System Speedups

1.1 Managing Your Memory
Optimize your system's memory with little-known trick that can make your computer run faster and you will feel relax.

Note: To find out how much memory, also known as Random Access Memory (or RAM), your computer has, right-click My Computer and choose Properties.
A Windows XP system needs at least 256 MB of RAM to work properly. Better yet, get 512 MB, or more, if you can afford it.

1.1.1 DOS Swap
You can speed up your system simply by replacing old DOS programs with more recent versions, if they're available. DOS applications, like old versions of WordPerfect, don't allow XP to manage memory properly, and they hoard memory by not sharing it with other programs.

1.1.2 Eliminating Needless Visual Effects
Windows XP: fading and sliding menu actions, folders that let you slap pictures on them, and icons that come with drop shadows. But all these effects can take their toll on system performance, especially if you have an older computer

Logically speaking, fewer effects you use and the faster your computer runs. Here's how to choose:
1. Right-click My Computer and choose Properties =>Advanced.
The Advanced tab on the System Properties dialog box appears. You can also summon System Properties from the Run box or the command line; enter sysdm.cpl and then press Enter. (To get to the Run box, choose Start =>Run. To get to the command prompt, choose Start =>Run, type command, and press Enter.)
2. Under the Performance section, click Settings, and then select the Visual Effects tab.
The Performance Options dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 11-1.
3. Choose the visual effects you want.
"Adjust for best performance" turns off all the visual effects listed. "Adjust for best appearance" has the opposite effect: it turns everything on. Selecting "Let Windows choose what's best for my computer" triggers, as you might guess, different choices on different computers. And to pick and choose individual effects yourself, choose "Custom," then decide which ones you want.

Prevent your PC from slowing you down

1 Managing Your Memory

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Note: To find out how much memory, also known as Random Access Memory (or RAM), your computer has, right-click My Computer and choose Properties General. A Windows XP system needs at least 256 MB of RAM to work properly. Better yet, get 512 MB, or more, if you can afford it.

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A. Eliminating Needless Visual Effects

1. Right-click My Computer and choose Properties => Advanced.

   The Advanced tab on the System Properties dialog box appears. You can also summon System Properties from the Run box or the command line; enter sysdm.cpl and then press Enter. (To get to the Run box, choose Start => Run, type command, and press Enter.) Run. To get to the command prompt, choose Start

2. Under the Performance section, click Settings, and then select the Visual Effects tab.

   The Performance Options dialog box appears, as shown in Figure

3. Choose the visual effects you want.

   "Adjust for best performance" turns off all the visual effects listed. "Adjust for best appearance" has the opposite effect: it turns everything on. Selecting "Let Windows choose what's best for my computer" triggers, as you might guess, different choices on different computers. And to pick and choose individual effects yourself, choose "Custom," then decide which ones you want.

Note: Sometimes, turning off a service only affects your current computing session; other times the service stays off the next time you turn on your PC. If you want to ensure these changes are permanent

2. Services You Don't Need

Here's how to turn off currently running services:
1 At a command prompt or in the Run box type in services.msc and press Enter.

The Services window appears, as shown in Figure 11-2. This program lists all Windows XP services,tellsyou whether they're currently running, and lets you start or stop each one

Windows XP Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows Logo Key Shortcuts

Shortcut Key Combination	What It Does
Windows Key	Displays or hides the Start menu.
Windows Key+Break (the key with the word "Break" printed on it)	Displays the System Properties dialog box.
Windows Key+D	Shows the desktop.
Windows Key+M	Minimizes all windows.
Windows Key+Shift+M	Restores minimized windows.
Windows Key+E	Opens Windows Explorer.
Windows Key+F	Searches for a file or folder.
Windows Key+F1	Displays Windows Help.
Windows Key+R	Opens the Run dialog box.

Common Windows XP Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Key Combination	What It Does
Shift+F10	Displays the shortcut menu for the selected item (equivalent to right-clicking with the mouse).
Shift+Delete	Deletes the selected item permanently without placing it in the Recycle Bin.
Shift with any of the arrow keys	Selects more than one contiguous item in a window or on the desktop, or selects text within a document.
Right Arrow	Opens the next menu to the right, or opens a submenu.
Left Arrow	Opens the next menu to the left, or closes a submenu.
Home	Goes to the top of the active window.
F6	Cycles through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
F5	Refreshes the active window.
F3	Searches for a file or folder.
F2	Renames the selected item.
F10	Activates the menu bar in the active program.
Esc	Cancels the current task.
Ctrl+A	Selects all.
Ctrl+Z	Undoes the previous action.
Ctrl+X	Cuts.
Ctrl+C	Copies.
Ctrl+V	Pastes.
Ctrl+Up Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
Ctrl+Shift with any of the arrow keys	Highlights a block of text.
Ctrl+Right Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.
Ctrl+Left Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
Ctrl+F4	Closes the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously.
Ctrl+Esc	Displays the Start menu.
Ctrl+Down Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.
Ctrl while dragging an item	Makes a copy of the item you're dragging.
Backspace	In My Computer or Windows Explorer, opens the folder one level up.
Alt+Tab	Switches between open items.
Alt+F4	Closes the active item, or quits the active program.
Alt+Esc	Cycles through items in the order they were opened.
Alt+Enter	Displays the properties of the selected object.

Windows XP Dialog Box Shortcuts

Shortcut Key Combination	What It Does
Ctrl+Tab	Moves forward through tabs in a dialog box.
Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Moves backward through tabs in a dialog box.
Tab	Moves forward through options in a dialog box.
Shift+Tab	Moves backward through options in a dialog box.
Space Bar	Selects or clears the checkbox if the active option is a checkable.
Arrow keys	Selects a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
F1	Displays Help in the current program.
F4	Displays the items in the active list.
Backspace	Opens a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.
Alt+underlined letter	Carries out the underlined letter's corresponding command or selects the corresponding option in a dialog box.

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