Is your PC slower than the day it was born?

A new PC is a joy because it is fast and efficient which makes it fun to use. Over time, that PC gets slower, and slower and can eventually become a chore to operate. There are steps you can take to restore some of that “new PC” performance.

Get Organized
Print these steps for a PC tuneup checklist. Make notes as you go; it’ll be easier to get assistance if you need it. Reserve enough time. Review the Related Links for more details on some of these steps. Follow these steps in order, where practical.

Make Some Backups
You need a fall back position in case bad things happen. Create an XP restore point. Consider saving: Email files and account settings, desktop and favorites, My Documents, other files? You’ve been meaning to backup anyhow, haven’t you?

Add Memory (Not enough memory and how to get it)
New programs are larger and tax the memory of an older PC. To effectively operate today you need at least 1 GB of RAM. When I spec a new PC I usually include 2 GB of RAM. Check your RAM size and seriously consider an upgrade; easy to do and could have a big impact. {Start -> Control Panel -> System, to see RAM installed}

Eliminate Malware

Get ride of malware on your pc malware includes adware and spyware. Malware has decreased somewhat as a public nuisance, but is still a likely suspect when your PC slows down or acts strangely. The average malware can be removed by the average user.

Tips:

• Create a restore point;  (How to create restore point in windows xp)
• Turn off System Restore;
• Run at least two removal programs;
• Run the removal programs while in Safe Mode;
• Turn on System Restore.

I recommend three spyware removal programs:

• Microsoft Defender;
• Spybot Search and Destroy;
• Ad-Aware.

Is your security suite screwing you up?
Consider disabling or uninstalling security suite software. Some security controls can choke the performance out of a PC, while safeguarding it. Try disabling the features, one at a time to see if your PC performance improves. MacAfee makes it’s suite difficult to uninstall! Try uninstalling in Safe Mode.

Consider an alternative approach, such as a good antivirus program and a separate anti-spyware program.

De-program
Uninstall unneeded programs. A new PC comes with demo software and freebies that are seldom used. Then we add programs that we end up not using. Sometimes a desired installation slips in other software we don’t need/want. Yahoo, Adobe, and others often slip things past the casual installer.

Uninstalling programs will recover space, and as a bonus, may also free up some operating resources and speed things up. {Start -> Control Panel -> Add or remove Programs}

Clean up your browser
Delete stored cache files. Reduce the amount of space set aside for browser files. Your browser will perform better and you recover lost space. {Internet Explorer -> Tools -> Internet Options -> General Tab -> Settings, to reduce the space allocated, and delete Files} Also, consider reducing the amount of history you retain; enter zero (0) if you don’t use the browsing history.

Clean out file debris
Windows has a disk cleanup function to empty recycle bin, delete temporary and working files, etc. {My Computer -> C Drive Properties -> Disk Cleanup -> Check all boxes, OK and Yes}

Scan your hard drive
Windows has a tool to scan hard drives. This can resolve file location errors and other disk management issues. {My Computer -> C Drive Properties -> Tools -> Check Now -> check to “automatically fix…” and to “scan for…”, then Start} This test requires you to restart your PC. This can take a while on a large hard drive so it’s a good task to run overnight.

De-fragment your hard drive (What You Should Know About Disk Defragment)
Over time, the files on your hard drive become fragmented. The files are still there and usable, but they are scattered all over the hard drive and become inefficient for the operating system to access and move around. Think of it as a messy drawer – everything is there; it just takes longer to locate things. Windows has a tool to regroup your file pieces (defrag) and reorganize the hard drive. {My Computer -> C Drive Properties -> Tools -> De-fragment Now -> select the C drive -> De-fragment} This can take a while so it’s a good task to run overnight.

Check hard drive capacity (after you do all the cleanup steps)
When you bought the PC, that hard drive seemed big enough and it probably was. In the last couple of years, data file sizes (e.g. pictures and audio/video clips) have exploded. New programs also take more space. You need a minimum of 15% free space, and should really have more (25-50%) to operate efficiently. Open “My Computer” to see the capacity and free space on your C drive.

Stop unnecessary services (How to Disable Services in Windows Xp/Vista)
Many programs install and run services for their convenience. Sometimes these services are running unnecessarily and can slow things down. Places to check for unnecessary services: System Icon Tray (lower right of Start line where time is shown), the Startup Folder {All Programs, Startup) and run MSCONFIG to see all services and programs started by the operating system for you when you start your PC (you will probably be surprised at the things that are running).

Repeat these steps periodically

Accumulated digital debris caused your PC to slow down in the first place. Don’t wait so long before doing a good cleanup on your PC. It will pay off in better performance and you will get to know your PC a little better. Pick a schedule (monthly? quarterly?) that you are comfortable with.

Consider a new PC
Try these steps first and you should get back some of the missing speed and performance. It may not be enough. Consider carefully the cost of additional memory, new hard drive and service costs, versus the cost of a new PC system.

Tips

• For Windows XP, create a restore point before making any changes to your PC.
• Be organized – have a checklist and take notes at each step. This will give you more control over the process.
• If you need more detailed information on the steps suggested, refer to the External Links.
• Allow enough time – don’t rush and you’ll make fewer mistakes. Some steps can take an hour or more and will be ok to run overnight.
• Pay attention. The computer jargon and procedure steps can seem confusing and sometimes intimidating. However, the average user can work through most of this and get the desired result by staying focused.

Warnings!

• Back up! You should be doing backups anyhow. This is a perfect time to catch up.
• Be sure you know what program you are dealing with before uninstalling any program. Research it if you are not completely sure.
• Be sure you know what service you are disabling in MSCONFIG before disabling any startup operation or service. Research it if you are not completely sure.
• Be sure you know what files you are dealing with before deleting any files. Research it if you are not completely sure.
• Unplug your PC from the electrical outlet before opening the PC case to add memory or clean it out. Be properly grounded. Be careful what and where you touch. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, which might involve reading the manuals.

Backing up your important files, or perhaps your entire hard drive, is one of the most valuable maintenance tasks you could possibly do on your computer. With your data backed up, a hard drive crash or accidental deletion won’t be nearly as painful.

Backup software makes backing up your data automatic – a must-have feature of any successful backup plan. Here is a list of some of the most popular backup software titles available.

2. Acronis True Image 11 Home

Acronis True Image 11, like the other popular backup software programs profiled here, is a complete backup solution for your home computer.

The backup configuration process isn’t quite as user friendly in Acronis True Image 11 as it is in some of the other programs, but it has a huge number of advanced, unique features including email notification of completed backups, a hard drive eraser tool, a pc cloning utility, and much more.

Acronis True Image 11 Home is currently priced at $49.99USD and is available for Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista.

Online backup services work much like traditional backup software. With an online backup service, however, your important data is transmitted over the Internet and securely stored on a server in a professional data center instead of being stored on your own CDs, DVDs, or backup tapes.

The reason I list only 3 online backup services, even though there are dozens of choices, is because these few stand so far above the rest. Save yourself some time and check these out.

1. Mozy

Without reservation, Mozy is my pick as the best online backup service. Any exceptional backup service should be easy to use, cost effective, automatic, reliable, and easy to restore from. Mozy is nearly the perfect embodiment of these requirements.

To get started with Mozy, visit their website and sign up for an account. Download and install their software, tell it what files or types of files to backup, and then set it to automatically backup whenever you like.

MozyHome Free is, you guessed it, completely free and gives you up to 2 GB of storage on Mozy’s servers.

MozyHome costs $4.95/month and allows for an unlimited amount of data backup. This service sets Mozy above all others.

Sign Up With Mozy