Syphon
31st January 2004, 03:16
General Tips:
1. Reformatting
^--ahh...the wonderful Panacea, Reformatation...Generally, there is performance, stability, and resolving of just plain weird-ass issues to be gotten from Reformatting. What's to be lost? Well, for sure, time, and then , of course, any data you forgot to backup. And if you don't have, for instance, your Windows CD-Key...hehe..well, you better find it! Generally, I would recommend Reformatting anually or bi-anually. (At least install your OS over your current one at 6-month, then after next 6-month Reformat, then after 6-month re-install OS..etc.etc.etc.)
UPDATE(01.19.03): two new guides to reformatting:
1. http://www.umt.edu/reslife/Reformat.htm
-quick, simple, step-by-step guide to reformatting.
2. http://www.winxpcentral.com/basics/reformat.php
-much more in-depth, excruciatingly detailed and amazingly helpful step-by-step-by-step-by... reformatting guide read it
2. Windows Update
^--important important important Period. Do it, it's that simple. Look in your start menu and click on "Windows Update" or go to www.windowsupdate.com and look around for it, it can help quite a lot (security, stability, drivers etc.).
&*& for Dialup Users: you can download the updates as installers and burn them to a CD ( thanks to TekieB:D )
3. Task Scheduler
^--USE your task scheduler (I just started using mine ~_~). This is what my task scheduler's lineup looks like:
1:30 AM Disk Cleanup || 2:00 AM Scandisk || 2:30 AM Defrag || 3:30 AM FAH
obvious additions would include Virus Scanning, running Spybot S&D ( http://www.safer-networking.org/ )
The way to set this up is quite easy. In Win98 just go Start \ Programs \ Acessories \ System Tools \ Maintenance Wizard and follow the instructions. If you want it to run a 3rd party program (i.e. FAH) at a certain time, you can just click "Browse" when it asks what program to run and navigate yourself to the "Shortcut to FAH3" or "FAH3.exe" file and enter that, then it should work!
4. Tweak, Tweak, Tweak.
^-- www.speedguide.net
^-- www.tweak3d.net
Read 'em and Tweak. (speedguide contains tweaks pertinent to Win9x/ME ; Win2k ; WinXP, although the main focus of the site is on internet connection [and here mostly broadband] tweaking -- tweak3d contains once again OS pertinent tweaks, as well as hardware related articles and a host of reviews of hardware)
5. Clean
^--Clean out your case every so often, vacume in the room where your computer is at least once a week. Make sure you have good filters in your case fans. You'd be amazed at how many problems dust bunnies can cause you, it's just amazing... Once you've cleaned out your case, you can overclock better (because you can cool better ^_^) and you'll have greater stability (again linked to the cooling aspect).
^--Clean not only the physical part of your rig but also every two weeks or so go on a spring cleaning frenzy. The more often you do it, the less it is each time you have to do it. I remember once I hadn't checked to see if there was any useless crap on my computer I could delete...I ended up finding over half a gig of stuff just in my download folder... Once you've cleaned out your HDD, they'll perform better and hopefully will be more stable ^_^.
6. Page File (Swap File)
^-- http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=707368
this should answer all your questions. ( much thanks to Phoenix86 :D )
7. Tweak UI
^-- a handy dandy little Tweak User Interface created by Microsoft. Lets you change many settings with the shell of your Windows OS, such as privacy settings: i.e. clear out those *.lnk files that form in the Start \ Documents folder whenever you access a document etc. Includes privacy options, customization options, and a repair utility for damaged icons. YOU SHOULD GET IT
WinXPLink:here (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp)
Win9x/ME/2kLink: here (http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp)
**a not-so-quick note: ALL TWEAKS ARE PERFORMED AT YOUR OWN RISK AND I'M NOT GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER THE HELL HAPPENS TO YOUR MACHINE. SORRY. and good luck.
**a quick note: Spybot S&D is one of the most wonderful programs i have come across, i strongly recommend EVERYONE to download a copy (and keep it updated, religiously). It's completely free, and incredibly safe (provided you don't screw it up yourself).
** a quick note 2: another program i suggest getting is AVG Free Edition ( www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php ) in addition to your current virus solution. Infact, i don't even have a "real" (i.e. spend money on) Anti-Virus program (i.e. Mcaffee or Norton), I just use this. It's pretty damn cool (and again, update it religoiusly ^_^).
Now, onto the tweaks! This section conatains links to full explanations and short summaries of tweaks:
**wait a second...R E A D T H I S first (1st) (now):
- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/tweaking/
that's right, it's how to tweak, and understanding what it's all about. Please read it before attempting any of the following tweaks.
it also sets up the best way for you to approach tweaks and how to make them most effective
Level of Difficulty: Just Read it Okay? (Easy)
How To Guides:
T01- http://tweak3d.net/articles/spyware/
"How to Remove Spyware, Adware, and Popups" Learn how to cure your PC of that Messenger Spam (little window that pops up saying "Buy My Product for 4 Easy Installments of $99.99" etc. etc.), stop popups before they take over your computer, and get rid of Spyware/Adware.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
&*&*&*&*&: Special Note!!: The one gripe I have with the above guide is its recommendation to use Lavasoft's Adaware. I say no. Infact, I say hell no. Use Spybot S&D, okay, it's a whole lot better...and it's completely free, you don't get some bullshit trial version or any crap like that. Check it out at: http://www.safer-networking.org/
Still don't believe me? Listen to what CNET has to say "Spybot blows venerable Ad-aware out of the water when it comes to protecting you against ad-serving software." . Now go get it. ;)
T02- http://tweak3d.net/articles/xp-install/
"How to Install WindowsXP" well, the title says it all. They have a couple tricks up their sleeves to optimize your system as it is installed (always a good thing) and walk you through holding your hand every step of the way.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
T03- http://tweak3d.net/articles/howtobuildapc/
"How to build a PC" step-by-step guide. Detailed, and easy to comprehend.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
T04- http://tweak3d.net/articles/howtoinstallwindow/
"How to Install a Window in Your Case" name says it all. step-by-step, detailed, gives you preperationa dn follow-up.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
T05- http://tweak3d.net/articles/buyhardware/
"How to Buy Hardware Online" IMPORTANT IMPORTANT GUIDE, now read it. However, i have a gripe about this one as well, they like to use www.pricewatch.com. I'd prefer that you also use www.pricegrabber.com.
