Tips and Reasons

I’ve been using computers for more than 15 years now. I started off with those systems where MS-DOS was the most common way to access games and programs. I now have an AMD (dual-core 4800), 3 GB RAM with Windows XP installed. Over the years I have used systems with various different specifications. I have always faced the problem of the PC slowing down or hanging up. No matter how powerful your system is, the program requirements grow with it. And so, the PC is doomed to be slow for all eternity…

But fret not, the tips I give below will help you considerably speed up your machine.

1.) Use The Most Compatible Operating System (OS)

If your system specs do not meet or just barely meet the system requirements for a specific operating system, it is better not to use it. Your computer will allocate almost all of its resources just to run the OS, and will not have any left for other programs you wish to run. Make sure your system is compatible and powerful enough before buying a new OS.

2.) Remove or Avoid Installing Unnecessary Programs

This is one of the biggest pain points of them all. I’ve seen people complain about how slow and stupid their computer is. When I go in to see what the problem is, the have practically every software or application on the planet installed on their system. “Oh! I was just testing it.”

Make sure you remove all those programs and applications that you do not use or can do without. You can do this via the ‘Control Panel’ in Windows. Remember this rule: the lesser programs you have installed, the faster your computer will run.

3.) Update to the Latest Drivers

Many a time, the drivers for your hardware are not up to date. This means that they may not sync well with your current operating system. Have you ever seen a screen that looks like this:

This is called the ‘Blue Screen of Death’ or BSD for short. This happens when one or more of your drivers are not compatible with the OS and need to be updated. If you have a branded PC, you can visit the manufacturer’s website for the latest drivers for your hardware. For those who assemble their PCs, you’ll have to visit the individual websites for each computer part. If you save money, you gotta spend a little more time.

4.) Defragment Your Hard Drives

Defragmentation is nothing but sorting data on your hard disk, and arranging them in a more orderly fashion for faster access. This is not something that you do manually, but is automatic. Right-click on your hard disk and go to properties. Visit the tools tab and click ‘Defragment now…’

This might take a while, maybe even a few hours depending on the amount of data on your computer. If you have a lot of stuff on your computer, I suggest you start the process before going to bed and leave it overnight. Once you have done this, you should notice and improvement in your computer’s performance. It is recommended doing this every 6 months.

5.) Use Basic Display Graphics

One change you can make is to make your computer’s theme and display as basic as possible. For speed and performance, sacrifice on looks and interface graphics. I did this on my last PC, and it really helped me speed it up. Right-click on your desktop and click ‘Properties’. Under ‘Themes’, choose the Windows classic look. This is the theme that demands the least, in terms of resources.

6.) Remove Programs From Startup

Back in 2001, I remember a friend of mine who had a PC that took an abnormally long 8 minutes just to start up. The problem was that he had too many programs that were scheduled to start whenever the computer starts. Almost all of the programs on his computer were opted into the ‘Start application when Windows starts’ feature. This meant that every application would run as soon as you login to your OS and would show up on your system tray (consuming RAM). Personally, I find it annoying when applications just pop-up from no where asking you to login when you start Windows. For each of these applications, go to their settings and uncheck or disable the ‘Start application when Windows starts’ feature. You will save on a lot of time and resources.

7.) Delete Temporary Internet Files

I’ve always noticed my PC slowing down because of this. When you browse the internet, the date from the websites you visit (like images, videos etc) are stored in your browsers cache and as temporary internet files. Deleting or clearing these will not only speed up your computer, but also give you more free space on your hard drive.

Firefox users: Press ‘Ctrl+Shift+Delete’ to do this.

Internet Explorer users: Tools-> Internet Options.. -> General Tab

Now coming to the hardware…

8.) Upgrade Your System

If all the above fail, it most likely means that you need to upgrade your machine to the latest technology available…or close to it. The things you will need to do to improve speed and performance from the hardware point of view is:

• Increase System RAM
• Get A Better Processor
• Get a Good Hard Disk

If you are a basic user with no real requirements (unlike hardcore gamers), a decent upgrade can last for a good 5 years. Do some research on whats new and compare prices online. Talk to a dealer near you about your requirements. He’ll know what will suit your needs and serve you for at least 5 years from now. All the best!