Is there anything you can disable? Serial ports,...Going into the registry for XP on that Symantec link.
I know I don't use a bunch of things on my laptop. I won't be hooking up a printer, so the parallel port. Do you have both HDD hooked up at the same time? If you have a spare modular bay maybe, get one of those kits to put a HD in.
I have mine networked,all the extra hardware is in another room. Wireless PC card is the only thing sticking out on the machine.