T06- http://tweak3d.net/articles/howtoserver/
"How to Build a Server" 12 page immensely detailed guide that walks you through what parts to buy and how to set the entire thing up.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
T07- http://tweak3d.net/articles/howtolanparty/
"How to Setup a LAN Party" All right!! A guide for how to have the most fun with the most friends! This guide walks through location, setting up power for all the machines, and even touches on the networking aspect involved with a LAN. It also provides helpful tips to make the most of the party.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
T08 http://tweak3d.net/articles/cleaning/
"How to Clean your PC" Detailed guide, provides materials and tools needed along with proper procedure to muck out that case of your's.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
T09 http://tweak3d.net/articles/casecutting/
"How to Make a Blowhole (System Cooling and Case Cutting)" Details how to cut your beautiful case up, and then how to make the cuts pretty by smoothing the edges etc. Also describes how to properly create a blowhole. Gives tools and materails needed, the proper procedure, and fan placement.
INTERNET GUIDES/TWEAKS:
I01- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=115
"Bits, Bytes, and Bandwith Reference Guide" in short, READ THIS, it will tweaking your internet connection so much easeir to understand, it's a very very good introduction to all the terms and definititons etc. that are connected with the internet.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (user knowledge dependant)
I02- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=132
GOOD introduction and explanation to security for your box. It does go into depth some, so don't discount it as a shallow guide, it'll help people new to making their computer safe, and it can serve as a refresher course for more experienced users.
I03- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=169
how to share an internet connection. very well written.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish to Medium
I04- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=119
General guide for the best network and internet settings for Win9x/ME
Level of Difficulty: Medium (registry / sys file editing)
I05a- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=157
very good guide giving the best network and internet settings for Win2k/XP
Level of Difficulty: Medium (registry / sys file editing)
^
I05b-- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=158
extension of the above guide.
Level of Difficulty: Medium (registry / sys file editing)
I06- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=1130
"The tweak desribed below helps boost priority for DNS & hostname resolution in general. What this means is, it helps web pages load faster, and has negligible effect on downloads (not counting the couple of ms gain with the host resolution at connect-time). Applying this tweak assumes some proficiency in editing the Windows Registry using Regedit (Start > Run > type: regedit). As always, backup your Registry before making any changes so you can revert to the previous state if you don't like the results. Note: The below host name resolution tweak can also be used for changing name-resoluton order besides priority."
Level of Difficulty: Medium (Registry editing)
I07- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=168
NOTE: this only works for Win9x (supposedly), AND it's not documented by Microsoft, so you'll have to play around with it to see if it'll help you. What it does is essentially reserve some memory for the modem itself, so performance gains may or may not apply to your system.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (sys file editing)
I08- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=156
hmm, This is a general guide dedicated to gettin the most out of your current internet connection (be it DSL/Cable/56-k)
Notebook/Laptop Guides:
L01- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/notebook/
this is really important if you own a laptop (or notebook). You MUST read it in order to get the longest battery life best performance etc. out of your computer. Please read it.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
GENERAL (MAYBE NOT OS DEPENDANT, MAYBE HARDWARE TWEAKS)
G01- www.rojakpot.com/freebog.aspx
VERY detailed and specific amazingly good BIOS optimization guide
( thanks to Drisler :D )
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (depends on user knowledge)
G02- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/pcgamer1/
a well written immense article with everything from BIOS tweaks up to OS dependant tweaks **READ**
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (depends on user knowledge)
G03- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/boot/
want to boot up faster? use this guide.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (once again, user knowledge dependant)
G04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/boot-time/
want to boot up even faster? read this guide as well.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (user knowledge dependant)
G05- http://www.tweak3d.net/tweak/harddrive/
Hard Drive tweaking, that's right. Hard Drive tweaking.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
G06- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/quickspeed/
good quick guide to getting quite a lot out of your aging or new system.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (not just point-and-click)
Hardware Specific Tweaks:
AIR FLOW:
H01- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/airflowtweak/
READ THIS. READ IT. it tells how to cure your entire case of hotspots, amazing. "perfect" cooling.
Level of Difficulty: User-Dependant (do you know how to cut your case?) (Easy to Medium)
Router:
H02- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=177
detailed. well written. helpful. describes how to set up a network / game server etc. behind a router, and how to configure a router.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
CPU/Motherboard/BIOS:
H03- http://www.tweak3d.net/tweak/cpu/
must read. just must read. (even includes how to flash your BIOS)
Level of Difficulty: Easyish (user dependant) to Medium
Speakers:
H04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/sound/
"this guide should get you started on improving your computer's sound quality. It's a long guide, and the procedures may take you some time to complete, but we think you'll find the results are worthwhile."
very very very detailed and SOLID guide. Read it, and you won't be sorry.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
Monitors:
H05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/monitor/
"In this guide you'll find information on how to maintain and properly tune your monitor, as well as information on how to improve a video card's output to that monitor - something that at many times is even more important than the actual monitor settings"
'nuff said.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Cable/DSL:
H06- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/cable/
"While this tweak guide is technically written for cable modems, most of these tweaks will work with xDSL as well. Back up all settings before changing. Keep in mind that some users may experience loss of performance, but most should experience a gain in performance from this guide. This is why we recommend that you back up settings before proceeding."
