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.

Spotify: A World of Music

Spotify was all the rage overseas, and this year, it finally came to America. At first, it was an invite-only service, but now it is open to the public, and mostly free. Spotify is a really great service that allows you to not only choose the music you want to stream to your computer, but also to make playlists and share music with your friends. Its streamlined integration with Facebook makes social networking with your music even easier.

What is Spotify?

Spotify is an Internet-based music streaming service that allows you to choose what music you want to listen to, when you want to listen to it. The service is free for anyone who wants to download it, and most anything you would want to listen to is available. To be sure, there are some tracks and albums that are unavailable due to restrictions from the music labels, but you will be hard pressed to find something you want to hear that isn't available for streaming. Once you find what you want to listen to, playing it is as simple as a double click on the album or track title. Spotify also offers biographies of artists within the artist profile, as well as a list of related artists to continue your musical journey. Spotify also offers Artist Radio, which is very similar to Pandora Radio, another free, Internet-based music service that picks music for you based on your interests and choices. The final difference between Spotify and other music services is that, while it is Internet-based, it requires you to download Spotify software to your computer. This opens up a player similar to iTunes, that is much easier to use than an Internet site.

What Makes Spotify Different From Other Music Sites?

Spotify is different from other music sites like Last.fm and Pandora in that it allows you to choose whatever music you want to listen to, and you can listen to it for free. With sites like Pandora, you create a radio station and "like" or "dislike" certain tracks so the program knows your preferences and can pick music you'll want to hear. With Spotify, you can listen to an entire album or just mix up some tracks you love into a playlist and listen to whenever you want.

Spotify and Facebook

Along with the novelty of choice over what you listen to, Spotify is heavily integrated with Facebook. Your Facebook timeline will update automatically every time you listen to a track, and your friends can click on the track name, which will take them to their Spotify account and allow them to listen along with you. Similarly, you can check out what your friends are listening to and discover some awesome new music through the people you know the best. If you are listening to something really great and want to share it along with a comment, you can do that, too. Post links to your favorite tracks on Twitter and Facebook, along with your comments and recommendations.

Creating Playlists

Spotify also allows you to create playlists, just like iTunes. Create a playlist, title it, then find the songs you want to add. You can do this by searching for songs, artists, or albums. Just drag your song to your playlist, and then drag them around within the playlist to adjust the order. If you make your playlists public, your friends can see them, too, just by clicking on your name in their sidebar. Importing playlists you've already created from your iTunes account is as easy as 1-2-3. When you download the software, your iTunes' playlists will import automatically. You can also do it manually by going to the File menu and selecting Import Playlists.

New Celebrity Apprentice Cast Revealed

The Donald continues to put together compelling groups of "celebrities" to compete on his ratings monster, The Celebrity Apprentice. From Clay Aiken to Michael Andretti to Victoria Gotti, Trump has managed to bring a little something for everyone from that tier of celebrities that always includes a nice balance of train-wreck and nostalgia.

Trump has managed to keep his show at the top of the ratings by employing a format that tends to give viewers a fairly in-depth look into the personalities of the contestants. Of course, Trump himself adds a nice touch of swagger and dominance that helps to drive the show.

With the upcoming season of Celebrity Apprentice set to kick off on February 12, The Donald has managed to stay in the news as he's danced around the possibility of running for President. As it stands at the moment, it doesn't appear possible for Trump to throw his hat in the ring, but the Apprentice season will end in the late spring, so who knows?

Recently, Trump revealed in his new book that he feels at least partially responsible for Lady Gaga's meteoric rise to super-stardom. Trump noted that Lady Gaga was chosen to perform at the intermission of his Miss Universe pageant, which was held in Vietnam roughly four years ago. Trump said that his organizers told him that they had a great entertainer named Lady Gaga who was going to perform and he nonchalantly approved the choice. He said that, following the pageant, everyone was talking about Lady Gaga and Trump points to that event as her official "big break."

No word from Gaga on whether she concurs with Trump's assessment, but you have to admit that the guy always seems to have an interesting story to tell.

