ten ways to heaven

8/12/2019 Ten Ways to Heaven

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Langa Letter: Ten Ways To Make Windows XP Run Better Dec. 10, 2001

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Gac$ XP user wi## a""roac$ t$e o"erating syste/ in a s#ig$t#y di33erent way. =ou /ig$t rankHorder t$ese 10 tweaks

di33erent#y or de!e#o" an entire#y di33erent #ist. n 3act, $o"e you do. P#ease c$eck out /y 10 tweaks, and t$en uset$ediscussion areaassociated wit$ t$is artic#e to "ost your own.

By t$e ti/e we@re done, we s$ou#d $a!e an aweso/e co##ection o3 rea#Hwor#d, rea#H#i3e tweaks t$at can $e#" /akeXP work ust t$e way we want it toHHinstead o3 t$e way Microso3t wants it to.

Before Digging In

Tweaking isn@t 3or e!eryone. 3 you@re using XP and you #ike it asHis, #ea!e t$ings a#one. Don@t /ake need#essc$anges to your o"erating syste/, es"ecia##y since so/e c$anges are $ard to undo. Likewise, weig$ eac$ suggestionagainst t$e #ike#y -ene3it you@## gain. Don@t tear a"art a working o"erating syste/ or su-syste/ un#ess you -e#ie!e

t$e resu#ts are tru#y wort$ it.3 course, -e3ore you do signi3icant syste/ work on any o"erating syste/, a#ways /ake a 3u## -acku". =ou need to

-e a-#e to restore t$ings to t$e way t$ey were -e3ore, i3 a c$ange doesn@t work out t$e way you intended.n XP, it@s a#so a good idea to /ake a Restore Point %c#ick Control Panel/Performanceand

Maintenance/System Restore+ and se#ect Create a restore point -e3ore eac$ and e!ery

c$ange. ;yste/ Restore can ro## -ack /any /inor syste/ c$anges wit$out reIuiring you to restore your 3u## -acku".#so, it /akes no sense to try to tune and tweak an o"erating syste/ t$at@s 3unda/enta##y inco/"#ete or -roken. ;o,

-e3ore you start c$anging anyt$ing, rig$tHc#ick on My Computerand se#ect Properties/Hardware/Device

Managerto ensure a## your $ardware is set u" and running "ro"er#y. n addition, use Windows 6"date to down#oad

and insta## a## current "atc$es and dri!er u"dates.

nce you@re ready to go, di!e inF1) Tune XP's Visual Performance

De"ending on $ow you set it u", XP /ay $a!e reser!ed a su-stantia# a/ount o3 your 5P6 $orse"ower 3or t$ings#ike ani/ating !arious deskto" e#e/ents, "#acing s$adows under /enus and cursors, and rounding t$e u""er corners

o3 o"en windows. n t$e aggregate, t$ese !isua# e33ects can s#ow down screenHdrawing o"erations signi3icant#y.#so, XP /ay $a!e se#ected a co#or de"t$ 3or your !ideo syste/ in eCcess o3 w$at you rea##y need4 t$is, too, can

s#ow down screen o"erations.To adust t$e co#or de"t$, rig$t c#ick anyw$ere on an e/"ty "ortion o3 your deskto" and se#ect Pro"erties;ettings.

Aor /ost nor/a# -usiness users, t$e 5o#or ua#ity setting s$ou#d -e set to Mediu/ %1& -it+.


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u"date cyc#e kicks in at an ino""ortune ti/e. T$e #atter is a "otentia# security $o#e, -ecause t$e cras$Hre"orting

in3or/ation inc#udes a /iniHdu/" o3 XP@s /e/ory contents4 it can inc#ude sni""ets o3 o"en docu/ents, "asswordsyou@!e recent#y ty"ed, and so on.

=ou can turn o33 -ot$ -e$a!iors -y rig$t c#icking on My Computer, se#ecting Properties, and 3irst c$oosing

t$e Automatic )pdatesta-. ;e#ect eit$er $urn &ffor, /ini/a##y, "otify me.

