Power User Setup for Windows XP

[dr_ml422]

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

http://users.telenet.be/bluepatchy/miekiemoes/slowcomputer.html

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.

chewy when you said check display full path in... did you mean both full path in address bar, and full path in title bar?

by the way this did free up a whole lot of space already. great guide.

[Chewy]

address bar, but that's not really important

if you ever get that computer fixed be sure and turn off system restore then reboot and turn it back on if you use it, then defrag again

I don't use restore, never have, never will, I keep my data on a seperate partition, run windows on 15 gig one or even smaller

[dr_ml422]

address bar, but that's not really important

if you ever get that computer fixed be sure and turn off system restore then reboot and turn it back on if you use it, then defrag again

I don't use restore, never have, never will, I keep my data on a seperate partition, run windows on 15 gig one or even smaller

thnx chewy. my computer is running much faster and better. i'll finish tweaking up as much as i can by reading more of the tips and threads in the forum, then i'll turn system restore off as suggested. i really don't need it at all as i just use my pc for burning and purchasing certain things on the web. most of my burning apps. are freeware and if i purchase 1 i'll just back it up some other way.

[Chewy]

Once you feel comfortable you can keep a computer up and running for several months without using system restore or reloading your computer is not a big chore for you then the obvious choice is to cut the umbilical cord.

System restore, running windows as a repair disk and other backups are not always what they are cracked up to be, many times they just don't work.

If you have ever had a virus the first thing you do after "curing" it is delete those restore points.

[NightbladeXX]

Once you feel comfortable you can keep a computer up and running for several months without using system restore or reloading your computer(which is a good thing) is not a big chore for you then the obvious choice is to cut the umbilical cord.

System restore, running windows as a repair disk and other backups are not always what they are cracked up to be, many times they just don't work.

If you have ever had a virus the first thing you do after "curing" it is delete those restore points.

Very True, as the only thing you want to consider a back up for is to protect your data, not necessarily your computer system as usually once you are infected you can't tell the date you were infected and since most dwell in the winodws\system32 folder its usually saved and restored as well

Best way to scan for something is to pull that drive out and slap it in a different system, this allows to you to by pass the Windows on the drive you want to scan, all the Mal-Ware's built in protections hiding in the windows kernel or other means are easily defeated

[dr_ml422]

yeh chewy i had to reinstall again. this time it gave me access to add/remove windows components. i got rid of all the bill g. crap. it doesn't show up on my start-up menus or anywhere. you know windows media player, games, etc... however when i did go back and check it out, it showed they were all removed or disabled but it still showed how much space each 1 takes. don't tell me that even though these appear to be gone that they are still taking up space? bottom line how can i get rid of wmp..etc.. etc.. when it comes w/as part as my os disc that came w/my dell?

[Chewy]

that MS protecting you from yourself, media player and other features of windows xp are just turned off not removed from your hard drive

I have found it useful to keep media player, every now and then I actually let it play something, I do the upgrade to 10, but you have to understand I turn everything off when I install it and first load it(that's the big PITA). Eleven was a disaster on my tests, totally hosing one of my older programs(musicmatch).

this power user stuff can be addictive, you'll never want to go back to the lame days

the next steps are build your own computers, using generic windows

after that you can start using nlite to customize installs, then you can gut xp, I have had mixed results with that

removing certain drivers is a mistake, for example, certain hardware is not supported by the manufacture after sp2 because the drivers are included in the driver cab file

an extra hard drive and a generic install disk and you can play around with trying to escape dellhell

linux and you can escape billhell

the penguins are always looking for new recruits

[katzdvd]

linux and you can escape billhell

the penguins are always looking for new recruits

Shouldn't that be "Linux & Chew" ?!?!
The new vers. comes out in 6 days!
HaHaHaHa

[dr_ml422]

chewy, i'm going to first take the steps to make my pc as faster and efficient as possible w/the power user thread, etc.,etc... then i'll look into the generic windows and building my own computer. i need to take it a step at a time because just when i'm using and finishing 1 tip another whole new dynamic or take opens up which i'm not knowledgeable about.

i'm going to start posting more threads and searching the forum to find out more about computers period. i have to so as to take further steps in the future. thnx as always.

[dr_ml422]

chewy that part about the 16 bit w/an old video card or something like that. i bought my pc last year would that pertain to me? i don't play games on my pc either.

you also suggested turning off automatic updates. what's the rule of thumb once that's turned off? checking yourself?... for updates.

[Chewy]

I am only turning off 32 bit for older computers with lame video, I don't like too many things running in the background with windows, the autoupdate especially, better to
do it manually and select what you need. Hotpatches and critical are the ones to get.

Driver updates and crud like media player 11 stay away from.

[dr_ml422]

I am only turning off 32 bit for older computers with lame video, I don't like too many things running in the background with windows, the autoupdate especially, better to
do it manually and select what you need. Hotpatches and critical are the ones to get.

Driver updates and crud like media player 11 stay away from.

by driver updates does it include intel pro-connection driver updates? by critical do the security updates fall into the critical category?

i was about to uninstall the intel pro-connection updates when it prompted me to remove :teams and VLANs configured on intel pro network Connections before removing drivers. if this can be done how do i go about it?

also there's a hi definition audio driver package-kb835221. it said it would configure windows to the previous state. can this be done? w/e not necessary i'll like to chuck.

thnx.

[dr_ml422]

larger icons and print:

i just turned my pc on and the first thing i noticed was that there was an installation wizard ready to check for new hardware and other updates.

also my icons are larger as is the font size and i have a size bar on bottom to move left or right so as to see full content.

was this part of the power user set up guide? or does it seem like i goofed up somewhere?

[Chewy]

your onboard video settings have changed, go into display in control panel

or right click on an empty part of the desktop/properties

[dr_ml422]

your onboard video settings have changed, go into display in control panel

or right click on an empty part of the desktop/properties

chewy, i don't really know whether or not i'm doing this right. from my prior posts can you tell if this was the setting i had before? does this look right?