Many Things Can Slow Down Computer

Networking Can Slow Things Down

One of the real valuable parts of modern computing is network access. You can do a lot with a standalone computer, but you can do a lot more with a computer that’s attached to the network. Most people don’t realize that some of the basic protocols on which a modern network operates were designed before NASA went to the Moon for the first time, but it’s true.

Network protocols were designed to take unreliable network connections into account, so there’s a lot of chatter that happens between computers before any real work gets done. This chatter, which is absolutely necessary, does tend to slow down network operations, and can make your computer seem slower.

Small office/home office (SOHO) functions are also a welcome addition to some computing environments. These functions allow computers on small networks to share networked devices like printers and Internet connections, but it places one computer in the role of server. Back in the day, servers didn’t look much different than regular computers, and you could do on a server what you could do on a regular computer.

Today’s production servers are rack-mounted devices that don’t look anything like a computer you’d put on your desktop. I say this because SOHO functions can make a regular desktop (or laptop) computer behave like a server – except in some very critical ways! True servers have improved input-output (I/O) capabilities, a lot of working memory, faster processors and use a more robust operating system that can manage multiple connections. Desktop computers that are used as a server for other computers on the same network don’t have any of these advantages, so naturally their performance suffers – sometimes greatly.

If you are considering using a desktop computer as a server on your home network, be sure that it doesn’t bring along any existing performance problems before you put it into service. In other words, make sure your computer has sufficient memory, sufficient hard disk space and a clean registry before you put it into services as a “server.” Sometimes otherwise unused computers can perform admirably as servers, depending upon the task(s) you give them, but make sure they’re not also coping with undiagnosed performance killers.

Photo Credit: Docklandsboy, via Flickr

Keeping Things Tidy Eliminates Slow Computer Performance

Neat Equals Speed

Sometimes computer users have problems finding files, so they like to load up their desktops with files, aliases, shortcuts and folders. This is a performance killer. You can find your files just as easily by creating a default folder in the file system for saving new files and file downloads. Windows automatically saves files to your Downloads folder if the file’s coming off the Internet, or to your Documents file if you’re creating something locally on your computer.

You can always use these files for your default arrangement and move them to specific locations within the file system. Your desktop doesn’t operate the same way that other file spaces do, so saving or storing files to the desktop long-term requires your computer to use additional memory on top of what it’s already devoted to the file system. When you save files to the desktop you are, in essence, creating two separate file systems and the Desktop happens to be a very expensive file system in terms of memory. In short, put your files where they belong. The file system is perfectly adapted to handle files. If you insist upon using your desktop to save files to, move the files to a proper space within the file structure before you shut down. At least that way, your next computer session won’t be hampered by files scattered across your desktop!

Along with keeping things neat, try defragmenting your hard disk periodically. When you write and delete files, your hard disk gets fragmented. That is, parts of files get scattered around the disk and your computer has to keep track of where all the parts are. Reassembling the file so it can be read and used takes time and slows down computer performance. By periodically defragmenting your hard disk, you bring the parts of scattered files together and make it easier for your computer to find the files you want. In making things easier to find, you also speed up your computer. If you write a lot of files to the hard disk, you’ll want to defragment more often. If you only write a limited number of files to the disk or write mostly temporary files (as you might if you’re mostly surfing the Internet), you can defragment a little less often.

Photo Credit: Jesus Corrius, via Flickr

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