Speed Up Windows XP and Improve performance

1) Shutting down WinXP faster

When a user shuts down Windows XP, first the system has to kill all services currently running. Every once in a while the service does not shut down instantly and windows give it a change to shut down on its own before it kills it. This amount of time that windows wait is stored in the system registry. If you modify this setting, then windows will kill the service earlier. To modify the setting, follow the directions below:

Click on Start, and then goto run, type REGEDIT

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/ SYSTEM/CurrentCo ntrolSet/ Control.
Click on the "Control" Folder.
Select "WaitToKillServiceT imeout"
Right click on it and select Modify. Set it a value lower than 4000

2) You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password.

Select Run... from the start menu and type 'control userpasswords2' , which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.

3) Windows XP SP2 Tweaks

Disable the SP antivirus and firewall functions

[HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE\SOFTWARE \ Microsoft\ Security Center]
"AntiVirusDisableNo tify"=dword :00000001
"FirewallDisableNot ify"=dword: 00000001
; don't monitor firewall and antivirus
"AntiVirusOverride" =dword:00000001
"FirewallOverride" =dword:00000001


Turn off Auto Updates

[HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\ WindowsUpdate\ Auto Update]
"AUOptions"= dword:00000001
;disable Auto Update
[HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Microsoft\Security Center]
"UpdatesDisableNoti fy"=dword: 00000001

Turn off the SP2 firewall

[HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Policies\ Microsoft\ WindowsFire wall\DomainProfile]
"EnableFirewall" =dword:00000000

turn off firewall policy for domain profile
[HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Policies\ Microsoft\ WindowsFire wall\StandardProfil e]
"EnableFirewall" =dword:00000000