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Configure Your System Wickedly

Posted November 27, 2003 to Computing category.

WinXP out of the box is slow. Even on multi gigahertz machines, the default installation seems sluggish, and not only that, the system is wide open to viruses and spyware. Most people using a Windows PC on the Internet find their pc’s slowing down drastically over time. I’ve found that a properly set up 1 ghz. pc is faster for normal use than a default installation of WinXP on a 2.5 ghz. machine. That is a big difference!

the top WinXP tweaking sites:

Configure Your System Wickedly:

( Guides for the rest of your PC ) These cover other programs, bios, hadware etc.

Essential Tweaking Programs:

the above links include just about all anyone needs to know about tweaking Windows to the hilt. These days most normal home computers are full to the brim with all sorts of spyware, viruses and junk mailers. The below will ensure that things keep running properly.

  • Ad-Aware :: This needs to be on every Windows pc. This is not a tweaking program as such, but if you’ve been using IE and Outlook Express, this will really speed up your pc.
  • Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware of different kinds from your computer. Basically the same as Adaware, but they both complement each other.

Warning: do not for any reason install Norton Systemworks

Anti-Virus

  • AVG Anti-Virus :: There is a free version of this available, but the professional version is a lot better. It takes up a lot less resources than either Mcafee or Norton, and religiously updates itself every day. Both Norton and Mcafee would often have problems updating their virus definitions, and would fall a month behind. It makes no sense to guard against last week’s virus. Plus both of them make Windows somewhat unstable.

Other Programs:

The best thing one can do for a Windows PC is to stop using Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. They attract viruses and spyware like a open jar barrel of honey in a garbage heap. The following list has recommendations for free alternatives:

Updated at 10:13 AM on August 15, 2005 | Email
Comments (8 comments so far.)
1. | Ejaz Asi at November 28, 2003 11:15 AM:

I am not so sure if the difference is that much. But a lil bit customization is always needed (in all software, in my knowledge) so why to blame Gates too much. As for your suggestion of stop using IE and Outlook, I am again bit skeptical. IE6 has been the best browser from microsoft for windows and IE5.5 for Mac even better one. However, having MS outlook might be a pain in ass and could be sidelined. Mozilla has got much better but for masses in Pakistan, IE6 is still recommended from my side. Who gives you such smooth User experience in terms of plugins interpretation and other MS related technologies.
If the problem is massive, the solution has to be massive too.

2. | KO at November 28, 2003 1:40 PM:

Ejaz, you are falling behind the times! Mozilla and Opera surpassed IE6 a long time ago and now have caught up on the usability front also… they are many many times better than IE6. Apple recommends you don’t use IE 5.5 becasue its slow and ‘buggy’. There are only two plugins which are needed, Java and flash, which all browsers support. All the IE plugins on the net are just trojan horses which bung in a whole lot of spyware, so its a lot safer using any other browser than IE.

3. | Ejaz Asi at November 28, 2003 6:42 PM:

so you recommend downloading/installing and knowing their preferences for the masses? Well from MS, the best browser has been IE5.5/MAC whether Apple recommends it or not. For opera and Mozilla, they are way too cool for developers and designers, but wait a min, how many designers and developers in Pakistan are so tech-savvy (for now I am only assuming they hardly know where Mozilla keeps its cache saved in XP installation) Khair, once I am back to Karachi, I would get some hands on your post again, so take care bro.
btw, I still like and use Netscape7.0 bechara NS.

4. | Muhammad Ali at March 22, 2004 12:26 PM:

I agree with KO absolutely… I completely stopped using IE, the first day i downloaded firefox. Intuitive, light, secure, extensible… No more browser hijackings… no more exploits… no more downloading the latest security patches at an outrageous frequency… no more ads!!! It’s heaven :)

power to OSS!

5. | Muhammad Ali at March 22, 2004 3:31 PM:

I completely agree with the parent as well… winxp is terrible out of box… i recently installed it on a p-III 766 with 256 ram and everything was so damn slow that i thought it must be a virus… i’ve stopped using ms-stuff so i had forgotten that back in the old days it took a lot of tweaks to get going… the slow-speed is to be expected because out of the box a bazillion crappy services, for things that either i would never use or would use only once, are running and everything is configured for the stupid graphical displays…

After a lot of tweaks and registry editing and service disabling, i got it to be reasonably fast… but it’s still slower than win98, a lot slower…

6. | Muhammad Ali at March 22, 2004 3:47 PM:

I will recommend spybot as well… much better than adaware IMHO…

7. | Tom at March 7, 2006 12:15 PM:

I really enjoy reading your articles. Keep up the great work.
TBoardenson

8. | Mike Furir 699 at March 19, 2006 7:18 PM:

Mike Furir Mike 121

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