflict with anything else on your computer.
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