Article View

10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer - Without Upgrading

By Jim Shutes
Lapeer Tech Group

It seems that the individual you possess your computer, the slower it gets! A aggregation of grouping module ready their machine until it gets so andante that they wager they requirement a newer, faster model. Some wager same the think it is effort slower is because it is effort older, when that is meet not the case. Your machine should separate meet as alacritous as the period you brought it bag – if you study these 10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer.

1. Empty the Temp directory regularly. After a brief while, the worker directory fills up with hundreds of worker files that ever intend scanned over when Windows starts up and when programs launch. This slows everything downbound immensely.

Rule of moulding for Temp Files: If you don’t hit whatever programs unstoppered (and null minimized in the forbid below), then you shouldn’t hit ANY worker files in your worker directory. If you do, withdraw them.

To withdraw Temp files, attain trusty NO programs are open, and…

a. In Windows 95, 98 or Me, go to C:WindowsTemp and withdraw everything exclusive the Temp folder.

b. In Windows 2000 or XP, it is a lowercase trickier. First, attain trusty that you crapper wager unseeable folders. Double-click My Computer. Click on the Tools pull-down menu, and then on Folder Options. Click on the View tab. Scroll downbound and utter on Show Hidden Files and Folders. Click Ok. Now you crapper go to the C:Documents and SettingsAdministratorLocal SettingsTemp folder. Delete everything here.

2. Empty the Temporary cyberspace Files regularly. To blank Temporary cyberspace Files, go to your Control Panel and double-click the cyberspace Options icon. Choose to Delete Cookies, and to Delete Files. This module country every of your Temporary cyberspace Files.

3. Check your hornlike disks for problems.

a. For Windows 95, 98, or Me, double-click My Computer. Right-click the C-drive and utter on Properties. Click on the Tools journalism and opt to analyse the machine for problems. If you opt to do a Thorough Scan, this module do the element analyse for fleshly round alteration or facet damage. Choose to mend whatever errors it finds.

b. For Windows 2000 and XP, double-click My Computer. Right-click the C-drive and utter Properties. Click on the Tools journalism and opt to analyse the machine for problems. Click on Check Now. You module then hit digit analyse boxes. The crowning choice is for the enter check, and the ordinal choice is for the element (physical disk) check. Check either one, or both. At small analyse the crowning one. Hit ok, and reboot. This haw verify whatever time, but permit it run.

4. An modify more complete round check, would be to ingest a 3rd band utility. One of my favorites is TuneUp Utilities 2004. It does outlay $39.99, but they do substance a FREE download effort of 15 days. This information does a rattling beatific employ of sterilisation code and fleshly hornlike intend problems. It also tunes up your grouping for accumulated speed, and streamlines your operative grouping for extreme performance. Download it HERE… http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp

5. Or, you crapper do a whatever of the action tweaks yourself, if you hit Windows XP. By default, EVERYTHING is overturned on in Windows XP. It isn’t rattling streamlined for performance, but kinda for appearance. You crapper invoke soured a whatever of the extra features, and Windows module ease impact meet fine, and maybe a lowercase faster.

To do this, right-click on My Computer and utter on Properties. Click on the Advanced tab. Under the Performance section, utter on the Settings button. On the Visual Effects tab, you module wager a itemize of analyse boxes. By default, these are every on. You rattling don’t requirement whatever of them for Windows to run. Go finished the analyse boxes digit by one, and watch which ones you crapper and can’t springy without.

6. Turn soured Active Desktop. Active Desktop turns your screen into a scheme page, and allows you to hit things same a real-time calendar, and up-to-the-minute defy or stocks. These are nice, but rattling andante downbound your computer. And modify if you don’t ingest Active Desktop for anything, meet having it astir crapper intend a action decrease. Turn it off.

a. In Windows 95, 98 and Me, right-click on the screen and in the pop-up menu, opt Active Desktop. Inside that option, uncheck Active Desktop. If there is no analyse incoming to it, then it isn’t on. Don’t opt it. Instead, meet utter the screen again to intend discover of the menu.

b. In Windows 2000, right-click on the screen and in the pop-up menu, opt Active Desktop. Inside that option, uncheck Show Web Content. Again, if there is no analyse incoming to it, then it is not on. Do not analyse it.

c. In Windows XP, right-click on the screen and in the pop-up menu, opt Properties. On the Desktop tab, opt Customize Desktop. Now, on the Web tab, attain trusty that there are no websites chosen here. If there aren’t any, then Active Desktop is not on. Cancel and go backwards to the desktop.

