It’s fairly common for people to want to learn how to speed up their Windows XP startup and boot up; in fact, it’s actually quite the popular topic.  However, we’re going to head to the opposite side of the spectrum right now and delve into how to speed up Windows XP shutdown. Now, since you’re here you’ve probably been suffering from deplorably slow PC shutdown, and we have three tricks that may enable your PC to shut down within seconds as opposed to mind-numbing minutes. Yes – we said seconds.

What we’re going to be sharing today will involve manually editing your computer’s registry.  We generally we advise against such activities because it can be dangerous – however, if you follow our advice and be careful when you’re editing the registry, you should fare just fine.

Before you start – backup the registry

This is a word to the wise whenever you’re making any changes to your computer’s registry, and it’s important to do now.  In order to backup the registry, though, you need to access your PCs registry editor:

Click Start from your desktop >> Run >> Type in “regedit” (no quotes) >> Press OK

At this point you should have your Windows Registry editor in front of you.  To create a backup of your registry:

Click File >> Export

When you’re prompted for the file name, we suggest creating something like “registrybackup-todays.date” or something like that so that you know what the file is.  By default the backup file should be in your My Documents folder.

Important Note: Before you click “Save”, at the bottom of the Export Registry File screen you will see two options under Export Range: All and Selected Branch.  Be 100% sure that you choose All, otherwise you will not have a complete backup of your registry.

Click Save >> Backup Complete!  Be patient, though as it may take a minute or so to process.

Now, onto the tweaks

In order to continue, you should already have your Windows registry editor open.

Tweak #1: This tweak will lower the amount of time Windows allows itself before it kills open applications when you press the shutdown or restart button.

Click HKEY_CURRENT_USER >> Control Panel >> Desktop

Be sure that Desktop is highlighted (in the left panel) and in the right panel find the following:

HungAppTimeout – double click on this entry, enter 1000 and hit OK

WaitToKillAppTimeout – double click on this entry, enter 1000 then hit OK

Tweak #2: This really is an extension of the first tweak, except this one will enable the faster shutdown time for all users instead of just the current user.

Click HKEY_USERS >> .Default >> Control Panel >> Desktop

Just as before, we’re going to change the following values to 1000:

HungAppTimeout – double click on this entry, enter 1000 and hit OK

WaitToKillAppTimeout – double click on this entry, enter 1000 then hit OK

Tweak #3: Our third tweak involves changing the registry to increase the speed by which Windows will kill running services when you press on the restart or shutdown button:

Click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE >> SYSTEM >> CurrentControlSet >> Control

In the right panel you’ll see the entry:

WaitToKillServiceTimeout – double click on this, enter 1000 then hit OK

That’s it – Just close your registry editor, reboot your PC and enjoy the faster shutdown speed for your Windows XP Computer.

Before we go, though, we want to give a special thanks to JohnTP.com for sharing his expertise as the idea for these tweaks came from his website.  We have personally applied these tweaks and can say with 100% certainty that these tweaks speed up Windows XP shutdown considerably.

Enjoy!

Slow PC performance is a major pain – a pain that is inevitably felt by computer owners everywhere from time to time.  It’s a hassle; there’s no doubt that slow PCs can be stress-inducing and headache-producing annoyances; annoyances that need to be fixed ASAP.  However, what can the average computer user do when they’re faced with the slow PC dilemma?

Do nothing and just deal with it

Yes, we know – this isn’t really a solution.  However, you may be surprised by the amount of people who choose inaction over a little bit of action and some effort.  In many cases, slow PC performance can be fixed with minimal effort and little out-of-pocket expense, if any.  Some people, for whatever reason, don’t take the initiative to fix their problems, though.  As we said before – this really isn’t a solution.

Upgrade your computer’s memory

We’ll leave the lazy people alone for a minute and get serious.  Quite honestly, a simple (and cheap) computer memory upgrade may be all that stands between you and a better performing PC.  Websites such as NewEgg.com sell computer memory at very reasonable rates, and swapping your computer’s memory is about as difficult as putting a spare tire on your vehicle. However, if you’re not technically inclined, maybe you have a spouse, sibling or even your kid may be able to handle this for you.

Perform routine maintenance on your computer

Your computer is like your automobile in some respects; namely, your vehicle requires regular maintenance in order for it to operate in the way that it was intended to.  It’s quite the same with your computer – it requires the occasional defragmentation, registry cleaning and temporary file cleaning in order to run efficiently.  It’s also a good idea to run a virus and spyware scan from time to time as well, just to clean out any stray critters that may have snuck into your system.

Remove excess programs

A major culprit in slow PC performance is having too many applications installed – if you’re the type of person to install a program, use it for a day and then leave it installed, maybe it’s time to take a trip to the Add and Remove Programs interface to weed through and remove the programs that you know you’re not going to use anymore.  If you find a bunch of games with a “Last Used On” date of a year ago or more… it’s time to clean house a little bit.

Dealing with slow PC performance can be daunting, but in reality, improving your computer’s speed doesn’t have to be all that difficult.  One more thing – we weren’t really poking fun at lazy people above, but it’s important to note that ignoring your PCs slow performance may cause more issues that are more severe in nature in the future.  If you’ve noticed that your computer has been getting slower – you really need to take action right away, if for nothing else than the sake of your computer.