Pretty good for speeding up your Cable (or DSL) back to where it should be.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Modem:
H07- http://www.ircspy.com/guides.asp?mode=display&id=541
Quick guide to increase the bandwith available for transfer through the COM port. It works in all Windows (i'm pretty sure, not just Win98).
Level of Difficulty: EASY (ALL POINT-AND-CLICK BABY!)
H08- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/modem/
ONLY WORKS WITH WIN9x (NOT 2k or XP (i'm assuming, from this: "Note - this guide is not for Windows 2000. This is probably the final update to the Windows 9x Modem Tweak Guide.")
quick, all point and click. go. tweak. have fun.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
H09- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2kmodem/
Modem guide for Win2k.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Optical Drives:
H10- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/optical/
quick and clean tweaking for your CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM/etc.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Input/Peripherals:
H11- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/inputs/
yes, there's actually a guide for tweaking your peripherals.
Level of Difficulty: Laughable
H12- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/mouse/
a guide dedicated to the mouse. it's pretty nit-picky, this is not an essentialy guide to read. However, if you want to get the most out of your mouse, read it.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Printer:
H13- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/printer/
Maintenance information and actual tweaks you can do.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
LAN:
H14- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/lan/
yes, a guide for tweaking a LAN and it's pretty detailed/helpful too!
Level of Difficulty: Medium
H15- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2klan/
LAN guide dedicated to Win2k. "this guide is for small home networks. Large networks need not apply. I’m not going to talk about DHCP servers (well, not in this revision anyway) or anything like that – we’ll start ‘simple’ first."
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
OS SPECIFIC TWEAKS:
Win 9x/ME
Z01 &*& NEW: all right, no link for this one, i'll just have to explain it, so here goes: This guide details how to rebuild the registry in Win98 (idk if it will work in other OS's) and keep it running well. In Win98 the registry is rather superflous and doesn't do a good job of keeping compact, so here's how you deal with it. First, reboot in DOS by going to Start \ Shut Down \ Restart in MS-DOS Mode. Then, after it's finished booting up and is at the C:\Windows screen, type in "scanreg/fix" (just like that, but without the ""). This will take a while, after all, it's manually rebuilding the entire registry. Since the registry is the heart of your computer system, doing this should solve stability issues and make the OS respond faster. Now, how do you keep it like this without constantly scanreg/fix 'ing? Like this: start back up into Win98's GUI (graphical user interface) by typing "exit" (just like that but wihout the "") at the DOS screen, that should reboot you. Now type Start \ Run "msconfig" (just like that without the "") and go to the Autoexec.bat tab, in there click on "New" and type in "scanreg/opt" (just like that but without the ""). What that does is a kind of shorter version of the scanreg/fix , the "opt" stands for "optimize". This way, it'll optimize the registry each time you restart. So save your changes and restart. Congratulations, you've just tweaked your way to a faster performing OS ^_^.
Z02- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/cleanup2k/
it's for 2k and 9x; it's essentially about cleaning out old RegKeys; unused .dll's and making sure there's no useless junk on your computer
Level of Difficulty: Easy (uses 3rd party programs)
Z03- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/windows/
general tweak guide, pretty much all about using Win9x (and ME) to their fullest regarding the various options they have for making a better running OS
Level of Difficulty: Medium (some sysfile editing and reg editing)
Z04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win98/
incredibly short very shallow tweak guide for a few settings on Win98
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Z05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/shell/
This is about the Win98 shell only. It's pretty much just identifying problems with the Win98 Shell and introducing several programs that could help eliminate those problems.
Level of Difficulty: Hard (if you actually do it. i didn't, and i don't plan to.)
Win2k/XP
X01- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2k/
"All of the other Win2K tweak guides are limited by some kind of hardware focus. This guide, however, will hold anything else that doesn't have it's own guide devoted to it, or even just extra stuff that would fit in another guide but isn't big enough to justify its own update. This includes random performance tweaks, and - for the time being anyway - shell customization information."
has pretty detailed random settings you can tweak. read it (esp. if you're new to Win2k)
Level of Difficulty: Easy - Medium
X02- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/winxp/
General tweak guide and introduction to the ins and outs of XP. (read, esp. if you're new to WinXP)
Level of Diffuclty: Easy
X03- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/winstartupnew/
"Your system will boot faster and have more free memory."
Tweaks for Win2k/XP to, well, speed up booting and making sure there's as much free memory as possible.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/xpresources/
a kinda "refresher" that goes into detail about how to free up resources by well, making sure there aren't bullshit things running and generally sprucing up XP (i think this is pretty much only for XP).
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2kmem/
guide for HDD and Memory tweaking. READ IT.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X06- http://www.windows-help.net/WindowsXP/howto-15.html
simple guide on how to disable Windows Splash screen at startup
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Hardware Specific Tweaks:
AIR FLOW:
H01- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/airflowtweak/
READ THIS. READ IT. it tells how to cure your entire case of hotspots, amazing. "perfect" cooling.
