Speed Up Windows XP Startup
Do you get frustrated while you wait around for your slow Windows XP
computer to startup? Windows XP will automatically load and startup any
program that is in the startup folder whether you intend to use it or
not. This article will show you how to speed up the bootup process of
your PC by removing the programs that bog it down.
Steps
- Save any open work.
- Shut down all applications.
- Click Start->Run.
- In the text box labeled "Open", enter msconfig and click "OK". This will start the system configuration utility. (Remember: If you disable the necessary applications from the msconfig, the computer may not start properly. Hence, while using msconfig, keep a note of the applications which you want to uncheck to start while computer starts.)
- Click on the "Startup" tab. You will see a list of all the startup programs that get loaded automatically when you startup your computer. The more items you have checked to startup, the longer it takes for your computer to startup.
- Uncheck the programs that you don’t want to start up and click "Ok".
- Restart your computer and you should notice that it starts up quicker.
Other Things You Can Do
- Look under the "BOOT.INI" tab. You will see a box labeled "Timeout:", and a numerical value. By default, it's 30, which means 30 seconds of wait time before boot. This can be changed, using 3 seconds. (Note: if you have more than one operating system, this means the wait time to startup to the highlighted OS. you might want a bit more than 3 seconds)
- Delete the temporary files periodically from your computer to make the applications run faster. type %Temp% in the run dialog box by clicking on start -> run. and click on. You will see an open folder with so many files. click on Edit menu and click on Select all and then click on the File menu and select Delete. Note: Always confirm that the folder which is opened has a temp on the top of menu bar and the folder indicates that it is a temporary folder.
- Always perform a disk defragmentation at least once in a month. start the disk defragmentation from the system tools available in the accessories from the start menu. it takes a longer time and it is advised not to run any applications in the computer including the screen savers, while running disk defragmentation.
- Perform a scandisk to see that your computer hard drive is in healthy condition and it helps your computer run faster.
Hibernation
After you have done all this, another method you can do is to allow the computer to hibernate. Hibernation closes and opens Windows faster than normally.- Go to Start->Control Panel->Power Options. Click on the Hibernate tab.
- Click on the box that says "Enable hibernation" to check it.
- Click on the Advanced tab and change the Power buttons options if you want to hibernate by pressing the sleep button or the power button. Otherwise, holding the Shift key while in the Turn Off Computer menu will give you the option to hibernate.
- Restart your computer every week or so to clear your computer.
Tips
- When installing new software choose not to add the program to the startup folder.
- Regularly check to see what programs are running from your startup folder as malicious programs such as spyware may have installed itself without your knowledge.
- If you accidentally uncheck a program, just retrace the steps above and recheck the program and restart your computer.
- Adding more RAM to a Windows XP computer helps it boot faster, and since RAM prices are very low these days, it's an easy way to boot faster.
Warnings
- Save any open work before making changes.
- Shut down all applications before making changes.
- Never uncheck anything from SYMANTEC/NORTON or any other security software doing so will cause adverse effects.
-Nathan Horstmann
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