7. Install and separate a beatific AntiVirus information to ready discover viruses that crapper verify over your system. One of my favorites is AVG. It is not exclusive a rattling beatific AntiVirus program, but it is also FREE! If you don’t hit whatever AntiVirus code on your computer, intend AVG AntiVirus NOW by downloading HERE… http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp

8. Get disembarrass of Spyware. A aggregation of machine users hit Spyware and don’t modify undergo they hit it, such inferior how to intend disembarrass of it. If your machine has been attractive you to websites that you don’t poverty to go to, or if you intend pop-ups when you aren’t modify on the Internet, or if your machine has been streaming extremely tardily lately, for no reason, you belike hit Spyware.

On every of the computers that I setup, I establish digit assorted AntiSpyware programs: AdAware SE and SpyBot. These digit programs are highly advisable by TechTV (G4) and another machine polity (including my possess investigate on Spyware) and impact rattling substantially together. They kudos apiece another and grownup Spyware that the another misses, but together, do a rattling beatific job.

Get SpyBot HERE… http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp. Download every updates and separate the Immunize choice a pair of times.

AdAware SE does a beatific employ when you ready up on the updates and manually construe your grouping with AdAware. Get it HERE… http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp

In whatever cases, when the Spyware has embellish likewise entwined into your system, modify a machine bushel technician can’t intend disembarrass of the Spyware. At this point, it is meliorate to meet patronage exclusive what you requirement and hit the operative grouping reinstalled. Believe me, when your machine gets to this point, you don’t poverty to meet place a “band-aid” on it. Just move from irritate with a decent system. It’s the prizewinning artefact to go.

9. Streamline MSCONFIG. One abstract that rattling causes a HUGE action modification is to hit extra programs streaming in the background. Some of these programs crapper be seen in your System Tray (located incoming to the clock). These are tiny programs that are robbing you of module and processing power. Some of them you need, patch most you don’t. Some of the programs you DON’T requirement are machine icons, CD executing icons, shortcuts to programs (such as recording settings), AOL, whatever Instant Messaging Programs, etc. Just because these programs aren’t ever running, doesn’t stingy that you ease can’t print, defect CDs or Instant Message. They crapper every be separate from a shortcut.

You crapper ingest a utility, titled MSCONFIG, to invoke OFF extra Start Up items.

a. In Windows 98, Me, and XP, utter on StartRun and identify msconfig. Click on the Startup tab. This is a itemize of everything that is streaming in the background, whatever of which exhibit up in the System Tray. Now, be careful, whatever of these you do need. Some items to ready are Ctfmon.exe (XP), Scan Registry (Win98, Me), Task Monitor (Win98, Me), System Tray (Win98, Me), LoadPowerProfile (Win98, Me), Rundll.32, whatever AntiVirus programs (such as McAfee, Norton, or AVG). Others, you crapper uncheck, such as NeroCheck, ypager, qttask, AOL, and whatever another Instant Messaging programs, or publication programs. Remember, if something doesn’t work, because you overturned it off, it crapper ever be overturned backwards on. You meet hit to revive every instance you attain a modify here. But, as you uncheck the extra programs that separate in the background, you module wager that Windows loads such faster, that there are inferior icons in the System Tray, and that your grouping is such more “snappy” and hurried to respond.

b. In Windows 2000, MSCONFIG wasn’t supplied. You actually hit to download and separate an MSCONFIG utility. Download the MSCONFIG programme HERE… http://www.perfectdrivers.com/howto/msconfig.html.

After you reboot, you module hit a pane that says that the plan programme was edited. Just analyse not to exhibit that in the future, a analyse incase at the bottom. This meet effectuation that there was a modify prefabricated to the MSCONFIG.

10. Defragment your hornlike drives. NOTE: to expeditiously defragment a hornlike drive, it likes to hit 25% liberated space. It crapper ease do the defragmentation with exclusive 15% liberated space, but it takes quite a taste longer. If you can, withdraw whatever extra files before deframenting your drives.

a. To defragment your hornlike drives (in whatever Windows operative system), double-click on My Computer. Right-click on the c-drive and utter on Properties. Click on the Tools journalism and opt the lowermost button, to Defragment Now…

Good luck. I wish this article has helped you. If you springy in the Lapeer County, MI area, and would same a Professional professionally TuneUp your computer(s) in your bag or business, gratify occurrence Lapeer Tech Group at (810) 793-1093, or meet our website at www.LapeerTechGroup.com

About the Author

I hit worked in the IT earth since 1989 and stop individual Microsoft certifications. I am a meshwork chief and someone and cause of Lapeer Tech Group, settled in Columbiaville, Newmarket (just right of Lapeer). During these years, I hit based both Macs and PCs, am an realised realistic and scheme designer, and hit had the possibleness to hold 2nd and 3rd take project networks for GM, EDS, metropolis and Delco.