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Community Newsletter: Q&A: How do I get my PC back in shape?
- 5/10/07 8:43 PM
Geek Help vs. People help
by paultaut - 5/4/07 8:46 PM In reply to: How do I get my PC back in shape? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
"Geek" help will drive you up a wall with trying to do everything all at once.
"People" help will try things one at a time...
Ask yourself, whats the last program installed that dramatically slowed everything down...probably something that was memory intensive enough that it has to use your hard drive to run and you probably have it loading at start up....U need more ram...200 megs doesn't cut it anymore.
If that wasn't it, go the Defragmentation route...its part of Windows accessories but remember to disable your Screensaver.
A registry cleaner is a must every once in a while...bits and pieces of every old program you ever uninstalled are floating around in your hard drive..ie. what uninstalls the Uninstall program? And with System Restore, you can have some fun.
I once removed some 48,000 cookies in one fell swoop although Windows gave me a song and dance about programs being unable to run etc...since when are cookies parts of applications? U may have to re-enter IDs and Passwords but its better than 50,000 cookies which are "temporary" but expire in 40 to 50 years.
I remove adware once a day, using two separate stand alone apps and use PC Pitstop Optimizer and AVG daily.
Good luck but try to keep it simple.
Making assumptions about Sandy's computer are silly...
by JeffAHayes - 5/4/07 10:30 PM In reply to: Geek Help vs. People help by paultautLike the one edge_bit did about Dell selling this XP computer with just 256 MB of RAM 2 years ago... As others have pointed out, with Sandy saying she THINKS her computer has 200 MB of "memory," means (based on the system being 2 years old) it's more likely she has a 200 GB hard drive (if she got a fairly high-end system that long ago), or POSSIBLE that it has 256 MB of RAM, as well...
For the record, I agree that especially since the release of SP 2, which was more than 2 years ago, 256 MB of RAM is NOT enough. I'd also like to note, however, that as recently as this past Christmas season, ALL the major retailers had low-price "beginner systems" for sale with, you guessed it, 256 MB of RAM, so it's NOT something everybody QUIT doing any time recently, even though they SHOULD HAVE.
I'm not going into any details on what Sandy should do in the way of Spring Cleaning. For one thing, there's already 143 postings here, with PLENTY of details, and I've read just the few "best" and thought they covered it pretty well. And frankly, I agreed with the second one; she doesn't come off as having enough knowledge, based on her "memory" comment, to really be up to the task of doing it properly... If this was more than a "beginner system," i.e., more than $500 to start with, I'd recommend she just unplug all her cables from the computer and take just the "box" to whichever of the "Big Two" retailers (Circuit City or Best Buy) is offering the best current deal for PC Checkup and have them run a checkup and cleanout on it. I think CC was offering that for $49, recently, and if she chats them up a little, they might actually tell her enough where she can do the basics herself the next time...
On the other hand, if it WAS just one of the "beginner systems" and she can afford a new computer, she may want to go that route... However, she may wish to "take the challenge" first and at least TRY the steps outlined by the first poster and see where that gets her. I'd make sure to burn all my DATA FILES (i.e., any pictures, music, documents -- anything you've CREATED OR DOWNLOADED or saved from an email that you want to keep FIRST)... You can replace or reinstall your operating system and programs... Your pictures, documents... letters, etc., are TOAST if you ruin the hard drive or system).
Happy, Safe Computing,
Jeff
Old PC + Older Hard Drive = Performance Boost
by stephencollier - 5/4/07 11:24 PM In reply to: How do I get my PC back in shape? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I stumbled upon this at work. The computer up front had a measly 8GB drive, which was used up & the machine moved at a crawl. All I had around was another 8GB drive. It was too late to install programs on the second drive.
The only thing I could think of was to install the second drive and move the Windows Paging file to that drive. It then occured to me to move the TEMP folders to that drive. The program and data files could all stay back on the C: drive.
It worked. It worked better than I thought it would. It turns out that Windows does a lot of work with the swap file, moving data from hard drive to RAM and who knows what else. Programs also use the TEMP folder frequently. By moving them both to a separate drive, work gets far more effectively divided than I had guessed. I'm setting up my desktop to do the same thing (along with the addition of RAID striped SATA drives for my main drive!)
You can change the location for the paging file and the temp folders thru the Windows XP control Panel->System Properties->Advanced Tab.
