The steps below will guide you through the process to restore your computers performance to the way it was when you first purchased it, or even better!
Assuming you have Windows XP , just follow the steps below. If you don't have Windows XP, the majority of the steps below will still work for you!
Step 1: Run MSConfig
What it does: MSConfig is a built in Windows utility that lets you enable and disable items that start up automatically when Windows does. In most cases, you don't need applications to run in the background the whole time, as this just takes up your computers resources and slows it down. Most of these applications show up in the system tray (the area next to the clock) as small icons, the goal is to have as little running as possible!
If you have not completed this step in the CleanUp section, click on Start -> Run, type in msconfig, then click on OK. A new window will appear; in this window click on the Startup tab on the right hand side. What you will see is a list of programs and items that are executed when your computer starts up. The more items you have here, the more useless stuff you have running while you are using your computer.
If you are unsure what some items are, just leave them checked.
Some common applications that add themselves to startup:
- Quicktime
- Realplayer
- Aim, and other chat programs
- WinZip
- File sharing programs
- Weatherbug
- Adobe Reader
After you restart your computer, just note that you will be prompted with a notification that your startup list has changed. Simply click on the checkbox shown below and then click OK.
Step 2: Resize the Recycle Bin
What it does: By default, the Recylce Bin allows 10% of your hard drive space to be used for files that you delete. This is beyond overkill and simply wastes space that you could be using!
Right click on the Recycle Bin and then click on Properties. On the new window that comes up, adjust the slider until it is set to 1% and click OK.
Step 3: Adjust For Best Performance
What it does: By default, Windows XP has many visual effects that make it look all pretty and bubbly. I personally can't stand it, but taste aside, all of this glitz and glamour uses up system resources that could be better used for useful things. This turns off many of these features.
Locate My Computer , located either on your desktop or in your Start Menu. Right click on My Computer and select Properties. A new window will open; Click on the tab labeled Advanced. Next, click on the Settings button under the Performance section. First, click on the Adjust for best performance selection. Then, you may want to enable these in the checkbox list:
- Smooth edges of screen fonts (if you have an LCD monitor)
- Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop
Click Apply .
Step 4: Set Virtual Memory Size
What it does: Besides physical memory, your computer uses hard drive space to aid in starting and running applications. By default, Windows sets the size of this hard drive space to an initial amount, and specifies a maximum amount. We will be changing this figure to the optimal setting.
In the same window from above, titled Performance Options, click on the Advanced tab. At the bottom, in the section called Virtual memory, click on the Change button. Notice there are two editable numbers, Initial size and Maximum size. Set both of these values to 1024, if you have atleast 512 MB of RAM, and click the Set button. If you have less than 512 MB of RAM, then set both of these values to 768. Click OK on all open windows. You may get a prompt to restart, ignore this and elect to restart later.
Step 5: Run CheckDisk
What it does: CheckDisk is a built in Windows utility that fixes errors, recovers information, and marks bad sections of your hard drive.
Locate and double-click on My Computer. Right click on your C: drive and select Properties, then click on the Tools tab at the top. In the Error-checking section, click on Check Now. Ensure that both check boxes are checked and then click on Start. You will get a prompt notifying you that this must be run by restarting. Simply click on Yes. The next time you restart your computer, this will run. It will take approximately 30 minutes, depening on the size of your hard drive.
Step 6: Defragment Your Hard Drive
What it does: When you use your computer, files that are accessed are constantly being read and rewritten by applications. This causes files to become fragmented, or stored on different locations on the hard drive. This slows operations down, so regularly defragmenting can prevent this.
Still on the same window above, under the Defragmentation section, click on the Defragment Now button. This will open yet another window. Simply click on the Defragment button and do something around the house while until it finishes. This should take about 30 minutes as well, more or less, depending on the size of your hard drive. When this is finished, it will show you a report, just close this and any open windows, and restart your computer!