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Even if your computer is no longer the speed demon it once was, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's time to go shopping for a replacement. This page will walk you through a bunch of easy (and free!) ways to help speed up your computer's response time.
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Faster Computer Tips
- Creating regular backups and restore points for your computer is essential.
- Malware is a common cause of slow computers.
- Computers can become cluttered with unwanted program and files.
- Defragmenting helps your computer access files quicker.
- Updating your computer regularly will help eliminate problems.
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Step 1: Back Up Your Files
- Before you do anything, you need to backup all your files. This includes not only your own files, but also your system files and the registry. There are several ways you can back up these files, and you should use more than one method.
- If you are using Windows XP or Windows Vista there is a backup utility as well as a system restore potion built in. Make sure you have a system restore point before beginning any of these steps.
- To turn on system restore in Windows Vista:Windows Vista Help: Turn System Restore On or Off
- Click Start.
- Click Control Panel.
- Click System and Maintenance.
- Click System.
- In the left pane, click System Protection.
- Check the box next to the hard drive and click OK.Windows Vista Help: Turn System Restore On or Off
- To turn on system restore in Windows XP:Microsoft Help and Support: How to turn off and turn on System Restore in Windows XP
- Click Start.
- Right-click My Computer.
- Click Properties.
- Click the System Restore tab.
- Make sure that the box next to "Turn off System Restore" is not checked and click OK.Microsoft Help and Support: How to Turn Off and Turn on System Restore in Windows XP
- Once that is done, take a moment and decide what files you need to back up. Back up anything that you cannot replace. Copy them to a CD, DVD, USB flash drive, or external drive.Microsoft: Choosing an External Storage Format to Back Up Files For best results, make two copies of these files. That way, if one method gets erased or broken, you haven't lost the files.
Step 2: Clean and Inspect Your Computer
- When thinking about computer speed, most people focus on the internal workings of a computer and neglect the outer workings. However, dust and debris can get sucked into your computer and cause it to slow down. Although it is a good idea to regularly clean your monitor, mouse and keyboard, this section will only focus on the hard drive and cables of your computer.
- What You'll Need: Anti-static wrist guard, compressed air, Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (80% dilution only), lint free cloths, tweezers and a vacuum cleaner.
- Turn off and unplug your computer.
- Disconnect all the cables. (If you are a novice, label the cables so you know where they go.)
- Vacuum the outside casing of your computer. Then, put the vacuum away.
- Put on your antistatic wrist strap.Which? Advice: How to Clean Your Computer
- Remove the side cover of the computer case.
- Carefully clean the internal components using short bursts of compressed air.Directron.com: How to Clean your PC
- Using compressed air, clean the add-on cards, case fans, power supply, removable media drives (cd-rom) and anywhere else you see dust.Which? Advice: How to Clean Your Computer
- When you are finished, check all the cables and plugs inside your PC to ensure they are securely fastened and you haven't loosened anything during cleaning.CNET Australia: How to Clean Your PC
- Replace the side cover.
- Before reconnecting the cables, take a moment to wipe them down with a lint free cloth and some alcohol. Also inspect the plug heads and the slots.Which? Advice: How to Clean Your Computer If you see any dirt or hair, remove it with some compressed air or a tweezers.
- Restart your computer.
Step 3: Remove Malware
- Malware, or malicious software, includes things such as spyware and viruses. These are not only security threats, they also slow down your computer.Reuters: Leprechauns and Dust Bunnies Visiting Your PC? Here are Some Springtime Quick Fixes (March 19, 2008)
- Your computer should have anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall.Federal Trade Commission: Minimizing the Effects of Malware on Your Computer If it doesn't then you are at risk.
- Computer security experts advise having at least two anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, one running all the time and a second for periodic scans.Federal Trade Commission: Minimizing the Effects of Malware on Your Computer
- Making sure your computer is free of any malware is an important step and should not be skipped.
- For more information, check out Mahalo's pages on How to Remove Malware From Your Computer, How to Protect Your Computer from Malware, How to Protect Your Computer from Viruses, How to Install a Free Firewall, Malware and Antivirus Software.
Step 4: Remove Unwanted Programs
- Oftentimes we install programs, but when our needs change, we stop using them. These forgotten programs clog up your computer and will eventually slow it down. To remove them:
- Click Start.
- Click Control Panel.
- Click Add or Remove Programs.
- Windows will compile a list of programs and tell you how often you use it and the last time you started it. Remove any programs you haven't used in a while and don't plan on using. Do not remove anything labeled as an update or hotfix.Microsoft.com: Restore Your Computer's Performance with Windows XP You may need to restart your computer before the programs are completely removed.
Step 5: Remove PC Junk
- Like the rest of your house, PCs love to collect junk. Luckily they come with their own program called Disk Cleanup to clean up for you. To find Disk Cleanup in Windows:
- Click Start.
- Click All Programs.
- Go to Accessories then System Tools
- Click on Disk Cleanup.
- Disk Cleanup allows you to get rid of several different things. The areas you should consider removing include:Microsoft: Get Started - 5 ways to speed up your PC
- Temporary Internet Files: Web pages stored on your hard disk for quick viewing. These can be deleted through your particular web browser.PC911: Top 10 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer (March 6, 2007)
- Offline Webpages: Pages stored on your computer to allow you to view them without being connected to the Internet.
- Recycle Bin: Deletes files in your recycle bin.
- Temporary Files: Files temporarily created by programs.
- Compress Old Files: Windows will compress old files you have not accessed in a while. This will save space but still allow you to access them.Microsoft: Get Started - 5 ways to speed up your PC
- Select the desired boxes and click OK. It will take Disk Cleanup several minutes to clear the space.Microsoft.com: Restore Your Computer's Performance with Windows XP
Step 6: Defragment
- The longer you have your computer, the more fragmented your hard drive becomes. When a file is fragmented, it takes longer for the computer to read it because it has to skip around to different parts of the hard drive.Microsoft.com: Restore Your Computer's Performance with Windows XP This can be fixed by defragmenting your computer. Windows comes with a program that can defragment your computer. You can find it in one of two ways:
From My Computer
- Go to your computer's desktop.
- Click on My Computer.
- Right click on your system hard drive and select Properties.Microsoft Help and Support: How to Defragment Your Disk Drive Volumes in Windows XP
- Select the Tools tab.
- Click Defragment Now.Microsoft Help and Support: How to Defragment Your Disk Drive Volumes in Windows XP
From the Start Menu
- Click the Start button at the bottom left hand corner of the screen.
- Select the All Programs folder.
- Go to Accessories, then System Tools
- Click on the Disk Defragmenter application.Windows Help and How-to: Improve performance by defragmenting your hard disk
Step 7: Update Drivers and Windows
- If you don't allow Windows to automatically update your computers, then you will want to check out their download center.Microsoft Download Center Having the most up-to-date versions of both Windows and your drivers will help eliminate problems and make your programs run better. A driver is the software that Windows uses to communicate with hardware devices.Microsoft: Device drivers in Windows Vista If you run windows update, it will automatically check for both updated versions of the Windows operating system as well as the basic drivers that you need to run it.
- To turn on automatic updates in Windows Vista:
- Click Start.
- Select All Programs, and open Windows Update.
- Clicking on Change Settings will enable you to choose how you want Windows to install updates.Windows: Using Windows Update for Windows Vista
- To enable automatic updates in Windows XP:
- Click Start.
- Select Control Panel, and open Automatic Updates.
- In the window that opens up, select Automatic (recommended).Windows: Using Windows Update for Windows XP
- Since the drivers you need are specific to the particular hardware that is installed for your computer, the processes may be slightly different for each user. For general guidelines on updating your drivers, check out the following resources:
- Windows: Windows Update Driver Publishing
- Microsoft: Update Management Drivers Directory
- Windows Vista Help: Hardware and Drivers
Other Fixes
- There are a few other things that you can do after you've tried these steps that can also help make your computer run faster.
- Disable visual effects. You can choose which visual effects your computer uses by going to the Control Panel and selecting "System." Under the "Advanced" tab you will find a section titled "Performance." Adjust the settings so the computer will run faster.Blifaloo.com: How to Speed up and Optimize Windows XP
- Clean your registry. According to Microsoft, unused data is small in size and registry cleaners are not necessary.Windows Vista Help: Are Registry Cleaners Necessary? Yet, there are a number of programs available that will clean your registry.PC World: How to Clean Your Windows Registry and Speed Up Your PC You should not attempt to clean your registry yourself because if you remove the wrong item, you can cause software crashes and errors.Windows Live: Speed Up Your PC by Cleaning Your Registry
- Disconnect Unused Network Connections. If your computer was once part of a network, you may find that it still looks to connect to it. You need to remove the unused connection to prevent this from slowing down your computer.Microsoft.com: Restore Your Computer's Performance with Windows XP
- Disable Autostart Programs. If your computer is loading programs upon startup, you can disable them using System Configuration Tool. It can be found by clicking Start, then click Run and type msconfig.Microsoft.com: Restore Your Computer's Performance with Windows XP Click the "Startup" tab and select any programs you are not using.
- Remove unnecessary and unused fonts. Your computer can have over 100 fonts installed on it. The more fonts on your computer, the slower your computer will load. To remove fonts, go to the font folder and either delete them or move them to a backup folder.Computer Education: Fonts in Windows
- Empty "My Recent Documents" folder. The easiest way to find this folder is to click on Start, then Run and type in %USERPROFILE%\Recent.Computer Education: How to Make Your PC Run Faster and Better- Speed up Startup Everything in this folder can be deleted.
Conclusion
- Like any machine, a computer needs regular maintenance to keep it in top form. While these steps may seem like a lot of work, they will help eliminate problems and keep your computer running smoothly. Furthermore, once you get used to doing them on a regular basis, they will take less time.
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