10 Simple Ways To Speed Up Your Windows XP

1. Defrag Disk to Speed Up Access to Data


One of the factors that slow the performance of the computer is disk fragmentation. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk when the file is opened to piece it back together. To speed up the response time, you should monthly run Disk Defragmenter, a Windows utility that defrags and consolidates fragmented files for quicker computer response.


* Follow Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter
* Click the drives you want to defrag and click Analyze
* Click Defragment


2. Detect and Repair Disk Errors


Over time, your hard disk develops bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing difficult or even impossible. To detect and repair disk errors, Windows has a built-in tool called the Error Checking utility. It’ll search the hard disk for bad sectors and system errors and repair them for faster performance.


* Follow Start > My Computer
* In My Computer right-click the hard disk you want to scan and click Properties
* Click the Tools tab
* Click Check Now
* Select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box
* Click Start


3. Disable Indexing Services


Indexing Services is a little application that uses a lot of CPU. By indexing and updating lists of all the files on the computer, it helps you to do a search for something faster as it scans the index list. But if you know where your files are, you can disable this system service. It won’t do any harm to you machine, whether you search often or not very often.


* Go to Start
* Click Settings
* Click Control Panel
* Double-click Add/Remove Programs
* Click the Add/Remove Window Components
* Uncheck the Indexing services
* Click Next

4. Optimize Display Settings


Windows XP is a looker. But it costs you system resources that are used to display all the visual items and effects. Windows looks fine if you disable most of the settings and leave the following:


* Show shadows under menus
* Show shadows under mouse pointer
* Show translucent selection rectangle
* Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
* Use visual styles on windows and buttons


5. Speedup Folder Browsing


You may have noticed that every time you open My Computer to browse folders that there is a little delay. This is because Windows XP automatically searches for network files and printers every time you open Windows Explorer. To fix this and to increase browsing speed, you can disable the “Automatically search for network folders and printers” option.


6. Disable Performance Counters


Windows XP has a performance monitor utility which monitors several areas of your PC’s performance. These utilities take up system resources so disabling is a good idea.


* Download and install the Extensible Performance Counter List (http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/exctrlst-o.asp)
* Then select each counter in turn in the ‘Extensible performance counters’ window and clear the ‘performance counters enabled’ checkbox at the bottom button below


7. Optimize Your Page file


You can optimize your page file. Setting a fixed size to your page file saves the operating system from the need to resize the page file.


* Right click on My Computer and select Properties
* Select the Advanced tab
* Under Performance choose the Settings button
* Select the Advanced tab again and under Virtual Memory select Change
* Highlight the drive containing your page file and make the initial Size of the file the same as the Maximum Size of the file.


Windows XP sizes the page file to about 1.5X the amount of actual physical memory by default. While this is good for systems with smaller amounts of memory (under 512MB) it is unlikely that a typical XP desktop system will ever need 1.5 X 512MB or more of virtual memory. If you have less than 512MB of memory, leave the page file at its default size. If you have 512MB or more, change the ratio to 1:1 page file size to physical memory size.


8. Remove Fonts for Speed


Fonts, especially TrueType fonts, use quite a bit of system resources. For optimal performance, trim your fonts down to just those that you need to use on a daily basis and fonts that applications may require.


* Open Control Panel
* Open Fonts folder
* Move fonts you don’t need to a temporary directory (e.g. C:\FONTBKUP?) just in case you need or want to bring a few of them back. The more fonts you uninstall, the more system resources you will gain.


9. Use a Flash Memory to Boost Performance


To improve performance, you need to install additional RAM memory. It’ll let you boot your OS much quicker and run many applications and access data quicker. There is no easiest and more technically elegant way to do it than use booster


Booster is a little program that lets you improve a performance of any computer, powered by Windows XP in much the same way as Vista’s Ready Boost. With booster, if you have a flash drive, such as a USB flash thumb drive or an SD card, you can use it to make your computer run better. Simply plug in a flash drive through a USB socket and Windows XP will use booster to utilize the flash memory to improve performance.


