Most computer issues that users experience are not do to faulty hardware. In fact in my experience I have found that faulty hardware usually fails with in the first 30 days of purchase. Not to say that it will not fail at any time. Most computer annoyances come from within your computer’s operating system (Windows). There are multiple windows operating systems in service at this time however I am going to concentrate on only Windows XP and newer. Sorry if you are still running Windows 98, ME, NT, or 2000. Many of the techniques and software will work for them as well though I won’t promise that
Have you ever noticed that your computer runs so fast when it is brand new and has that wow factor that makes you appreciate it so much when you first purchase it? But after time it becomes slower and slower. In most cases this is because of simple use. As you use it components of your operating system change due to things like viruses, spyware, malware and software changes. This is like a double edged sword. We purchase our computers to use them but as we use them they slow down. The way to combat this is to do a tune up on you PC weekly and it should continue to run as fast as the day you purchased it for a much longer period of time. I will explain how to tune up your PC and provide software links to free software utilities that I have found to be trusted and true.
One of the first issues we will talk about is defragmenting your hard drive. I personally analyze my hard disk every week and defrag when needed. There are different ways to do this and it will help keep your computer running faster. One method is to click on the windows start button in the lower left corner and search for “Disk Defragmenter” you will then click on “Analyze” and wait until it finishes then click on “Defragment Disk”. Beware this can be a lengthy task so I would suggest doing it before you go to bed at night. You can also use a great piece of free software I found called “Defraggler”. It is user friendly and in many cases faster than the conventional system application.
One of the first issues we will talk about is defragmenting your hard drive. I personally analyze my hard disk every week and defrag when needed. There are different ways to do this and it will help keep your computer running faster. One method is to click on the windows start button in the lower left corner and search for “Disk Defragmenter” you will then click on “Analyze” and wait until it finishes then click on “Defragment Disk”. Beware this can be a lengthy task so I would suggest doing it before you go to bed at night. You can also use a great piece of free software I found called “Defraggler”. It is user friendly and in many cases faster than the conventional system application.
The next issue we are going to tackle will be computer spyware. Spyware is a program that secretly installs itself into your computer and monitors things such as applications you run, websites you visit, and can even be as dangerous as to monitor personal information. The only way to avoid spyware completely is to never connect to the world wide web. If this is not an option for you, get used to living with spyware. Some of the world’s largest computer manufactures and internet service providers manufacture their own spyware so trust me there is no service that is completely spyware safe. Even the ones who provide you with spyware protection in their subscriptions are only removing and blocking spyware that is not designed or accepted by them. Spyware programs run on your system all the time and can slow it down dramatically. So you need to remove spyware regularly. In my opinion the best free spyware remover hands down is "Spybot Search And Destroy”. Install the program then update it before you run it. You will be amazed by the spyware you will discover and how much faster your computer will run once removed.
Now let's talk about Malware. A severe type of spyware that is extremely dangerous. The word “Malware” is short for malicious software. This is a program that disguises itself as a legitimate program and tricks you into executing it or running it. Once you do so the program gains unauthorized access to your system, exploits system settings and in many cases make it near impossible to use your computer. For example it may disguise itself as a windows error message telling you to click to run a virus or diagnostic scan and when you do it will tell you to purchase the program and will not allow you access to your computer until you do. Even purchasing it is only a temporary fix until it demands you purchase it again and again. So you need to remove it. I would suggest running a malware scan and remove any malware you find on a weekly basis. The best malware remover I have found is called “Malwarebytes” You will need to download it and update its database before your first scan. It has a free version and is very user friendly.
Now let's talk about Malware. A severe type of spyware that is extremely dangerous. The word “Malware” is short for malicious software. This is a program that disguises itself as a legitimate program and tricks you into executing it or running it. Once you do so the program gains unauthorized access to your system, exploits system settings and in many cases make it near impossible to use your computer. For example it may disguise itself as a windows error message telling you to click to run a virus or diagnostic scan and when you do it will tell you to purchase the program and will not allow you access to your computer until you do. Even purchasing it is only a temporary fix until it demands you purchase it again and again. So you need to remove it. I would suggest running a malware scan and remove any malware you find on a weekly basis. The best malware remover I have found is called “Malwarebytes” You will need to download it and update its database before your first scan. It has a free version and is very user friendly.
With these issues taken care of it’s time to maintain your windows registry. The best way I can describe your windows registry would be to think of it as an old fashioned stone wall in the country side. When the wall is first built it is strong and does exactly what it was designed to do. However if every day someone keeps climbing around on that wall and knocks out stones here and there eventually the wall will collapse. The trick is to put the stones back when you knock them out and the wall will always be strong. So If you scan and fix your windows registry on a regular basis your operating system will not be as susceptible to crashes. I have found a great little program called “Ccleaner”. It does the trick nicely and is free. The program will also help you to stop programs that automatically start with windows (we will cover start up next) and it has an option to clear your browser history and cookies.
Now we will cover “startup”. Every time you restart your computer a number of programs automatically start with your windows operating system. As you install devices such as Ipods, mobile phones and digital cameras just to mention a few, corresponding software is installed for each device and much of that software sets itself to start with windows by default. What this means is that every time windows starts so do these programs. This slows windows down. There is no need for your digital camera to have its program using your system resources while that camera is in a camera case and not plugged into your computer. So we need to edit the programs that start with windows. This can be tricky for users who are not sure what they should have running and what they should not. My thought is if I can click on an icon to start a program or I can start it from all programs, it probably does not need to start with windows. If you are unsure about something starting on startup I would just not make a change. There are different ways to edit your start up menu. You can click the windows start button in the lower left corner, then type “cmd” into the search bar and look for the command prompt to show. Click on it and a black box will appear . Type “msconfig” into that box and hit enter. Now a window will appear. Click “startup” from the tabs across the top. Now you will have a list of programs in your startup menu. Check the ones you want to start and uncheck the ones you do not want to start with windows. After making the adjustments to the startup and accepting them you will have to wait for the system to restart. You can also use the Ccleaner program I showed you earlier in this article. Open the program and on the left side click on the “startup” tab then highlight the program in the list and click on disable on the right sided.
If you do a simple tune up once per week your computer will run seemingly issue free for a much longer length of time. You won't have to take your computer for frequent rides in the car to visit the local computer shop. Also remember, the free software utilities are always developing so if they ask you to download updates or install a newer version be sure to do so.
If you do a simple tune up once per week your computer will run seemingly issue free for a much longer length of time. You won't have to take your computer for frequent rides in the car to visit the local computer shop. Also remember, the free software utilities are always developing so if they ask you to download updates or install a newer version be sure to do so.
