As regular CCTips readers know, I’ve finally switched my main computer to an XP machine. This transition was not easy for me, mostly because to me, XP looked like it was designed for a visually impaired three year old. Let’s just say, I felt the cutesy user interface got in the way of doing actual work. (I’ve made a lot of less kind comments over the last few weeks, but I’ll spare you.)
Like most computer-related problems, if you don’t like something, there’s probably a way to change it. And so it is with XP. With a few changes to the settings, my computer behaves more or less like my old Windows 98 machine. (As I had the Win98 machine set up more or less like my old Win95 machine, you could say I’m definitely set on my settings.)
I found that the main key to making XP usable again was to set it to use “classic view.” To make this change, right-click anywhere on your desktop and choose Properties. In the Themes tab, choose Windows Classic from the drop-down list. You can also customize the colors and fonts using settings on the Appearance tab. When you’re done, click Apply and OK.
You also can customize your Start menu, so it looks the way it used to in Win98. Right-click the Start button and choose Properties. Click the Classic Start menu radio button. For even finer control, click the Customize button. While you’re at it, you can make XP seem a little more spry. I discovered that by turning off the “visual effects” my computer seems faster. (Animation is neat, but hey, I have stuff to do.) To remove all the effects, choose Start|Settings|Control Panel|System. In the Advanced tab, under Performance, click the Settings button. Click Adjust for best performance and click OK. Or you can select just the animation you want. It’s up to you. |