The product shows the best results for frequently used applications and data, which becomes a great feature for people who are using office programs, graphics applications or developer tools. It’ll surely attract a special attention of laptop owners as laptop upgrade is usually more complicated and laptop hard drives are by definition slower than those of desktops.


10. Perform a Boot Defragment


There's a simple way to speed up XP startup: make your system do a boot defragment, which will put all the boot files next to one another on your hard disk. When boot files are in close proximity to one another, your system will start faster.


On most systems, boot defragment should be enabled by default, but it might not be on yours, or it might have been changed inadvertently. To make sure that boot defragment is enabled:

Tim Tebow May Host Saturday Night Live

Tim Tebow has rather miraculously emerged as the most talked about figure in sports over the past few months. Tebow has been a lightning rod for both criticism and praise among football fans for the better part of his life. But ever since he took over as the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos and turned their season around over the course of 8 magical weeks, Tim Tebow has captured the attention and imagination of the entire nation.

Just last week, SNL dedicated its final piece of the night to Tebow, showing a locker room scene in which Jason Sudeikis plays Jesus and explains to the Broncos that he's responsible for their success. That sketch drew plenty of criticism from the religious right, including Tebow's pastor, and has only served to stoke the fires of the media frenzy surrounding young Tebow.

If Tebow is tapped to host SNL - and he accepts - he'll follow in the footsteps of legendary sports figures like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan and others who have hosted the show. The next live episode of the show will have Charles Barkley as the host in early January.

Outside making an improbable run through the NFL playoffs, Tim Tebow probably can't get any more popular or relevant than he is at the moment. SNL would be wise to scoop him up to host a show as soon as his NFL season ends. That should keep the Tebow fans and the Tebow haters talking throughout the majority of the off-season.

Axl Rose Reveling in His Current Gig with Guns N’ Roses

It’s been a long time since Axl Rose and his original fellow bandmates formed Guns N’ Roses and then came to prominence nationally with the release of "Appetite for Destruction." The band is still touring, which may be a surprise for some, and Rose is the only member of the current lineup that was part of that original group that included Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler.

Rose has always been the most outspoken of the group, and when the original lineup split, it was in a destructive fashion. The original (and most would say "real") band hasn’t performed together in almost 20 years. That may change, however, with the announcement that the band is going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14. Any induction ceremony would, quite frankly, be something of a joke if Rose were to strut out onstage with his new bandmates. That’s not to detract from what the band has accomplished of late, or the talent of those new members. It’s just that the GNR that is going to be inducted in April consists of Slash and Stradlin on guitar, McKagan on bass and Adler on drums.

That aside, Rose is showing his roots when he complains about business concerns getting in the way of him having fun. Notes Rose of the constant call for him to reunite with the original band members, "All these managers, they all believe in one thing: sell a reunion tour and get their commission. It's just a phone call. It's a half a day's work, or however long they want to keep the bidding war going. They get their commission and they don't care if it falls on its face." Indeed, it remains to be seen if the induction ceremony will bring the band back together. Rose has steadfastly refused to reunite with his old chums, but it could be that the enormity of that honor changes his mind.

Slow Christmas Weekend Sees "Mission Impossible" Take Box Office

The Christmas weekend saw a slow couple of days at the box office, as many people celebrating the holiday spent time with family, driving from place to place to open gifts and, generally, enjoying the time away from the rush of everyday life. But that doesn’t mean that the movie business shut down altogether, of course. Tom Cruise’s "Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol" still racked up a hefty $26.6 million in the U.S. in the first full weekend of its release.

That brings the total for the movie to $59 million thus far, after it expanded nationwide last Wednesday. Estimates by Paramount were that it would exceed $72 million by the close of business yesterday, though the numbers aren’t yet in. This latest installment was the fourth installment of the over the top action/adventure franchise. But while that film continues with its success, Hollywood in general has thus far been a bit beat up during the holiday season that stretches from Thanksgiving through New Years. 2011 revenues from films, predicted to be reach record-setting marks, have actually lagged a bit.

