Windows XP: How to adjust visual effects

Windows XP, while not as visually appealing as Vista's Aero interface, does have the capability to produce some neat visual effects. These effects range from smooth edges to small animations, and they are typically all enabled by default. However, if you have at some point disabled them or if they have been turned off by another user (or if you want to turn them off) here are the steps to adjust Windows XP's visual effects:

A. Right click on My Computer (either from the Start menu or from the desktop).

B. Select Properties.

C. Go to the Advanced tab.

D. In the Performance section, click the Settings button.

E. The list of visual effects will appear. Put a check mark next to the effects you want enabled, and remove the check mark next to any effects you want to disable.

F. When you have made your selections, click OK or Apply to save the changes.

You can also turn all of the effects on at once by choosing "Adjust for best appearance," or turn all of them off by choosing "Adjust for best performance." The first option on the screen, "Let Windows choose what's best for my computer," allows the system to make the selections for you. (Typically, if you choose this option, all of the effects will be enabled.)

If your computer is running slower than you'd like, and you don't really care about window animations or icon shadows, turning all of these features off might free up a little bit of system memory. You can always try one setting or the other and then come back in later to change it.