15 ways to fake Windows XP for free

Last year, we assembled a group of tips and tricks to make your Windows 98 or Me machine look, act, and work like Microsoft's new OS. Since then, we've found plenty more. These 15 sneaky ways to mimic Window XP's looks, performance, and functionality rank among the best. In fact, they're so good that we bet you won't be able to tell the real XP from the fake one we created.

Until the economy climbs out of the cellar, we're going to build on what we already have rather than spend big bucks on the latest and greatest; most of these tweaks are flat-out free. Read on to find out how to get more out of your tired but oh-so-true OS.

Reinvent your PC
Give your old--but still cranking--OS a face-lift.

Tweak your performance
Chances are your clunky PC won't beat a new Windows XP system, but these five speed tweaks will improve your times.

Add XP-like functionality
You can get a lot of XP's bells and whistles from other sources. We'll show you how.