Registry Clean and Repair

There are two main ways to speed up XP shutdown time. One requires manually editing the registry, the other is much simpler.

Registry Edit

Be warned, if you’ve never edited your registry before then you should know that one wrong move and you may not be able to restart your PC successfully!

OK, this works because as your PC gets older and takes longer to shut down, it’s due to XP trying to check that all open programs (even the ones you cannot see!) have been successfully closed individually.

But by hacking the registry, you can tell XP to not bother checking. Here are the steps:

1. Go to Start, Run, regedit
2. Find the key: “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop”
3. Double-click “AutoEndTasks”
4. Change the value of this to “1″

A Much Quicker Way

This method is quicker although if you like to use this quick shutdown often then you may prefer to do the registry hack instead.

When you want to shut down, simply:

1. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to launch Task Manager
2. Click the “Shut Down” menu and hover your mouse over the sub-menu “Turn Off”
3. While holding down the Ctrl key, click “Turn Off”

This has the same effect but you must follow this process each time.

If you’re interested in more ways to enhance the performance of your PC then you may also be interested in the following site articles of ours: Registry Hacks To Speed Up XP, XP Performance Tuning, Windows XP Performance Tweaks.

When you own a PC, you must take some responsibility for fixing the errors on it. Sure, you can call Tech Support. But you’ll save a ton of time and money if you just learn the basics of how to fix PC errors and general easy maintenance.

3 Main Threats

The main threats to your PC (apart from yourself!) come from viruses, spyware and registry errors. In many ways, these three threats are interlinked and can result in similar effects i.e. errors.

So how to find and fix them?

Toolkit

You may be “lucky” in the sense that you have a registry error message or some other error code that gives you some information on the problem. Now you could just “google” the code and hope to find the exact solution you need. This is best done in a total emergency because the resulting fix is likely to be only temporary and not resolve the larger underlying problems (that don’t necessarily produce an error message).

What you need are tools. I’ve included my recommendations next to each:

• virus scanner (AVG)
• spyware scanner (Spybot)
• registry scanner (Registry Easy)

These scanners will deep scan your entire PC and reveal problems you never knew existed but have been causing slowdown, lockups and other performance degradation probably for months if not longer.

After the scan has been completed, you can push a button to fix all the problems that were detected. After fixing your most immediate problems, you can run a preventative scan once per week for optimized performance.

Windows has long been notorious for taking a while to load. When XP came out (or rather when 2000 came out) this problem was solved somewhat. Bootup can now take place in as little as 30 seconds or less if you know how to speed up Windows startup.

But that experience is shortlived as soon as you start to use your PC and install new programs. Therein lies the problem.

Resident Programs

The huge corporate entities that make today’s software realise that they can gain some massive branding advantage from putting an icon in your taskbar. This is why I hate Apple Quicktime with a vengance. Despite most people rarely needing to use this software (it’s needed to view .mov files), it has a nasty habit of always installing itself to the taskbar.

Over a short period, you’ll find that every time you switch your PC on that you have maybe 20 to 30 programs all trying to start up at the same time. No wonder you can’t do anything for up to as much as 5 minutes!

Kill Them One By One

The best way to get rid of these (and you can still reverse your changes) and speed up Windows startup is to use a nifty little utility that comes with Windows called msconfig. Just go to Start, Run and then type in “msconfig”.

There are a few items here but the ones you want to check out are on the “Startup” tab. Here you can deselect all the stuff you never even heard of. Actually, it is best to just type the process name into Google to find out what each of these things do. Most are not needed but some may be essential sub-programs for main programs that you normally use.

Memory Allocation

What you can also do even before the above step is to run task manager (press Ctrl-Alt-Del) after startup to see which programs are taking up the most CPU and/or memory. This can help you to decide which processes to deselect first in msconfig.

More Tips

You can get more tips on faster PC operation from articles on our site here: XP Performance Tuning, Boost Windows Performance, How Do I Make My Laptop Faster?, Windows XP Performance Tweaks.

As you may already know, every computer works very well out of the box but unfortunately quickly begins to slow. The end result could be waiting more than 5 minutes for your PC to start and then 5 seconds for every mouse click to take effect! Clearly, this is infuriating but much can be done about it.

What Is Computer Clean Up Software?

Computer clean up software comes in various forms which we can look at in greater detail below. It is highly important to choose the right one for you.

Privacy Wipers

If you do a lot of surfing on a shared PC then privacy wipers and encryption software can be helpful. Not only do they delete all traces of your history on the computer but they are also highly effective at reaching those hard to reach areas of the operating system and actually making your PC operate faster, especially internet browsing.

“Junk” Cleaners

Some programs claim to be able to find duplicate files and icons on your system. The thing is, you might have those duplicates for a damn good reason. I personally don’t use such software.

Sizemap

I mention this on its own because I use it all the time. This will quickly scan your entire computer and then give you a tree listing showing the largest folders/directories first. What this means is that if you badly need hard drive space then you can free up some space very, very quickly.

