Fix My Slow Running Computer
Posted by admin on 21 Oct 2007 at 04:18 pm | Tagged as: Browser, Computer, Configuration, Drivers, Error, Internet Explorer, Operating System, Registry, Registry Cleaner, Registry Fix, Software, Uncategorized, Update, Windows
Is your computer a constant source of frustration?
Is it so slow that you can hardly complete a task?
Are programs taking forever to respond?
Too many crashes, freezes or slowdowns?
If so, it’s time to make a change, optimize your system and improve
the performance of your PC!
The following fail-proof methods for improving PC performance will
definitely bring results you’ll be pleased with.
These 6 methods are sure to result in much better computer performance.
Repeat them regularly as indicated, and you will enjoy a Revitalized PC.
1. Empty the Recycle Bin
Empty the Window’s Recycle Bin. This frees up hard
drive space and improves the PC performance.When a file is deleted, Windows first transfers it to the Recycle
Bin, instead of deleting it completely, to give the users a chance
to restore the files to their original locations on the computer,
in case they change their minds.
For better performance, make sure you empty the Recycle Bin at
least weekly, or even daily. Emptying the Recycle Bin is done
simply by right clicking the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and
choosing “Empty Recycle Bin” from the drop down menu.
2. Remove Unneeded Programs
Though most people are quick to install new programs, few think
about removing programs once they are no longer required, and leave
them unused on the hard disk.Most programs have an uninstaller, and can be removed by going to
the program’s entry, accessed from “All Programs” from the Start
Menu.
For programs that don’t have an uninstaller, from the Start Menu,
go to the Control Panel and select Add/Remove Programs. It will
take a few seconds for the PC to assemble a list of all the
programs installed on the computer.
Once this is completed, find the program you want to remove, click
it and select Change/Remove.
Since some programs leave uninstallation traces in the Windows
Registry, it’s important to clean up the Registry after each
uninstallation process.
3. Run Disk Clean Up
For improving PC performance, Window’s Disk Clean Up can be used, a
built-in utility which initiates regular maintenance tasks like
deleting Setup log files, Temporary Internet files and similar.Disk Clean Up is started by double-clicking My Computer, right
clicking the ‘C drive and selecting Properties from the drop down
menu, then clicking Disk Cleanup. It will take the computer a few
moments to carry out the self-analysis.
Upon completion of the audit, Windows will display a list of areas
which contain files for cleanup. By putting a tick at the check box
next to an area, Windows will clean the files there. If you want to
leave some files undeleted, remove the tick from the check box and
click OK.
The computer will start a removal process. This process may take
some time.
4 Defragment disk
When programs are stored on the PC hard disk, fragments of files
are saved in the empty spaces nearby.
The PC then has to find these fragments and piece them together,
which takes time and slows down the performance.
This can be easily solved by running the Windows program Disk
Defragmenter, which assembles all the fragments of the programs and
places them back in the correct order.
Once this has been done, the hard disk can find what it’s looking
for easily, which enables files and programs to load more quickly.
To activate the defragmentation, click Start, All Programs,
Accessories, System Tools, then select Disk Defragment. Once the
program has started up, click Defragment.
This process can take well over an hour to complete, which is why
this usually isn’t carried out very often.
It’s recommended to defragment the hard disk about ever three
months, for best results.
5. Empty the Prefetch Cache
In order to improve the time required for loading programs, Windows
attempts to guess which files will be needed next and then loads
them into a cache, a process known as prefetching. Though this
process indeed works well, with time, the Prefetch Cache may become
clogged with files which are no longer required. This causes
Window’s startup to slow down considerably.
The remedy is to clear Prefetch, by choosing Run from the Start
Menu, and typing “Prefetch” in the text box that appears. This will
result in a window filled with many icons. To select them all press
Alt+A and delete them.
The cache will resume its regular use and refill with files and
links required by Windows. The result will be that the system will
be more responsive and the PC performance will improve.
6. Clean up the Windows Registry
Most PC users don’t understand the significance of cleaning up the
Windows Registry, mainly because Windows does not come with
a Registry clean-up tool.While this is often neglected, it is probably:
The single most important PC maintenance task.
Whenever a program is installed, changes are made to the Windows
Registry, which is a large internal database that contains all
Windows settings. These settings, which include thousands of
entries, control how everything in the system looks and behaves.
Repeated installing and uninstalling of programs, “Messy” uninstallation
of programs (traces are left behind), Hardware uninstalls which leave
entries in the Registry, Drivers which are no longer required on the system,
Spyware or other malicious programs that appear every time the
computer is restarted, may all cause Registry conflicts and, as
a result - a Slower Computer.
The Registry can be edited manually using Regedit, a Windows
program for editing the Registry; however this requires a
considerable amount of skill and experience to complete successfully.
If you prefer not to do this by yourself, Get a Free Online Diagnostic Scan with
RegCure PC Optimizer (Download Takes 2 Mins)


Click Here
If the PC is running as slow as molasses, the disease is probably on the drive. As mentioned, it could be tons of crap choking the drive, or fragmentation putting strain and retarding speed. Neglecting the warnings of sluggishness or symptoms like hangs/freezes will lead to greater risks of drive problems.
Prefetch is NOT a cache. Prefetch files are used to OPTIMIZE both boot and application launch times. Application prefetch files are referenced only after application launch has been initiated, not at boot time. Checking the last access time stamp of prefetch files will show this to be true. Prefetch files are essentially indexes into the files an application requires to start. This information is obtained from previous program launch.
Unused or rarely used prefetch entries will have virtually no impact on either boot or application launch times, even if in large numbers. In any event the folder is self cleaning after 128 entries. Manual deletion of these files will deprive Windows of a valuable resource and has no benefits. This has been extensively tested.
For proper prefetch operation it is essential that the Task Scheduler be enabled and set to Automatic. Some uninformed sources have suggested that this service is not essential and may be safely disabled. Doing so will cripple prefetch and impair performance. In some cases this may become severe.
References:
http://home.comcast.net/~SupportCD/XPMyths.html
Also check the references on this page.
Larry Miller
Microsoft MCSA