Save Current Settings to a File
- backups the settings you have chosen so they can be easily restored without having to do it manually.Load Previous Settings from file
- loads the previous settings if you have used the Save Current Settings to a File.Backup Current System Settings
- this will backup your current settings in the registry and any .ini files that PCXL changes so they can be easily restored if anything goes wrong. I highly recommend using this before applying the settings with PCXL.Restore System Settings Back-up
- this will restore the backup of system settings if you have used Backup Current System Settings. Use this if you have trouble with your computer after using PCXL.Resolve System Problems
- if your having problems with you computer after using PCXL, try using this to help resolve system problems.Apply Settings
- will do the same thing as the Accelerate button at the bottom. It will make the changes to the registry and the .ini files after choosing what settings you want & don't want.Exit
- uhh...exits the program.Quick Optimization:
Monitor Calibration
- this displays a black square with a gray smiley face to help you find the right brightness and contrast for your monitor so you can get the best visual quality.Windows Core Optimization
- this will optimize certain parts of Windows such as .dll and file system. Use this before applying your tweaks & restarting Windows.Windows ME System Restore Remover
- Windows ME comes with a program called System Restore. This program will keep backups of current configurations and will allow you to 'rollback' if anything ever goes wrong with a backup that was working. A useful program to easily be back up and running in no time in the event of a horrible system crash. The reason why some people would want to remove it is that System Restore can take up a lot of resource, waste CPU time, and take up at least 200 MB of disk space. So if you want more performance without having a constant automatic back-up thingy...then use Window ME System Restore Remover to remove it...however, you can't reinstall System Restore without doing a reinstall of Windows ME. So make sure you don't want it if you decide to remove.
Start when Windows boots up
- starts PCXL when you turn on your computer.Apply Settings:
Online Help
- this option will open this help file...the file you are reading right now...yes, this file...About
- this just brings up a box that tells you what the product is and who and what company programmed it. In other words:
Default
- sets the MTU, TTL, RWIN, and MSS to the Windows default.Modem 4x
- for dial-up users. Increases TCP/IP potential by 4 folds. I recommend using it for slow dial-up connections like <33.6 kbps.Modem 10x
- for dial-up users. Increases TCP/IP potential by 10 folds. I recommend using it for 56 kbps modem connections.LAN
- optimal settings for a LAN. Use this when you're on a LAN network, but leave the server settings to what connection you're using. If you have anything faster than Cable or DSL (T1+) then either use LAN, Default, or custom.Bluetooth
- optimal settings for Bluetooth wireless network.802.11b
- optimal settings for 802.11b wireless network.ISDN
- sets MTU, TTL, RWIN, and MSS to the optimal setting for ISDN connections.Cable/ADSL
- optimal settings for Cable and ADSL connections.Online Gaming
- this setting will help improve your online gaming speed/ping. However, this setting may actually hurt your web browsing and downloading of files.DSL PPPoE
- optimal DSL PPPoE settingsSatellite
- optimal settings for a Satellite internet connectionCustom
- allows you to set your own settings in the Custom box. Tests have shown that the optimal TCP/IP settings for a dial-up modem are: MTU at 576, MaxMSS at 536, TTL, at 128, and RWIN at 4288.Windows Scaling/Time Stamp
- optimizes Windows Scaling during TCP/IP session and enables time stamp.Maximum DupAcks Enabled
- Allow for maximum DupAcks for the TCP/IP session.Optimize Modem Cache system
- sets the optimal cache setting for greater throughput.Optimize NDI Connections
- optimizes NDI Connections.Optimize NDI Sockets
- optimizes NDI sockets for improved performance.Optimize NDI Cache
- changes the NDI cache to the optimal setting.Optimize Web Connections
- improves web page connections for faster loading.Optimize Web File Transfer
- improves the performance of file transfers.Optimize Urgent Data Handling
- optimizes the way your computer/TCP handles Urgent Data processes.Optimize Internal Internet Transfer Rate
- improves internet performance.Optimize ARP Packets
- improves the performance of the packaging of data.Optimize LAN Thread Priority
- improve Local Area Network performance.Optimize ICS Performance
- optimizes Internet Connection Sharing performance.Optimize DNS Caching
- Optimizes the Domain Name Server's caching.DNS IP Seek Acceleration
- when you type in a url address Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator it sends the address to the domain name server and it sends you the IP address which allows you to connect to that website. This tweak is a compilation of a huge list of urls and their IP addresses so when you try to go to a site that has the IP address stored, it can just go to the site without having to ask the domain name server.Enable Dynamic DNS System Updates
- will automatically update your DNS server.Routing Packet Optimization
- improves performance of packet routing over the internet & networks.Optimize NT/Win2K Pipe-Write Buffer
- for Windows NT and Windows 2000 only. Optimizes the Pipe-Write Buffer.Optimize NT/Win2K Execution Network Thread Buffers
- for Windows NT and 2000 only. Optimizes the Execution Network Thread Buffer.Extreme Broadband Acceleration (Use at your own discretion)
- this setting may improve your internet speed if you have a broadband connection (cable, dsl, etc). Try the internet with & without this enabled to find the best performance.Sack Options Enable
- enables advanced Sack options.Black Hole Detect
- can correct certain errors by detecting Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) routers that do not send back ICMP fragmentation-needed messages. This can slow down performance but correct certain errors.Auto Discovery
- will attempt to discover the MTU size over the path to a remote host. This can improve performance for some connections.Disable Error Control
- turns off error control for the modem. This may improve performance but can lead to connection problems and instablilities.Disable Flow Control
- disables flow control by the modem. Usually won't improve performance. Might improve performance with winmodems. Try experimenting with it.Disable Hardware Compression
