UnScrew Windows 98 by Jim Dinkey

Presented at the SPAUG Meeting - 30 January 2002

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Preliminary Operations

  1. Establish backup status.
  2. Read and record hardware parameters on startup (hint: use the Pause key).
  3. Run Scandisk
  4. Run Regclean (by Microsoft)* - run it from the SPAUG CD, not necessary to install
  5. Remove unused programs (leave drivers to avoid DLL hell)
  6. Prevent loading of unneeded programs using MSCONFIG
  7. Run Norton Systemworks 2002 (from CD only)!
  8. Never install Systemworks. Run from CD. The program generates error messages about system problems
  9. Do not install Norton Crash Guard (it actually causes crashes); if this program is installed, remove it
  10. Install Norton Anti Virus, preferably from a separate package. You can buy only the anti virus program, not package of Norton programs, or else get instructions for loading the Anti Virus program only.
  11. Install Zone Alarm to block worms (www.grc.com)* - Install from SPAUG CD or download the latest version. It's free.
    Windows XP spoofing may occur if you do not have a firewall (not in Win9x and before)
  12. Set Norton Anti Virus to run at startup, and update it daily. You can change the interval to check for revision to at least 5 hours.
  13. Setup Maintenance Wizard from Accessories, schedule housekeeping chores
  14. Install Critical Updates from Microsoft web site (Start- Settings - Update)
  15. Upgrade IE and associated components (and Netscape)*. IE should be V 6.0 (or later). Update Netscape - it's better. Run from Tools, Windows update Product
  16. Defragment drives (Start - Programs - Accessories - System tools - Defragment)
  17. Run full disk check, preferably run it in Safe Mode, when you have lots of time. 30 GB can take as much as 6 hours. It appears to hang at about 10% (while checking tiny files), it may show 10% for 40 minutes or so.
  18. Install (from club CD) AdSubtract (optional) to stop banner ads *
  19. Install (from club CD) BugToaster (optional), it reports crashes and other problems to a central site

Fine Tuning

First: Save the Registry
(see Maximum PC October 21, 2001 pg 26)
REGEDIT.EXE is in the Windows folder. It is easier to start it with the RUN command; i.e,
START - RUN - type: "REGEDIT" and ENTER (it displays Registry Editor) - REGISTRY (menu) - select EXPORT REGISTRY FILE (displays window, choose where to save it, such as) - MY DOCUMENTS - SAVE. You might want to save it to a removable drive, ZIP or CD. It's usually too big for a floppy.

File Caching: Improve number of files Cached:
Right-click My Computer - Properties - Performance - File System - Hard Disk - set Typical role... to Network Server

End Task Timeout (Crash delay minimization):
START - RUN - REGEDIT (displays Registry Editor) - click on "+" for HKEY_CURRENT USER - click on "+" for CONTROL PANEL - click on DESKTOP folder (not on "+"). Right click in an empty space of right pane and "NEW" appears - point to NEW and a menu appears - Select "STRING VALUE" with a click. A new file is created, waiting to be named. Type "HungAppTimeout" and ENTER, to name it. Double click on the NEW FILE and a dialog box appears asking for a value - Type "3000" and ENTER. (finished with this one)
Also -- in the same way...
Right click in right pane, "NEW" appears - point to NEW - select "STRING VALUE" - type "WaitToKillAppTimeout" and ENTER to name file. Double click NEW FILE - type "5000" and ENTER.

Optimize CD-ROM Performance: Set caches for 32X CDs
MY COMPUTER - CONTROL PANEL - SYSTEM (displays System Properties) - PERFORMANCE (tab) - FILE SYSTEM ("File System Properties" appears) - CD-ROM (tab) - set "LARGE" and - set "OPTIMIZE" to maximum

REGEDIT/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\CDFS, Increase CacheSize from 619(26B)(hex) to 2476 (9AC), Increase BufferSize (Prefetch) from 228 (E4) to 1792 (700)
As above: START - RUN - REGEDIT (displays "Registry Editor") - click on "+" for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE "+" for SYSTEM "+" for CurrentControlSet "+" for CONTROL "+" for FileSystem - click on CDFS folder.
In the right pane, double click on "CacheSize". A "Edit DWORD Value" dialog box appears. In "Value data:" position, type: 9AC (replacing 26B). Then in right pane, double click on "Prefetch" (BufferSize), "Edit DWORD Value" dialog box appears. In "Value data:" position, type: 700 (replacing E4).

Stabilize SWAP file (NT, 2000, XP Pro (Not Applicable for Windows 98)
System Monitor (Programs - Accessories - System Tools - System Monitor)
if it's not there, Start - Settings - Add/Remove Programs - Windows Setup - System Tools and install it.

Start Menu - control the delay when cascaded menus are viewed:
As above: START - RUN - REGEDIT (displays "Registry Editor") - click on "+" for HKEY_CURRENT_USER "+" for CONTROL PANEL, click on the DESKTOP folder.
Right click in empty space of right pane, "NEW" appears. Point to NEW and a menu appears. Select "STRING VALUE" with a click. A new file is created, waiting to be named. Type "MenuShowDelay" and ENTER, to name it. Double click on MenuShowDelay and a dialog box appears asking for a value. Type a value between 0 and 999 and ENTER (lower number pops up nested menus quicker.

Separate "Windows Explorer" from "Internet Explorer" to increase stability
Do this by Control Panel - Folder Options - View. Check "Launch folder Windows in a separate process".
(This option not available with Windows 98)

Win9x anti-thrashing measure:
START - RUN - SYSTEM.INI - Under [386Enh] type: "ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1" and ENTER

Useful Links

www.xteg.com - 750 tweaks for all OSs.

www.microsoft.com/networkstatin/downloads/powertoys/networking/nttweakui.asp - Latest Tweak User Interface.

www.tweakfiles.com - hundreds of ways to screw up your computer.

www.tweak3D.net - tutorials on the tweaking subject, and more.