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Editorial Policy

Always back up any files before you change them + make sure you have a rescue disk and know how to use it.

Improve virtual memory usage

In your SYSTEM.INI file, under the [386Enh] section, add this line:

ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1

[Source: http://online-tonight.com/questions/win98_speed_up.shtml ]

Additionally, you might want to set a fixed size swap file under control panel->system->performance->virtual memory I've seen 3 times your real memory recommended as a figure. This may well be overkill if you've already got plenty (I've 320Mb real).

[Source: http://www.angelfire.com/la/freereports/speedupwindows.html ]

More tips on Windows 98 memory management can be found here: http://aumha.org/win4/a/memmgmt.htm The article also has particular information on using Windows 98 with more than 512Mb of memory.

Look after your storage

Defrag your hard disk - right click on "c:", choose properties, tools, defragment now. You may want to switch off your screen saver if it keeps interupting the process. You'll almost certainly want to quit as many other programs as possible. It's best not to try and use the machine while it defragments - you won't cause errors, but you will slow it down a lot.

Sort out your registry

Windows has a "database" of sorts in which it stores all sorts of information about programs installed on your machine. Lots of rubbish builds up in here, and searching through it all uses up memory and disk space. Microsoft have a "regclean" program which gets rid of some of the crap, but other (better) cleaners are available. "RegCleaner" seems to be reccommended by many people.

Remove those annoying entries from the right mouse button "new" dialog - I only use this for new->folder anyway - find the "ShellNew" keys in the registry for the file types you don't want to appear and delete them. You might also want to tidy up the C:\windows\ShellNew directory which contains blank skeleton files for the types.

Don't waste time while booting

Add the lines:

; Hide Windows Startup (& shutdown?) splash screens
LOGO=0
; Faster booting
BootDelay=0

to your msdos.sys file

More speedup tips - http://users.accesscomm.ca/gbraun/w98/

Other Windows 98 Tips

Partition your drives sensibly - http://aumha.org/win4/a/parts.htm

Setting up Multi-booting - http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/index.htm#principles

Lots more - http://www.acpweb.net/ACPweb/Category.asp?CategoryId=1

-- AndyPryke - 26 Jan 2002

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