Last week, I covered the first step in troubleshooting a slow computer. Physical memory is a primary suspect when it comes to slow computers. There are other conditions that can cause or exacerbate computer performance problems, but a lack of physical memory (or a problem with physical memory) can really cripple a computer. Today, I’ll look at the flip side of physical memory: hard disk space.

More Is Better

More is certainly better when it comes to memory, whether you’re talking about physical memory or hard disk space. In some cases, the computer uses hard disk space as a substitute for physical memory, so having extra hard disk space available is always a good plan. Keeping your hard disk from filling to capacity will help improve your computer performance.

You can configure the amount of hard disk space your computer reserves for use in memory-intensive operations. Your computer will use hard disk space as temporary file storage, especially if it needs to transfer data in and out of physical memory. This act of swapping data between physical memory and hard disk space is called paging. Paging is normal, but you don’t want your computer to page too much. If your computer does a lot of data swapping between physical memory and hard disk memory, you really need to consider a physical memory upgrade.

You can set aside a certain portion of your disk for use as “scratch space.” If nothing is defined, your computer will set aside a certain amount of disk space for these paging processes anyway. If you completely fill up your hard drive, your computer has no memory to use for paging. Performance problems are guaranteed at this point.

To avoid this, clear out files you don’t need anymore. It’s not enough to drag files to the Recycle bin; you need to empty the bin too! Once you’ve created extra space on your disk, your computer can page more efficiently. Candidates for immediate removal include temporary files, downloaded files you no longer need, and cache files from browsers. Disk Cleanup, a built-in utility from Microsoft, will eliminate the obvious clunkers from your file system and free up some space.

If you’re a pack-rat when it comes to computer files, consider moving “collections” off to DVD or some other near-line storage. Perhaps an external hard disk would fit the bill? Transfer your file collections off to external storage and leave your main hard disk open as much as possible. The general rule of thumb is that when your disk usage exceeds 80%, it’s time to add disk storage space.

In the next post, I’ll cover what to do once you’ve cleaned out your hard disk and freed up a little extra space.

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You may not notice it at first, but your computer may be slowing down. Each time you use the computer, you may become suspicious that your computer is taking slightly longer to perform certain functions than it did in the past. For awhile, you may wonder “Is this happening?” Later, it becomes undeniable. Yes, your computer is slow, but why? And more importantly, what can you do to fix this?

Don’t Jump To Conclusions And Don’t Make Hasty Decisions

Some people become so frustrated with a slow computer that they convince themselves the real solution involves reloading Windows or something even more drastic – reformatting the hard drive. If you’re at the point of reloading or reformatting, my only piece of advice to you would be: “Stop!”

There are a few occasions on which reformatting the hard disk is appropriate. Likewise, there are select circumstances under which an OS reload is the choice course of action. These aren’t common remedies, so don’t reach for your system disks if you haven’t tried a whole lot of other potential remedies first.

Slow is slow, and slow is frustrating. There’s no doubt about that. Reloading or reformatting may solve your problems, but it’s time-consuming and you’re unlikely to be happy with the results. Instead, a little troubleshooting is in order. You may find the source of your slow computer, and fix it without having to resort to the “final solution.”

First, find out what’s running on your computer. Your computer could potentially be loaded with toolbars, applications, utilities and other silent-running processes that load your computer’s available memory down. To see what’s cooking, open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del. Check the active processes and shut down the applications. (These will be processes that have the .exe extension.) Don’t kill Explorer.exe or other Windows components. See if your computer responds faster.

If so, the problem is likely that an application is hogging your available RAM, or simply that you have too many applications loading at startup. Use the Control Panel to manage your Startup Items. Disable the auto-start for any application you don’t need all the time. Instead, start your applications manually. Use the Add/Remove programs tool (Program Management) to uninstall applications you don’t want or need.

If your computer still doesn’t perform well, find out how much RAM is installed in your computer. Compare your installed RAM to both the recommended minimum for the operating system, and the maximum possible RAM you can have in your computer. If you’re on the low side, consider performing a memory upgrade. This is a good move, especially if you use a lot of large applications.
In my next post, I’ll cover some more basic troubleshooting steps for diagnosing a slow computer.

