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I was recently checking out www.tweakxp.com and found a boot tip saying you can set Windows to automatically delete your Prefetch folder on shutdown.
http://www.tweakxp.com/tweak1414.aspx
My PC boots in about 2 minutes (I know!) My question is can I manually empty the prefetch folder once without any ill effects? I recently performed a non-destructive system recovery (courtesy of HP) and my PC's still slow. Will this help? (And if anyone has any other speed-up suggestions not already found at tweakxp.com, feel free to share them!)
Thanks!
BL
Check what you have loading at startup if you want faster boot times, loose the programs like Real media player, quicktime, etc.
Mine boots in 25 seconds I only have norton AV and Microsoft Office loading at startup.
The Prefetch does not make much of a difference as I do not delete these files.
Also check you BIOS if you have a FASTBOOT setting it may be disabled.
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Prefetch
http://www.tweakxp.com/TweakXP/display.asp?id=525
This is an unique technique for WinXP. We know that it is necessary to wash registry and TEMP files for Win9X/ME/2000 periodly. Prefetch is a new and very useful technique in Windows XP. However, after using XP some time, the prefetch folder can get full of rarely used or obsolete links which can slow down your computer noticeably. My suggestion is: open C(system drive):/windows/prefetch, delete all files (or at least those more than 3 weeks old), reboot. I recommended that you do this every month.Editor Note: Deleting prefetch files too often (Every reboot) can decrease system performance!
==========================================
http://www.subvers.com/technobabble/html/tweaks/access.htm
http://www.tweaktown.com/document.php?dType=guide&dId=145&dPage=4The XP Prefetcher
With Windows XP comes a service called the Prefetcher. This service monitors which programs initialize when Windows boots, then in future, fetches them quickly. The Prefetcher is enabled by default, but you can improve its performance. Simply navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters
in the registry and find the value EnablePrefetcher. Most likely, it will be set to 3. The recommended setting for the prefetcher is 5, and that's what works best for me. Feel free to play around with it a bit, though, and find out what works best for you.
It is possible to disable the Prefetcher by setting the value to 0, but the only reasons you might want to do this is if you wanted to test a machine in a lab environment.
===========================================
HOW TO: Set Performance Options in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308417
To Manage Computer Memory
When your computer is running low on RAM and more is needed immediately, Windows uses hard drive space to simulate system RAM. This is known as virtual memory, and is often called the paging file. This is similar to the UNIX swapfile. The default size of the virtual memory paging file (named pagefile.sys) created during installation is 1.5 times the amount of RAM on your computer.You can optimize virtual memory use by dividing the space between multiple drives and removing it from slow or heavily accessed drives. To best optimize your virtual memory space, divide it among as many physical hard drives as possible. When you select drives, keep the following guidelines in mind:
Try to avoid having a paging file on the same drive as the system files.
Avoid putting a paging file on a fault-tolerant drive, such as a mirrored volume or a RAID-5 volume. Paging files do not need fault-tolerance, and some fault-tolerant systems suffer from slow data writes because they write data to multiple locations.
Do not place multiple paging files on different partitions on the same physical disk drive.HOW TO: Move the Paging File in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307886
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional============================================
Clear virtual memory on shutdown.
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-02-27.htm
Go into Administration Tools [under "Performance and Maintenance" in
Control Panel], then Local Security Policy, Security Settings,
Local Policies, Security Options. Scroll down to "Shutdown:
Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile". Right click and select
properties then click "Enabled".
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Clear the Page File at System Shutdown (Windows NT/2000/XP)
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/244/Windows does not normally clear or recreate the page file. On a heavily used system this can be both a security threat and performance drop. Enabling this setting will cause Windows to clear the page file whenever the system is shutdown.
Create a new DWORD value, or modify the existing value, called "ClearPageFileAtShutdown" and set it according to the value data below.
Exit your registry, you may need to restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.
Note: Please note on systems with large amounts of memory, and therefore large swap-file, this tweak could cause a delay at shutdown due to the additional time taken to clear the data from the file.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\
Memory Management]
Value Name: ClearPageFileAtShutdown
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disabled, 1 = enabled)
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Thanks guys. Hacad - sorting out my startup (doing some homework on it now) and Johnw - what can I say? Many thanks for giving me plenty of leads. I'll have something to do while the wife's watching Friends now!!
