[RESOLVED] Best Ways to Help a System Run Better (No Upgrading)

[Memnoch[GT-MaD]]

Good ideas to increase performance in Win95/98/ME is to

#1 (first make sure you don't need any dos mode drivers), get rid of all files in the c:\ root except msdos.sys, io.sys, and command.com

#2 Get rid of stuff that puts itself in the start menu that you never use, or you only load occassionally (C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

#3 Run Regedit, and go into HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER, and then travel to \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, RunOnce, RunOnceEx, RunServices, RunServicesOnce and in each of those, remove everything except things that you want to run every time (it is a good idea to leave systray and tweakui, but loadpowerprofile, scanreg, taskmon, etc are just useless. Also the webcheck key is useless garbage, kill it

After doing those things, windows should boot MUCH faster (specially if you have a major-OEM-loaded Windows with 10 million useless things loading every boot)

Some things are also useful not to have loading every time, like ICQ's little taskbar thing, the realplayer icon, etc .. you can still use the programs when you need to, but they're not dragging your system down when you don't

-Memnoch[GT-MaD]

[email protected]

[AnyKey?]

I like to use Norton Util 2K. It is a great program for optimizing your system. There is a disk optimization util that benchmarks your drives, then specifies the size of the swap file, and also defragments the drive with the swap file at the front of the drive. It also checks the disks for errors, Fixes registry keys and optimizes the registry. There is even a util to see what is running in memory and how much memory it consumes.

[crazyman]

Hey wgbjr,if you are using 98se,I use "system file checker" that does alot of good regular maintenance(finds problems that no other app can find or repair ),and I use norton utilities,instead of win scandisk or win defrag,norton speed disk and norton disk doctor work way better, and norton windoctor has saved my butt many times.well thats my 2 cents worth.

[Schui]

I generally clean all the temp files, and internet explorer temp stuff. I also clean the autoexec.bat and Also the Startup menu, and the registry stuff noted above. Never tried a permanent swap file. Does this make a difference...

Another good idea is to set internet explorer <tools> <advanced> <empty temporary internet files when browser is closed>. This means that your internet temp folder is always clear.!
:~)

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[Schui]

Don't know what happened there!

Anyway, in Internet explorer options, advanced, set Empty Temporary internet files when browser closed. This solves the problem of internet temp files everywhere!

bye for now!

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[Pogi]

In an earlier post I gave a link to a short article on Maximum PC's website. You can find a more comprehensive version of this article with many more tips on making a Win-based system run better and faster in a special one-shot issue of Max PC called "PowerUser Handbook". It should be on newstands now until mid-January 2001.

Warning to long-time readers of Max PC: this "special issue" is mostly reprints of articles that have appeared in past issues.

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Did somebody step on a duck?

[pants]

stick it in a fridge and try to straighten the modem lead. That way the 1's wont get stuck going around the corner's!

[GirlGeek]

Originally posted by Schui:
Don't know what happened there!

Anyway, in Internet explorer options, advanced, set Empty Temporary internet files when browser closed. This solves the problem of internet temp files everywhere!

bye for now!

That used to be a lovely option....until IE 5.5 hit the streets. They still offer that option under the advanced tab but darned if it eliminates the files.

[runderwo]

"c:\Windows\system\vmm32.vxd(vdd.vxc)
Windows is looking for the vxd files in ( ). You can find these files in your Windows 9X cab files. When you find and extract the files add them to Windows\System.
Adding these file will make your Windows 9X OS run better."

This is utter bollocks...

VMM32.VXD is a collection of a bunch of smaller files all relating to core OS functions, bundled together into one compressed file. It saves space, and also saves load time since until Windows is actually running, you are in real mode with no disk cache, and the file must be read block by block. If you extract them individually, they are read in uncompressed form as opposed to being read out of the VMM32.VXD library. There is NO DIFFERENCE in the functionality of the files, they are simply loaded from two different sources and the only difference happens at boot time.

I don't know where these "makes your OS run better" came from, but I wish this rubbish would stop propagating.

Uh, what? Oh yeah, I'm done ranting...

[Medianox]

Make sure the PC is well ventilated. Keep it cool.. I have an AMD K6 II 450 with an ASUS P5AB and my pc kept rebooting when it got hot..Took the case off and it runs awesome..
Using as a server for Urban Ops .. Had 10 people on it without crashing..
Norton and Windows.. bad mix. over 30 hits ..in the MS pouch in problem references
Only run your Anti-virus program when you have to. Linux is very very very nice.. Have a friend using as a server.. He has'nt rebooted in over a year! It's running fine..

[LORE]

Format, install linux, problems solved. no realy though, I have seen everything I do to optimize a windows machine, and some i haven't tried, but i will be trying soon. I apreciated this post, there were alot of good ideas, things i never thought of, but make sence to do. thanks everyone!

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We may be through with the past, but the past is not through with us.

[Percy]

Something that I haven't seen mentioned thus far is something I do to tweak my system. Turn off virtual memory and reboot. After the system comes back up, do a defrag, then turn virtual memory back on. This hits some sections of the hard drive that don't normally get defragged.

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Perseverance in all matters.

[Venom88]

After a clean install I usually go through the machine and delete several things:

1) All system sounds
2) All unnecessary .txt files
3) All midi files
4) Uninstall unneeded windows setup programs
5) Set a black background with no wallpaper.

This is just a few things. Most everything else I've done is already posted previous to this post. You wanted to know how to help so that's how I do it. I use my machines to their peak performance by trashing stupid creature comforts. Who cares if the systems makes a cute little sound with an error? Isn't that why we have a monitor?


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H asan yon efo u ndm yspa ceb a r?

[hschutte]

When you start getting unusual errors and system stops, turn off your PC open up the case and turn the PC back on. Make sure the fan is working and that the CPU is not to hot to touch. This sounds dumb, but in many cases I spent two hours trying to find the fualt with the software when it could have taken me five minutes to change the fan.



When all else fails... REBOOT!

[iateyourcat]

One thing I've noticed that helps alot is a fat hard drive. If you need 20 gigs of space, buy a 60 gig drive.

There's an exponential curve to the performance hit a drive takes as it gets full. ..something about the head being close to the center of the platter and not moving much when it's empty is better for speed, and something about seeking for empty space.. just try it. Just look at how good a clean install runs and listen to the hard drive. It's the biggest bottleneck in the system.

256meg of ram is nice too.


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=-iateyourcat-=

[This message has been edited by iateyourcat (edited December 29, 2000).]