Keeping Windows XP Healthy

Windows XP is a great operating system, but it needs some regular maintenance to keep it running properly.  Here is a checklist of things you should do:

•  Run, and regularly update, a virus scanner
•  Use Ad-Aware and Spybot to detect and clean adware and spyware (free personal versions)
•  Keep the registry clean with a tool like Registry Mechanic ($35 shareware)
•  Scandisk once a week
•  Defrag once a week
•  Back up regularly
•  Reduce the number of things that load at startup

Getting Rid of Startup Crap

Applications often add themselves to your Windows XP startup.  Not only does this make your bootup take longer, but it also reduces overall system performance.  Start - Run - msconfig, go to the Startup tab, uncheck anything that looks like it may be safe to eliminate, then reboot.  Here's a list of the ones I turned off on my system:  iTunesHelper, mmtask, mm_tray, NeroCheck, qttask, SETI@home, SmartSync.  I can start these utilities by hand when I want them; I don't need them cluttering up my startup.  If you disable something that breaks one of your applications, simply come back in here and turn it back on.

If you're not sure about what you can turn off, check this site out.  They have a description of many of the most common startup items, and what they're for.