The Dr. Bill Podcast – Optimizing Windows XP, Part One! #25

Dr. Bill Podcast – 25 – (02/25/06)
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The truth is out… Linux IS cheaper than Windows!, Advertisements that are “too smart” for their own good, Geek Software of the Week: CurrProcess!, thanks to Sam for recommending it, send in more GSoTW recommendations!, How to use Knoppix to for Linux (and Windows), “Mactel” Linux is up and running, so what?, security issues for the Mac (don;t be be so smug Mac users!), Windows: Top Server OS in 2005! Yikes!, Have you ever wanted to play with VMware? Now you can!, Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie present: “How to Buy a Computer!”… Geek Culture on display!, Part One of the Doctor’s Prescription on Optimizing Windows XP! The Podcast runs DOUBLE length to fit it all in!

Here’s the Windows XP Optimization Show Notes for this week! (Part One)

Use an Up-to-Date Virus Scanner
Grisoft AVG Free
https://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5

Do a Good Spyware Cleaning
Ad-Aware
https://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

Set up Spyware Protection
Spywareblaster
https://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Remove Microsoft Java Virtual Machine
https://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4158

Install the real Sun Java
https://java.com/en/download/index.jsp

Use SP2 for XP
Update with all the critical updates from Microsoft

Use PC Wizard to find out about your hardware and make sure that you are running up-to-date drivers.
https://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php#directions

Instructions – Go to “Start”, “Settings”, “Control Panel”, “System”, “Advanced” tab, in the “Performance” section select “Settings”. Leave only the following checked:

– Show shadows under menus
– Show shadows under mouse pointer
– Show translucent selection rectangle
– Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
– Use visual styles on windows and buttons

Then select “Apply” and “OK”.

Optimize the Page File
“Virtual Memory is the space on the hard disk Windows uses as RAM. The Page File (Pagefile.sys) serves as temporary, virtual memory storage for code and data.” – Source

Instructions – Go to “Start”, “Settings”, “Control Panel”, “System”, “Advanced” tab, in the “Performance” section select “Settings”, “Advanced” tab, in the “Virtual Memory” section select “Change”. Change the values to:

– Initial size (MB): 1.5 x the amount of RAM in your system
– Maximum size (MB): 3.0 x the amount of RAM in your system (PF Size Limit = 4095 MB)

Then select “Set” and “OK” and reboot.

Disable Indexing Service
The Indexing Service in Windows XP indexes your files presumably to shorten the time needed to search your hard drive if you are looking for a specific file or part of a phrase inside a file. However, the constant indexing of files actually slows down system performance and does not benefit search performance except for extreme complex searches. – Source

Instructions – To disable the Indexing Service go into “My Computer”, right-click on all your hard drive partitions one at a time, left-click “Properties”. Uncheck “Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching”. Select “Apply changes to subfolders and files”. If any files cannot be updated select “Ignore All”.

Instructions– To disable all Windows XP task sounds go to “Start”, “Settings”, “Control Panel”, “Sounds and Audio Devices”, select the “Sounds” tab, under “Sound Scheme” select “No Sounds”.

Reduce Recycling Bin Drive Space Usage
In Windows XP the Maximum size of the Recycle Bin is set by default to 10% of your hard drive, when full, this can be a big waste of drive space. Reducing the Maximum size prevents excess space from being wasted. It is quite common to have hundreds of MBs of deleted files in the Recycling Bin and it is never emptied.

Instructions – To change the Recycling Bin Size, right-click on the “Recycle Bin”, left-click on “Properties”, select the “Global” tab, then “Use one setting for all drives”. Move the slider to “3%”.

Reduce System Restore Drive Space Usage
System Restore creates periodic snapshots of your critical system files (like the registry files, COM+ database, user profiles, and such) and stores them as a “restore point.” In case something goes wrong with your system you can revert back to a previous working state. The default size that System Restore can take up can be quite large.

Instructions – Go to “Start”, “Settings”, “Control Panel”, “System”, “System Restore” tab, for each drive partition highlight it then select “Settings”, under “Drive Space Usage” adjust the slider so System Restore is only using roughly 5% or a minimum of 1000 MB of disk space per partition and select “OK”.

Increase the Mouse Pointer Speed
By default Windows sets the Mouse Pointer Speed to an average speed, which can slow down the time it takes to move the cursor around the screen. Increasing this will allow you use your computer quicker and more efficient with less mouse movement.

Instructions – Go to “Start”, “Settings”, “Control Panel”, “Mouse”, “Pointer Options” tab, under “Motion” adjust the slider 1 to 5 steps closer to “Fast”. Only 1 to 3 steps is recommended. Then check “Enhance pointer precision” and select “OK”.

Notes: This is a personal preference and should be decided by the user. The tab that the Motion setting will be under can change with third party mouse drivers. Novice Windows users or users with Motion Disabilities will not want to adjust this much, if at all. Cheap and worn out mice can give poor responsiveness, it is recommended to be using a precision optical mouse.

That’s it for this week! Join us next week for Part Two!

Fixing Linux with Knoppix

Knoppix Linux boots and runs entirely off a CD. It is extremely useful for fixing systems that normally won’t boot at all… Windows or Linux! This article has a good tutorial on fixed a broken Linux box with Knoppix:

Fixing Linux with Knoppix

I like the fact that you can use Knoppix with Windows systems that won’t boot by booting with the CD, then mounting the Windows drive (even if it is NTFS) and then copying the data off the machine to a USB thumbdrive. Nice! Then, you can blow away the system, and rebuild it, and copy your data back after it is “humming along!” Knoppix! A nice tool! And, of course… FREE! Here’s the link:

Knoppix Linux

Geek Software of the Week: CurrProcess

This week’s GSotW comes from “Sam” one of our faithful Podcast listeners in Germany! This is very neat! You can monitor processes on your Windows system and it even “flags” processes that are “bad!” Here’s what Sam says in his e-mail:

“…However here’s my recommendation for the Geek Software of the Week:

CurrProcess by NirSoft

the program is freeware, it’s called CurrProcess and it shows the running processes on your computer, similar to the Task Manager.

The advantage over the Task Manager is that it still shows the processes that are hiding itself and are not shown in the Task Manager which are usually viruses or spyware.

It even marks suspicious processes red, so they are easy to spot.

This program has helped me a lot locating all kind problems on my customers.”

CurrProcess

Great suggestion, Sam! Thanks for sharing… and thanks for listening! Keep those e-mail suggestions for GSotW coming in, folks! Send them to: DrBill [AT] TheComputerCurmudgeon.com (Of course, replace the [AT] with a “@” sign… thanks!)

The Truth Comes Out! Linux is Cheaper in the Real World!

Microsoft has been lying for a long time and saying that Windows Server is cheaper to administer and use on servers than Linux. Any true geek knows better than this… but the “suits” (that is, business folks) have been eating up Microsoft’s FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.) So, someone finally did a real world survey of actual businesses… and guess what?

Linux Really IS Cheaper!

Who would have thought it? A superior, Open Source, FREE operating system is cheaper to use than an expensive, buggy, bloated Windows? Wow. Amazing.

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