Speed up your slow PC, 10 ways to tuneup your computer
87Is your PC slower than the day it was born?
A new PC is a joy because it is fast and efficient which makes it fun to use. Over time, that PC gets slower, and slower and can eventually become a chore to operate. There are steps you can take to restore some of that "new PC" performance.
Look all around this article. You will find helpful suggestions to improve your PC performance and solve problems.
Get Organized
Print these steps for a PC tuneup checklist. Make notes as you go; it'll be easier to get assistance if you need it. Reserve enough time. Review the Related Links for more details on some of these steps. Follow these steps in order, where practical. {Click sequences are shown for Windows XP Professional and are only meant to be a general guide}.
Make Some Backups
You need a fall back position in case bad things happen. Create an XP restore point. Consider saving: Email files and account settings, desktop and favorites, My Documents, other files? You've been meaning to backup anyhow, haven't you?
Add Memory
New programs are larger and tax the memory of an older PC. To effectively operate today you need at least 1 GB of RAM. When I spec a new PC I usually include 2 GB of RAM. Check your RAM size and seriously consider an upgrade; easy to do and could have a big impact. {Start -> Control Panel -> System, to see RAM installed}
Check your PC memory...
- Memory upgrades made easy with free system scan
Crucial Technologies, my recommendation for memory, will scan your PC on-line. Check it out.
Eliminate Malware
Malware includes adware (sometimes, but not often helpful), and spyware (never a good thing). Malware has decreased somewhat as a public nuisance, but is still a likely suspect when your PC slows down or acts strangely. The average malware can be removed by the average user.
Tips: (1) create a restore point; (2) turn off System Restore; (3) run at least two removal programs; (4) run the removal programs while in Safe Mode; (5) turn on System Restore.
I recommend three spyware removal programs: (1) MalwareBytes; (2) Spybot Search and Destroy; (3) Ad-Aware.
Is your security suite screwing you up?
Consider disabling or uninstalling security suite software. Some security controls can choke the performance out of a PC, while safeguarding it. Try disabling the features, one at a time to see if your PC performance improves. MacAfee makes it's suite difficult to uninstall! Try uninstalling in Safe Mode.
Consider an alternative approach, such as a good antivirus program and a separate anti-spyware program. I use AVG; they have a free and a Pro version.
De-program
Uninstall unneeded programs. A new PC comes with demo software and freebies that are seldom used. Then we add programs that we end up not using. Sometimes a desired installation slips in other software we don't need/want. Yahoo, Adobe, and others often slip things past the casual installer.
Uninstalling programs will recover space, and as a bonus, may also free up some operating resources and speed things up. {Start -> Control Panel -> Add or remove Programs}
Clean up your browser
Clean out file debris
Scan your hard drive
Windows has a tool to scan hard drives. This can resolve file location errors and other disk management issues. {My Computer -> C Drive Properties -> Tools -> Check Now -> check to "automatically fix..." and to "scan for...", then Start} This test requires you to restart your PC. This can take a while on a large hard drive so it's a good task to run overnight.
De-fragment your hard drive
Over time, the files on your hard drive become fragmented. The files are still there and usable, but they are scattered all over the hard drive and become inefficient for the operating system to access and move around. Think of it as a messy drawer - everything is there; it just takes longer to locate things. Windows has a tool to regroup your file pieces (defrag) and reorganize the hard drive. {My Computer -> C Drive Properties -> Tools -> De-fragment Now -> select the C drive -> De-fragment} This can take a while so it's a good task to run overnight.
Check hard drive capacity (after you do all the cleanup steps)
Stop unnecessary services
Many programs install and run services for their convenience. Sometimes these services are running unnecessarily and can slow things down. Places to check for unnecessary services: System Icon Tray (lower right of Start line where time is shown), the Startup Folder {All Programs, Startup) and run MSCONFIG to see all services and programs started by the operating system for you when you start your PC (you will probably be surprised at the things that are running).
Repeat these steps periodically
Accumulated digital debris caused your PC to slow down in the first place. Don't wait so long before doing a good cleanup on your PC. It will pay off in better performance and you will get to know your PC a little better. Pick a schedule (monthly? quarterly?) that you are comfortable with.
Consider a new PC
Try these steps first and you should get back some of the missing speed and performance. It may not be enough. Consider carefully the cost of additional memory, new hard drive and service costs, versus the cost of a new PC system.
Warnings!
-Back up! You should be doing backups anyhow. This is a perfect time to catch up.
-Be sure you know what program you are dealing with before uninstalling any program. Research it if you are not completely sure.
