Quick overview:
Some desktop PCs and laptops (especially Dell Inspiron 1150 systems) will notice a drastic loss of performance after installing XP Service Pack 2, turning a 2.4 Ghz PC/notebook into a slow 280 Mhz relic, for example. Have you already exhausted the possibilities of the BIOS or Windows update?
It's time for a solution to the problem:
Checking network connections under Windows XP
1. In the Control Panel, click on System/Hardware/Device Manager/Processors. Double-click on your CPU here.
2. Go to Drivers and click on the Installed drivers button. You must now confirm the warnings to install the processor drivers used before SP2. This will reset the processor driver that is not compatible with SP2, which has severe difficulties with clocking.
3. This problem can be solved by patching Dell Inspiron systems, for example. General information on Service Pack 2 with Dell devices can be found here.
4. If these steps do not help, you still have one option: Select Power Options (under Control Panel) and opt for the desktop scheme, which solves the CPU power saving function and eliminates incompatibilities.
NOTE FOR NEW PUBLICATION: This article was produced by Sandro Villinger and comes from the Windows Tweaks archive, which has been built up since the late 1990s.

On Windows Tweaks you will find time-saving tech guides for PC, software & Microsoft. For a stress-free digital everyday life. Already we have been "tweaking" Windows since 1998 and just won't stop!