Registry Cleaners/Workstation Optimizers

Registry cleaners do a good job of cleaning up the central database that is called the “Windows Registry”. But the names are not entirely accurate because they do much more including internet optimization, cures freezing, evidence cleaner, run applications smoothly and faster, password recovery, evidence cleaner and more.

Here’s a testimonial from one user of the software:

It is no exaggeration to say that my computer and internet surfing now run about 10 times faster since I used your software. I can’t thank you – enough for your great program!
- Cretina – Wisconsin, US

The quickest way to speed up your computer and clear it of junk is to run one of these registry cleaners. You can start now with a free scan by clicking the button below:

There are TWO ways to fix a registry error in XP. See them both below and choose the one that is best for your own situation.

Specific, Manual Fix

This is the first type of registry error repair. Basically, you use the error message that you have and search on Google for a specific solution to that error.

The problem with this type of Windows XP registry fix is that the error message is usually just one tiny clue of the more serious errors that exist on your PC. You may fix this error and be bombarded with a chain of new registry errors. More likely you will simply have to wait a matter of days or weeks before the next sign of a bad registry emerges in the form of yet another, probably different, error code or message.

Deep Scan, Cure & Prevention

A better way is to make use of a fully functional repair registry tool. We have featured and reviewed one such tool on our site here: Download Registry Repair.

Such a tool will first allow you to take up a backup of your registry so that any changes of fixes can be reversed if you wish. Then a deep scan will be performed – it is not unusual to find registry errors in the hundreds these days. You can then choose to fix all errors or select only the ones you want.

Using such a tool on a weekly basis will stop any errors from getting way out of control and speed up the performance of your PC and keep it that way for many years to come.

Windows XP like any other operating system or piece of software can go wrong from time to time. Programmers invented Windows XP error codes to give them a quick read on the situation and where the error was occuring.

Unfortunately, these codes are not all that useful or understandable to you or I. So what do you do if you get an error code?

Short Term Fix

You need a fix and you need it quickly. Get a screenshot or just simply write down the error code on a piece of paper.

Next, go to Google and type the error code in exactly. It is best to use quotation marks too as it will return more relevant results. For example:

error 2250 “network connection does not exist”

Very quickly, you should find a short term fix for your problem.

Long Term Solution

You need to ask yourself, was this just a one off? Have there been other errors that you’ve been getting also?

It is very common over time to get an increasing number of registry error messages or other funny Windows errors. Programmers know how to get around this and are planning big things for the next generation of Windows.

But for both XP and even Vista, it is a fact of life that you will get more and more errors as time passes by. In fact, like the tip of an iceberg, most of these errors are already slowing down your PC without you even realising it because you are not shown the error codes.

Do you know how many registry errors your PC has right now? Find out now with our free registry scan courtesy of Reg Easy:

For more information in general on XP registry repair utilities and how they work, see this article on our site.

Is your Windows XP PC already slowing down? I know the feeling. I thought that it all ended when the 95/98 series ended but sadly a PC will still get more and more slow over time.

My first Windows XP PC lasted me about 5 years. During that time I rebuilt it twice completely because it had become so slow. I am now on my second Windows XP PC and I was surprised to find out that already within 3 months it was becoming slow!

Here are my tips for XP performance tuning to keep your PC fast for as long as possible.

Temp Files

If your browser performance in particular is extremely slow then you should clear out all temporary files on a regular basis. For example, Firefox slows down an awful lot if you don’t do this regularly.

Display Properties

Right click the desktop and go to properties. Make sure that the theme is set to either “Windows XP” or even better, “Windows Classic”. I recommend having no background at all.

Taskbar Properties

Right click the taskbar (at the bottom) and click on properties. Customize the start menu and go to Advanced. Here I recommend that you add the links you need as a menu. This is much faster than always opening new windows.

My Computer Properties

Right click “My Computer” and select properties. Go to the Advanced tab then click the Performance Settings button. Here I recommend selecting “Adjust for best performance”. You can instantly see that XP gets rid of all the flashy cosmetics like fading, sliding and animating.

In fact, your PC will now resemble Windows 2000 or the Windows Server operating system. Little wonder then that most IT technicians only have contempt for the cosmetic “bells and whistles” that come with XP and Vista.

Pagefile

Whilst you were on that Visual Effects tab last, click the neighboring tab “Advanced” and look down at Virtual memory. This should be set to 3x your current RAM which it probably is not by default. Also by default, this file will change size as and when Windows feels like it. This is very bad from a performance perspective.

Instead, set the pagefile to be 3x your RAM and a custom size with the same value for initial and maximum. This way, your pagefile will just stay put and will not become fragmented all over your hard disk over time.

It is not actually that hard to fix Windows registry errors. Like with anything, you can do some research and usually find a solution pretty quickly. But there is also more than meets the eye. Let’s concentrate on the error that you may have at the moment.

A Specific Problem

Usually when there is some sort of registry error, there flashes up a message. Jot down this information because the specific solution can normally be found from someone else who also had this same problem before! Just “google” it!

