XP Pro same install for 2 years

Can anyone recommend the best way to get my XP Pro which hasn't been reinstalled for 2 years, back in shape as it is running somewhat slow and seems "tired". I would prefer a "makeover" to a reformat.

Any ideas? =)

 

hello Pwr,
im in the same situation.
i cant be bothered to backup all my data and do a format.
its very hard to give it a makeover.
you can do the normal stuff like empty tempory files and do a defrag.
you can even create a new user account transfer over your data and then delete the old one.
lodore

 

Are you approaching something like discussed here?
Reinstalling Windows XP Without Drive Format

 

You might want to do a repair re-install. It leaves your apps and data intact:

How do you perform a reinstallation of Windows XP, sometimes called a repair installation?

Configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM drive. For more information about how to do this, refer to your computer's documentation or contact your computer manufacturer. Then insert your Windows XP Setup CD, and restart your computer.

1.When the Press any key to boot from CD message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.

2.Press ENTER when you see the message To setup Windows XP now, and then press ENTER displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen.

3.Do not choose the option to press R to use the Recovery Console.

4.In the Windows XP Licensing Agreement, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.

5.Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.

6.Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.

hth,

...screamer

 

I have to maintain a lot of systems that are much older than this. I like to use Sysinternals Process Explorer and Autoruns utilities to keep track of what is running and what loads at startup.

What I look for from Process Explorer is how many processes are running shortly after system startup, after the system has settled down. Depending on the system, I like to see the number in the 20 to 40 range. I look at the Company Name, Command Line, and Path columns.

I do pretty much the same thing with Autoruns. Except here of course we are looking at what automatically starts up on the system,

With both of these programs, you can track down what you don't need. You can also save the information to a text file. After you have cleaned up the system, save these files and use them as a baseline for future reference.

I am doing this now with a Vista system that I am setting up. Right now it has 44 processes running after I installed everything that I want. I have the text files saved and I will use them months from now to make sure that the system is still running the same stuff and nothing new.

Both of these programs do not have installers either. I like that a lot. Just copy them to a directory and create a shortcut.

For garbage cleanup, I like to use Crap Cleaner. This program removes files no longer needed and it cleans up the registry. You will need to run the registry cleaner function three to five times at first. Keep running it until it has nothing left to clean. The program will allow you to back up the registry before each clean up. Make sure that you save the backups in a logical place and do not over write any of your old backups. If you need to restore your registry, restore with the last one first (LIFO). Personally, I have never needed to restore my registry after using CCleaner.

I have an old Intel D850GB gaming PC running XP Pro. That system was originally an IBM Aptiva running Win95. I transfered the drive from the 300 Mhz Aptiva to the 1.7 Ghz Intel without re-installing Windows years ago using a technique that I developed at work. Since then I have upgraded the hard drive, and video cards several times and the processor is now 2.8 Ghz P4. The original installed games from the Aptiva days are still there and usable without having to re-install them. The frame rates are still excellent at 2048x1536 resolution. If you are diligent about keeping your system tidy, you can extend its life for a VERY long time.

 

Hey guys, thanks for the replies! I'll be looking into some of the tips!

 

Also, even though I haven't reinstalled in 2 years - if I am able to keep the registry tidy, delete old programs and files and keep the drives defragged - then by sheer vulcan logic, it should run as smooth as if I had done a format and installled everything again?

 

Depends if any damage was or will be done.

 

I have done the same (but very little defragging since I switched to NTFS), and since 2005 this PC has been running silk smooth.