Podcomplex PC Guide | Resources
Utilities and Links
There are many software tools and utilities out there that claim to improve performance under Windows XP - here are a few that are genuinely useful. These can be used to perform some of the tweaks outlined in the Performance and Usability Tweaks section. Particularly when it comes to editing the registry, it may be a better idea to let a good utility do this for you, rather than editing entries manually.
1. TweakUI
A very useful utility designed by Microsoft, this can be used to customize the Windows XP user interface. Once it
has been installed, you can disable balloon tips, disable autoplay, change thumbnail quality settings and much
more - all in a simple menu which can be accessed via Control Panel.
TweakUI is one of the Microsoft PowerToys - you should also check out the others to see if they might be of use
to you.
Download TweakUI for free
here.
2. Autoruns
This is a startup management utility - it controls what programs or processes are run automatically when Windows
loads. However, it is extremely detailed, and you should only disable items which you are certain are unnecessary
for your system.
For added safety, you should tick the 'Hide Microsoft Entries' box in the 'Options' menu.
Download Autoruns for free here.
3. CCleaner
CCleaner is a free tool for cleaning out unnecessary files from your machine, such as temporary files, Most
Recently Used (MRU) lists, browser cache files, and log files. The tool can analyze your PC and return a list of
candidates for deletion - you can customize the options to suit your own needs.
Again, make sure you have gone through all the settings to make sure you're not deleting anything that may be
useful to you. Also, I recommend that you avoid altering or deleting your Windows prefetch files (with this or
any other utility) as the default condition of this folder is usually optimal.
Download CCleaner for free here.
4. Ad-Aware SE
This program removes a variety of common spyware infections - just let it scan your system and delete any items
it finds. Some particularly stubborn spyware may need to be removed in Safe Mode - just hit F8 when Windows is
booting up and select 'Safe Mode' from the menu. In Windows Safe Mode, run Ad-Aware again and it may uncover a
few more nasties.
Download Ad-Aware for free here.
5. Spybot Search and Destroy
Spybot is another tool for spyware removal - just scan and delete. It also features a useful 'Immunise' feature
which blocks spyware from installing itself in the future.
Download Spybot for free here.
6. PC Inspector File Recovery
This is a useful file recovery program that may be of use if you have accidentally deleted some data that you
shouldn't have. It may also be able to recover some files from a corrupted hard drive - however, as with all data
recovery operations, nothing is guaranteed. As soon as you discover you have lost data that needs to be
recovered, do not open any other programs, or perform any other tasks - execute your recovery program
immediately.
Download PC Inspector for free here.
7. RegCleaner Registry Optimiser
RegCleaner can be used to remove any old or obsolete entries from your registry. This is a safer way of modifying
your registry than using the built-in Windows editor (which can be accessed by typing 'regedit' in the
'Start>Run' box). It also creates a backup of your registry to which you can revert in the event of a problem.
Download RegCleaner for free
here.
8. Bootvis Boot-Up Optimiser
Once you have your system set up as you like it, you can use this Microsoft utility to optimize your Windows boot
sequence. This program is no longer supported by Microsoft, and requires SP2 to be installed for it to work
properly on a hyper-threading Pentium 4 machine. However, it can be used to minimize boot-up time for Windows XP
once you have all your other tweaks completed and all your programs installed.
Download Bootvis for free here.