Here is the list of things that I do (and how to do them....)

I've tried lot's of different tweaks and tricks and found that these are the best ones for my machine. (You can pick and choose of course, you don't have to do all of them!) This is a "cut and paste compilation" that I picked up here and there, I wish I could remember where/who I got them all from so I could give the correct credit but I can't so if someone recognizes their work, Thank you!

My XP Tweaks

Here are XP tweaks I have used I picked up here and there.
First of all some of this is registry changes so Back up your registry first.
I do a backup by setting a system restore point before I start. Also a Startup disc is nice because I have screwed up bad enough I can't boot my computer before (called learning).

Remove Login for Windows XP
Many Windows XP users are the only users on their computer, yet they are asked for a password every time they boot. This can be annoying for newbies because they don't want the login, but they get a message every few weeks saying their password is about to expire and that it must be reset. There is a way to get rid of this. If you wish to get rid of the login for all users on the machine, then go to the Start Menu > Run and type "control userpasswords2". Select the user account you wish to log into automatically and then un-check the option that says "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer". After saving changes, your computer will now auto-login and you will not have to click through a log-in screen.
With this option fixed, you might not even want the Welcome screen. If you want to boot the PC and have it take you directly to the desktop, then go to the Control Panel > User accounts. Then click on "Change the way users log on or off". Un-check "Use the Welcome screen". Click "Apply Options".


Speed up Firefox

1.Type about:config into the address bar and hit return. Scroll down and look for the following entries:
network.http.pipelining network.http.proxy.pipelining network.http.pipelining.maxrequests
Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at
once, which really speeds up page loading.
2. Alter the entries as follows:
Set network.http.pipelining to true
Set network.http.proxy.pipelining to true
Set network.http.pipelining.maxrequests to some number like 30. This means it will make 30 requests at once.
3. Lastly right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it nglayout.initialpaint.delay and set its value to 0. This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives.
If you're using a broadband connection you'll load pages MUCH faster now!

Recycle Bin

By default, the recycle bin uses 10% of each drive/partition for a pit stop for deleted data before it gets permanently deleted. To adjust the amount of space the recycle bin uses, right click on the "Recycle Bin" and click "Properties". On the "Global" tab, set the slider to about 5%. This value will be applied to all drives/partitions. If you wish to configure the drives/partitions independently, check the "Configure drives independently" box, and proceed to go to each drive tab to adjust each slider. Once finished, hit apply and OK. If you find that files are too large to go to the recycle bin, you will be prompted to either permanently delete, or cancel. If you don't want to permanently delete the file yet, hit cancel and just increase the size of the appropriate recycle bin.

System Restore

Taking a look at system restore earlier in the article leads to this space saving tweak. By default, XP's System Restore takes up 12% of your hard drive space. 12% of an 80GB hard drive is 9.6GB, and that's 9.6GB you cannot use for data storage. How can this be adjusted? Start out by right clicking "My Computer" and "Properties".
Select the System Restore tab. The window in that panel contains all your hard drives and/or partitions.

It is not necessary to have System Restore Monitoring every drive/partition. It only needs to be monitoring the drive/partition with the Operating System. You can proceed to turn it off on drives/partitions by hitting Settings and checking Turn off System Restore on this drive.On the drive/partition that wish to keep System Restore working, hit Settings and drag the slider bar down to 2-4%. This is small enough as to not take up much space, yet large enough to provide a few restore points.



Turn Off Hibernation

Hibernation is a feature that allows your system to shut down quickly and save everything that's open in the RAM to be stored on the hard drive until the computer is powered on again. XP and 2000 use a file called hiberfil.sys to save everything it needs when they go go into hibernation. If you never use the hibernate function, you can turn it off. When this feature is disabled, the hiberfil.sys file is deleted. This can free up the as much disk space as the amount of ram that you computer has. For example, if you have 1GB of RAM, you could be freeing up to 1GB of hard drive space.
In XP, go to Control Panel > Power Options > Hibernation and uncheck Enable hibernation. In 2000, go to Control Panel > Power Options > Hibernate tab and uncheck Enable hibernate support If you should want to re-enable hibernation, go back in and check Enable hibernation in XP or Enable hibernate support in 2000.

Disable Administrative Alerts

Few people use or have even heard of this feature. What it does is use Windows Messenger to send messages between computers pertaining to administrative notifications and alerts. If you already have Windows Messenger disabled, it makes so sense to have this service enabled, for it won't work without Messenger anyway. To disable this service, go to Start > Run and type services.msc. Double click "Alerter" and on the "General" tab, set the startup type to "Disabled". Do the same to the "Messenger" service. "Messenger" is not the Windows Messenger service.


