Make Windows XP last for seven years

On a severely fragmented drive, you may need to run the program several times to fully defrag the files. Be sure to close as many programs as possible during the defragmentation process, including e-mail and even virus scanners, because files that are in use cannot be defragmented.

By following these tips, you can keep your machine in tip-top shape and even get some of Vista's advantages while sticking with Windows XP for at least seven more years. Maybe by then there'll be a more compelling reason to give up XP than ho-hum Vista.

For a list of additional software that'll help keep XP humming, see .

Preston Gralla is a contributing editor for Computerworld, and the author of more than 35 books, including Windows Vista in a Nutshell. Dave Methvin is chief technology officer of PC Pitstop, a free site that automatically diagnoses and fixes common PC problems.

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