On older rigs I kinda tweaked XP in a similar way I tweaked ME, by disabling features that I deemed unnecessary and used up a lot of resources (like the backup feature, I never use it on a gaming-only rig anyway).

Even the startmenu tweak will at least make it 'seem' like its faster and not all services and other stuff is actually required. I've used NLite the most, but iirc I also tried one or two other programs for this?Īnd while slipstreaming a SP (I've mostly used SP2 btw, but later did SP3 trials) I'd tweak the install for performance. I think it does matter whether either SP2 or SP3 is installed by installing the updates and the service packs separately or by slipstreaming them (certainly using all the separate updates will create extra clutter). 128mb is the recommended amount by MS and we all know not to just go by the recommended amount.ģ84 on my parents k63-400 was good enough before browsers went crazy on memory requirements

AutoPatcher is very nice since it downloads all the updates straight from Microsoft, and most of them can subsequently be slipstreamed with nLite if you want the hands-on approach.īack in 2004 I had a k6-2 450 with xp on it. I'm sure someone out there by now must have put together a deluxe customized XP install CD with all the nice updates included – but of course, the problem is that you never know what else might have been thrown in along the way. It is quite trivial to 'slipstream' service packs and other updates into any existing XP install CD using (which is completely legal and uses native Windows APIs, meaning it does nothing that you couldn't in theory do yourself manually). One can find several install CDs for Windows XP, with or without service packs.

Xp sp2