People ask all the time for tips on speeding up there computer. Here is a few things that might identify problems and hopefully get your PC's speed up to scratch!
Old Hardware and New Software
If your computer hardware is outdated, it's not going to run the newest software applications at the speeds that it was designed to. Do you have enough RAM? Is your processor up to scratch? A simple upgrade can often be the quickest way to speed up your computer. While you can run Windows XP on 64 MB's of RAM, you should probably have 1 gig and Pentium 4 processor to keep up to date with the latest software. Alot of the features of Windows Vista are eye candy, 2 gigs of ram and a Core 2 Duo is recommended for Vista, but you can get away with less. To find out what your computer is running, follow these steps:
XP: Right click My Computer and select Properties. Click on the General tab. Your computers details are listed under Computer. Vista: Right click Computer and select Properties. In this new window look under System for your computers hardware details.
CPU Z is a handy tool with a nice layout that can tell you in depth details of your computers hardware specifications. If your thinking of upgrading, ask the experts in the Hardware Forums for some advice on what to build.
Hardware problems.
Your hardware might be dying, if you suspect this there are some tests you can run. Leurgy's Hard Drive Utilities And Diagnostics can help diagnose some problems with your hard drive. Windows Memory Diagnostic and Memtest are excellent tools that can hard test your memory for problems.
Temperatures.
PC's preform better in cooler temperatures. This is why your computer should have many fans cooling various components. These fans are a magnet for dust that can build up over time. Check to see if your case fans and CPU/VGA heatsink fans are clogged with dust. Alot of electronic stores have compressed air spray cans that can blow out dust in hard to reach places. A good case should have air pulling into the case at the bottom and pushing air out from the top. Some parts of your case may trap warm air inside with nowhere to go (check under and around your graphics card after playing graphic intense games). Remember that heat rises! Speedfan is a great tool that can check temperatures of various hardware and can alert you if your system temperatures rise to critical levels.
Your Computer is infected.
Are you getting popups? Anti-Virus messages? Are strange warnings telling you to download tools to remove infections? You’re likely infected with Malware. Removing Malware will usually speed you up again. If You Are Infected Read This and our Security Experts will help clean your computer.
Windows Updates.
As well as security concerns, Windows Updates have been known to fix problems causing slow running times. To do this just start Internet Explorer and select Tools and click on Windows Update, and follow the online instructions from there.
Resource hogs.
Some programs use high amounts of system resources, these are called resource hogs. Some Anti Virus Packages are known for this. Review your current security software, especially if parts of it are out of date. Norton and McAfee are excellent, but are also known for using large amounts of system resources, affecting boot times. There are many free alternatives available that in alot of cases are better than the ones you have paid for. Installing more than one Anti-Virus product can drastically slow down your computer and can actually give you less protection, not more. Anti-Spyware products are a great supplement to your computers security, unless you are constantly getting infected, you may consider removing additional Anti-Spyware products, particularly those that run in resident memory. File sharing programs can also use large amounts of resources, disabling them can help speed up your computer.
Task Manager.
Check your Task Manager (right click the task bar and select Task Manager) for anything using high amounts of resources. If you’re not loading anything, the processes tab should be the place to look for anything using high amounts of CPU usage and Memory usage. Windows Vista has a handy feature under the Performance tab called Resource Monitor. Click this to view a more detailed description of what your hardware is doing.
Eye Candy.
If you are running a computer with all the features, your computer may experience drastic slow downs. Windows Sidebar, Window Blinds and Visual Styles may look nice, but this comes at the expense of your system resources.
Startup Times.
When your computer loads it starts many programs in the background. Alot of the time these programs are not needed and can be accessed manually if you need to load them. Click Start, then Run and type msconfig and press enter. Click on the Startup tab and view the applications that your computer loads when you reboot or turn it on. Do not randomly disable these settings; most are needed to load your hardware and necessary software like Anti-Virus and Firewall. Do not delete any entries; just disable them from loading so you can change these settings if your computer has problems. If you’re not sure, ask for assistance.
Defragging.
Defragging your Hard Drive can help speed up your computer particularly if you install and remove large programs. Some computers don’t need to be defragged at all. Click Start, then All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and open Disk Defragmenter.
Cleaning Up.
Remove unwanted or unused programs from your computer. Cleaning temporary files, cookies and browser history can free used space, speeding up your PC. ATF Cleaner is highly recommended by PC Offensive.
Registry Cleaners.
Registry cleaners and most similar programs offered around the internet don’t actually do anything to increase your computers speed and can remove needed registry items leaving your computer a mess, often resulting in a reinstallation of your Operating System. I don't recommend any Registry Cleaners to anyone. A "Bloated" registry really has no impact on your computers speed. Unnecessarily removing registry items can create fragmented gaps that will be replaced with new information when you install something, meaning your computer will work harder to retrieve information, resulting in slower speeds. Experienced programmers can find cleaning a registry difficult, so why chance your computer to an automated tool?
If you have additional tips or tools you'd like to add let us know!
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