WinXP Overhaul Guide: How to make it look like

Vista, run like lightning, and stay productive, fast

& smooth

WinXP Overhaul Guide: How to make it look like Vista, run like lightning,
and stay productive, fast & smooth
This guide has been heavily updated. If you looked this over when it was first released, you may
want to check it out again. Here's how to give your Windows XP installation a complete overhaul. It covers
updating the interface, customizing, free software, speed tweaks, maintenance and troubleshooting. All the
essential files you need are included in the downloadable 158.56MB Conversion Package. This guide is also
located within, in case you want a quick reference; however, updates are done to this online version
regularly, so there are some differences. It should be viewable in Wordpad.

The package includes Vista themes, screensavers, games, cursors, applications, Wallpaper, user account
images, screenshots, tweaking tools, and more. It is a single archive, split into two pieces due to 100MB file
hosting size restrictions; Part1 and Part2 are two halves of the same file. You need both to extract, and it will
use both parts automatically. My apologies to those not familiar with RAR files or multi-part archives.

Part1 (100431 KB) Mirrors: Rapidshare, Mediafire, MyFreeFileHosting, Filecrunch, Uploaded.to, Filehosting

Part2 (65828 KB) Mirrors: Rapidshare, Mediafire, MyFreeFileHosting, Filecrunch, Uploaded.to, Filehosting

Use Winrar or 7zip to extract.

Guide Contents:

- Preface (pg.1)

- Part One (pg.2) Installing the Conversion Package. Very useful for those 'downgrading' Vista machines to
XP but still wanting to keep the new look and features.

- Part Two (pg.3) More Vista-izing with applications. Free software, both to further enhance the GUI, and just
to spread the word on productive or enjoyable programs.

- Part Three (pg.4) Tweaking and speed tricks. Walk-through on the steps I personally take for each old
computer I refurbish. Gives new life to old hardware. Makes an eight-year-old Pentium III 700MHz with
256MB RAM very usable with XP, even 'fast!'

- Part Four (pg.6) Keeping your newly prettified machine in top shape. A message from a techie to
consumers, tips on the future, and a few warnings on what NOT to do.

- Part Five (pg.8) Final words. About the author.

step 1Preface:
I'm going to assume a few things at the start here before we begin. Firstly, that you have a legitimate
Windows XP CD and license. I don't advocate piracy. I usually follow these steps on a fresh install, but any
computer currently running XP can be used with this guide. If your PC is already finicky and crawling from
years of use, skip to Part 4 first. "Windows must walk before it can run." Second, that you have all your
device drivers installed, and are somewhat comfortable around computers. I will be as detailed as possible,
but if you think your operating system is Internet Explorer and call removing desktop shortcuts 'deleting
programs'... do yourself a favor and stop reading ;) Thirdly, this guide was written using Windows XP
Professional SP2. XP Home should be similar enough, but details may differ slightly.

Finally, I don't claim that this is the definitive tweaking guide, nor the perfect way to clone the Vista interface.
I leave it up to you to balance the speed tips and the visual upgrades- everyone's tastes will differ. The only
thing most consumers know when looking at a new Best Buy computer is that it's fast, sleek and
sophisticated, unlike their Fisher-Price-like blue/green ugly, aging, lagging XP machine at home... or,
heaven forbid, Windows 98/ME. In reality, Vista is a resource hog that generally runs slower on a Core Duo
than XP does on a Pentium 4, even with half the RAM. With the tweaks and methods described, your
"obsolete" machine can run circles around the bloated new ones with essentially the same functionality and
improved interface look.
step 2Installing the Conversion Package
Here we have a freshly installed (or freshly cleaned- see page 4) copy of XP Pro; a blank canvas. Let's dive
right in by setting up the bulk of the new files...

1. Download and extract XP_Vista_Conversion_Package.rar

(Disclaimer) I am not the author of all the included files, but collected them freely from across the web. As far
as I am aware, I am not violating any copyrights by distributing them and will cease immediately if requested
by the author. The original version of this guide is also included within.

