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Computer help: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes?
- 6/20/08 2:00 PM
Boot back into Linux
by geneven - 6/20/08 7:25 PM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I run Sidux lots of the time, and it is blazingly fast.
But the first thing I would do in Windows is check to see how much disk space I have, especially on the C: drive. Windows swaps information to disk when it needs more memory than it has, and low disk space gives it conniptions.
If that wasn't the culprit, I would run a bunch of free optimization programs and see if that helped. I would try to see if the slowup was related to Net speed.
Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriorate?
by huntnlabs - 6/21/08 11:21 AM In reply to: Boot back into Linux by genevenI'm not computer whiz by any means. I'm more a semi-illiterate computer hunt & ******. From what I've pieced together for different info I've stumbled onto I thought it was necessary to run virus and spy ware scans before doing a defrag to rid anything that might be compromising your computer performance and/or files. I have automatic virus and spy ware scans automatically scheduled but I'll still run them before I do a defrag. Is this over kill or unwarranted?
All of the above
by mjd420nova - 6/20/08 7:29 PM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First I run adaware, then spybot, then virus checker, followed by a disk cleanup and finally the disk defrag. Actually I do this on a weekly basis and it keeps things running smoothly all the time. If I notice a serious slowdown, the virus checker will usually reveal an infection. Adaware never fails to find lots of spyware that has resulted from cruising through my normal sites and I'm aware of them and can't seem to find a way to block them out and still be able to visit the sites. Check it out, you'll be surprised at who loads spyware unto your machine.
After basic maintenance, time for the disk cleanup utilities
by chuckkel - 6/20/08 7:36 PM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You should have already be running an antivirus, antispyware and defrag as a normal course of action and should have done a reboot. If it is still abnormally slow, I run 'Evidence Eliminator' disk cleanup which throughly cleans up the inside and frees up drive space. I then force a defrag to reintegrate the freed up space.
Defrag won't help performance
by dknapp - 6/20/08 7:47 PM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I saw that too many folks, in my opinion, go to the defrag as the first step in checkig performance. Believe me, after monitoring about 1,000 PCs in my company, I can tell you that very very few problems can be helped by defraging the computer. Our server group never defrags their servers, even those with a 50-80 simultaneous users. A defrag might help on program startup, but not on overall performance. Better to check the number of processes running, check for memory hogs, etc. With the disk cacheing going on, a defrag is of minimal help.
use a backed up image of the C drive
by lenwaldman - 6/20/08 8:17 PM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am a very big fan of ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE. I make a back up of my OS C Drive at least once a month and keep it stored on a partitioned 2nd Hard Drive. I keep at least 4 months backup and amm quick to restore , usually the last one, whenever I feel the unit is slowing down or for that matter if any installed program starts not to repsond properly or promptly.
This procedure is diferent than backing up my DATA which is on a different partion on yet aother (3rd) hard drive. Oh I forgot to mention my C drive ( partition) has ONLY my WINDOWS operating system on it.
Never fails me!!
I do the obvious first
by glorietasunsets - 6/20/08 11:38 PM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
1,2,& 3 are part of my normal routine. In fact 1 & 2 are programmed into a daily routine. 4-6 are performed regularly, as needed, based on the type of work I am doing on my computer(s). Between redundency and a solid set-up for maintenance and protection, I can usually pin-point the source of a slow down fairly quickly.
If all else fails. I IM my favorite SIL (love him) and with what I have narrowed it down to, between us, we can usually work it out.
My biggest enemy is usually bandwidth lock down because I have downloaded a new purchase (program) or update that has exceeded the bandwidth allowance (and we have business BW). Anyone know a REALLY good program to get around that problem?
Other
by Dango517 - 6/21/08 12:08 AM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Daily - disk defragmenter utility, Run a disk clean up utility, Run a registry cleaner, plus much more. All of this is done by this:
http://www.iolo.com/
Takes about 2 minutes
Weekly - antivirus application, Run antispyware/adware applications. Mine are automatic but I run manual scans weekly.
This thread untracked
Don't put them in to begin with - Remove any unnecessary programs.
Once a month or so - When the Icon pops up I down load them but I do receive a newsletter from MS that notifies me there coming and what other downloads of interest there are.
This sounds like a lot but it isn't. Iolo takes care of most of it in just a few minutes.
Why because for the most part my PC runs great and I want to keep it that way.
