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Community weekly poll: What is the first thing you do when your computer's...
- 5/11/05 1:48 PM
Msconfig, the first thing I do
by dtucker - 5/13/05 6:24 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The First thing I look at is the msconfig startup utility
I get rid of the extra programs I dont want running in the backround. That is always an instant performance boost.
The things I do to insure my computer doesn't slow down.
by cmfurgason - 5/13/05 7:14 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I had a good guru (I'm now 61 years old) when I got my first computer a few years ago (circa 1995). He taught me that being prepared was better that trying to catchup. I run Perfect Disk every weekend, have Norton Anti-virus current and running in the background, and Norton Firewall active. Also running is Spybot Search & Destroy 1.3, Counter Spy ($20, but worth it), and Lavasoft's Adaware. I test my connection from time to time to insure it's as secure as it can be and the only thing that slows my machine down is the installation of Norton.
Run another system
by juliejayne - 5/13/05 7:22 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It hardly ever happens since I installed HyperOs. But should I feel that the system is slowing down, this is what I would do.
1. Check that all temporary files are deleted. (These are for me, usually stored on a Hyperdrive (RAM drive) so are cleared at every stop and start of the PC.
2. Start a new copy (image) of the system, in copying the OS the hard drive is defragged.
It's free!
by mrobzo - 5/13/05 7:55 AM In reply to: Run another system by juliejayneI download the latest clean up speed up hive compactor registry cleanup memory defrag. And many other free tryware. For thirty days my putor sings until I have to find a new one. Once I find the best, I'll buy it! Oh incidently these programs do more than that, just give them a chance.
When your computer's performance starts to deteriorates
by hasmohsin - 5/13/05 7:48 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
1. - Run antispyware
2. - Run cleanup utility
3. - Empty preftech folder
4. - Run command '%temp%' and clean the junk folders
5. - and lastly run disk defrag utility for more better result.
Run "Task Manager" on PC; "Activity Monitor" on Mac
by rcraigy - 5/13/05 8:05 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Select "Processes" on Task Manager; nothing required on Mac.
Click on "CPU"; "%CPU" on Mac
Make sure it is sorted highest to lowest and see what is using all the clock cycles.
Then learn more about the offending process/es.
The very first...
by anotherbill - 5/13/05 8:25 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
... I do is restart the computer.
What is the first thing you do when your computer's running
by spiritgirl - 5/13/05 8:38 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First I run a scan disk, then I do a disk defragmenter utility
Check Task Manager!
by spampurge - 5/13/05 9:00 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I immediately check the Task Manager to identify any processes that are taking up lots of CPU or Memory resources.
Getting real aquainted with the typical processes that run on your PC is one of the easiest and beneficial strategies you can do to quickly identify causes for performance problems.
task manager
by afenu - 6/2/05 6:20 AM In reply to: Check Task Manager! by spampurgehow do you know what is to be kept and what is to be deleted on the task manager???
pc - amdAthlon XP - 2.13Ghz
task manager
by JohnBarbagallo - 5/30/06 7:16 PM In reply to: task manager by afenuyou just have to familiarize yourself with the tasks and if your unsure about one, google it...there are plenty of sites out there that will offer descriptions of .exe processes
If the process is bad, you can right-click it in the processes section and ''end process tree.'' this will stop the process and all processes it initiated...for example, AIM uses a ton of my (~128mb) ram when it launches so I shut down the process tree ''aollaunch.exe'' at startup and im fine
also the streamlined display feature for XP (the nice, colerful start menu lol) has a process ''svchost.exe'' that uses 99% of my cpu so i shut it down and my display goes back to win98 styling for a while. its probably not the best thing to do but its quick and easy
btw, i dont care about messing up my laptop since im getting a new one soon.
cheers
Personally...
by culture_of_one - 5/13/05 9:19 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I look to the heavens for divine guidance. Occasionally, I'll shout something like, "Why lord? Why?!"
My PC usually speeds up right afterwards. I prefer this method because defrag takes too long.
JDM
What I do
by Ukexpat - 5/13/05 9:25 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have Diskeeper running whenever my OC is not in use (screensaver mode) so defrag is not an issue. I also run a McAfee scan every night so (hopefully) viruses are not an issue.
Therefore I always assume that Spyware is the likeiest source of any problem. I do use Spybot on Boot, which isn't very often, but I do have it set to trap Adware cookies when they try to download. This works well.
After suspecting Spyware, I always run Disk Cleanup and I also independently empty out the temp directory every now and again.
reboot first - then scan for spys and ads
by Cadillac84 - 5/13/05 10:01 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Even WinXP Pro has memory ''leaks'' and it is so easy to leave computers on all the time now -- they are quiet and don't use much energy in slumber state with screen off and hard drives stopped. After a while, even the well-behaved WinXP Pro will lose track of some of the memory and be reserving for things that aren't running. I'll reboot first and then I'll check for Spyware and Adware using my two or three favorite tools.
I don't defrag much -- though a lot of folks put that high on their list. The new file systems and predictive behavior of hard drives today makes that not nearly the helpful tool it used to be.
Keeping Windows Security updates current, keeping BIOS current and sweeping for spys and ads are my favorites. Keeping AV up to date goes without saying.
What's the first thing you do
by texasrowe - 5/13/05 10:03 AM In reply to: What is the first thing you do when your computer's... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Usually the first thing I do is turn off everything running in the background in msconfig. then I go back to the desktop to see what's still giving me fits. then I run spybot S&D...etc, etc,etc.
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