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Get in the habit of rebooting whenever your Windows 95, 98 or Me computer seems extra sluggish.
  technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

A few free adjustments can help make older Windows systems behave


July 28, 2002


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2002, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2002, The Post-Standard

   Can you do anything to fix older versions of Windows so they behave more like Windows XP?
   The answer might surprise you. No, you can't perform a miracle -- after all, Microsoft developed Windows XP in part because the older versions of Windows were badly outdated -- but you can, indeed, do a lot to turn an older Windows PC into a more reliable computer. You can even tame the beast that makes those older Windows PCs run out of memory even when they have oodles to spare.
   Remember, I'm not promising you a rose garden. But you can't help but improve your old Windows PC with this week's tips. I've made sure that all of them can be done without spending a penny.
   1. Lighten the load. I've seen many Windows PCs that are burdened with a dozen or more needless background programs. Most of them automatically start up with Windows without your knowledge or permission, and some of them are up to no good. (They might be keeping tabs on your habits, and are therefore known as spyware.)
   Clean those unwelcome guests out. For instructions, go to this Technofile article. For more help, use the word "startup" (without quotes) in the search engine on the Technofile site.
   2. Smooth out the bumps. Your Windows PC stores stuff on its hard drive the way you and I toss things into the closet. Everything gets jumbled after a while, and Windows has a hard time finding anything. A defragger (or "defragmenter," if you drink tea with your pinky raised) restores order in this chaos.
   To run the built-in Windows defragger, click the right mouse button on your hard drive icon, choose "Properties," then "Tools," then "Defragment Now."
   If your defragger doesn't work right, try the advice I gave in a recent column.
   3. Let go of fonts. Programs you've installed over the last few years probably installed many of their own fonts. If you're not using the extra ones, move them out of the Fonts folder -- it's in the Windows folder -- and put them into a folder of your own choosing, where they can be stored without being used. (I suggest you make a folder within the Windows folder called "Extra Fonts.") Double click any font file (or font icon) to view the font.
   Shedding excess fonts is a guaranteed way to light your PC's fire. Windows will boot up faster, use less "resource" memory and even run a little faster.
   Some fonts should NOT be taken out. They are Arial, Courier New, Marlett, Modern, MS Sans Serif, MS Serif, Symbol, Tahoma, Times New Roman and Wingdings. For technical reasons, always leave those fonts alone.
   4. Wallop the wallpaper. A clear, solid-color desktop background provides the fastest backdrop for Windows. Using a photo for Windows "wallpaper" forces a lot of extra work behind the scenes each time the desktop's foreground windows change shape or position. A bonus: Your graphics card or your PC itself gets back all the memory that stored the desktop image.
   5. Give your PC the boot. Get in the habit of rebooting whenever your Windows 95, 98 or Me computer seems extra sluggish. And reboot before doing anything really important. This refreshes the supply of "resources" (tiny areas of memory). Some versions of Windows have "turbo reboot" mode (that's my term, so don't look for it elsewhere!) that does a fast reboot. Here's the secret:
   Click the Start button and click "Shut Down." Choose "Restart" from the dropdown list, then hold down the shift key and click "OK." Some machines will lock up during this process (finicky drivers don't quit properly) but most should be fine. Windows normally only triggers this type of restart when you change some of the graphics or display settings. (My thanks to reader Tom Robinson for helping me clarify the turbo reboot instructions.)