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A few tips to optimize Windows XP

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A few tips to optimize Windows XP

Windows XP, currently the most popular operating system for personal computers and is available in two versions:

Windows XP Home;
Windows XP Professional.

XP Home is designed for home users who do not require complex corporate applications such as Web server, but need an expandable and reliable operating system. If you are using Windows XP, there are several tricks you can use to optimize your system.

Next, I will describe some of them. These steps are so vital that should be included in any reference book on how to work effectively on Windows XP. The first and most important thing you should do for the stable functioning of Windows XP – make sure that your computer is free from:

Viruses;
Trojans;
Spyware and other parts of the software, which can cause a slowdown or failure of your operating system. To do this, especially if you have a broadband Internet connection, you must install a firewall.

The firewall controls the access point for software (called ports) that applications use when interacting with your computer. Ports – just numbers that comes with your Internet protocol (or a different IP address), define a separate channel for network transmission. Several ports must be open, such as port 80, which was created to provide HTTP communication – web browsing. But others should be closed until requested by a program. By default in Windows XP operating system whole range of ports left opened. A firewall blocks all unused ports and allows the user to decide which ones to open. Windows XP service pack 2 contains a firewall by default. Also it is recommended installing programs such as antivirus and anti-spyware. They can remove the malignant part of the programs, hindering the normal operation of your system.

Windows XP Registry is a centralized structure for applications and it includes all settings for Windows XP and uses to store configuration information. Registry can quickly overflow, leading to a slowing down functionality of your PC. It can happen if you delete unused programs improperly. Deleted program would remain in the registry leaving bunch of “garbage” records in the registry. And that, ultimately, leads to a slow system operation, because the programs constantly request registry when running. To clean the registry, there are quite few different programs. I do not recommend work with registry carelessly: before making any changes always create a backup copy.

Another useful tip: from time to time Defragment your hard disk. Windows XP utilizes all available memory on a hard disk and can store program files and data in different places sometimes breaking file apart. It saves limited hard drive space but increasing time to access the file. Over time hard drive can accumulate a lot of such fragmented files, which will lead to slow access time to the files. Fortunately, this can be solved easily with the built-in system utilities to defragment your hard drive. Keep in mind that this process may take several hours to complete.

Good news is that there are plenty of programs available to help you manage and optimize your system to boost performance. Programs Review website posts reviews for newly released software and computer utilities. You can read more on recently published PC Performance Software Review – PC Health Advisor.