Simple steps to improve performace of your Home PC!

There are many ways to improve computer performance, from hardware upgrades to editing the Registry. But upgrading hardware can be quite expensive and editing the Windows Registry can seriously harm your computer if you do something wrong. In this article I’ve focused on simple and safe tweaks that will not cause any trouble and will make your computer run faster.

1) Speed Up Windows Explorer
Sometimes starting Windows Explorer can take a while. This is because Windows automatically looks for network files, shared network folders, and devices when you start Windows Explorer. It is possible to make it open faster by changing the settings:

Open Windows Explorer
Click on Tools menu
Then click on Folder Options
Click on the View tab
Find Automatically search for network folders and printers check box and uncheck it
Click Apply, then click OK
Reboot your PC

From now on Windows Explorer will start faster, as it will no longer automatically search for network files, shared folders, and devices in the network.

2) Optimize Appearance Settings
We all are used to how Windows XP looks. But actually its visual effects waste system resources. The graphics card is not the only one that has to deal with it – the CPU and the memory are affected as well. Windows Vista graphics are even more advanced and can dramatically slow down your PC, especially if your computer isn’t one of the latest and the fastest ones.
Luckily there is a way to configure Windows XP for best performance by reducing the effects in the graphical user interface. This will free up RAM and increase computer speed. To configure Windows XP for maximum performance do the following:

Go to Start, Settings and select Control Panel
In the Control Panel, click System and then Advanced tab
In the Performance Options window select the Adjust for best performance radio button
Click OK to confirm and close the window

This will turn off all visual effects, which is good for less powerful PCs and laptops. However, if you would like Windows XP to look more like what you’re used to, leave the following boxes ticked:

Show shadows under menus
Show shadows under mouse pointer
Show translucent selection rectangle
Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
Use visual styles on windows and buttons

3) Uninstall Unused Device Drivers
Once you have uninstalled a device, it’s a good idea to remove any device drivers that were left behind. Otherwise those drivers will still be using valuable system resources. Here is why this happens.

When you install a device, you also install its drivers and they get called each time you boot up your PC. And even when the device has been removed, but the drivers are still there, your system continues to load them at boot up. What a waste of resources!
If you have Windows XP, follow these steps to remove any unwanted device drivers:

Press the Windows key + the Break key on your keyboard. System Properties box will appear
Select the Advanced tab
Click Environmental Variables
Under System variables click New
In the variable box type devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices
Type 1 in the variable value text box
Click Ok to return to the System Properties box
Click Ok again
Go to the Device Manager tab
Click View – Show hidden devices

Then you will need to expand all the branches and look for washed out icons. Those icons show unused device drivers that you can uninstall.
Once you have found a device driver you wish to uninstall, highlight it, right-click it, and choose Remove. Delete only washed out icons. All the other icons show drivers of connected and used devices. If you delete them, your devices will stop functioning properly.