Faster starts

Q.

My computer takes quite long to boot up Windows XP. What can I do to optimize my start-up time for faster performance?

A.

Since there are a multitude of reasons that can affect the start-up speed of a system, there is no single absolute solution. As a first step, you may need to tweak your PC's BIOS utility (tap the F1, F2 or Del keys while booting to enter the BIOS) and change the boot device priority by setting your hard drive as the first boot device. Next, you need to disable all unneeded programs that start­up every time with Windows. To do so, dick 'Run' from the Start Menu, type 'msconfig' and press the Enter key. Click the Startup tab and simply uncheck the boxes to keep items from loading. For instance, you can safely disable programs such as MSN or Yahoo Messenger. Moreover, disable any unneeded services using the Services applet in Windows XP. To access it, from 'Run', type 'services.msc' and press Enter. For a comprehensive list of services that can be safely disabled in Windows XP SP3, visit Black Viper's website (www.blackviper.com/WinXP 7servicecfg.htm). In addition, regularly defragment your hard drive using the utility built into Windows to help optimize the placement of all data on it and ensure peak access rates. Lastly, opting for a faster hard drive or installing more RAM modules will also do wonders to your PC's overall performance.