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Speed Up Computers The Microsoft Way

Posted by paul on December 15th, 2009

Speed Up Computers The Microsoft Way

Speed Up Computers The Microsoft Way

It seems that just about every technician has his (or her) favorite tips for speeding up computers and snatching back performance from the clutches of evil, time-wasting, memory-wasting and resource-wasting nasties that creep their way into an otherwise perfectly good operating system. But what does Microsoft recommend to keep a computer system in good working order?

Microsoft’s Top Three Suggestions For Faster Computer Performance

Microsoft’s first suggestion is to remove unused files. This is great advice, regardless of where it’s’ coming from. A lack of useable disk space bogs down computer file systems. This is, in no small measure, due to the way computer systems work. Computers will turn to the hard disk for extra “scratch space” when RAM isn’t available. RAM is the ideal scratch space, but when all of the RAM has been allocated to other processes, a quick trip to the hard disk is in order for the computer.

Writing to the hard disk is slower, and this naturally slows down the computer. Keeping adequate hard disk space free is important because your computer thinks of its hard disk as back-up computational space. Periodically clean out files you don’t need and regulate the size of temporary files. Don’t let your temp files grow to an unmanageable size and don’t devote too much space to caches. (Don’t completely eliminate them either!)

Along with keeping the file system tidy is emptying the Recycle Bin. There’s no point in storing hundreds (or thousands) of files in the Recycle Bin. Get rid of them once in awhile! Also remove old programs that you no longer use. Microsoft makes a handy utility called Disk Cleanup that will do most of the heavy lifting for you. Disk Cleanup is found under Accessories > System Tools.

Defragmenting your hard disk will also improve your data access speed. Defragmenting essentially allows you to arrange the files on your hard disk in a more compact arrangement. This frees previously “trapped” disk space and makes it available again for other uses. Disk Defragmenter, also located in Accessories > System Tools can help you defragment your disk.

Repair your hard disk. Sometimes sectors of a disk become unusable due to disk errors. Sometimes, disk errors can be corrected using a special utility called the Error Checking utility, also found under Accessories > System Tools. For those sectors that cannot be repaired, the utility flags them so they’re not used again. This can help clear up quirky problems you may be having with particular files and can also prevent these problems from cropping up later.

Photo Credit: Jonti Bolles, via Flickr

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Regular Maintenance Can Speed Up Computer

Posted by paul on December 10th, 2009

Regular Maintenance Can Speed Up Computer

Regular Maintenance Can Speed Up Computer

If you use your computer regularly, you probably have noticed over time that your computer tends to slow down. You can prevent this slide into Slowville by doing some regular maintenance on your computer. Just as a car needs regular maintenance to run correctly, so does your computer. What exactly does this regular maintenance involve?

Routine Maintenance Can Help Keep Your Computer Speeding Along

Routine maintenance for computers should include keeping your desktop tidy. Saving files to your desktop rather than storing them in your computer’s file structure will slow your computer down. Store your files in the filing system and you’ll get a pleasant little speed boost.

Routine maintenance also includes keeping your system tray as empty as possible. When you install applications, the installer may ask if you want a shortcut placed on the desktop or in the system tray. If you answer no to this question, you’ll preserve your computer’s memory for the things you really want to run: applications. If you allow the computer to start up applications when it boots, you’ll be devoting memory to applications you may not be using at the expense of the programs you want to run. Bottom line: keep your system pared to a minimum.

Defragment your hard disk periodically. This routine maintenance task will help keep your files together on your hard disk and cut down the amount of time your computer needs to find, read and write your files. If you create a lot of files, or create and remove files often, you’ll want to defragment your hard disk about once per month. If you don’t often save files to your hard disk, you can defer this task to about once per quarter.

Run your anti-virus and anti-malware software often. Your best bet is to configure these programs to run scans automatically. Don’t turn off your antivirus software to save memory; that’s asking for trouble!

Run a registry cleaner like RegCure to keep your registry files clean and to remove leftover and orphaned programming code that can easily slow your system down. Schedule RegCure to run regularly and you’ll be surprised by how well your computer runs.

Don’t load every little utility you find. This is a great way to pick up malware and viruses, as many of these programs are disguised as screensavers and other meaningless utilities. If you want to save your screen – something much less necessary on the newer tubeless monitors – just use the powersave options built into the system to shut your screen off after a period of inactivity.