2. Drag the fonts from XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Fonts\SegoeUI to C:\WINDOWS\Fonts

3. Drag the contents of XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Theme to C:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes

4. Drag the contents of XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Wallpaper to C:\WINDOWS\Web\Wallpaper

5. The Vista screensavers are located in XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Screensavers\Vista Screensavers;

some sweet extra screen savers are in XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Screensavers\RSS. Drag the
contents of either or both into C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32

6. Make sure you can see hidden folders (My Computer-> Tools-> Folder Options-> View tab-> select Show
Hidden Files and Folders-> OK), then drag the contents of XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\User Images into
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures.
You can undo that setting immediately afterward if you wish them hidden again.

7. IN XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Enhancements, run setup.exe to install Cleartype. Allow it to run after

installing, checkmark the box to turn it on, then click OK.

8. In XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Enhancements\Aero Cursors, right-click the Install.inf and choose

Install.

9. Drag Vista.Emulation.dll from XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Games to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32

10. Run any of the setups in XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Games to automatically install them on your
PC. Shortcuts will be located in the Start menu under 'Vista Games.'

11. Run UXTheme Multi-Patcher 5.5 in XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Programs. Make sure you read the
dialog boxes carefully, and do as they say! If Windows file protection pops up, you have to cancel, not allow
it, and reboot when asked. If you get an error saying an i386 folder was found, just move or rename that
folder while running the UXTheme patcher. You can change it back immediately after.

12. After rebooting, click Start-> Control Panel-> User Accounts-> click on your account, and choose
 Change my picture. Yes, we now have the Vista user icons to choose from. Select one if you wish, click
Choose picture, then close the User Accounts window. If your picture didn't show as changed there, don't
worry, it is. You can verify in the Start menu.

13. Open Display Properties (right-click desktop, choose Properties). On the Desktop tab, click Customize
Desktop, checkmark the icons you want on your desktop, then click OK. Now on the Theme tab, choose
Vista from the dropdown and hit OK. Our hard work pays off, huh?

Troubleshooting:

 If the screensavers won't run and show an error, there's two possibilities. First, make sure you aren't using the
default Microsoft driver for your video card. Download the latest nVidia, ATI, etc driver that supports OpenGL and
D3D. Secondly, if your card is very old, it may not be capable. I've run into a few of those, but 95% of the machines
I rebuild work fine with them, if a little slow on the 8MB cards ;)
 If you have a beta version of XP Service Pack 3 installed, UXTheme will likely show an error and not work. In that
case, you can try grabbing the latest UXTheme patcher for your build number here. If your build number isn't listed,
you should be able to download the prepatched dll itself, then either reboot into Safe Mode to replace your current
dll, or use Replacer. It's a little more of a manual method, but should get your themes up and running.
 If you went through all this but your Vista theme has the classic "Windows 98" look to it, go back to step 11.
Something didn't go right when you ran UXTheme. Usually this is just caused by hitting 'OK' all the way through
without paying attention to the instructional pop-ups. In this step, remember, we actually have to hit 'Cancel' once!
Take this as your first lesson in not going glassy-eyed and speed-clicking through installations ;)
 The games, especially Purble Place, will also need a decent videocard and CPU to run. If you're patient, the card
games function on even a 500MHz with an old ATI Rage Mobility. The games are located under "C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Games\" when installed. To uninstall, just delete the corresponding folder from that directory, as
well as the Start menu shortcut.
 If your XP installation is on a drive other than C: (E:, for example) then the Vista theme will not work properly when
selected. To resolve this, simply follow these steps:
1. Browse to E:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes (or whatever drive you put the theme)
2. Right-click Vista.theme, and choose Open With-> Choose Program
3. Select Notepad, then click OK
4. Now within notepad, click Edit-> Replace
5. Under Find what, put C:\
6. Under Replace with, put E:\ (or whatever your drive letter XP is installed on)
7. Choose Replace All, then close the Replace dialog box
8. Close notepad. When it asks if you want to save, choose Yes.