If you’re lucky, the error message may contain specific information on the type of error and the key where the error exists e.g. in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM) / Software etc.

However, often the error message you get is pretty non-descript and it is difficult to know where to start.

More General, Manual Editing & Prevention

If your googling does not yield you any results then you should try a registry cleaner program. For example, you can find a free scan at the bottom of this page.

What a registry cleaner will do is to scan through your entire registry and all its hives and look for all types of problems such as empty keys, corrupt binary data and more. Needless to say, they make fixing Windows registry errors a very easy task.

Also, given that there is no such thing as an error free registry (unless you have just bought your PC brand new) then using a good registry cleaner on a regular basis will ensure that any errors (whether you see or “experience” them or not) are kept to a minimum.

Advantages of Registry Cleaners as listed at Wikipedia

Here are some of the advantages I have lifted for you to present here:

• improve computer performance by ridding the registry of redundant information.
• noted Windows architecture expert Mark Russinovich says that registry cleaners will have a role until most apps move to the .NET framework (a distant and future possibility).
• registry cleaners offer useful backup and restoration of the registry.

Courtesy of Registry Easy, we have organized a free instant registry scan for readers of our website below:

Before I start, I am obliged to tell you that the single most easy and powerful way to boost windows performance is to use a registry cleaner application. Do not be fooled by the name because they do much more than clean your registry.

Otherwise, there are still a few things that you can do manually yourself.

Clear Out Space

If you are running very low on hard drive space, particularly on the partition (drive letter) where your Windows folder is, then you need to free up some space.

Especially when you get close to about 2 to 5 gigs, your PC can suddenly start to crawl to a halt.

I especially recommend a good free software called sizemap. Just google it and you’ll find it no problem.

Viruses & Spyware

Aside from being a major security risk, viruses and spyware will also slow down your PC. Do yourself a favor and get a hold of a free scanner called AVG. The best free spyware scanner is called Spybot.

Turn Off The Fancy Graphics

In both XP and Vista, too much fancy graphics will slow your PC down. It might not have when you first bought it, but switching them off will help you a great deal now.

You should be able to find options (try right clicking the desktop and going to properties) to turn off each and every flashy graphic – personally, I turn the entire lot off because they are gimmicks that will hold your attention for only a day or two and thereafter prove to be annoying.

Be Intelligent

Sounds simple and it really is. In my old job, I often used to hear from people complain that 4 gig of RAM was not enough and their PC was slowing to a crawl. When I visited their desk, I found that they had about 20 Internet Explorer windows open and perhaps 10 other apps open at the same time.

Now, often you do need to multitask and run several programs at the same time while switching between them all. But having 20 or 30 windows open is needless and it should come as little surprise when the PC is slow in these situations.

Registry Cleaners

These programs are far ahead when it comes to needing to boost Windows performance. Not only will they optimize your registry but they will also fix the hundreds of errors that are likely to be already on your PC.

Most registry cleaner companies will also offer a free scan facility.

Is your laptop already becoming really annoying after maybe even just a few months after purchasing it? It is actually normal for all computers (laptops and desktops) to become slow over time. But there are many ways to make your laptop faster. Let’s take a closer look.

Defragment

Over time, your computer will start to run out of space so it will become “smart” and try to use a bit of space here, a bit there etc. This results in all your files being fragmented all over your hard disk. Sure, your computer has no problems in giving you what you want but it will take much longer.

The answer is to run the defragment program in Windows. You should be able to find this under System Tools or equivalent.

Cache File

Every Windows PC has a cache file a.k.a. pagefile, that is used by Windows to help it to manage memory. The ideal size of your pagefile is 3x whatever your existing RAM (memory) is.

Wipe Your Browser

Internet browsers these days are well integrated into the operating system. They also use a lot of resources.

What happens is that over time they slow down the entire system. Whether or not you’re surfing, whenever you click it seems to take about 4 seconds for a response.

A good thing to do here is to delete all cookies, temporary internet files, browser history etc. This will really speed up your laptop.

Registry Cleaner

Ultimately, there are some areas of your computer that you can never reach yourself. For example, have you ever deleted your browser history and then found that Windows still “knew” your history, at least some of it?

Windows is very strange in the way that it stores, keeps and retrieves information. I’ve found in the past that the above steps only made a little difference to the speed of my laptop. What changed that was a registry cleaner.

A registry cleaner will get to those hard to reach places and really clean up the operating system properly. I strongly recommend using one as they are very powerful and handy. Many times, they have saved me an entire rebuild (something which otherwise would take me 48 hours to complete from start to finish).

By the way, don’t be fooled by the name “registry cleaner”. A good app like this will do much more than simply clean up your registry.

Here are my two recommendations:

Reg Easy – this is one of the oldest and the most popular registry cleaners. Although it is old, it is still updated fairly regularly.

Workstation Optimizer – this is the new kid on the block in terms of registry cleaners. It has some very exciting new features that the other cleaners don’t have. They might catch up in future but for now, this is the one to watch.