************* Move the page file *************
*In the Perfmance section, click the Settings button.
*In the Performance Options dialog, Advanced Tab, click the Change button in the Virtual memory section at the bottom.
*What you want to do here is to selct the C: drive and write down the Initial size & Maximum size settings.
*Choose the old drive and input those values and click the Set button.
*Go back to the C: Drive and select No paging file and hit the Set button.
************* Move the Temp folders *************
*Create a Temp folder in your old drive.
*Back in the System Properties Advanced tab, click the Environment Variables button.
*In the User variables section at the top, change both the TEMP & TMP variables to point your new Temp folder.
*In the System variables section at the top, change both the TEMP & TMP variables to point your new Temp folder.
Even an old drive with just a few Gigs will help out a bunch. Having the work split between two drives clicking away at the same time really seems to help get things moving.
Get PC back in shape
by jt_darts934 - 5/5/07 3:43 AM In reply to: How do I get my PC back in shape? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi all, apart from the obvious spyware checking and virus checking software there are a couple of nice and easy pieces of software that i use and have found them very effective. They are,CCleaner and PC Pal both can be downloaded for free and are very effective even in their default settings. Dont forget to make a restore point at the very least though before accepting any changes,then defrag the HD when youv`e finished. Good luck, JT
Actually, A General Post Re: PC Clean-up
by RockL - 5/6/07 12:44 AM In reply to: Get PC back in shape by jt_darts934In my very"Weak Geek" opinion.... There were many valid points brought up, but I tend to agree that perhaps she WOULD be better served if she were to put her trusty 2 yr old PC in the hands of her neighborhod, Consumer reccommended, Professional Computer Technician. I'll keep it real simple .... Most people find it necessary to take their cars to a pro 'cause they are "overwhelmed" with all the possibilities. A PC is really not much different. She may indeed need a Tune-Up and a tweak, or she may only need to blow out the dust and check her fans to see that she isn't overheating.
There were a lot of good general answers, some very detailed; but, the road to PC improvement is going to be a very boring and time consuming trip because it is really a methodical process.
Better Spyware protection
by Striker007 - 5/5/07 3:57 AM In reply to: How do I get my PC back in shape? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Well, instead of just one spyware remover, that is mostly ineffecient, you can download Hitman Pro. This program will run a couple of spyware scanners (Ad Aware, Spware Search and Destroy and others), and is more effecient than just one.
Simple Start for Average PC User
by fisherv - 5/5/07 4:27 AM In reply to: How do I get my PC back in shape? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I notice than most of these answers are way off-track. No offense intend – you are typical of the vast majority of PC users, i.e. you are not a techie (and you shouldn’t have to be) and you use your PC to accomplish work or entertainment goals, not as a personal science lab.
Considering that your knowledge of the innards of the machine is limited, and that there as so many tasks to accomplish to do what you wish to do, I strongly recommend that you proceed safely and slowly.
1. Back up your important data to CDs.
2. A very effective solution to 95% of any potential problems is to use a software product such as Norton System Works. I specifically recommend this one, and I have used Norton products since they were still sold by Peter Norton himself (and that’s a while ago).
Everything you need to scan the machine for errors, back up and restore, optimize the hard drive (rearranges the data coherently to speed up the machine) and remove unwanted clutter is all in that package. A further benefit is the effective virus protection & firewall that protects you against on-line threats, and beautifully, the System Works updates itself continually during your annual subscription period.
Get the Pro/Deluxe version, and buy it every year. Once you get the machine scrubbed and clean, then look to adding more RAM memory (boosts speed) and, perhaps, an additional hard drive (same).
Remember, you still need to become somewhat knowledgeable about the hardware in your machine, i.e. processor type & speed, amount of RAM memory, hard disk size, etc. That was part of the deal when you decided you wanted a computer.
You don’t need a PhD in Electrical Engineering. You need a simple integrated solution that will do what it is intended to do, i.e. make the geeky tasks understandable and relatively automated for the average user.
I disagree
by waytron - 5/6/07 6:01 AM In reply to: Simple Start for Average PC User by fishervI disagree!
Anyone should be able to maintain their computer, if they have the interest.
The very fact that she posted the question here in this forum, indicates to me that she is able and willing to perform some of her own maintenance. You don’t need to know how much ram is in your computer to run “DISKCLEAN”. You also don’t need to know the size of your car engine to pump your own gas or even change your own oil.
