Here is a guide to boosting performance on Windows XP/Vista.
Remove Unnecessary programs.BenfitsYou will gain faster load times overall and quicker shutdown/starting times.
What to do- Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
- Click Add or Remove Programs.
- Scroll through the list and examine each program.
- Click each program you no longer need/want, click the Remove button, and then follow the prompts to uninstall it.
You may have to restart your computer after removing a program. After your computer restarts, repeat the steps above to remove more programs.
WARNING: You shouldn't remove anything labeled as an Update or Hotfix, however, because they improve the security of your computer.Remove unnecessary files/folders.BenifitsFaster boot time, allows quicker indexing and limits disk space on hard drive.
What to doStart on
My Documents looking for files and folders you no longer need. This can include old and unused:
- Pictures
- Videos
- Documents
- Music
Other additional places to delete from are areas like the
Desktop.
WARNING: Once deleted files are un-recoverable. The only method of recovering is using specialists programs that cost a lot of $$$$$$Disk CleanupBenifitsShould be done at least once a week to improve computer overall performance and increase disk space.
What to do- Open My Computer, right-click Local Disk, and then click Properties.
- On the General tab, click the Disk Cleanup button. Disk Cleanup will spend a few minutes examining your disk.
- wait for the Disk Cleanup dialog box to open.
- Select the desired check boxes in the Files to Delete list, and then click OK. Disk Cleanup will spend several minutes clearing space.
TIP: If you have more than one hard disk, repeat this process for each hard disk listed in My Computer.Defragment Your ComputerBenifitsEasier computer browsing and searching, this
tidies the computer.
what to do- Open My Computer, right-click Local Disk, and then click Properties.
- On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now. The Disk Defragmenter opens.
- Click your first hard disk, and then click Defragment. Disk Defragmenter will work for at least several minutes, though it may take up to several hours.
TIP: If you have more than one hard disk, repeat this process for each hard disk listed starting at Step 3.Disconnect Unused Network ConnectionsBenifitsAlthough this does not apply to
everyone, some of you could be surprised.
If you've ever had a network with more than one computer, you probably found it useful to share files between the computers by mapping a network drive. Network drives allow one computer to read and write files to another computer's hard disk as if it were directly connected. I use network drives all the time, and for me, they were the most significant source of slowness.
The problem with network drives is that Windows XP will attempt to connect to the network drives when Windows starts. If the remote computers don't respond immediately, Windows will wait patiently. Additionally, some programs will attempt to connect to the network drives when you browse for files and folders. If you've ever tried to open a file and had to wait several seconds (or minutes!), it's probably because the program was trying to establish a network connection?even if the file you are opening is on your local computer.
This can show up to 40% in increased computer speed.
What to do
Open My Computer.
On the Tools menu, click Disconnect Network Drive.
Select the network drives that you no longer need, and then click OK.
Remove Autostart Programs
Benifits
Faster load time when you boot the machine
What to do
Click Start, click Run, type Msconfig, and then press Enter.
On the Startup tab, you'll see a list of all the programs and processes that are set to run when Windows XP loads.
Speed up your overall start time by clearing the check box next to any item you think you don't need.
Click Apply, and then restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Tools and programs to boost performance
Ccleaner - This can be used instead of a disk cleanup, this is a more in depth scan at a quicker rate.
StartUpLite - Quicker than going through every single start up file, this will singually point out what does not need to be run automatically for you.
New Posts RSS Feed