1Stop all unused applications. The Taskbar is on the bottom edge of the screen (unless relocated by the user). In the right side of the TaskBar appears a group of small icons, collectively named as the "system tray". Each of these icons represent a program that has been at least partially started or is running "in the background". Regardless of state, each causes a reduction of available memory and processing power, or resources. Closing, exiting or canceling any unused icon returns those resources to the system, and becomes available for use by the application(s) started specifically by the user. Go to your task manager and click on the Process tab. End all process that you can.
A utility called Process Explorer (procexp.exe) can be used to list all programs running on your Windows system. It is more comprehensive than the Task Manager, and hovering your mouse pointer over any program name will tell you what it is about.
A utility is built into Windows that can enable/disable taskbar programs and processes from automatically loading with Windows. To access it, go to Start > Run > type in “MSCONFIG” and click OK. If you do not know what a process does, search its name. Do not disable processes if you are unsure, as some processes are necessary for your computer to function normally.
A useful freeware program called Game Booster by IObit (the same people who wrote the well regarded Advanced SystemCare software) will temporarily disable unnecessary background processes and boost performance on your computer when you are actively using only one program; such as a game program or video editing software. When you are finished, you can resume "normal mode" and all the background processes will be reloaded.
2Turn off unneeded Desktop Features that try to make things look better. The fancy rounded window corners, the way the menus fade in and out, and the 3-D button styles on modern Desktops all require some computing power and can overwhelm older machines. To turn off these appearance only enhancements:
Windows XP - right click on My Computer, and choose the Properties option, then choose the Advanced tab, and click the Settings button under the Performance section. In the Performance Options dialogue that comes up, go to the Visual Effects tab, and choose "Adjust for best performance". You can also try the "Custom" option, and turn on and off individual settings to see which ones will work without slowing your machine down.
Vista - Click the Start button, then Control Panel, then choose System and Maintenance, then Performance Information and Tools. Click Adjust visual effects. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. Click the Visual Effects tab, and choose "Adjust for best performance". You can also try the "Custom" option, and turn on and off individual settings to see which ones will work without slowing your machine down.
Windows 7 - Click the Start button, then Control Panel, and then System and Security. When you see System, click on it and then Advanced system settings. From here you can make sure you're on the Advanced tab and click on Settings under Performance. Here, you can also choose Adjust for best performance or choose Custom if you'd like to compromise between fancy visuals and performance. On a side note, this menu can be accessed much quicker by right-clicking on Computer, from either the Desktop or Start menu, selecting Properties, and then Advanced system settings.
3Do a shut down/reboot also known as a cold reboot. Some programs do not release memory properly when they close, which is the case for some operating systems. Even doing a warm restart will not release some of the memory drivers and other core programs had allocated. The computer has to be completely shut down and then restarted. When a program is asking for some memory, a space would be allocated for it by the operating system (like Windows). This allocated memory can not be used by any other programs. "Well-behaved" programs typically let go of their hold of this memory space but some programs don't - this is known as a "memory leak", which is caused by a programming error. A memory leak is easily evident when a program uses up an abnormally high amount of resources because it keeps on asking for more and never gives back any of the allocated memory space. The user workaround is to terminate the program or process, but some processes and core processes can not be closed. Shutting down the system will have the operating system forget which memory locations aren't free, so on the next boot, all memory locations are free to use.
4Empty the Recycle Bin. Simply deleting files from the disk doesn't really delete them at all, rather they are moved to a temporary holding area on the hard drive for easy restoration. This area is called the Recycle Bin and is usually displayed on the Desktop. Review the contents before emptying. Once emptied, the space on the hard drive that the data occupied is made available for reuse and the restoration of any files emptied from the recycle bin becomes extremely difficult. Note that this will only speed up your computer if the hard drive is nearly full.
5Uninstall all applications that are no longer needed. When applications and games are installed to a Windows PC, some files are written in the Windows directory structure and dozens (or more) changes are made to the Windows Registry file. Most of these changes are not readily apparent to the user, so proper removal requires uninstalling the application through the Control Panel's "Add or Remove Program" or "Programs and Features" icon.
There are 3rd party applications that can assist removing applications that do not have uninstall routines - or do not fully remove themselves. Revo Uninstaller Pro and CCleaner are two such popular uninstall applications. If the program is not listed in the Control Panel use the "uninstall" command provided by the application.
Simply deleting the entire application directory is not the same as uninstalling, as all the files written to the Windows directory and changes to the Windows Registry file will remain and may be reloaded when the system is rebooted.
Make sure that you do not uninstall any programs that are required by others. e.g. iTunes® will not work if Quicktime® is uninstalled, and many programs rely on other Microsoft programs.
