Where can I find out what all the different visual effects do? I want to disable everything I don't need to improve performance. Thanks.

Techspot's XP Tweak Guide

Doug Knox Tweaks and Tips

Have a look at the Registry link in my signature as well. There are also some links to some guides at www.bootdisk.com

Thanks for the links but none of them explained what each of performance options setting did. I'll just ask what some of them do I guess. What do these do?

Fade or slide tooltips into view.

Fade out menus after clicking.

Show translucent selection rectangle.

Slide open combo boxes.

Smooth edges of screen fonts.

Smooth-scroll list boxes.

Use a background image for each forlder type.

Use common tasks in folders.

Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop.

Fade or slide tooltips into view.

adds a fade or sliding effect to tooltips

Fade out menus after clicking.

adds a fade effect to menus

Show translucent selection rectangle.

pretty obvious

Slide open combo boxes.

adds a slide effect when opening combo boxes

Smooth edges of screen fonts.

smoothes edges of screen fonts, you can choose to use Clear Type or the Classic method. Clear type looks best on LCD monitors but uses more resources than the classic method. Using none at all might look bad on cheap monitors.

Smooth-scroll list boxes.

pretty self explained

Use a background image for each forlder type.

Allows use of a background image for each folder type

Use common tasks in folders.

Puts the Common Tasks menu in folders

Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop

Puts a shadow effect behind icons

None of those options are necessary, some do make thing look a bit better, like smoothing screen fonts, but all can be disabled if you wish. I believe that the font smoothing is the only one I use and I use the classic method since I use a CRT.

Is a tooltip the yellow box that pops up when you put the cursor over an icon? If so how come I can't see a difference when I check or uncheck this option?

What menus does the fade affect apply to?

Whats a translucent selection rectangle, a combo box, list box?

Can you explain use a background image for each forlder type and use common tasks in folders. Thanks.

ok, tooltip is the little yellow box that shows a description when you hover over an icon. You should notice a slight difference when it is enabled, as it takes about .10sec longer to go away.

Menu fading applies to most of the menus used in windows itself, such as the Start menu, menus inside Windows Explorer, etc...

the selection rectangle is the rectangle created when you select multiple files with your mouse, the difference isn't really noticable(not to me anyway) a combo box is a component with a drop-down arrow that you click to display a list of options.

Using a background image is just specifying an image to be tiled as the background of the folder. I don't really know any more simple way of explaining it than that. Common Tasks is a pane to the left side of the folder that shows things like My Computer, My Network Places, My Documents, etc(I may not be completely accurate on what is included, as I don't use that option and don't see the point in it)

Thanks StormBringer. 2 more questions

Whats a list box and where can I go to see the use a background image for each forlder type at work? With the option ticked I went into a few different folders and the background was the same for all of them.

I just restarted my laptop and saw this popup. Office was in my startup folder. Earlier today I went into sys config and deselected it and now this pops up after a restart. What should I do? I deselected it hoping it would make boot ups faster, should I select it again? Thanks.

a list box is a box with a list of options(I think its defined as a type of combo box) The image background option makes all folders of a specific type look the same. Not sure of where to find it "in action" I'll look and edit here if I find something.

The system config msg you got is standard when you use msconfig to make changes. That msg will appear at the next boot. Just check the box and go on about your life as usuall. Alternatively, you should use services.msc instead. The REASON

StormBringer, or anyone else, know how to fix this problem? Thanks.

I've looked into it, but haven't really thought of anything to help.