Stop Unwanted Services and Make Your PC Faster

For a Safer, faster XP Close Unwanted Services

To disable unneeded startup services for a safer, faster XP, use the "Services" Admin Tool (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services).
If you are a single user of a non-networked machine, you can disable the following items, with no ill effect.

Or a shortcut to Open Services is to Press
Windows Key + R
Then Type

services.msc

From the services right click the following
Select --> Properties
In Startup type --> Disabled
OK.

Alerter
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Fast User Switching
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service (Slows the hard drive down)
Messenger
Net Logon (unnecessary unless networked on a Domain)
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server
SSDP Discovery Service (this is for the utterly pointless "Universal P'n'P", & leaves TCP Port 5000 wide open)
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet (disabled for extra security)
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (for wireless networks)
Workstation


You can disable other services too but be careful this can make system unstable.
Disable any services only when you are completely sure that its not needed.

Make Older Programs Run On XP

Need to run programs originally developed for previous versions of Windows?

Here’s the trick, Microsoft built Compatibility Mode into XP.

Compatibility Mode allows you to run a program using the shell of the original program it was developed for.

Here's trick to access a program's Compatibility Mode in XP:

Find the executable or program shortcut icon you'd like to run.

Right-click the icon and select Properties.

Click the Compatibility tab and place a checkmark next to the text labeled "Run this program in compatibility mode."

Select the operating system that the program was originally intended to run on.

You may need to fine-tune the three fields under "Display Settings" if an older program requires 640x480 resolution or 256 colors.

Click Apply.

Try starting the program after making these changes.

Most of the time program written for Win95 and Win98 should worked fine

Rebuild or Modify Corrupted Windows Xp boot

You can Modify The Windows XP boot file as follows:

1.Go to C: drive.
2.Select Tools --> Folder Options --> View.
3.In that Tick --> Show hidden Files and Folders.
Untick --> Hide protected Operating system files.
4.Then you will see a boot.ini file in C: dirve
5.Right click that select properties and Untick -->Read only then select Ok.
6.Open the file boot.ini
It should look like this


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect


7.If you have a corrupted boot.ini file then copy paste the above statements into that file and save it.
8.You can also change the Timeout i.e. the time till which XP loads.

Note:Editing the boot.ini file in haphazard manner can make you system unstable or even unbootable so be careful.