6Run "Error Checking" on all hard drives. Right-click a drive icon in "My Computer" and select "Properties" followed by "Tools". Choose "Error Checking" to let the utility scan the drive for damaged files that can contribute to slow drive access speeds. This process may take several minutes or more to complete.
7Run "Defragment" on all hard drives. Right-click a drive icon in "My Computer" and select "Properties" followed by "Tools". Choose "Defragment" to let the utility clean up fragmented files and consolidate free space on the drive. This should be done at least once per week, or more often if the PC is used heavily. Some versions of Windows allow for the scheduling of this utility, and in those cases could be set to run automatically without ever having to manually run again. This process may take anywhere from several minutes to an hour or more to complete depending on size of the drive(s) and amount of unused capacity or free space. Consider starting the defragment process so that it will run over night or prior to logging off. After completion the speed of hard drive read and write times may improve significantly. There are also stand-alone defragmenting programs available from other developers available for download that may or may not charge a fee for use. A very good example of a free defrag program that allows automatic and scheduled defragmenting is IOBit's Smart Defrag 2.
8Install anti-virus software and keep it current. Today, anti-virus (AV) software is an absolute must. There are many from which to choose at the software store, but there are free AV solutions that do a very good job, too. Three popular free AV solutions are Avast!, AVG, and Avira AntiVir. All include regular "virus definition" file updates that allow the AV program to detect and protect from the latest virii being released. Note that while installing antivirus software actually slows down your computer, it does not slow it down as much as a virus does. Install an Ad Blocker; it not only prevents malware sites, but also reduces temp disk space for the browser by about 30% by not downloading advertising
9Install "Malwarebytes". Malwarebytes is a highly regarded, free anti-malware program for Windows computers. It should be downloaded from the developer's page directly - assuring you of the latest, unadulterated version. The program comes with a setup wizard to make installation as easy as possible. During installation, you will have to opportunity to try the Pro version for 30 days, free of charge. You can accept or pass on this offer as decided by you. The Pro version will allow you to automatically run the program silently in the background to prevent malware from entering your computer. The free version must be manually started to scan for suspected malware installations. Right after installation, and each time a scan is started, you will be asked if the program can download an updated list of threats for its database. This should be allowed for maximum protection at the time of each request. Choose a "quick scan" if you suspect trouble, to clear most problems in a few minutes. A thorough scan would be comprehensive, but can take quite some time to complete - depending on the amount of data on the drive(s) to be scanned.
10Relocate the Swapfile or Virtual Memory file. These files (depending on Windows version installed) are hidden and are usually located on the Windows drive (usually "C:") If there is a second physical hard drive in the system, consider moving to the secondary drive. Ideally, these files work best when located on the fastest and largest (in terms of free space) drive in the system. The procedure for changing the location varies by version of Windows, and is not detailed here at this time as it is fairly advanced.
11Find and Delete Temporary Files. Temporary Files are used for supporting some applications for a limited period of time and left unused for later. Go to "C:\Documents and Settings\
12Be realistic. The "high end" computer purchased as new 5 years ago may run the latest version of Windows, but that doesn't mean that it will do it very well. Keep in mind that the Minimum System Requirements on the software box is indeed, minimum. The best experiences usually require that the system is configured to Recommended System or better, instead. Technology marches on and it seems there is a game of "one-up-man-ship" played between software developers and hardware designers. Regardless, eventually new software will require new hardware or vice-versa. It seems that the amount of frustration you can endure best determines how long you will run your current setup.
13Set your computer's energy settings to High Performance. This is especially true in Laptops and Netbooks where the processor speed is altered in accordance to energy settings (and if you are running on battery power)
14Clean Up Primary Partition. Click "Start" type "cleanmgr" and press "Enter" key. Select your primary partition ( Windows installed drive, in most cases C:/ drive) and scan it for junk files. After few seconds, it will show a list of unnecessary files and simply select all these check boxes and start cleaning your drive.
Add method
1. Add Method
x
Know another method for How to Speed Up a Slow Windows Computer for Free? Add it here...
Edit Video
A video detailing step by step on how to speed up your computer.
Edit Tips
Consider re-installing Windows. It may be easier to format the hard drive and re-install Windows on the computer. Be sure to back up important data first and have all program installation disks ready for re-installation. Be aware that the format process will delete all files on the disk. This means that you will need to reinstall all software and restore all documents from a backup.
Keep your PC cool. When a computer gets too hot, the CPU fan will speed up. If the CPU is still too hot, the CPU will enter something called "thermal throttling" which slows down processing speed in order to prevent the CPU from breaking down. Turning off or hibernating your PC when not using it, increasing airflow, and keeping the room which your PC is located in cool will help keep your computer cool -- and fast.
