- 1). Hit "Start" and click on "My Computer." Right-click the drive that Windows is installed on (usually C:). Choose "Properties." Select the "Tools" tab and press "Check now..." from under the "Error Checking" heading. Press "Start." Choose "Yes" when asked if you want to run the check the next time Windows XP starts. Reboot the computer and allow the disk check to run.
- 2). Open "My Computer." Right-click on the drive that has Windows installed on it and choose "Properties." Choose the "Tools" tab and click the "Defragment Now..." button. Choose "Analyze" in the "Disk Defragmenter" box. Force the system to perform a defragmentation if the analysis recommends that you do so.
- 3). Push "Start" and open "My Computer." Right-click the Windows drive and click "Properties." Press "Disk Cleanup" on the "General" tab. Allow Disk Cleanup to scan your hard drive. Check the box next to any files it finds that you don't need. Click "OK."
- 4). Click "Start" and right-click on "My Computer." Choose "Properties." Select the "Advanced" tab and press "Settings" under "Performance." Pick the "Adjust for best performance" option on the "Visual Effects" tab. Click "OK" twice.
- 5). Click "Start" and choose "Control Panel." Open the "Automatic Updates" dialog box. Choose the box for "Automatic (Recommended)." Hit "OK."
Source...