XP SP2 slows system down, steps to improve XP performance

[Mark]

I noticed after installing Windows XP SP2 on the computer that it ran slower
than before. Windows XP SP2 would take at least 5 to 10 minutes to start up
where I could run programs without a long delay for the Start menu to
display.

Here are the 5 steps I used on my Windows XP system to improve performance.

Note: I did these steps after going through trial-and-error with Windows XP
SP2.

1. Click Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Security Center.
In the Security Center click 'Change the way Security Center alerts me'.
Unselect all three items (Firewall, Automatic Updates, and Virus Protection)
and click OK.

2. Click Start | Settings | Control Panel | Windows Firewall and select 'Off
(not recommended)' to disable the Windows XP SP2 Firewall.

3. Uninstalled Windows Messenger in Windows XP using the instructions on
Doug Knox's web page
(http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_messenger_remove.htm). I do not use
Windows Messenger and I always notice Windows Messenger in the background
when it should not be running through the Windows XP Task Manager under
Processes.

4. Uninstalled Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2004 Professional. I had all the
Symantec updates installed, including the WMI update, and this hindered
performance of Windows XP SP2. Norton AntiVirus 2004 ran fine in Windows XP
SP1/SP1a.

5. In the previous attempts of running Windows XP SP2 on the computers with
Microsoft Office 2003 with and without Office 2003 SP1 installed, I decided
not to install Office 2003 at all after performing another system restore on
the computer and use OpenOffice 1.1.2 (http://www.openoffice.org/). I had
to install Java (http://www.java.com/) after Windows XP SP2 removed it. I
installed Java in Windows XP SP1a system where the other computer had
Windows XP SP1 with Java already installed. I have always heard from many
Office 2003 users that Office 2003 slows down Windows XP performance and I
really do not need it. OpenOffice is much better.

 

[Guest]

did you try these:
Description of the Disk Cleanup Tool in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310312&Product=winxp

How to Perform Disk Error Checking in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315265&Product=winxp

HOW TO: Analyze and Defragment a Disk in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305781&Product=winxp

How to troubleshoot by using the System Configuration utility in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560

How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310353

 

[Mark]

I eliminated all programs starting up in Windows Startup and elsewhere
before I installed Windows XP SP2. I found the final method I used made
Windows XP SP2 run like it did with Windows XP SP1. I also did not install
the .NET Framework 1.1, Journal Viewer, and HighMAT from the Windows Update
web site. I bought a fast system to run Windows fast, not to install
Microsoft bloatware software to slow it down.

 

[KG1]

Defraging after SP2, for me, made a noticable difference.

KG1

 

[Mark]

I never defragmented a NTFS disk before. I thought with NTFS that
defragmenting a drive is in the past. I used to regurarly defragment FAT32
disks all the time. I guess I could use Norton Speed Disk from Norton
SystemWorks 2003 in Windows XP SP2 unless there are known problems.

 

[Peter Rhebergen]

Turns out the reason for my four minute boot up was a SCSI driver for
a parallel port flatbed scanner. Event Log revealed that it was not
loading. Removed it and the system now boots in less than two minutes.
Would like to see less than one minute but hey, at least it's not
embarassing me now.

 

[Malke]

Turns out the reason for my four minute boot up was a SCSI driver for
a parallel port flatbed scanner. Event Log revealed that it was not
loading. Removed it and the system now boots in less than two minutes.
Would like to see less than one minute but hey, at least it's not
embarassing me now.

Thanks for taking the time to post this, Peter. With all the
repercussions from SP2, it is good to get as much information about the
problem systems as possible in order to help others.

Malke

 

[Dave Jenkins]

Turns out the reason for my four minute boot up was a SCSI driver for
a parallel port flatbed scanner. Event Log revealed that it was not
loading. Removed it and the system now boots in less than two minutes.
Would like to see less than one minute but hey, at least it's not
embarassing me now.

[snip]

Ummm...for us uninitiated (that installed a SCSI card to drive an HP
flatbed scanner): how do you view the Event Log?

 

[Malke]

(e-mail address removed) (Peter Rhebergen) wrote in message

Turns out the reason for my four minute boot up was a SCSI driver for
a parallel port flatbed scanner. Event Log revealed that it was not
loading. Removed it and the system now boots in less than two
minutes. Would like to see less than one minute but hey, at least
it's not embarassing me now.

[snip]

Ummm...for us uninitiated (that installed a SCSI card to drive an HP
flatbed scanner): how do you view the Event Log?

Event Viewer is in the Administrative Tools applet in Control Panel.

Malke