This sounds like a no-brainer, but it's worth understanding. Windows keeps a record of the applications you use most often and reorders them on your hard drive to optimize their launch. This record is continually updated in the file Layout.ini; the actual file moving takes place every few days, while the computer is idle.
In addition to moving files, Windows tracks the programs and processes initiated immediately after your system boots up, creating a list of files to prefetch during boot-up (meaning that Windows anticipates your next move and grabs necessary files before the computer even needs them). Windows performs a similar task each time you use an application, because when you launch an app, you're not just running the executable file; a number of files and program components load. In theory, these actions will make Windows run faster the more you use it.
Updating a driver can sometimes have an adverse effect on your system. You may experience problems such as system crashes and malfunctioning devices. If this happens, use Windows XP's Device Driver Rollback feature to restore a previous driver.
Go to the Control Panel and open the System applet. Under System Properties, choose the Hardware tab and select Device Manager. Expand the menu for the type of device you want to roll back. Right-click on the device, choose Properties, and click on Roll Back Driver.
Windows XP maintains logs of application, security, and system events. When you're troubleshooting, the application and system event logs can provide valuable clues about the cause of the problem. To view these, open the Control Panel and choose Administrative Tools. Then select Event Viewer. For an overview of how to use this applet, open Event Viewer, then choose Action | Help.
If you're using Windows XP, add C:\Windows\Prefetch to the list of directories to empty periodically. This folder is probably full of prefetch directions for applications you no longer use. You can safely remove these files; any files that are needed will be created again automatically.
When you temporarily change your desktop to a lower resolution�while using Safe mode, for example�Windows can wreak havoc with your careful positioning of desktop icons. A free download, available at www.pcnineoneone.com/tweaks/layout.zip, lets you save and later restore your icon layout.
Download Layout.zip and unzip it to extract two files. Move Layout.dll to the Windows\System32 folder. Double-click on Layout.reg to add it to the Registry.
If you now right-click on almost any of the standard desktop icons you'll see two new items: Save Desktop Icon Layout and Restore Desktop Icon Layout. Choose the former whenever you change the layout; choose the latter when you need to restore it.
When you're troubleshooting problems, it can be helpful to look up information about the running processes. You can do this from the Task Manager, which you open by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del. But more information is available in this view than you may think. After opening the Processes tab, click View | Select Columns. Here you can add useful information�such as the process identifier (or PID), CPU time, and peak memory usage associated with each process�to the main Processes window.