-Be sure you know what service you are disabling in MSCONFIG before disabling any startup operation or service. Research it if you are not completely sure.
-Be sure you know what files you are dealing with before deleting any files. Research it if you are not completely sure.
-Unplug your PC from the electrical outlet before opening the PC case to add memory or clean it out. Be properly grounded. Be careful what and where you touch. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, which might involve reading the manuals.
Tips
-For Windows XP, create a restore point before making any changes to your PC.
-Use this HubPage as a guide. The steps are independent. Skip a step if you don't get it.
-Be organized - have a checklist and take notes at each step. This will give you more control over the process.
-If you need more detailed information on the steps suggested, refer to the External Links.
-Allow enough time - don't rush and you'll make fewer mistakes. Some steps can take an hour or more and will be ok to run overnight.
-Pay attention. The computer jargon and procedure steps can seem confusing
and sometimes intimidating. However, the average user can work through most
of this and get the desired result by staying focused.
Things you'll need
Time - set aside enough time. Some procedures like de-fragmenting can take quite a while. Tinkering with your system should not be rushed.
Lifeline - it's a good idea to have a PC professional on-call or within reach in case you need advice.
Manuals - the original computer manuals and any literature provided with upgrades.
Confidence - many PC users don't do these simple steps because the technology can seem intimidating. These steps are within the average persons reach. Have confidence.
Checkout these related articles on PC support, enhancement and maintenance.
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To avoid a slow PC, follow this monthly plan. Your PC gets disorganized and cluttered over time. Bad things creep in. These four steps will keep your PC running faster and with less problems.
What slows down my PC,delays my work, but with this great hub, I will manage and mantain my PC better.
Thanks for the suggestion. The tips are helpful.
Excellent advice and tips. Very thorough article. In my experience i've always found the in-built defragger too slow so have always preferred using diskeeper.
Thanks for very useful information.
Thanks for this excellent article. I have one computer that I turn on...then I go take a shower, prepare and eat breakfast...have a second cup of coffee and maybe it will be ready to go. I'm willing to try one more thing before I put it on the curb,
Good article!
Before anything else thanks for the valuable info. Very useful and can be complimented by a new user as well. However I was also trying to reduce startup time and I have made two of the steps I knew before.
1. Go inside the registry and changed the startup delay from 48000 to 4000 only, another what i did-
2. Go into boot.ini and reduce Timeout from 30sec to 5 seconds.
Is there any other mean to reduce it.
I have also write in a blog in www.pcdocpro.com/blog
excellent advice, i also tried advanced system care which seems to have helped with the tune up process, many thanks
Thank you this blog for giving me lots of information about speed upgrading my precious computer!!
I follow this steps you recommended!!
I also use GHOST at backup program that gives me maximum security for my data.
However, thanks for important note!
Thank you for your information.My PC is always slow.
thanks mate..very good info hope this will help me increase my pc performance..
There are three main reasons that computer slows down: registry errors, spyware and adware, viruses. Actually, however, according to the statistics, 90% of computer problems are caused by computer registry, so it is important to constantly clean up your computer registry to ensure that your computer runs in a good condition. Now there are two good software on the Internet: Tuneup360 and Norton systemwork, but the latter one is a little bit difficult. For the beginners, Tuneup360 is a good choice.
Well, that's why. I have had a computer slow and freeze so much lately even though I have upgraded pretty much all the hardware I have.
Personally, I hate antiviruses.
thanks. tips are good. i am using simnet registry repair for pc problems
Very nice information,i need speed up my pc
Nicely collated all steps to speed up PC performance.
It is good information for new and expert PC users.....thanx
Thanks for all great advice. Anti virus installation is necessary as sometimes virus attacks on the system file and make them slow for process. Also seeking help from CC cleaner will be beneficial to speed up the PC.
Thanks for the useful information.
yes great advice. One more thing you forgot to mention was malware bytes which is a great program that helps you find tons of junk and viruses on your computer.
thx a lot!
Great hub post. i think using back up programs like Ghost is a better idea to recover easily
theriau5, sorry but there are far to many startup services to list easily, and the list keeps growing. One thing that can be done is to search for the service name, and with a little digging you can often make a safe decision.
Very good artical,But I wish it would list what I could safely Uncheck or Maybe what NOT to Uncheck the start up area would be better. since I dont know alot about computers and am still learning I didnt feel I didnt know what I should NOT uncheck so I didnt harm the computer.email me an answer to this.thank you!!
Thanks to all for comments and words of encouragement. It's surprising that so many people feel they are stuck with a slow PC, when often there is something positive that can be done to tune up the PC and to speed up the PC.
good job man, very well explained and worth trying. please keep up the good work!