You should now be able to select and apply the Vista theme without errors.
step 3More Vista-izing with applications
If you're satisfied with what we've accomplished so far, feel free to stop. But there's much more to do, and
it's worth it!

1. Download Mozilla Firefox and set it as your default browser if you haven't already. Internet Explorer is
simply the number one cause of spyware, viruses, and maddeningly useless toolbar addons which clog up,
hijack and slow down your system. Several Vista themes are available for it; I've included my favorite in
XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Firefox Theme.

2. Vista has Widgets (like an analog clock and weather), so let's add this feature to XP. One option is to run
the Yahoo Widgets setup, located in the XP_Vista_Conversion_Package\Programs directory. Do NOT just
hit Next all the way through setup. On the first screen, click next. On the second page, click Next. On the
third, unless you want to want them changed, UNCHECK the homepage and search engine option and click
Install. When installation is complete, hit Close and Yahoo Widgets will start. Customize then as you wish.
Another great option for widgets and a full Vista-like sidebar and, visit here.

3. The extras in this step may slow down your system! However, if you want a closer Vista look, the
following items will definitely help. If you want the transparent window edges that Vista sports, you can
acquire it free from here; for overall transparency, this works well. To get the thumbnail taskbar tooltips, grab
this program. A Flip 3D-like program can be gotten here, and drive icons with free space bars can be found
here. This is a good collection of Vista system icons, and this is a pretty sweet logon screen. Vista system
sounds can be gotten from here. The 'breadcrumbs' directory idea in explorer is imitated using this or this
application. What else do we need? Oh yes, the new Search tool in the Start bar. No problem, you can get a
very close facsimile here. I was able to enable all these items on a Pentium IV 3.4GHz machine without
serious slowdown, but those who care more about speed than eye candy might want to pick and choose.

4. While not exactly Vista-themed, I also download and install Open Office (a full Microsoft
Word/Excel/Powerpoint compatible office suite) and Winamp 5.5 (universal feature-filled media player, with
built-in Shoutcast radio/TV tuner). Both require a little tweaking for maximum performance, and Winamp
needs a lot of bundled options unchecked during setup, so be watchful. Very basically: When installing
Winamp, choose Next-> I Agree-> Next-> UNCHECK Winamp Agent, then hit Next-> Uncheck what you
wish, hit next-> UNCHECK the three 'additional features,' then finish installing. After installing both, click
Start-> Run-> msconfig-> OK. Select the Startup tab, and uncheck the Java scheduler and Winamp. In
Winamp, added performance can be gained by choosing Options-> Appearance and unselecting options
(reflections, visualizations). They're great free programs; much better than the Wordpad and WMP that XP
comes stock with. Another good free application is VideoLAN. It handles pretty much any DVD, music or
video file you can throw at it- without ever worrying about needing to install a codec or Divx.

5. For free online messaging, there's several options. Miranda and Trillian connect to pretty much all online
networks (AIM, Yahoo, MSN, Google, ICQ, etc). In my opinion, the single-use one-network applications
have become bloated adware and are no longer useful. Another great option I use myself is Meebo. Think of
it as a Trillian within your web browser. All settings and chat logs are saved to a central server, making them
accessible anywhere you have net access- great for a work/home situation.

