Improving and speeding up your PC with software - a guide.

bazzlad

Here's a quick guide to controlling your PC, speeding it up, and software alternatives.

Everything on this list is safe to do, and I do on a daily basis but you DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. If you're uncertain in your own ability, take backups first.

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There's a lot of bloated software out there, and a lot of software which forces it self to start when you turn your PC on and slow it down.

1) Check your startup.
You can do this using MSCONFIG (built in to XP and Vista - but left out of Windows 2000 - but you can download the XP version and use it).

To use click:
Start > Run > Type in MSCONFIG > Click return > click on Startup.

Run through the list and google anything you don't recognise the name off. If you don't want it to start up, untick it!

Note - I've never damaged or seen a machine not work from stopping a start up item. IF it happens to you, turn your machine off and on, and when it's booting press F8 (to get into safe mode) simply run msconfig and retick the problem entry.

Now, to complicate things a little, some programs that start up aren't displayed in MSCONFIG at all, but you can download this free, open source program
"Start up manager"
http://sourceforge.net/projects/st-m/

And this allows you to view all programs that are starting up.
(This is for advanced users only.)

2) Clearing your Rubbish.
Computers keep a lot of rubbish that isn't needed. Be it temporary internet files, history files for documents they are, on the whole unneccassary.

There are a lot of programs that clean your machine, and a lot of them charge you, this one, doesn't.

Ccleaner
http://www.ccleaner.com/

When you install this program be sure to uncheck the "INSTALL YAHOO TOOLBAR" option, unless you want it. (Odds are, you don't).

Running this program once a day will do your computer the world of good - there's a multitude of options for advanced users who want to keep certain cookies from being deleted, and want to choose what gets deleted and what doesn't, as well as a registry clean.

2) Speed up general performance.
Whether your using XP or Vista, odds are your RAM is being used on things that aren't neccassary - if you don't care about how Windows looks, and speed is important follow these tips to get back to the old school look of Windows and increase the speed of your PC.

XP
Right Click the My Computer icon > Properties > Advanced (tab)

Vista
Right Click the My Computer icon > Properties > Advanced system settings

Then click on the "Performance" Settings button.
Click on adjust for best performance. This will uncheck all the boxes.
Then scroll down and find "Smooth edges of screen fonts" check this box - it's better on your eyes!

Don't click off yet - follow the next section to up your performance even more!

Next is to up our Virtual Ram - Windows can use some of your Hard Drive to act as Ram - normally it doesn't use as much as it can so (advanced users only) edit this:

Click on the ADVANCED tab > And the Virtual Memory Change button.

VISTA - uncheck automatically manage paging file and click custom.
Enter these figures
Minimum - 2048
Maximum - 4096

XP -Click on CUSTOM SIZE for your RAM
Enter these figures
Minimum - 1024
Maximum - 2048

Once this is done, click OK until everything is done. If the machine asks you to restart, ignore it for now.

Now right click your desktop.
Click Personalise or Properties (VISTA and XP respectively)

XP - It should open up a pop up box with THEMES on it. Select Windows classic, click apply then ok.

VISTA - Click on WINDOWS COLOR AND APPEARANCE.
Select Windows classic, click apply then ok.

3) Remove Bloatware.
The simple way.
If your PC is made by Dell, Sony or others, odds are, to increase their profit, they fill your PC with crap applications "craplications" that you don't need.

The PC decrapifier will remove the problem applications.

http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/

The old fashioned way.

Start > settings > control panel > add/remove programs (programs and features - vista).

Run through the list removing programs you don't use/recognise (Always Google the program first if you don't recognise the name, make sure you don't use it!).

4) Swap Bloatware.
Some programs we use because we need, despite them being overblown for the task. Here's a list of bloated programs, and free, smaller, less invasive alternatives.

WINZIP (.ZIP)
Problem - Nagware. Constantly asks you to buy it.
Alternative - 7Zip (http://www.7-zip.org/) Free, light and very, powerful.

ADOBE ACROBAT READER (.PDF)
Problem - HUGE - it's 24meg! Slow.
Alternative - Foxit Reader (http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php) Small 2.5meg , fast, Free and feature packed.

REALPLAYER, QUICKTIME, WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER, ITUNE
Problem - Big, naggy and slow.
Alternatives:
VLC Player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/) Plays just about everything known to man, but is no looker.

Winamp (http://www.winamp.com) Good looking, free, IPOD compatable and powerful - can be a little naggy.

NORTON ANTIVIRUS, MCAFEE ANTIVIRUS
Problem - Costly, ineffective, resource hogs.
Alternatives:
Avast antivirus (http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html) Free, powerful.
AVG antivirus (http://free.grisoft.com) Free, powerful, Ugly as sin!

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So there's a quick, beginners guide to how to speed up and improve your PC.
All content written by me, so please don't steal it without asking - any questions just ask!

Cheers,
Rich

bazzlad

Just checked back on this - thanks for all the thanks.
Will write part 2 for more advanced users soon.

C_Ronaldo

Thats a good guide, would having the correct drivers help to speed up the pc

Marty_J

C_Ronaldo wrote: »

Thats a good guide, would having the correct drivers help to speed up the pc

Possibly, but its main effect would be to make your PC more stable.