8 steps to make your PC faster
It feels so irritating when your PC with GHz of processor and Gigs of RAM runs at a snail’s pace. You think that you spent so much money and got a garbage which does not live upto your expectation. But never get disheartened it is only you who is responsible for this behavior of your PC and if you want to blame any one you should do it to yourself. Let me tell that following a proper maintenance schedule for your PC and performing couple of steps I will be discussing below will always run your PC faster.
Close all open programs not being used:
Only use necessary software programs. Minimizing a software program may not stop it from using the computer processor and memory. Being connected to the Internet, listening to music and running virus scans all use large amounts of system resources. Operate virus scans and other system tools when away from the computer for extended periods. Work offline when convenient. Closing software programs that are not necessary helps Windows perform more efficiently.
Prevent back ground programs from starting:
As software programs start, small icons display on the system tray (usually these icons are in the lower-right corner of the screen, next to the date/time). Each of these small icons represents a program operating in the background, and each one uses system resources. Follow these steps to close them:
- Click Start, and then click Run.
- Type the following into the Open field: msconfig and click on OK.
- The System Configuration Utility opens
- Next, click the General tab and then click Selective Startup.
- Click the Startup tab and remove the check marks from any unwanted tasks. If unsure about a task, write the name down and research it on the Internet later.
Do not remove a checkmark if you do not know what the task is (if possible, do not close Backweb, MotiveMonitor, or Vshield).
- Click OK to accept the changes. Restart the computer.
- If Windows or other software programs stop working after removing a checkmark, from a task you were unsure about, restart the computer in Safe Mode and reverse these procedures to replace the checkmark.
Press F8 after the blue HP startup screen (after the computer has been turned on) to enter Safe mode.
By completing these steps, Windows will use Selective Startup. This means that Windows prevents the selected software programs from starting. All of the selected software programs will start if Selective Startup is disabled.
Remove icons from the Startup folder:
Use the following steps to prevent unwanted software programs from starting:
- With all applications closed, right-click in the Windows desktop, and select New and Folder. Name the folder notstartup. This folder will store the unused icons and make them available if required later.
- Right-click Start, and then click Open. Windows should open the Start Menu folder.
- Double-click Programs.
- Locate and double-click Startup.
- Any software programs with icons in Startup start when Windows starts. Right-click any of these icons and select Properties to reveal more information about the software program.
- While holding down the CTRL key, click the icons to be removed from the startup folder.
- Click Edit, and then click Cut.
- Close the open windows to return to the Windows desktop.
- Double-click the Notstartup folder created in Step 1.
- From the Edit menu, click Paste to insert the icons into this folder.
- Restart the computer.
Emptying the Recycle Bin:
- From the Windows desktop, double-click Recycle Bin.
- Restore any mistakenly deleted items by highlighting each file, and then from the File menu, click Restore.
- From the File menu, click Empty Recycle Bin. Windows will remove the contents of the Recycle Bin from the hard disk (C: is most common). Click Yes to confirm.
- Close the Recycle Bin.
Deleting temporary files and directories:
- Click Start, click Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.
- Place a check next to Temporary Files and then click OK.
Running CheckDisk and Disk Defragmenter:
- Click Start, and then click My Computer.
- Right-click on the hard drive’s icon (usually C:\).
- Click Properties, and then click the Tools tab.
- Click Check Now.
- Place checkmarks in all checkboxes.
- Click OK, and then click Yes to schedule a full disk scan when the computer restarts.
- Restart the computer. The disk scan can take a long time to complete.
Follow these steps to perform Disk Defragmenter:
- Close all software programs. This includes background software programs such as virus scanners.
- Click Start, click Programs or All Programs, click Accessories, and then click System Tools.
- Click Disk Defragmenter. Follow the onscreen instructions. If Disk Defragmenter starts itself repeatedly, then a hidden background program is still accessing the hard drive. Restart the computer in Safe mode run Disk Defragmenter again.
Memory leaks and restarting Windows:
A memory leak is unused memory that cannot be used by any software program. Over time, unused memory builds up, causing Windows to slow down and use the hard drive more. Memory leaks are occurring if the HP Pavilion runs well when first turned on, but performs noticeably slower after opening and closing several software programs.
