| |
| |
|
Personal Technology Information |
|
Make Windows XP Run Faster!
A friend told me: "My computer startup seems to be taking a long time. And when the hard disk finally stops churning, everything just seems slower than when it was new. Can you suggest any maintenance tips to reduce the startup time and make Windows run faster?" I have this theory that sludge builds up inside a computer over time, much like an automobile engine. After a while, it doesn't start right up like when it was new, it stalls unexpectedly, and performance is sluggish on the (information) highway. Is there something like engine cleaner we can pour into our personal computer to restore that "like new" performance? Actually, yes! Cyber Sludge Remover Here's my special recipe to clean that icky goo out of your computer's pipes, so Windows will start quicker, run more reliably, and go faster on the info-superhighway. INGREDIENTS: DIRECTIONS: If only it was so easy! But actually, it's not so hard to take action on those items I listed above. Here's the scoop on how to implement each step. 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. Clean out Viruses and Malware Are you running a good anti-virus program, with automatic updates? Have you scanned your system for spyware, adware and other unwanted pests? If not, see my article "Spy, Counter-Spy" at AskBobRankin.com for details on how to protect yourself from those risks. Viruses and malware can slow down your system a LOT, because they use your resources to generate popup ads, send spam, and often interfere with the operation of good programs. Remove Unnecessary Software 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. Scrub That Hard Disk 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. 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.) Okay, Now Take a Breath... We're more than half-way done with the process of cleaning the junk out of your computer. The rest of the steps may seem a little more geeky, and you can skip any or all of them if you don't feel comfortable digging a little deeper into the workings of the Windows operating system. But there is definitely bang for the buck here. Some of peskiest Windows performance problems can be solved by giving attention to these areas. Slim Your 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 may help you decide what to keep or drop. Clean Your Registry The REGCLEAN utility from Microsoft cleans your system registry of unnecessary entries that are created when you install or remove programs on your computer. Sometimes an "orphaned" registry entry can confuse Windows during startup and cause a delay. And in general, slimming down your registry will make Windows run faster. You can download REGCLEAN here. Note: This program is no longer officially supported by Microsoft, but many users report that it works fine on Windows XP systems. You can also try RegSeeker which is a highly rated registry cleaner. 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. If System managed size is selected, you're all set. If you want to fiddle with the Custom Size options, be my guest! Turn Off Extraneous System Services We're heading into uber-geek territory here, so be forewarned. Windows doesn't know exactly how you're going to use your computer, so it starts a whole bunch of system services that manage network connections, database access, error reporting, remote access and other nerdy-sounding things. You may not need all these services, and disabling some of them can reduce your startup time and system overhead. But choosing which ones to nuke is a bit daunting, unless you are an expert on Windows operating system internals. Here's my advice... disable only the ones that you're sure about. If you encounter a problem, you can always go back and turn a service back on. I hope that helps. If you have success with this recipe, let me know, thanks! This article has been reprinted from: http://www.askbobrankin.com/making_windows_xp_start_faster.html BOB RANKIN ...is a tech writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the fruit of his experience with others. His work has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet TOURBUS newsletter, and author of several computer books. For more helpful articles and free tech support, visit http://www.AskBobRankin.com
MORE RESOURCES:
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Favorite Things To Do With Home Technology Save money. Save 10-15% on utility bills per month. Password Nightmares Good Morning Mr. Sampson. Ergonomics and Healthy Computing - Positioning Your Body For Maximum Comfort At Your Computer Do you remember the old saw about how computers would change our lives for the better? We'd have more time to ourselves and lead healthier, happier lives. The truth is computers do make processing information lightening fast. EDTV vs HDTV Confused by EDTV vs HDTV? We don't blame you. The number of acronyms floating about with regard to digital TV is frightening. Why Build Your Own Gaming Computer? The best way to get the gaming computer that you want, that will provide optimum performance is to build your own computer. If you think you do not have the technical knowledge or are not capable of building a computer you are wrong. Cisco Certification: Taking Your First Certification Exam You??ve studied hard; you??ve practiced your configurations; you??ve used your flash cards over and over again; and finally, the big day is here. Your first certification exam!For many Cisco certification candidates, their first exam is the CCNA Composite exam or one of the two exams that make up the CCNA, the Introduction To Networking exam or the ICND (Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices) exam. The Many Benefits of Owning a DVR Has This Ever Happened To You? OK.. Compare MP3 Players for the Coolest Features and Sweetest Deals How can you compare mp3 players to be sure you're getting the best features and price? You've checked some mp3 player ratings, and they're helpful. But iPod reviews and ratings don't answer all your questions. 5 Steps to Remove Spyware for Free Have you ever tried to remove Spyware off your PC only tofind out it never left or it came back? Tired of all thoseannoying Popups, Viruses, and Ads on your system day in andday out? Well, listen closely because the day has come toremove Spyware programs and Viruses - forever!I will give you some very useful tricks and tips to removeSpyware and Viruses for good! Follow closely:Steps to Remove Spyware, Viruses, and Adware1. There are many types of software available today thatclaim to remove spyware off our system, but which one REALLYdoes the job? What you need is software that not only willremove spyware, but TOTALLY removes it for good and keeps itoff. Your Affiliate Business - Peripherals, Software, Computers I have always been interested in computers, but in the beginning, I would not venture any further than to the software end of learning. However, learning only the software side, and knowing nothing about the hardware side, can open you up to some costly times at the shop. Cisco Certification: Building Your Home Lab, Part II In the first part of this home lab tutorial, CCNA and CCNP candidates can see that there are a LOT of choices when it comes to what to buy to build your own Cisco practice lab.Having been there myself, I know it??s confusing to decide how many routers or switches to buy, and what I need at the minimum to run labs and get some great hands-on practice. SOBIG.F Virus Promises Ill Be Back On 21 August 2003 Symantec Security Response upgraded the W32.SOBIG. Troubleshooting Computer Freeze (Lockup) Problems How familiar does the following sound? Your computer was working fine, but then suddenly started locking up (aka hanging or freezing), rebooting itself (crashing) or shutting down spontaneously? If you know only too well what I am talking about, then read on! Performing the simple steps below can fix the majority of lockup cases.1. Is Desktop Search Deserving? Google, in their march to stay ahead of the pack of competition, has released Google Desktop Search. With Microsoft's MSN in the lead position and nipping at Google's heels, and Google's new shareholders to please, Google has more incentive than ever to deploy technology both better than the other guy's, and sooner. Windows Task Manager in English You use Ctrl+Alt+Del to see what's running on your PC, to close crashed programs and processes, and to check performance. You probably avoid a few processes whose names mean nothing to you, but they're essential to Windows. Selecting the Perfect Big Screen TV Selecting a TV isn't as easy as it used to be in years goneby. Rather than going to the local department store and choosing a console that would take up a large portion of the living room, we now have other options. Build Your Own Computer I'm eighty-one years old and I bought my first computer six years ago. When I bought it I hardly knew how to turn it on. Uninstall Windows Media Player 10 and Start Enjoying Your Media Again Windows Media Player 10 has been full of bugs from Microsoft since they offered it as a download from their site. Windows Media Player 9 was nice and simple. An All Too Familar Pain Lost & Found for the 21st CenturyIn today's hectic world more and more people are turning to those handy gadgets and mobile products that can be taken with them anywhere they go. The more things consumers own, the more they're prone to lose them. PDA Bible Free Download Your Bible At Your FingertipsIt is fairly easy to find a pda Bible free download online. Your pocket pc can become your own private spriritual asset for daily scripture readings and further Bible study.
|
| home | site map | contact us |
