Exceptional PC tweaks

[ASSEMbler]

I found a suggested list of these, and tried them. As a former PC
tech, they were very impressive.

I decided to list them here with links to benefit the AG community.
All of these apps are free.

Regcleaner Standard
http://www.download.com/TweakNow-RegCleaner-Standard/3000-2094_4-10262639.html?tag=lst-1

It clears up garbage files, and unlike other shoddy apps, won't list any critical entries as needing cleaning. Helps for things like removed programs or dead codec entries.

Free registry defrag 2.35
http://www.download.com/Free-Registry-Defrag/3000-2094_4-10553700.html?tag=lst-1
Compacts and optimizes without harming any entries. Noticable speed increase.

Quick Startup 2.3
http://www.download.com/3001-2086_4-10764401.html?spi=4011182bacebc5043d9797e17571f180
Allows you to see what starts when you pc boots, and remove anything that is garbage using up memory (like realplayer, or ipod updater)

Details who makes / realtes to each process.
HPZ23ZL.dll is not very descriptive, the app tells you who made it.

Belarc Advisor
http://www.download.com/Belarc-Advisor/3000-2094_4-10007277.html?tag=pdp_prod

Examines your pc, OS and patches and creates a printable HTML file that is displayed by your browser.
It's a good way of getting a snapshot of what is inside an unknown pc you are working on, or to
check out what you have in your pc if you are not an expert.

[Jackhead]

Hi,
I use for all of this Tuneup (http://www.tuneup.de/products/tuneup-utilities/). Its an all in on solution.

[madhatter256]

WinXP Manager for XP OS, there's also Vista Manager..

Only a 14 day trial, then you have to pay for it, but I've been using it for a long time without paying for it. Also, the trial has full functionality and it is not crippled.

It has all the registry cleaner/defrager capabilities the others have but also has a 'Smart Uninstaller' where it will look for files related to the program just uninstalled that stay on the PC and take up space. I use it to remove adware that installs itself even after it tells you you've successfully uninstalled it.

It also looks for Junk Files that Disk Cleanup will not pick up and send them to the recycle bin. It basically scours the hard drive, and mainly the temp folder and lists files no longer being used.

[Johnny]

I prefer MVRegClean instead of RegCleaner Standard
http://www.velasco.com.br/mvregclean_en_informations.php

It has won several awards, http://www.velasco.com.br/mvregclean_premio.php

I also use CCleaner. And Spybot + HijackThis give me all info and ability to edit the boot

[babu]

Tweak UI is a pretty nice tool too
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

[Shadowlayer]

Quick Startup 2.3
http://www.download.com/3001-2086_4-10764401.html?spi=4011182bacebc5043d9797e17571f180
Allows you to see what starts when you pc boots, and remove anything that is garbage using up memory (like realplayer, or ipod updater).

Isnt that kinda the same that using msconfig?

[JackAz!]

CPUz. Displays components of motherboard/CPU in detail.
CPUID: http://www.cpuid.com/



I also use CCleaner. And Spybot + HijackThis give me all info and ability to edit the boot
Good move. Give spyware doctor a try.

[Mr. Casual]

How would you guys rate system mechanic? I had that on my PC for a long time, and I don't know if it did much good, but its memory defragment section saved me some memory.

Can anyone recommend a good freeware memory defragmenter? I'm talking about RAM in case you were wondering, I didn't get RAM and system space mixed up like some other people do.:thumbsup:

[Shadowlayer]

RamActive was pretty good, but I havent used it in ages.

I mean, back then I only had 256MBs of RAM so I had to be careful, but now that 1GB is even sub-standard theres little use for these apps.

BTW, has anyone here tried GameGain? it says it helps game performance but I couldnt notice any improvements on my games.

[z_killemall]

I remember using an app called EndItAll about 2001-2002, with it you could end almost all services with a single click and restore them back clicking again.

Anyway like Shadow said above, in these days with memory being so cheap this is not a trouble anymore, unless you're trying to run Vista with 512 MB of RAM or something like that :P

[Shadowlayer]

Even running XP with 512MB is kinda risky...

Anyway, is Shadowlayer. No big deal but I dont want to be confussed with certain lame, gun-totting hedgehog;-)

[z_killemall]

Anyway, is Shadowlayer. No big deal but I dont want to be confussed with certain lame, gun-totting hedgehog;-) Sorry mate, sometimes I'm just not in the mood to type a lot and start to abrev. without noticing. :rolleyes:

About XP with 512 MB I know what're you talking about. Right now I'm using Vista with 1GB and I'm really short, I hope I can get a 2 GB memory next month.