Memory leaks can occur if a software program is closed before it has fully opened. Always allow programs to load completely. As a rule, wait 10 to 20 seconds after a software program starts before closing it again, even if the program was opened unintentionally.
To immediately repair memory leaks, restart the computer. To resolve the problem permanently, isolate the software program causing the leaks by using the following steps:
- Start a fresh session of Windows by shutting down, then turning on the computer.
- Right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop and then click Properties. In Windows XP press CTR + ALT + DELETE.
- Click the Performance tab. Note the percentage next to System Resources. In Windows XP, this is the amount of available physical memory.
- Open a software program suspected of causing the computer to run more slowly.
- View the System Resources percentage or the amount of physical memory again and write it down.
- Close and re-open a suspected software program repeatedly, comparing this number to the one recorded. Each time, wait about 10 seconds before opening again.
- If the system resources percentage or available physical memory continues to decrease, then a memory leak is occurring. Contact the vendor for the software program for available patches or solutions.
- If the System Resource percentage or available physical memory returns to the same numbers each time, then the suspected software program is probably not creating a memory leak.
Free space on the hard drive:
Windows uses the free space on the main (usually C:\) hard drive for different types of operations such as caching data and holding virtual memory. The computer may not run reliably if the free disk space drops below five percent of the total disk space.
- To see how much free space is available on the hard drive, double-click My Computer, located on the desktop. Right-click the hard drive (C:\ is most common), and select Properties.
Use the following steps to remove unwanted software programs and increase hard drive space:
- Click Start, click Settings, and then click ControlPanel.
- Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
- Click the Install/Uninstall tab. Select unused software programs.
- Click the program name, click the Add/Remove or Change/Remove button, and then click OK.
- When done, a prompt may appear to restart Windows. After Windows removes the unwanted software programs, restart the computer system.
- You can also delete any unwanted files from harddrive like music and videos as they take large amount of space.
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Comment by Fagforening on 2 October 2009:
You’re right, and your tips do not only apply to new computers… A little concern for my ‘04 PC at home keeps it running with no additional memory.
Comment by Ray on 3 October 2009:
Useful information, gotta try this for my computer
Comment by Ben nuheat mats on 9 October 2009:
My PC is troubling me like any way. It suddenly hangs several times in a day. Soon after following the steps provided in this blog, wonder, it started working well as it was a new PC. Thanks for the information.
Comment by Lilly Leeds on 14 October 2009:
My computer is already slowing down and its only 1 year old , I was seriously considering buying a new one again but these tips of yours really helped , thanks a lot
Comment by Flingcom on 18 October 2009:
Hai Ajay M really u shared a good info non techie people some starters in pc field i was looking this kind of information of technology blog from long ago any way i got to roght direction thanks for sharing ur tips on technology
Comment by Dave @ Slow Computer on 29 October 2009:
Another possible problem could be spyware or adware on your computer. Something else to watch out for especially if you recently installed some “free” software.
Comment by Metropolis condos on 30 October 2009:
A very useful tips on making your computer faster. I regularly delete temporary internet files. But didn’t knew about Memory leaks. Some times my computer gets much slower, maybe it’s due to the thing you mentioned above. However, i have learned something new. Thanks for sharing such an useful tips.
Comment by Kyle on 30 October 2009:
Wow very well written, hhmmm, there’s a lot of tips, techniques or guide when it comes in PC faster, most of article is just the same as this one and that one, but they still effective to prevent your PC slow..
Comment by bizvals on 4 November 2009:
very nice post & valuable suggestions… thanks for share with us…
Comment by Kerala on 6 November 2009:
Nice tips, I am sure it will increase the PC performance. I can suggest one more option, it is removing some programs from start up by typing “msconfig” on run.
Comment by eurail pass on 7 November 2009:
OMG – this is EXACTLY what’s been happening to my PC as of late – so extremley frustrating and annoying when it freezes and locks up! Thank you for this article!
Comment by Dave on 7 November 2009:
thanks for the tips. unfortunately, i went out and just bought a new computer. then a coworker of mine, made some restore disks on my old pc and now it runs like new. so, i now have 2 computers. oh well, now i know.
