Optimizing Your Home Computer’s Performance

parsetable('98%', '', '[tr][td=1,1,720]Do you still remember how fast our computer was when you first got it out of the box and had your first application running

? Chances are, your PC today is running at half the speed and efficiency. And the reason is that you have so much garbage files loaded in to memory and unnecessary unused apps running in the background to slow the PC down. There are many things you can do to restore your PCs once unhampered performance. You could be in for a big surprise to suddenly see your PC getting a performance boost just when you thought you need on of those newer more powerful PCs in the market.

Clean Up Your Pc

Its not about wiping the dirt off your PC but more about deleting files and apps you dont need. If youre running on the Windows XP, here are the best areas where you can start cleaning.

- Windows Registry Cleansing. The Windows Registry is a huge database of Windows configuration settings and they get cluttered up every time you use the PC, specifically, every time programs are installed and uninstalled which leaves file setting on the registry, unused drivers and apps on your system and even traces of virus and malware even after theyve been cleaned out. These leftovers are seldom handled correctly and can lead to conflicts and slow downs, which over time can bloat and even corrupt the registry to bring your PC to a halt. Not everyone knows about it nor can do this and is often better done by PC experts. Thankfully, there are programs online that you can download to automate the process. such as Registry Optimizer 06 and QuickSolutions. Do this at least once a week.

- Empty Your Prefetch Cache. Windows improve the time needed to load programs by guessing which apps are likely to be used next by caching frequently used apps. This is prefetching which does the job but over time can be clogged with apps and files you no dont use anymore and can bog down OS start-ups. Clear it every quarter by going to the Run section in the Start menu. Type Prefetch and youll get a window containing icons. Dont bother understanding these icons; just select all of them or press Alt+A and press Delete. The cache will automatically refill the files that you now need making your PC at start-up fast and more relevant to the apps you now use.

- Clean-up Your MSCONFIG. This is a set of applications that Windows loads up at each boot-up and can be found under the Start-up folder under All Users in your Document and Settings Folder. Its important to know which ones are unnecessary and those that should be there. Check out this site netsquirrel to learn more about it and remove those that are encumbering your PC at start-up.

- Do a Disk Cleanup. This is the easiest you can do to unclutter your PC hard disk and free up enough space. Hard drives that have more than 80% content are known to slow PC performance. Right click against a drive and click on the Disk Cleanup. After some time, your get a list of files you can safely remove, like temporary files and cached internet files.

- Defragment. After cleaning your drive, it is sure to have logical file fragments scattered everywhere on the drive sectors which makes accessing them a slow process as the PC needs to bring these pieces together every time. Do this at least every quarter to optimize disk performance. GP

About The Author:

ITC Sales are a leading supplier of Dell and HP Laptops such as the Dell Vostro and Precision. ITC also supply servers such as the Dell PowerEdge [/td][/tr]')

POST COMMENT

Optimizing your Computer for Online Work at Home Make the Best of your Home Computer as an Entertainment Center Nanotechnology Will Improve Computer Efficiency and Power Online Computer Repair- How Safe they Are? Hand Held Computers Best MP3 Player Speakers: Pick From Creative, Bose And Altec Lansing, And More The Age of Computers How Much Computer Memory Do I Need? 6 Things That You Need to Know When You Are Buying a New Computer 5 Facts You Must Know About HP Slimline Computers Computer Monitors How to Choose Desktop Computer Monitors PCR 800 Reviews - Roland Edirol PC Midi Controller