'Maintain' Windows XP easily in 11 steps

Although Windows XP is being determined by Microsoft, there are still many users. Because they don't want to buy a new computer, or simply get used to the interface of Windows XP and don't want to upgrade . If you're the one using XP, the following tutorial will help you last longer. Longevity for your computer by making Windows more stable and efficient.

Note: Before making any changes you should proceed to create a restore point for your system in case the problem occurs. Also, scan the entire computer for antivirus software, such as Microsoft Security Essentials.

1. Always keep Windows up to date

Windows updates are provided to increase system performance, security, and stability. So before taking the next steps, update the latest version for Windows:

Go to Start > All Programs and select Microsoft Update :

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When Internet Explorer is finished downloading, click Express :

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Follow the update instructions to apply to your computer.

2. Defragment the hard drive

There are a lot of ideas around whether traditionally fragmented hard drives will affect computer performance. In fact, you can imagine it as simple as this: When a file is saved on a fragmented hard drive, it will be split into small pieces and saved in different areas. So when accessing it will take more time to merge them. Therefore it is obvious that the operation will be slow compared to the file being located on a hard drive area.

Unless you're using the Solid State Drives (SSD) drive, skip this step.

To defragment your hard drive, go to My Computer (Winkey + E) right-click on drive C and select Properties :

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Switch to the Tools tab and click Defragment Now .

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Select drive C and click Defragment .

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This process will take the most time but is also the most effective way to improve the performance of the computer. While performing this function you should stop all other activities.

3. Check the hard drive for errors

After an active period, the segments of the hard drive may be corrupted and you need to rearrange them. Bad sectors will not only slow down your computer, but you may also lose data stored on it.

To check the error for the hard drive, do the following:

Open My Computer (Winkey + E), right-click on C drive and select Properties .

Switch to the Tools tab, click Check Now .

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Check the 2 options Automatically fix system errors file and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors then press the Start button:

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Note: You may need to restart your computer before you can perform an error check:

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4. Remove programs that are not used in Windows Components

Windows Components are Windows core programs and tools. However, there are also some components that can be safely disabled if you do not use them. Typical examples are Games, Windows Media Center and Windows Media Player.

Press Winkey + R (or click Start > Run ), enter a ppwiz.cpl and press Enter .

When the Add or Remove Programs dialog box opens, click Add / Remove Windows Components :

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Uncheck the components you want to disable and click Next .

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Then these components will be disabled:

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5. Remove unused programs

Just like hard disk space, programs installed on the system will require resources. For example, they can run services on your computer that slow down startup and general operations. So if not necessary, remove them:

Press Winkey + R (or click Start> Run), enter appwiz.cpl and press Enter .

Select the program you want to remove and click Remove .

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6. Stop scanning folders / printers in the network

If you are not using a printer or folder in the network, disable them. This will help you avoid delays when opening My Computer.

If you are using a network drive, you can skip this step.

Open My Compute r (Winkey + E).

Click Tools > Folder Options .

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Switch to View tab, uncheck Automatically search for network folders and printers and click OK .

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Disconnect unused network drives

If you use a network drive, but a very long list of these drives will slow down the process of opening My Computer. To reduce the download time, disconnect any unused network drives (note server and share names before disconnecting).

Open My Computer (Winkey + E).

Right-click the unused network drive and select Disconnect :

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7. Update Driver

Drivers (hardware drivers) are used to provide communication between computer hardware together (such as printers, scanners, etc.).

Older drivers can become security threats, error-prone and incompatible with new hardware / programs. So update the driver regularly for your computer.

Download the Device Doctor utility (free).

After installing and starting, press Begin Scan :

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Wait a moment for Device Doctor to scan your current hardware and drivers:

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After the scan is complete, a list of the latest drivers will be listed. Click Download update for each hardware in the list:

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The provider website will appear, just click Download Driver Installer :

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Install the downloaded driver and restart the computer.

8. Adjust the display mode to improve performance

By today's standards, Windows XP may affect the performance of older hardware. So optimize your display to improve performance.

Go to Start , right-click My Computer and select Properties .

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Switch to the Advanced tab and then click Settings .

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At the Visual Effects tab select Adjust for best performance and click OK :

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9. Remove the program from Startup

In step 5, you proceeded to remove unused programs. Next, to have a smooth boot process, please cancel the programs that start with Windows (then if needed, start them from the Shortcut icon).

Press Winkey + R (or click Start> Run), enter msconfig and press Enter .

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Switch to the Startup tab, uncheck the programs you don't want to start with Windows and click OK :

Note: Some system programs cannot be removed.

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10. Clean the drive with the Disk Cleanup utility

Temporary files, the rest of the software installation process and files associated with unused programs . will take up your hard disk space. Please clean them to regain disk space.

Go to My Computer (Winkey + E) right click on the C drive and select Properties .

On the General tab, click Disk Cleanup .

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Check and check the items you want to clean, then press OK :

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11. Defragment again

After removing unused programs, temporary files and other data from the hard disk, you should perform hard disk defragmentation again so that everything is arranged in the most appropriate way. The steps are similar to the step 2 instructed.

Also keep your computer cool. If it is a laptop, make sure the ventilation hole is not blocked, always place it on a flat, hard surface. If using a desktop computer, equip enough fan radiator and arrange the plugs so that it is very clear.