XP running Slow. To Make It Faster.........

SLOW AND SLUGGISH SYSTEM

Another common problem that Windows XP users have is a slow or sluggish system. If your programs take an unusually long time to open, or if using XP feels like running barefoot through a puddle of Super Glue, then try these fixes.

Remove Spyware

Spyware is a general term describing dangerous programs that sneak into your computer by tricking you into installing them or by hiding in other programs you install. One of the most noticeable symptoms of spyware infection is a computer that suddenly acts strangely and runs unusually slow. If you think you have a spyware problem, follow these steps:

1. Connect to the Internet.

2. Download two different spyware-removal programs.
Some popular brands include:
• Ad-Aware F
• Spybot Search and Destroy
• Spy Sweeper
• eTrust PestPatrol
• McAfee AntiSpyware

3. Disconnect from the Internet.

4. Uninstall all file-sharing programs like Kazaa, BitTorrent, Limewire, or Bearshare that are used for trading pirated MP3 files or movies. If you do not eliminate these programs, they could reinstall any spyware you remove. To uninstall a program, follow these steps:
a. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.
b. Click the Control Panel.
c. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
d. A window opens. Scroll down the list until you see the name of a file-sharing program.
e. Click the name of the file-sharing program, and then click the button on its right labeled Remove.

5. Install one of the antispyware programs you just downloaded. If you downloaded Ad-Aware, then install it first.

6. Connect to the Internet.

7. Open the antispyware program, and then update it (often referred to as updating its “definitions”). This ensures that it is capable of removing the newest spyware threats.

8. Use the antispyware program to scan your entire computer. If it finds any spyware, make sure it removes or "quarantines” each piece.

9. If the antispyware program asks you to reboot your computer so it can properly remove stubborn pieces of spyware, then follow its instructions. Even if you are not asked to reboot, it is still a good idea.

10. When you return to Windows, install your second antispyware program.

11. Connect to the Internet.

12. Open the second antispyware program, and then update it.

13. Use the second antispyware program to scan your entire computer. If it finds any spyware, make sure it removes or quarantines each piece.

14. If one of your antispyware programs allows you to turn on “shields” to protect Windows from future infections, then do so.

15. If your computer still acts strangely, it might be infected with a different digital threat such as a virus, worm, or Trojan horse. Consider using antivirus software to scan for those threats.

16. If your computer still has problems, consult a certified computer professional.

Defragment Your Hard Drive

The more you add or remove software, the more disorganized Windows becomes. To tidy up Windows and make it run faster and more efficiently, use a program called Disk Defragmenter.

Follow these steps:
1. Close all open files and folders on your computer.

2. Temporarily disable your antivirus software as follows:
a. Right-click the icon for your antivirus or antispyware program, which is usually located in the lower-right corner of Windows near the clock.
b. Select the Close or Disable or Shut Down option.

3. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

4. Click All Programs.

5. Select Accessories.

6. Select System Tools.

7. Click Disk Defragmenter.

8. The Disk Defragmenter program opens. Near the top of this window, click the C: drive (unless you have Windows XP installed on a different drive, in which case you would click the letter for that drive).

9. Click the Analyze button located near the bottom of this window.

10.Your hard drive is scanned to determine whether or not it needs to be defragmented. If a message says “You should defragment this volume,” then click the Defragment button. The process will begin immediately and will probably take 30 to 60 minutes to complete (or more if you have a very slow computer). For the best results, do not use your computer until the defragmentation has finished.

11. A message pops up to inform you that the defragmentation is complete. To read a detailed report about what occurred, click the View Report button. If you are not interested in seeing this report, simply click the Close button.

12. Turn on your antivirus software by right-clicking its icon near the Windows clock and selecting Enable or Restore. If the antivirus’ icon is not there, then you must manually restart the program by doing the following:
a. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.
b. Click All Programs.
c. Select the folder containing the name of your antivirus software.
For example, if you use Norton AntiVirus, then select the Norton AntiVirus folder.
d. Click the shortcut to launch the program.

Windows XP contains many visual options and enhancements designed to make it more eye catching. If your computer is several years old — or if it has less than 256 megabytes of RAM — then you should disable these features to make your system more efficient. Here’s how:

1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.

