{"id":2958,"date":"2008-10-22T20:58:24","date_gmt":"2008-10-22T12:58:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=2958"},"modified":"2021-12-02T21:10:28","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T13:10:28","slug":"4-windows-xp-maintenance-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/4-windows-xp-maintenance-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Windows XP Maintenance Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Computers are like pets<\/strong> \u2013 they need care. We all want our computer to be fast, efficient, and responsive, but when it starts slowing down, most people just get mad at it. Well, don\u2019t. Just give it some good care.<\/p>\n

The maintenance tips in this article will help you make your XP computer faster, safer, and more stable.<\/p>\n

Reduce recycle bin size<\/h2>\n

Nowadays hard disks are pretty large, so the default 10% for the Recycle Bin is way too much. Most users would be OK with 5-10Gb, which will usually be from 2 to 5% of the hard drive space.<\/p>\n

To reduce the size of your Recycle Bin do the following:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Go to Desktop<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Right-click on the Recycle Bin<\/strong> icon<\/li>\n
  3. Select Properties<\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. Use the slider to choose the required percentage<\/li>\n
  5. Click Apply<\/strong>, then click OK<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Turn off Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance<\/h2>\n

    Windows XP has services that make it possible for other people to access your computer remotely. They are handy if a computer is part of a network, but there is always a danger that hackers may use them to access your computer. So, if your PC is not part of a network, it\u2019s best to turn them off. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Go to Start<\/strong> \u2013 Settings<\/strong> \u2013 Control Panel<\/strong><\/li>\n
    2. Double-click the System icon<\/strong><\/li>\n
    3. Select the Remote tab<\/strong><\/li>\n
    4. Uncheck Allow Remote Assistance<\/strong> invitations to be sent from this computer<\/li>\n
    5. In the same tab click Advanced<\/strong><\/li>\n
    6. Uncheck Allow<\/strong> users to connect remotely to this computer<\/li>\n
    7. Click Apply<\/strong>, then click OK<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Don\u2019t worry \u2013 you will be able to access MSN, Skype and other similar programs. Turning off Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop doesn\u2019t affect them in any way.<\/p>\n

      Run Windows XP chkdsk (Check Disk) from time to time<\/h2>\n

      Windows XP chkdsk<\/strong> is a tool that should be run from time to time. It will scan the disk for errors, fix logical errors, detect and mark bad sectors so that Windows will no longer try to use them. This way it can prevent your computer from becoming unstable.<\/p>\n

      There is a slight disadvantage, though \u2013 Check Disk may require a lot of time to perform its task. It depends on many things, like overall PC speed, number of files and folders on the disk, amount of RAM, and disk size. So it\u2019s best to run Check Disk only if you don\u2019t need to use the computer for some time.<\/p>\n

      Also Windows XP chkdsk wants exclusive access to the computer. In most cases, it will ask for a reboot and will run right after the reboot, so you won\u2019t have access to your PC. Of course, you can always interrupt the process, but it\u2019s not a good idea.<\/p>\n

      To run Check Disk do this:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Find the My Computer<\/strong> icon on your desktop and double-click it<\/li>\n
      2. Find the disk you want to check, right-click it and go to Properties<\/strong><\/li>\n
      3. In the Properties<\/strong> dialog box go to Tools<\/strong><\/li>\n
      4. Click Check now<\/strong><\/li>\n
      5. A new dialog box will appear, check both options and click Start<\/strong><\/li>\n
      6. Most likely you will get a message that Check Disk wants exclusive access to the disk and wants to start right after your reboot. Click OK<\/strong><\/li>\n
      7. Restart your computer<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Defrag regularly<\/h2>\n

        Badly fragmented disks can cause a lot of problems, like general system slowdowns, slower startup and shutdowns, and even computer crashes. Basically, your hard drive is the slowest part of your computer and file fragmentation makes it even slower.<\/p>\n

        Windows has a built-in Disk Defragmenter. To use it go to Start \u2013 Programs \u2013 Accessories \u2013 System Tools \u2013 Disk Defragmenter. Like any other defrag utility it gathers file fragments that are scattered all over your disk and writes them into adjacent clusters.<\/p>\n

        But to be honest, I never use Windows Disk Defrag<\/strong> \u2013 it takes quite some time to do its job and skips too many files.<\/p>\n

        The good news is that there are good free defrag utilities available for download. The ones I like are Auslogics DiskDefrag and Piriform Defraggler. Both are trusted developers and do their job great. Personally, I like the Auslogics one better, because it doesn\u2019t need time to analyze the disk, so it\u2019s very fast.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Computers are like pets \u2013 they need care. We all want our computer to be fast, efficient, and responsive, but when it starts slowing down, most people just get mad at it. Well, don\u2019t. Just give it some good care. The maintenance tips in this article will help you make your XP computer faster, safer,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":569,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3397],"tags":[171,145],"topic":[4521],"class_list":["entry-content","is-maxi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n4 Windows XP Maintenance Tips - Hongkiat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Computers are like pets - they need care. 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