A few things you may like

Hi,

Thought it would be a good idea to drop a couple of tips for those who are using XP, to give you an idea of what I do to keep my PC running at its Optimum Performance, and a quick summary of the programs I use.
    I have also added a couple of links to free apps I use on my PC, and will review new free products occasionally.

Maintenance
This is a touchy subject for some. Cleaning tools have been available for awhile, and I get the same old question from alot of people...which one is the best? For those of you that think you must have the latest and greatest, sorry to say, its not always the way. I have tried many different programs and utilities to clean my PC, among them;

System Mechanic
Tuneup Utilities
Window Washer
Okoker Optimize Expert
Advanced Registry Doctor
RegVac ...to name a few.

I would love to say use this one or that one, but as a quick guide, refer to the list above, and find out a bit more information about them.


I use a Free Cleaner. CCleaner does pretty much what I would expect from a Paid Product, let-alone a free download! Built-in registry cleaner seems to work great, it loads fast, scans fast, and is lean on resources.

Although they all do basically the same job, its really up to the Individual to decide whether the program works for them or not. One thing to be mindful of, is that not all computers are the same.
The problems you are having on your computer might never happen to mine, and this could be due to some of the following;

The Programs installed on your PC
Some programs you install, like to change the PC's configuration, which may result in unstability, or Hang-time,(freezing up,blue screen). Other programs might be too resource-hungry to run on your PC, as the specifications of your PC do not meet the requirements needed for the program to run. In other words, your PC cant handle it!

So what do I do if I have installed a program that does this?
Well...If you can, uninstall the program. If it is hanging or slowing down your system, follow these steps;
Reboot
After the initial boot-screen, keep tapping F8, until a Menu appears. Choose 'Safe Mode', then enter.On startup, click 'Yes". You should have writing in all 4 corners of your screen.

This is Safe-Mode, and it is used to make changes to your PC when it is not going right. Safe Mode loads only the necessary drivers windows needs to boot-up. While in Safe-Mode, use the Uninstaller to remove the Offending program,(or the last program you use), reboot, and see if the problem exists. If unsure, make sure to refer to a trained technician or similar.

Unfortunately, there are times when you have to take responsibility for your own actions, and if you keep using a program you like, because it is easy, or because you are used to it, but STILL keep having the same problems, I would suggest looking for an Alternative Program that does the same thing. Believe me, there are always other programs that can do the same thing, its just a matter of doing a bit of research into it.

Also helpful are Forums, where people leave comments and answers on a huge range of topics (Software Included). From here, you can isolate the problem(s), and either use the Forums to correct it, or maybe take their advice on a similar product, and try something else.