Taylor Swift May Join the Cast of Les Miserables

Les Miserables has been an award-winning production on Broadway as well as a big screen production in both 1952 and 1998. Perhaps understanding that the original can be done over and over again, there is now in the works a plan to make yet another movie from the play. The newest big screen version is a veritable who’s who of modern actors, with Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and Helena Bonham Carter having already signed on.

The latest rumor is that Amanda Seyfried and Taylor Swift are also being courted for the film. Universal Studios has apparently offered the role of Eponine to Swift, and the role of Cosette to Seyfried. Others rumored to have been considered for the roles are Lea Michele, Scarlett Johansson and Evan Rachel Wood. The website for the movie indicates that rehearsals will begin later in the month, so the official word on the casting should also be released very soon. The ultimate release date for the movie is tentatively scheduled for December 7, 2012.

In a recent interview with MTV News, Swift indicated that she had been working on "some surprise projects that may or may not happen, and possibly some acting." She added, "I've just been so excited about what's gonna happen in the next year. I'm also really excited about [my next album]. I've been writing all the time. I've been writing so much for the new record. I can't believe I'm saying that already. It comes out in a year, but I'm already excited about it."

Power of Katy Perry – Russell Brand Uninvited from Awards Show

The news that Katy Perry and short-term husband Russell Brand (short-term by regular people standards, but roughly the expected marriage lifetime among celebrities) was certainly an entertainment media boon, but even in the aftermath of that news, there are ongoing chirps coming out of the situation. Apparently, Katy Perry is set to potentially receive an award at the 2012 People’s Choice Awards on Wednesday. Brand, as it turns out, was also slated to be there but, mysteriously, has been uninvited from the show.

If only we all had the power to ensure that our exes didn’t appear in public anywhere that we would be. The news from the celebrity press is that Brand, the 36-year-old comic, was uninvited specifically so there would be no awkwardness between him and Perry at the show. The 27-year-old Perry has been nominated for seven awards, including Favorite Female Artist. It will be the first time that Perry has had an official appearance in public since the end of her 14-month marriage to Brand.

One source noted, "It will be Katy’s big night, a prelude to the Grammys, and now Russell has been strangely left off the list of attendees for the high-profile event. It was always going to be awkward for organizers in any case after their shock decision to split. But in order to avoid any awkwardness or confrontation Russ is no longer on the list." Brand and Perry were married in October of 2010, but didn’t spend this past Christmas or New Year’s together and officially filed for divorce on December 30. Apparently the split came because Brand wanted to start a family and Perry wasn’t quite ready to settle down.

Sheen Talks Anger Management, Disses Two and a Half Men

Charlie Sheen has begun making appearances to promote the new FX series that he’ll be a part of, "Anger Management." He was in Pasadena on Sunday night at a Fox network press party and talked a lot about both the new show and his "old" show, Two and a Half Men. Sheen has been supportive of his replacement, Ashton Kutcher, but continues to take shots at the show in general and its producer, Chuck Lorre. Noted Sheen, "I wanted to do something that ended better…will end better. I just wanted to do a show and play a character that dealt with more mature themes, that dealt with stuff that actually exists in the real world. A lot of times on the other show I felt like we were servicing the comedy and not allowing it to come out of character."

Sheen’s new show will tape 10 episodes beginning in March, after which the episodes will air in June. If the show garners enough attention – in the form of ratings – it would trigger a clause in the legal agreement with the network that would guarantee 90 more episodes. The show itself is based on the 2003 movie by the same name, in which Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson served as the primary characters.

Notes Sheen, who will play an anger management therapist on the show, "I spent a year in anger management, so I already did my research." Despite some minor criticisms of Lorre – a big departure from the bombs Sheen dropped in the midst of his alcohol- and drug-induced "period" of craziness – Sheen said of Kutcher, "I think he's doing a great job." He added, "it's a different show now. I thought the moment at the urn with the smoke of my body and his reveal at the window was one of the great television moments of all time."

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