Endless Paradigm

So, there is one computer in our house that is pretty old. 8 years maybe? 6? Something like that. Not the problem. The problem is:
IT RUNS LIKE A DINOSAUR! A FAT ONE!
It literally takes 3-5 minutes to log in to someone's account...
It's on XP SP2. 1.60ghz processor, 256MB of RAM.
What are the best guides and tweaking programs that you suggest I use on the computer to make it run faster? Not just any guides. Good ones. And programs too please.

By the way, I have just installed CCleaner and TuneXP 1.5 so don't suggest those.

A ram upgrade would be smart

Maybe run a program like registry mechanic?

You could also disable some programs from booting at start up, should make logging on to user accounts faster.

Un-install un-used progrmas?


Also could check these sites
http://www.tweakxp.com/

http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/WindowsXP.htm

Thanks. Downloading registry mechanic now. And will try to un-install un-used programs.

If it's taking 3-5 minutes to log on that is alot of poo poo installed, not xp.

sp2 itself will be quite happy booting with 256Mb of ram.

Be careful with Reg Mechanic, it can be easy to fook up yer system if you aren't careful, but it is a win program...well, kinda.  And if you still have a system disk, maybe it's time to start from scratch.  And with 256mb ram, it can't hurt to through a gig in there.

This is probably the most comprehensive guide I've ever found on the internet.

Part 1:http://www.overclock.net/faqs/36430-info...post384678

Part 2:http://www.overclock.net/faqs/40428-info...guide.html

Don't try them all at once.  do them over the course of a few days and backup your registry regularly. This is where i screwed up a friends laptop.

Yes indeed, 3-5 minutes = a lot of poo poo.

My 533MHz with 128MB SDRAM only took ~20 seconds to log in for XP SP1.

But since it's almost always your poo poo, Start » Run » msconfig and disable all the stuff in the autorun/startup tab (warning, don't play around with the other tabs).

theres a  thread by me here with aload of xp tweaks some are outdated but most work

Squee's XP Tweaks Thread Here is another option, like Squee said above. . . .

i could actually use some of em