- disables your modem's compression and forces your processor to do all the compression. This can cause slowdown/lag/higher pings. Winmodems use the processor instead of their own hardware (which is why winmodems are disliked so much).Disable TCP/IP Tunnel Mode
- expirimental, disable if necessary.Enable ASP Browser Buffering
- client side buffering of active server pages.Enable Gateway Detection
- will automatically detect for a gateway.Enable Ethernet Adaptive Algorithm
- if you have an ethernet network setup, this option will enable an algorithm to improve performance.Use RFC 1122 Spec. for Urgent Data
- helps improve performance.Enable LAN Auto-Disconnect Tiime-Out
- automatically disconnects you from you local area network after a certain time of inactivity. Useful if you don't want to be connected to your network all the time.Enable Win2K Unimodem Usage
- enables Windows 2000 unimodem usage, only check this if you have a unimodem and are running Windows 2000.Optimize LAN Read-ahead Throughput
- improves Local Area Networking performance.Optimize LLC Max Window Size for NBF
- this option will control the number of Logical Link Control frames Netbeui transport sends before it stops sending and waits for acknowledgement. This is recommended for more reliable systems.Enable QoS Priority Boosting
- improves the performance of which packets are submitted to the network when the network is congested.Enable P-Node for Network
- When using p-node name resolution, broadcasts are NOT used for name registration or name resolution. Instead, all systems register themselves with a NetBIOS Name Server (NBNS) upon start up. The NBNS is responsible for mapping computer names to IP addresses and making sure that no duplicate names are registered on the network. All systems must know the IP address of the NBNS, which is equivalent to a WINS Server. If the systems are not configured with the correct IP address for the NBNS, p-node name resolution will not work. The p-node name resolution method uses directed User Datagram Protocol (UDP) datagrams and TCP sessions for its communication to and from the NBNS.TCP/IP Performance Boost
- will boost TCP/IP performance. Adds a 4 MB cache to the IRQ of you Network Card. Requires you to place your IRQ # in the last box "Network Card IRQ:". If you don't have a NIC (no network), then leave this setting unchecked.Enable Fast Route Lookup
- improves speed of internetworks by looking up the route at which data travels faster.Advanced Ad-block
- blocks ads and graphics. Useful for enhanced speed and security, but there are problems loading several web pages and some programs won't work properly. My recommendation: uncheckedSession Keep Alive
- specifies how often to send keepalive packets on active sessions. If you enter a number in here, your internet connection will be terminated after that many minutes of inactivity. (i.e. if you enter 10, you will be disconnected from the internet after 10 minutes of inactivity.)Network Card IRQ
- put the # of your NIC in here for the TCP/IP Performance Boost option.MaxMTU
- Maximum Transmission Unit. This is the size of your packets. Optimal setting is 576 for dial-up. Windows default is 1500.TTL
- Time To Live. Optimal settings are usually 32, 64, or 128. Windows default value is 32.RWIN
- Receive Window. The buffer your pc fills with data before bothering with other TCP transactions that are occuring on other threads & sockets Winsock has open while a connection is in progress. Optimal setting for dial-up users is usually 4288.MaxMSS
- Maximum Segment Size. Tells how much data can be put into a packet. Should usually be 40 less than the MTU. In the case of the MTU being 576, MSS should be 536.
Optimal
- this will set the optimal clock speed for your graphics card. Recommended over custom except for advanced users.Custom
- this allows you to set the clock speed for your graphics card manually with the slider bars below it. You can change the GPU & Memory clock speeds. *WARNING* - This can be dangerous to your graphics card. Only recommended for advanced users. Do not set above 57 MHz on Voodoo1, 97 MHz on Voodoo2, 110 MHz on TNT, 150/175 MHz on TNT2/TNT2 Ultra, or 155/175/190 MHz on V3 2000/3000/3500Gamma
- allow you to set the desired gamma setting. Just leave it blank if you're not sure what to put in there.Direct3D Acceleration
- enables Direct3d acceleration/tweaks for better performance in games & apps that use Direct3D.Disable DirectX Debug
- disable DirectX Debug for improved performance, DirectX Debug is usually used by game programmers/devlopers.DirectPlay Acceleration
- enables DirectPlay Acceleration which can help speed up online games that support DirectPlay.DX Media Acceleration
- tweaks DirectX Media Acceleration for better performance; which can help improve performance and visual quality of Media-based file such as some movies.DirecDraw Acceleration
- tweaks DirectDraw for better performance; which handles what is being displayed on your screen while a game is being played.DXInput Acceleration
- tweaks DirectX Input for better performance; when assisting in inputs such as the mouse, keyboard, and joystick.DXMusic Acceleration
- tweaks DirectX Music for better performance; when it assists in music and sound.Game Turbo-boost
- increases the performance and stability in intensive games.Show D3D Framrate
- will show the frame rate or frames per second when playing Direct3D games. Useful for testing performance differences (higher framerate is better). Only works on some games.DirectX 8 Acceleration
- improves performance/tweaks DirectX 8.Fast V-Sync
- enables a fast Vertical Synchronization. Degrades performance but improves visual quality. This setting will likely cap your fps at the refresh rate of your monitor.Fast Memory
- improve performance of your graphics card's RAM.Fast PCI Read
- improves performance of the PCI bus read.Fast RAS READ
- improves performance of the RAS Read.Fast 24-bit Rendering
- uses a fast 24-bit color rendering instead of 16-bit color. Degrades performance but improves visual quality.Dual Monitor Mode
- allows you to use 2 monitors.Abstract Lighting
- enables fast abstract lighting effects. Improves performance but degrades visual quality.Disable Textures
- disables textures when texture-mapping a 3D object. Improves performance but degrades visual quality.Advanced Anti-aliasing
- smoothes jagged edges on 3D polygons. Degrades performance if checked but improves visual quality.Enable all performance increasing features built into Voodoo 3
- Includes: Sharp rendering, maximal video rendering quality, and maximum framerate throughput.Limit Texture Memory to 2 MB
- doesn't allow textures to use up more than 2 MB of video memory.Enable N64-style anti-aliasing for Voodoo 3
- enables anti-aliasing to improve visual quality by removing jaggies from 3D polygons. Degrades performance while improving visual quality.Enable Sharp Precision Bumpmap-style effect for Voodoo 3
