For most people using a computer means using Windows and over the years Microsoft’s operating system has become easier to use.
However, there is always room for improvement, so in this feature we have compiled 50 of the finest tips for Windows XP and Vista. These can help to make Windows even better, easier to use and faster. Most don’t even require you to install any extra software, so if you want to make your copy of XP or Vista better, it’s possible to get started immediately.
1 Access My Documents from the Taskbar (XP and Vista)
Right-click an empty section of the Taskbar and select toolbars, then New
Toolbar. Navigate to the My Documents (XP) or Documents (Vista) folder and click
the OK or Select Folder button. In its default position to the far right of the
Taskbar, the toolbar provides menu access to the entire contents of the folder.
2 Extra speed with Readyboost (Vista)
Plugging in a USB memory key is one of the easiest ways to speed up Vista. When
the Autoplay menu appears, select ‘Speed up my system’, or right-click the drive
in Computer and select Properties. Move to the Readyboost tab, tick ‘Use this
device’ and use the slider to choose how much space should be given up. Not all
USB memory keys are fast enough to provide this boost.
3 Save folders after a crash (XP)
If you have lots of folders open in Windows XP, when one of them crashes, they
will all close. This can be avoided by using a hidden option. Open the Control
Panel, then choose Folder Options. Move to the View tab and scroll down through
the list of options until you get to one called ‘Launch folder windows in a
separate process’. Place a tick next to it, then click OK.
4 Disable Aero Glass (Vista)
Vista’s Aero Glass transparency effects may look great, but they also drain a
computer’s processing power. To speed up a struggling computer, right-click the
desktop and select Personalize. Click the link ‘Window Color and Appearance’ at
the top of the screen and untick the ‘Enable transparency’ box before clicking
OK.
5 Save memory (XP)
When you run programs, Windows XP stores files known as DLLs in memory. When you
close the programs, it usually leaves them there for later use but this can slow
down the computer. If you are fine editing the Windows Registry, this can be
fixed – but make suitable backups first and take great care. Click Start, then
Run, type regedit and press Enter.
Click the plus sign next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, then SOFTWARE, then Microsoft, Windows, and Current Version. Select the Explorer folder. Click Edit, then New, then DWORD Value. Name the new entry AlwaysUnloadDll, press Enter, then double-click the item and assign it a value of 1. From now, DLL files will be removed from memory when programs are closed.
6 Partition a hard disk (Vista)
Vista makes it possible to divide a hard disk into two or more partitions that
Windows sees as separate disks. Click Start, right-click Computer and select the
Manage option. Select Disk Management from the left-hand pane, right-click the
disk that is to be split and select Shrink Volume. Enter a new size for the
partition and click Shrink.
Now right-click the drive space marked as Unallocated and select New Simple Volume. Follow the wizard to create and format the new partition.
7 Make room for Start menu favourites (XP)
The Start menu includes space for six shortcuts to the most frequently used
programs, but this can be increased if it is not enough. Right-click the Start
button, select Properties and click the Customize button. In the Programs
section in the centre of the dialogue box, use the up arrow button to increase
the number of icons that should be displayed and then click OK.
8 Restore a deleted Recycle Bin (Vista)
If you right-click the Recycle Bin, there’s a Delete option – this makes it easy
to accidentally remove the bin from your desktop. To get it back, right-click
the desktop, select Personalize and then click ‘Change desktop icons’. Tick the
box next to the Recycle Bin option and click OK – it will reappear on the
desktop.
9 Automatically log in to Windows XP
If your PC has only a single user account, it might seem silly to type in a
password every time you start it up. To avoid this, click Start, then Run, and
type control userpasswords2 before pressing Enter. Select your account and
untick the box labelled ‘Users must enter a user name and password to use this
computer’. Click OK, enter the password when prompted and click OK again.