2. Select Properties.

3. A window opens. Click the Advanced tab.

4. Under the Performance heading, click the Settings button.

5. Another window opens. Under the Visual Effects tab, click the Adjust for Best Performance button.

6. Click the Apply button.

7. Click the OK button.

Start Windows Faster

One of the best ways to help your computer start more quickly is to reduce the number of programs that are loaded while Windows is “waking up.” To tweak the startup, you must use a utility called msconfig, as follows:
1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

2. Click Run.

3. A window opens. Type msconfig in the blank, and then click the OK button or press the Enter key.

4. The System Configuration Utility window opens. Click the Startup tab on the far right.

5. In the Startup Item column on the left is a list of programs with checkmarks next to them. A checkmark indicates that the program is scheduled to launch each time Windows starts. To prevent a program from loading at startup, remove the checkmark from its box. Here are guidelines about which programs to allow or to disable:
• Disable non-essential multimedia programs like qttask (which is part of the QuickTime software), realsched (which is part of the RealPlayer software), or Adobe Reader.
• Allow common processes for Windows and Microsoft Office.
• Allow programs related to your antivirus software, antispyware software, or firewall. For example, if you use the ZoneAlarm firewall and Spy Sweeper antispyware program, then you should allow the startup programs named zlclient and SpySweeper.

Disable Unneeded Services

Another way to reduce the strain on an aging computer is to disable ome nonessential Windows services. Follow these steps:
1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

2. Click the Control Panel.

3. If the Control Panel is in category view, click the Performance and Maintenance category, and then click the Administrative Tools icon. If the Control Panel is in classic view, simply double-click the Administrative Tools icon.

4. Double-click the Services icon.

5. A window opens. Using the scroll bar, scroll down until you see Alerter, and then double-click it.

6. Another window opens. Click the Startup Type drop-down menu, and then select Disabled.

7. Click the Apply button.

8. Click the OK button.

9. Return to the Services window and repeat the previous steps to disable the following services:
• IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service: This service controls the basic, no-frills CD-burning program built into Windows XP. If you currently use a separate CD-burning program like Nero Burning ROM, Easy Media Creator, or NTI CD-Maker, then you can disable the IMAPI service. Doing so should not affect your burning program, and might even make it faster. However, if problems arise, then simply return to this window and re-enable IMAPI.
• Indexing Service
• MS Software Shadow Copy Provider: If you have the Professional Edition of Windows XP and want to use its internal Backup program, then do not disable this service. Otherwise, this service is unnecessary.
• Volume Shadow Copy: If you have the Professional Edition of Windows XP and want to use its internal backup program, then do not disable this service. Otherwise, this service is unnecessary.

Reduce Your Fonts

A font refers to the style and appearance of the words you type in a word processor or similar program. A little-known fact about fonts is that having too many of them increases the time it takes for Windows to start. If you have a large collection of fonts but don’t want to delete any, then do the following:

1. Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.

2. A window opens. Double-click the icon for your C: drive.

3. Double-click the Windows folder.

4. You might see a message that says, “This folder contains files that keep your system working properly, so there is no need to modify its contents.” If so, click the message below it that says, “Show files or Show the contents of this folder.”

5. Double-click the Fonts folder.

6. Inside this folder, determine how many fonts you have by looking at the lower-left corner of the Status Bar. If you don’t have the Status Bar enabled, then do the following:
a. At the top of the folder, click the View drop-down menu.
b. Click Status Bar.
c. The status bar appears at the bottom of the folder.

7. If you have more than 300 fonts, browse through them and decide which ones you rarely use and can be moved to a different folder. To preview a font, double-click its name.

8. Hold down the Ctrl key while clicking the name of each font you want to move. This causes your selected fonts to become highlighted.

9. Click the Edit drop-down menu.

10. Select Copy.

11. Return to your C: drive, and then click the File drop-down menu.

12. Select New.

13. Select Folder.

14. A New Folder appears in your C: drive. Right-click it, and then select Rename.

15. Type a new name for the folder such as Fonts2 or Other Fonts.

16. Double-click the folder to open it.

17. Inside the folder, right-click the empty space and select Paste.Your selected fonts are pasted into the folder.

18. Return to your original Fonts folder and delete the fonts you just copied.

19. If you ever need to use one of the fonts you moved, do the following:
a. Right-click the font, and then select Copy.
b. Open your original Fonts folder.
c. Click the Edit drop-down menu.
d. Select Paste. The font is installed to its original location.

