For disk defraggin windows defragger is NOT to be trusted. It will NOT fully clean up after itself. What we typically use is raxco's perfect disk. Really good defragger, doesn't take long at all. I typically use it just before moving partitions around where an NTFS is present.
It comes as a trial program, but there is no DRM present, so simply install it to a folder on your desktop, when finished delete it.
Other than that, not a bad guide.
Edit:
Oh yes! don't forget to cleare the startup! Less applications loading while your session is building == faster system Typically for a faster windows machine the key is gutting it out as much as possible. Since your windows typically doesn't allow you much free space on the processing block, it will also improve performance by freeing up space there as well
Also, I strongly recomend that you DO NOT use windows as administrator. It's simple to create a new account, you can easilly copy your files over and rechange permissions. But the simplest way to create a non admin account is to click start > type: cmd and hit enter. (do this as admin)
net user yournamehere /add
net user localgroups users yournamehere /add
exit
Ta-da! You've created a non-admin user. If you wish to move files to your non-admin account simply login as admin, move to your regular user documents folder, and drag'n'drop. For permissions, simply right click what it is that a user needs to share, go to properties, then permissions.
NO operating system is made to support non-stop super-user use. It is the biggest downfall in security, especially for windows. The thorn in its side is that the default user account is in the ADMIN localgroup. The admin (or admins if you make several) in a realistic sense, are only there for system management. I would do as Divine Blob suggested and use Blink, they have a neat security scanner called retina (like nessus but superior) that you can use to harden your system from vulnerabilities.
Simply by not running your system as admin will significantly stunt and retard your chances of getting a virus, and by running a good av such as blink it makes those odds an impossibility.
