Optimize Settings

Most PC's using Windows 95 or 98 can be made substantially faster, 20-100% actually, in about 20 minutes (or more, depending on the user).  The tips below will show you how to increase your PC's performance and make it run faster, increase modem download speeds, and optimize your settings as well as provide you with timesaving computer tricks.

Should you feel unsure of your ability to properly implement any alteration to your PC, then you SHOULD DEFINITELY seek the assistance of a competent, experienced user or a local professional.

Network Server

If your computer has 24MB of RAM or more, you can optimize its performance by selecting Network Server as the typical role of your computer:

1. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel

2. Open System, select the Performance tab, click on File System under the Advanced Settings heading

3. On the Hard Disk tab, select Network Server as the typical role of this computer.

This profile aggressively buffers data in memory, which reduces time-consuming disk operations and will optimize the File System which is quite small for the Desktop Role.  Your overall operation as a stand-alone Desktop PC will not be affected.

Optimize I/O Transfers

You can use direct memory access (DMA) with integrated device electronics (IDE) CD-ROM and disk drives to lower CPU usage during I/O transfers.  To Bus Master your system and determine whether your drive supports DMA:

1. Open System Properties in the Control Panel and select Start > Settings > Control Panel

2. Select the Device Manager tab

3. Click on the + sign next to Disk Drives 

4. Select the drive you want to enable for DMA and click Properties

5. If there is a DMA checkbox under the Settings tab, make sure that it is checked.  If there is no checkbox or it is grayed out, your motherboard will not support the bus master interface.  For more information see Microsoft's Knowledge Base Article number Q159560.

You can use the above procedure to Bus Master your CD-ROM drive as well as your hard drive.

BIOS Settings

To get the best performance from your system, be sure that any BIOS settings for power conservation are disabled.  These settings reduce CPU speed after a short period of inactivity and are best used for notebook PC's when you don't want to sacrifice battery life.

RAM Cache

If your system is the slowest in the office and you can't figure out why, check your BIOS settings to be sure that the memory cache has not been disabled.  The specific names of the BIOS settings will vary depending on the BIOS manufacturer, but will generally be something like Enable Internal Cache, Disable/Enable L1 Cache or Enable CPU Cache.

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Update Drivers

To remedy any bad behavior you're experiencing from your computer and to keep it running at optimum efficiency, you should check your hardware and software manufacturers' websites periodically to download and install any updated drivers.  Newer drivers nearly always have improved performance, greater compatibility, more functionality, and most importantly, bug fixes.  Windows driver updates are especially important, if not essential, especially the Service Releases.  These drivers are available for free at the manufacturers' websites.

Click here for free software updates & notifications!

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Speed Tweaks

Reclaim Your Memory

You can make more RAM available for use by your programs if you prevent programs starting up from the Startup folder, Registry or win.ini.  For intermediate users:

1. Open the win.ini file in Notepad

2. Place a semicolon (;) at the start of all lines that begin with Load= or Run=

3. Save (you can remove the semicolons later if you wish)

4. Restart your computer

Install only the parts of software programs that you need.

Run only what you need to at any one time, as few programs as possible.

Make sure all software is suitable for your system.

Video Graphics

Use the lowest screen resolution and color depth that is acceptable for your needs.  For the home computer user this is generally 800 x 600, 16-bit.  Switching from 32-bit (true color) to 16-bit (high color) can improve the speed of games by 20% and you should hardly notice a deterioration in graphics.

Extra video memory (beyond 2MB) will not increase video speed, it will however increase the color depth available at higher screen resolutions.

Update your graphics card driver every 6 to 12 months for best performance.

A lower VCACHE setting forces Windows to flush and reuse this cache instead of immediately using the slower Virtual Memory on the hard disk.  To manually tune your VCACHE memory:

1. Backup your system.ini file

2. Select Start > Run

3. Type in Notepad \ Windows\system.ini and press enter

4. Edit, or enter, these lines in the [VCACHE] section, then save

minfilecache=8192

maxfilecache=8192

below which you'll add the lines

Chunksize=512 (or 1024 or 2048)

NameCache=2048

DirectoryCache=48

Maxfilecache should be no more than 25% of your system's total RAM.  Minfilecache should be no more than 10%.

Virtual Memory

You can help stop hard disk trashing and optimize its use by setting the size of a Virtual Memory.

1. Right click on My Computer then select Properties > Performance > Virtual Memory

2. Check Let me specify my own virtual memory settings

3. Set both the maximum and minimum to about 2 1/2 to 3 times the size of your RAM

4. Click OK

Modem Settings

Considered a Windows fault, the Internet Protocol setting in Windows 95, and some versions of Windows 98, is set at 1500 for fast Ethernet connections.  A new Registry Key of MTU (IPMTU for Windows 98) must be set to a lower setting (576) for the slower phone line connection from a home to an ISP.  This change alone can result in a 30-300% improvement.

For Windows 95:

Download MTUSpeed for free to set the MTU and RWIN values for you automatically.  You may use an MTU of 576 and an RWIN of 2144 for best results if your ISP hasn't given you other values to use.

For Windows 98:

Windows 98 has its own self-adjusting Registry Setting:

1. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network > Dialup Adapter > Advanced > IP Packet Size

2. Set the IP Packet Size to small for 576.  The three available settings are 576, 1000 and 1500

The Windows default Com port speed is set very low to prevent problems with older modems which can slow the download process as data passes through the port too slowly.  You can increase the port speed by:

1. Right click on My Computer then select Properties > Device Manager

2. Click the + beside Ports (COM & LPT)

3. Select the port you use and right click on it then select Properties > Port Settings

4. Change the settings to the following:

For a 28,800K modem use 38,400 or 57,600 bits per second

For a 33,600K modem use 57,600 or 115,200 bits per second

For a 56,000K modem use 115,200 or 230,400 bits per second

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