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Computers slow down for a number of reasons, some of which you can fix easily. Others, you may have to work at a bit to get better results. Slow computer performance is as much about how we use our computers as it is about what’s on them or what they’re doing at any given moment. Some habits we get into will slow our computers down. Changing the way we use the computer can help preserve performance.

Guaranteed Performance Killers

Keeping A Lot of Windows Open At The Same Time. If you open a lot of windows on your computer, you can expect a performance hit. Sometimes, having multiple windows open is necessary, and switching between applications will slow things down. The key here is to have open only the windows you need. Close windows you aren’t using. If you’re browsing, open new pages in different tabs within one window, rather than opening a bunch of different windows.
Keeping A Lot Of Applications Open At The Same Time. Similar to the performance killer above, keeping a lot of applications open, or allowing your computer to open up applications at startup will sap your performance. Each running application reserves a segment of your operating memory. The more apps you have running, the more memory you have to give up. In the worst case, your computer will run out of installed RAM and will start “swapping to disk.” That means it substitutes hard disk space for RAM. (Bad.) Close all unneeded programs and rethink your startup routine. Eliminate the stuff that doesn’t need to run right out of the gate.
Running A Lot Of Toolbar Applets. Yet another good way to waste memory. Some toolbar applets are notorious for delivering a nice spyware/adware/malware load to your computer, too. If a “free” application wants to install a toolbar, understand that the toolbar will operate all the time, whether you use it or not. Running all the time means that it will also take up memory. If it’s a spyware/adware/malware delivery vehicle, that software will also be running all the time. My advice: bag the toolbars altogether.
Messy file systems. Don’t store files on the desktop. Don’t hang onto stuff you don’t need. Messy file systems will affect computer performance. Keep your hard disk defragmented and keep your registry clean. Use a trusted registry cleaner like RegCure to remove leftovers that can slow your computer down.

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That’s a question I hear all the time: “Why is my computer slow?” Computers can slow down for any number of reasons. Slowness can be a transient problem, especially if the computer’s microprocessor is under a heavy load. Slowness can also be the result of a slow network connection, hardware malfunction or software – either legitimate or malicious. It can also be the result of an accumulation of leftover bits of programming code that have gotten stuck in the computer’s registry.

Speeding Up A Slow Computer

If you’re not into the “hit-or-miss” approach to computer troubleshooting, you’ll need to gather a bit of information about your computer before you can determine the most likely cause for your computer’s slow performance. First, find out how much memory you have installed on your computer and how much available hard disk space you have. You can find out about your installed memory in the Control Panel under the General tab.

If you’re running with the bare minimum recommended memory for your version of Windows, you’ve taken a big step toward diagnosing your problem. The minimum memory recommendations do a major disservice to most computer users. The minimum memory recommendations indicate how much memory you need to run the operating system. They don’t take into account the additional memory you’ll need to run your applications. Without having the right amount of memory for both your applications and your operating system, your computer will struggle. The more complicated your applications are, the more your computer will wrestle with the lack of memory. If you do have the minimum recommended amount of memory installed, consider upgrading your installed memory. You may not need to max out your memory, but in this case “more” is definitely better.

If your memory is in good shape, consider doing some basic housekeeping. This includes defragmenting the hard disk, removing old files and uninstalling programs you don’t use or want. It also includes taking a good look at the programs that install automatically and disabling this. As a rule, you’re better off opening only the applications you intend to use each time you run your computer. Don’t let a lot of open programs accumulate. Close applications after you’ve finished using them, and if you’re in the habit of leaving your computer on, periodically restart your computer to clear out the memory.

Finally, consider using a registry cleaner to remove bits of abandoned code that has been written into your memory and has no way to get out. These code fragments are “orphans” from programs that have been removed or uninstalled improperly. You’ll be surprised at the difference a clean registry can make!

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