It seems that the longer you own your computer, the slower it gets! A
lot of people will keep their computer until it gets so slow that they
feel they need a newer, faster model. Some feel like the reason it is
getting slower is because it is getting older, when that is just not
the case. Your computer should run just as fast as the day you brought
it home if you follow these 10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer.
1. Empty the Temp directory regularly. After a short while, the temp
directory fills up with hundreds of temp files that always get scanned
over when Windows starts up and when programs launch. This slows
everything down immensely.
Rule of thumb for Temp Files: If you dont have any programs open (and
nothing minimized in the bar below), then you shouldnt have ANY temp
files in your temp directory. If you do, delete them.
To delete Temp files, make sure NO programs are open, and
a. In Windows 95, 98 or Me, go to C:WindowsTemp and delete everything
inside the Temp folder.
b. In Windows 2000 or XP, it is a little trickier. First, make sure
that you can see hidden folders. Double-click My Computer. Click on
the Tools pull-down menu, and then on Folder Options. Click on the
View tab. Scroll down and click on Show Hidden Files and Folders.
Click Ok. Now you can go to the C:Documents and
SettingsAdministratorLocal SettingsTemp folder. Delete everything
here.
2. Empty the Temporary Internet Files regularly. To empty Temporary
Internet Files, go to your Control Panel and double-click the Internet
Options icon. Choose to Delete Cookies, and to Delete Files. This will
clear all of your Temporary Internet Files.
3. Check your hard disks for problems.
a. For Windows 95, 98, or Me, double-click My Computer. Right-click
the C-drive and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose
to check the computer for problems. If you choose to do a Thorough
Scan, this will do the hardware check for physical disk damage or
sector damage. Choose to fix any errors it finds.
b. For Windows 2000 and XP, double-click My Computer. Right-click the
C-drive and click Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose to
check the computer for problems. Click on Check Now. You will then
have two check boxes. The top option is for the file check, and the
second option is for the hardware (physical disk) check. Check either
one, or both. At least check the top one. Hit ok, and reboot. This may
take some time, but let it run.
4. An even more thorough disk check, would be to use a 3rd party
utility. One of my favorites is TuneUp Utilities 2004. It does cost
$39.99, but they do offer a FREE download trial of 15 days. This
program does a really good job of fixing software and physical hard
drive problems. It also tunes up your system for increased speed, and
streamlines your operating system for peak performance. Download it
HERE... http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp
5. Or, you can do a few of the performance tweaks yourself, if you
have Windows XP. By default, EVERYTHING is turned on in Windows XP. It
isnt very streamlined for performance, but rather for appearance. You
can turn off a few of the unnecessary features, and Windows will still
work just fine, and maybe a little faster.
To do this, right-click on My Computer and click on Properties. Click
on the Advanced tab. Under the Performance section, click on the
Settings button. On the Visual Effects tab, you will see a list of
check boxes. By default, these are all on. You really dont need any of
them for Windows to run. Go through the check boxes one by one, and
determine which ones you can and cant live without.
6. Turn off Active Desktop. Active Desktop turns your desktop into a
web page, and allows you to have things like a real-time calendar, and
up-to-the-minute weather or stocks. These are nice, but really slow
down your computer. And even if you dont use Active Desktop for
anything, just having it active can cause a performance decrease. Turn
it off.
a. In Windows 95, 98 and Me, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-
up menu, choose Active Desktop. Inside that option, uncheck Active
Desktop. If there is no check next to it, then it isnt on. Dont choose
it. Instead, just click the desktop again to get out of the menu.
b. In Windows 2000, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-up menu,
choose Active Desktop. Inside that option, uncheck Show Web Content.
Again, if there is no check next to it, then it is not on. Do not
check it.
c. In Windows XP, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-up menu,
choose Properties. On the Desktop tab, choose Customize Desktop. Now,
on the Web tab, make sure that there are no websites chosen here. If
there arent any, then Active Desktop is not on. Cancel and go back to
the desktop.
7. Install and run a good AntiVirus program to keep out viruses that
can take over your system. One of my favorites is AVG. It is not only
a really good AntiVirus program, but it is also FREE! If you dont have
any AntiVirus softwa
