4 min read
Sounds like you have a rather nice Computer there I my self keep computers around and running much past their prime.
Here is what I do …
First of all, the normal advice that every one shoudl be doing, install, run and keep updated with search and destroy, adawares, spyware blaster and a good anti virus programe (I use AVG although there are lots of other really good ones out there)
Removing spyware/adware and malware I have found to be the best and most importaint way to speed up a pc and its preformance. These sorts of programes do more then just help spamers they also rob your pc of preformance. IF they are not there running in the background, that is resorces you can use for other things
Keep windblows upto date
Keep drivers up to date with newest patches and releases
This is the hard part, keep the harddrive as empty as you can, keep in mind that windblows uses the free space on your hd as virtuarl memory. I have found that if I had lots of stuff on my HDs that i did not use on a regular bases, so i burned them to CDs … when i need to use those files, they are handy for me, and i now have a hd that is cleaner and faster.
I personaly run a programe called ccleaner every day. you can get it for free from www.ccleaner.com. It will clean out all temp directories, cookies, cache, memdumps, and much more for you … makes cleaning out the HD (normal daily maintanance) quick and easy. However, i always recomend that after you install such a programe that dont just accept the default settings, check out all of the settings for you self, and make sure that what it will clean out is what you want cleaned out. CCleaner also has built in a really nice registery cleaner that does basic maintanance on your Registry for you… with out all the extra junk in the HD and registery… you will pick up some of that lost preformance.
Another problematic area i have found are all of the programes that want to start up with my pc. They are running in the back ground, useing up pc resorces… and i dont even need them to be running all the time. MS office likes to start up and stay running in the back ground as an example… why? There is an app called start up monitor (I forget the url sorry, maybe someone here will know it?) It will warn you when you are installing software that it will want to start up with the pc, then it gives you the option to permit that or not. The programe will still install if you select no, but it wont start up with the pc … which is a good thing :-) Belive it or not , this has helped me to catch adwares … i was installing a screensaver , and startup monitor warned me about some carp** that wanted to start up with the pc, that i was unknowingly installing as well !!! … That alone made this app well worth while haveing :-)
There is another app … I cant remember its name, i will look it up and get back to you if i can find it… or perhaps someone here will know its name… that will report to you ALL programes that are starting up with your comptuer, and allow you to stop them from doing so. It works more or less the same way as msconfig works… but better because it out and out removes that programe from the startup menu instead of just preventing it from starting.
The last thing i have found useful is ramdefrag. This small app will check for ram that is being held but does not need to be held, and free up as much ram for you as possable so you can then use the ram for other apps. Many apps will "hang on to ram" after opening them , even after you exited the programe.
I hope that this was helpful to you. Its what i have been doing, with my P166, my pII, my amd k-6 and my pIII 500. All of which are much older then your pc 
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