Level of Difficulty: User-Dependant (do you know how to cut your case?) (Easy to Medium)
Router:
H02- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=177
detailed. well written. helpful. describes how to set up a network / game server etc. behind a router, and how to configure a router.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
CPU/Motherboard/BIOS:
H03- http://www.tweak3d.net/tweak/cpu/
must read. just must read. (even includes how to flash your BIOS)
Level of Difficulty: Easyish (user dependant) to Medium
Speakers:
H04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/sound/
"this guide should get you started on improving your computer's sound quality. It's a long guide, and the procedures may take you some time to complete, but we think you'll find the results are worthwhile."
very very very detailed and SOLID guide. Read it, and you won't be sorry.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
Monitors:
H05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/monitor/
"In this guide you'll find information on how to maintain and properly tune your monitor, as well as information on how to improve a video card's output to that monitor - something that at many times is even more important than the actual monitor settings"
'nuff said.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Cable/DSL:
H06- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/cable/
"While this tweak guide is technically written for cable modems, most of these tweaks will work with xDSL as well. Back up all settings before changing. Keep in mind that some users may experience loss of performance, but most should experience a gain in performance from this guide. This is why we recommend that you back up settings before proceeding."
Pretty good for speeding up your Cable (or DSL) back to where it should be.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Modem:
H07- http://www.ircspy.com/guides.asp?mode=display&id=541
Quick guide to increase the bandwith available for transfer through the COM port. It works in all Windows (i'm pretty sure, not just Win98).
Level of Difficulty: EASY (ALL POINT-AND-CLICK BABY!)
H08- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/modem/
ONLY WORKS WITH WIN9x (NOT 2k or XP (i'm assuming, from this: "Note - this guide is not for Windows 2000. This is probably the final update to the Windows 9x Modem Tweak Guide.")
quick, all point and click. go. tweak. have fun.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
H09- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2kmodem/
Modem guide for Win2k.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Optical Drives:
H10- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/optical/
quick and clean tweaking for your CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM/etc.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Input/Peripherals:
H11- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/inputs/
yes, there's actually a guide for tweaking your peripherals.
Level of Difficulty: Laughable
H12- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/mouse/
a guide dedicated to the mouse. it's pretty nit-picky, this is not an essentialy guide to read. However, if you want to get the most out of your mouse, read it.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Printer:
H13- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/printer/
Maintenance information and actual tweaks you can do.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
LAN:
H14- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/lan/
yes, a guide for tweaking a LAN and it's pretty detailed/helpful too!
Level of Difficulty: Medium
H15- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2klan/
LAN guide dedicated to Win2k. "this guide is for small home networks. Large networks need not apply. I’m not going to talk about DHCP servers (well, not in this revision anyway) or anything like that – we’ll start ‘simple’ first."
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
OS SPECIFIC TWEAKS:
Win 9x/ME
Z01 &*& NEW: all right, no link for this one, i'll just have to explain it, so here goes: This guide details how to rebuild the registry in Win98 (idk if it will work in other OS's) and keep it running well. In Win98 the registry is rather superflous and doesn't do a good job of keeping compact, so here's how you deal with it. First, reboot in DOS by going to Start \ Shut Down \ Restart in MS-DOS Mode. Then, after it's finished booting up and is at the C:\Windows screen, type in "scanreg/fix" (just like that, but without the ""). This will take a while, after all, it's manually rebuilding the entire registry. Since the registry is the heart of your computer system, doing this should solve stability issues and make the OS respond faster. Now, how do you keep it like this without constantly scanreg/fix 'ing? Like this: start back up into Win98's GUI (graphical user interface) by typing "exit" (just like that but wihout the "") at the DOS screen, that should reboot you. Now type Start \ Run "msconfig" (just like that without the "") and go to the Autoexec.bat tab, in there click on "New" and type in "scanreg/opt" (just like that but without the ""). What that does is a kind of shorter version of the scanreg/fix , the "opt" stands for "optimize". This way, it'll optimize the registry each time you restart. So save your changes and restart. Congratulations, you've just tweaked your way to a faster performing OS ^_^.
Z02- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/cleanup2k/
it's for 2k and 9x; it's essentially about cleaning out old RegKeys; unused .dll's and making sure there's no useless junk on your computer
Level of Difficulty: Easy (uses 3rd party programs)
Z03- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/windows/
general tweak guide, pretty much all about using Win9x (and ME) to their fullest regarding the various options they have for making a better running OS
Level of Difficulty: Medium (some sysfile editing and reg editing)
Z04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win98/
incredibly short very shallow tweak guide for a few settings on Win98
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Z05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/shell/
This is about the Win98 shell only. It's pretty much just identifying problems with the Win98 Shell and introducing several programs that could help eliminate those problems.
Level of Difficulty: Hard (if you actually do it. i didn't, and i don't plan to.)
Win2k/XP
X01- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2k/
"All of the other Win2K tweak guides are limited by some kind of hardware focus. This guide, however, will hold anything else that doesn't have it's own guide devoted to it, or even just extra stuff that would fit in another guide but isn't big enough to justify its own update. This includes random performance tweaks, and - for the time being anyway - shell customization information."
has pretty detailed random settings you can tweak. read it (esp. if you're new to Win2k)
Level of Difficulty: Easy - Medium
X02- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/winxp/
General tweak guide and introduction to the ins and outs of XP. (read, esp. if you're new to WinXP)
Level of Diffuclty: Easy
X03- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/winstartupnew/
"Your system will boot faster and have more free memory."
Tweaks for Win2k/XP to, well, speed up booting and making sure there's as much free memory as possible.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/xpresources/
a kinda "refresher" that goes into detail about how to free up resources by well, making sure there aren't bullshit things running and generally sprucing up XP (i think this is pretty much only for XP).
