How to speed up Windows that has slowed over the years?

Basic problem: Need something short of a fresh install that will have a similar effect (faster boot times, better responsiveness, etc) on a Windows XP that has grown slower over time.

Pics and comparison: Attached are 2 pairs of pics that compare an older desktop with a freshly installed Windows XP to my newer laptop with a Windows that was installed 3 or 4 years ago and has gone through many softwares changes, crashes and restores, etc. The attached pics show that (1) my laptop boots significantly slower because of "System" and related categories (per Soluto) than my desktop even though the laptop has twice the RAM and it's dual core while the desktop is single core, and (2) the laptop's Windows folder is trice the size of the desktop's Windows folder. (The registry hives are also over twice as large on the laptop and it has more stuff installed although not among the enabled auto-starts).

Both machines are running 32-bit Windows XP/SP3 Pro. The laptop currently has almost all autostarts disabled (even AV and firewall) because I wanted to find out the base time it takes for the system to boot. If I add real-time antivirus and firewall (Prevx and Privatefirewall) to the autostart, it becomes even slower. Furthermore, on the desktop Privatefirewall 7 adds ~8 seconds to the boot time according to Soluto (more when combined with certain AVs), while on my laptop it would easily add ~45-60 seconds. Both systems have been defragged and optimized with the same programs.

About the hardware: The laptop's hardware is not the problem. I know this for a fact because it also has a small, freshly installed 64-bit Windows XP/SP2 on it, which boots very quickly.

The system is clean of malware, up-to-date and includes the usual optimization tweaks: I run ccleaner regularly and I've used PureRa and similar programs to clean out excess baggage and leftovers. I use UltimateDefrag 3 (auto mode set to max performance), IOBit's Advanced SystemCare, registry defrags sometimes, etc. to optimize the system. I've tried other optimization suites and defraggers as well (MyDefrag, jv16 PowerTools, Mz XP Tweak, etc.), but they don't work any special magic that would take that extra minute out of Windows boot time.

Basic issue: Either there's some (Windows) start-up component in my laptop's 32-bit XP system that's causing the significant slowdown or it's just the cumulative effect of all the crap and leftovers that I have acquired over the years because of Windows updates (including SP3), software installs and uninstalls, changes in firewalls and antivirus programs, etc. I've seen this happen with other computers as well; they slow down over time, but after a fresh Windows re-install they go back to lightning fast boot times and become overall faster and more responsive (in fact this was the case with the desktop). However, re-installing Windows is a PITA, so I'm wondering if there's another way to freshen up the system or at least find out which system components and updates have become unnecessary and may be safely installed? Also the registry has grown to about ~70 MB on the laptop compared to ~25 MB on the desktop (combined size of hives, but proportional to the number of keys, values and data contained in those hives). The laptop has a lot more and bigger programs installed than the desktop, but in terms of auto-starts the systems are comparable.

 

Don't see how much RAM is installed.
What do you have on scheduled startup, if anything? May be something running in the background.
What is on your Startup list? Trim it down to the bare essentials.
Also, I have seen as much as 18% fragmentation with a fresh install. Try defragging.

 

Laptop: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4 GB of ram, PAE enabled
(32-bit windows sees 3 GB of ram and eboostr uses the remaining unmanaged 1 GB like a ramdisk to cache frequently used files - it's supposed to improve performance).

Desktop: 2.5 GHz Pentium 4 with 2 GB of ram.

Fragmentation is minimal on each computers' system partitions (generally under 2%). System files are defragged sometimes in boot defrag mode. Registry is defragged now and then or following significant changes to it. I use the same programs to defrag and optimize both computers.

Auto-starts on laptop:

Code:

eBoostr Control Panel.lnk	eBoostr control panel
eBoostr Service	eBoostr cache generator
Shadow Defender Daemon	Shadow Defender Daemon Application
Soluto PCGenome Core Service	Soluto Anti-Frustration Software
SoundMAXPnP	SMax4PNP

"Auto on startup" services on laptop:

Code:

Computer Browser	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
DCOM Server Process Launcher	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
DHCP Client	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
DNS Client	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
eBoostr Service	eBoostr cache generator	eBoostr.com
Event Log	Services and Controller app	Microsoft Corporation
Plug and Play	Services and Controller app	Microsoft Corporation
Print Spooler	Spooler SubSystem App	Microsoft Corporation
Protected Storage	LSA Shell (Export Version)	Microsoft Corporation
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
Secondary Logon	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
Security Accounts Manager	LSA Shell (Export Version)	Microsoft Corporation
Soluto PCGenome Core Service	Soluto Anti-Frustration Software	Soluto
System Event Notification	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
Task Scheduler	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
Themes	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
Windows Audio	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
Windows Management Instrumentation	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
Windows Time	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
Wireless Zero Configuration	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation
Workstation	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation

Auto-starts on desktop:

Code:

@xpsp3res.dll,-20001	Network Diagnostic for Windows XP
CTFMON.EXE	CTF Loader
LClock	LClock Application
Privacyware network service	Privatefirewall Network Service
Privatefirewall	Privatefirewall 7.0 Application
Shadow Defender Daemon	Shadow Defender Daemon Application
Soluto PCGenome Core Service	Soluto Anti-Frustration Software

"Auto on startup" services on desktop:

Code:

Automatic Updates	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Computer Browser	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Cryptographic Services	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
DCOM Server Process Launcher	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
DHCP Client	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
DNS Client	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Event Log	Services and Controller app	Microsoft Corporation	
Logical Disk Manager	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN v4.0.30319_X86	.NET Runtime Optimization Service	Microsoft Corporation	
Plug and Play	Services and Controller app	Microsoft Corporation	
Print Spooler	Spooler SubSystem App	Microsoft Corporation	
Privacyware network service	Privatefirewall Network Service	Privacyware/PWI, Inc.	
Protected Storage	LSA Shell (Export Version)	Microsoft Corporation	
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Secondary Logon	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Security Accounts Manager	LSA Shell (Export Version)	Microsoft Corporation	
Server	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Shell Hardware Detection	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Soluto PCGenome Core Service	Soluto Anti-Frustration Software	Soluto	
System Event Notification	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Task Scheduler	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Themes	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Windows Audio	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Windows Management Instrumentation	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache 3.0.0.0	PresentationFontCache.exe	Microsoft Corporation	
Windows Time	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	
Workstation	Generic Host Process for Win32 Services	Microsoft Corporation	

Attached is a pic with a visual comparison of the auto-starts. Basic difference is that the desktop has fewer services turned off (since already boots fast) and the firewall is among them (i.e. firewall start automatically on desktop), while the laptop has eboostr to make use of the extra 1 GB of ram that 32-bit Windows cannot use and some extra services related to wireless (lan cable was connected though, but laptop switches to wireless if cable is not available).

 

Download and install WinPatrol from here.

http://majorgeeks.com/WinPatrol_d3380.html

Check what it shows as on Startup.
I only have my Comodo firewall, SpywareBlaster, and WinPatrol.
Everything else starts when needed.

 

I would use winpatrol to monitor, and CCleaner to clean temporary files, remove old system restore points, cleanup start up lists... its like a swiss army knife.