Keep malware in check. If running utilities mentioned in this article gives you an "Access Denied", "You don't have rights to run this", or the program will not run, you probably have a malware infection. Symptoms other than these are frequent phony, but realistic-appearing, anti-virus warnings that your system is infected, or your web browser sending you to pornographic websites or search sites you have not configured it to send you to.
Consider using a different operating system. If you have a slow or old computer consider switching to Linux. This has its own set of issues such as needing to learn a new Operating System, and much more. This is a significant step, and as such; is not covered in this Wiki. Please refer to the WikiHow article: Learning How To Use Linux for more information.
Be aware that some of these steps are specific to a specific version of Windows; not all are cross-compatible.
Add memory. While not free, adding memory is a very effective way of boosting performance, especially if your system has 1 GB of memory or less. Increasing the amount of memory installed reduces the need for the computer to write to and read from the hard drive. Check the motherboard or system documentation to determine size, type, speed and permissible configurations of memory before purchasing and installing additional memory. If unavailable or you're unable to obtain it, you may wish to download and run the Crucial System Scanner to detect this info and provided suggestions for upgrades. Systems with lower amounts of memory (256 MB to 1 GB) installed receive the greatest boost when increased to 2 GB or more (as this represents a 100-400% or more increase in system memory). Systems that have 2 GB or more memory installed also receive a boost - but it is less noticeable.
Keeping Windows Up-to-date, especially with Security Updates, is very important and can prevent BADWARE infections which slow computer.
Edit Warnings
Do not use registry cleaners Registry cleaners can be dangerous. They may seem legitimate, but after a while of usage, they can fragment your registry. Leave them alone, If you feel that it must be cleaned up, make a backup and defragment afterwards.
Beware of using MSConfig Using MSConfig as anything but a troubleshooting tool is considered dangerous by many in the IT field to long term computer stability. Autoruns will allow you to do the same thing and much more including permanently removing unneeded/unwanted entries. Since it can do more, it can be just as or more dangerous than using MSConfig. If you're unsure of something do your research and don't remove it until you know for sure you don't need it. You can always uncheck it and come back later.
Shut down your computer and disconnect all the cables from it prior to opening the case. This eliminates the chances of electrocution or damage to system components.
Download files from trustworthy sources. The developer's page is best; P2P, newsgroups and anonymous file hosting sites are more likely to be infected with a virus.
Discharge any static electricity. Touch an electrically grounded source (a heating or plumbing pipe or the metal case of an electrical device powered by a grounded 3 prong cord connected to a grounded receptacle) prior to touching components inside the PC case. Static electricity can pass through hands and could cause delicate electronics inside the PC case to fail.
5. Learn about ReadyBoost
If you're using Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista, you can use ReadyBoost to speed up your system. A new concept in adding memory to a system, it allows you to use non-volatile flash memory—like a USB flash drive or a memory card—to improve performance without having to add additional memory. With Windows 8, if you have a storage device that will work with ReadyBoost, you’ll see an option to use ReadyBoost when you plug the device in to your PC.
Learn more about ReadyBoost in Windows 7.
Learn more about ReadyBoost in Windows Vista.
To take further precaution, try a program like CCleaner from Piriform. The free software program removes temporary files from all of your browsers, as well as Windows and the registry, to make your PC run faster.
50 Tools to Speed Up Your PC
By Preston Gralla, PCWorld
Sep 21, 2008 10:00 PM
Single
Page
Is your PC tired and sluggish? Has its get up and go got up and went? If you want a faster system, you could certainly break the bank and buy a new machine. Or you could read this article instead.
We've found 50 downloads that will make your PC run more quickly and smoothly, help you use the Internet more effectively, and push Windows to work at optimum speed with the interface you want, not what Microsoft gave you. http://www.pcworld.com/article/150813/optimization_tools.html?page=1
20 Top Tips
Follow these tips and you will definitely have a much faster and more reliable PC! The
icon means that the tip will work best under Windows 98. 1. Wallpapers: They slow your whole system down, so if you're willing to compromise, have a basic plain one instead!
2. Drivers: Update your hardware drivers as frequently as possible. New drivers tend to increase system speed especially in the case of graphics cards, their drivers are updated by the manufacturer very frequently!
3. Minimizing: If you want to use several programs at the same time then minimize those you are not using. This helps reduce the overload on RAM.
4. Boot Faster: The 'starting Windows 95/98' message on startup can delay your booting for a couple of seconds. To get rid of this message go to c:\ and find the file Msdos.sys. Remove the Read-Only option. Next, open it in Notepad or any other text editor. Finally, go to the text 'Options' within the file and make the following changes: Add BootDelay=0. To make your booting even faster, set add Logo=0 to remove the Windows logo at startup.
5. Restart only Windows: When restarting your PC, hold down Shift to only restart Windows rather than the whole system which will only take a fraction of the time.
