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Home / Computers
How To Correct A Slow Running Computer
By:Otis Cooper
You push the power button on your computer and 5 minutes later you're finally ready to start computing.It seems as though it takes forever and a day for your computer to get going,Why?
Most likely,the main reason your system is dragging the ground is because of all the junk that runs in the background that you don't see.These are applications you may have installed over time.
Such utilities as scanner drivers, and hard drive monitors can swallow up memory and cpu processes,not to mention adware and spyware creeping into your system.These affect both your computer's bootup process and performance during normal operations.
Another reason for slow pc bootup and performance may be the simple fact that your computer is aging. Computers running Windows 98 and Windows Me with cpu speeds of 500mhz or less are good candidates for slow operation.These system often have inadequate RAM Memory as well.
OK,so you,re no doubt asking, how can you correct this ever present,nagging problem.If your system was purchase when dinosaurs roamed the earth,consider upgrading by adding more memory,a larger hard drive,and if possible a faster cpu.
You can free up hard drive space by deleting files and applications you don't use often.Improve performance by not overlooking basic pc maintenance.Running scandisk and Defragment are crucial to pc preformance.And try third party memory management programs.
Running scandisk will find and attempt to correct errors on your hard drive.System Defragment will free up hard drive space by re-arranging files in an orderly manner.This allows the cpu to find files much faster and not have to roam all over the hard drive to load files into memory.
You can get more bang for your buck by purchasing a faster computer however.When adding the costs of components and the increase in speed and performance you will gain,you may come out better to purchase another system.
Windows operating system have a utility named Msconfig that can display programs that bootup and instantly run on your computer. To start Msconfig,select Start,Run,and type "msconfig" without the quotes,in the Run dialog box.Msconfig does not show all programs running in the background however.
If you have Windows XP as your operating system, try to delete all files in the prefetch directory. Windows XP Professional monitors files that are used when the computer starts and when you start programs.
When Windows XP Professional monitor these files, it prefetches them.Prefetching data is the process whereby data that is expected to be requested is read ahead into the cache. Prefetching boot files and applications decreases the time needed to start Windows XP Professional and start applications.
These files if not deleted will lower system resources and slow pc performance by loading programs that are no longer being used.To delete these files,open C,your system drive, and go to windows/prefetch.Delete all files or at least those more than 3 weeks old and, reboot.
Try to check to see if your computer and the CPU Chip are not overheating. Excessive heat will cause your system to perform much closer.Make sure your computer is well ventilated
A really neat and free utility that does a great job at displaying all programs is Merijins free startup utility which configure programs at http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml.This utility is simple to use and should not add more burden to your computer.
Another utility called Process Explorer ,Sysinternals Tutoring at http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html can be used and this utility allow you to disable each program.
And when it comes to correcting slow computer performance, you can be your own worst enemy.And just how is this? The word procrastination means to put off today what we can do tomorrow. Such simple tasks as running scandisk and defrag are often put off until a more convenient time.
Don't let procrastination or anything else get in the way of boosting the performance of your computer. You'll thank yourself many times over when you see the results. You will also have the knowledge to help others boost their computer's performance as well.And that can always be a blessing to someone.
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Article keywords: computer repair, computer upgrades, computer training, software
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
Otis F. Cooper is the author of the award winning PC Super Pack,the Computer Training By Video course.For hundreds more free PC repair tips,sign up for his bi-monthly newsletter and learn the PC free at www.ultimatepcrepair.com
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