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Windows XP Computer Tweaks

The following Windows fixes are things I do to a computer when I build a new Windows XP PC. Your mileage may vary.

Remove Documents from Start Menu:

Open up your favorite registry editor. Navigate to

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Right-click on the right pane and select New, DWORD Value. Name it NoRecentDocsMenu. Double-click and enter 1 as value. To restore the Documents menu, reverse the steps by changing 1 to 0 or delete DWORD value.

Block Ad Tracking of Internet Explorer with a Security Zone

Force NumLock on at Reboot

Go to HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Keyboard and change the InitialKeyboardIndicators from 0 to 2

Bytes locked for I/O to 512MB

This will help IO performance.

Set SizRegBuf to 14596

This will reduce network delay, and enhacne the performance of the network.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

Add a Value named SizReqBuf that is the REG_DWORD type. While you can make it anything between 512 all the way up to 65536, test show that 14596 yields the best network performance.

Run Windows Explorer in Separate Process

Don't allow kernal and driver code to be swapped to disk pagefile or page file

Make Desktop Heap 4096K

Improve TCP/IP performance

Disable crash dump file .dmp

Enable UDMA/66 support

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0000] "EnableUDMA66"=dword:00000001

Disable Office Assistant

Memory - Open apps in their own virtual RAM

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\WOW]

Memory - Large System Cache

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]

Memory - Disabling Paging Executive

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]

Memory - IO (I/O) Page Lock Limit

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]

Security - Disabling Media Player upgrade checks

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\PlayerUpgrade]

AskMeAgain"="no"

Security - Disabling Media Player sending your info back home

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences]

"SendUserGUID"=hex:00

Internet Connection Performance - Increasing threads and connections

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings] "MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server"=dword:00000008 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings] "MaxConnectionsPerServer"=dword:00000008

Internet Explorer - Enable/Disable Disk Cache

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main] "Enable_Disk_Cache"="yes"

Disabling the Windows Key

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer] "NoWinKeys"=dword:00000001

text

DOS Completion

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor] "PathCompletionChar"=dword:00000009 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor] "CompletionChar"=dword:00000009

Customizing the Start Menu

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] "MenuShowDelay"="0"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer] "NoRecentDocsHistory"=dword:00000001 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] "CascadeMyDocuments"="NO" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] "CascadeMyPictures"="YES" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] "CascadeNetworkConnections"="YES" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] "CascadeControlPanel"="YES" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] "CascadePrinters"="YES"

Customizing the Explorer Shell

Start with high priority

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\Shell\XQSHP] @="Start &High priority" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\Shell\XQSHP\Command] @="C:\\WINNT\\System32\\cmd.exe /c start \"XQSHP\" /high \"%1\""

Explore Here

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\ExploreHere] @="E&xplore From Here" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\ExploreHere\Command] @="explorer.exe /e,/root,\"%1\""

DOS Here

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\DosHere] @="DOS &Prompt Here" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\DosHere\Command] @="C:\\WINNT\\System32\\cmd.exe /k cd \"%1\""

Copy to and Move To

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Copy To] @="{C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Move To] @="{C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}"

Icon text Wrap

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics] "IconTitleWrap"=dword:00000001

Windows XP Computer Tweaks

Remove Documents from Start Menu:

Block Ad Tracking of Internet Explorer with a Security Zone

Force NumLock on at Reboot

Bytes locked for I/O to 512MB

Set SizRegBuf to 14596

Run Windows Explorer in Separate Process

Don't allow kernal and driver code to be swapped to disk pagefile or page file

Make Desktop Heap 4096K

Improve TCP/IP performance

Disable crash dump file .dmp

Enable UDMA/66 support

Disable Office Assistant

Memory - Open apps in their own virtual RAM

Memory - Large System Cache

Memory - Disabling Paging Executive

Memory - IO (I/O) Page Lock Limit

Security - Disabling Media Player upgrade checks

Security - Disabling Media Player sending your info back home

Internet Connection Performance - Increasing threads and connections

Internet Explorer - Enable/Disable Disk Cache

Disabling the Windows Key

DOS Completion

Customizing the Start Menu

Customizing the Explorer Shell

Start with high priority

Explore Here

DOS Here

Copy to and Move To

Icon text Wrap

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