Power User Setup for Windows XP

Collapse
This is a sticky topic.
X
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • kevinlt69
    Junior Member
    Junior Member
    • Feb 2005
    • 21

    #91
    Thanks Chewy It was a simple failure to follow instructions on my part. I let it run for about 2 hrs. I didn't know it keeps cycling. no problems. Thanks again for your time.

    Comment

    • katzdvd
      Lord of Digital Video
      Lord of Digital Video
      • Feb 2006
      • 2198

      #92
      Now we are ready to do some serious work, see that My Computer icon, right click, properties again. Advanced tab, Performance-
      Settings, tick adjust for best performace and tick smooth edges of screen fonts

      There's a lot more that we can do here, but it's slightly dangerous, we
      will wait and return. A&0(Apply and OK)
      Chewy - if there is a lot more that we can do in there to free up resources, would you care to indulge us further?

      With a fresh install on this pc, I am just chomping at the bit to squeeze everything out of it that I can!

      Comment

      • Chewy
        Super Moderator
        • Nov 2003
        • 18971

        #93
        the next step is an iffy one for those of you who experiment

        turn off system restore on all drives, turn off automatic updates

        then services.msc from the run command
        hunt thru the services for several optional ones like the imapi and messenger services

        best to do a little research here

        you will not see a big increase in performance like the earlier tweaks

        lean and mean does that

        and turn off that durn security center in control panel
        Last edited by Chewy; 22 Jan 2007, 10:15 PM.

        Comment

        • BR7
          He is coming to your little town!
          • Aug 2005
          • 2137

          #94
          The lean and mean settings are great. I can not go back to the old way it seems so slow now

          My Blu-ray Collection

          Comment

          • vash
            Gold Member
            Gold Member
            • May 2005
            • 142

            #95
            hi chewie, great guide. easy to follow. my computers runing much faster. i have a question though. im having trouble viewing HD movie trailers on yahoo, using quicktime. i just get a yellow screen with lines during playback. is there a way to configure my computers new setup to accomidate this? thanks.

            Comment

            • Chewy
              Super Moderator
              • Nov 2003
              • 18971

              #96
              uninstall that piece of crud and use the alternative

              Get QuickTime Alternative, a free replacement for QuickTime Player, from Free-Codecs. Enjoy playback of QuickTime files without installing Apple's software

              Comment

              • vash
                Gold Member
                Gold Member
                • May 2005
                • 142

                #97
                Originally Posted by Chewy
                uninstall that piece of crud and use the alternative

                http://www.free-codecs.com/download/...lternative.htm

                after install, when i try to view a trailer, a screen trys to pop up but quickly dissappears. i tried with my firewall off with the same results. i noticed that not much was checked off in the players settings, should there be? thanks.

                Comment

                • Chewy
                  Super Moderator
                  • Nov 2003
                  • 18971

                  #98
                  uninstall quicktime and reboot before installing alternative?

                  Comment

                  • vash
                    Gold Member
                    Gold Member
                    • May 2005
                    • 142

                    #99
                    chewie,

                    how do i take away the backround color tabs from my desktop icons? thanks a bunch. again, great guide, very easy to follow.

                    Comment

                    • vash
                      Gold Member
                      Gold Member
                      • May 2005
                      • 142

                      Originally Posted by vash
                      chewie,

                      how do i take away the backround color tabs from my desktop icons? thanks a bunch. again, great guide, very easy to follow.
                      scratch that i got it.

                      Comment

                      • beachbumm33
                        Digital Video Enthusiast
                        Digital Video Enthusiast
                        • Feb 2007
                        • 380

                        Awesome guide Chewy! Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!

                        Comment

                        • dr_ml422
                          Lord of Digital Video
                          Lord of Digital Video
                          • May 2007
                          • 1903

                          Originally Posted by Chewy
                          This guide is mostly intended for a novice user with an older or
                          entry level computer, it works on faster computers also.


                          update:

                          I did not agree with this statement when I wrote this guide, however the web is a lot more dangerous now



                          A couple of years ago I beta tested Windows 2003 Server, to my surprise
                          when it installed, everything was just like I do when I set my Windows xp up.
                          Now why is that? Someone that's paying $700 for an OS wants it ready to
                          use, not crippled like the Xp default install.

                          First let's start with the task bar, right click(properties), there's a whole hidden world in the right mouse click. Let's uncheck hide inactive icons.

