Stopping Unneeded Startup Services and Making XP boot faster !

Along with the core operating system and programs that Windows XP runs when it starts, there is also a host of services involved. Many of these services are necessary for Windows XP to operate correctly. However, many of them are for features in Windows XP that you may not use at all. You can peruse the services and disable any service that you do not want to run. The fewer services that run, the more quickly Windows XP will boot.

To reduce the number of services that start on bootup, you can access two different areas of Windows XP. The first is the System Configuration Utility. You can do that by entering the command “msconfig” in the run menu. Start --) Run “msconfig” (without quotes) || Hit Enter The Services tab shows you the services that start when the computer boots. You can stop a service from starting by simply clearing the check box next to the service and clicking OK.

However, before you do so, there is another way to disable services that you may prefer because the interface gives you more information about the service in question. Start --) Run --) “services.msc” || Hit Enter

Take a quick look at common services you may want to live without:

Automatic Updates: This service enables Windows XP to check the Web automatically for updates. If you don't want to use Automatic Updates, you can disable the service.

Computer Browser: If your computer is not on a network, you don't need this service.If you are on a network, leave it alone.

DHCP Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are on a small workgroup, you can still increase boot time by configuring manual IP.

DNS Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. Error Reporting and Event Log: You don't have to use these services but they can be very helpful, so would leave them configured as automatic.

Fax: If you don't use your computer for fax services, you can disable this one.

Help and Support: Disable if you never use the Windows XP Help and Support Center.

IMAPI CD-Burning COM: This service enables you to burn CDs on your computer. If you never burn CDs, you can disable the service without any second thoughts.

Indexing Service: Your computer keeps an index of all the files. But if you rarely search for files, the service is just a resource hog. You can stop it

Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing: If you do not use these features, plz disable.

Infrared Monitor: If you do not use infrared devices, you can disable this service.

Messenger: This service sends alert messages on a local area network (it is not the same as Windows Messenger). If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

Print Spooler: If you do not do any printing from the computer, you can disable this service. If you print, make sure you leave it as automatic.

Remote Registry: This service allows remote users to modify the Registry on your computer. If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

System Restore Service: This service allows you to use System Restore. If you have turned off System Restore anyway, you do not need to turn off the service.

Themes: If you do not use themes, you can disable this service.

Windows Image Acquisition: If you do not use scanners or digital cameras, you can disable.

Wireless Zero Configuration: If do not use wireless networking devices, you can disable.

Removing Unwanted Fonts

One trick that increases your boot time a bit is to lose any fonts in the Fonts folder in Control Panel that you never use. The more fonts you have, the more processing Windows XP has to do to prep all of those fonts for use. You must be a bit careful here to not remove fonts that you might want, but there is a good chance that you can live without many of them.

To delete unneeded fonts, follow these steps:
1. Open the Fonts folder in Control Panel.
2. Select Edit/Select All and then Edit/Copy.
3. Create a new folder on your desktop, open it, and select Edit/Paste.
4. In this new folder, delete any of the fonts you do not want.
5. Return to the Fonts folder in Control Panel. Right-click the selected fonts and click Delete.
6. Go back to your new desktop folder and click Edit/Select All.
7. Return to your Fonts folder and click Edit/Paste. You now have only the desired fonts in the Fonts folder.

Stop Noise While Burning CDs

When using 3rd party burning software (eg, Nero ) to copy audio CD,some noise may be heard at the end of each track. To prevent this,try the following method:

1. Enter System Properties\device manager

2. Select IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers

3. Double click on thee CD writer IDE channel

4. Select advance setting

5. Change the transfer mode to 'PIO Only'

6. Restart Computer

Quick Start For Start Menu

A simple Registry tweak can give speed up your start menu and sub-menus. Open the Registry Editor, and navigate to and select:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop .

Double-click the MenuShowDelay icon on the right, and change 'Value data' from its default of 400 (milliseconds) to something speedier, like 0. When you have finished, press Enter.

Unhide the Administrator

Few people are aware of Windows XP's cloaked administrator account (called, appropriately enough, "Administrator").This account is invisible unless either your system has no other accounts or you are booting in Safe Mode. To remove Administrator's camouflage and add it to XP's Welcome screen, navigate to & select KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ WindowsNT\ CurrentVersion\Winl ogon\ SpecialAccounts\ UserList in the Registry Editor, and double-click the Administrator icon in the right pane. If you don't see this icon, right-click in the pane, choose New, DWORD Value, name it Administrator, and press Enter. Type 1 in the 'Value data' box, and press . From now on, when you open the User Accounts window via the Control Panel, you'll see the Administrator account. You can easily change its picture or give it a password. In addition, the next time you see the Welcome screen, your Administrator account will be visible, along with the entire computer's other user accounts.

Add Specific Folders to Open Dialog Box

When you use certain Windows applications (such as Notepad) to open a file, on the left side of the Open dialog box are a group of icons and folders (such as My Documents, My Recent Documents, Desktop, My Computer, and My Network) to which you can navigate to open files. A registry hack will let you put just the folders of your choosing on the left side of the Open dialog box.

Note that when you do this,it will affect XP applications such as Notepad and Paint that use the Open and Save common dialog boxes. However, it won’t affect Microsoft Office applications and other applications that don’t use the common dialog boxes. Run the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software \Microsoft \Windows \CurrentVersion \Policies\comdlg32. This is the key that determines how common dialog boxes are handled.

You’re going to create a subkey that will create a customized location for the folders, and then give that subkey a series of values, each of which will define a folder location.To start, create a new subkey underneath EY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft \Windows \CurrentVersion\Policies\comdlg32 called Placesbar, and create a String value for it named Place0. Give Place0 a value of the topmost folder that you want to appear on the Open dialog box, for example, C:\Projects. Next, create another String value for Placesbar called Place1. Give it a value of the second folder that you want to appear on the Open dialog box. You can put up to five icons on the Open dialog box, so create new String values up to Place4 and give them values as outlined in the previous steps. When you’re done, exit the Registry. You won’t have to reboot for the changes to take effect.

If you do not want any folders to appear in common Open dialog boxes,you can do that as well. In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ comdlg32, create a new DWORD value called NoPlacesBar and give it a value of 1. Exit the Registry. If you want the folders back, either delete NoPlacesBar or give it a value of 0.