Disable Performance Counters Running in Background

There is a performance monitor located in XP in Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Performance that does not usually see the light of day with most users. What it does is track a number of different areas regarding your systems performance, such as CPU activity and hard drive access. It runs constantly in the background using up system resources without most people even using it. If you have no use for this and wish to reclaim some system resources, there is a tweak to turn it off.
First, you will need to download and install the Extensible Performance Counter List Utility. Go to C:\Program Files\Resource Kit and run the Exctrlst.exe utility.
Select each line in the Extensible performance counters window and clear the performance counters enabled button below. This must be done for each counter. When it's finished, just exit the utility.The next time you access the performance monitor, there will be no information available or shown.


Disable Remote Registry

This service allows your registry to be edited from a remote computer. It is most likely the case that this service is not needed, not to mention a possible security risk for people concerned about their system security.
To turn it off, go to Start > Run and type services.msc. Set the startup type to Manual or Disabled for XPs Remote Registry or 2000s Remote Registry Service.

Disable the nVidia Driver Helper Service

This relatively new feature has been included with some of the more recent Detonator driver packages. What does it do? That's where it gets hazy. There is no solid definition of what it is or what it does, and it is even left off of nVidias web site. The only thing that is definite about it is that can slow down boot and shutdown times considerably.
Here's how to disable it. Go to Start > Run and type services.msc. Set the startup value of the nVidia Driver Helper service to Manual or Disabled.

Turn Off Terminal Services

If you are experiencing slow shutdowns, one tweak you can try is turning off Ternimal Services. If you do not use remote desktop, fast user switching, remote assistance or the terminal server, then proceed with this tweak.
Go to Start > Run and type services.msc /s. Find "Terminal Services" on the list and double click on it (If it's not there, it isn't installed). Change startup type to disabled or manual and click OK.

Increase Max Number of Simultaneous Connections in IE
IE6 only offers two simultaneous server connections by default, although it may be fine for normal use with low traffic demands, traffic can get bogged down when connecting to web pages with a significant amount of graphical content. By increasing the number of possible server connections, your bandwidth can be used more efficiently and load complex web pages faster.
Start out by opening up regedit and going to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings. Create/modify two DWORD values: MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server set with the value of 0000000a, and MaxConnectionsPerServer set with the value of 0000000a. Close regedit and reboot.

Driver Signing
It's a pain to be prompted by Windows warning you about unsigned drivers whenever you need to install third party drivers for hardware. No, there's nothing wrong with installing unsigned drivers. They merely lack Microsofts stamp of approval. The only thing the prompts are good at is slowing down a driver installation. Here's the simple fix that gets rid of those annoying prompts.
Right click My Computer and click Properties&. Go to the Hardware tab and click on Driver Signing&. Select Ignore for the action. You will never be bothered by those pesky prompts again.

Error Reporting

On the occasion that a program, or even the entire Operating System experiences a crash, you are greeted with a prompt to send an error report back to Microsoft. I don't know about everybody else, but most of the time when I get this, it isn't usually the Operating Systems fault and I would never bother to send a report.
To turn off this prompting, go to Control Panel > System >Advanced tab and click Error Reporting. Select Disable Error Reporting, but leave But notify me when a critical error occurs checked, for it's sometimes a good idea to see it and it sometimes give a clue as to what happened.


Speed up Internet by 20% (XP Pro doesn't work for home)

Start/run/ gpedit.msc
Local Computer Policy-->Computer Configuration-->Administrative Templates-->Network-->QOS Packet Scheduler-->Limit Reservable Bandwidth
Double click on Limit Reservable bandwidth. It will say it is not configured, but the truth is under the 'Explain' tab :
"By default, the Packet Scheduler limits the system to 20 percent of the bandwidth of a connection, but you can use this setting to override the default."
So the trick is to ENABLE reservable bandwidth, then set it to ZERO.

No Recent Documents History
In Windows XP Pro, you can make it so that Windows does not keep a running document history. Go to Start > Run and then type "gpedit.msc" and enter. Now go to User Configuration - Administarative Templates - Start Menu and Taskbar. Double click "Do not keep history of recently opened documents" and click on "Enabled". Hit OK. Then you are done.



Create a Shutdown Shortcut
Follow these directions to create a one-click shutdown shortcut on your desktop:
1. On your desktop, right-click on a blank spot and point to New, then click on Shortcut.
2. In the "Create Shortcut" window, type the following depending of the version of Windows you are using.
For Windows 95, 98, or Me type (or even better, copy and paste:
C:windowsrundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows
For Windows XP type or copy:
SHUTDOWN -s -t 01
3. Click the "Next" button.
4. Name the shortcut whatever you would like, and click the "Finish" button. Now whenever you want to shut down, just double click on this shortcut.

