1. Your question in not quite clear.  Do you mean "files" on one's desktop or do you mean "icons" on one's desktop?

Icons are the little pictures that you click on to start up a program.  They are just links to (directions where the computer can 
find) the executable files for those programs.  They are small and do not particularly slow down your computer.

Files would be if you had several word processors (such as Microsoft Word or Notebook) open at the same time.  Each one would be 
using memory resources (I can't say necessarily that the whole files are loaded into memory) so their presence might slow down the 
computer if their were enough at the same time.  It depends, of course, on how large they are, how much memory you have, and how 
fast your computer's cpu is.  I don't know exactly how XP manages multiple files this way.

If by "files" you mean several "programs," as in .exe "files," running at the same time, then this might very likely slow down the 
computer, since they would all be competing for computer resources.

If this is not clear, then you should follow up with more questions.

2. If you have several users logged in at the same time, then this might well slow down the computer, too.  For example, if you are 
running a long virus scan and you do a "switch user" to another user, the first scan will still be running and will slow down the 
other user.

3. This question is not quite clear.  If you have a folder open and you are just sitting there looking at a list of files, then 
there is some memory used by that folder and that list, but the files that are just sitting there not doing anything are not 
necessarily using any resources.  For example, if you are looking at a sheet of paper with an inventory list of all the furniture in 
the house, you are just lifting the sheet of paper, not lifting the furniture on the list.  Now, if you are carrying a chair while 
reading the list, then there is some weight involved.  The list of files is like the list of furniture.  They could be running in 
the background, like you carrying the chair.

Things that could be slowing down a computer without being obvious are programs running in the "background."  For example, when you 
log on to a user, a bunch of small programs start running.  Some are important - the desktop for example.  Others make it easy to 
start up a program quickly - they stand ready.  For example, Adobe Reader may have a little thing going.  You can run MSCONFIG to 
see what starts up at logon.

Or, you could have malware running in the background.  :(

Dean Kukral

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Jonathan Justman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 5:30 AM
Subject: [PCBUILD] XP speed Question


Good morning!

I have read that having a lot of files on one's desktop can slow down Windows XP, since all of the files will be loaded into RAM.

1.  Is this true?
2.  Does it apply to all of the desktops (at system startup, I suppose), or only to the desktop of the user who is logged in?
3.  Does it apply only to files directly on the desktop, or also to those inside folders on the desktop?

Thanks.
David.

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