Things to do after Fresh Install of Windows XP

1. Bringing "My Computer" and other icons' back.

Right click on Desktop and on the pop-up menu click on Properties... Switch to "Desktop" menu.. and click on "customize desktop" button... after the window opens... tick on "My Computer" on the Desktop Icons' list... this brings the My Computer Icon back on the Desktop.. like in windows 98..... U can tick on rest of the Desktop Icon list.. whichever u want it to show at your desktop... And remember to untick on "Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days".

2. Disabling Windows Upadate:

Now as My Computer Icon is displayed on your desktop... right click on it.. and click on Properties on the pop-up menu..... U can see the "General" System of your computer.... Switch to "Automatic Updates" section..... Now, on the "Notification Settings" ... Select "Turn off automatic updating. I want to update my computer manually".. and you are done..

3. Disabling Error Reporting:

As u might have experienced.. Error Reported by Windows XP.. SUXXX.... I myself had problem with Win Word XP.. which showed.. Error has occured.. either to send it or don't send... and if I click either of them.. my work is gone.. Win Word XP.. auto shuts off.......

If you haven't closed the Properties of My Computer.... Switch to " Advanced" section.. and click on .. "Error Reporting" Button... and select "disable error reporting" and be sure to untick on "But notify me when critical error occurs."... doing this .. windows xp won't bug u again.

4. Turning of System Restore:

You might want to turn off System Restore... because.. it slows u'r computer when monitoring...

Switch to "System Restore" section.. and untick "Turn off System Restore on all drives".

5. Important Parts in "Advanced" section.

Switch to "Advanced" section.. there are some very useful tools..

a. If u have slow computer.. "say: Pentium 2".. then click on Settings button of "Performance" section... there u can adjust the Visual Appereance of Windows XP in "Visual Effects" section.. according to what you like.. Eg. if u don't like the Colorfull style of Windows XP and instead u want to speed your system up.... Select "Adjust for best performance".. or.. even u can let Windows XP.. what's best for your computer...

*Note: Windows XP.. automatically configures itself.. according to the system you own.."

b. In the settings of performance section... u also can change the Paging file size of drives... which helps to speed of the system.. a bit. If your RAM is low.. Around 64 MB.. then .. switch to "Advanced" from "Visual Effects" in the Settings of Performance section. Select a Drive.. Increase it Maximum size (MB) to 1024 .. or higher.. and.. Initial size to (MB) to your current RAM size.. say 64 here. Click on "set" button... and click OK..

c. If u have a Multi boot system.. and you would like to change your default boot OS.. then you would like to see the "Startup and recovery" section" in the Advanced menu...
In the "System Startup" list.. check to see if "Default operating system" is what u want to be.. Eg. Windows XP itself...

"Time to display list of Operating Systems:" entering value here would .. give some time.. before switching to defauly boot OS.

"Time to display recovery options when needed:" enter value here.. if you want to recover your system.. before windows XP switched to it's Normal Booting Procedure.