6. I personally feel that file sharing programs such as Limewire are to be avoided at all cost. Besides slowing
down your computer and chewing up your bandwidth 24/7, that network is also overloaded with trojans and
viruses. If you must get files from somewhere online, there are many safer options- torrents, binary
newsgroups, or even Google. Torrents sometimes carry trojans as well, but there's a simple way to stay
relatively safe- find a torrent site that lets users post comments. If there is anything wrong with the files or
contents, others tend to immediately post about it. You do need a provider for newsgroup access; however a
few ISP's still offer this service free for customers. Google can easily be used to find music as well, by
searching for intitle:index.of "mp3"+"whatever" -htm -html -php -asp "last modified" (just replace
'whatever' with the song or artist you are looking for). This same process can be used for videos (-
inurl:(htm|html|php) intitle:"index of" +"last modified" +"parent directory" +description +size
+(.mpg|.avi|.flv|.wmv|.di) "whatever") or files (-inurl:(htm|html|php) intitle:"index of" +"last modified"
+"parent directory" +description +size +(.exe|.zip) "whatever") as well.

step 4Tweaking and speed tricks (Windows Settings)

Not everyone has new Core 2 Duo machines- and even if so, you may want to get every little bit of
performance out of it you can. Here's some fairly easy steps that will give a speed boost to any system,
especially older ones.

Windows Settings:

1. Visual Effects. This is especially helpful on older machines (low RAM and bad videocards) and the
difference isn't noticeable for most people. Right-click on My Computer, and choose Properties. Click
Advanced-> Performance Settings-> Visual Effects tab. Select Adjust for best performance (clears all), but
then add back the following options: Show translucent selection rectangle, Show windows contents while
dragging, Smooth edges on screen fonts, Use common tasks in folders, Use drop shadows for icons labels
on desktop, and Use visual styles on Windows and buttons. Click apply. See any difference? Didn't think so
:)

2. Virtual Memory. Still in the Performance Options window, go to the Advanced tab and click Change.
There are constant arguments about what the best values are here, and every situation is different. My
laptop has 2GB RAM, and I just select No paging file. I've yet to have an issue from this, and battery life has
improved now that the hard drive isn't thrashing as much. A lot depends on what you do on your PC. Heavy
Photoshop or video editors should probably let Windows manage things. For standard web surfing, online
chatting and email (most casual users) you should safely be able to set the Initial and Maximum size at 1.5
or 2 times the amount of RAM you have, provided the machine has 512MB Ram or more. If your computer
has more than one hard drive (not just multiple partitions) you can get a speed boost by putting the paging
file on the second one instead of the system drive. Adjust as you wish, then click Set, OK, OK, OK when
done. You'll likely have to reboot for changes to take effect.
3. System Restore. Also under System Properties, we have the System restore tab. This is another
controversial option. If you choose to turn off System Restore, your system will speed up and you will
reclaim disk space. However, you obviously lose the ability to 'go back' and undo harmful changes made to
your PC. Again, this mostly depends on what type of user you are. I have never once had to use this feature,
being savvy enough to troubleshoot problems or uninstall programs. If you're not sure, then just leave it on.
If you're a semi-geeky power user or just struggling with a sluggish 400MHz Pentium II... you'll want it off.

4. Automatic Updates. Don't get me wrong, I keep my XP updated and encourage customers to do likewise.
But what I don't like is Windows Update sucking up resources by running/downloading in the background
while I try to encode video. I don't like the inane pop-ups telling me my computer will reboot in five minutes
unless I click this button- only to have it pop up again ten minutes later. It kills productivity and drives users
batty. So I turn the Automatic Updates off. Don't Panic; you can still manually check/start Windows updates
whenever you want from the Start menu shortcut. I recommend weekly or biweekly.

5. Security Center. Microsoft has decided that no one can live without a Firewall, anti-virus, and Automatic
Updates. XP therefore harasses you about it, and most users don't know how to make the pop-ups go away.
Here's how. In Control Panel, open Security Center. Click 'Change the way Security Center alerts me,' and
uncheck all three options. Click OK. The annoying little shield in your taskbar is now gone! Decide for
yourself if Windows Firewall is essential or not.

