Windows XP automatically updates the date and time stamp with information about the last time you accessed a file. This updating can slow down your hard drive.
Geek translation: This is a useless feature that can slow down your hard drive.

Click "Start", "Run" and type in "Regedit".

Click the "OK" button and this window now opens.
Navigate down to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem".

Right-click on any white space on the right hand side of this window’s box and go to "New" and select "DWORD Value".

All you have to do is delete the text called "New Value #1" and replace it with NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate.

Double-click "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate" and type in 1

Look at the above screenshot and make sure your window looks exactly the same and click "Ok". When you are done just go ahead and close Registry Editor.

Tags | Windows XP