- this sharp precision bumpmap-style effects allowing for better graphics.Enable all built-in performance increasing features
- this will help improve overall performance of the Voodoo 4/5.Limit Texture Memory to 2 MB
- doesn't allow textures to use up more than 2 MB of video memory. Useful for diagnosing problems & saves video memory if you want it to be used for something else for some reason...Enable all performance increasing features built into ATI Radeon
- improves overall performance of the Radeon.Enable ATI HyperZ Technology
- takes advantage of the ATI Radeon's HyperZ technology.Enable all image quality increasing features built into ATI Radeon
- improves visual quality, may degrade performance some however.Enable all performance increasing features built into *whatever*
- improves the overall performance of whatever card you are using.
Require Alphanumeric Windows password
- this will require the use of a password every time Windows starts. Check this if you use a Windows password, otherwise leave it unchecked.Require network validation for Win access
- WARNING: NO KNOWN BYPASS! This will force anyone that uses the computer to type in the network user name and password for the network before allowed into windows. Useful if you have a network that you want remained secure. If you don't have a network or you have a network but don't require passwords, then leave it unchecked!Enable Shutdown without logging in
- allows you to shutdown your computer without logging in with the Windows password (other than the power button that is).Display Domain Logon Confirmation
- shows a confirmation to logon to the Domain Server.Disable Start Menu Modifications
- restricts changes to the Start Menu.Disable Automatic Netware Logon
- this will keep Netware from automatically using the password and logging you on when it starts up (usually when Windows starts up). Netware is a program that is used in networks. Don't worry about it if you don't use Netware. And if you do, disabling it can be useful to keep just anyone from logging into the network without knowing the password.Disable VBS Files
- keeps any files with .vbs extension (visual basic script) from running. There are a lot of viruses written in .vbs so disabling this can't help prevent getting a virus. However .vbs files can be used by programmers for things like batch files. I'd recommend checking this and if you find out you need .vbs support, uncheck this.Disable User Tracking
- disables the tracking of what users do.Disable DHCP Database Logging
- disables DHCP database logging.Disable Start Menu Modifications
- disables the ability to modify the start menu (right clicking on the start menu).Disable "Save Settings on Exit" feature
- disables the save settings on exit...won't save your current settings on exit.Disable 8.3 Name Creation (NTFS)
- Windows NT File System only...Disables 8.3 Name Creation.Disable Tracking of Shell Shortcuts
- disables the tracking of shell shortcuts.Disable Mapped Drive Reconnect Warning
- disables the warning given when a mapped drive is disconnected.Disable Displaying Last User Name
- this is more of a security option which will keep the last person's name who logged in display.Disable Registry Editing Tools
- disables registry editing tools such as regedit. If you don't want anyone messing around with the registry for any reason, then check this. However, although your system will be more secure, you won't be able to edit the registry to help find and fix problems. (Which only experienced computer users should use, as editing the registry can be disastrous.)Disable File and Printer sharing
- this will disable the ability to share files and to share a printer over a network. Leave this unchecked unless you don't share any files or printers with other computers.Disable Network Control panel
- this will hide the Network settings found in the control panel. Can be useful if you don't want anyone messing up the network settings after you set them. However, it can be more difficult to diagnose problems.Disable Recent Documents
- deletes the documents from the Start Menu. Useful if you don't want people looking at what you have been looking at and reading recently. But can also be a pain not to be able to reopen recently used documents.Disable Control panel
- removes the Control Panel. I highly don't recommend this as it is imperitive that you can get into the Control Panel for system diagnosing & maintenance!Disable password caching
- When you type in certain passwords such as the ones for dial-up internet connections, it places that password in a cache where it can easily be read by someone who knows where to look. If you check this option you will have to type in your password for your dial-up connection (if you have one) everytime you want to connect to the internet.Disable Win2K System File Protection
- disables Windows 2000 System File Protection for improved performance. Not recommended by me, but should improve performance.Enable System File Protection
- helps protect critical system files from deletion, corruption, or being copied over.Fix DHCP Security Flaw
- fixes a security 'bug' in DHCP.Control Network Browser Elections
- guarantees that there is never more than one master browser present in a domain or workgroup.Secure Network Access to CD-ROM
- adds secure network access to the CD-ROM.Secure Network Access to Floppy
- secure network access to floppy.Restrict Access to Event Logs
- keeps anyone from getting into the events logs.Restrict Active Desktop Changes
- will prevent anyone from changing the active desktop settings.Restrict Anonymous Connection Access
- restricts anonymous connection access.Restrict Access to password Control panel
- Hides the passwords prog found in the control panel. Useful for helping against people changing your passwords.Clear Recent documents on Exit
- this will delete all contents of the Recent Documents in the Start Menu. This is useful if you only want to use the recent documents for one session and then have them deleted so no one else can see what you have been looking at or reading.Clear page file at system shutdown
- deletes all the contents of the page file at shutdown so no one reads it. Could increase shutdown time however.Remove Internet Icon from Desktop
- gets rid of the Internet Explorer icon from the desktop. I highly don't recommend this as it can cause some problems.Remove "Entire Network" from network neighborhood
- this will hide the "Entire Network" tab in network Neighborhood. Useful if you don't want anyone seeing the "Entire Network".Remove Log-Off from Start Menu
- if you always shutdown or restart and don't have multiple users and/or passwords, then remove the Log-Off from the Start Menu to save space.Remove System Shutdown Feature