Thanks again, and Happy Holidays
BL
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Hey BL,
At this moment in time, my defrag-analysis states the following (40Gb):
Total fragmentation: 30%
File fragmentation: 59%It's got tears in its eyes, begging me to defrag, but I won't give in - NEVER. :)
svg
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"We will byte them... on their features... but we shall NEVER.... defrag'em..."
-Winston Churchillpossibly
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More here BL .
Defrag , using a batch file .
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15600170
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15600170&pgno=2
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15600170&pgno=3
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15600170&pgno=4
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15600170&pgno=5======================================
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Defrag All Hard Drives as a Scheduled Task
http://www.dougknox.com/utility/scripts/defrag_all2.vbs
============================================
Run msconfig in the 'Diagnostic startup' mode .
If that speeds it up , start restoring services and startup programs in batches till you can identify the offending service/process .====================================
Correcting System Hang at Startup
http://www.windowsxpatoz.com/cgi-bin/performance/index.cgi?answer=1036282950&id=1036282433
http://www.techspot.com/tweaks/winxp_services/services-3.shtml
http://www.techspot.com/tweaks/winxp_services/index.shtml
http://www.techspot.com/tweaks/wfp/index.shtmlIf your system hangs about 2 or 3 minutes at startup, where you can't access the Start button or the Taskbar, it may be due to one specific service (Background Intelligent Transfer) running in the background. Microsoft put out a patch for this but it didn't work for me. Here's what you do:
Click on Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools then Services.
Go to the 'Services' tab, find the 'Background Intelligent Transfer' service.
Disable it, apply the changes & reboot.Or if you don't want to disable it .
Background Intelligent Transfer Service. Uses idle network bandwidth to transfer data. For the majority of Users this feature should be of little use & as such I’d recommend setting it to Manual. Those on highly active Networks may benefit from having this set to Automatic, although it may be worth testing out to see if it does.
================================
Right-click 'My Computer' select 'Manage' , open Services & Applications .
Select 'Services' .
Set 'Windows Management Instrumentation' to manual (default is Automatic).
This service starts up automatically , even if set to manual , but solves slow booting of my PC - might work 4 u !!
Also known as WMI .===============================
http://rogier.xszone.nl/windows/wintricks.html
http://www.tweakxp.com/display.aspx?id=32
A great new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot defragment. This places all boot files next to each other on the disk to allow for faster booting. By default this option in enables but on some builds it is not so below is how to turn it on.
• Defragment boot files
The boot defragment option is usually enabled by default, but it may be disabled, or not properly enabled. If it's not working, XP may boot dog-slow.# Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
# Select Enable from the list on the right.
# Right on it and select Modify.
# Change the value to Y to enable and N to disable.
# Reboot your computer.====================================
Boot XP faster
http://www.windowsxpatoz.com/cgi-bin/performance/index.cgi?answer=1036284053&id=10362824331. Open notepad.exe, type "del c:\windows\prefetch\ntosboot-*.* /q" (without the quotes) & save as "ntosboot.bat" in c:\
2. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "gpedit.msc".
3. Double click "Windows Settings" under "Computer Configuration" and double click again on "Shutdown" in the right window.
4. In the new window, click "add", "Browse", locate your "ntosboot.bat" file & click "Open".
5. Click "OK", "Apply" & "OK" once again to exit.
6. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "devmgmt.msc".
7. Double click on "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers"
8. Right click on "Primary IDE Channel" and select "Properties".
9. Select the "Advanced Settings" tab then on the device 0 or 1 that doesn't have 'device type' greyed out select 'none' instead of 'autodetect' & click "OK".
10. Right click on "Secondary IDE channel", select "Properties" and repeat step 9.
11. Reboot your computer.=====================================
http://www.blkviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm
http://www.blkviper.com/WinXP/service411.htm#Network%20DDEEnable Quick post in BIOS setup , as long as you have a have a lot of memory .