Great advice and very well explained. Thanks!
great article. you have really done som comprehensive work here
Awesome hub, and these tips are good..
Very nice post, Really helpful information especially for me who is not a techie, anyway, keep up the good work, you rock.
Excellent article. I use AVG myself, from Grisoft. But first I had to remove the Norton's Anti-Virus that came standard with my PC. Nagware. What a pain in the butt that is! I bought a three-PC license for my AVG program, and it has performed flawlessly for me. I'd love it even more if my PCs ran as smoothly as my Mac... but I use so much PC software I have to have PCs. Sometimes it's hard to win, eh? :-)
Thanks for the excellent easy tips! Will definitely pass on.
Thanks . good help full page, we are all into laptop repair check out for mumbai http://www.itmumbai.in
Very good informative article, I will surely recommend it to my friends. This is the basic things that a computer user needs. thanks very much
Love your work, the only trouble is that I was so convinced with the hard drive and baseball bat that I had the sucker all lined up with my hockey stick! (thats one with a curve on the end for use in what we Aussies call Field Hockey).
Hi jstankevicz, this is very useful information. I shall try it as my laptop was previously very slow! Cheers.
A really helpful page of Info. Thanks - a lot of stuff I didn't know.
Great Hub you have here :) Please check out my website would love to network!
I found that by turning off a lot of the so-called essential features of Windows Vista and HP programs on my laptop sped up my computer immensely. Of course, I've set up a replacement firewall and virus software of my own, but now if only windows would stop wasting my time asking me to reinstall their garbage!
Great hub. One point though I feel like drawing your attention to - Windows Defender isn't that reliable, and for heavy surfers it's better to have something more robust.
Cool - When I saw this hub I was expecing a list of XP-Only stuff, but it's pretty platform independant.
I'm on linux and made the switch from Wondows about 6 months ago now.
I can say that it's one of the best things I've done - productivity has gone through the roof. Extra speedy and no viruses.
ince aticle! I know my PC could do with that
Excellent article! I know my PC needs this badly! Everyday I have to go through a ritual to get it running right! Thanks for this information! I'm bookmarking it so I can refer to it whenever I have another problem (which is almost always)...LOL!
Nice Hub!
THANKS FOR USEFUL INFORMATIONS.
Thanks for this great tips. You took your time and brought out the best informations.
I almost said thanks for all the usefull info but I got stuck on the very first recommendation. How do you create a restore point?
These are all great ideas for making money online I just posted a new hub explaining how to make a ton of easy cash on the internet using linkbid script.
Top Banana Dude !! Thanks for the tips !!
great info thank you
Nice one. Easy to read, easy to follow. Great job.
Now I am stopping unnecessary services, thanks! Meanwhile I find an additional article to share with my fellow hubpages.com readers:
Definately made a big difference, thanks!
UMM WHERE DO U GET THE MEMORY FROM
Nice tips. Great to recommend repeating the steps every so often as necessary. Sometimes our PCs just get too cluttered over time and it's good to do some much needed spring cleaning of one's hard drive.
Organization is really the key, then it's easy to get folders and files onto disks and have everything on command. My pc is one big clutter. Great lens to remind people to move the mouse a couple of times and getting to know where everything is at :)
94 and standing on the springboard. Looks like the check list I need, so will dive in and keep my fingers x'ed. Thanks.
I've managed to really clean old programs and old files on disk and I've got loads of free GB on my hard disk. I also added another 1GB of RAM and now everything is flying...
Thanks!
p.s.
Microsoft Windows is a really bad operating system, because it makes computer so slow with time, that it is almost useless.
I appreciate that somebody thought it was a good Hub-Page! You don't have to use every module. Including all the money modules doesn't always make money, and may well not enhance the Hub's readability or usefulness.
This has been sent to me as a sample for a good hub page.. then where is the ebay and amazon links.. not required?
Excellent info!! AVG is a great program... Kaspersky isn't bad either (although there is a license fee).
~ Peter :-)
good stuff. thank you.
peoplesearch - I use AVG; they also have a free version that works well.
bloggerjb - glad the Hub is useful.
THANKyOU. very helpful hub
jstankevicz -
Can you recommend a anti-virus program? I'm using Kaspersky now, and it's vey slow.
Thanks Melanie. There are so many services that no list can be complete. Here is a good link - http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/pr .
Also, Google is your friend here. Just search on the name of the service and you'll likely find background, When in doubt, don't delete!
Thanks Rudra and Sunshine Chen for your nice words.
So specific and helpful! Thanks a bunch.