7ow se#ect t$e d!anced ta- and c#ick on Grror Re"orting. 5$eck Disa-#e error re"orting, -ut #ea!e noti3y /e

w$en critica# errors occur c$ecked./) !on"rol 0our Tras$

By de3au#t, -ot$ t$e Recyc#e Bin and nternet GC"#orer@s 5ac$e want to consu/e ridicu#ous a/ounts o3 your $ard

dri!e s"ace. Rig$t c#ick on t$e Recycle Bin, se#ect Properties, and on t$e J#o-a# ta-, decide $ow /uc$

s"ace you want t$e Recyc#e Bin to consu/e, eit$er 3or a## dri!es in your syste/, or on a "erHdri!e -asis. %t@s a

"ercentage o3 t$e tota# s"ace. adust t$e s#ider way to t$e #e3t, so @/ using on#y a 3ew $undred /egs o3 s"ace 3ortras$.+

;i/i#ar#y, o"en nternet GC"#orer, and se#ect $ools/nternet &ptions. 6nder Te/"orary nternet Ai#es,

c#ick t$e Settings-utton and se#ect a reasona-#e si?e 3or t$is cac$e area. Jenera##y s"eaking, i3 you $a!e a 3ast

connection, ' M-ytes to 10 M-ytes is adeIuate4 2' M-ytes or so is usua##y enoug$ wit$ a s#ower dia#Hu" connection.) ein In *s"em es"ore

Like t$e ite/s in 7o. ', a-o!e, ;yste/ Restore is an incredi-#e s"ace $og. t /ig$t -e wort$ it, i3 ;yste/ Restorewere a tru#y co/"#ete and 3oo#"roo3 3or/ o3 -acku", -ut it@s not. t -est, ;yste/ Restore can and wi## get t$e core

o"erating syste/ running again a3ter a -ad cras$, -ut it doesn@t return a## 3i#es to t$e "reHtrou-#e state, and it can@tre/o!e a## traces o3 a "rogra/ t$at went -ad. s a resu#t, ;yste/ Restore@s use3u#ness is #i/ited, and so s$ou#d -e its

a""etite 3or disk s"ace.Rig$t c#ick on My Computer, se#ect Properties, and se#ect t$e System Restoreta-. ;e#ect your /ain

dri!e %usua##y 5:+, c#ick Settings, and /o!e t$e s#ider to reser!e a reasona-#e a/ount o3 disk s"ace. Wit$ a good

regi/en o3 dai#y -acku"s, you can e!en /o!e t$e s#ider a## t$e way to t$e #e3t. % do.+

3 you $a!e /ore t$an one dri!e, you /ay wis$ to turn o33 ;yste/ Restore entire#y 3or nonHsyste/ dri!es. T$ere@s#itt#e, i3 any, -ene3it to -e gained -y $a!ing t$e/ /onitored. nd i3 you@re rea##y re#igious a-out /aking a 3u##

-acku" -e3ore you a#ter your syste/ or insta## new so3tware, you /ay wis$ to co/"#ete#y turn o33 ;yste/ Restore

3or a## dri!es.

3) Improve XP's Vir"ual 4emor* e""ings

n its own, Windows "#aces your swa"3i#e or "aging 3i#e %a "ortion o3 your $ard dri!e t$at@s used as a kind o3

"seudoHRM+ on your 5: dri!e, and sets it u" so it can grow and s$rink as needed.


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%ncidenta##y, w$en WinXPHs"eci3ic so#utions aren@t o33ered, use t$ose 3or Windows 20004 t$at@s t$e c#osest /atc$

3or XP.+18) Loc% T$e Door

XP $as a -ui#tHin deskto" 3irewa##, -ut it@s turned o33 -y de3au#t. To turn it on: Rig$t c#ick on My "etwor'

Places, Properties, rig$t c#ick on your connection %e.g. Loca# rea 5onnection+, se#ect Propertiesagain,

t$en Advanced, and t$en c#ick t$e -oC 3or Protect My Computer.

But note t$at t$e -ui#tHin 3irewa## is !ery -asic, as t$e 3ree LeakTesttoo# wi## de/onstrate 3or you. t$irdH"arty3irewa## %suc$ asKone#ar/wi## do a /uc$ -etter o- t$an XP@s -ui#tHin 3irewa##.nd w$ate!er you use 3or deskto" security, -e sure to test your syste/ using any o3 t$e sa3e, 3ree, on#ine security

scans. Be sure to 3o##ow any suggestions t$e sites /ake to c#ose security $o#es detected -y t$e tests. Aor eCa/"#e,t$ere are eCce##ent tests a!ai#a-#e at:

;$ie#ds 6"

D;L Re"orts Port ;can

D;L Re"orts Au## ;can

We@!e a#so discussed /any ot$er security ser!ices in ear#ier co#u/ns, suc$ as t$is one.
http://grc.com/lt/leaktest.htmhttp://www.zonealarm.com/http://www.zonealarm.com/http://www.zonealarm.com/https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2http://www.dslreports.com/scanhttp://www.dslreports.com/securemehttp://www.informationweek.com/841/langa.htmhttp://grc.com/lt/leaktest.htmhttp://www.zonealarm.com/https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2http://www.dslreports.com/scanhttp://www.dslreports.com/securemehttp://www.informationweek.com/841/langa.htm

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