Helpful Information for Windows XP Users

Getting "Peak" Performance from your PC
If your PC seems to be slower than normal, there are several areas you can check prior to contacting the Helpdesk. Taking the extra time to do these things may enable the Helpdesk to make a more accurate assessment of the situation and possibly determine a solution more quickly.

Disk Defragmenter
Over the course of time (less time if you regularly work with and edit data files) the data on your C: drive can become fragmented and scattered. It takes longer for Windows to find data when it is fragmented. The end result is slower computer performance. Disk Defragmenter help keep your hard drive and the Windows operating system in the best condition possible so you are not wasting precious time waiting for Windows to load applications and data.

Burning data to a CDR or CDRW
Windows XP has built-in CDR/CDRW data burning capabilities. This page briefly explains the difference between CDR and CDRW disks and provides step-by-step instructions for burning your data to a CDR/CDRW disk.

ClearType Tuner
Microsoft ClearType is "supposed" to give you a cleaner, less-jagged looking font rendering in your Windows applications. Unfortunately, sometimes Microsoft's efforts do not always result in the best outcome. If your fonts appear to have lapsed into an undesirable state you may be able to use Microsoft's online ClearType Tune-up to get them back to a desirable state. Simply follow the instructions, choose what looks best on your screen and approve (or cancel) the changes.

Microsoft Windows XP
This link takes you to Microsoft's XP Professional "how to" web pages. Please note that ITS is not responsible for any of the information on the related pages and can not confirm whether the information contained therein will work in the college computing environment. Any attempt to make changes to your computer based on the corresponding information is done at your own risk. If you are in doubt, PLEASE consult with the Helpdesk BEFORE attempting to make any of the listed changes.

Using Scheduled Tasks in Windows XP
Have you ever wished your computer could perform routine tasks on its own? How often have you forgotten to run Disk Defragmenter or Disk Cleanup to keep your hard drive at its peak performance level? Windows XP allows you to automate certain tasks and have your computer do them at a time which is most convenient - lunch time, break time, etc.