THE PARISH OF WOOD GREEN
Win XP help page

if you are not used to REGEDIT - don't be afraid to start digging into it - however, its always a good idea to set a RESTORE POINT before doing anything at all to your system.
This information can help to get your pc working a bit faster if you follow the instructions carefully.
* * * please remember : you make alterations to your system's settings entirely at your own risk * * *

programmes
1. to make sure that your operating system, and therefore your whole pc, runs smoothly and well with XP, DEFRAGMENT your hard drive/s regularly. Either with the on-board defragmenter start : all programs : accessories : system tools or any other you have bought.
Use disk cleanup regularly too (in accessories as above).

2. A MUST-HAVE PIECE OF FREE ANTI-VIRUS  SOFTWARE : AVG from www.Grisoft.com.
NEVER open any new software or floppy disk on your pc without scanning it
Run your anti-virus software regularly - keep your machine as clean as possible. Remember also to update the software regularly.

3. Make sure that all the drivers for the hardware on your pc are up to date - check with websites for upgrades etc.
This is very important, as XP relies on drivers that are written especially for it.

4. If you like all the new colours and coverings of XP, leave them be > > > otherwise - right click on the bottom menu bar open properties, and alter the settings to your heart's content. I got rid of the clock, it rarely told the right time - even if I bothered to look at it!

5. Your screen saver takes up lots of memory - and might jam up your system when it clicks on and off. Modern screens don't need to be protected by these devices - so don't worry about disabling it.
right click on the desktop : display properties : screen saver : set to NONE. While you're there, go to Monitor power : power schemes : and set  - Turn off monitor, Turn off hard drives & System standby all to NEVER.

6.  wallpaper takes up memory programmes could be using - so why not disable it? Let's face it,  when other windows are open, the desktop is hidden anyway - so a nice background colour does the job quite well.
right click on the desktop : desktop : set to NONE. It might be nice to alter the colour of your desktop to your own taste whilst here.

7. Remember to EXIT EVERY PROGRAMME that's running in the background on your PC before  installing any new software - especially anti-virus software.
Bottom right hand of the screen : right click on icons : close or shutdown or exit any live programmes ESPECIALLY anti-virus prog's. If you have the Microsoft Office pop-up window working - make sure this is turned off too! Right click the bar (near the office icon), : exit [or Alt F4].
Install any new software using the manufacturers instructions (usually on-screen). Re-Boot you system after install (Re-Boot twice is quite often a good idea, to make sure that new prog. you've installed becomes part of your system) 

8. You may wish to check for critical software updates regularly from www.microsoft.com - security issues are sometimes identified and new software made freely available to download and install.
Of course you may also choose NOT to update - you don't have to do it!
You should be okay as long as you're sitting behind a decent FIREWALL and have sufficient knowledge of how viruses attack your pc, and therefore invest in good ANTI-VIRUS software (No. 2 above).
If you do choose to update, be careful to set a RESTORE POINT before installing ANY software - just in case things go wrong, and you need to return your system to a point before the new installation.

To set a RESTORE POINT, START : HELP AND SUPPORT : UNDO CHANGES TO YOU COMPUTER WITH SYSTEM RESTORE : CREATE A RESTORE POINT : (give your restore point a name - anything will do! : and then install your new software.
If things go wrong with an installation, uninstall the new software first START : SETTINGS : CONTROL PANEL : ADD / REMOVE then go back to the RESTORE POINT you set.

9. Its a good idea to install a FIREWALL to give added protection to your PC.
A Router will probably have its own installed, but then - why not sit behind two? . . . take your pick from a number of available options
If you sit behind one or two of these, there's really no need for all those so called 'critical updates - hotfixes' etc from Microsoft   > XP will run perfectly well in its original state if you let it < 

10. Trojans etc.
Trojan Horses are similar to a virus - they can harm your computer but, as the name suggests, they sit on your machine and wait quietly to be triggered before causing damage. The trigger's usually a particular date, but can be something as simple as waiting for you to install a particular piece of software. Some can even be activated remotely by their authors. They can be used to take complete control of your PC by an unauthorised third party, and are often used to steal information such as Internet banking details etc.

If you run an anti-virus programme to rid yourself of them, beware - as they often lurk around in places which don't get cleaned out by this method e.g. your PREFETCH file LOOK HERE FOR DETAILS

You might consider: Ad-aware It will help keep those nasty trojans at bay.

 

adverts and your privacy
As we browse the web, we think we're doing so privately. However - beware!
You are being tracked right now as you surf - not by this website, but by advertisers.
They call it a service to provide a better internet experience - and a way to provide you with better adverts. They don't tell you however, that they also sell information about your surfing habits on to third-parties, and they can easily match your browsing profile with your identity. Basically, they're violating your privacy. Browsers are now including pop-up blockers - but getting your hosts file sorted is still a very good idea.
To find out what you can do about this problem, visit the link below:
http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/index.html

windows startup - is it slow?   prefetch help
Prefetch is a little piece of software that lurks in your system to make programmes start up faster. It gets full very quickly and actually begins to slow down the time it takes to start up your pc. Also, if you start a programme up and things go wrong - or a virus gets in, the problem will stay there until you clear out PREFETCH. Next time you start the programme a new PREFETCH file will be generated.

Here's what to do: 1. To clean out the PREFETCH FILE
MY COMPUTER / C:WINDOWS / PREFETCH     Delete everything EXCEPT the LAYOUT.INI file.

2. To automate this create a new text file in your C:\  directory
(simply go to C:   right click on the plain white background   choose new   text document) in this new document type del c:\windows\prefetch\*.* /q save the file as prefetch.bat (if you get a message if you change a file extension . . . click yes) in the Start Menu, select Run     type  gpedit.msc
in the window that appears, under computer configuration heading, expand windows settings select Scripts (Startup/Shutdown)
double click shutdown in the right window
click add
click browse : locate your prefetch.bat file
click open
click OK
click apply or OK to finalise this process.
reboot your pc  (ie shut down and restart you pc)

every time you shut down or restart your computer, it will run your shutdown script to delete
the prefetch files.
I like the first method best - but it means remembering to do it regularly - once a fortnight or so.

menu display speed up
Start : Run : Regedit
go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
select MenuShowDelay in the list on the right
right click it and select Modify
make the value 0
reboot your pc

taking charge of cookies
just about every site we visit on the web sends a cookie into our pc's - there are various methods of dealing with these - especially by simply going to:
browser : tools : internet options : general : temporary internet files : delete cookies
However - if you visit particular sites very often and would like to stop them from regularly filling up your Cookies Folder, try this:
browser : tools : privacy : websites : edit : write the name of the site you want to block - for example: "www.blockthissite.com" : okay : exit

Great FREE programmes:
OpenOffice  is a great FREE word processing suite
Firefox is the best browser . . . and there's an e-mail package too - Thunderbird
AVG antivirus

 

[Disclaimer: Modifying the System/Registry can easily cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. We cannot guarantee that problems resulting from modifications to the Registry can be solved.          Use the information provided at your own risk]