Disable Themes in Windows XP

Windows themes are a nice way to customize and personalize Windows XP. Colors, backgrounds, screensavers, all graphical features that can make your Windows look nicer. There are an incredible amount of free and commercial themes available to customize your copy of Windows XP.

What you might not realize is that all this beauty comes with an impact on the Windows performance and, in a way also the stability of your computer. Themes can take up a significant amount of memory, or RAM. In addition, the visual aspects also take valuable processing time of your computer.

So, if you are not primarily interested in Windows XP looking smooth, but are more interested in a fast computer, consider turning off themes to speed up Windows XP.
The steps required to turn off the themes service are:

1. From the Windows Start menu, select Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, select Performance and Maintenance.
3. Next, click Administrative Tools.
4. Next, double-click the Services icon.
5. In the Services window, locate the Themes service.
6. Double-click the Themes service.
7. In the Themes Properties window, change the Startup type to Disabled.
8. Close the Services window and restart your computer.

After the computer reboots, your Windows XP will look different, but it will be a faster Windows XP.
Remember, you can always turn the themes service back on if you have upgraded your computer.