The easy answer to just about every question here in this forum could be to take your computer to a local professional and that is fine if you just don’t care to do it yourself.
Routine Maintenance and keeping a computer in good running condition is not rocket science. It may look overly complicated here because of the vast number of suggestions and possibilities posted here, but it is not a big deal. I can usually instruct even the most “green” computer users on how to keep their computer clean in about 10 minutes and with a few desktop shortcuts.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”
Dana
If I can do it you can too.
by kjarrell - 5/5/07 5:54 AM In reply to: How do I get my PC back in shape? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Go to www.crucial.com and use their scan to check your memory. They will tell you if you have open slots on your computer to install which if you haven't upgraded your memory most likely you will have two. If you can, go for the most you can afford. It's worth it. Mine ran like a scalded ape until I put Vista on it. Don't be afraid to open up your computer and put a couple of cards in (unless you haven't unplugged it). If you just can't figure it out, they have people you can call and they will walk you through. Don't do the Vista thing. I think bigger memory cards will fix you right up. You will think you have a new computer. I haven't found deleting old mail and other useless things help. Put a few gigs in there. Good Luck, Kathy
The "Easy" Way Out...
by Launchpad_72 - 5/5/07 9:07 AM In reply to: How do I get my PC back in shape? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Unfortunately, because of all the different things that can happen to a computer, there's no easy way to *compeletely* clean a computer, short of a fresh install, which is not to be taken lightly.
There are, however, some relatively easy methods of maintaining a currently functioning Windows XP computer that will get you some of your speed back.
The first thing I reccommend is getting Windows OneCare. Before the veteran techs start flaming me for this, let me explain.
Most people don't have a fully functioning security soloution; either something's expired, or not covered, or it's simply a lousy program.
I like OneCare because not only does it cover *all* major aspects of security, it also is relatively inexpensive and is good for up to 3 XP or Vista computers. On top of that, it has a feature that is extremely relavant to this topic: Tune-Up.
The OneCare Tune-Up is important because it covers about 5 major maintanance steps in one click.
First, it does a disk cleanup, which goes through and gets rid of all the temporary files. (Do you really need a copy of all the ads on that website you visited last week? Didn't think so.)
Then, it performs a defragment of your hard drive, which is analogous to organizing your kid's room; yeah, they can get through it, but when you try, it takes forever to wind your way through. Once clean, everything is easy to find and not nearly as cluttered.
Third, it runs a security scan. It checks your computer for viruses, malware (a general name for adware, spyware, and anything else malicious or annoying) and does a fairly good job at getting rid of them.
Fourth, it will try to preform a backup of your computer. Now, this step will only run if you've already followed the Backup Wizard in OneCare (which is another reason I like the program. The backup subroutine is actually really good.), but if you haven't, no big deal. I do reccommend backing up once you're done with this spring cleaning, though.
Last, it will check for any high-priority updates from microsoft and automatically install them.
Now, this Tune-Up might take several hours the first time it runs, so I reccommend that you make this an overnight project. Get it started after dinner, then let it run all night. When you wake up, hopefully your computer will be a little smoother.
Now, there are probably still a few proverbial dust bunnies on your computer, but most of them are cleaned up. There are ways to clean further, but it's most likely not worth the effort.
I would, however, look into possibly getting a RAM upgrade, as it's a very easy and inexpensive upgrade to almost double or triple the performance of your computer. Also, when you get the Memory upgrade, grab a can of compressed air cleaner, and give the interior of that computer a good spray cleaning outside (because you do not want all that dust inside your house) before you install the RAM.
Good luck, and happy computing.
-Launchpad_72
How To get Computer back in Shape
by Philscbx - 5/5/07 10:29 AM In reply to: How do I get my PC back in shape? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Quite simple really.
As everyone here has recommended, do pickup a portable 300 GB hard drive, and back up your system.
I purchased a Seagate Drive that has a great feature built in it's software to get it done. Under $200.
Now, the ultimate step next is get your XP Pro discs and have someone partition the hard drive first.
This is a great way to keep Your stuff away from the operating system.
One problem that occurs little by little is that some viruses, and or cleaning programs can accidentally damage a file or 2 in Your Operating System.
All it takes is one of these operating files damaged, and your system can suffer greatly.
Your best bet is to reload a fresh partitioned drive with XP PRO, and you basically have a new computer, better than before.
Install all the updates and your set to load back in your data you created.
