Quick Guide To A Faster Computer
Even the best computers slow down over time. unneeded files never-used programs & programs running in the background consume valuable resources. However this quick 5 step guide can help bring your slow computer up to a good speed.
1. Clean up your hard drive
The Disk Cleanup utility will delete downloaded program files temporary Internet files items in your Recycle Bin & more. Windows XP’s version of Disk Cleanup also deletes offline Web pages & compresses rarely used files.
To use this -> Click Start All Programs Accessories System Tools Disk Cleanup. Select the drive you want to clean it most likely will be C: & click OK. Place a check mark next to the items you want deleted & click OK.
You also can remove Windows components that you don’t use anymore. Start Disk Cleanup & click the More Options tab. Click “Clean up” under Windows components. You can remove games accessories & other nonessential Windows components.
The More Options tab allows Windows XP users to clear old Restore Points. These files which allow you to recover from errors after installing hardware or software hog space over time. Just click the “Clean up” button under System Restore & then Yes.
No matter how big or fast your hard drive it will slow down once it reaches 90% capacity. Free up needed space by removing unused programs. Click Start Control Panel in Windows 98/ME Start Settings Control Panel. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
If you have Windows XP you’ll see the size of the program how often it’s used & the date it was last used. Click the program you want to remove & then click Change/Remove in Windows 98/ME click Add/Remove.
When uninstalling programs you may encounter a message asking if you want to remove a shared component. Select “no to all.” These files are small & may be necessary for other programs to operate properly.
3. Reduce startup times
Instant messaging programs media players & other programs can automatically start when Windows loads. They slow down your boot time & use up system resources.
You can stop these programs from launching automatically by clicking Start & Run. Type “msconfig” without the quotes & click OK. Click the Startup tab.
You will see a number of programs listed. Some names are easy to figure out. But most are difficult to decipher. You can search the web for help on what you can & cannot disable.
Clear the boxes for the programs you don’t need. Click Apply & OK. You’ll be prompted to restart your computer.
After restarting you’ll receive a message stating that the System Configuration Utility is in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode. Check the box next to “don’t show this message again” & click OK.
4. Use Windows Search To Help
The next tip to speed up a computer is another simple idea. Find & remove large files through the Windows’ search function. Click Start Search All files & folders. Then click on the arrow next to “What size is it?” Click Large Search.
You’ll probably find forgotten video music or zip files. You also might find data files from games you no longer play. If you’re unsure of the nature of a file conduct a google search using its name or extension.
5. Defragment
Fragmentation occurs when the operating system cannot or won’t allocate enough space to store a complete file as a unit but instead puts parts of it in gaps between other files. This fragmentation causes your hard drive to run slower & fragmentation will increase over time.
To Defragment your hard drive open up “My Computer” Right Click on C Click properties Click the “Tools” Tab Click “Defragment Now” Click Defragment click ok. That is it
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