Increasing System Performance

Remove Spyware

If the computer is performing very slowly after connecting to the Internet, the computer may have adware or spyware programs installed.

Spyware and adware software programs use the Internet to download and upload information in the background. Some of this information may be sensitive or unwanted advertising.

Spyware and adware can be very difficult to remove.

Close all open programs not being used

Only use programs that are necessary. Minimizing a programs window may not stop that program from using the computer's processor and memory. Being connected to the Internet, listening to music, and running virus scans are all ways to use a lot of system resources. Try running virus scans and other system tools while no one is using the computer or when away from the desk. Work offline when convenient. Closing programs that are not necessary helps Windows perform more efficiently.

Prevent background programs from loading

As software programs load, the small icons on the system tray increase (usually these icons are in the lower-right corner, next to the time). Each of these small pictures represents a program running in the background, and each one removes valuable system resources. Move the mouse pointer over each small picture to find what software it is. Common programs that load and run in the background are virus scanners, display settings, and multimedia programs. Increase system resources by stopping these tasks from loading, or by changing their settings. This can be achieved in a number of ways since these programs often start from various places. If the methods below do not apply to a specific icon, consult the applications documentation or Web site.

Figure 1: System tray icons

Use System Configuration to prevent programs from launching (98, ME, and XP)

Perform the following steps to selectively prevent items from starting when Windows launches.

CAUTION:

Only disable items that are known and unwanted. Disabling system critical items may cause problems.

1. Select Start , and then Run .
2. In the Open field type the following: msconfig .

The System Configuration Utility window appears.

3. Select the General tab and make sure Selective Startup is selected.
4. Select the Startup tab as shown in Figure 2 and remove the checks from any tasks that do not contribute to the system and are unwanted. If unsure about a task, write the name down and research it on the Internet later. Do not remove a check mark if you do not know what the task is. For a list of files that are recommended not to remove, review the support document Figure 2: The Startup tab of the System Configuration Utility

5. Click OK to accept the changes. Restart the computer.

After Windows starts, a System Configuration window appears. Place a check mark in the do not show this message again checkbox and click OK (XP only).

6. If Windows or other software stops working after a check mark is removed from a task you were unsure about, restart the computer and reverse these procedures to replace the checkmark. Press F8 after the very first blue startup screen (after the computer has been turned on) to get into Safe mode.

By completing these steps, Windows will run using Selective Startup. This means that Windows prevents the selected programs from starting. If Selective Startup is disabled in the future, all of the selected programs will start again.

Empty the Recycle Bin

1. From the Windows desktop, double-click Recycle Bin .
2. Restore any mistakenly deleted items by highlighting each file, then selecting File and Restore .
3. Select File and Empty Recycle Bin . Windows will remove the contents of the Recycle Bin from the hard disk (C: is most common). Select Yes to confirm.
4. Close the Recycle Bin .

Deleting temporary files and directories

This step increases hard disk space and reduces the time Windows takes to access the hard drive. It also resolves problems associated with spooling print jobs. Windows uses a TEMP directory to temporarily store files intended only for temporary use. Over time, these files can build up and cause problems. To delete these files, use the following set of steps depending upon the Windows version:

Windows XP

1. Close all open software.
2. Select Start , Programs , Accessories , System Tools , and then Disk Cleanup .
3. Place a check next to the types of files you want the Disk Cleanup utility to delete. Temporary files are safe to delete.
4. Select OK (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Disk cleanup

ScanDisk and Defragment the hard drive

The program Scandisk checks a hard drive for errors. The program Disk Defragmenter takes all of the scattered bits of program data and groups them together in more efficient areas of the drive.

Run ScanDisk before running the Defragmenter as follows:

ScanDisk in Windows XP

1. Click Start , then open My Computer .
2. Right-click on the hard drive's icon (usually C:\).
3. Click Properties , and then click the Tools tab.
4. Click Check Now .
5. Place check marks in all check boxes.
6. Click OK , and then click Yes to schedule a full disk scan when the computer is restarted.
7. Restart the computer. The disk scan can take a very long time to complete.

Defragment, all versions of Windows

1. Close all programs that are running. This includes background programs such as scanners.
2. Click Start , Programs or All Programs , Accessories , then System Tools .
3. Click Disk Defragmenter and follow the onscreen instructions.

If Disk Defragmenter repeatedly starts, then a hidden background program is still accessing the hard drive. Restart the computer in Safe mode and try again.

Preventing memory leaks

A memory leak is unused memory that Windows thinks is still valid. Over time, unused memory can build up, causing Windows to slow down and use the hard drive more. Memory leaks are probably occurring if the PC runs well when first turned on, but performs noticeably slower after several programs are opened and closed.

Memory leaks can occur if software is closed before it has fully opened. Always allow programs to load completely. As a rule, wait 10 to 20 seconds after a program starts before closing it again, even if the program was opened unintentionally.

To immediately fix memory leaks, restart the computer. For a permanent fix, isolate the program causing the leaks by using the following steps:

1. Start with a fresh session of Windows by shutting down, then turning on the computer.
2. In Windows XP press Ctrl+ Alt + Delete.

In Windows 98 and Me, right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop and select Properties .

3. In Windows XP this is the amount of available physical memory.

Figure 4: Viewing available physical memory in Windows XP

Adjusting system restore settings in Windows XP

System Restore is a feature of Windows that can revert system software and settings back to a particular date. System Restore does this by saving the changes made to system files in a restore point. These restore points use a lot of hard space. System Restore can fill twelve percent of the hard drive with restore points if left unadjusted, regardless of the entire size of the hard drive. To save hard drive space, use the following steps to reduce the amount of restore points that system restore creates:

1. Click Start , and right-click My Computer .
2. Select Properties .
3. Click the System Restore tab.
4. Select the (C:) drive and click the Settings button.
5. Adjust the Disk space to use slider to a lower setting. A lower setting will save disk space but will reduce how many restore points you can select from when restoring in the future. On a 120 gigabyte hard drive, a setting of one percent saves over 11 gigabytes of future disk space and still provides enough room for several restore points.
6. Click OK to save the settings.

Figure 6: Disk space to use

Updating software

Software conflicts can cause the system to slow. Microsoft, and other software manufacturers release updates to address these problems. Make sure that you visit  software download site and use Windows Update tool regularly. For more information refer to the support document

In Windows 98, and Me, select the Performance tab. Note the percentage next to System Resources .

4. Open a program suspected of causing the computer to run more slowly.
5. View the System Resources percentage or the amount of physical memory again and write it down.
6. Close and re-open a suspected program repeatedly, comparing this number to the one recorded. Each time, wait about 10 seconds before opening again.
7. If the system resources percentage or available physical memory continues to decrease, then a memory leak is occurring. Contact the program's vendor for available patches or fixes.
8. If the System Resource percentage or available physical memory comes back near to the same numbers each time, then the suspected program is probably not creating a memory leak.

Freeing up space on the hard drive

Windows uses this space for different types of operations such as caching and 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 space remains 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 programs and increase hard drive space:

1. Click Start , Settings , and Control Panel .
2. Open Add/Remove Programs .
3. Click the Install/Uninstall tab. Select programs that are no longer used and will not be used.
4. Highlight the program name, and then click the Add/Remove or Change/Remove button and OK .

Figure 5: Removing programs

5. When done, a prompt may appear to restart Windows. Wait until completely removing the unwanted programs; then restart Windows.