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2kmem/
guide for HDD and Memory tweaking. READ IT.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X06- http://www.windows-help.net/WindowsXP/howto-15.html
simple guide on how to disable Windows Splash screen at startup
Level of Difficulty: Easy
THANKS TO [H]ARD OCP FOR THIS GUIDE
1. Reformatting
^--ahh...the wonderful Panacea, Reformatation...Generally, there is performance, stability, and resolving of just plain weird-ass issues to be gotten from Reformatting. What's to be lost? Well, for sure, time, and then , of course, any data you forgot to backup. And if you don't have, for instance, your Windows CD-Key...hehe..well, you better find it! Generally, I would recommend Reformatting anually or bi-anually. (At least install your OS over your current one at 6-month, then after next 6-month Reformat, then after 6-month re-install OS..etc.etc.etc.)
UPDATE(01.19.03): two new guides to reformatting:
1. http://www.umt.edu/reslife/Reformat.htm
-quick, simple, step-by-step guide to reformatting.
2. http://www.winxpcentral.com/basics/reformat.php
-much more in-depth, excruciatingly detailed and amazingly helpful step-by-step-by-step-by... reformatting guide read it
2. Windows Update
^--important important important Period. Do it, it's that simple. Look in your start menu and click on "Windows Update" or go to www.windowsupdate.com and look around for it, it can help quite a lot (security, stability, drivers etc.).
&*& for Dialup Users: you can download the updates as installers and burn them to a CD ( thanks to TekieB:D )
3. Task Scheduler
^--USE your task scheduler (I just started using mine ~_~). This is what my task scheduler's lineup looks like:
1:30 AM Disk Cleanup || 2:00 AM Scandisk || 2:30 AM Defrag || 3:30 AM FAH
obvious additions would include Virus Scanning, running Spybot S&D ( http://www.safer-networking.org/ )
The way to set this up is quite easy. In Win98 just go Start \ Programs \ Acessories \ System Tools \ Maintenance Wizard and follow the instructions. If you want it to run a 3rd party program (i.e. FAH) at a certain time, you can just click "Browse" when it asks what program to run and navigate yourself to the "Shortcut to FAH3" or "FAH3.exe" file and enter that, then it should work!
4. Tweak, Tweak, Tweak.
^-- www.speedguide.net
^-- www.tweak3d.net
Read 'em and Tweak. (speedguide contains tweaks pertinent to Win9x/ME ; Win2k ; WinXP, although the main focus of the site is on internet connection [and here mostly broadband] tweaking -- tweak3d contains once again OS pertinent tweaks, as well as hardware related articles and a host of reviews of hardware)
5. Clean
^--Clean out your case every so often, vacume in the room where your computer is at least once a week. Make sure you have good filters in your case fans. You'd be amazed at how many problems dust bunnies can cause you, it's just amazing... Once you've cleaned out your case, you can overclock better (because you can cool better ^_^) and you'll have greater stability (again linked to the cooling aspect).
^--Clean not only the physical part of your rig but also every two weeks or so go on a spring cleaning frenzy. The more often you do it, the less it is each time you have to do it. I remember once I hadn't checked to see if there was any useless crap on my computer I could delete...I ended up finding over half a gig of stuff just in my download folder... Once you've cleaned out your HDD, they'll perform better and hopefully will be more stable ^_^.
6. Page File (Swap File)
^-- http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=707368
this should answer all your questions. ( much thanks to Phoenix86 :D )
7. Tweak UI
^-- a handy dandy little Tweak User Interface created by Microsoft. Lets you change many settings with the shell of your Windows OS, such as privacy settings: i.e. clear out those *.lnk files that form in the Start \ Documents folder whenever you access a document etc. Includes privacy options, customization options, and a repair utility for damaged icons. YOU SHOULD GET IT
WinXPLink:here (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp)
Win9x/ME/2kLink: here (http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp)
**a not-so-quick note: ALL TWEAKS ARE PERFORMED AT YOUR OWN RISK AND I'M NOT GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER THE HELL HAPPENS TO YOUR MACHINE. SORRY. and good luck.
**a quick note: Spybot S&D is one of the most wonderful programs i have come across, i strongly recommend EVERYONE to download a copy (and keep it updated, religiously). It's completely free, and incredibly safe (provided you don't screw it up yourself).
** a quick note 2: another program i suggest getting is AVG Free Edition ( www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php ) in addition to your current virus solution. Infact, i don't even have a "real" (i.e. spend money on) Anti-Virus program (i.e. Mcaffee or Norton), I just use this. It's pretty damn cool (and again, update it religoiusly ^_^).
Now, onto the tweaks! This section conatains links to full explanations and short summaries of tweaks:
**wait a second...R E A D T H I S first (1st) (now):
- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/tweaking/
that's right, it's how to tweak, and understanding what it's all about. Please read it before attempting any of the following tweaks.
it also sets up the best way for you to approach tweaks and how to make them most effective
Level of Difficulty: Just Read it Okay? (Easy)
How To Guides:
T01- http://tweak3d.net/articles/spyware/
"How to Remove Spyware, Adware, and Popups" Learn how to cure your PC of that Messenger Spam (little window that pops up saying "Buy My Product for 4 Easy Installments of $99.99" etc. etc.), stop popups before they take over your computer, and get rid of Spyware/Adware.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
&*&*&*&*&: Special Note!!: The one gripe I have with the above guide is its recommendation to use Lavasoft's Adaware. I say no. Infact, I say hell no. Use Spybot S&D, okay, it's a whole lot better...and it's completely free, you don't get some bullshit trial version or any crap like that. Check it out at: http://www.safer-networking.org/
Still don't believe me? Listen to what CNET has to say "Spybot blows venerable Ad-aware out of the water when it comes to protecting you against ad-serving software." . Now go get it. ;)
T02- http://tweak3d.net/articles/xp-install/
"How to Install WindowsXP" well, the title says it all. They have a couple tricks up their sleeves to optimize your system as it is installed (always a good thing) and walk you through holding your hand every step of the way.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
T03- http://tweak3d.net/articles/howtobuildapc/
"How to build a PC" step-by-step guide. Detailed, and easy to comprehend.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
T04- http://tweak3d.net/articles/howtoinstallwindow/
"How to Install a Window in Your Case" name says it all. step-by-step, detailed, gives you preperationa dn follow-up.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
T05- http://tweak3d.net/articles/buyhardware/
"How to Buy Hardware Online" IMPORTANT IMPORTANT GUIDE, now read it. However, i have a gripe about this one as well, they like to use www.pricewatch.com. I'd prefer that you also use www.pricegrabber.com.
