Windows XP forum: best optimization software for win xp

i am not entirely sure if my computer needs memory optimization, i just want to bring my machine to its optimum, since there are tools out there that can do that.

i do a manual disk clean-up and defrag once a few months. i am asking about an auto defragmentor also because i read that it does increase the pc's performance substantially. i think the main advantage of a defragmented disk is that it reduces the time and resources required to perform disk operations, since the used portion is now contiguous, right?

There aren't any.

Memory type programs are scams, the whole lot of them. Anyone who can program one of those knows enough about computer memory management to know they are completely useless, and can actually HURT system performance, so I consider them willing participants in the scam.

Defragmenting is a problem that has pretty much ceased to exist, mostly because drive technology has made it largely irrelevant. If you have several large files, like a large scale database or high end video editing studio, then we could talk, but for the average user it's a complete waste of time. You might gain a few nanoseconds to milliseconds on specific operations, and even that will be fleeting in nature.

Registry programs are another snake oil scam program. Name one registry cleaner/fixer/optimizer/whatever that actually gives you the criteria by which it selects things that need to be removed. Does this not seem like basic information you would need to make an informed decision?

At the end of the day, all these optimization programs do are basically turn off default services that don't necessarily need to be on, and get rid of startup items. Basic things like that, which you could do yourself in about 5 minutes. They also sometimes mess with settings that aren't really meant to be messed with.

Fact is, Microsoft optimizes Windows pretty well by the time they ship it. There may be a few little tweaks here and there that might eek out 1-2% more, but usually those are switched off for good reason. They can have unexpected side effects, up to and including rendering your system unbootable.

Save your time and money, and just forget about these programs. They're nothing but the 21st century version of snake oil scams.