Continuing from my email sent April 18th:
We Have Two Things In Common…
We have at least two things in common if you’re reading this.
An interest in horses and the use of a computer.
How you feel about either is probably somewhat dependent on how they are acting! It’s entirely possible to enjoy both, only one of them, or be quite frustrated with either one of them.
I’ve had my share of computer problems over the years and was dealing with a problem the other day that kept showing up.
So I called Jim, a good friend of mine. Jim’s one of those computer whiz guys and he was describing what he does to fix slow, pokey computers for others.
Seems like after a few months or lots of use, our computers start slooooowing dowwwwn almost to a crawl. Windows open up slowly, applications are slow, etc.
He was describing a lot of the common problems and reasons why.
He then started into this long description of how to fix most problems.
Immediately I had to say “Whoooaa there, Geek Breath” Write it down!
So he gave me some notes on some quick things you can do to speed up your computer and make it run better.
Knowing everyone reading this is using a computer (duh!) I thought I’d share it with you.
Here’s Jim’s 15 ways to make your computer run more efficiently:
Note:
While I fully trust Jim and his methods, every computer is different.
If you aren’t sure about something then consult a local expert (not me!).
These procedures work for Microsoft operating systems, not Macs or Unix.
1. Frequently empty your ‘temporary internet files’ also called ‘clearing your cache’.
I’ll assume you have Internet Explorer:
The Temporary Internet Files folder contains web page content that is stored on your hard disk for quick viewing.
Over time this can slow things down if you don’t empty folder.
To delete the files in the Temporary Internet Files folder, follow these steps:
– Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Internet Options.
– On the General tab, click Delete Files under Temporary Internet Files.
– In the Delete Files dialog box, click to select the Delete all offline content check box , and then click OK.
– Click OK.
2. Spyware, trojans and viruses can cause a computer to slow down (and are becoming more frequent).
You may need a spyware cleaner. Here’s where you can scan your PC for to see if it is infected. The scan costs nothing and will show you what it finds – you can then decide what to do if it finds anything of concern:
Some applications also install things on your computer that make it run slower. Things such as having hundreds of fonts will make it load slower. Again – the scan costs nothing and you’ll be given the option to handle any problems if it finds any.
Here’s an Anti Virus Program you may want to try:
3. It helps to remove any unwanted or unused software:
– Click start, then click control panel. Click add/remove programs.
Highlight any old software you do not use and then click “remove”.
4. Run the PC Utility “Disk Cleanup”:
– Click Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup.
– Select the hard drive you wish to cleanup (usually C:),
and once the scan is complete, choose the types of files you wish to remove.
5. Defragment your hard drive every one to two weeks.
This will place similar files physically closer on the hard disk to improve load speeds.
– Click start, then click run. Type, “dfrg.msc” in the text field.
– Click Defrag to start it. If this is your first defrag, do it after the disk clean up twice,
then a disk defrag, and then another disk clean up.
– For best results, run defragmenter last after performing all other steps.
6. Empty your Recycle Bin.
7. Clear your e-mail in box regularly.
Then delete all files in your deleted mail folder.
8. If you have a lot of videos or music, keep them organized.
9. It’s best NOT to have a large graphic picture as your background wallpaper.
This can make your computer work a lot harder when booting up.
10. Get rid of unwanted start up programs:
– Click Start > Run > type “msconfig” in the box, and click OK.
– Select the ‘Start up’ tab, and deselect any programs you don’t
want to automatically run when you boot up.
NOTE: Be careful what you delete and if you are unsure what something is,
Google the name of it and you can usually find a description.
This can have a huge impact on the boot time and overall system performance of a PC.
Remember: don’t delete anything that you are uncertain about.
Disabling the wrong Services may lead to serious problems
that you may not notice right away.
11. If your computer keeps crashing or you receive weird error messages then you may need to increase your system speed and stability by removing corrupted registry files.
A Registry Tool can be the safest and easiest way to improve your PC’s performance. This is a quick solution to most system errors and may increase the performance of your computer in the same time.
Here’s where you can scan your computer to see the errors in your registry:
12. Download updates for Windows from Windows Updates if you are using a Microsoft system.
13. Increase the amount of RAM memory on your computer.
With more RAM, you can keep more programs in memory at once, and they will respond more quickly. For Windows Vista, having at least 2-4 Gigabytes of RAM is recommended for great system performance, for Windows XP usually 1-2 Gigabytes is more than enough.
14. You can speed up the processing time by turning off the fancy Windows XP graphics.
You should see a immediate increase the speed of your computer.
– Go to Start, (Settings), Control Panel, System. NOTE: You may need to ‘Switch to Classic Mode’
to see the System applet. Go to the Advanced tab. Click the Settings button under Performance.
– Select the ‘Adjust for best performance’ radio button, then Apply, and OK.
The graphics aren’t as flashy, but your computer should run a lot faster.
15. Regularly back up your system. You MUST do this!
Remember, if there is any hesitation, search Google (or ask a local whiz kid) for anything you are unsure of BEFORE you proceed. You must accept responsibility for any changes, software, or hardware installations or deletions, or maintenance tasks you perform on your computer.
P.S. Another program Jim suggested is one that fixes many of the problems listed above including fixing registry problems, Windows startup issues, Internet Explorer problems, etc. You can download it for nothing and see what you think:
Hope that helps.
I know it isn’t horse related but you just might get some value out of it, anyway!
Charlie