The normal memory test , is tested three times & that alone may take 60 to 90 seconds.======================================
Curing Sloooooooow Restarts
http://www.techweb.com/winmag/columns/explorer/2000/08.htm
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-04-10.htm
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-04-13.htm=====================================
http://www.pcforrest.freeserve.co.uk/streamlining_startups.htm
http://ww2.whidbey.net/djdenham/Uncheck.htm
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_pages/startup_full.htm#F
http://www.3dspotlight.com/tweaks/startup/start4.shtml
http://www2.whidbey.net/djdenham/Running_items.htm====================================
Application Slow-Downs in Windows XP
http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/47.htmControl Panel > Network Connections > Right-click your main network connection , choose
Properties > Double-click "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" > Click Advanced
button > Select WINS tab .The solution I've seen recommended and posted in various places is to
remove the check mark beside "Enable LMHOSTS lookup" on the WINS tab
and/or "Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP." People report that the
application slow-downs go away .======================================
Not networking , this will help .
1) Control Panel -> Internet Options
2) Connections tab
3) LAN Settings
4) Uncheck "Automatically Detect Settings"===========================================
Slow start-up when using Norton Internet Security 2002
http://www.windowsxpatoz.com/cgi-bin/performance/index.cgi?answer=1036282936&id=1036282433If you are using Norton Internet Security 2002, and are experiencing slow start-up of XP.
i.e. you can see the desktop with icons etc. but it takes 30-60sec before you can start using the computer.
1. Click on start buttom.
2. Select control panel
3. Open “Network Connections”
4. Under “LAN and High-Speed Internet”, right-click on your “Local Area Connection” and select “Properties”
5. Under “General” tab, select “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” and select “Properties.
6. Select “Use the following IP address:”
7. Under “IP address” enter following : 192.168.0.1
8. Under “Subnet Mask:” enter following : 255.255.255.0
9. Click “Ok”====================================
How to Disable the Find Fast Indexer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q1587058. THE TRUTH ABOUT FIND FAST
http://www.remainsecure.com/whitepapers/hacking/mshidden.htm============================================
Remove Spyfiles by using these 5 programs .
Make sure you use the SpyBot/SpywareBlaster/Ad-aware/Bazooka/Swat It/ > Online > Update button regularly .
Once you have the program installed , open SpyBot and select the "Immunize" icon on the left & Click on Immunize , in the new page .
Then check the box "lock hosts file read-only as protection against hijackers".http://beam.to/spybotsd
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/spywareblaster.html
http://www.lsfileserv.com/
http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic=11613
Bazooka
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/index.html
Swat It
http://swatit.org/=====================================
Bazooka
http://www.winsite.com/bin/Info?17000000037943
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/index.html
Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner detects a multitude of spyware, adware, trojan, keylogger and trackware components; sources of irritation that antivirus software does not deal with. The scanning process will only take a fraction of a second and tell you how to uninstall the invasive spyware or put you in contact with the spyware developer for the most up-to-date and safe uninstall instructions.Spyware and adware is often bundled with software such as Kazaa, Morpheus, Grokster, Imesh, Xolox, Gnutella and a myriad of other programs, and in many cases installed without your knowledge. Some send information about your surfing habits to ad companies, which target you with popup ads that fit your preferences.
Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner search for Gator, GAIN, Bargain Buddy, CommonName, FlashTrack, IPInsight, n-CASE, NetRatings, NewDotNet, SaveNow, Wurldmedia, etc. The complete list is available here. To stay up-to-date with the latest spyware and adware software Bazooka downloads the threat definitions from the web.
Bazooka is freeware and Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP compatible.
Click on the files found & you will be taken to a site that will show you how to remove , either with a program or manually .
It reports on all drives & partitions , so remember to check all these , when doing manual remove .
After the Download - It is important to remember that once the installation of Bazooka is completed , that you should update the File Signatures by clicking on the Update tab and checking for an update .
Make sure you Update regularly .Spyware and Adware Encyclopedia
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/library/index.phtml?source=bassindex====================================
Swat It
http://swatit.org/
Swat It is a Completely FREE program that scans your files for Trojans, Worms, Bots and other Hacker programs. Swat It can detect and remove over 4000 different Trojan programs plus variants. Swat It was recently independently tested against popular commercial scanning software and we were absolutely delighted by the results.We try our utmost to keep our software more up to date and current than other similar software. The comparison results strongly indicated Swat It's ability to detect and remove the latest Trojans that are in circulation.
After the Download - It is important to remember that once the installation of Swat It is completed, that you should update the File Signatures by clicking on the Update tab and checking for an update. All Product and File Signature Updates are Totally FREE, this means that you will never have to pay a single penny to get the very latest version of Swat It or to update the File Signatures.
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