Good Luck,
Phil Trites
Mpls, Minnesota
Bare bones
by dannyza1981 - 5/5/07 2:05 PM In reply to: How To get Computer back in Shape by PhilscbxWhile the first post was very well informed, the last post is probably a simple and easy solution.
Backup all data onto a removable drive, and backup important information (documents settings, drivers, confidential info, passwords etc.) to a memory stick for extra safety.
Then format.
After that re--partition. As a basic partition I would like an area for os (say 5 Gb), programs (30 Gb) and documents and file creation (60 Gb), finally a further 20 Gb should be used for temporary files, cache and other processes.
This is for a 120 Gb Harddrive which in my opinion is a must, for maintaining a computer these days.
Update all system settings, and drivers. Make sure everything is running flawlessly, in terms of hardware - say the scanner, printer, modem, and all other peripherals.
Then slowly, install software (only genuine, products should be installed). Do the heavy weights first - microsoft office, corel, adobe photoshop etc.
Also, a computer today needs at least 512 Mb running memory to run efficiently. More Ram will keep it smooth.
Each new software component needs to be assessed: Do I really need this, or is it junk I never really use, but looked interesting and fun when I first installed it.
Consider that many small shareware programs and background tsrs take up memory, and defeat the purpose of having a fast machine.
If you're using your computer as a desktop office, consider reducing memory assigned for graphics (speak to a techie about doing this). Alternatively, you may wish to upgrade on your video card which can release more system memory to your processor.
Finally, you'll want to add your documents.
When you've had a good run of your os, and everything is in order, do an online activation.
Also, the partitioning should make solving problems easier in the long run, you can reinstall an os on one partition easily, with minimal problems, without having to format the whole drive. It also makes defraging a breeze.
Hope you're successful!
Re:How do I get my PC back in shape?
by knighteyres - 5/5/07 2:19 PM In reply to: How do I get my PC back in shape? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The first thing to do is to clean all of the extra junk files out of your computer. I would download ccleaner http://www.ccleaner.com/ it cleans out all temporary files all at once also it has registry check on that program and run that also. Then I would do a error check. Go start button, my computer, C: drive and right click, properties, tools, error check then restart. Most spyware is in the cookies folder that got cleaned out with ccleaner. but you can do a scan if you want. The last thing is to defrag the hard drive you do that the same way you get to the error check in tools. Make sure to defrag last because you will just be moving around the junk you don't want anyway
Getting your computer in shape....
by GeekGirlFromTopeka - 5/5/07 3:51 PM In reply to: How do I get my PC back in shape? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi, how are you doing, Sandy? I doubt you have 200MB of RAM. Maybe you
are talking about 200GB of hard drive space. Maybe you are talking about 256MB of RAM. Here are the things I do to keep my PC up to speed, I do them once a month:
1.)Disk Cleanup
Windows' Disk Cleanup is a built in utility that clean off junk files on your hard drive. To get to Disk Cleanup, you click on the My Computer icon(it's the icon with the big monitor and the tower) on your desktop, right click on your hard disk drive, choose Properties, choose Disk Cleanup. Let it analyze your drive to see what files that are taking up hard drive space then put check marks on the files taking up hard drive space, click OK, then "Yes" to remove the files.
2.) Get CCleaner from http://www.ccleaner.com. This is a freebie program that helps clean your hard drive and registry even further than Disk Cleanup. When you are in the program, you are in Cleaner and
the Windows tabs. Click on Analyze to start analyzing your hard drive,
choose Run Cleaner, you should be done. Next, you can choose the Applications tab, click on Analyze to start analyzing your hard drive,
then choose Run Cleaner. Then click on "Issues". Click on Scan for Issues to find if any shortcuts, dead registry entries, etc are taking
then click on "Fix selected issues".
3.)Run Error Checking to make sure there aren't any bad sectors on your hard drive. To run Error Checking, click on the My Computer icon,
go to the Tools tab, choose Check Now, then make sure both options
"Automatically fix file system errors" and "Scan for and attempt to recovery of bad sectors" are checked. These two options will take a while, say 30-40+ minutes, so go do something while they are running.
4.) Defrag your hard drive to organize files. When files are fragmented on your hard drive, your hard drive has to go to different parts on the hard drive. This takes forever to find files on your hard
drive. To run Disk Defragmenter, go to Start, Programs, Accessories, click on System Tools, then click on Disk Defragmenter. Click on Analyze to have Disk Defragmenter analyze your hard drive. If Disk Defragmenter says to defrag this volume, go ahead and do it. If it says you don't need to defrag this volume, still go ahead and do it.