                          From here on in learn to hit the highlighted Apply button.

                          Next the start menu tab at the top, tick Classic Start menu . Apply and OK out.

                          Now we are ready to do some serious work, see that My Computer icon, right click, properties again. Advanced tab, Performance-
                          Settings, tick adjust for best performace and tick smooth edges of screen fonts

                          There's a lot more that we can do here, but it's slightly dangerous, we
                          will wait and return. A&0(Apply and OK)

                          At this point you could repeat the steps and make sure everything's changed.

                          Now open My Computer, right click C drive, properties, uncheck allow indexing
                          service to.......
                          and when it tell you a file is access denied, click ignore all. Next disk cleanup, learn to read sizes(15,000KB), see something big besides compress old files, check it and OK out.

                          Tools tab, just for the heck of it let's run an error check. Check automatically fix file system errors. Before we defrag, got any temporary large video files,
                          finish with them and delete. Make sure you have emptied the trash bin
                          and norton's protected also. Now defrag.

                          Hopefully defrag won't take so long after this.

                          Now let's open up C drive thru my computer.
                          Using view I set to icons, then under tools/folder options,
                          I check Use Windows classic folders, next in the View tab,
                          I uncheck Hide extensions(this is very important), then I uncheck hide protected system
                          files, now check Display contents of system folders, display full path in .., show hidden files,
                          and show control panel in my computer. Hit apply then go to top and hit apply to all folders.
                          As long as you leave the "Leave the remember each folder's view setting" checked, you can customize individual folders like my pictures later.
                          OK out now.
                          Now see all those new files on the root directory of the C drive,
                          Don't ever touch them, they enable windows to boot!

                          Use the back button and see that Control Panel in my computer,
                          go there, let's go to Add or Remove Programs, see a bunch of stuff you tried and never use anymore, lets get rid of them. If you don't know what something is, leave it alone(try and find out what it is tho).
                          While we are here, let's go to Add/Remove Windows Components.
                          Here's where the hidden fax feature is for Pro version, see something you never use like MSN Explorer or Windows Messenger, remove them? Leave Paint under accessories.
                          I don't like windows media player so I remove it, but you'll need a replacement.
                          hi chewy. just started this guide. can't get into the windows components to remove ms explorer or messenger. says can't locate file sonic . ini. i think. something like that. also total physical (k) is close to your recommendation but available is lil low which makes how much memory i'm using higher. let me know how i can go into components and remove player etc. etc. . thnx.
                          SAMSUNG SH-S203B, SAMSUNG SH-S223F,

                          Take the suggestions and follow the directions. The results will speak for themselves.



                          Google is definitely our friend.

                          Comment

                          • Chewy
                            Super Moderator
                            • Nov 2003
                            • 18971

                            once you get to add/remove programs on the left is add/remove windows components

                            a poweruser won't allow sonic close to his computer, it's hard to get rid of

                            same goes for a lot of programs that come preinstalled with a factory build
                            Last edited by Chewy; 9 Oct 2007, 03:03 AM.

                            Comment

                            • dr_ml422
                              Lord of Digital Video
                              Lord of Digital Video
                              • May 2007
                              • 1903

                              Originally Posted by Chewy
                              once you get to add/remove programs on the left is add/remove windows components

                              a poweruser won't allow sonic close to his computer, it's hard to get rid of

                              same goes for a lot of programs that come preinstalled with a factory build
                              chewy i got that part. when i click on it it doesn't give me access. it says can't find sonic .ini.. also says see comoputer administrator. that's me though. maybe something in miscon.exe or sevices i disabled. got any suggestion. thnx.
                              SAMSUNG SH-S203B, SAMSUNG SH-S223F,

                              Take the suggestions and follow the directions. The results will speak for themselves.



                              Google is definitely our friend.

                              Comment

                              • Chewy
                                Super Moderator
                                • Nov 2003
                                • 18971

                                add and remove windows commponents shouldn't be controlled by anything, it's a core component, if you disabled a core service a lot could go wrong

                                remember you or windows never fixes itself completely, your install gets more and more corrupt as time passes, with a factory load you have to start fixing as soon as you restore, removing stuff before it gets worse, if you prepare in advance a clean install can be quick and painless

                                are you sure you don't have some program from HP or whoever running that takes over these lost functions? hidden administrator?

                                norton's new suite will lock you out of everything, after the trial runs out and you delete the program, might as well reinstall your OS

                                Comment

                                Working...