I didn't write this. I found it somewhere on the internet but I have no idea where. I had it saved in my Guides and How-To's folder. I would like to thank whoever wrote it.

Strip Down for Gaming

A growing number of IT professionals have discovered that gaming becomes addictive very quickly. You die-hard gamers know exactly what I'm talking about. Eyelids all taped open while you're slouched over a pile of Red Bull empties as you continue to drool over a sopping wet keyboard? No worries, man, I'm a pretty avid gamer myself, you know. I realize what it's like when your eyeballs are all but dried out because you forgot to blink for something like 30 minutes solid!

So what is the driving force for gamers? It's all about speed, folks. Gamers are willing to dump every red cent they have into their computers, and this is the preferred method of gaining performance. Now, there are other methods, but none of them really ever produce noticeably decent results. Overclocking is not really helping as much as you thought it would and you have tried disabling your antivirus so that it's not gobbling up your resources. So what are your options for a better gaming experience? Well, sleep is out of the question, of course! Worst of all, you don't have the funds to purchase the Ultimate Gaming Rig since you lost your job because of all of the gaming induced no-shows at work.

Well then, what is a gamer to do?

Why, tweak the living daylights out of your existing system, of course!

(FYI: This entire article is intended for Windows XP users, only. Also understand that you accept all responsibility for tweaking your system. There is always the possibility that something could get screwed up and you would have to re-install. I have never had a problem with it, but it can happen. You are hereby warned!)

Now let's start with what you are going to need:

1. A clean install of Windows XP for gaming. You really want to have the system as clean and as "junk free" as possible. (For this article, we are going to assume that you are going to dual boot with two OSes. For instance, on one of my systems I have Win 2K and XP. If the primary OS is already installed and you do not have any space set aside for the second partition, then you should consider using Partition Magic.)

2. Access to blackviper.com for Windows Services information. (This is the ultimate Web site for learning about Windows Services and which of them you can live without.)

3. Detailed instructions on tweaking your registry (provided here).

4. A semi-large to large hard drive.

1. Assuming your primary OS is already installed, you will need to use a reliable partitioning program like Partition Magic to free up some space for you to work with.

2. Once that is done, boot off of your Windows XP CD. Create another partition on the new free space you have just created and begin the install process.

*Tip - Pay attention to where the new install of XP is going. If you format over the wrong partition on accident, don't blame me! You are responsible for what happens with your data, "not I," said the guy who made the pie for the fly in the sky. (Sorry, mind wandered there for a second.)

3. Now after the install process is completed, go to Windows Updates and run it to get all 50 trillion patches in place. After that, install your games on the system.

*Tip- The steps from here on out can be done in whatever order you feel like. However, I highly suggest that you leave the system restore feature on till you are finished.

4. Enter the world of BlackViper.com and be amazed. This is a man who is seriously dedicated to helping others. He has actually mapped out ALL of the services for Windows XP for you. Best part is, he has even categorized the "ultimate" XP services setup for the dedicated gaming machine. Just follow the instructions on his Web site and make sure you also follow the XP services instructions to the letter. Make sure to disable the themes service.

5. Quit dozing off and pay attention. Yes, this is getting really long! But when you're finished, you will thank me.

6. Let's go play in the registry! I know, you are probably cringing at the thought, but you can do it - trust me. Before you do anything, though, be sure to make a restore point with XPs' system restore tool. After all of that, open up and edit your registry entries with the regedit tool exactly as shown.

7. Increase your page file to someplace comfortably over 1000MB to start and max it at like 1500MB. Bigger is better in my opinion. It is not really that big a deal, I just like big numbers because they make me feel important. The page file setting is located in the system properties, performance options, advanced, virtual memory. Press change, and then hit the "Set" button.

8. Update your video drivers from the manufacturer's Web site. Don't let Windows Updates install their "idea" of the latest drivers. Do it right and do it yourself.

9. Let's get visual! XP has a lot of extra visual effects that you are not going to really need gaming. So go to system properties, performance options, visual effects, select custom and uncheck everything.

10. Turn off automatic updates in system properties. Go back to the XP services area and turn off the system restore service.

That about does it for me. You should now be able to boot into your brand new gaming partition and really see a decent performance difference. Also understand that it is not going to do diddly for you if your computer is really old. If you are running a Pentium 2 and integrated video, and 128MB of PC133 this article is going to do very little for you. You will also want to "test" your advanced display settings to see how high you can get them and still run your PC at an optimal level for gaming. Well, that is it for me. Happy gaming!