T06- http://tweak3d.net/articles/howtoserver/
"How to Build a Server" 12 page immensely detailed guide that walks you through what parts to buy and how to set the entire thing up.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
T07- http://tweak3d.net/articles/howtolanparty/
"How to Setup a LAN Party" All right!! A guide for how to have the most fun with the most friends! This guide walks through location, setting up power for all the machines, and even touches on the networking aspect involved with a LAN. It also provides helpful tips to make the most of the party.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
T08 http://tweak3d.net/articles/cleaning/
"How to Clean your PC" Detailed guide, provides materials and tools needed along with proper procedure to muck out that case of your's.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
T09 http://tweak3d.net/articles/casecutting/
"How to Make a Blowhole (System Cooling and Case Cutting)" Details how to cut your beautiful case up, and then how to make the cuts pretty by smoothing the edges etc. Also describes how to properly create a blowhole. Gives tools and materails needed, the proper procedure, and fan placement.
INTERNET GUIDES/TWEAKS:
I01- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=115
"Bits, Bytes, and Bandwith Reference Guide" in short, READ THIS, it will tweaking your internet connection so much easeir to understand, it's a very very good introduction to all the terms and definititons etc. that are connected with the internet.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (user knowledge dependant)
I02- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=132
GOOD introduction and explanation to security for your box. It does go into depth some, so don't discount it as a shallow guide, it'll help people new to making their computer safe, and it can serve as a refresher course for more experienced users.
I03- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=169
how to share an internet connection. very well written.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish to Medium
I04- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=119
General guide for the best network and internet settings for Win9x/ME
Level of Difficulty: Medium (registry / sys file editing)
I05a- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=157
very good guide giving the best network and internet settings for Win2k/XP
Level of Difficulty: Medium (registry / sys file editing)
^
I05b-- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=158
extension of the above guide.
Level of Difficulty: Medium (registry / sys file editing)
I06- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=1130
"The tweak desribed below helps boost priority for DNS & hostname resolution in general. What this means is, it helps web pages load faster, and has negligible effect on downloads (not counting the couple of ms gain with the host resolution at connect-time). Applying this tweak assumes some proficiency in editing the Windows Registry using Regedit (Start > Run > type: regedit). As always, backup your Registry before making any changes so you can revert to the previous state if you don't like the results. Note: The below host name resolution tweak can also be used for changing name-resoluton order besides priority."
Level of Difficulty: Medium (Registry editing)
I07- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=168
NOTE: this only works for Win9x (supposedly), AND it's not documented by Microsoft, so you'll have to play around with it to see if it'll help you. What it does is essentially reserve some memory for the modem itself, so performance gains may or may not apply to your system.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (sys file editing)
I08- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=156
hmm, This is a general guide dedicated to gettin the most out of your current internet connection (be it DSL/Cable/56-k)
Notebook/Laptop Guides:
L01- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/notebook/
this is really important if you own a laptop (or notebook). You MUST read it in order to get the longest battery life best performance etc. out of your computer. Please read it.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
GENERAL (MAYBE NOT OS DEPENDANT, MAYBE HARDWARE TWEAKS)
G01- www.rojakpot.com/freebog.aspx
VERY detailed and specific amazingly good BIOS optimization guide
( thanks to Drisler :D )
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (depends on user knowledge)
G02- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/pcgamer1/
a well written immense article with everything from BIOS tweaks up to OS dependant tweaks **READ**
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (depends on user knowledge)
G03- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/boot/
want to boot up faster? use this guide.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (once again, user knowledge dependant)
G04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/boot-time/
want to boot up even faster? read this guide as well.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (user knowledge dependant)
G05- http://www.tweak3d.net/tweak/harddrive/
Hard Drive tweaking, that's right. Hard Drive tweaking.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
G06- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/quickspeed/
good quick guide to getting quite a lot out of your aging or new system.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish (not just point-and-click)
Hardware Specific Tweaks:
AIR FLOW:
H01- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/airflowtweak/
READ THIS. READ IT. it tells how to cure your entire case of hotspots, amazing. "perfect" cooling.
Level of Difficulty: User-Dependant (do you know how to cut your case?) (Easy to Medium)
Router:
H02- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=177
detailed. well written. helpful. describes how to set up a network / game server etc. behind a router, and how to configure a router.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
CPU/Motherboard/BIOS:
H03- http://www.tweak3d.net/tweak/cpu/
must read. just must read. (even includes how to flash your BIOS)
Level of Difficulty: Easyish (user dependant) to Medium
Speakers:
H04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/sound/
"this guide should get you started on improving your computer's sound quality. It's a long guide, and the procedures may take you some time to complete, but we think you'll find the results are worthwhile."
very very very detailed and SOLID guide. Read it, and you won't be sorry.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
Monitors:
H05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/monitor/
"In this guide you'll find information on how to maintain and properly tune your monitor, as well as information on how to improve a video card's output to that monitor - something that at many times is even more important than the actual monitor settings"
'nuff said.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Cable/DSL:
H06- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/cable/
"While this tweak guide is technically written for cable modems, most of these tweaks will work with xDSL as well. Back up all settings before changing. Keep in mind that some users may experience loss of performance, but most should experience a gain in performance from this guide. This is why we recommend that you back up settings before proceeding."