[Shadowlayer]

DONT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AGAIN, YA HEAR?

Joking, it isnt such a big deal anyway.

About Vista, the only reason to use it is if you have a gaming rig and therefore you cant have compatibility issues.

But in your case (you were making a budget PC right?) I'll say stick with XP and when 7 comes around build a new machine.

[Yakumo]

Even running XP with 512MB is kinda risky...Wanna bet :dance: I run XP with 350MB without a single problem. I shit you not :nod:

Yakumo

[3do]

350MB you say Yakumo, thats not fair...lol i was running 512MB with xp and found it to be a pain more often than not but once i added a 1GB stick of ram along side the 512 it was runnung perfect.

[Yakumo]

Well, to be honest it's a little more than that but not by much. Here's a screen grab of my PC'S memory. Pretty sad by almost everyone's standard on this board I'd say.

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/4710/screenis6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Yakumo

[Mr. Casual]

My PC even struggled with 512 MB at times, but I think that was only when I was trying to play games or view animated GIFs or something.

I put 1 gig in and I noticed an increase, but not as much as when I put 4 gb in my current machine. Of course my old CPU was a piece of crap, too.

[Yakumo]

I don't play games on my PC though apart from emulation so I guess that's why 390MB works just fine. It's not super fast as you can guess but works well.

Yakumo

[Tchoin]

I'm running XP on one of my PCs, the one that is in the living room, which only my mother uses to check her e-mails. And that PC consists of a 400 Mhz Celeron, 160 MB RAM, used to have a 40 gig HDD but swapped it for one of my XBOXs drives when I modded it, 16 MB AGP :dance:

It runs XP without a single problem, although you can't do much stuff of course, but when friends come over I can even use it to play Starcraft or Age of Empires over LAN and running Roger Wilco at the same time :katamari:

[PhreQuencYViii]

Anyway, is Shadowlayer. No big deal but I dont want to be confussed with certain lame, gun-totting hedgehog;-)

Shadow Layer works well.

[3do]

Your Uninstaller is an excelent program to use over the windows eqivelent since it loads up the programs installer and once thats done checks for anything left in the installation folder and also checks the registry and deletes it all.

[Shadowlayer]

Wanna bet :dance: I run XP with 350MB without a single problem

Back when XP was released I ran it on a piece-of-shit katmai core with just 128MB which BTW were generic and unstable:rambo:

XP with the lastest SP can be ran with a minimum of 256MB as long as you deactivate some components and only use it for everyday stuff like checking your email and looking at simple sites (no AJAX).


Shadow Layer works well.
No prob frecuency(??)

[PhreQuencYViii]

No prob frecuency(??)

Hehe, I was going for Layer of Shadow....since Shadow is your favorite headgehog ever. :110:

You know whats funny? Maybe I'm wierd, but my screenname thing isn't that hard to read as frequency. But guess what? On XBL and among my friends, you wouldn't beleive how many people read it as:

Fearquency
FredQuincy
Etc.

And there not just giving me crap. There just really stupid.

[Shadowlayer]

XBL isnt a philosopher's forum you know? is not like you're going to find the meaning of life in there...

[Mr. Casual]

I think that free reg defrag program was partly responsible for messing up my PC. Certain programs worked fine until I used it...

[skavenger216]

Hehe, I was going for Layer of Shadow....since Shadow is your favorite headgehog ever. :110:

You know whats funny? Maybe I'm wierd, but my screenname thing isn't that hard to read as frequency. But guess what? On XBL and among my friends, you wouldn't beleive how many people read it as:

Fearquency
FredQuincy
Etc.

And there not just giving me crap. There just really stupid.
Ahhhh i hate that shit so much!!!!!! it happens to me all the time on XBL also, people calling me Ska-venger ( like 2 seperete words, the venger of ska i guess??? i dont even listen to ska lol) instead of what it is ( Scavenger with a k, Skavenger). I feel your pain bro lol. People are dumb.

[dickibow]

Yakumo - may be a dumb question but is Japanese your mother tongue??

[Shadowlayer]

Nope, I think he's british

[dickibow]

That's what I thought.....

I'm impressed he chooses to operate his computer in Japanese.....hats off to the fella! :clap: