1. Turn off unnecessary services



Lots of programs think that just because you have installed them, you're going to want them always available instantly. Sure, your anti virus needs to go off and check for all the latest updates. But is it really essential for you to know the instant that iTunes or Adobe Acrobat have a new version available? Probably not, but the software programmer thought you would, so they're likely there anyway. Turn off unnecessary programs like this - there's usually a menu option buried deep or you can get help online or, if you're brave, you can manually tweak yourmsconfig file.

2. Reduce Windows boot time-out

This also involves running msconfig (just type that word in to the Start => Run menu option) but is just a matter of changing one setting. Click the "boot.ini" tab and you'll see a setting that says Timeout. Chances are that your system shows the default 30 seconds. You can safely reduce this: experiment with 10 seconds or maybe even as short as 5 seconds. It's the time it takes Windows to decide to carry on booting. Setting it lower won't be a problem unless you're a geek who uses more than one operating system on your computer and need time to select the correct system.

3. Cut down on your fonts

Sure it's nice to have every font that's ever been created ready, just in case you need to use it. But it takes Windows time to read through all the fonts you've got installed every time it boots up (as well as when you select a font in programs like Word). Removing fonts that are only decorating the space on your hard drive should speed up your boot times.

4. Clear out your temporary files

At times, it seems that Windows housekeeping was learned from a teenager. Bits and bobs are left all over the place. Most of these files have an extension of ".tmp" (quite often they'll start with a "~" character as well) and can safely be deleted. While you're at it, clear out all the temporary files that Internet Explorer litters around your hard drive. Doing this may not boost your Windows start up speed but you'll notice the difference when you explore the web.

5. Defrag your hard drive

Depending on how long it is since you've defragmented your hard drive, you may or may not notice a difference here. Select the drive using My Computer, right click it, choose tools than Defragmentation and follow the instructions.

6. Check your drive for errors

Like any mechanical device, your hard drive can get errors. These are usually covered up by the operating system but it pays to occasionally go in and check your drive. Select the drive with My Computer as before but this time run the Error checking option. If you find any problems, follow Windows instructions to fix them.