- removes shutdown from the start menu.Hide share password with asterisks
- this will hide the password used for file and printer sharing with *asterisks*. I'd definitely check this.Hide All Item from Desktop
- not recommended by me. This will do what it says and hide all the Icons that are on the desktop.Hide My Documents
- hides the My Documents folder found in C:\My Documents and on the desktop.Hide Device Manager page
- disables the Device Manager tab in the System Properties found in the Control Panel. This will prevent anyone from messing around with your computer's hardware setup. However, this will also prevent hardware diagnosing and maintenance.Hide Hardware profiles
- this will hide the Hardware Profiles tab in the System Properties found in the control panel. If you only use one hardware profile (most everyone will), then you may check it. Otherwise leave it unchecked.Hide Virtual Memory page
- this will disable the Virtual Memory button on the Performance Tab in the System Properties found in the Control Panel. This is useful if you don't want anyone changing your Swap File size around.Hide network access control page
- hides the network access control page.Hide Network Identification page
- hides the network identification page.Hide Workgroup content from network neighborhood
- hides the Workgroup content from Network Neighborhood.Disable MS FCBs Usage on Server
- for server administrators.Disable Recycling Bin Feature Usage
- removes the recycling bin.
Enable CPU Idle
- this will send a command to the processor to cool it down when it is in idle. This will cool it down, prevent it from overheating, and can help it run faster and more efficiently.CPU Priority Enabled
- enables optimal CPU performance rate. This will help speed up you processor some.Fast PCI Concurrences
- enables optimal PCI Concurrences. Speeds up the Peripheral Component Interconnect bus some.Maximize File System Speed
- optimizes disk caching and read-ahead cache. This will help improve the response time when it first loads your start menu & when you're browsing the hard drive, and things like that.Maximize CD-ROM Speed
- this sets the CD-ROM's cache and read-ahead to the optimal setting for your CD-ROM drive.Contiguous File Allocation Size
- will set the hard drive's file allocation size to a certain size for it to speed up your hard drive and/or to help save disk space.Boot Time Optimization
- will add several lines to your MSDOS.SYS file to speed up the loading of windows.Optimize Async I/O Page Bufferes
- optimizes the Asynchronous Input/Output Page Buffers for best perfomrance.Optimize DMA Transfer Subsystem
- improves the performance of the Direct Memory Access' subsystem.Enable Application Heap Optimizations
- when you run a large number of Windows-based programs, "Out of Memory" error messages appear when you attempt to start new programs or try to use programs that are already running, even though you still have plenty of physical and pagefile memory available. This option will help fix the problem.Enable System Stability Optimization
- should help improve system stability.File System Turbo-Boost
- this option must be turned on to achieve maximum file system performance. This will change the VCache and Chunksize to a certain amount depending on how much ram your system has.Enhanced GSM Audio interoperability
- will give better sound performance & quality on GSM audio enable programs.Optimize L2 Cache Usage
- optimizes L2 Cache usage on the processor for the best usage and performance.Unload DLLs when closing programs
- closes out of .dll files that programs were using when all the programs that were using it are closed. This will help free available RAM and help make your computer more stable.Append Data to Existing Dump File
- it appends data to your existing dump file which will hold data from crashes. It'll help your data from being lost in a crash.Optimize IRP Stack Size
- optimizes IRP stack size for best performance.Enable Mouse Buffering subsystem
- enables the mouse buffering subsystem.Disable Verbose Boot
- disable verbose boot.Enable Machine Check Exception
- Windows 2000 only. Could help improve performance.Enable Machine Check Architecture
- Windows 2000 only. Could help improve performance.Extreme System Acceleration (Use only on high-memory computers)
- sets the vcache to 64 MB and the chunksize to 32k. Use only on PCs with lots of RAM.Compress Registry at Startup
- this will add a line to our autoexec.bat file that tells your computer, while booting up, to optimize & compress the registry. This will improve overall performance and may seem a little slow the first time you restart your computer, but after that it will be fairly fast, probably even faster than before.Fast DRAM Leadoff Timings
- this will optimize and improve memory performance.Enable Asynchronous File Commit
- this is a faster method of file commit and transfer.Optimize VIA AGP 4X performance
- if your motherboard is using a VIA chipset & supports 4X AGP, then checking this option will improve performance.Enable Keyboard Buffering subsystem
- enables keyboard buffering subsystem for improved performance.Enable Power saving features
- enables power savings features to help save your computer components. It's a good idea to have this checked if you want to save electricity and you don't have any fans on you monitor and hard drive(s). However, it can also wear out you monitor and hard drive(s) when it keeps shutting them off and coming back on again.Optimize Quantum Matrix Thread Queues
- improves thread-handling performance.Optimize VMM MapCache
- will improve the Virtual Memory Manager Map Cache so memory & the hard drive will work faster.Optimize System Structure Alignment
- optimize system structure alignment.Optimize CPU Delay Timings
- improves the Central Processing Unit's performance by decreasing the delay.Optimize Minimum Time Slice
- optimizes the minimum time slice for best performance.Enable Large System Caching subsystem
- recommended for systems with greater amounts of RAM (128 MB+) for improved caching.Enable Fast Reboot
- will speed up shutting down and rebooting your computer by shutting it down without properly closing things such as .dll files. However this can cause shutdown problems with some computers.Optimize Crashed Program Termination
- will lessen the time it takes for a crashed or frozen program to be terminated.Enable Write-Behind Caching
- enables write-behind caching to help speed up floppy disk transfers.Optimize USB Error-Handling Subsystem
- disables USB error handling.Enable Conservation Swapfile Usage
- makes it so all your RAM is used until it's filled before using the Swapfile (hard disk space for RAM).Fast AGP Concurrences
