E

ven though Windows XP is the best operating

system Microsoft has ever shipped, it can still ben-

efit from a bit of tweaking. Whether you’re trying

to speed up system performance, conserve a few gigs

of hard disk space, or just add a handy new feature to

the interface, a fine adjustment here or there can make a

world of difference.

Submitted for your approval, we give you our 13

favorite WinXP tips and tricks.

BY WILL SMITH

Tweak everything

about Windows XP, from

your boot time to your

Start menu

How To... A step-by-step guide to tweaking your PC Experience

TIME TO COMPLETION

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84 MAXIMUMPC DECEMBER 2003

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Tweak everything

your boot time to your

WIN XP

Tweak Tweak everything everything

A handy little app called Bootvis is avail-

able on the Microsoft web site—search for

“bootvis” at http://www.microsoft.com. The soft-

ware analyzes your PC’s boot process and

checks for slow-starting drivers, apps, and

even OS components. If all you want to

do is make your PC boot faster, download

Bootvis and run the program. Then go to

Trace, then Optimize. If you want to see

how much faster your PC is after Bootvis

has done its job, go to Trace, Next boot +

Driver Delays.

Bootvis will restart your system and

monitor the way each driver and TSR

loads, then it will optimize their positions

on your hard drive. This will allow your

drive to feed your OS with information

as quickly as possible, and should signifi-

cantly shorten boot times.

Improve Your Boot Speed