Some Tips To Increase Your System Performance

soleimanian

Jul 1 2007, 12:03 PM

some tips to increase your system performance

If you have an old and slow computer, do following to increase your system speed:

1- Disable Scan Disk
Click Start menu > Click run. In the run dialog box type: msconfig to open System Configuration Window. Then open "system configuration programs". In the General Tap click on Register and then check "Scandisk after error by shutdown disabled" to disable ScanDisk.

2- Disable auto start programs

Open System Configuration (msconfig) . click on the "Startup" tap and in the application list , Clear the check box for a startup item to disable it on your next boot.

3- Disable Windows Startup sound
Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel and then click on " Sounds and Multimedia" icon to open it. In the Sound tab disable Windows Startup sound.
4-disabe unused programs
Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel and click on "Add/Remove Programs" and uninstall old and useless programs.
5- Delete offline e-mails
Yes, offline e-mails especially e-mails with attachments can slow down your pc. Delete these e-mails.
6- delete temporary internet files
Temporary internet files can slow down your pc. In internet explorer click on tools menu and then select Internet Options and the click on " Delete Files and Delete Cookies" buttons to delete these files.
7- Defragment your Hard Drive
Defragment your hard drive every 10 days. To defragment your Hard Drive, click on Start menu > Programs > Accessories > System tools > Disk Defragmenter.
8- update your Windows
Turn on your Windows Automatic Update to have recent updates for your Windows.

Tetraca

Jul 4 2007, 11:57 PM

QUOTE(flajcsi @ Jul 4 2007, 11:38 PM)

Since defragging the disk won't do much to improve Windows XP performance, here are 23 suggestions that will. Each can enhance the performance and reliability of your customers' PCs. Best of all, most of them will cost you nothing.

QUOTE

3.) Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check: First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.

After a certain amount of GB the Windows installer won't even let you use NTFS. So if your hard drive is over about 40 GB it's safe to say you have NTFS.

QUOTE

6.) Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.

I recall from a Digg story that you should NOT empty the prefetch folder. XP doesn't preload anything. That's quite rediculous if you even think about it. If that happened my 256 MB computer I'd be running Duke Nukem on virtual memory.

QUOTE

10.) Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if your customer really wants the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it. For more information on removing Spyware visit this Web Pro News page.

An even better idea: Download a Mozilla browser like Firefox or Seamonkey and install the NoScript extension so you can't get spyware in the first place. Of course, this relies on the fact that you would in fact use the browser and not anything else like IE, to browse the internet.

QUOTE

11.) Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility. Here's how: First, click Start, click Run, type MSCONFIG, and click OK. Click the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts. Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using Google or another Web search engine.

Do NOT use MSconfig to disable things at startup. It was meant as a troubleshooting utility, and not as a permanant solution. Using it as a permanant solution can cause what you call a memory leak. Microsoft even has documentation on this on their site.

QUOTE

13.) Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it: First click on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, click on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance. Feel free to play around with the options offered here, as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer -- only its responsiveness.

If you have a newer computer(probably in the ballpark of around 3 years or so) active desktop should be automatically disabled because MS realized it was not the best feature in the world.

QUOTE

16.) Update the customer's anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure they have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability.

Anti-Virus software is just bloat, and a waste of CPU cycles. If you just use your common sense, run LUA with DEP on, and follow the advice on my response to #10, you can be just as secure as you are without an antivirus. Plus, most virii that are active and dangerous already know how to circumvent virus protection software.

masterbob

Jul 9 2007, 03:52 PM

QUOTE(Tetraca @ Jul 4 2007, 11:57 PM)

I beg to differ. Defragmentation increased my performance significantly after it fragmented quite significantly. I don't even use commercial defragmentation software. I use the XP defragmenter several times.
After a certain amount of GB the Windows installer won't even let you use NTFS. So if your hard drive is over about 40 GB it's safe to say you have NTFS.
I recall from a Digg story that you should NOT empty the prefetch folder. XP doesn't preload anything. That's quite rediculous if you even think about it. If that happened my 256 MB computer I'd be running Duke Nukem on virtual memory.
An even better idea: Download a Mozilla browser like Firefox or Seamonkey and install the NoScript extension so you can't get spyware in the first place. Of course, this relies on the fact that you would in fact use the browser and not anything else like IE, to browse the internet.
Do NOT use MSconfig to disable things at startup. It was meant as a troubleshooting utility, and not as a permanant solution. Using it as a permanant solution can cause what you call a memory leak. Microsoft even has documentation on this on their site.
If you have a newer computer(probably in the ballpark of around 3 years or so) active desktop should be automatically disabled because MS realized it was not the best feature in the world.

Anti-Virus software is just bloat, and a waste of CPU cycles. If you just use your common sense, run LUA with DEP on, and follow the advice on my response to #10, you can be just as secure as you are without an antivirus. Plus, most virii that are active and dangerous already know how to circumvent virus protection software.

1( dont do any of these. these stuff wil make your windows/computer crazy/ except the ms config. only disable all startup programs. if it loads windows xp slow, that means you have alot of junk in your hard drive and its blocking the system to locate c:/WINDOWS/ folder even slower.

dont listen to these tips.

elaks

Jul 14 2007, 07:47 PM

QUOTE

2- Disable auto start programs

Open System Configuration (msconfig) . click on the "Startup" tap and in the application list , Clear the check box for a startup item to disable it on your next boot.

Thanks alot for the info. I've been aching to find a way to disable nearly all the crap that won't allow you to change startup preferences- but I've never particularly bothered. I've tried restarting and the time it takes is nearly halfed. Thanks again.

Tetraca

Jul 14 2007, 08:31 PM

QUOTE(masterbob @ Jul 9 2007, 03:52 PM)

1( dont do any of these. these stuff wil make your windows/computer crazy

This is complete bullocks. I've done each of my tips without any issues. They've made my computer much more secure than they've been before.

Now, I don't usually like to point out Andrew K's stuff, but it's better than waiting for the actual digg story to be found in it's rediculously large database: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/XPMyths.html

The Optimization myths in specific.

9block

Jul 14 2007, 09:55 PM

QUOTE

Myth - "Deleting the contents of the Prefetch folder improves performance."

Reality - "Every time you delete an application's Prefetch (.PF) file you will cripple that application's load time the next time you go to launch it. This can temporarily increase load times by as much as 100%. For one thing, XP will just re-create the Prefetch (.PF) trace files anyway; secondly, it trims the files if there's ever more than 128 of them so that it doesn't needlessly consume space. However you do not regain optimal application load times back until after the second time you launch the same application due to the Prefetch (.PF) trace file being re-created. Prefetch (.PF) trace files are not a cache and are not preloaded into memory upon windows startup. They are never even accessed until you launch an application. Only one Prefetch (.PF) trace file per application is created. There is never ANY reason to delete these files. Cleaning the Prefetch folder is actually a temporary self-inflicted unoptimization. Why you would want to deliberately hurt your PC's performance I have no idea."

i have used these tips at my own discretions... I am playing around with various settings. I checked out the prefetch folder and I didnt see much worth deleting. I checked it out, and as stated above, you should not delete or empty its contents...

QUOTE

Myth - "The built-in Disk Defragmenter is good enough."

Reality - "This statement would be true if the built-in defragmenter was fast, automatic, and customizable. Unfortunately, the built-in defragmenter does not have any of these features. The built-in defragmenter takes many minutes to hours to run. It requires that you keep track of fragmentation levels, you determine when performance has gotten so bad you have to do something about it, and then you manually defragment each drive using the built-in defragmentation tool." - Source - Comparison Chart (PDF)

Well, I thought i'd point this one out. I personally haven't defragmented in a while and am going to do so after i finish this post

However, I have a a single 60Gb currently installed so I think I should be fine using the built-in.

I also learned reading the link above, that tuneUp utilities is practically a fraud. But then again... dont believe everything you see/read/hear

Every story has two sides.

odomike

Aug 18 2007, 04:45 PM

QUOTE

2- Disable auto start programs

Open System Configuration (msconfig) . click on the "Startup" tap and in the application list , Clear the check box for a startup item to disable it on your next boot.