Photo Credit: Andrew Griffith, via Flickr

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Need To Speed Up Computer? Try These Suggestions

Posted by paul on December 8th, 2009

Need To Speed Up Computer? Try These Suggestions

Need To Speed Up Computer? Try These Suggestions

Working with a slow computer can be frustrating. When the cause of the problem is clear, you at least have something to work with. When the cause of your computer’s slow performance isn’t clear, you could spend hours trying to figure out what’s wrong and end up no closer to the solution to your problem.

Slow Performance, Many Causes

There are many things that can slow the performance of a computer to a halt. Virtually anything from bad device drivers to insufficient memory to a failing hard drive can rob your computer of its performance potential. For as much coverage as viruses and other forms of malware get, the more likely cause of a slow computer will be found in your computer’s registry database.

The registry is a centralized information store that the computer uses to run and configure programs, and keep track of operating system information. The registry is critical to your computer’s proper operation, but over time, the registry can accumulate a lot of useless information. This useless information slows your computer down because the computer has to read and interpret everything in the registry.

Little bits of programming code get left behind when an uninstall routine doesn’t do a thorough job of removing all of the application’s registry entries. Other programs like viruses and malware make additions and changes to the registry, and these are also frequently left behind when a virus program does its cleanup work.

Over time, all of these little bits of abandoned code can take a toll on your computer’s ability to perform. Everything from startup time to runtime performance can be affected.

Removing these entries from the registry sounds simple but it’s not! The registry can have millions of lines of code, and unless you’re an experienced programmer, you may have no idea what you’re looking for or what’s safe to remove. Moreover, changes you make to the registry are instant. That’s not always a good thing! If you make a mistake by removing too much code, not enough code or the wrong line(s) of code, you could end up with even worse performance than you had before you started editing the registry.

If you don’t know a great deal about your computer’s registry database, I recommend you use a product called RegCure to clean out your registry. You can configure RegCure to run automatically, so once your initial cleaning is complete, you can rely on RegCure to keep your registry tidy. This translates into improved performance over time without the hassles of trying to figure out what’s slowing down your computer.

Photo Credit: cod_gabriel, via Flickr

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Suddenly Slow Computer Can Signal Problems

Posted by paul on December 3rd, 2009

Suddenly Slow Computer Can Signal Problems

Suddenly Slow Computer Can Signal Problems

Your “suddenly” slow computer can be giving off signals of an impending hardware problem. If this happens to your computer, you shouldn’t ignore this symptom. It’s unlikely to go away on its own, and computer problems rarely resolve themselves.

Diagnose Your Slow Computer

Computers seem to slow down over time, but that’s not the kind of slow I’m talking about today. Your computer, which had been working perfectly, suddenly slows to a crawl and nothing seems to be making it happy. The first checks you should perform will eliminate spyware, malware and viruses as the causes of your slowness. If your computer checks out fine in this regard, the next likely suspect I’d consider would be the network connection.

If your computer is connected to the network, or connects to the Internet, disconnect the computer from the network to see if that resolves your issue. If it does, you may want to screen your computer for the presence of a root kit, software that allows another user to control your computer remotely. Your anti-virus software should be able to detect root kits. If one is found, remove it immediately and don’t reconnect your computer to the network until you’re sure it’s clean.

If your computer isn’t connected to the network, or disconnecting from the network has no discernable effect on your slow computer’s performance, it may be time to consider checking the hard disk for signs of imminent failure.

Your hard disk manufacturer normally makes test programs available for the devices it makes. The test programs can either be “short” or “long.” “Short” test programs can run within 1-2 minutes and can provide a quick snapshot of the relative health of your hard disk. “Long” test programs can take an hour or two. Generally, if your computer’s hard disk fails the short test, you should seriously consider replacing your hard drive. At the very least, back up all of your data immediately!

Getting a pass from the short test shouldn’t fill you with a lot of confidence. Dodgy hard disks can still pass a short test while they’re well on their way to utter failure. If your hard disk clears the short test, set aside an hour or two to perform the long test. A hard disk that won’t pass the long test isn’t long for this world, so make plans to replace your hard disk.

If you do end up having to replace your hard disk, consider it as an opportunity to get a “fresh” start. Clear out old files and programs you don’t need rather than burdening your new disk with old junk.

Photo Credit: Kevin Jarrett, via Flickr

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