Tips About Computers ( Vista Tips and Tweaks!)

Well, here is a list of tips and tweaks found on the net that make your vista more user friendly and faster.

1. Increase max IE7 downloads

Internet Explorer 7 only allows you to download two files from the same server at a time. This is not a software limit but rather a limit imposed based on the web standard. Since this is simply a software setting, it can be modified and you can increase the limit to something much high such as 10. Follow the steps below to increase your max downloads from the same server:

1. Click on the Start Button and type in Regedit.
2. When Registry Editor loads navigate through HKEY_CURRENT_USER,
Software, Microsoft, Windows, CurrentVersion and Internet Settings.
3. Right click on MaxConnectionsPerServer and select Modify. Set the
decimal value to something greater than 2.
4. Right click on MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server and select Modify. Set the
decimal value to something greater than 2.
5. Reboot.

2. Enhance SATA disk performance

Do you have a SATA disk drive in your computer? If so, you can squeeze a little more performance out of your hard disk. This speeds up the performance of your hard disk by enhancing write caching. However, if your computer is not connected to a battery backup and you loose power you have a increased risk for data loss or corruption. If you have a laptop your chances are data loss or corruption are dramatically less since your laptop battery will kick on if your power source is lost. Let's get started:

1. Click on the Start Button and key in Device Manager and hit Enter.
2. Expand Disk Drives.
3. Right click on your hard drive and select Properties.
4. On the Policies tab, check Enable advanced performance.
5. Hit OK and close Device Manager.

3. Stop User Account Control (UAC) screen flicker / flash

Follow the steps below to disable UAC secure desktop:

1. Click on the Start Button and key in secpol.msc and hit Enter.
2. Navigate through Local Policies and Security Options.
3. Scroll to the bottom and right click on "User Account Control: Switch to
the secure desktop when prompting for elevation" and select Properties.
4. Set the option to Disabled and hit OK.

4. Boost your performance with ReadyBoost

Windows Vista has many new features that are designed to help older computers run Windows Vista better. One of those features and the topic of this tweak is called ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost helps your computer by giving it more high-speed memory. If your computer is running low on RAM then it has to kick a lot of applications out of high-speed physical memory to the paging file on your hard drive. This usually results in a big hit in performance and increased activity on your hard drive. ReadyBoost helps this situation by giving Windows an alternative to having to stick data into the slow paging file on your hard drive. Instead, ReadyBoost uses a USB storage device that is faster than a hard disk. This results in a performance boost because Windows will have a high speed alternative than using the slow paging file on your hard drive.

In order for ReadyBoost to work, it requires a USB storage device that meets minimum performance and space requirements:

* The device must be at least 64 MB
* The device must be USB 2.0
* It has to be able to read at 3.5 MB/s
* It has to be able to write at 2.5 MB/s

If you are unsure if your USB storage device meets these requirements, just give it a try anyways. To get started using ReadyBoost, follow these steps:

1. Plug in USB storage device.
2. Go to Computer and right click on the removable storage device and select Properties.
3. If your device is compatible, you will see a ReadyBoost tab. Click on that.
4. Select Use this device and select the amount of space on it you want to dedicate for the ReadyBoost system file.
5. Click OK and you are finished.

5. Speed up Start Menu Search (New Method)

The search box on the new Start Menu in Windows Vista can be very useful for everyday tasks. This search box is very powerful because not only does it search the start menu and control panel, but it also searches your pictures, documents and even your e-mails. The scope of the search is very wide and you can see some performance benefits if you narrow it down to just searching the start menu and control panel. Follow these steps to optimize your start menu search:

1. Right click on the start button and select Properties.
2. Click on the Customize button.
3. Remove the check from Search Communications.
4. Set Search Files to Don't search for files.
5. Click OK.
6. Click OK once more.

6. Disable User Account Control (UAC) only for Administrators

I'm sure you are well aware now of the advantages and disadvantages of UAC. It is great for non-admin users because it protects their computer from themselves. For advanced users, it can be a much different story causing many annoying authorization pop-ups. This is most common when you are doing a lot of activities that require admin rights such as installing applications and configuring Windows Vista after a fresh install. There is one practical solution to this issue that will help you with the UAC pop-ups if they annoy you and still benefit from the security of UAC.

