1. Always install the newest drivers for your hardware, links to a lot off hardwaremanufacturer's is in the HardwareSection Before you install a new driver it is smart to  backup  the old driver in case the new one isn't compatible with your configuration.

2.   Caches and VirtualMemory

   Specify your own Virtual memory size - as a thumbnail 2.5x the size of installed RAM.  Right-Click on the ‘My Computer’ Icon. Click ‘Properties’ then ‘Performance’ then ‘Virtual Memory' Choose' Let me specify my own virtual memory settings' and set minimum and maximum to 2.5x installed RAM.This eliminates hard-disk swapping and forces windows to use RAM instead - which is much faster.  BTW : i recieved a mail from a guy who said he had been discussing this way of managing Virtual Memory - with a technican from Microsoft.... This tech. have told that a  performancedrop will occur if you limit the virtual memory size ... This is not true I and several others have tested both ways - and by specifying your own virtual memory you actually increase speed ...  The guy who mailed me about this asked the right person - which other answer could he possibly expect from Microsoft.. !

      Vcache is the Windows disk-caching virtual device driver. This is a very important part of Win98 as it provides excellent disk performance. Kill all your other disk-caching drivers if any (such as smartdrv), this one will do the trick.   Windows, however, limits vcache from it’s total potential. Here’s how to improve it manually -Type ‘sysedit’ in your ‘start’ , ‘run’ dialog box and go to system.ini  Look for ‘[vcache]’ If you don’t have it add it and add the following:

   MinFileCache=whatever you want MaxFileCache=whatever you want ChunkSize=whatever but I recommend keeping ‘512’

   (This is mine but I have 128 megs of ram.

   [vcache]

   MinFileCache=8192

   MaxFileCache=10240

   ChunkSize=512

   Download Cacheman from the Download Section  Cacheman also gives you several options depending which type of user you are and can be used with W95 and W98..

3. Computer Role

   You can gain a bit more speed and sometimes memory by changing your computer’s role from Desktop Computer to Network Server. See, Windows sets aside a limited number of paths, dirs., and filenames for your computer, but switching to Network Server does nothing to your computer but add to them. Right-Click on the ‘My Computer’ Icon. Click ‘Properties’ then ‘Performance’ then ‘File System’

4. Editing the Registry

   Ok, this is the key to Windows 98. The registry is the vital information Windows needs and is the best place to optimize or customize almost anything in the whole OS. By all means it would be to your best advantage to learn about your registry and play around in registry editor. Type ‘regedit’ in your ‘start’ , ‘run’ dialog box.First do this - Hit Alt-Control-Delete and see what programs come up. If there are any you don’t want go to the registry to:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run  Select the program and delete it… (Back up your registry first using registry backer (scanregw.exe) or ‘Export Registry’ in Regedit). Another way to disable programs that starts with windows  is to install  the windows98 resource kit.

   If your computer doesn’t run off of a battery why waist memory for a program that wont do you any good? Windows98 adds SYSTRAY.EXE to your boot up automatically. If you want to remove it  then go back to the key above and delete it. (Also delete C:\Windows\Systray.exe and Batmeter.dll.)

   If you feel pretty safe, or you back up your registry/hard drive often, you can decrease your boot up time by removing the line: [C:\Windows\Scanregw.exe /autorun ] in the same key location as above - that’s what backs up your ultra-long registry and then compresses it each and every time you start windows which makes for unwanted delay.

   BE SURE TO BACK UP YOUR REGISTRY. You may accidentally remove something you shouldn’t have. If this happens, don’t worry, just boot to dos and import your backed up registry using  regedit.exe  in dos.

   Look around… you can customize anything you want basically… try different variables if you get bored. You may come up with something you like.

   Turbocharge your menu delay : Run regedit find the Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] Value Name: MenuShowDelay Data Type: REG_SZ
   Data: 0-999 (milliseconds)  Don't set the value to low - it will be to fast .. I recommend a value off 100 - for your convenience :) download the registry value here - execute it and your done !

   Add a shortcut to your Control Panel in your windows startmenu : right click the start menu - and click "Explore". Now in your C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu make a new foldercalled  Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D} - picture.

5. Modem / ISDN

   Go to ‘Control Panel’ and click ‘Network’. Make sure you have ‘Client for Microsoft Networks’ to save trouble. If you don’t have it this is why your Internet Dial-up Password wouldn’t save. Click on ‘Dial-Up Adapter’ and select Advanced. Go to ‘IP Packet Size’ and experiment with Small, Medium, and Large packets to see which one works best for you. This is similar to the program MTUSpeed that would change this setting for previous builds of Windoze.Also there is a value in your registry called ‘SLOWNET’ and it is usually set at ‘01’… change this to ‘00’ It won’t dramatically increase your transfers but it will reduce timeouts.

   This is the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Net\0001 (or 0000) If you haven’t done it yet, In dial-up networking make uncheck the ‘Log on to Network’ under the Server Types tab.  NOTE: This will only effect your login time.

6. Bus Mastering

   This section is for advanced user's ; If you do not have Bus Mastering on your computer you need to find out if it’s available for your motherboard. Everyone with an Intel PCIset Chipset should be able to get the driver. The newest version is 3.01.This is a great device to have for Win98  with TX based MoBo's , you get superb performance and little things never introduced before like the ability to search Local Drives and having your computer know exactly what your drives are.  The file names are as follows: IDEATAPI.INF , IDEATAPI.MPD , PIIXVSD.VXD - these files can be downloaded from the download  section ( filename: IdeBusMastering) .   Procedure :  ideatapi.mpd into \windows\system\iosubsys directory - ideatapi.inf into \windows\inf directory.  Run regedit - backup your registry.  Go to the registry key ; HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Class\hdc.   Go to the first appearance of where you see the Intel Chipset. ( As it appears in Device Manager under Hard Disk Controllers). This will be your controller.  You'll see the primary and secondary bus master IDE controllers in the following numbers , i.e. 0000 - 0002 - 0003 aso.   A:  Under all ( The controller and child devices - primary and secondary controllers) where it says  InfPath   change the string value to be ideatapi.inf.     B: For the main controller change the value for InfSection to read DUAL_BMIDE exactly.    C: Now for the primary and secondary IDE controllers, change the value of InfSection to read BMIDE_Child excactly.   There IS different meanings about the effect of doing this.. back up your registry and give it a try...

   Motherboards who is supported :  X-storePro drivers are also recommended . Access X-store's website HERE  and see if your's is listed.

7. Sounds

   Windows implements a sound for almost everything. This slows Windows down a bit by searching for then playing the sound every time it’s called to do so, which is often. You don’t need them, but many people like to hear the various dings and dangs just to get their attention. You don’t really want them ?? -- simply go to Control Panel and click on Sounds and remove the ones you don’t deem necessary.

8. Speed up system restart

    

   Add BootDelay=0 to the [Options] section of   C:\MSDOS.SYS

   In windows 98 you don't need anything in your Config.sys - delete everything there !

   Also Autoexec.bat shall only contain what you need to have started with windows -

   such as your virusscanner - I also use the parameters:  set TEMP=C:\Windows\TEMP and
   set TMP=C:\Windows\TEMP this parameters tell programs where to put their temp. files. Do not use the parameter set TEMP=C:\TEMP or set TMP=C:\TEMP - keep your root with as little files as possible see a screenshot here of a optimized C drive   See also Editing the Registry above

   Right-Click on the ‘My Computer’ Icon. Click ‘Properties’ then ‘Performance’ then 'File System' click on the Floppy Disk tab and remove 'Search for new floppy disk drives each time your computer starts'

    

    

9. More DOS Memory

   A good healty tweaked system should have above 620 kb of conventional memory.If you don't feel like emptying your config.sys and autoexec.bat (by doing this you usually get +622kb) and have too little conventional memory under 640 kb ? Are you using the LH and DEVICEHIGH switches ?  Take a look on how a typical config.sys and autoexec.bat looks like using these switches. HERE Type mem in "start - run" to verify how much free conventional memory you got.

   Optimal colour settings for DOS  programs started from windows is not 256 colour - but  hicolor -16 bit.  So if you wanna speed up your Dos based games be sure your screen is setup to use 16 bit colour.

    

10. Twak UI ( Tweak User interface)

    A "must" have tweaking utility - go to the download page to get it !  Right click the .inf file and choose install.   Now.you will get a new folder in  your control panel called Tweak UI.   This little powerfull  utility is also on your windows98 cdrom.

     

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