While there's plenty of life in the old operating system, there's also a good chance XP may start looking long in the tooth to you. The good news is you don't have to live with an XP that feels sluggish or looks and acts outdated. In this article, we'll show you plenty of ways to spiff up XP -- and make it faster and more reliable -- without spending a penny. So come along and get your free DIY Windows XP upgrade.

Caution: Some of these tips require that you edit the Windows Registry, which can be tricky and dangerous for your system. If you're not sure how to make a DWORD value, for example, read our story “The tweaker's guide to the Windows Registry” first. And be very sure to read the instructions for backing up the Registry before you attempt any Registry edits whatsoever.

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