This can be achieved by adjusting the local security policy to essentially disable UAC for administrators while leaving it enabled for low rights users. When you are using your PC for normal day-to-day use, log in with your low rights account. If you need to install a bunch of applications and make major system configuration changes then log in with your admin account. With fast user switching in Windows Vista you can easily switch between your accounts with little effort.

Follow these steps to disable UAC only for administrators:

1. Click on the Start button and type in secpol.msc and hit Enter.
2. Expand Local Policies and then Security Options.
3. Scroll to the bottom and locate "User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode".
4. Right click on this setting and select Properties.
5. Set the value to Elevate without prompting.
6. Reboot.

7. Start Menu Privacy Tweaks

Every time you open up a document or launch a program Windows Vista keeps track of this information to build the list of application for recently run applications and recent documents list. This can be a convenience or it can be a privacy problems if you use a shared computer. If that is the case, then anyone that uses the computer after you can see what applications you like to run and also see the name of the documents or photos that you looked at.

In Windows Vista Microsoft has provided a easy way to tweak this setting. Follow the steps below to protect your privacy:

1. Right click on the taskbar and select Properties.
2. Click on the Start Menu tab.
3. Uncheck Store and display a list of recently opened files.
4. Uncheck Store and display a list of recently opened programs.
5. Hit OK and you are finished.

Now the applications that you launch and the documents & photos that you look at are no longer recorded.

8. Extend Activation period

Would you like to extend the activation period to the maximum 120 days instead of the 30 day period that is set by default? It is possible and legal to do this using the software licensing manager in Windows Vista. Simply run slmgr -rearm in CMD or at START-RUN to get another 30 days. You can do this a maximum of three times before Microsoft blocks further ******************s.

9. Enable Vista Glass on Intel GMA 950 Graphics Cards

Currently Windows Vista does not have WDDM support for the Intel GMA950 integrated graphics card. Even though this card is integrated, it supports all of the requirements for Vista Glass. It is just a matter of getting a driver that is compatible with it and vista.

After doing a ton of research, I found that there is another driver that you can actually use for now. There are some problems with it, such if you have a laptop, the external monitor port does not always work but other than that it works great for me on my Lenovo X60.

This is how I got Vista Glass to run on a GMA950:

1. First, I had to open up device manager. Click on the start menu and type in devmgmt.msc and Enter to load it up.
2. Once there, expand the Display Adapters section and right click on each device and select Uninstall.
3. Reboot the computer.
4. When it restarts, it should install a generic video driver so your screen will still work.
5. Go back into Device Manager, expand the Display Adapters section again and then right click on the device and select Update Driver.
6. This time select Browse My Computer for Driver and then Let me pick it from a list.
7. Go the the Intel section and select the Intel(R) Lakeport Graphics Controller.
8. Hit OK and install the new driver. Restart your computer.
9. Once you have rebooted, right click on your desktop and select Personalize again.
10. Click on Windows Colors and Appearance.
11. Click on Open classic appearance properties for more color options.
12. In the Color Scheme box, select Windows Vista Aero.
13. Hit OK and glass will now load.

If glass does not work for you, go back to Device Manager and ensure the new display driver is working. You may have to update your system BIOS version. I had to update the BIOS version on the X60 in order for the new driver to work.

10. Resize Partitions with Vista Disk Management

In Windows Vista it is now possible to resize partitions without any data loss in the new Disk Management console.

Resizing Partitions with Windows Vista:

1. Click on the Start Button and right click on Computer and select Manage.
2. Expand the Storage section and select Disk Management.
3. Then just right click on any partition and select either Expand or Shrink to change the size of the partition.

This will allow you to safely resize your partitions without any data loss.

18 Exceptionally Useful Photoshop Shortcuts

Working with Photoshop can be quite time consuming for both beginners and advanced users. Once you’ve worked with it for a while, you begin to find that you’re constantly going back and forth between the same menu items or palette buttons. If you’re anything like me, you’re switching tools so often that most of your time spent in Photoshop isn’t even on the photo — it’s messing with the vast array of editing tools. Fortunately there’s a way to help streamline your Photoshop workflow.