Pretty good for speeding up your Cable (or DSL) back to where it should be.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Modem:
H07- http://www.ircspy.com/guides.asp?mode=display&id=541
Quick guide to increase the bandwith available for transfer through the COM port. It works in all Windows (i'm pretty sure, not just Win98).
Level of Difficulty: EASY (ALL POINT-AND-CLICK BABY!)
H08- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/modem/
ONLY WORKS WITH WIN9x (NOT 2k or XP (i'm assuming, from this: "Note - this guide is not for Windows 2000. This is probably the final update to the Windows 9x Modem Tweak Guide.")
quick, all point and click. go. tweak. have fun.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
H09- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2kmodem/
Modem guide for Win2k.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Optical Drives:
H10- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/optical/
quick and clean tweaking for your CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM/etc.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Input/Peripherals:
H11- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/inputs/
yes, there's actually a guide for tweaking your peripherals.
Level of Difficulty: Laughable
H12- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/mouse/
a guide dedicated to the mouse. it's pretty nit-picky, this is not an essentialy guide to read. However, if you want to get the most out of your mouse, read it.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Printer:
H13- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/printer/
Maintenance information and actual tweaks you can do.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
LAN:
H14- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/lan/
yes, a guide for tweaking a LAN and it's pretty detailed/helpful too!
Level of Difficulty: Medium
H15- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2klan/
LAN guide dedicated to Win2k. "this guide is for small home networks. Large networks need not apply. I’m not going to talk about DHCP servers (well, not in this revision anyway) or anything like that – we’ll start ‘simple’ first."
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
OS SPECIFIC TWEAKS:
Win 9x/ME
Z01 &*& NEW: all right, no link for this one, i'll just have to explain it, so here goes: This guide details how to rebuild the registry in Win98 (idk if it will work in other OS's) and keep it running well. In Win98 the registry is rather superflous and doesn't do a good job of keeping compact, so here's how you deal with it. First, reboot in DOS by going to Start \ Shut Down \ Restart in MS-DOS Mode. Then, after it's finished booting up and is at the C:\Windows screen, type in "scanreg/fix" (just like that, but without the ""). This will take a while, after all, it's manually rebuilding the entire registry. Since the registry is the heart of your computer system, doing this should solve stability issues and make the OS respond faster. Now, how do you keep it like this without constantly scanreg/fix 'ing? Like this: start back up into Win98's GUI (graphical user interface) by typing "exit" (just like that but wihout the "") at the DOS screen, that should reboot you. Now type Start \ Run "msconfig" (just like that without the "") and go to the Autoexec.bat tab, in there click on "New" and type in "scanreg/opt" (just like that but without the ""). What that does is a kind of shorter version of the scanreg/fix , the "opt" stands for "optimize". This way, it'll optimize the registry each time you restart. So save your changes and restart. Congratulations, you've just tweaked your way to a faster performing OS ^_^.
Z02- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/cleanup2k/
it's for 2k and 9x; it's essentially about cleaning out old RegKeys; unused .dll's and making sure there's no useless junk on your computer
Level of Difficulty: Easy (uses 3rd party programs)
Z03- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/windows/
general tweak guide, pretty much all about using Win9x (and ME) to their fullest regarding the various options they have for making a better running OS
Level of Difficulty: Medium (some sysfile editing and reg editing)
Z04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win98/
incredibly short very shallow tweak guide for a few settings on Win98
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Z05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/shell/
This is about the Win98 shell only. It's pretty much just identifying problems with the Win98 Shell and introducing several programs that could help eliminate those problems.
Level of Difficulty: Hard (if you actually do it. i didn't, and i don't plan to.)
Win2k/XP
X01- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2k/
"All of the other Win2K tweak guides are limited by some kind of hardware focus. This guide, however, will hold anything else that doesn't have it's own guide devoted to it, or even just extra stuff that would fit in another guide but isn't big enough to justify its own update. This includes random performance tweaks, and - for the time being anyway - shell customization information."
has pretty detailed random settings you can tweak. read it (esp. if you're new to Win2k)
Level of Difficulty: Easy - Medium
X02- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/winxp/
General tweak guide and introduction to the ins and outs of XP. (read, esp. if you're new to WinXP)
Level of Diffuclty: Easy
X03- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/winstartupnew/
"Your system will boot faster and have more free memory."
Tweaks for Win2k/XP to, well, speed up booting and making sure there's as much free memory as possible.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/xpresources/
a kinda "refresher" that goes into detail about how to free up resources by well, making sure there aren't bullshit things running and generally sprucing up XP (i think this is pretty much only for XP).
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2kmem/
guide for HDD and Memory tweaking. READ IT.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X06- http://www.windows-help.net/WindowsXP/howto-15.html
simple guide on how to disable Windows Splash screen at startup
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Hardware Specific Tweaks:
AIR FLOW:
H01- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/airflowtweak/
READ THIS. READ IT. it tells how to cure your entire case of hotspots, amazing. "perfect" cooling.
Level of Difficulty: User-Dependant (do you know how to cut your case?) (Easy to Medium)
Router:
H02- http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=177
detailed. well written. helpful. describes how to set up a network / game server etc. behind a router, and how to configure a router.
