Windows XP Advanced Tips and Tricks

Click Start->run->msconfig->Click Services

Services to turn off:

Alerter
Application Management
Automatic Updates
ClipBook
Distributed Link Tracking Client
Error Reporting Service
Fast User Switching Compatibility
Messenger
Portable Media Serial Number Service
Remote Registry
Routing and Remote Access
Task Scheduler
Telnet
TPC/IP NetBIOS Helper
Uninterruptible Power Supply

Registry Tips and tricks:

Auto Sort Start Menu

1. Click Start->run->type regedit

2.Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder

3.Go to Edit/Permissions, click Advanced, clear the "Inherit From Parent" check box.

4.Click Copy from the dialog box, click OK and then clear the "Full Control" for your account and now Windows will auto sort the start menu, but you can still do it too.

Disable User Tracking

1. Click Start->run->type regedit

2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

3.Add or Edit DWORD = NoInstrumentation, Value = 1

Disables Windows user tracking; better performance, much better privacy

Cache Thumbnails

1. Click Start->run->type regedit

2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

3.Add or Edit DWORD = DisableThumbnailCache, Value = 1

Disables thumbnails in Windows, saving hard drive space

Kill Chrashed Apps Quicker

1. Click Start->run->type regedit

2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

3.Add or Edit Sring = HungAppTimeout, Value = 1000-5000

Cuts time for Windows to recongize a crashed application and allow you to kill it; default is 5000(for 5 seconds)

Faster Start Menu

1. Click Start->run->type regedit

2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

3.Add or Edit Sring = MenuShowDelay, Value = 0 - 400

Changes the delay that for Windows to show a menu in the start menu; value is in ms

Network Intelligently

1. Click Start->run->type regedit

2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters

3.Add or Edit String = DisableTaskOffload, Value = 1

Frees processor from doing network-card work

Browse the Network Faster

1. Click Start->run->type regedit

2.Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace

3.Delete subkeys {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D} and {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

Speeds up network browsing of old Windows machines on the LAN by ignoring their scheduled tasks and printers

Remove Compression Option In Disk Cleanup

1. Click Start->run->type regedit

2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Compress old files

3.Delete the Default Value Key.

The next time you start Disk Cleanup, it will skip the compression analyisis.

Note: Use it Your own risk .My advice is to backup your registry before doing any changes to registry