- improves the performance of the Accelerated Graphics Port bus.Disable Link File Tracking
- disables link file tracking.Optimize Port Thread Priority
- improves port thread priority handling (like Serial, Parellel ports, USB).Disable PC Speaker Beep on Error
- when your computer has an error and there is no sound effect set for that error; then your internal speaker in your comptuer will beep. This setting keeps the internal speaker in your computer from beeping when there is an error.Processor Type
- select your processor type here so certain tweaks like L2 Cache Usage will work for your processor.Current Memory Configuraton
- select the amount of RAM you have here. This is for certain tweaks like the VCache settings.
Optimal Start Menu Performance
- this will set the delay of the start menu to 0 ms. The windows default is 400 ms.Switch to Win 95 Start Menu
- switches your startmenu back to the old Windows 95 version for slight performance increase, however I like the Windows 98/2000 version better.Optimize Cached Icons
- will optimize the size of the icon cache. This will improve the loading of windows/desktop containing icons as they will be in cache.Optimize Windows Cached Logons
- optimizes windows cached logons.Optimize Windows Swapfile System
- sets the recommended swap file size for your memory configuration. Will lessen disk fragmentation and won't let windows waste time resizing the thing.Optimize Windows VXD Stability
- adds additional device files for added stability.Optimize Printer Priority
- will help improve printer peformance.Optimize Printer Spooler Priority
- helps improve printer performance.Optimize Printer Schedule Priority
- improves the performance of the printer scheduling.Optimize Microsoft IIS Performance
- will improve peformance for WinNT/2000 servers.Optimize IIS and SQL Server Performance
- improves teh performance for WinNT/2000 servers.Optimize Print Server Broadcast Timeout
- recommended for server administrators.Optimize Server Announcement Frequency
- recommended for server administrators.Optimize Server Announcement Spaces
- recommended for server administrators.Disable Windows Title Tooltips
- helps improve performance if checked. You won't have the useful tooltips when you point over a menu option anymore though.Disable Windows Tool-tip for folder/desktop items
- disables the tooltip popup when hovering your mouse cursor over folders and/or desktop items.Disable Windows AutoCheck
- disables windows autocheck.Disable "Click here to begin." start-menu messsage
- disables the "Click here to begin" tooltip.Disable Windows Animations
- disables windows animations. These animations look cool but are useless and degrade performance.Disable Windows Smooth Scrolling
- will disable windows smooth scrolling.Disable ScanDisk aftter a faulty shutdown
- will disable scandisk when your PC isn't shutdown "correctly". Helps save time, but can result in data loss and corrupted files over time.Disable Computer Power Off After Shutdown
- when you shutdown your computer it should automatically cut off the power. This option disables that and will say "it is now save to turn of your comptuer".Disable CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Auto-Run
- disable the auto insert notification for CD/DVD ROM drives.Disable Active Desktop
- disables the resource draining feature Active Desktop.Enable Full Window Drag Feature
- when you drag a window around it'll show the entire window being dragged instead of just the frame. Looks better, disable for slightly improved peformance.Enable Font Smoothing
- smooths fonts with anti-aliasing techniques for a more appealing text.Enable Icon Title Wrap
- enables icons' names' title wrap.Enable Windows Auto Reboot on BSOD
- this will force your computer to automatically reboot on a Blue Screen of Death. This could be useful for BSODs that won't let you recover, however some BSODs you can recover from.Automatically Reload OS shell after crash
- if your computer crashes, this option will cause your operating system's shell to automatically reload.Display the full path in title bar
- will display the full path of your current location in the title bar when browsing your computer's files (instead of just the name of the folder you're currently in).Display the full path in the address bar
- will display the full path of your current location in the address bar when browsing your computer's files (instead of just the name of the folder you're currently in).Display alternate-colored compressed files/folders
- displays compressed files/folders in a different color from the rest of the files/folders.Enable Middle Mouse Button
- if you have a mouse with a 3 buttons+ or a scroller, then click this to enable the middle button/unclick to disable it.Enable Mouse Wheel Feature
- if you have a mouse with a wheel/scroller check this to enable it, and uncheck this to disable it.Active Window Tracking (X-Mouse)
- this will cause a windows to be selected automatically when pointed at instead of having to be clicked on. I find this annoying and lazy-like. :)Enable Auto-focus on default button
- Will automatically move your mouse cursor to the default button, can save a little time, but I personally find it very annoying.Reverse Mouse Buttons
- Will swap the the right and left mouse buttons. Useful for left handed people and people who find it more convienant flip-flopped.Remove Mouse Shadow in Windows 2K
- This will remove the shadow on the mouse in Win2K. Enabling this should improve performance some, however you'll loose the shadow which looks kinda cool.Optimize NT/Win2K mouse rate
- will improve the refresh rate of the mouse so it runs smoother. Works only for Windows NT & 2000 & with PS/2 mice only.Enable Win2K Menu Priority Selection
- This will add a priority selection (Low, Below Normal, High, & Realtime Priority) to the list when you right click an exe file. This will only work in Win2K.Enable Win2K Manual Crash Feature
- Enables Windows 2000's manual crash feature. This will allow you to automatically *crash* your computer if you push Shift+Scroll Lock+Scroll Lock.Enable NT DMA Transfer
- Enables Direct Memory Access in Windows NT/2000.Minimize Master File Table Fragmentation
- This option will allocate more space for the Master File Table to reduce fragmentation.Enable ClearType Font Smoothing (XP)
- Enables ClearType Font Smoothing under WindowsXP.Enable Win XP Automatic Boot Disk Optimization
- Optimizes automatic boot disk in WindowsXP.Automatically Hide Inactive Tray Icons
- This option will cause icons that are not being used in the taskbar to 'go away'. WinXP only.Group Similar Taskbar Buttons (XP only)
- Will put similiar programs/icons in the taskbar together, only works with Windows XP.Disable Eject Option from the Start Menu
- Disables the eject option from the start menu.
