Control Master File Table Zone Reservation

On NTFS-enabled XP systems, you can control the amount of space allocated to the Master File Table(MFT). The MFT contains reference entries to all the files on the system. This can get fragmented over time and affect system performance. Use this hack to allocate sufficient space for the MFT.

Navigate to:

HLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

Modify NtfsMftZoneReservation to a value between 1 and 4. For most users, a value of 3 is good enough. To be completely effective, this setting should be specified at the time the volume is formatted.

Enable/Disable Thumbnail Caching

One of Explorer's great features is to display a thumbnail of images and

the first frame of the video when seen in Thumbnail view. This is either done when you access the folder or it fetches from the thumbnail cache. Fetching thumbnails from the cache is  lot faster, but will consume a lot of hard disk space, especially if your system is full of images and video.Thankfully you can disable this. or in case you have sufficient space but want to speedup your system then you can enable it in case disabled.

Navigate to:

HCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion  \Explorer\Advanced

Set the DWORD Value DisableThumbnailCache to 1 if you are low on hard disk space. Otherwise chang/leave it at 0 to enable thumbnail caching

Unload Unused DLLs

XP has a very bad habit, Even after an application is closed the associated DLL files still exist in memory. This can waste some precious resources and memory. This also cause stability problems. Make the DLLs unload themselves from memory after the program is done running.

Navigate to:

HLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\

Explorer\AlwaysUnloadDLL

If the DWORD AlwaysUnloadDLL is not present, you will need to create it. Set the Value of the ?(Default)? setting to 1. Application-associated DLLs will get unloaded when the application

is closed.

Optimise System Cache

Desktop systems are normally optimised for applications, and servers for file caching. Depending on how you use your system, you may want to optimise your system for either. This Registry Hack will show you how to do it. Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet \ControlSession Manager\Memory Management

Find the setting LargeSystemCache. Set this DWORD value to 1 for server behaviour or to 0 for desktop behaviour.





This is for win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place.If particular key to which we asked you to navigate doesn?t exist, you?ll need to create it.Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you create it. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Change Special Folder Location

Special folders such as My Documents, Desktop, and so on can be changed to any other location from that set by the default installation. This hack will change the locations.There are 2 ways tto do this

• First, just move the required folders to the new locations. This will change the location of the folder.
  
  

• Second Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)
  
  
  
  

  Navigate to:
  
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

  
  
  
  
  Now change the paths of the folders. HKEY_CURRENT_USER is for current_user's folder only .Change it to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for All users. The change should take effect immediately. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Download ActiveX Files To A Specfic Location

The default path where the ActiveX files are installed when you download an ActiveX control is Windows\Downloaded Program Files. It is good thing to change this location.This saves your OS. Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\Internet Settings

Change the ActiveXCache String Value to the desired download location like?F:\MyActiveX?.



Also

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ActiveX Cache

Here, change the ?0? value to the same folder you specified in the other location.You just need to restart IE for the change to take effect.



This is for win xp. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Change location of " Program Files"

Change the default location where software will be installed and where the ?common files? will be stored. These are normally found in C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files\Common Files\.

Both can be on independent volumes. This can be useful if you?re running out of space on the C: drive.Also this will stop any harm to your Operating system due to these softwares.

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion

Specify the String Value of CommonFilesDir &/or ProgramFilesDir to the path of the new directories. From now on all new software that is installed will refer to this key to identify where the common files and program files should be stored by default. Nothing will happen to your exisiting files/softwares. Now you rae free from the burden of pressing ?browse? and selecting the desired location.





This is for win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you think of create it. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Change Location Of Win system Files

This Registry Hack will show you how to Change Location Of Windows Installation Files. If you installed XP from a CD and then copied the installation discs to your hard disk, use this hack to change the default installation folder that XP will look for when it searches for additional setup files later. Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\Setup

Change the String Value called SourcePath to one specifying the path to where the XP setup files are now stored. From now on XP will first look in this new location. No more of you having to click ?browse? and selecting.This is for win xp. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Free ram memory

After an application is closed, XP has the annoying habit of leaving the associated DLL files in memory. This can hog precious resources and memory, and also cause stability problems. Make

the DLLs unload themselves from memory after the program is done running. This is for older version of windows (before XP SP2). Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows

\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AlwaysUnloadDLL

Create the DWORD AlwaysUnloadDLL (right-click on AlwaysUnloadDLL and select new) if absent. Set the Value of the (Default) setting to 1. Application-associated DLLs will get unloaded when the application is closed.



This is one of the job done by several ram optimizer softwares. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you think of create it(key that you think doesn?t exist). Back up your registry before you do it(click here)