Make Windows better |
| Written by Michael D. | |
1. Secure your computer when idleTo do this, first make a shortcut (on c:\ for example) to %windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation. This will lock the station when accessed. Now go to Control Panel - Scheduled Tasks. Open Add Scheduled Task, click next, click browse and select your shortcut. Pick daily and click next. Click finish and then double click the new task you just created and go to schedule tab. From there, select the When Idle and the idle period.1.1 Secure your computer when idleThis is a very round-about way to do this and will take up some memory to keep the task scheduler running. If it's Wind2K, CTRL+ALT+DEL and click "Lock Computer" when you get up from your desk. If it's WinXP or Vista, just press the Windows key + L. Simple, easy, no memory usage. (credit to orlandogeek ) 2. Remove those annoying balloon tips telling you to update, secure and use Microsoft.Click the Start button and select 'Run' and type gpedit.msc. In the windows that just opened got to User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Start Menu and Taskbar -> Remove Balloon Tips on Start Menu items -> check enable and click ok. 3. Speed up the login processGo to Start button and select 'Run' and type gpedit.msc. Go to the Local Computer Policy entry, right click on it and select Properties. Check the last two options in the "Disable" section and reboot. 4. Configure the Send To item in your right click menuGo to c:\Documents and Settings\your_username\SendTO (note that this folder is hidden by default). Make and delete shortcuts here as you like. No need to restart after making changes. 5. Make a RAM disk on your system
*Note* - a RAM disk is many times faster then the hard drives, but will be deleted when you turn your computer off so store here JUST temporary files. 6. Clear the PageFile on shutdown
The Pagefile.sys is used for the Virtual Memory of Windows (compensates RAM). Clearing it make your system more secure (temporary data may be written in the pagefile.sys and accessed without having administrator privileges). 7. Turn on auto complete for DOS shellThis is useful if you are used to the unix-like shell where auto completion is enabled by default. To enable it in Windows, start Regedit.exe and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor. Change the value of CompletionChar to 0x00000009. 8. The Boot time
To improve boot times edit the following value: 9. Disable the boot logo
Edit the file boot.ini located on C:\ usually. 10. Free some memory by unloading useless DLL'sWindows keeps the DLLS's in memory for a while even if the application using it was closed. You can change this by opening Regedit.exe and going to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. Here create a new key named AlwaysUnloadDLL and set it's value 1 in decimal. Restart the computer.
written by Glyndwer "Glenny" Powell , January 06, 2008
on speed up login ...it says "go to the local computer policy entry.... how do I do this?
written by Mihai Dobos , January 09, 2008
Hello If you run "gpedit.msc" like mentioned in the tutorial, a windows will pop out with a tree-like structure in the left. Right-click Local computer policy (it's the first in the tree) like in windows explorer and select Properties.
written by EetzeHc_HaYieL , April 16, 2008
Is this applicable on Windows Vista?
written by Larry Miller , May 17, 2008
This tutorial contains a number of serious errors. #8. The Boot time. The default and optimal value for "PrefetchParameters" is 3. According to Microsoft the only valid values are 0-3. Setting this to 5 will effectively disable boot prefetching. This will shorten the moving bar animation period during boot, giving the impression that overall boot time has improved. Don't be fooled. The longer boot time following the animation will more than make up for this. #10. Free some memory by unloading useless DLL's. Windows normal behavior is a carefully designed feature to improve performance. And it is not only DLL's that are retained in memory, in many cases the program code will be as well. DLL's are a shared resource and not owned by any one application (mostly). Windows will always try to find some use for as much memory as possible, even if it is of trivial value. Unused memory is wasted memory. This is not a performance issue, even on limited memory systems. XP has a complex and efficient system for reclaiming memory used for caching purposes - when it is needed. Windows95 had a problem here, XP does not. Nothing is ever locked into the cache. Until the memory is needed it is serving a purpose and there is no need to free it. Windows designers know more about memory management than you. Windows performs best without amateurish tinkering. The two tweaks mentioned can be found on many websites. I am sure the author means well but he has been misinformed - like so many others. Larry Miller Microsoft MCSA CompTIA Network , A
written by Pencioner , January 17, 2010
Thanks Larry. Also, need to point that if you check those two chekboxes in #3, you may turn off your own startup/shutdown scripts (if you have set up any) Though... don't even just make "things better" by following with no thinking and no reading and no exploring. Dixie :) Do you need more help? Ask now!
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 20 April 2007 ) |
Here is a list of all Open Source (freeware) applications that you can install to you Windows system.
