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IF00301
Performance Tips For Windows XP.
Everybody and their dog will
tell you they know some great performance tips for Windows XP. The internet is
overcrowded with them. How to tell which ones work and which are to be avoided?
And why on earth is this yet
another
Windows XP tips and tricks page about performance tips for Windows XP?
It's because there are some
simple techniques that really work without compromising your system stability.
And they are simple to implement, so let's get started. Here is the
Skinny so follow along.
Optimize
Your Paging File
Windows XP uses a paging file
on your
hard disk to store information when the amount of available
RAM memory isn't sufficient to hold all the data that is being processed.
For instance, when you are working on a very large Word document that is too big
to fit in your
computer's RAM, Windows XP starts swapping part of it's data in and out the
paging file on your hard disk.
Hard disk access is typically
a lot slower than RAM access, that's why you should optimize your paging file.
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Click the Start button, right click "My Computer" and
select "Properties" |
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Select the "advanced" tab |
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Under "Performance" click on the "Settings" button
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Again, select the "advanced" tab |
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Under "Virtual Memory" click on the "Change" button
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Windows will then show the available hard drives in your computer and the
paging file settings for each drive. If you have more than one hard disk, you
should place your paging file on another disk than the system disk (where
Windows is installed).
That is to avoid contention
on the disk controller when Windows is working with system files and the paging
file simultaneously.
Usually the system disk is
C:, so select any other disk if you have one and then check the "Custom size"
radio button. Type in the same value for "Initial size" and "Maximum size", so
that Windows doesn't need time to resize the paging file while you are working
with your computer. Microsoft recommends about 1.5 times the amount of RAM in
your computer. Click the "Set" button to commit the changes you have made.
It is possible to have
multiple paging files on multiple disks, but try to avoid having a paging file
on your system disk. Just select that disk and select the "No paging file" radio
button.
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