Keyboard commands, or shortcuts, are simply a way to bypass a few mouse clicks when doing tool changes or tool property adjustments. They’re a little awkward and cumbersome at first, but once you pick up a couple of commands on the keyboard you’ll never go back. The whole idea is that while one hand is running the mouse, the other hand might as well be doing something too. This method of working with Photoshop can really decrease your time spent on the computer and give you more time to get behind the camera.

The following are 18 of my most commonly used shortcuts, broken out into three groups: simple, intermediate, and advanced. The simple commands are pretty easy to pull off, and they’re heavily used. The advanced commands take a little coordination, and I don’t use them quite as often. The intermediate commands are somewhere between the two. Again, these are MY most used Photoshop shortcuts. I’m also only showing the commands for Photoshop CS3 (thought CS2 should be almost identical) on a PC (sorry Mac users). So if you want to learn more about this topic, read to the bottom of the article for additional resources.

Simple-Photoshop-Shortcut-Commands

* H (Hand Tool) — When zoomed in to a portion of your photo, this command brings up the hand tool which allows for quick panning. Also, if the hand tool is active and you hold down the Ctrl key, you can zoom in without changing to the zoom tool. Likewise, if you hold down the Alt key, you can zoom out without changing tools.
* Z (Zoom Tool) — This command just brings up the zoom tool, which allows you to zoom in. Like with the hand tool, if you hold down the Alt key, it temporarily switches to the zoom out mode.
* Ctrl + 0 (Fit on Screen) — This is a quick-and-dirty command to get the entire photo in front of your eyes. That’s Ctrl + zero, not the letter “O”.
* B (Brush Tool) — The brush is an extremely useful tool when working with masks, and I’m constantly using this command along with the hand and zoom tools.
* Ctrl + Z (Undo) — Very useful for the little mistakes we all make.
* Tab (Hide/Show Palettes) — Hiding the palettes gives you a little more working room, thus decreasing your need to pan and zoom while editing.


Intermediate-Photoshop-Shortcut-Commands:

* [ (Decrease Brush Size) — Quickly decrease your brush size to get into those tighter spots.
* ] (Increase Brush Size) — Quickly increase your brush size for the larger areas.
* Shift + [ (Decrease Brush Softness) — Decrease the softness of the brush by 25%.
* Shift + ] (Increase Brush Softness) — Increase the softness of the brush by 25%.
* 1->0 (Tool Opacity) — I usually run my brush opacity around 5% or 10%, but some things require a bit more opacity. Just press one of the numbers from 1 to 0 and your tool opacity will change from 10% up to 100%. If you want finer control, press a second number quickly after the first, and you can get any percentage you want. So pressing 4 will get you 40% opacity, while pressing 4 then 3 will give you 43% opacity.
* Shift + 1->0 (Tool Flow) — This works exactly like the opacity changer, but you just have to hold the Shift key down while you hit the numbers.
* Ctrl + Tab (Next Point on Curves Adjustment) — When using the curves adjustment dialog, you can place multiple points on the curve and adjust them accordingly. Sometimes you want to make very minor shifts in those points by nudging with the keyboard, but clicking on the point to activate it usually moves it to an undesired location. Use this command to switch focus from point to point without moving them around.

Advanced-Photoshop-Shortcut-Commands:

* Ctrl + Shift + N (New Layer) — This will bring up the new layer dialog box and place a new layer on top of the active layer.
* Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N (New Layer No Dialog) — This command skips the dialog box and just places a new layer on top of the active layer.
* Ctrl + Shift + C (Copy Merged) — This works basically like the copy command, except you get a merged copy of the composite image sent to the clipboard. This command only works if you’ve made a selection on the image first (use Ctrl+A to select all), otherwise you’ll get a copy of nothing. This is useful if you want to duplicate what you see on the screen into another image file or even another layer.
* Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E (Stamp Visible) — This is actually one of my favorite commands. First, I’ll create a new empty layer on top of the stack. Then I’ll select that new layer and use this command. It does basically the same thing as the copy merged command, except it places the copy right into the new layer. I use this for creating layer blends, sharpening, and any other type of editing that can’t be done non-destructively.
* Ctrl + Alt + Shift + K (Show Keyboard Commands) — If you forget any of these commands, or if you want to check on other commands, use this to bring up the help dialog on keyboard shortcuts.