Comment by Rizq on 7 November 2009:
Running checkdisk and defragment..
i do it every month..thx for share btw
Comment by Vijay on 9 November 2009:
Thanks for the article. My PC freezes up all the time and it’s frustrating seeing it hang then crash over and again. Will be sure to take above steps, although I was told the start up load apps are what really cause it to hang like that.
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Comment by Petrol Strimmer on 10 November 2009:
Another useful tip is to check no spyware is running on your computer. This can be quite tricky if you’re an inexperienced user, but a quick way to check for anything unusual is:
Shutdown all the programs that you can (and definately any programs that use the internet).
Load a command prompt (in Windows XP, hit start, run and then type cmd and press enter).
Type netstat -b
This will list all programs that are currently accessing the internet. Check that there’s nothing running that’s accessing the internet when it shouldn’t be.
Comment by Anne Witenson on 11 November 2009:
Great post, very helpful especially for my laptop..wwhheeww.. Thanks for posting..
Comment by Kathy on 11 November 2009:
I don’t need much to go to the pc repair shop or hire a computer technician to solve some common problem in my desktop.. Thanks!
Comment by Nhile on 13 November 2009:
There’s a lot tutorial in internet that you can use as you resources on fixing pc errors.
Comment by Marissa S. Turner on 13 November 2009:
The contained information in this article is very useful. I was in need of this.
Comment by Computer Repair on 17 November 2009:
These are some great tips to remember, thanks for sharing. I am a big fan of emptying out the recycle bin and using the disk cleanup feature.
Comment by Shubham Jain on 18 November 2009:
Nice Tips. Also, Disk De-fragmentation by registry mechanic really makes boot on XP faster. The boot screen where a blue tick scrolls, usually takes 5-8 seconds but with registry mechanic it only takes a second
Comment by Kilua Freccs on 18 November 2009:
Good advice. Im pretty sure that pc performance depends on your processor and memory.
Comment by samuel on 19 November 2009:
Thanks for the tips. I normally use most of them. It’s still a good reminder to not get back to the old habits.
Comment by Nhile on 21 November 2009:
Great post, I really do like it reading this kind of article.. Thanks for the great tips..
Comment by Technology Books on 24 November 2009:
Your tips are relevant and helpful for all those who have a grudge upon their computer’s slow performance.
Comment by Vamsi Krishna on 27 November 2009:
Is there any other way to stop memory leaks other than restarting the system.
I would like to know
Comment by vikar on 29 November 2009:
Must try this post to my laptop… it seems look like slowly, I plan to reinstall the operating system. thanks for the post
Comment by led on 30 November 2009:
Another tip is dont install programs that you do not need everyday and dont forget to install spyware blockers
Comment by oktiek on 4 December 2009:
My Friend is facing quite a lot of problem with his PC and was asking for help on fixing problems . I would surely forward him this article which is very informative to mend the problems faced in operating a PC. Nice Article .
Comment by David Yeordpoe on 5 December 2009:
Many way I never know befor.Thanks.usefull info.
Comment by Alok on 7 December 2009:
Thanks Ajay for this nice post. I worked with Tech support and the steps you mentioned are the ones we use to advise our customers who report a system slow issue. Additionally we can increase the RAM for better performance(if needed) and change the appearance(RT click my computer-properties-advanced-settings(under performance) and select the option- adjust for best performance(in visual effects). Thanks again Ajay, I m sure your post will help a lot of people. Your blog is a great source of technical information for everyone. I look forward for reading further
Comment by Atlanta Lawyer on 15 December 2009:
great tips-my sister has been asking me why her pc is running so slow. I don’t know much about computers but I know how to look for answers on them. Thanks for this post I’ll try it on her pc soon.
Comment by John's Career Options on 19 December 2009:
Slowing down of PC is really frustrating. Hope these tips work well..thanks for sharing!!!
Comment by Justin Case on 21 December 2009:
This is great stuff. I have done some of this periodically but not often enough. I wonder if it will stop windows from just shutting off all at once like it is unplugged.
I’ll be printing this and using it weekly. Thanks a lot.
Comment by new year scraps on 30 December 2009:
advanced system optimizer is a great software to maintain a pc and keep it faster.. it have lots of features.. try it.. I personally used it and got good result