I also run a RAM optimizer in - real time.
Speeding UP my Vista
by ohdesertrose - 6/21/08 12:50 AM In reply to: Other by Dango5171) I run a disk clean up
2) I run registry clean up
3) I run Ad aware
4) I ADORE the IObit Advanced Windows Care, all in one package and the SpeedRAM is a HUGE difference I am flying on my Vista!
* One thing I noticed wasn't mentioned....OUT OF THE BOX, DEFAULT the history pages to ZERO! ) Internet settings) Factory sets the pages to 20!! Zikes!
Poll Question
by Peterderek - 6/21/08 12:54 AM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I through a few choice Anglo Saxon words at the screen and then work through the possible solutions more or less in the sequence you list.
Other, because
by ironfist72 - 6/21/08 1:48 AM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
a) I clean up temp files every day
b) I perform defragment on a weekly base.
c) I have buy the "Driver Genius Professional Edition" software to keep drivers updated.
d) Basically I don't run "strange" software on my pc. (And the few times I do, I make all the necessary acts to be sure that nothing suspicious is being left behind after I uninstall it).
e) I perform unistalls by the book (uninstall > manually check the program files for files that left behind and looks empty > reboot) and from what Mark Russinovich, Author of the “Bible” said the registry cleaners are not something useful. And if you are using a pc with more than one user they can really mess up your system.
e) I have both untivirus and untispyware software running in "real time"
So, if my pc starts to deteriorate (and because I haven't change the setting so far, to automatically clear all dlls after I stop using a program)I do the folowings until I found the reason:
1. I close it for 5 minutes.(Sometimes the RAM -and besides your setting- can be overflowetted, or the CPU temp can go up high)
2. I perform a full scan with my antispyware.
3. I login on safe mode and run my untivirus
4. I check with "Process Explorer" and "Security Task Manager" to see if something strange going on.
In the end,even if I do all 4, I always find and what is going on and I can fix it.
And for that special time that nothing from the above will work, I have on my external hard drive 2 back up files.
One,right after the fresh and clean installation of my windows.
One more with the programs I mostly use.
Speeding Up My New Vista PC
by jofish420 - 6/21/08 3:55 AM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I don't have alot of problems with speed on my vista laptop as I regularly run a disc clean up every few days, as well as using a program called Revo Uninstaller. It cleans all my programs up, gets out the leftover bits of data that remain on your hard drive even if you do delete certain items. It also cleans out both my IE and FF browsers and it also cleans my windows. I love it! I will also run spybot S&D, and my comp automatically will run my antivirus every Friday. It takes regular maintenance to keep ur PC running smoothly. I also have an old 2002 Celeron with XP sp2 that has crashed 3 times to which i have restored. It still runs well as I do the same to that PC. My friends have all gone through a couple of comps since I originally bought that one and mine still works. So now I have two. I regularly get called by my friends to help them with their comp probs...so much so I'm thinking about charging for my consulting services. LOL
Deteroriation of pc performance
by Saskia Cornell - 6/21/08 4:06 AM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My computer tech has always told me to run defrag on a regular basis and I do, but if my computer does start playing up I run a defrag and disc cleanup and if that doesn't help, I go into panic mode and I phone him and he comes out and fixes it 
Saskia Cornell
System images
by DOSpower - 6/21/08 6:53 AM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Whenever I configure a new computer I always make a recovery image with all the applications (at least the bulk of what I believe will go onto the machine) and then burn the image(s) onto a self booting CD/DVD. I have been using Powerquest Drive Image 2002 for a good few years now and it has yet to disappoint me. In all it takes somewhere between 5 to 15 minutes depending on the system and the size of the configuration. It certainly beats reinstallation of OS and applications.
I would add that I also partition my hard drive and have all my working files and documents on the partition that doesn't contain the OS and program files.
Other; Clean it!
by anthony f wood - 6/21/08 7:00 AM In reply to: Poll: What do you do when your PC's performance deteriotes? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I notice most people use various software programs but nobody seems to want to check the hardware.
I live in a rural area which gets a lot of airborne plant dust. This gets into the fan blades & heatsinks, major clogging of airflow.
Knock the covers off & vacuum clean with a long haired soft brush, followed up with a blast of CRC CO-contact cleaner(no residue or flame).
A lot of city friends have found this picks up some lost performance as well, so it's an easy and cheap bit of maintenance.
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