Fabulous tips! Our IT administrators have gone on strike and I couldnt get any work donw! I'm following your steps to a T and I'll de-frag later tonight.
Fantastic points on deleting the unnecessary applications ; and the start-up services, only thing is - is there any link of a list of things I should disable ? I assume I should keep all the microsoft services?
System configuration utility has services and start-up and alot of things I am SO wanna get delete-happy ... Please do advice if there's any lists, thanks in advance! :)
cool tips
Hi Cynthia, thanks for the feedback. The link to Crucial's memory checker is at the top of this page, under the heading - Check your PC memory,,,
Ricky,
Go to http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/index.aspx it will scan your system and recommend memory upgrades for your system. :)
My windows defragmenter just doesn't do the job it is supposed to. I happened across a a program called Security Tango...I love it. I didn't need a few of the free things offered but downloaded them just in case and ran them as well. The Auslogics Disk Defragmenter is OUTSTANDING! Here's the link to the Tango...
http://securitytango.com/tango.php
Great write up! Keep it up!
Dam thats some bad news, but to be honest it has actually started to run smoothly, but i know that i need more memory anyway, how much does it usually cost and how much memory would i be recommended to go for.
( i no nothing about pc's) haha
Ricky, 256 ram is barely adequate to function with XP; you need more memory.
W.F., many thousands have stood where you stand. They bravely followed the plan and smiled afterwards.
This looks like something I'll have to try, if I can do it without destroying everything!
WoW,,,i have to say thank you very much for this helpful info, i am doing the defragmentation process right now, so i hope it ends up running good (fingers crossed) and i have also performed the disk cleanup i think it is, i have windows xp with 256 Ram, yeah its kinda old so do you think that could be a reason for it running slow aswell?
thank you :)
Thanks spiche. Content comes from experience and research. Writing is mine, for better or worse...
Great stuff you got here! Where do you get all your content, do you write it all?
cheers
Thanks for the great feedback guys and gals! Misha and Trojan Eliminator are right - 1 GB is a better minimum today, and I've updated the HubPage accordingly. Thanks!
What a great hub page, that's what this site is all about. It's simple to use the info, but like Misha I'd say 1GB is a minimum now for XP! Peace - Dave
These basic maintenance tools should be done once a week, but you should include partitioning your hard drive or even convert your hard drive to dynamic disk and create logical volumes (xp pro only) to speed up things. I have 8 logical volumes to keep my system, programs files, document files, website files all seperate and then i can even extend these volumes if space is running out.
Graeme. I.T Diploma Student. :)
Great hub! I would say a bit outdated, though :) I usually recommend to my users at least 1 Gig for XP nowadays, and don't get me started on Vista :D
Awesome hub, and these tips are simple enough for even the most green of computer users. :)
Very timely and useful hub. Im a computer nit wit (haha) and it will take time for me to 'analyze' all this but Im very glad to have a list to read through and help me do the right thing. And you can be sure, i will be calling you for HELP if I blunder along the way. :-)
great article.
Thanks for this usefull hub. I must confess I perform many of the steps you recommend. But even so, I seem to be doing a 'new install' quite often.
Clean Up is great, but I'd recommend using it in trial mode first to make sure you don't remove any dll files etc. (I had an issue a while back, but in fairness I've not had the same problem since, so it could have been me! ;0)
Thanks Jay, glad you liked it. I recommended CleanUp! for cleaning out temp files, etc at http://hubpages.com/hub/Free_software.
Hi sagk_59, good luck with that networking course!
I will soon be taking a computer networking diploma course and am sure hubs like this will come in very handy as I move along with my training. EXCELLENT !!!!!!
That's a really nice concise list, I wish I had read this about 6 months ago when I had to find all this out for myself! I used crucial.com as well, though I jumped from there to ebay and got some very cheap used RAM and an extra hard-drive.. I would add that to your check 'hard-drive capacity' note... ie. it's not that difficult to add another hard drive!
Also I used CCLEANER (free!) to clean up the PC a little.
Thanks for the good tips, compu-smart. I agree that back-up media like tape, often can't be trusted. Regards, Jack
Thanks to all for the nice feedback! Regards, Jack
great information and simply explained even i understood i will be saving this hub thank's
Hi
Just a few tips I hope you don't mind me adding... When you create a "restore points" it will wipe a lot of space from your hard drive, so if you are running low on space I would recommend "removing all the most restore point" which after once done, will get you back a lot of space, especially if you use the "restore" feature a lot! and within at least 24 hours your "system restore points all nice and fresh.... To access go to *start*..*programs*. *accessories* *system tools*, *disc clean up*, then select the "drive" Then click the "more options tab" Then simply clean up.
