We get many questions
on what we use to keep our computer running fast. So many of these things
slow down over the years. Here are some tips to get you back up to speed.
Download and install...
http://www.iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html
Advanced SystemCare Free
(formerly Advanced WindowsCare Personal) has a one-click approach to helping
protect, repair, clean, and optimize your PC. With over 20,000,000 downloads
since 2006, this fantastic, award-winning, free program is a "must-have"
tool for your computer, 100% safe and clean with no adware, spyware, or
viruses.
http://www.ccleaner.com/
CCleaner is a freeware system
optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your
system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk
space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet
history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner.
But
the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to
run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)
http://www.adware-2009.com
At Lavasoft we believe that
every individual, regardless of economic status or geographic
location, should have the
power to control their individual privacy and security.
Lavasoft is the original
anti-spyware company, and we are still delivering the best protection
today. After all, over 200
million computer users around the world can’t be wrong!
Make sure you have good
Virus program running on your maching.
See my other article
for programs.
Make Windows XP Run Faster!
Apply Windows
Updates
If you run Windows and you
use the Internet, you simply MUST stay up to date with the system patches
that come out in response to the privacy and security exploits that are
discovered every week. Failure to do so is an open invitation to hackers
and crackers to invade your privacy and enslave your computer in a spam
spewing network. To get the latest fixes and configure your system for
automatic updates, open Internet Explorer, click on Tools, then Windows
Update.
Remove Unnecessary
Software
You
can use CCleaner for this also
You may have a bunch
of software packages on your hard drive that are no longer needed, or they
were gratuitously installed when you downloaded some other package. Toolbars,
file-sharing programs, free email enhancers, online shopping "companions"
and download managers are notorious for this practice. These uninvited
guests can put a big drag on your startup time, cause web pages to load
slowly, and generally bog down your computer. Go to Control Panel, then
Add/Remove Software to see what packages are installed. Remove the ones
you know you don't need, and do a web search to learn about the ones you're
not sure about.
Remove temp.
Hard Disk files
You
can use CCleaner for this also
Both Windows and application
programs tend to leave temporary files lying around on your hard drive,
taking up space needlessly. A hard drive that is close to being full can
cause Windows to act strangely, and will slow down or interfere with efficient
disk access and virtual memory operations. And if you surf the web a lot,
your temporary internet files folder can become quite large, causing Internet
Explorer to slow down or malfunction.
Cleaning up unneeded files,
scanning for disk errors and
defragmenting the hard
drive can help to restore some zip to your system.
You can use a great free
program to defrag.
http://www.iobit.com/iobitsmartdefrag.html
First, open My Computer,
right-click on the C: Drive icon, select Properties, then click on Disk
Cleanup. (Optional: Select the More Options tab to find and remove even
more unwanted files.)
To run a defrag, open My
Computer, right-click on the C: Drive icon, select Properties, then Tools.
Click the Check Now button to scan your disk for errors. When the scan
is complete, click the Defragment Now button to run the defrag, which reorganizes
your hard disk so Windows can find and access files more efficiently. (It's
highly recommended that you close all running programs and disable your
screen saver before running a defrag. Otherwise, updates to your files
may trigger defrag to restart endlessly.)
Reduce unused
Startup Selections
There are certain programs
that Windows will start every time you boot up your system, and during
the startup phase, they're all jockeying for a slice of your CPU. Extra
or unwanted items in the startup list will defintely increase your startup
time, perhaps by several minutes. To manage the list of startup programs,
click on Start / Run, then type MSCONFIG. Press Enter, then select the
Startup tab. If you see items in the list you know you don't need to run
at startup time, UNcheck the box(es) next to them and press Apply. Some
common examples are things related to AOL, RealPlayer, Napster, instant
messengers, and video managers. If you're not sure about an item, no big
deal. You can turn it off, restart your PC, and see if everything seems
to work. If not, you can always go back and re-enable an item in the Startup
list. This helpful list or this page may help you decide what to keep or
drop.
Clean Your Registry
Use
CCleaner for this also
RAM and Virtual
Memory Settings
When you run out of physical
(RAM) memory, Windows will use a check of your hard disk to create virtual
memory. This is a nice feature, because it allows application programs
to access huge amounts of memory. The only problem with virtual memory
is that it's a lot slower than real RAM. So installing extra RAM on the
system board is a good idea because it's pretty cheap and easy to pop in.
Find out how much your system will accommodate and install the maximum
amount. Extra RAM will probably do more to boost your overall system performance
than anything else! But getting back to Virtual Memory, it's wise to let
Windows manage the amount, unless you are a Wizard, with a capital W. Go
to Control Panel / System / Advanced, then press the Settings button under
Performance. Click Advanced again, then press the Change button under Virtual
Memory. IfSystem managed size is selected, you're all set. If you want
to fiddle with the Custom Size options, be my guest!
No go to http://pcpitstop.com/betapit/
Fast, Comprehensive and
Free In a few minutes, OverDrive provides a full report of your PCs' performance,
security, software, drivers, etc.
Some of the above info
was borrowed from other sites help sections.
End of Make Your PC Run Faster
101 Class Dismissed.
Any questions raise your hand.
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