I have shown you how to shut down xp faster so logically I guess my next article is how to boot up xp faster. Everyone wants a computer that boots really fast and the only way to do that is to stop all those pesky programs that automatically get started at start up. This guide will walk you through using the System Configuration Utility to have complete control of Windows XP Startup Items.

Checking Startup Items

Click Start > All Programs and look for Startup

These are all the program that are slated to startup when XP does. This is one of the big problems in the faster boot up game.The more there, the longer your machine will take to startup. To remove any unnecessary Startup Item from the Startup List just Right-Click on the item to delete and Click Delete.

System Configuration Utility Changes

You would like to think this article is done but it is not, that was only half of the battle, the next thing to do is to go System Configuration Utility and change your startup services.

To do this just go to Start> Run and type in “msconfig“, (without the “”).

Once in the System Configuration Utility, Click on the Startup Tab

Under the Startup Tab is a list of all your programs that startup when the computer does, (these are different then the ones in the startup on the all programs tab). You can disable a program from starting at boot by unchecking it in the Startup list. It is safe to disable all of these except one, your anti-virus, but in doing so certain programs like AIM, Google Talk, and other appications won’t load on startup. Usually what I do is pull out the command section (look at above picture) so I can see which programs have automatic startup.

If you are having problems and can’t figure out what a startup is, go to sysinfo.org. Once there you will find a huge list of startup applications names and what they do.Well that is it, very simple, takes 10-15 tops and will hopefully allow you to gain a few seconds or minutes on your boot up.

Xbox 360 owners who do not have Xbox Live still need to update their hardware in order to stay current with system changes and backward capatibility updates. This can now be done using only a basic internet connection and a CD or DVD burner. The original Xbox had to be connected to Xbox Live for updates (unless it was modded), but with the Xbox 360 Microsoft now releases updates online to be downloaded and burned onto a CD or DVD for use on the 360. Better yet, they offer complete instructions! [Link ]

The Xbox 360 may be an amazing console, but every now and then it will freeze or suffer from a severe framerate drop. I noticed this while playing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Sounds didn’t match up during battles, the screen would freeze completely, and opening doors would take up to two minutes. This is caused when the cache files on the Xbox 360 hard drive become fragmented and need cleared. Don’t call Microsoft and wait an hour or more for a fix. Just read this VERY simple solution.

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By default Microsoft reserves 20% of your bandwidth for their own purposes (updates, error reporting, etc.). However, you can easily disable this feature and reclaim 20% of your bandwidth that otherwise sits idle.

Note: This method only works on Windows XP Professional.

1) Click START> Run

2) Type gpedit.msc in the Run dialog box. This will open up the Group Policy Editor.

3) Next go to Local Computer Policy> Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> Network> QOS Packet Scheduler

4) Double Click on Limit Reservable Bandwidth

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5) On the Settings tab click ENABLE Reservable Bandwidth

6) Set the Bandwidth Limit percentage to ZERO.

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Now you will get that extra 20% of bandwidth that Microsoft has taken away from you!

Those of you who are familiar with XBConnect (a free online gaming service similar to that of Xbox Live) should already have an idea of how to setup a game as host, but if you don’t, Shaby has compiled a great tutorial showing just that. You will learn how to utilize a D-Link router as a host on XBConnect complete with screenshots. If you own another brand of router this article may possibly help you work through its settings as well.

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First off please let me say that if you have never heard of Bittorrents then, #1 you must be living under a rock, #2 have came to the right place. Althack will give you all you need to know about Bittorents so that you can get the goods to get the goods.

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Everyone has locked themselves out of their own system at least once and thought that formatting their hard drive was the only answer. Not true! Now you will never have to lose your data over your forgetfulness again! There are two methods to bypass Windows XP security, both of which are basic at best, but they work beautifully.

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If you’re having problems finding software to run on your modded Xbox this guide is just for you. By using a service called Xbins you will have all the Media Players, Emulators, File Managers, Dashboards, etc. that you could ever want!

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Now that most of you have modded your Xboxes you must be wondering what to do next. Well before you can do much more you need to learn how to FTP to your Xbox.. So, in this article I will break down the steps involved in FTPing to your Xbox.

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I think we have all done this before; turned off the computer, went and got a shower (in severe cases went to bed) only to come back to the machine later on and it still was shutting down. Now, if you are like me then you never want to turn off your computer because it takes too long to turn off and too long to turn on. AltHack’s shutdown tweak guide will show you what to do to shut down smooth and fast, just like when you first got it.

Step 1 Backing up the Reg.

Before we do anything, we need to back up the registry because we are going to be mucking around in there and if something does go wrong we can just double-click on our back up and everthing will hopefully be better again. First thing we need to do is to click on start, click on run, then type “regedit”, without the “”.This will bring up the registry editor.

Next,click on the file menu and click export. I would name this regbackup, or my favorite doomsday device and save it to a nice secure place, where you will know where it is at, (mine is on my second hard drive in my computer). NOW REMEMBER, IF YOU EVER SCREW UP YOUR REGISTRY JUST DOUBLE CLICK ON THIS AND IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY REPLACE THE CURRENT ONE THAT HAS BEEN ALTERED.

Step 2 Making the Device shutdown faster

Open your regedit, please refer to step one if you have forgotten how to do this. Next go get a drink, ahh much better i say, ahhh ADD kicking in. Sorry, now Next find the following key, (it is just like a folder system so this should not be too hard) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control

Next click on the control folder. Now right-click “WaitToKillServiceTimeout”, (if you can’t find it, it is on the right side last one in the list, look at the above picture)
In the value data box enter a lower number, something around 1000 or so.

Reboot the computer and voila, you are finished and ready to shutdown faster.