**Baddass' Guide to Windows Performance, Optimization, Security and Tweaking**

[Pixel]

You've just solved a few of my problems, great thread!

Someone give this man some stars!

 

[1337_KR3W]

Originally posted by James_N
ive just followed the tweaks all the way through

hopefully i should run much faster now

thanks man!

although in msn messenger, i dont see the option to allow msn to run in the background and not the tray

tools. options, preferences, allow program to run in background

 

[andshrew]

Top post - will give it ago later

 

[James_N]

Originally posted by andshrew
Top post - will give it ago later

there is no preferences tab im using MSN Messenger 6.1

 

[Baddass]

Originally posted by James_N
there is no preferences tab im using MSN Messenger 6.1

there is no run in background option on 6.1 unf......u can either have it load with windows or not, thats pretty much the only option

might be best to not have it run on windows startup and instead have a shortcut to it on ur quicklaunch?

 

[derfderfley]

If a passing Don see this, could we have it sticky'd please

ps. baddass, good work mate, much appreciated.

 

[JC]

Add/Remove any unused programs

Go to the "Add Remove Programs" and click the "Windows components." Here, take out all the rubbish you do not need. Such as "MSN EXPLORER" and the likes

After Removing the unused Windows components, ensure that you check back up on the services that you disabled. Some like to go back to Automatic after playing with the Windows components (namely COM+ and Help and Support).

Im sorry i found ur guide extremely useful but this little tweak keeps confusing me. When i hit this i see a list of things some with ticks. The last time i did this i got it all wrong and removed all the wrong things such as Internet Explorer and Media Player . Had to use my XP CD to get them back..amazing they came back to the correct version

Should i tick the things i want removed or tick everything to stay, thanks loads and great guide. (Using XP Home)
________________________________________________
One other thing i always thought directx came even before the mobo drivers??

 

[Bony Maloney]

Awe m8, I could right a song about this...... do do doo
Great thread.

 

[afraser2k]

Some very nice tips for Windows XP users in here, hopefully the thread will be stickied.

 

[Baddass]

Originally posted by AlienWhere
Im sorry i found ur guide extremely useful but this little tweak keeps confusing me. When i hit this i see a list of things some with ticks. The last time i did this i got it all wrong and removed all the wrong things such as Internet Explorer and Media Player . Had to use my XP CD to get them back..amazing they came back to the correct version

Should i tick the things i want removed or tick everything to stay, thanks loads and great guide. (Using XP Home)
________________________________________________
One other thing i always thought directx came even before the mobo drivers??

u basically leave everything ticked that u DO want on your system. Each tick in the list is either full black tick if everything in that subsection is to be on ur system, or light grey tick if some of the section is installed. Go thru each section and choose only the bits u want installed.

for example i removed the ticks altogether from Windows Messenger, Outlook Express and indexing as i dont want them on my system at all

hth

and no as far as i could tell, direct x is b4 GFX drivers but mobo ones should be very early on

 

[Borris]

Another quick yweak - useful for searching for strings in files:

REGEDIT

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.[b][color=red]xyz[/color][/b]\PersistentHandler =  {098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}

Add this key to your registry (copy and paste to notepad, as many times as required, save as .reg), where .xyz is the extension of the file in which you wish to search.

Windows only allows you to search in a few files by default (.txt, .doc etc...) but now you can search in all of them.

 

[JC]

Originally posted by Baddass
u basically leave everything ticked that u DO want on your system. Each tick in the list is either full black tick if everything in that subsection is to be on ur system, or light grey tick if some of the section is installed. Go thru each section and choose only the bits u want installed.

for example i removed the ticks altogether from Windows Messenger, Outlook Express and indexing as i dont want them on my system at all

Thank you it all worked fine..

 

[Goksly]

old or not....great to have it all in one place.

n1.

 

[Baddass]

Originally posted by Goksly
old or not....great to have it all in one place.

n1.

glad ppl are finding it useful, any bits u think should be added, let me know

 

[eidolon]

Originally posted by Borris
Another quick yweak - useful for searching for strings in files:

REGEDIT

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.[b][color=red]xyz[/color][/b]\PersistentHandler =  {098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}

Add this key to your registry (copy and paste to notepad, as many times as required, save as .reg), where .xyz is the extension of the file in which you wish to search.

Windows only allows you to search in a few files by default (.txt, .doc etc...) but now you can search in all of them.

That's really handy, I needed to be able to search within .PHP files

 

[Baddass]

nice addition to the thread Gia thanks

 

[Craig321]

Nice guide.

 

[Spinal2k2]

has anyone found a way to get the LargeSystemCache=1 (or set Mem usage to System Cache in System Properties) tweak to work with ATi cards.

If its enabled it sets the screen res to 640x480 and the colour depth to 4bit and it dosent let you switch back unless you disable the System Cahce, meaning you cant get the speed increase

 

[Baddass]

reading around on web found a couple of possibilities for LargeSystemCahce with ATI cards:

ATI's official response with a possible fix