6. Network folders and printers. In some cases, this would be a good thing- but it does often cause some
delay when opening Explorer. If you don't care about automatically discovering network folders and printers
(most average home users don't) then open My Computer-> Tools-> Folder Options-> View tab-> uncheck
Automatically search for network folders and printers-> OK. This in no way stops you from accessing remote
shares or printers. It just keeps Windows from checking for new ones since most users' network likely won't
change between now and the last time you opened My Computer ;)

7. Remove Windows Components. Certain things are installed standard with XP which you will never, ever
use. In Control Panel, open Add/Remove programs and select Add/Remove Windows Components. I feel
MSN Explorer is a standard useless item, as is Windows Messenger. If you actually use these or other
items, by all means leave them... but most of us have discovered better, newer alternatives than what
originally shipped with XP. Some of these are mentioned in Part Two.

8. TweakUI, Image Resizer, and Exctrlst. Included in the Conversion package under Enhancements were
these three programs which I sometimes find useful. TweakUI allows for altering hidden Windows settings,
or changing the default behaviors. The Image Resizer powertoy allows you to (surprisingly enough) quickly
resize images. It's pretty handy when you don't have Photoshop installed, or just need a jpeg made smaller
with a click or two of the mouse. It integrates into Windows so is available with every right-click. Exctrlst
requires a little more explanation. As XP runs, it keeps track of different processes and how they perform.
These performance logs are sometimes helpful to system administrators, but most home users will never
care or see this data. We can stop Windows from doing these performance logs with Exctrlst. Simply install
(default is C:\Program Files\Resource Kit\), run, and uncheck everything.

9. Disabling Services. This is one area where I won't be too specific, sorry. Everyone argues about what's
helpful or needed, mostly because every person and situation is different. It is worth doing, though. To edit
which services run, click Start-> Run-> services.msc -> OK. There's a really good page about it that goes
into more detail than I ever could here.
step 5Tweaking and speed tricks (Registry Settings)
Registry Settings:

A. DISABLE LAST ACCESS UPDATE. Windows makes notes wherever it goes, recording and time
stamping every time it accesses anything. Especially if you have a low-end computer, this slows things
down. Here's how to stop the obsessive logging:
1. Click Start -> Run -> type 'regedit' -> OK
2. Locate 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem'
3. Right-click in a blank area of the window on the right and select 'DWORD Value'
4. Create a new DWORD Value called 'NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate'
5. Right click on the new value and select 'Modify'
6. Change the Value Data to '1'
7. Click 'OK'

B. IMPROVE XP SHUTDOWN SPEED. Sometimes when you're shutting down, XP will sort of just sit there
and twiddle its thumbs, so to speak. That's because it is waiting for applications or services to stop hanging
and shut down. Eventually it will do something about it, but why not get to it quicker? Here's how to make XP
force a quick shutdown:
1. Click Start -> Run -> type 'regedit' -> OK
2. Locate 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Control Panel\Desktop\'
3. Select 'WaitToKillAppTimeout'
4. Right click and select 'Modify'
5. Change the value to '1000'
6. Click 'OK'
7. Now select 'HungAppTimeout'
8. Right click and select 'Modify'
9. Change the value to '1000'
10. Click 'OK'
11. Now find 'HKEY_USERS\ .DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop'
12. Select 'WaitToKillAppTimeout'
13. Right click and select 'Modify'
14. Change the value to '1000'
15. Click 'OK'
16. Now find 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\CurrentControlSet\Control\'
17. Select 'WaitToKillServiceTimeout'
18. Right click and select 'Modify'
19. Change the value to '1000'
20. Click 'OK'

C. Disable unnecesary naming convention. How many names do you have? Well, files and folders in
Windows have multiple ones. If you never plan on interfacing with an older DOS-based machine, you can
disable one of these naming schemes. Here's how:
1. Click Start -> Run -> type 'regedit' -> OK
2. Find 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem'
3. Change the value of the NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation key to '1'
4. Click 'OK'

