A slow computer is enough to drive anyone crazy. Due to the amount of spyware, virus’ and software which forces it’s self to load up while booting, the average PC tends to be extremely slow and often a lot less responsive then it should be. I hear a number of people say they format every few months to keep their Windows based computer running at good speed. However, formatting is generally not needed. The good news is that it’s not that difficult to fix the problem and have your expensive PC running back at high speed again. For some, the slow speed might seem normal, but if you follow these simple instructions then many of you will see a massive increase in performance and responsiveness.
1.)Check your Startup Folder
When installing software on to your computer, a few companies put their software in to your Startup folder. This causes the software to load up as soon as you log in to your PC. 99% of the time the software is not needed while booting. To remove software from the Startup folder click on Start > All Programs > Startup and then right click on each program, click delete and it will remove the shortcut (this will not delete the program from your computer, just the shortcut). I personally do not have any software in my startup folder, but if something looks important like a firewall or virus checker then post over on the TechAsis forums and let us know what’s in there and we will tell you to dump or keep it.
2.)MSConfig.exe
MSConfig.exe is a great piece of software which allows you to control what software loads up when booting your PC. You will notice down the bottom right of your screen next to the clock that a number of programs load up when logging in. Each of these take a small piece of RAM and slow your computer down. It’s not that important to have programs like Quicktime, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ and a bunch of others load up right off the bat. Rather then have them in the system tray, just create short cuts and put them on your desktop. By doing this you will save RAM and only be using the actual programs you need to use at that time rather then having them all ready and waiting in memory.
3.)Checking for Viri
Computer virus’ have been around for a number of years and tend to cause all sorts of problems with your PC. Getting rid of a virus can be fairly easy, or very difficult depending on which one you catch. The best practice here is to actually install a virus scanner (free or paid) and make sure it gets regular updates. Using this preventative measure you can keep your PC clean. However, if you have a virus it needs to go.
4.)Checking for Spyware
Spyware sucks in a few ways such as the frustration of popup/popunder ads while browsing, slowing down your PC and the fact that companies are spying on your browsing practices and “stealing” information from you while trying to push products your way. Most Spyware can be removed with free software such as AdAware, Spybot and others. However, some spyware is sneaky and when removed, it can reinstall it’s self. The good news is that it still is possible to get rid of the spyware. A common method is to get the latest definitions for the spyware product and then reboot your computer in to Safe Mode in a similar way you remove virus’s from the tutorial above.
5.)Windows Updates
Windows Updates are an important part in keeping your PC up to speed. Released monthly by Microsoft, they include the latest updates to the Windows operating system and help keep vulnerabilities closed shut to protect your PC. To perform Windows Updates click Start > All Programs and you will see the Windows Update icon towards the top of the list of programs. You will need to have a legal licensed version of Windows to use the Windows Update features.
6.)RAM and Virtual Memory
When your PC gets short of RAM it then uses the hard drive as virtual memory. This causes your PC to slow down due to the amount of paging that happens. To prevent virtual memory from being used you will either need to cut down on what you do on your PC by either not doing as much at the same time, or cutting out unnecessary programs from running while logging in. However, sometimes this is not enough. If you run Windows XP then I recommend at least 768Meg of RAM and with Vista it’s best to have over 1Gb to help things run smoothly. If you are using your computer heavily then as much RAM as possible is best.
7.)Get rid of the “Special Effects”
To give the user (you and me) more of a Wow factor, Microsoft introduced a few things such as fading menus, sliding menus, font smoothing which all add a little bit of extra work to your processor. If you see your computer is running slow and the menus are taking their time to show up then it could be worth switching these features off. This is not too necessary for powerful computers, but if you are running an old beast like me then this is a tip I found useful.
Conclusion
By following these simple steps, you will have a PC that runs far better then it did before. Of course this is not a full list of all possibilities and the list is not meant to speed up your computer beyond that what it’s specifications will allow for. However, I have found over the last 10 years that PC’s often are clogged down with a lot of junk, spyware and a lot of software that slows down the PC. By simply removing these from startup and only loading them up when actually needed, you can make a big difference to the performance of your PC and it will run quicker. Of course, if you have any questions then post over in the Forum.
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