My Registery Tweaks

[Drew]

Here are some usefull registery tweaks i use for Windows XP.

;Speed up shutdown
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control]
"WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="3000"

;Do not use Simple File Sharing
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa]
"forceguest"=dword:00000000

;Disable Messenger Service (to stop spam. Does not affect MSN or Windows Messenger)
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Messenger]
"Start"=dword:00000004

;Change MenuShowDelay (Start Menu load speed)
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"MenuShowDelay"="2"

Make sure you backup your registery before you make any changes!

Installing these tweaks... create a new file and call it whatever you want. Give the the extension ".reg". After you save and add the registery code click on it and it will run and add it to the registery.

[m7smith7]

Speed up shutdown. Run XP-AntiSpy (free) and under miscellaneous settings check enable fast shutdown. This will change the default value of 20000 to 2000.
Do not use simple file sharing. Open my computer, select tools menu, folders options submenu, view tab, under advanced settings scroll down to the last entry, "Use simple file sharing (Recommended)." Unckeck this item click apply and okay.
Disable Messenger Service. There a few ways to do this. Install service pack 2 for Windows XP. Run shoot the messenger (free). Click start, run, type services.msc and disable Messenger.
Change Menu Show Delay. Run Tweak IU and in the left panel click on mouse, in the right panel adjust the menu speed slider fast is 0 and each hash mark is 125 increase.
All programs can be downloads from http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html be careful using these programs as misuse can disable programs.

[Seten]

I don't won't to be seen as bad, but that are commonly know registry tweaks. I know even more, but I don't use them. Mostly if you play with the system you get the same results, than with registry tweak.

[roryt]

Speed up shutdown. Run XP-AntiSpy (free) and under miscellaneous settings check enable fast shutdown. This will change the default value of 20000 to 2000.
Do not use simple file sharing. Open my computer, select tools menu, folders options submenu, view tab, under advanced settings scroll down to the last entry, "Use simple file sharing (Recommended)." Unckeck this item click apply and okay.
Disable Messenger Service. There a few ways to do this. Install service pack 2 for Windows XP. Run shoot the messenger (free). Click start, run, type services.msc and disable Messenger.
Change Menu Show Delay. Run Tweak IU and in the left panel click on mouse, in the right panel adjust the menu speed slider fast is 0 and each hash mark is 125 increase.
All programs can be downloads from http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html be careful using these programs as misuse can disable programs.

Although I am sure these are great ways of doing this I would have thought it would have been easier just to run the .reg file.

However, most of these tweaks are pretty pointless really. I think the only one that would really help would be the menu speed one.

[Dortz]

well, everyone has associated that they want 'faster shutdown times'. well, the shutting down of a system doesn't take as long as the starting up. and, added together, that should be the final time. Here are some 'real' timesavers for rebooting XP:

Creating a .bat file to delete temporary files
All those wonderful things you get off the internets don't go away. they get stored in the temp folder, waiting and sitting, sitting and waiting, and they serve no purpose but to get loaded up and slow down the computer when it boots. deleting the user history and temp folder each time the system is rebooted does not add much time to shutdown, and will greatly reduce startup time. an overall major benefit.
open a next editor and enter the following lines:
RD /S /q "C:\Documents and Settings\"UserName without quotes"\Local Settings\History"
RD /S /q "C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\History"
RD /S /q "C:\WINDOWS\Temp\" <--double check that this is the location of your temp folder.
include any other folders that you clear out regularly if you wish, and save as something like deltemp.bat. the .bat part is the important part.
Now click Start, Run and type in gpedit.msc
go to computer configuration, then windows settings, then scripts, and 'shutdown.' click 'add,' then browse for your .bat file, add it, and ok out.

the next time you shutdown might take a bit longer, because there will be more to clear out, but after that, it's smooth sailing. word to the wise on this one: if you use a lot of accessing the same few files, and rely on your history a lot, don't delete the folder. Though I would highly recommend using disk cleanup regularly to clear temporary files.

the second thing on the list, also which should be used regularly, is disk defragmenter.
Windows stores files in rows of contiguous segments. as you fill the drive, erase, move, and copy them, these segments become fragmented, and will end up taking longer to access. you should defragment your hard drive at least twice a week if you are concerned about getting every bit of performance out of your computer, and once every other week at least to keep it healthy.

and, although i believe this tweak is redundant as of as early as sp1, but if you check:

HKLM\software\microsoft\dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction

make sure 'enable' is set to 'Y', which will guarantee that disk defragmenter will check the boot sector for fragmented files as well. not that this would make more than a nanoseconds difference, but its still reassuring that your boot sector is nice and spiffyclean.

people have argued left, right, up and down about services.msc.
'oh, turn fast user switching off, it'll speed your computer up'. 'who needs 'help and support! i know how to use my own computer!'
I have tested and come to a conclusion: it's hogwash. they don't get in the way during normal operation, and they don't add 'any' time to startup. but, if it makes you feel better, it doesn't hurt anything either. just don't go doing something silly like disabling security center.

and, finally, a few choice words about msconfig.
windows only. don't have AIM, google toolbar, and 15 other programs that YOU installed taking up your precious startup time. odds are, you don't even 'like' google toolbar, and AIM is just bloated, use GAIM. or better yet, trillian.

that's my 2 cents worth of about 15 seconds of reboot time, which seems like an eternity when all you need is to check your e-mail.