Every Windows user has spent hours trying to figure out ways to optimize system performance. And each of those same users has most likely been frustrated by that process. Understanding Win 9x and tuning it to be more efficient, whether for desktop applications or video-intensive games, can be very time-consuming. This book gives you the tips and tricks you'll need to make your system run faster than ever before, and you won't find them in any Windows documentation. Do you really need Internet Explorer? Can you use an alternative shell that will give you a better Windows experience? Maybe you're wondering if you need a hardware upgrade or if you can tweak your existing system to work faster instead and save you a lot of unnecessary expense? Optimizing Windows for Games, Graphics and Multimedia will answer these questions and save you wasted hours of searching and experimenting on your own computer to find the practical solutions you're looking for. This book covers: General concepts of conserving memory and CPU cycles, processor speed, and disk optimization Speeding application launch times Utilities bundles and which one is right for fine-tuning your system Benefits of partitioning your drive and what tools you need to do it What to look for in uninstallers and how to use this valuable maintenance tool strategically Replacement Windows shells like Program Manager and freeware shells like EVWM and LiteStep Optimizing DOS sessions and Dial-up networking Clean re-installation of both Windows 95 and Windows 98 You may find other books that teach you how to be more productive with the user interface, but they don't talk much about system optimization. Whether you use your computer in a home or office for business or games, with Optimizing Windows for Games, Graphics and Multimedia you won't need to dig through hundreds of pages to come up with a small handful of tips. This book does that work for you and presents it in an easily referenced format. If you want to make the most of your time and your computer, this is a book you'll want on your shelf.