When you start using a new computer it's fast and may impresses you as a big change from before. On the other hand you may be disappointed at the relatively small increase in speed. Even if fast, over time your machine may get bogged down.
After a few months you may wonder if it is worth computing at all, considering how long
it takes to do anything.
The truth is by default when your computer arrives it has many services and unneeded programs that can be turned off or deleted without harm. Also with a machine that has slowed over time, many things can be done to improve the speed. In fact, after a treatment like here's, you'll be amazed what a tiger was under hood. If you were considering it, you may decide to postpone the purchase of a new one. The various procedures and habits you can perform and change are as follows:
Before You Buy Computer Memory Upgrades, you can find out how much you have by clicking on the System Icon in the Control Panel. The amount is on the first tab that comes up, the General Tab.
With Windows 2000 or XP, you really should have at least 1 GB of memory and 2 GB is a more comfortable amount. With Vista be sure to have 2 GB of memory you'll be much happier.
Windows puts everything on your Desktop into memory, for rapid loading purposes. If you have a lot of big files there, that means trouble. Apparently folders are not loaded. Shortcuts apparently are loaded, but it stops there. The applications the shortcuts point to are not loaded. Maybe downloaded exe files are though.
Only Windows XP and Vista, in the System Applet again, will show you how fast your processor is.
1 GHz Processor is really the minimum these days. If you have less than this, spare yourself some
frustration and buy a cheap new computer for $250- $400 from Dell, HP, Compaq, E-machines, or
Gateway. You'll be much happier.
disk on best performance setting instead of silent if you have it.
For a faster boot up enter your Bios, by clicking the Delete, F2, or F12 key or whatever flashes on the screen when you turn on the computer. Next choose boot order, and remove all entries except the first one which you should set to your hard drive. This will stop the most of the time useless seeking of a floppy disk at boot time.
If you need to reinstall Windows or some other operation, you can always go back and change this entry to floppy or CD. Also there should be a setting in your BIOS to make the boot, quick.
operating system, whether they are optional or critical.
Better yet, go into the Control Panel, choose Automatic Updates, Choose Automatic (your
screen might look different with a different version of Windows). Make it Every Day at a
time when you are not using your computer.
Generally if you have cable or DSL, despite the risk of infection, computers should be kept
on and attached to the Internet. This is to allow antivirus and security patches downloading
at off-peak hours.
Also uninstalling unneeded software can improve performance for disk space reasons and because programs often install right click options which disappear after uninstallation. This is valuable because menus are often built on the fly and take time to rebuild each time you open them. With less options there's faster performance.
Over time the registry gets clogged up with useless registry settings that slow a PC. Freeware to fix this issue include PC Fixer, CCleaner and Toni Arts EasyCleaner among others.
background (some of them at least others are started when needed). Many of these are not
needed and stopping them can help speed up you considerably.
To get to services, click on the Start Menu and in the Run dialogue box add "services.msc" and hit return. Now, consult one of the lists on the net, which list which services are necessary and which are not.
Look at a program called WinServices. If you download the mini setup of version 2.1.4.0,
and choose Tools → "Program Settings" → Columns Tab → Select Activate Recommendations → check "Suggested Settings" and "Safely disable", the program will show which services you can disable. Use a little common sense here, for instance Task Scheduler might be better left on. Check with the other sites.
RAM memory and Hard disk space. For instance with hibernation activated, a file easily 1
GB in size is created in the root of the C: drive.
If you are low on hard disk space, this can be vital. These operations can be done by right
clicking on a blank part of your Desktop and choosing "Properties." Go to the Desktop Tab
and set the Background to "None." On the screensaver Tab, set the Screensaver to "None."
To turn off the Hibernation feature in XP only: Right Click on your Desktop → choose
Properties → Click on the Screen Saver Tab → Click on the Power Button in the
lower right corner → Click on the Hibernate Tab → Uncheck "Enable hibernation".
After a few months you may wonder if it is worth computing at all, considering how long
it takes to do anything.
The truth is by default when your computer arrives it has many services and unneeded programs that can be turned off or deleted without harm. Also with a machine that has slowed over time, many things can be done to improve the speed. In fact, after a treatment like here's, you'll be amazed what a tiger was under hood. If you were considering it, you may decide to postpone the purchase of a new one. The various procedures and habits you can perform and change are as follows:
Make Sure You Have Enough Memory
Choose Start Button → Start Menu → Settings → Control Panel → System → General TabBefore You Buy Computer Memory Upgrades, you can find out how much you have by clicking on the System Icon in the Control Panel. The amount is on the first tab that comes up, the General Tab.
With Windows 2000 or XP, you really should have at least 1 GB of memory and 2 GB is a more comfortable amount. With Vista be sure to have 2 GB of memory you'll be much happier.