With regards to backing up data, I use more than just one medium, as just using discs is not enough for me, as I am not sure what shelf life Discs have and also there vulnerabilities like direct sun shine and scratches which happen so I use Discs, and an external hard drive, Important pictures and text based content I have on two memory sticks.. I use many online storage facilities which I keep things I will need when I don't have any hard ware to hand when I'm at buddies and there nice and free:)
To increase the speed of your PC further especially if your doing a lot of "script based" research I always recommend people turning off pictures, animations ,flash, java, etc which will increase the speed tenfold. I have 5 browsers I use and each one is customised to what I am searching for and what images etc i will need to see which can be done with the tools in the browser your using.
The other way I can achieve the speed and efficiency my PC had when I first purchased it, is when I complete a "fresh O.S install" and install all the latest drivers , software etc all brand new and up to date. Its definitely worth the 8 hours it takes to do, say twice a year.
C-S:)
What a great hub! I implemented some of these tactics as soon as I read them (I'm even doing a disk cleanup as we speak). Very informative, and wonderfully useful material. Thanks so much! --Jaclyn
Great tips! Your article was easy to understand and I will be taking your advice. My computer is ony a couple of years old but I have noticed lately that it is a bit slow. I do perform a lot of these tasks but, I never thought of the Items in the systems tray.
Thanks for the help.
gr8 help from u....thanks a million..my pc is faster dan b4...kip it up
I like your info. Good work! I will use this info for my PC, really slow now.
Thank you, it is just what I was searching for. There is also something about Defragmentation. It would be good if you could give up some advices.
Thx for the suggestion munroenet. I use AVG free myself and install it for friends and family. I added the link above. BTW the free version does have an automatic update. You have more control with the Pro version, but free is very good!
Thank You for the info but you didn't say some good Anti-Viruses.
Well I have 1 it is called avd free or avg antivirus. The avg free you have to update by yourself while the avg anti-virus you have to pay but gets you all the updates instantly.
This is a very helpful hub. I'm printing it out now and will set aside the time to follow these steps through. Thanks. Great hub!
Great article I perform a lot of these task already.
Great article, I perform a lot of these task already.
As a geriatric rookie with no ready advice available, I need all the help I can get; thank God I have the time and patience to research great sites like this. I stumbled on it looking for the blog of peteryoungren.org--it is ironic to find this just when I need it.
I just forwarded this to a friend who's been complaining his computer has gotten too slow. :-)
Hi redflower, you can do it!. Got to Crucial's site (link on this page re memory) and go to their support section. Instructions with pictures. Have courage!
Hi Kath, PC on or not is a personal preference. Not a big reliability issue either way.
I bought memory and I can't figure out how to install it....when I ordered it, it was supposedly the right one for my computer, should I bite the bullet and just get someone (Best Buy) to install it for me?
Excellent Post. I look forward to reading more advise from you in the future, I have a lot to learn. Any thoughts on "Always on" PCs vs not?
Tis true Goga. I'm one of those stupid users and I'm still stumbling across things (well known to others) that are new to me.
It's only a list of wellknown facts for every "non-stupid" user.
Sweet! And part of the traffic is from the items I discussed in the promo hub.
Hi Jack,
Checking our search referrers today and found this from MSN.
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=how+do+i+spee
You're on the first page. Not bad.
Best,
Paul Edmondson
We have to convert you guys:) Thanks for all the great feedback!
Hah! Thanks to "PC Help" for the spyware suggestion. Thanks to Paul for helping me read my own HubPage! Thanks and Hi to Jeff, Squider supreme.
Hey Jack, it's the first comment and it's still there.
Thanks to all for the nice feedback. There was a comment reminding me that I had not talked about spyware. Added the 10th step for spyware. The comment is now gone, if I deleted, I apologize!
Excellent nice and clear, good squidoo page too.
(You reminded me I have not de-fraged in a very long time.)
Cheers
Jeff
Real Helpful, thanks
Jack, Congrats on another #1 Hub. It's good information contributed by experts like you that people really like.
Thank you for the contributions.
Best,
Paul Edmondson
I'm thinking of switching to a Mac as my home PC has slowed and I have young children. Curious, if Macs maintain performance over PCs for the long haul.
Great list. I do a lot of family and friends support and I'll be sure to pass this list along to them. You may want to add how to check for spyware. This is usually the culprit from my experience.
Create your own HubPage...
- Click here to get started
Fun, easy and free.
elvispower2763 3 months ago
Great post and very helpful. Came just in time.