5.) Get NTREGOPT from http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/. Click on the Server 3 NTREGOPT side to download NTREGOPT. NTREGOPT lets optimize and compact your registry hives. This speeds up your computer. When NTREGOPT is downloaded to your desktop, click on NTREGOPT, let it run, and then click OK to reboot your computer.
6.) Get WinASO Regdefrag to defrag and optimize the registry even further. Download RegDefrag from http://www.download.com/WinASO-RegDefrag/3000-2094-10418079.html?part=dl-WinASOReg&subj=dl&tag=button. Click on RegDefrag after you get the file downloaded to your desktop, let it analyze your registry. If it says that your registry is fragmented, click on Next to start the defrag. Cilck on "Yes" to reboot your computer.
7.) Optimize the pagefile by right clicking on your My Computer icon, click on the Advanced tab, click on Change under Virtual Memory, then for Virtual Memory settings, make sure it's 1.5 times the phyiscal RAM
in your computer. You only have to do this once.
8.) Upgrade your RAM since 256MB isn't enough RAM to run Windows XP. Go to http://www.crucial.com/ with the model number of your system and
it will find the RAM for your computer. I would say 512MB should be the minnimum to run Windows XP, with 1GB or 2GB the maxmium to run Windows XP. If you have 256MB of RAM, files will have to swap to the pagefile a lot more when you run out of physical RAM. Upgrade the RAM so you won't have to use the pagefile a lot.
9.) clean your Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, History, Prefetch,
%Temp%, and Temp folders once a week. For History, I would say 1 day
should be enough. The days in History is make sure that you can go back to the URLs visited. For your browser cache, which you access through the General Settings in Internet Options, then click on Settings, you can set it at 100MB since it is originally set at 1000MB
and that takes hard drive space.
10.) If you are out of hard drive space, try removing applications you
don't used, move pictures and files to a DVD or CDROM.
11.) Make sure to use msconfig to disable applications starting up when your computer does. For example, programs like Quicktime, Real, etc. doesn't to be started out. Remove applications you don't need starting up. Don't disable anti virus, firewall, or spyware applications.
12.) Make sure to remove Norton or Mcafee all in one security apps. They are resource hogs and cause more problems than it's worth.
13.) Make sure to download these three applications and update the definitions:
http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10669237.html?tag=lst-0-1
http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware%26subj=dl%26tag=top5
http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10401314.html?tag=lst-0-1
These free applications will help you remove nasties that use Internet
bandwidth and take up computer resources. Viruses and malware will slow down your computer.
---------------------------------------------------
If these suggestions doesn't work for you, try reformatting your hard drive and reinstall Windows. Reinstalling your applications will take you an hour. Make sure to have a firewall before you go online to updated patches, drivers, etc because you could get hacked.
It will still have problems doing all the steps
by Philscbx - 5/6/07 5:30 AM In reply to: Getting your computer in shape.... by GeekGirlFromTopekaOne could do all these steps triple times over,
and it will never perform near a fresh install of XP PRO.
And still half the work installing new, than trying to repair.
You more than likely didn't have XP PRO on the machine when first purchased. And if not, it is nice.
You would basically need a new computer to run Vista.
Too many hardware upgrades for Vista to run best on Yours.
You can always do Vista Later when it's really ready.
The tower PC will be much slimmer to fit unnoticed anywhere.
But do perform the inner case cleaning. Prior to any install.
A modified painters brush dampened with rubbing alcohol works
great to clean oily dust balls off the circuit boards. ETC.
Just use a scissors to trim the brush so the center brushes are the longest. Dip the brush into cleaner, and use paper towels to remove the dirt from the brush every few moments. Let machine sit over night before plugging it in.
Discussing Your RAM past the 3rd posting is redundant.
Regardless, It will work just fine with XP PRO.
If You have moved into Photography processing RAW images, then yes, I'd opt for more RAM, and possible Graphics Card.
Hopefully your tower is still hanging in there enough to read these.
It was through here that I discovered 'System Mechanic' 3 years ago, and my old tower 4 years old is still working fine. And it has it's own virus and other system software care packages built in.
The best part with this care package is it's never intrusive while your working, like all the others.
Best Regards...
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