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
CPU/Motherboard/BIOS:
H03- http://www.tweak3d.net/tweak/cpu/
must read. just must read. (even includes how to flash your BIOS)
Level of Difficulty: Easyish (user dependant) to Medium
Speakers:
H04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/sound/
"this guide should get you started on improving your computer's sound quality. It's a long guide, and the procedures may take you some time to complete, but we think you'll find the results are worthwhile."
very very very detailed and SOLID guide. Read it, and you won't be sorry.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
Monitors:
H05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/monitor/
"In this guide you'll find information on how to maintain and properly tune your monitor, as well as information on how to improve a video card's output to that monitor - something that at many times is even more important than the actual monitor settings"
'nuff said.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Cable/DSL:
H06- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/cable/
"While this tweak guide is technically written for cable modems, most of these tweaks will work with xDSL as well. Back up all settings before changing. Keep in mind that some users may experience loss of performance, but most should experience a gain in performance from this guide. This is why we recommend that you back up settings before proceeding."
Pretty good for speeding up your Cable (or DSL) back to where it should be.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Modem:
H07- http://www.ircspy.com/guides.asp?mode=display&id=541
Quick guide to increase the bandwith available for transfer through the COM port. It works in all Windows (i'm pretty sure, not just Win98).
Level of Difficulty: EASY (ALL POINT-AND-CLICK BABY!)
H08- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/modem/
ONLY WORKS WITH WIN9x (NOT 2k or XP (i'm assuming, from this: "Note - this guide is not for Windows 2000. This is probably the final update to the Windows 9x Modem Tweak Guide.")
quick, all point and click. go. tweak. have fun.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
H09- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2kmodem/
Modem guide for Win2k.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Optical Drives:
H10- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/optical/
quick and clean tweaking for your CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM/etc.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Input/Peripherals:
H11- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/inputs/
yes, there's actually a guide for tweaking your peripherals.
Level of Difficulty: Laughable
H12- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/mouse/
a guide dedicated to the mouse. it's pretty nit-picky, this is not an essentialy guide to read. However, if you want to get the most out of your mouse, read it.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Printer:
H13- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/printer/
Maintenance information and actual tweaks you can do.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
LAN:
H14- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/lan/
yes, a guide for tweaking a LAN and it's pretty detailed/helpful too!
Level of Difficulty: Medium
H15- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2klan/
LAN guide dedicated to Win2k. "this guide is for small home networks. Large networks need not apply. I’m not going to talk about DHCP servers (well, not in this revision anyway) or anything like that – we’ll start ‘simple’ first."
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Medium
OS SPECIFIC TWEAKS:
Win 9x/ME
Z01 &*& NEW: all right, no link for this one, i'll just have to explain it, so here goes: This guide details how to rebuild the registry in Win98 (idk if it will work in other OS's) and keep it running well. In Win98 the registry is rather superflous and doesn't do a good job of keeping compact, so here's how you deal with it. First, reboot in DOS by going to Start \ Shut Down \ Restart in MS-DOS Mode. Then, after it's finished booting up and is at the C:\Windows screen, type in "scanreg/fix" (just like that, but without the ""). This will take a while, after all, it's manually rebuilding the entire registry. Since the registry is the heart of your computer system, doing this should solve stability issues and make the OS respond faster. Now, how do you keep it like this without constantly scanreg/fix 'ing? Like this: start back up into Win98's GUI (graphical user interface) by typing "exit" (just like that but wihout the "") at the DOS screen, that should reboot you. Now type Start \ Run "msconfig" (just like that without the "") and go to the Autoexec.bat tab, in there click on "New" and type in "scanreg/opt" (just like that but without the ""). What that does is a kind of shorter version of the scanreg/fix , the "opt" stands for "optimize". This way, it'll optimize the registry each time you restart. So save your changes and restart. Congratulations, you've just tweaked your way to a faster performing OS ^_^.
Z02- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/cleanup2k/
it's for 2k and 9x; it's essentially about cleaning out old RegKeys; unused .dll's and making sure there's no useless junk on your computer
Level of Difficulty: Easy (uses 3rd party programs)
Z03- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/windows/
general tweak guide, pretty much all about using Win9x (and ME) to their fullest regarding the various options they have for making a better running OS
Level of Difficulty: Medium (some sysfile editing and reg editing)
Z04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win98/
incredibly short very shallow tweak guide for a few settings on Win98
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Z05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/shell/
This is about the Win98 shell only. It's pretty much just identifying problems with the Win98 Shell and introducing several programs that could help eliminate those problems.
Level of Difficulty: Hard (if you actually do it. i didn't, and i don't plan to.)
Win2k/XP
X01- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2k/
"All of the other Win2K tweak guides are limited by some kind of hardware focus. This guide, however, will hold anything else that doesn't have it's own guide devoted to it, or even just extra stuff that would fit in another guide but isn't big enough to justify its own update. This includes random performance tweaks, and - for the time being anyway - shell customization information."
has pretty detailed random settings you can tweak. read it (esp. if you're new to Win2k)
Level of Difficulty: Easy - Medium
X02- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/winxp/
General tweak guide and introduction to the ins and outs of XP. (read, esp. if you're new to WinXP)
Level of Diffuclty: Easy
X03- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/winstartupnew/
"Your system will boot faster and have more free memory."
Tweaks for Win2k/XP to, well, speed up booting and making sure there's as much free memory as possible.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X04- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/xpresources/
a kinda "refresher" that goes into detail about how to free up resources by well, making sure there aren't bullshit things running and generally sprucing up XP (i think this is pretty much only for XP).
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X05- http://tweak3d.net/tweak/win2kmem/
guide for HDD and Memory tweaking. READ IT.
Level of Difficulty: Easy-ish
X06- http://www.windows-help.net/WindowsXP/howto-15.html
simple guide on how to disable Windows Splash screen at startup
Level of Difficulty: Easy
THANKS TO [H]ARD OCP FOR THIS GUIDE