6. Turn Off Animations:
Go to Display Settings from the Control Panel and switch to the Effects Tab. Now turn off Show Windows Content While Dragging and Smooth Edges on Screen Fonts. This tip is also helpful with Windows XP because of the various fade/scroll effects. 7. Faster Start-Menu Access: Go to the Start menu and select Run. Now type Regedit and hit Enter. The Registry Editor will appear on the screen. Now, open the folder HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. You should see a MenuShowDelay value. If you don't then do the following: right click on a blank space in the right pane and select New\String. Change the name in the new value to MenuShowDelay. Now that we have the MenuShowDelay value, double click on it and enter 0 in the value data field. This sets the start menu delay to 0 milliseconds.
8. Resolutions: If you are willing to do anything for faster performance from your PC, then try lowering your display resolution. The lower it is, the faster your PC.
9. Turn off Active Desktop:
Go to your Display Properties and switch to the Web tab. Uncheck View My Active Desktop As a Web Page. Since the Active Desktop option under Windows 98 uses a lot of system resources, this option can have a dramatic effect on the speed of the whole system. 10. Defragment Often:
Windows 98's Defrag tool uses Application Acceleration from Intel which means that when you defragment your drive, data is physically arranged on the drive so that applications will load faster. 11. Take your PC to Bed:
Using the Advanced Power Management feature under Windows 98 gives you the option to use the sleep command. That way, you can send your PC to sleep instead of shutting it down and then restarting it. It's as simple as pressing a button and then pressing the same button to wake it up. You can tell Windows after how many minutes/hours of inactivity to automatically sleep the machine in the Advanced Power Management section of the Control Panel. 12. Faster Internet Access: If you use the internet for reference and the sites you visit are rarely updated then try the following. In IE (the same can be done in Netscape) go to Tools, Internet Options. Next, click on Settings... in the Temporary Internet Files section. Finally, select Never for the first option and double the amount of storage space to use, click OK!
13. Benchmarking: Benchmarking can be very useful when run frequently. It can tell you how your PC's components are performing and then compare them to other machines like yours. For example, when you overclock your PC, you want to know how much more speed you have and whether it is stable. All this and more can be discovered using benchmarking. An excellent piece of software for doing this job is SiSoft Sandra which can be found in the Downloads File Archive!
14. Refresh the Taskbar without restarting: If you in some way change the taskbar, either in Regedit or elsewhere, you can refresh the task bar without restarting. Hold down Ctrl Alt Del, and double click on Explorer. Say Yes to close Explorer, but no to closing Windows. This will refresh the Taskbar and system tray.
15. Quick CD Eject: Instead of pushing the button on your drive, right-click your CD drive letter in My Computer and click on Eject. This will also remove any icons that have become associated with the CD drive.
16. Start Up Programs:
Windows can be slowed down when programs run on start up. To eliminate this, check your Start up folder. You can access it from the start menu: Start, Programs, Start Up. Another way to eliminate programs from loading even before Windows actually starts is by doing the following: Click on Start, then Run. Type msconfig. It will take quite a long time for this program to load, but when you finally see it on your screen, explore the different tabs. They all have to do with how quickly your PC boots, so select what you want, and uncheck what you don't want! 17. Fonts: When Windows starts, it loads every single font in the Fonts folder. Therefore, the more fonts you have, the slower the booting process. To get rid of unwanted fonts, simply go to the Fonts folder under c:\windows and remove whatever you don't want. Fonts that have a red letter 'A' as their icon are system fonts, so don't delete them.
18. Stretching Wallpapers:
Don't "stretch" your wallpaper in Windows 98 since it actually slows Windows down when you drag icons around on the desktop. 19. RAM Matters: If you have less than 32MB then you should seriously think of upgrading it to at least 64MB. Windows runs much more smoothly with 64MB or higher and tends to use less hard disk space for virtual memory.
20. Partitioning: A very nice little thing you can do to boost system performance. By partitioning your hard drive, splitting one physical drive into several logical ones, you can gain several advantages. 1. If you get a virus or you accidentally format a drive, not all will be lost. 2. By placing the swap file (Win386.swp) on a separate drive, The swap file will be less fragmented and thus, faster. 3. Place Windows on a separate drive and whenever you need to reinstall it, you rest assured that your data is safe on a separate drive. Partitioning can be done using a few programs such as FDisk which comes with DOS. However, FDisk formats everything on the hard disk before partitioning. Alternatively, you can use Partition Magic from Power Quest to partition your hard disk without losing your data.
Source:
http://www.wikihow.com/Speed-Up-a-Slow-Windows-Computer-for-Free
http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/maintenance/speed.aspx#fbid=4NrWM-dO3r-
http://mashable.com/2013/01/21/speed-up-your-pc/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/150813/optimization_tools.html?page=1
http://www.cyberiapc.com/20speed.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment