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“Better safe than sorry...” Monday March 13, 2006 Dear Reader: No, it’s not your imagination! Your personal computer (PC) really is
running slower... But what can you do
about it? This article details the necessary steps
to properly maintain your PC to insure optimum system performance. This article also details the types of
programs that you should be using to maintain your PC, along with the
programs that I am currently using to maintain my PC’s. I suggest employing the same programs that
I employ simply because I have put a lot of time and energy into finding the
programs that appear to work best and that are the most user-friendly. When installing any program to your PC,
it is imperative that you read the install instructions and the program
operating instructions very carefully.
You are only asking for trouble if you install a program on your PC
without taking the time to learn how it functions and how to properly use it. I should also mention that these
programs are considered freeware/shareware.
Meaning that they are free (or there is a free version available) for
personal use, but use for professional (i.e. business) purposes requires one
to purchase the product. In addition, please be advised that I am
a Windows
XP user. I will not upgrade to Windows
Vista until I purchase my next PC. Without further ado, let us begin... Effective Maintenance for Your PC Please note that the information
contained in this document is for informational purposes only. No part of this document is intended as, or
should be construed as, professional advice.
Do not act or rely solely upon the information contained in this
document without seeking the advice of a computer professional. Hard Drive: Simply put, as time passes, your PC’s
hard drive becomes cluttered with junk!
This junk most often includes unneeded/unnecessary files and
software. Slow system performance can
also be attributed to disorganized file storage, unused network drives, and
too many programs set to automatically run at startup. Back Up: Before running any system tools or performing
any troubleshooting, please take the time to back up your PC. This is the most crucial step in performing
any type of system maintenance or system changes. Unintended consequences often occur when
performing system maintenance. In
addition, system maintenance can cause pre-existing, but hidden, conditions
to surface. Windows XP includes a Backup utility to
protect your PC’s system: select
“Start” > “All Programs” > “Accessories” > “System Tools” >
“Backup” (or “System Restore” and select the option “Create a restore
point”). For information on how to use the Backup
utility please visit the Microsoft Knowledge Base article, “How
to Use Backup to Restore Files and Folders on Your Computer in Windows XP.” After performing a system back up, but
before continuing on, time your PC and record how long it takes to restart
(from restart to desktop view). This
will assist in knowing just how well the system maintenance has helped. Remove Unused Programs: One major step to improving PC
performance is to remove any unnecessary programs. PC users often install new programs that
they, over time, eventually stop using.
Without removal, the program remains on the PC consuming valuable
resources while degrading overall system performance. Windows XP allows you to easily remove
any unused programs: select “Start”
> “Control Panel” > “Add or Remove Programs”. Scroll through the list of programs and
examine each program very carefully.
Windows XP displays the size of the program, how often the program is
used, and the last date when the program was used. This information can be used to determine which
programs are prime candidates for removal. To remove a particular program, simply
select the “Change/Remove” button, and follow the prompts to uninstall said
program. It is often necessary to restart the PC
after removing a program. As a result,
it may be necessary to repeat the aforementioned steps to remove additional
programs. If you are unsure about a particular
program, then you should play it safe by not removing it. You should also never remove anything
listed as an “Update” or a “Hotfix”. These programs are general operating system
updates and/or security patches that are necessary to insure system stability
and security. Disk Cleanup Utility: With time, your PC’s hard disk gathers
junk in the form of unnecessary files.
The PC’s system often slows down and acts erratically if too many of
these unnecessary files have accumulated. Windows XP includes a Disk Cleanup
utility: select “Start” > “All
Programs” > “Accessories” > “System Tools” > “Disk Cleanup”. The Disk Cleanup utility will spend some
time compiling the results. Select the
desired boxes next to the types of files that you wish to delete, and then
click “OK”. The removal process could
take as long as several minutes. Again, if you are unsure about whether
or not to delete a particular item, then you should play it safe by not
deleting it. In general, it is safe to
delete: Temporary Internet Files,
Microsoft Error Reporting Temporary Files, Recycle Bin, Temporary Files, WebClient/Publisher Temporary Files, Compress Old Files,
and Catalog files for the Content Indexer. If you have more than one hard disk, it
is necessary to repeat this process for each hard disk listed under “My
Computer”. Freeware Disk Cleanup Programs: A disk cleanup program is a program that
is employed to remove unnecessary files from your PC. I currently use both CCleaner
and SuperScan. CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) is a freeware system
optimization and privacy tool that removes unused and temporary files from
your system – allowing Windows to run faster and more efficiently, while
freeing up hard disk space. CCleaner is unbelievably fast (normally taking less that
a second to run). SuperScan uses a highly intelligent engine to
scan your hard disk and improve PC performance. SuperScan is a
user-friendly tool for cleaning up your hard disk. Organize and Delete Web Browser Files: As you surf the Web, your Web Browser
stores various Internet files on your PC.
Over time, your PC’s hard disk can become cluttered by these
unnecessary files. To clean up Internet Explorer: select “Start” > “Internet Explorer”
> select the “Tools” menu > “Internet Options” From this menu perform all of the
following: 1).
“Delete
Cookies” to delete cookies 2).
“Delete
Files” to remove all temporary files (you can also elect to remove all
offline content downloaded from Websites you have visited). 3).
“Clear
History” to remove the history of the Websites you have previously visited. Please note: Different Web browsers have different steps
for organizing and deleting their files. Review AutoStart
Programs: Some programs are automatically started
when a PC boots up. Many times these
programs are necessary to an effective start up. However, some programs do not necessarily
need to start just because the PC has been booted up. These programs can often create a great
strain on a PC’s resources. Windows XP includes a System
Configuration Tool: “Start” > “Run”
> then type “Msconfig” and click “Enter” On the Startup tab, there will be a list
of all of the programs and processes that are set to run when Windows XP
loads. You can speed your PC’s overall
start time by clearing the check box next to any item that you think you
don't need to start automatically when your PC boots up. Click “Apply”, and then restart your PC
for the changes to take effect. I currently use Startup-Mechanic to manage my PC’s
autostart programs.
Startup-Mechanic is an
easy to use program, but you must review the “System Scan” very carefully to
insure that you do not disable any crucial autostart
programs (for example, when I was using ZoneAlarm as my firewall, Startup-Mechanic incorrectly
identified ZoneAlarm as “harmful”). Another excellent way to examine autostart programs is to install Autoruns. Autoruns is a freeware tool from Sysinternals
that lists every autostart program for your
PC. In addition, Autoruns allows you to quickly delete the link to the
program. The Startup Applications List may
provide instructions for removing the startup program. If available, you should follow those
instructions instead of deleting the link by using Autoruns. Again, if you are unsure about whether
or not to delete a particular item, then you should play it safe by not
deleting it. Many autostart
entries are crucial parts of Windows XP.
Therefore, please use extreme care when examining the Startup Applications
List. When in doubt, please consult Startup Applications List
provided by sysinfo.org. Windows Registry: Problems with the Windows registry are a
common cause of slow performance, error messages, and Windows crashes. By regularly using a registry cleaner and
fixing registry errors your system should not only be more stable, but it
will also help improve your system performance without expensive hardware
upgrades. I currently use both Registry Mechanic and TweakNow
RegCleaner Standard to clean my PC’s Windows
registry. Disk Defragmenter: The hard disk of your PC is constantly
changing. Files are created,
downloaded, modified, moved, and deleted.
As this occurs, more and more files on your PC become fragmented. It takes your PC longer to read a file that
is fragmented, because it has to move between different sections of the hard
disk. The Disk Defragmenter utility is the
most important Windows maintenance program.
As it defragments your hard disk, this
utility can also rearrange your executable programs so they can start and run
faster. Windows XP includes a Disk Defragmenter
utility: select “Start” > “All
Programs” > “Accessories” > “System Tools” > “Disk Defragmenter” Select your first hard disk, and then
select “Defragment”. The defragmentation
process could take between several minutes to several hours. If you have more than one hard disk, it
is necessary to repeat this process for each hard disk listed under “My
Computer”. I hope you found this article to be both
informative and helpful... Please report any “dead” or outdated
links or any additional information to MichaelBeltz@ProfessionalInvestigator.us. Again, thank you for visiting ProfessionalInvestigator.us. If I can be of further assistance and/or
guidance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your time and
consideration, and, as always, I remain in your service... Respectfully submitted, Michael Beltz,
FCI © 2006-2007 Michael Beltz, FCI (www.ProfessionalInvestigator.us). Last updated Monday June 4, 2007 by Michael Beltz, FCI (www.ProfessionalInvestigator.us). This document may be printed or copied for non-commercial use without further permission of the author, provided this full, unaltered notice is present. |
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