Upgrading Physical Memory

• 1). Unplug the computer from the power outlet.
  
  
• 2). Unscrew the access panel on the computer case and slide it free.
  
  
• 3). Locate the RAM ports on the motherboard. They will be next to the CPU, which will have a large fan and heat sink over the top of it.
  
  
• 4). Plug your RAM chip into a free RAM slot. If you do not have a free RAM slot, remove a lower-capacity RAM chip to increase the overall quantity of physical memory.
  
  
• 5). Replace the access panel and screw it back in.
  
  
• 6). Plug the computer power cable back in.
  
  

Reducing System Load

• 1). Load up Windows XP.
  
  
• 2). Click the "Start" button on the task bar. The Start menu will pop up.
  
  
• 3). Select "Run" and type in "MSCONFIG". A configuration utility will launch.
  
  
• 4). Select the "Startup" tab. A list of applications that start with Windows will appear.
  
  
• 5). Go through this list and determine what applications you need. If you can't determine what an application does, try looking it up on the Internet and then decide if this is something you need running all the time.
  
  
• 6). Uncheck the checkbox to the left of the application you wish to disable on startup. Doing this to many unnecessary items can dramatically reduce your system load.
  
  
• 7). Click the "OK" button and restart your computer. You should have a more responsive system.