Be Sure To Clean Up Your Desktop
Windows puts everything on your Desktop into memory, for rapid loading purposes. If you have a lot of big files there, that means trouble. Apparently folders are not loaded. Shortcuts apparently are loaded, but it stops there. The applications the shortcuts point to are not loaded. Maybe downloaded exe files are though.
Make Sure You Have a Fast Enough CPU Chip
Only Windows XP and Vista, in the System Applet again, will show you how fast your processor is.
1 GHz Processor is really the minimum these days. If you have less than this, spare yourself some
frustration and buy a cheap new computer for $250- $400 from Dell, HP, Compaq, E-machines, or
Gateway. You'll be much happier.
Uninstall Those Unneeded Applications To Free Up Memory
One last suggestion of the about.com article that sounds useful, is to uninstall unneeded programs. The reason for this is apparently the registry settings made by installed programs can eventually slow down your machine. A smaller cleaner registry is therefore useful. A registry cleaner might be a good tool to use too after removing the unneeded programs. It will be discussed again below.Get And Keep Your BIOS Fine Tuned
In the BIOS (or "Setup") stop floppy seek, stop memory check (Fast Boot), and put thedisk on best performance setting instead of silent if you have it.
For a faster boot up enter your Bios, by clicking the Delete, F2, or F12 key or whatever flashes on the screen when you turn on the computer. Next choose boot order, and remove all entries except the first one which you should set to your hard drive. This will stop the most of the time useless seeking of a floppy disk at boot time.
If you need to reinstall Windows or some other operation, you can always go back and change this entry to floppy or CD. Also there should be a setting in your BIOS to make the boot, quick.
Patch Your Computer To Keep It Updated
Go to Windows update on the top of your start menu and download all the patches for youroperating system, whether they are optional or critical.
Better yet, go into the Control Panel, choose Automatic Updates, Choose Automatic (your
screen might look different with a different version of Windows). Make it Every Day at a
time when you are not using your computer.
Generally if you have cable or DSL, despite the risk of infection, computers should be kept
on and attached to the Internet. This is to allow antivirus and security patches downloading
at off-peak hours.
Defragment Your Hard Drive Regularly
Vista now includes an automatic defragment system that is enabled by default. With XP or
Vista (if you want to set it off outside the schedule) defragment your hard drive by choosing
Start → Programs → Accessories → System Tools → Disk Defragmenter.
This should be done every week if possible and can take several hour, so again do it at night or while you are at work. There are some free disk defragmenter scheduler solutions, so you can "set it and forget it." They are startdefrag, autodefrag and Lexun Freeware Drivecare. There is also a Microsoft article that tells you how to use Scheduler to schedule defragmentation.
Remove Those Unneeded Files
Hard disk begin to fragment files noticeably and slow down after passing the 50% full mark. For this reason, it is said that the single most important investment one can make to improve the performance of a PC is to purchase the largest hard drive possible.This situation will change with the advent of solid state hard drives as the files don'tfragment meaningfully in these sort of devices. At any rate if you have a hard drive and it's over 50% full, use a program like CCleaner or Microsoft's disk utility to get rid of unneeded files.Also uninstalling unneeded software can improve performance for disk space reasons and because programs often install right click options which disappear after uninstallation. This is valuable because menus are often built on the fly and take time to rebuild each time you open them. With less options there's faster performance.
Clean the Registry
Over time the registry gets clogged up with useless registry settings that slow a PC. Freeware to fix this issue include PC Fixer, CCleaner and Toni Arts EasyCleaner among others.Stop Unneeded Services
Services are again programs that Windows starts up automatically at startup and run in thebackground (some of them at least others are started when needed). Many of these are not
needed and stopping them can help speed up you considerably.
To get to services, click on the Start Menu and in the Run dialogue box add "services.msc" and hit return. Now, consult one of the lists on the net, which list which services are necessary and which are not.
Look at a program called WinServices. If you download the mini setup of version 2.1.4.0,
and choose Tools → "Program Settings" → Columns Tab → Select Activate Recommendations → check "Suggested Settings" and "Safely disable", the program will show which services you can disable. Use a little common sense here, for instance Task Scheduler might be better left on. Check with the other sites.
Turn Off Fancy Desktop Backgrounds, and Screensavers
Elaborate background pictures and fancy screensavers can take up an enormous amount ofRAM memory and Hard disk space. For instance with hibernation activated, a file easily 1
GB in size is created in the root of the C: drive.
If you are low on hard disk space, this can be vital. These operations can be done by right
clicking on a blank part of your Desktop and choosing "Properties." Go to the Desktop Tab
and set the Background to "None." On the screensaver Tab, set the Screensaver to "None."
To turn off the Hibernation feature in XP only: Right Click on your Desktop → choose
Properties → Click on the Screen Saver Tab → Click on the Power Button in the
lower right corner → Click on the Hibernate Tab → Uncheck "Enable hibernation".
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