Windows XP Home runs fine but.. any tweaks?

Or links to tweaks to make it run more efficiently? I've seen a Vista Tweak Guide, but not one for XP. Thanks.

 

How to Optimize a Notebook Computer

 

This provides a nice overview.

But i wouldn´t turn off "system restore". Could be a life saver sometime. And it´s not true that it will slow down your system. Especially when working with a T7300...

 

I perform full drive backups, so system restore wastes time.

The best things you can do to have a responsive Windows XP enviroment, is to:

- Kill unneeded services. If you don't have a Wi-Fi router, stop the Zero Wireless Config service.
- Have 1GB of RAM. More is better, but 1GB is the point where more RAM only helps in the newest bloated games (Battlefield 2142 lol).
- Do not use Norton, McAfee, or similar, bloated anti-malware programs. These suites are a big, big drag on your system's speed. Find a more efficient one like NOD32.
- Keep less than 35 running processes when idle.
- Don't set stuff like Steam, AIM, Quicktime, iTunes, etc start at boot-up
- Enable write caching on your (5400RPM is mediocre) hard drive
- Disable the indexing service!

Right now, I have a reasonably fast Windows XP Home setup on a 2.66GHz Pentium 4, 512MB of DDR-333, and a 120GB 5400RPM hard drive. The only things that are slow are 720p playback, DVD ripping/compressing, new games (GeForce4 MX 440), and bloated programs like Windows Live Messenger and iTunes. Everything else: Opera 9, Pidgin, DVD playback, Youtube.com, Firefox 2, IE7, scrolling through 5000 pictures, etc is very fast.

 

All good advice. Media Monkey is a good alternative to iTunes.

 

But i wouldn´t turn off "system restore". Could be a life saver sometime. And it´s not true that it will slow down your system. Especially when working with a T7300...

Save HD space.. I just reduce it to 6%.. I've had use for it one more than one occasion.

 

I´m not sure if you understand the idea of system restore correctly. Its not for backing up your system.

Its for a fast restore of the system to a set point in the past. Could be useful when some tweaking in the registry has gone bad. -> System restore and it never happened

 

I would never turn off system restore. It has saved me numerous times.

 

I don't think you understand. Some of us back up everything and we'll format our notebooks if something goes wrong.
I always turn off system restore. If something goes wrong on my notebook I'll just format it and start over.

That being said, it's 100% up to the person if you think you need system restore or not. If you're pretty good with computers (know what you're doing and know how to format) and you're the only one using the computer, then you probably don't need it. I'm the only one that uses my notebook so I know what I do to it (nothing bad has ever happened to my computers in the last 5 years of owning my own). If something did go bad, my stuff is backed up and I'd format it. So, in 5 years I've never used System Restore and I don't see a use for it.
On the other hand, if you don't know how to format a computer you should keep it activated. Or if you're not the only one that uses it (other family members for example) then you don't really know what happens to it, so one day when you try to use it and it might not work.

So, like everything else, it might not be the right thing for you so it's up to each individual person to decide if he/she needs system restore or not.

 

My humble guide at getting XP faster.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=1942205#post1942205

 

You don´t get my point with system restore here. We´re talking about a private notebook of a XP newbie. He doesn´t have the chance to set up a lets say RIS server to backup an image of his machine and then install it via net booting. Of course it´s quick and at work i do it all the time. But do you have these capabilities at home ? A lower-budget version with i.e. Nero Ghost isn´t too easy to set up for a beginner either and you´ll need storage capacity. It´ll be quicker and more comfortable to do a 10 minute system restore when something got wrong accidentally.

Of course the use of system restore depends a lot on your way to work with computers. I´m doing a lot of testing and this often involves the registry. System restore then helps a lot. But of course, if one wants to turn it off its all personal choice.

And anyhow, i don´t want to fight over a Microsoft product

Which methods/programmes of backup are you using Thibault ?

 

Um when I said back up I meant I have my personal files copied on a few DVDs. I don't make an image of my hard drive, I don't need to. I just need to back up my personal things (music, images, videos and documents) and then using my CD of Windows XP I can just format.
If something goes wrong, I format and put XP back on my notebook. I download the drivers I need off the Internet and then I just put my personal files back on my C drive.
I can't possibly imagine a regular home user would want or need to copy an image of their hard drive. People should be burning their personal files on DVDs anyway (in case the HDD crashes) and that's all anyone really needs (plus a CD of Windows). Everything else can be downloaded.