Enable Microsoft Jet Engine Optimizations
- Optimizes Microsoft's Jet engine database.Disable MS Office Tune-up Feature
- Disables Microsoft Office Tune- up Feature.Remove Items from Office Places Bar
-Removes items from the Microsoft Office bar.Enable MS Word Graphics Optimizations
- Optimizes Microsoft Word's graphics handling for better perfomance.Enable MS Word I/O Cache Optimizations
- If you have Microsoft Word, this setting will speed up the Input/Output Cache.Enable Live scrolling in Microsoft Word
- Scrolling in Microsoft Word normally causes the screen to remain the same until the scrolling is complete. Turning this feature on allows the screen information to refresh as the user scrolls.Optimize Undo Levels in Excel 2000
- Optimizes the undo levels in Microsoft Excel 2000.Enable 4-Digit Year Display in Excel
- Enables 4-digit year display in Mircosoft Excel. Recommended to avoid any Y2K problems.Enable DVD Features in Media Player
- Will enable all the DVD features and allow you to play DVD movies in Windows Media Player. I recommend checking this unless you don't have a DVD player, or have no need for Media Player to play DVDs.Enable Media Player Auto Upgrade
- Enables/disables Windows Media Player's ability to automatically upgrade itself to a newer version if any.Disable Media Player Upgrade Message
- Disables Media Player upgrade message when there is a more udpated version of Windows Media Player.Optimize Media Player 8 MP3 Encoding
- Improves Media Player 8 MP3 Encoding peformance.Optimize Media Player Streaming Performance
- Improves Media Player's streaming video/audio performance.Enable NetMeeting Logging
- This option will enable logging in Netmeeting so you can go back later and look at your discussions. This can be useful if you talk about important things & basically the notes will be taken for you. I'd recommend enabling this option unless you have no use for the logging, you don't want people viewing your discussions, &/or you don't want it taking that little bit of performance.Clear Netmeeting Call History
- Clears Netmeeting's call history.Remove Outlook Express Splash
- Removes the Outlook Express splash screen.
My recommendation: checked
Disable Outlook EXE Lock-down mode
- Allows you to open EXE files from Outlook.Disable the Norton AntiVirus Splash Screen
- If you have Norton Antivirus, this setting will disable the startup splash screen.Disable Norton Utilities Splash Screen
- If you have Norton Utilities, this option will disable the startup splash screen.Display Hosts in Lists in PCAnywhere
- If you have PcAnywhere, this option will show the hosts file in the program.Disable the Adaptec DirectCD Splash Screen
- Disables Adaptec DirectCD splash.Disable ICQ Ads
- Disables the ads in ICQ instant messanger, currently only disables the auto update.Sort Start Menu and IE Favorites
- Sorts your startmenu and Internet Explorer favorites in Alphabetical order.Speed up Internet Explorer Seek Time
- Speeds up Internet Explorer's seek time for faster performance when loading web pages.Make Google engine priority for IE Search
- Will make the google engine the priority for Internet Explorer's search feature.Disable the Internet Explorer Custom Search Page
- Disables the Internet Explorer custom search page.Remove IE5 Branding
- This will remove te customizations and marketing branding that companies put in/on Internet Explorer 5. (Such as a custom animated logo in the upper right hand corner instead of the Windows logo with the animation of the earth rotating around it when it's busy loading a page.)Disable IE Navigation Sound
- Disables the navigation sound in Internet Explorer (the *click* sound when clicking on links).Enable Internet Explorer Update Check
- This option will cause IE to check for a newer version of itself & notify you if there is one. I personally generally stay updated about the news on IE versions so I personally don't use this option to improve performance.Disable IE Download Notification
- Disable Internet Exlorer's download notification.Bypass Windows Update Registration
- Bypasses the Windows update registration when trying to go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.comDisable AutoComplete Append Completion
- disables autocomplete append completion so when you type (lets say an internet web address) it won't automatically fill in the closes address.Enhanced IE Partial Address Feature
- This will enable all .*** (.com/.net/.org/.edu/.gov/etc.) when typing in an address in Internet Explorer. For example, if you type in www.smartalec2000.net and it's really a .com, it'll automatically change it for you.Empty Temp Internet Folder on Loggoff
- Deletes the contents of your internet temp folder or cache when you logoff/reboot/shutdown your computer.Disable IE Error Reporting
- Disables the error reporting tool in Internet Explorer 6 (manually addable to some previous versions).Remove Privacy Tab from IE 6
- Removes the privacy tab from Internet Explorer 6.Show Full URL in Internet Explorer
- Shows the full URL address in Internet Explorer.Enable Internet Explorer Transition Fading
- Should enable fading in/out of pages.Disable Internet Explorer Link Underline
- Disables underlining links in Internet Explorer.Super-Streamline Internet Explorer
- Improves performance under Internet Explorer.Enable Quickview Context Menu Option
- Enables "Quickview" under the context menu when you right click a file.Enable "View with Notepad" Context Option
- Allows you to have "View with Notepad" on every files' list when your right click it.Enable "View with Wordpad" Context Menu Option
- Allows you to have "View with Wordpad" on every files' list when your right click it.Enable "Move to" Context Menu Option
- Allows you to have "Move to" on every files' list when your right click it.Enable "Open With..." Context Option
- Allows you to have "Open With" on every files' list when your right click it.Enable "Copy to" Context Option
- Allows you to have "Copy to" on every files' list when your right click it.
