What should we expect from a typical anti-spy program and what can it is simply not do? To answer these questions, we should understand how it works.

The TechZone

I Am Not A Geek have thrown up their updated Windows XP Performance Tweaking Guide! Here's a snip.

This guide has seen MANY revisions since it's original posting more than 3 years ago. Even after all this time I continue to add to this guide and revise it as needed. Please read this title very carefully because this guide is ONLY intended for Performance related tweaks. There's millions of other "tweaks" that other guides use but have nothing to do with performance.

Tweakers Australia have thrown up their AMD Athlon XP-M CPU Overclocking Guide! Here's a snip.

Before jumping into the overclocking details, I am going to go over the specifications of the test rig that was used. Firstly though, let me explain why I chose to use the AMD Athlon XP-M chip. The main reason is that now both major processor companies perform clock-locking of their chips. This has meant that new unlocked chips can only be found in AMD?s top of the line FX series chips or pre-week 39 Bartons.

Optimize Windows XP to improve both work and gaming performance safely. Windows XP's default configuration is far from optimized. This guide will help you improve your overall system performance. I avoid using or recommending "all-in-one" Windows XP Tweak programs since many blindly adjust settings that have no affect on performance and can cause future problems..

This article is aimed at understanding how memory works and what to look for when buying it. We also take a look at gaming performance on the Pentium 4 platform and see how different factors such as latency, and frequency can affect it. We also cover DDR and DDR-II memory.

Spode's Abode

This quick guide will show you step by step how to make your old XP CD (Home or Pro, with SP1 or less) into a CD that has SP2 already installed. You'll also learn how to make the CD an unattended install.

ASELabs

As we saw in part one of this two-part series, spyware is a rampant problem. This is clear to anyone who engages in even the slightest bit of field support. The scenario is so typical, the diagnosis is instant. A user complains about a slow computer; programs don't start as fast as they used to, pop-ups continually flood the screen ? you know how to identify the problem. But the solution?

Have fun tinkering and save a boatload of money on a high-quality XGA projector. THG shows you, step by step, how to build an XGA projector with 3,500 ANSI lumens. A new video also provides additional inspiration, giving you an impression of the picture quality you can achieve.

Toms Hardware Guide

Want to mod your ATi Radeon 9550 into a Radeon 9600? Then head this way to OC-Service's.

ATI has lately introduced Radeon 9550 for 350 PLN. It turned out to be equipped with the exact same core that Radeon 9600 ( RV350) and the only difference is slower timing. Everything else is the same : four rendering streams, DirectC 9.0 support and 128bit memory bus ( we can also find 64bit bus models but those do not cope with any computer games ). Why don?t we then modify our Radon 9550 and with not so much effort get Radeon9600PRO or even XT?

PCStats have thrown up their Skype Voice over IP / VoIP guide!

It is likely that almost all computer users are familiar with email, and probably instant messaging as well. In a matter of a few years, the Internet has completely changed the way we communicate with each other, with one exception, the Telephone.

PCStats is pleased to present this latest installment of our Windows XP Tips collection. This guide brings you 104 ways to make using Windows XP faster, safer and more enjoyable. Combined with our first two tips articles,101 Tech Tips and 99 Performance Tweaks, PCstats now has over 300 of the best tips for Microsoft Windows XP assembled in one place!

This guide will show you how to secure Windows XP. While it covers the basics it also goes beyond them without going into "paranoid" mode...This guide is for home users in a stand-alone or workgroup environment. It is intended as a step-by-step guide and we highly suggest you read through the entire article before taking any action.

Want to mod your Creative SB Live! into a Audigy 2? Then head this way to OC-Service's.

I am sure that many of you have noticed some SoundBlaster cards moding issues on the net. Such issues were brought up on numbers of duscussion forums. We can there find some manuals that briefly explain us how to modify a sound card. Those modifications involve all the SoundBlaster Live! and Audigy series cards. If you have not heard of those mods, I am sure you are wondering what is the use of them.

SecurityPipeline have a new article out that looks at slimming down Windows Xp! Here's a snip.

Windows has a well-deserved reputation as a large operating system. A standard installation of Windows XP (with nothing else installed) can easily occupy something in excess of 1.5 Gbytes of disk space. In part, that's because Windows is a general-purpose operating system. As such, it's a kind of kitchen sink software, with all manner of tools, capabilities, and functions thrown into the mix.

OCIA.net has posted a Beginners Guide to OverClocking. Below is a direct quote from the article:

"So what exactly is overclocking and why would anybody want to do it? Overclocking is the art of pushing your system to the limits; squeezing every last bit of power and performance out of your components. Overclocking is an enthusiast hobby. A good comparative example would be a car enthusiast. Sure, you can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to own some of the fastest cars in the world, but why bother when you can take virtually any car, and make it just as fast with the right modifications for a fraction of the price?"

This guide lists the default service configurations for Windows XP Service Pack 1 and Windows XP Service Pack 2. Services that have been added, removed, or had the default settings changed are highlighted in bold text.

Some frequently asked questions on Athlon64 are answered, we hope.

For me, the most interesting technology of the AMD Athlon64 processor is not the 64-bit processing power. 64-bit desktop processors are bound to be made sooner or later. What I found interesting was the fact that AMD decided to have the memory controller on the CPU itself. This certainly raises a lot of eyebrows. Normally the motherboard Northbridge chipset is the memory controller, providing the transition between CPU processing and memory fetching. This is no longer the case. Compatibility will no longer be between motherboard and memory, but rather CPU and memory. The on-die memory controller has a lot of little secrets that not many people are aware of.

Half-Life 2 Fallout reports following on from WhutDuFuk.com's DVD backup guide, Pretenda at wrgn.net has made the job even simpler by creating an installer to automate the process of getting Steam back off the DVD. The installer is designed to work with HL2/CS:Source Steam content, but should also work with other Steam games that use GCF files to store data.

Optimize Windows XP to improve both work and gaming performance safely. Windows XP's default configuration is far from optimized. This guide will help you improve your overall system performance. I avoid using or recommending "all-in-one" Windows XP Tweak programs since many blindly adjust settings that have no affect on performance and can cause future problems..

If you ever wonder how it?s possible for servers to take requests for many domains and know which one to serve up, this article is for you. The secret is in a mandatory HTTP header field and it?s actually quite simple.