D. Start Menu Delay. Did you know there's an actual programmed delay when you click the Start Menu, or
navigate the Programs therein? To speed things up and make it snappier, just adjust the values described
below to where you like them.
1. Click Start -> Run -> type 'regedit' -> OK
2. Find 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Control Panel\Desktop\'
3. Double-click the MenuShowDelay icon on the right, and change 'Value data' from its default of 400
(milliseconds) to something speedier- even 0. I recommend around 200, but you can experiment to find what
you're comfortable with.

step 6Keeping your newly prettified machine in top shape (Computer

falsehoods)
Computer falsehoods:

In my years of computer repair and refurbishing, I've run into many fallacies of which I have a hard time
convincing customers are wrong. So here's the top six things that most big store 'computer guys' don't want
you to realize:

FALSE: "My PC is old and slow now, so I have to buy a new one (or purchase expensive upgrades to my
current one)."
TRUE: When you bought your PC 2, 5, or even 7 years ago, it was nice and fast. It's the exact same
hardware, so why do you think it needs replacing? All the stuff installed on it- unused applications, adware,
toolbars, along with a lack of maintenance- is what has left it clogged up and slow. Software is like marker,
and hardware is a whiteboard; do you throw away a whiteboard because it has smudges on it, or do you just
clean it so it's like new, and keep using it?

FALSE: "It takes a certified computer tech at a big-name store to diagnose and 'fix' my slow computer."
TRUE: You pay Geek Squad good money when on average they spend twenty minutes actually working
with your machine. For the most part, it sits there unattended doing things you could easily set up, while they
sell more overpriced computers to unsuspecting consumers. Why be a part of that? You don't have to. Scan
for viruses during your lunch break. Scan for adware while at the movies. Do Disk Cleanup and defrag
overnight. Hey, you're good! They should hire you ;)

FALSE: "I need to have the latest operating system, Windows Vista- this salesman said so."
TRUE: Currently for 99% of consumers, every single thing you want to do on Vista, you can do on Windows
XP... faster. With this guide, you have nearly every positive aspect of Vista, but without the many problems
that have made many people switch back to XP. Is it worth saying you have the 'latest and greatest' if it isn't
as efficient or productive?

FALSE: "A slow computer needs more memory- I should purchase extra RAM."
TRUE: Not always. If you are low on RAM (128MB or 256MB) adding more will indeed help. However, this
has created a myth that more RAM = faster PC. If your machine is only using 400MB of the 1GB you have
installed, how will adding another gig help? It won't. You'll see a much bigger improvement by de-bloating,
cleaning and tweaking your operating system.

FALSE: "My computer won't boot up- it's obviously broken. I must need a new one."
TRUE: You wouldn't believe how many nice laptops I've had people offer to sell me for $100 or less because
they are 'broken.' In reality, Windows was corrupted. That's all. Remember the whiteboard analogy? Thirty
minutes of wiping and cleaning (troubleshooting in safe mode or reinstalling XP) solved everything, good as
new. It's broken when the screen cracks. It's broken when the hinges break. It's not broken when you get a
virus and XP can't finish loading.

FALSE: "Newer is better, and my PC or laptop is several years old. I must need a new one."
TRUE: If you're trying to play WoW on an original Pentium MMX, then I completely agree. But if you only
browse the web, write school papers, check email and chat online with your 1.2GHz Pentium III... then why
upgrade? Because you bought it more than four years ago? Why not try a little maintenance, a few tweaks,
maybe some GUI enhancements, and save $500? It will look and feel like a whole new machine. You'll still
accomplish everything you want to, and when you do get around to purchasing a new computer in a year or
two, that $500 will go much farther. Clever you, waiting and saving money!

step 7Keeping your newly prettified machine in top shape (DIY Cleanup and
Maintenance)
DIY Cleanup and Maintenance

Some simple basic steps will keep your computer at peak performance, or revive it when it begins to slow
down. If things simply don't function anymore and you're comfortable doing it, I always recommend a fresh
install of XP. I've known techs who wipe/reinstall religiously every six months or a year to keep everything
clean and fast. For most end-users that's a bit extreme, so here's a quick tune-up guide:

1. Remove Unneeded Programs. If you never use a program or game anymore, why is it still on your
system? Remove anything you don't need, especially anything with the word "search helper" or "toolbar" in
it. Some things may not be listed in Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs, so check the Start menu for old
applications' Uninstall shortcut.
2. Check system Startup. Lots of program creators love to gobble your Startup resources, which adds up
and turns your booting and system tray into a big slow mess. To solve this, open MSconfig (Start-> Run->
msconfig-> OK) and uncheck anything you don't need to run at startup. If you don't know what something is,
just Google it so you can make an informed choice before disabling it.

3. Disk cleanup. Over time, your hard drive gathers temporary files, setup files, and other miscellaneous
garbage. This eats up disk space and slows down your PC. To solve this, simply click Start-> Programs->
Accessories-> System Tools-> Disk Cleanup. Select what files you want deleted, but I do not recommend
the 'Compress old files' option if you care about speed. Then click OK, OK.

4. Defrag, defrag, defrag. For the love of all that is computerized, defragment your hard drive! After months
or years of use, your system drive has scattered bits of data everywhere, and the hard drive grinds like mad
jumping all over to gather the pieces. Just start it before going to bed (Start-> All Programs-> Accessories->
System Tools-> Disk Defragmenter) and by morning your computer will thank you. Once a month would be
the minimum I'd recommend; if you can, once a week would be better. That way next time it will only take 20
minutes, not 2 hours, to complete.

5. Viri, Spyware, and Adware prevention applications. These are truly a double-edged sword. On one hand,
they perform a valuable service. On the other, they can be a money sink to the uninformed and could slow
your system worse than the possible problems. I personally do not use any resource-sucking resident
scanner, but regularly give my system a full checkup instead. To use this method, my advice is to download,
install, and occasionally run AdAware for the spyware/adware removal. For virus checking, stop by Trend
Micro's HouseCall for a complete online virus scan. Both are free, of course. If you want a 24/7 virus
protection, I unfortunately have few free recommendations... not if you want to keep your PC quick and
unbloated. AVG seems to be the best of the bunch, though I prefer Nod32. It does cost money- but they do
have a 30-day trial and uses less resources than anything else I've tried.

6. Be Windows smart. Avoid problem-causing behavior. Randomly installing games bundled with 'search
helpers,' toolbars, or advertising offers is just begging for a slow system. Whenever possible, avoid hitting
'next-next-next-next' during unfamiliar setup programs. It's okay to select Custom or Advanced Install to see
what's going onto your PC. Use your common sense to evaluate the optional modules. Do you really need a
20-day e-Music offer? Do you really need yet another search bar or Savings Center? The web is full of
spammy advertising; why give it space on your personal computer? Using Internet Explorer and blindly
hitting okay to unsigned ActiveX popups is another good way to convert your desktop into an uncontrolled
billboard.

7. Don't Panic. If things do get bad, remember these options. Print this if you have to. An hour of your time
can stop months of frustration, staring games with the hourglass cursor, and save hundreds in computer
'repair' bills.
step 8Final Words
I'm sure there are a thousand criticisms one could make about this guide. Unfortunately every situation and
user is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all magic pill in tweaking or repair. I tried to include the best tips
and advice based on my personal experience, and I hope it helps others.

Obviously, a new computer seems like the easiest answer. A lot of people don't understand bothering with 5-
10 year old equipment. There is enjoyment, however, in taking one person's junk and creating something
useful, even desirable. This is what I do everyday. If you have any remarks or just want to say thanks, I
would take it as a kindness if you left a comment.

-CharredPC

Disclaimer: This guide may be used only for private individual use and may not be sold, resold, or be utilized
for profit in any way without consent from the author. The author accepts no responsibility for possible
damage to any software or hardware caused by the methods described. If you cannot access or do not want
to download the aforementioned file package (XP_Vista_Conversion.rar), most of the contents are available
elsewhere on the web.