Streamline Windows graphic options
- Optimizes Windows graphics usage for better performance.Display 8, 16, 24, or 32-bit icons
- These 4 options will allow you to set your color bits per pixel for the icons. I personally have found that you don't need anything more than 16-bit color icons and anything higher considerably hinders performance, however, some people argue that 24 & 32 bit color doesn't hinder performance and makes the icons look alot better.Enable 96-bit Video mode
- Increases visual quality without decreasing performance (possibly a slight decrease if any).Show Explorer File Attributes Column
- Enables an Attributes button in an exlorer window for every file, when clicked it will bring up the properties windows that shows all the file's attributes.Add Explore From Here to Every Folder
- Every folder will have "Explore" on the menu list when you right click it.Disable Asynchronous DNS System
- Disables asynchronous Domain Name Server system.Enable WinXP Welcome Administrator Feature
- Enables the welcome administrator feature in Windows XP.Optimize for Productivity (with performance hit)
- Optimizes CPU and memory system for productivity (multitasking, office, image manipulation software, etc.), however gaming and resource intensive applications may suffer some performance loss.Optimize Network Adapter Task Handling
- Improves NIC's task handling performance.Delete Cached Copies of Roaming Profiles
- Deletes cached copies of roaming profiles.Optimize Network Adapter Task Handling
- Improves NIC's task handling performance.Delete Cached Copies of Roaming Profiles
- Deletes cached copies of roaming profiles.Disable Insecure Microsoft Office Error Reporting
- Disables insecure Microsoft Office error reporting.Disable Windows Shortcut Arrow and Prefix
- Disable the "Shortcut to" and arrow on the logo of a shortcut file.Optimize Windows Application Focus Settings
- Disables the application focus in Windows (the blinking active window thing).Disable Periodic CMOS Time Synchronization
- Disables CMOS periodic synchronization with the Windows time.Minimize Outlook into Windows System Tray
- Minimizes Outlook into the Windows system tray.Disable Windows XP Balloon Tips
- Disables those annoying balloon tips in Windows XP.Show Windows Version Number on Desktop
- will show the version of Window you are running in the lower right hand corner of your desktop.Disable Access to File URLs in Internet Explorer
- Disables the ability to access your files and hard drives with Internet Explorer (like typing in "C:\" in the address bar).Automatically Search for Network Folders/Printers
- Will make your computer automatically search for shared folders and printers on the network when logged on. This will be easier but will probably slow performance some.Disable new Windows XP Start Menu
- Disables the Windows XP start enu style in Windows XP.Remove XP Start Menu More Programs List
- Removes the more programs list in the start menu under Windows XP.Disable the Auto Logon Shift Override Feature
- Disables the holding Shift to auto logon .Remove Favorites from Start Menu
- Deletes the Favorites from the Start Menu. Useful to make more room on the Start Menu.Remove Find Feature from Start Menu
- Removes the "Find" from the Start Menu.Remove Suspend from Start Menu
- Removes suspend from the start menu.Remove Windows Help
- Deletes the Windows Help from the Start Menu. Useful to free up space. Useful if you don't need the Windows Help or find it unhelpful.Enable COM Registration Context Menu
-Enables COM registration context menu.Change Drop-down Menu Alignment
- Changes the drop-down menu alginment to the other side.Disable Internet Explorer Autocomplete feature
- Disables Internet Explorer autocomplete.Optimize Telnet Performance
- Improves the telnet program's performance.Enable Smooth Scrolling in Telnet
- Will enable smooth scrolling in the telnet program.Enable Network Adapter Load Balance mode
- If you have multiple NICs on a server this option will balance the load on each NIC.Enable Automatic Defragmentation Context Menu
- Adds Automatic Defragmentation to the context menu (right clicking a hard drive in "My Computer" to bring up the menu, an option to defragment your hard drive will be listed).Disable Windows 2000/XP Fade Effect Feature
- Disables the fading effect feature in Windows 2000/XP for improved performance & visuals.Show Windows Shortcut "lnk" Extension
- Shows the "lnk" extension on shortcut files.Fix Windows Memory Threshold Problem
- Removes the maximum amount of memory limit under Windows 98.Disable Windows POSIX and OS/2 support
- Disables Windows POSIX and OS/2 support. Should improve performance by freeing up memory and resources. POSIX and OS/2 support are used for certain older programs that are rarely used anymore.Optimize Windows XP Application Load Time
- Improves application load time under Windows XP.Optimize Detonator XP 22.xx performance/quality
- Improves the performance and image quality of nVidia's Detonator drivers (version 22.xx series).Force Windows to Use the Classic Desktop
- Makes Windows use the classic desktop tyle instead of using web content in folders. This will be faster but will prevent the sidebar information given in Windows 98+ with info about drive/file usage/size, picture previews, etc.Show Hidden Operating System Files
- Shows hidden system files.Disable Passport Balloons in XP MSN Messenger
- Disables the passport balloon popups in MSN Messenger.Remove XP Start Menu Frequent Programs List
- Removes the frequent programs list in the start menu from Windows XP.Add "Run in Separate Memory Space" to Run...