Mind you guys that disabling the autostart programs from msconfig will automatically stop any program that is meant to start up with the operating system. Even your antivirus, spyware remover and every other auto start programs will be disabled from that time henceforth. U wouldnt want to disable your antivirus for any reason 'cos viruses dont knock on your door before coming into ya system.

i think you guys are forgetting something here. you forgot that running check disc on your hard discs or partitions can also help to improve performance. This is because, probably due to the power failures or for some reason or the other, if your computer goes off abruptly (and this continues to happen several times), your hard drives can start developing errors on them and this can start slowing down the general performance of your PC as windows will be finding it difficult to read from any files in those sectors. So, running checkdisc (click on run > type in CMD to open the command prompt windows > type chkdsk to run a normal check on your discs or add /f to fix any errors found or /r to recover any files in any of the bad sectors if found. I generally use this very command with chkdsk: chkdsk /f /r = chkdsk /fix /recover.) can greatly help in your computer's performance.

Also, you should endeavour to empty your temp folder from time to time. You can do this by opening windows explorer > right click on your HDD or partition and click on properties, then click on the disc cleanup tab which is close to the Ok, Cancel and Apply buttons. Windows will then run a scan to fish out the junks in your computer and afterwards, you can safely delete everything detected. If you are using Windows Vista, PLEASE DO NOT DELETE HIBERNATION FILE CLEANER as this will disable the hibernation option in your PC and THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO GET YOUR COMPUTER TO START HIBERNATING AGAIN EXCEPT REFORMAT.

rayzoredge

Aug 19 2007, 02:47 AM

This is what I do to speed up a comp:

1.) Back everything up, wipe the drive clean, and reinstall Windows. Then put all your crap back on there again.

2.) Use MSCONFIG to disable any applications that aren't needed that eat up valuable resources. This is under your discretion...

3.) Use SERVICES.MSC to disable any processes that is not critical to Windows or to what I use the computer for. Descriptions are available within the utility but I recommend you Google for a list of essential processes... there are a number of good websites with this information.

4.) If you run an anti-virus, keep it updated but TURN OFF AUTO-PROTECT. Automatic scanning is great if you want to dummy-proof a computer, but if you are careful you can get away with never using it.

5.) When setting up Windows again, create a partition dedicated as a swap drive. The capacity of the swap drive should be two times the amount of RAM in the machine. When setting the page file, get rid of the one on the system partition and set it up on the swap drive from 1.5x the amount of RAM to 2.0x for a page file size.

6.) Defragmentation will not improve performance noticeably UNLESS your file system is that badly fragmented.

Hope this helps you guys out.

dre

Aug 20 2007, 01:59 AM

Unless you currently have viruses running on your pc, then this would do little to affect performance. Also, in this case, performance means loading times, because I'd bet if I started up F.E.A.R. and benched it before and after these tips, the frame rates wouldn't change. And about tip #8, I don't agree with it. Turn off automatic updates to increase performance instead of wasting bandwidth and ram. Unless you have problems already, updates aren't necessary in most cases.

The average user wouldn't know what to turn off in msconfig, but if you know what you're doing, then you might be able to shave off a few seconds off startup times and a few megabytes of used ram. If you really want better performance, then disable all the screensavers, good-looking menus, and such. That'll free up plenty of resources at the cost of making your folders look better.

birudagmawi

Aug 20 2007, 04:03 AM

Since I have Windows 98, these are intended for people with the OS.

1) Download Tweak UI and go to the paranoia tab and check all the boxes except the delete last network logon.

2)While in TweakUI go to menu speed and set it to the left said(not all the way though)

3)Delete all .log files in the /temp folder, as well the the Temporary internet Files/

4)Use the Disk Defragmenter at least once a month even if you don't need it, run it when your computer sits idle or when you're away

5)Go to you add remove windows components and uninstall any trash programs(i.e. themes,custom sounds,online services,Web TV and other Trash Microsoft stuffs in the OS)

6)Delete any of your old unused software, check regularly for spyware[spybot recommended]

7)Don't use Antivirus programs that take a lot of recourses, by that I mean instead of using Norton, use Kapersky or other light but powerful security tools.

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Sebby123

Dec 21 2007, 10:27 PM

There are alot of programs that can do stuff like this automaticly.
I recomend
CCleaner, It removes alot of unneeded stuff

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