How to Make XP Boot Faster
To make your XP boot faster, it will help you to understand the basic principles that affect its overall performance. Your PC might boot slowly due to persistent startup programs, inadequate BIOS settings, data overload, outdated Windows drivers or viruses and malware installed in your hard drive, among other things. Knowing how to address these factors will make a great difference in boot time and improve the general functionality of your XP system. Be cautious when making changes to the BIOS Setup Utility or the Registry Editor, since corrupting a value could seriously affect the stability of your system.
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Instructions
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Change the BIOS Boot Order
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Restart your PC and press the "Delete" key or "F2" continuously before Windows initiates. The BIOS Setup Utility screen displays. Depending on your PC's manufacturer, the specific keys to press for accessing the BIOS screen might change. See the Resources for more information.
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Toggle through the main tabs with your keyboard's arrow keys and select the "Boot" tab. The "Removable Devices" list may include the following: "Hard Drive," "CD-ROM Drive," "Floppy Drive," "Optical Drive" and "USB Drive."
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Make sure the "Hard Drive" appears on top of the list of "Removable Devices." If necessary, select "Hard Drive" and click the "+" key to move it upwards in order. See the "Item Specific Help" on the right pane to inform yourself on how to navigate through the screen options.
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Select the "Exit" tab and choose "Exit Saving Changes" when prompted.
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Restart your computer.
Remove Auto Startup Programs
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Go to the Windows "Start" menu and click on "Run." Type "msconfig" in the command line, then press "Enter" or "OK" to confirm.
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Select the "Startup" tab in the "System Configuration Utility" window.
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Uncheck (disable) the check boxes that correspond to all the programs that do not need to start up automatically when XP initiates.
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Click "Disable" to confirm.
Defragment your Hard Drive
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Click on the "Start" menu, click on "All Programs" > "Accessories" > "System Tools" and choose "Disk Defragmenter" from the list of options.
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Click the "Analyze" button in the "Disk Defragmenter" window. This allows you to see whether it is necessary to proceed to Defragmentation.
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Click the "Defragment" button, if necessary, and allow the process to run without interruptions.
Edit OS Timeout Values
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Access the "System Configuration Utility" again. Go to the "Start" menu, click on "Run" and type "msconfig" in the command line. Press "Enter" to confirm.
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Select the "BOOT.INI" tab and enter a lower number for the "Timeout" text field, located on the right section of the window. This number might currently display "30" seconds. Change the value to "3" seconds.
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Click "Apply," then "OK" to confirm. Restart your computer if necessary.
Update to Latest Windows Drivers
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Access the Windows "Start" menu and click on "Control Panel."
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Click on "System," then click on the "Automatic Updates" tab (if you are in Control Panel view).
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Click on "Performance and Maintenance," click on "System," then select the "Automatic Updates" tab (if you are in Classic view).
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Choose the option you prefer, then click "Apply" and "OK." Microsoft recommends choosing "Automatic Updates," but you may choose to be notified prior to downloading an update.
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Restart your computer and download the necessary Windows updates as you are prompted to do so.
Remove Virus and Malware
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Launch the antivirus program installed in your computer and perform a system scan for potential virus.
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Launch a malware or spyware removal software and perform a system scan for potential malware installed in your system.
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Donwload a free spyware removal software, such as Spybot, if necessary. See the Resources for information on this.
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References
Resources
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