It is estimated that Hollywood should rack up a total of $10.1 billion in revenues in the U.S., a number that is down 4.5% from last year. Those numbers look even worse when you consider inflation – ticket prices have gone up almost universally, meaning that fewer fans are seeing movies as well. In 2011, roughly 1.27 billion people will watch films in the theaters, down 5.3% from last year. Says analyst Paul Dergarabedian, "Thank God 2011 is almost over, because we’ve had a real rough run here at the end of the year. We always count on the holiday season to give us a big boost at the end of the year, and it just didn’t happen. These admission numbers this year just tell me that we maybe have to set our sights a little lower in terms of attendance every year."

Trio of Popular Films to Be Preserved in National Film Registry

Three widely loved films have been selected to be preserved in the National Film Registry, with Forrest Gump, Bambi and The Kid being chosen. The Library of Congress made the announcement today, adding the heavily-award and much-loved Forrest Gump as one of the films to be added among the 25 that will go in this year. Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, the Librarian of Congress chooses 25 films each year that are "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant. For 2011, a total of 2,228 films were nominated.

Noted James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress, "These films are selected because of their enduring significance to American culture. Our film heritage must be protected because these cinematic treasures document our history and culture and reflect our hopes and dreams." For each of the selected films, the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation works to make sure that the films are preserved for the future. This occurs by working with other archives, studios and independent filmmakers.

Forrest Gump, which is the story of a man of below average intelligence who nevertheless leads an astoundingly successful life, was the newest film to be added this year. The movie won six Academy Awards, including the coveted "Best Picture" award, and starred Tom Hanks and Sally Field, among others. The 1942 animated classic "Bambi" also made the cut, as did the Charlie Chaplin film "The Kid," a silent film from 1921. A handful of notable documentaries also made the cut for 2011.

Former "Fresh Prince" Star Rips Will Smith

t’s been a long time and millions of dollars in earnings since Will Smith graced the small screen on the television show "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," where he played a young man who grew up on the rough streets of Philadelphia only to later be transplanted to the up-class confines of his uncle’s mansion. Years later, however, even after Smith has starred in many movies and become a veritable icon in Hollywood, one of his former co-stars is holding a grudge against him.

Janet Hubert, who played his aunt, Vivian Banks, on the show from 1990 through 1993, was missing from a cast photo that was released last week because she still bears Smith much ill will from their time working together. Hubert apparently told TMZ recently, "There will never be a reunion, as I will never do anything with an a—hole like Will Smith."

Hubert apparently holds Smith responsible for being replaced by Daphne Reid for the final three years of the show and added, "This constant reunion thing will never ever happen in my lifetime unless there is an apology, which he doesn’t know the word." Smith did not comment on the vitriol that Hubert spewed in that interview, but one must wonder what transpired between the two of them. Smith did once tell a radio station in an interview, "Hubert said once, ‘I’ve been in the business for 10 years and this snotty-nosed punk comes along and gets a show.’ No matter what, to her I’m just the Anti-Christ."

Ben Breedlove’s YouTube Videos Bring Comfort in Wake of His Death

The story of Ben Breedlove, the teenager diagnosed with a disease that he knew would result in a young death, is by now very well-known. Breedlove took to YouTube repeatedly and became an Internet sensation. Just 18 years old, Breedlove was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at a very young age. The disease is one in which the muscles of the heart have difficulty pumping blood. At the time of the diagnosis, his doctor did not believe that Breedlove would live past his early teen years.

Breedlove lived a bit past that mark, but on Christmas day in 2011, he passed away, with cardiac arrest being the cause of death. The Monday after Christmas, his parents discovered his videos on YouTube, and though they had already gone viral, his parents have said that they feel like the videos are for them alone, and are helping them to deal with the pain of their loss. Said his sister Ally of her parents, "They were brought to tears, seeing their son again. And they too were amazed at the depth he showed in this video."

She added, "Ben told us he wanted to go back, of the peace he experienced and how he wanted to go back to that place. And that he was ready. And personally I think he left it for us to find. This was his way of leaving us with something that we would need." What is clear is that Breedlove inspired those who saw his videos but, even more, he inspired those around him. Speaking at his funeral, his sister noted in a speech that she was wearing earrings that Ben had given her, and had decided to wear a blue dress to the service because it was so colorful.