How to speed up your PC

1. Remove spywares & viruses : 

Viruses & spywares are one of the major & most common reasons of PC slowdown. This is because, they use up the majority of the available memory for their unethical activities. And, the remaining memory is shared by the other programs. Thus, as the programs have to suffice with low memory, slowdown is caused. Therefore, removal of spywares & viruses is the first step towards a speedy PC.

Related : How to stay safe from Viruses

How to remove tough Viruses

How to scan for & immunize against spywares with Spybot S&D

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2. Clean & defragment :

In course of time, the PC gets filled up with lots of junk files, gets fragmented & takes a lot of time to carry out simple tasks. Thus, for fixing this problem, you will need to clean & defragment your PC.

i) Cleaning up the junk files is a very easy task these days thanks to free, simple & powerful utilities like CCleaner & Advanced SystemCare Free. Using these tools, you simply need to select the junk items to remove, start the cleaning process & within 

a couple of minutes, your PC will be clean! You can clean several junk items like temporary Windows files, obsolete registry entries, browser data, etc. using these softwares.

ii) As data moves from one place to another in a PC, it becomes fragmented, as a whole. This also acts as a reason for slowdown. Thus, it is important that you regularly defragment your PC drives for a quick PC. There are several utilities like Auslogics Disk Defrag, Smart Defrag, etc. For this purpose. You can occasionally defragment the Windows Registry as well.

You should clean & defragment your PC regularly twice a month to maintain its efficiency & quickness. 

Related : Keep your registry defragmented

How to use AusLogics Disk Defrag

The need for Disk defragmentation

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3. Disable unnecessary Windows services : 

Windows provides a variety of services to us. However, many of these services are not at all useful for most types of users. These services use up extra memory, causing slowdowns for other programs. Thus, disabling some of these services will help in quickening up the PC. The following services can be safely disabled :

ClipBook

Remote Registry 

Telnet

NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing

Alerter

Error Reporting Service

Messenger

Print Spooler (if you don't use a Printer)

To disable the services,  go to Start --> Run --> services.msc. Then, right-click on the concerned service, click on Properties & change the Start-up Type to Disabled.

For information on why the given services should be disabled, check the main article on disabling unnecessary Windows services.

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Decrease the programs on Start-up :

The Startup list is a list of the applications that start along with Windows. Many applications put itself on the Startup list by default. The more the programs on it, more programs will run, which will slow up the PC. So, it is recommended to reduce the number of programs on the Startup list to speed up the PC. You can do so from the Startup tab of the 'Msconfig' utility (Open it from Start --> Run --> msconfig)

Click here for the detailed instructions.

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[Older PCs] Turn off visual effects :

One of the various features that Microsoft® Windows XP & Vista has over the previous versions is its display effects. For example, the colorful start menu, shadow effects, etc. It definitely adds up to the display value of the OSes. But for slow computers, the effects lead to slower PC performance. Therefore, it is highly recommended to turn off all the visual effects if you are using an older PC. 

You can disable the extra effects from Start --> Right-click on My Computer --> Properties --> Advanced --> Settings (1st). 

[Detailed Instructions]

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So, good luck in speeding up your PC!

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Disable unnecessary Windows services

The Windows operating system provides a host of services which help us in several ways. But, the more the services enabled, the slower the PC becomes. And, there are various services which are not at all useful for most types of users. These services should be disabled so that the PC doesn't unnecessarily consume extra memory & become slow. 

So, first of all, here is how you can disable a particular service :

1. Open 'services.msc' from Start --> Run.

2. From the list present in the application, right-click on the service you wish to disable & click on Properties.

3. Now, in startup type, you can select Disable to disable the service or Manual to forbid the service from automatically starting.

And now, given below is a list of services that can be disabled (with reasons) :

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Note : The 4 services given below are useful if the PC is accessed remotely, ie., from another PC. And usually, the majority of users never use Remote access. If you are one of them, then you can disable the 4 services :-

ClipBook : This service helps to share information with Remote computers. 

Remote Registry : Enables remote users to modify registry settings on your computer. 

Telnet : This service is used to facilitate remote users in opening programs on your PC.

NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing : This service enables us to view our desktop remotely using NetMeeting. 

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These services can be disabled too :

Alerter : This service helps in giving administrative alerts to the user. However, it can be used by hackers to harm the PC. Thus, it should be disabled. It is disabled by default in XP SP2 & is not present in Vista

Error Reporting Service : This service helps in reporting errors to Microsoft. However, if you don't wish to report errors, you can disable this service.

Messenger : This service is used for communication within a network. It too, can be misused by hackers. Thus, it should be disabled. It is disabled by default in XP SP2 & is not present in Vista

Print Spooler : It loads files to memory for later printing. If you do not use a printer, disable this service.

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Optimize the PC using Advanced Windows Care

Why should I use Advanced Windows Care 2 to optimize my PC?
As I had written before in a previous article, the PC tends to gradually slow down & become less efficient. This is caused due to several factors like spywares, obsolete registry entries, junk files, etc. Now, fixing all these problems individually is a very cumbersome task. That's why you should use tools like AWC2, as it can repair the PC for multiple problems quickly.

It can search & repair your PC for :

• Spywares
• Un-immunized spywares
• Obsolete registry entries
• Unoptimized System Configurations
• Unneeded Startup items
• Surfing history/Internet Cache (Temporary Internet files)
• Junk files

How can I use the utility?

The user interface of AWC2 is very simple. Clicking on the Scan button starts the scanning process of AWC2, which shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. Then, click on the Repair button to repair all the problems found.

Note :

1- Before repairing a particular item, AWC2 makes a back-up of the system, which facilitates easy recovery in case something goes wrong.
2- Also, you can view the un-optimized items separately before the repair if you wish to. You can also instruct the software to de-list certain items, if you want.

Thus, it is highly recommended to use this tool regularly due to its simplicity & powerful features. Use it every fortnight to ensure that your PC remains nice & clean.

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Optimizing the Windows Registry

Why is the Windows Registry so important?

The Windows Registry is a very important part of Windows as several programs, Windows Components, etc. use it to store its important settings. Also, the Registry is accessed by the programs extensively too. Therefore, it is very essential to optimize it to maintain its performance. An un-optimized registry can reduce the PC performance.

How does it get cluttered?

With time, the Registry gets cluttered up due to various reasons. Some programs, when uninstalled, are not able to delete its entries present in the Registry. Moreover, the Registry might become cluttered due to broken start menu items, spyware, etc.

How can I fix these problems?

Fixing these problems is very easy with the current generation of Registry care softwares. I would recommend the usage of Glary Registry Repair. It has a very easy to use user interface. You can quickly scan the Registry for several problems & repair them. Before making any repairs, it automatically makes a back-up of the Registry so that you can undo the changes safely. The help file provided by the software explains its usage very effectively.

Alternatively, you can also use CCleaner.

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Keep your registry defragmented

Earlier, I had published an article explaining the importance of Disk Defragmentation. And just like the hard drive, the Windows Registry too gets fragmented with time due to the constant use of it by several programs. Most of the programs & the Windows utilities store their settings on the Windows Registry. Thus, the Registry should be defragmented regularly to ensure optimum PC performance.

Auslogics Registry Defrag is a free, quick & powerful software for Registry defragmentation.

To use it to de-fragment the registry :

1) Open AusLogics Registry Defrag.



2) Click on Next.

3) A dialog box will appear asking you to close all running programs. So, save your work, close all active programs & click on OK.

4) AusLogics Registry Defrag will now scan your registry for fragmentations. This will take around 5 minutes at the most.



5) You will then be provided with an analysis report of the Registry. You will also be shown the amount of registry space that can be reduced & the percentage of performance increase possible.



6) Click on Next to start defragmentation.
7) Your registry will be backed up. You will be asked to restart the PC. Do so by clicking on Yes.
8) After the restart, you will be given a report of Registry Defragmentation.
9) Click on Finish after viewing the report.

Note : Screen shots used with permission from AusLogics.

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Using AusLogics Disk Defrag

In one of my previous articles, I had explained the need for Disk Defragmentation. I had also recommended you to use AusLogics Disk Defrag for defragmenting the hard drives. Now, I will elaborate on the way to use the software to defragment a hard drive.

You can use Auslogics Disk Defrag to defragment a drive by following the steps given below :

1) After downloading & installing Auslogics Disk Defrag, open it.
2) You will be asked to select the drive that you wish to defragment.

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3) After selecting the drive, click on Next.
4) The application will then start defragmenting the drive (This process will take a lot of time on older computers. The time taken also depends on the amount of the fragmented data & the size of the drive.)

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5) After this, a report will be shown mentioning the number of files defragmented. Click on Back to defragment another drive or Finish to close the application.

For more information on this software, visit this page on the AusLogics website.

It is recommended to defragment all your drives at least once a month to maintain the performance of your PC.

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Turn off visual effects to boost your PC performance

One of the various features that Microsoft® Windows XP has over the previous versions of Microsoft® Windows is its display effects. For example, the colorful start menu, shadow effects, etc. It definitely adds up to the display value of the OS. But for slow computers, the effects lead to slower PC performance. Therefore, it is highly recommended to turn off all the visual effects of Microsoft® Windows XP if you are using an older PC. To turn off the visual effects, follow these steps :

1) Click on Start.
2) Right-click on 'My Computer' & click on Properties.

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3) Click on the 'Advanced tab'.
4) Click on the first 'Settings' button under the Performance area.

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5) Select 'Adjust for best performance' (or you can also uncheck the options that you want to turn off. The more options you uncheck, the faster your performance will be).

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6) Click on OK & Click on OK again.

Note : Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.

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Decrease the number of applications on the Startup List.

The Startup list has a list of the applications that start along with Windows. Many applications put itself on the Startup list by default. Thus, the startup time of Windows increases considerably. So, it is recommended to reduce the number of programs on the Startup list. To do this :

1) Open the Start menu (By clicking on Start/Pressing the Windows key)
2) Click on Run.
3) Type 'msconfig' & press Enter/Click on OK.

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4) Then click on the Startup tab.
5) Now, uncheck the programs that you do not wish to open on Startup. The lesser the programs selected, the less time it will take to start the PC.
6) Click on OK.
7) You will then be asked to restart your computer, which is not necessary. So, you can click on 'Exit without Restart'.
8) When you start the OS (Operating System) again after following the above steps, a window of an msconfig message will appear. Check the option given above the OK button & click on OK.

Some programs get ticked again even if you untick it. For such programs, you can mention to them not to start on Startup by changing the settings/preferences in the program. Also, if you wish to load only the basic applications on Startup (to minimize the Startup time), follow the above steps till Step 3. Then, select the Diagnostic Startup & click on OK & then follow the 7th & 8th steps.

(Click on the image to maximize it)

Note : Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.

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System Restore

Microsoft® Windows XP has a very useful feature called System Restore. It backups all the data in the drives of the hard disk periodically. Then, whenever the drives crashes or develops a severe problem, System Restore reverts the drive back to a previous date when the drive was working. Hence, it is a very useful tool. But, it takes its toll on the hard drive space . And if you have low disk space, (ie. less than 20 GB) then System Restore can decrease your PC's performance. So, if you have low disk space, then its recommended to turn off System Restore. (Note : If you do not have backups of your data or if your data is very important, do NOT turn off System Restore or decrease the disk space alloted to it!) To turn off System Restore follow the following steps :

1) Click on Start.
2) Right-click on 'My Computer' & click on Properties.

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3) Click on the System Restore tab.
4) Put a Check alongside 'Turn off System Restore on all drives'.

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This will turn off System Restore. To reduce the disk space alloted to System Restore, follow the first three steps given above. Then, click on a drive & click on Settings . You can then reduce the alloted disk space for that particular drive.


Note : Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.

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Useful link : PC Pitstop

The modern computer is a wonderful tool that is immensely useful to the human society. But, being complex, there can be a number of problems associated with it too. It is very difficult for the PC beginner to find out the exact reasons for decreased PC performance. That's where PC diagnostic softwares come in.

PC Pitstop is a popular PC diagnostic website which provides a comprehensive PC diagnosis. It is advisable to carry out the 'Full PC Tune-up' test from the website (Note : This will only work in Internet Explorer). It will take some time, depending on the type of computer used. After the test finishes, you will be provided with a detailed report with a list of the problems present on the PC, along with the magnitude of risk associated with each of them. To know the exact steps to solve a particular problem, click on the concerned problem & a detailed technique will be given to you to solve the problem.

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Need of Disk defragmentation

The PCs of the current age are very quick & flexible. They can perform various functions efficiently. But after using the PC for a long time, its performance gradually starts declining. One of the many reasons of it is fragmentation of data.

Fragments of data are pieces of data that are scattered in different areas of the hard drive. The processor takes a much longer time while dealing with fragmented data as compared to defragmented data. Fragmentation of data is caused due to the adding/deleting of files from your hard drive. It is thus, unavoidable.

So, defragmentation of data is essential to maintain the performance of your PC. There are many applications available on the Internet for this purpose. One of the most powerful & simple tools for disk defragmentation is >Auslogics Disk Defrag (which is free). To learn how to use it, visit the Using AusLogics Disk Defrag page.

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