Windows Key Shortcuts
Here are some uses of the Windows key present on many modern keyboards:
Windows Logo -Display or hide the Start menu
Windows Logo+BREAK - Display the System Properties dialog box
Windows Logo+D - Display the desktop
Windows Logo+M - Minimize all of the windows
Windows Logo+SHIFT+M - Restore the minimized windows
Windows Logo+E - Open My Computer
Windows Logo+F - Search for a file or a folder
CTRL+Windows Logo+F - Search for computers
Windows Logo+F1 - Display Windows Help
Windows Logo+ L -Lock the keyboard
Windows Logo+R - Open the Run dialog box
Windows Logo+U - Open Utility Manager

Internet Connection Sharing
If you don't use Windows Internet Connection Sharing service, it can be turned off. This will have no effect on computers running on a LAN off of one Internet connection, as long as the feature has not been configured for use. It is most often the case that it is not used.
To turn it off, go to Start > Run and type services.msc. In XP, set the startup type to Manual or Disabled” for Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) / Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). For 2000, it is the Internet Connection Sharing service.

DNS Caching
When you surf the web, Windows stores recently visited addresses in a DNS cache. The cache is accessed before a request is sent out over the net when a web page address is requested. If the address is found in the DNS cache, it saves time by eliminating the need to request and IP address from a DNS server over the net.
There is a stack of IP addresses in the DNS cache that constantly gets bumped down as IP requests are made. Sort of like a waiting list. This tweak will increase the size of the DNS cache, thus greatly increasing the speed at which web pages are accessed, especially if you regularly check certain web pages.
You can either apply this tweak using a downloadable registry file, or apply it manually with the following instructions:
Open up regedit and go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/Dnscache/Parametersand create/modify these DWORD values:

CacheHashTableBucketSize set with the value of 1

CacheHashTableSize& set with the value of 180

MaxCacheEntryTtlLimit set with the value of ff00

MaxSOACacheEntryTtlLimit set with the value of 12d.

The second part of DNS caching involves the caching of unsuccessful results. Namely, a valid URL that is temporary offline or cannot be accessed for some reason. As long as that entry remains in the cache and even if the URL goes live again, because Windows refers to the DNS cache first, it will only see the unsuccessful connection and continue to refer to it until it is bumped from the cache. Sounds bad, but there is a way to avoid this with a registry fix that prevents unsuccessful DNS lookups from being cached.
Open regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/Dnscache/Parameters. Create/modify the following DWORD values:
NegativeCacheTime set with the value of 0
NetFailureCacheTime set with the value of 0 NegativeSOACacheTime set with the value of 0.
Close regedit and reboot.

Remove the QoS Bandwidth Reserve Setting
QoS, or "Quality of Service" is a provision in Windows XP's networking connections that allows certain software that has been written to take advantage of QoS to reserve up to 20% of a connection's bandwidth solely for that program's use. So, whenever a program is running that has the ability to utilize the QoS provision, it will automatically delegate this 20% to its self and not allow anything else to use it in order to make sure it has priority. Yes, it will allow smooth sailing for this program over a net connection, but it can also hinder any other programs that require bandwidth. Remember, this 20% is reserved whether or not there is actually traffic going over the networking connection. Disabling this option will ensure that everything requesting bandwidth to be put in the "first come, first served" queue.
If you wish to disable QoS, go into Control Panel > Network Connections, right click on your active net connection and select "Properties". Scroll through the scroll box to locate "QoS Packet Scheduler". Uncheck the box and click "OK". It will appear to freeze for a few moments, so be patient. Once the dialog windows closes, QoS will have been disabled. If you should want to enable QoS again, simply go back in and check the box.


Windows Sharing
It's fairly common nowadays to have more than one computer in the house on LAN so they can each connect to the Internet. It's also common to share and transfer files between the computers. When you try to access one computer from another, there is often a significant delay while trying to connect. This is because your computer will check the remote computer you are accessing for any scheduled tasks. The more there are on the remote PC, the longer it takes to connect.
To avoid this delay, go into regedit, and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace. Delete the {D6277990-4C6A-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} key and reboot. The next time you try to access the shared files on a remote computer, you will probably notice your computer gets there faster.


Turning off the SP2 Security Service (and other annoying services)
While SP2s Security Center may be enlightening to many users, it can be a pest to others. If you are annoyed by Windows constantly warning you of your lack of a virus solution at startup or the fact that Windows Firewall is turned off, you may be one of the annoyed. To turn it off, go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services. When the Services MMC snap-in comes up, find the service named Security Center, double-click it, and when the next window comes up, press Stop. Then, select Disable from start-up type, and press OK. The result is that Security Center is both stopped and will never start up again, until you enable the service again. Note that this can be done with any service, not just Security Center. (However, before you start disabling services, make sure that you do not need them in most cases, a search on Google will yield a quick answer.)