- Will add "Run in Separate Memory Space" to Run so you can run a program in a separate memory space for extra stability.
(Recommended settings for 'novice' users, no offense to anyone out there.) :)
(Recommended settings for average users, settings that I've personally found to work well in many cases.)
(Recommended setup for slower computers with little amounts of memory & hard drive space. Recommending around: Low-end Pentium-Class, 32 - 64 MB RAM / 4 - 6 GB Hard Drive Space.)
(Recommended setup for power users, faster computers with lots of memory & hard drive space. Minimum: 256 MB RAM / 20 GB Hard Drive Space ; Recommended: 384+ MB RAM / 40+ GB Hard Drive Space.)
Menu Show Delay
- Sets the delay time for the Start Menu and other menus to a certain speed in milliseconds. Windows Default is 400. The recommended setting is 0 ms so there is no delay when loading menus.Read Ahead Threshold
- Sets the read ahead threshold to a certain amount. Decent values vary depending on the amount of RAM your system has and what you use your computer from. Try lower values such as 16 KB to 48 KB for systems with low amounts of RAM. Values of 64, 96, or 128 for systems with good amounts of RAM. And Values of 256 or 512 if you have a lot of RAM. I'm using a value of 128 on a 256 MB system.Min File Cache
- Sets the minimum VCache. The optimal setting differs from other the amount of RAM you have. My setting is 16384 (16 MB) on a 256 MB system.DMA Buffer
- Sets the size of the Direct Memory Access Buffer in kilobytes. I recommend setting it to 64.Max File Cache
- Sets the maximum VCache. The optimal setting differs from the amount of RAM you have. My setting is 16384 (16 MB) on a 256 MB system.Chunk Size
- The chunk size is how large the chunks of RAM take up in the VCache. Setting this to a larger setting can improve performance but end up taking more overall RAM (If you have a 1 MB file in a 4 MB Chunk Size, then you are wasting 3 MB). If you have a lot of RAM (>128 MB) then set it to a fairly large setting such as 4096 (4 MB) or 8192 (8 MB). If you have <128 then set it to a smaller amount such as 2048 or maybe 4096. And if you don't have much RAM at all (<48) set it to 512, or 1024. 16 KB (16384 or 32 KB (32768) are also good values to use. I'm personally using a 32768 (32 KB) on a 256 MB system.Min Swapfile
- The minimum amount of swapfile space to be used. Depends on the amount of RAM you have and what you use your computer for. I'm using 262144 (256 MB) on a 256 MB system.Max Swapfile
- The maximum amount of swapfile space to be used. Should usually be the same amount as the Min Swapfile to reduce disk fragmentaton.Time Slice
- Sets the minimum time slice. Lower values improve multitasking but decrease overall performance, higher values = vica versa. Default = 20. Experiment with the following settings: 10, 20, 40, or 80. My recommendation is 40.Async I/O Page Buffer
- Sets the asynchronous input/output page buffer size. My recommendation is 32 or 128.File Allocation Size
- Size of the file allocation. Try multiples of 512 for this setting. (i.e. 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16384, 32768, or 65536)Name Cache
- Caches names! Larger means better performance usually but takes more RAM. Use multiples of 512 and use larger setting for systems with a lot of RAM. I'm personally using 6144 (6144 names cached) on a 256 MB system.Cache Write Delay
- Sets the time you Pc waits to write to the hard drive cache to prevent data loss. Although lower values are better for speed, you may lose data. I recommend a value of 2000 or 2500.Shut-down Wait Time
- Tells you Pc how long it'll wait before shutting down. Although lower values are faster, higher values help prevent loss in data because fast computers that shut down quickly don't give the hard drive's cache enough time to finish writing to the hard drive. I recommend a value of 4000 (ms).Path Cache
- Caches directories so they load faster. Higher settings are faster but take up more RAM. I recommend 48 usually. 64 is also good. 96+ if you have a lot of RAM and want the delays to be as short as possible. I'm personally using a setting of 128 on a 256 MB system.Disable IE About: URL Vulnerability
- Disables URL Vulnerability error messages in Internet Explorer.Optimize Native Processor Performance Efficiency
- Optimizes Native Processor Performance Efficiency in Windows XP.Ultimate System Acceleration (Use only if you have 256 MB of RAM or more)
- This will increase your vcache to 64 MB in size and your chunksize to 64k. Use only if you have atleast 256 MB of RAM.Access Exclusive Corporate Windows Update
- Windows Update for Microsoft Windows XP.