Slimming down Windows XP

This is a summary of Bold Fortune’s excellent guide.

1. Delete temp files. You can use RegToy Disk Cleaner for this purpose.

2. Disabled Services. You can see which services are running and which programs are using them with System Explorer.

3. Documents and Settings – deletable folders:

Default User/LocalService and NetworkService folders with all of their contents.

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\HTML Help

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Index

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\DRM

If you dont purchase DRM mp3s you can delete this folder. After you delete DRM folder you can also delete these files from C:\WINDOWS\system32:

drmstor.dll, drmupgds.exe, drmv2clt.dll, msnetobj.dll, mssap.dll, WMDRMdev.dll, WMDRMNet.dll, wmdrmsdk.dll

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents (or Documents)\Shared Music

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents (or Documents)\Shared Pictures

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents (or Documents)\Shared Videos

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Help

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Identities

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Microsoft\CryptnetUrl

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Media

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Documents\My Music

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Documents\My Pictures

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Documents\My Videos

4. Program Files Folders

C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Connection Wizard

Then delete these files from C:\WINDOWS\system32:

icfgnt5.dll....Internet Connection Wizard
icwdial.dll....Internet Connection Wizard Autodialer
icwphbk.dll....Internet Connection Wizard
inetcfg.dll....Internet Connection Wizard Library

C:\Program Files\microsoft frontpage

C:\Program Files\MSN

C:\Program Files\MSN Gaming Zone

C:\Program Files\Netmeeting

Then delete these files from C:\WINDOWS\system32:

ils.dll.........User Location Services Component Module mnmdd.dll.......Application Sharing Display Driver MNMSRVC.EXE.....(NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing)msconf.dll......Conferencing Utility Dll msg723.acm......Microsoft G.723.1 CODEC for MSACM
msh261.drv......Microsoft H.261 ICM Driver
msh263.drv......Microsoft H.263 ICM Driver nmevtmsg.dll....NetMeeting Event Logging DLL
nmmkcert.dll....NetMeeting Event Logging DLL

C:\Program Files\Online Services

C:\Program Files\Uninstall Information

C:\Program Files\Windows Media Connect 2 (you can use Windows Media Connect to stream music, movies, and even pictures from your computer throughout a home network.)

C:\Program Files\WindowsUpdate

C:\Program Files\xerox

5. Windows Folders.

C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKBxxxxxx$

C:\WINDOWS\Config

C:\WINDOWS\Connection Wizard

C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Installations

C:\WINDOWS\Help

C:\WINDOWS\java (the Sun Java installation will create its own folders and subfolders it will need.)

C:\WINDOWS\mui

C:\WINDOWS\Offline Web Pages

C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS

C:\WINDOWS\PeerNet

C:\WINDOWS\PIF

C:\WINDOWS\Profiles

C:\WINDOWS\pss

C:\WINDOWS\RegisteredPackages

C:\WINDOWS\repair

6. System 32 Folders

C:\WINDOWS\system32\3com_dmi

*C:\WINDOWS\system32\config*

You can delete files in this folders except:

AppEvent.Evt
default
default.LOG
SAM
SAM.LOG
SecEvent.Evt
SECURITY
SECURITY.LOG
software
software.LOG
SysEvent.Evt
system
system.LOG

C:\WINDOWS\system32\dhcp

C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache