So what are your ideas for performance clean ups? Here's a list of things I have accumulated (will update things as suggested): Registry cleaners: It's advised to do a registry clean every month or so. When you install and run programs, they add entries to your registry, and it becomes very cluttered, taking longer to read, so you're computer slows down. A registry cleaner will remove abandoned entries. I recommend using CCleaner as it's free, and removes things like temporary files and folders as well. Registry defragmentation I use Free Registry Defrag. Once you have cleaned your registry, defragmenting it will rearrange it so it's not all over the place. Hard drive defragmentation This pretty much has the same effect as a registry defragmentation, but it will move everything to one part of the HDD (not visually, but physically on the disc) so it's faster to access. You can do this by going My Computer, right clicking on the C drive, click properties, click the Tools tab, and defragment. Prefetch When you install a program to start up when the computer boots, it adds an entry here. It's recommended to empty this every month or so, as it deletes uninstalled programs, and your computer wont stall looking for non existing programs. Delete temp folders and such I recommened using CCleaner as stated before. Because #1 it's free, and #2, it has numerous other tools with it. Uninstall unneeded programs If you have programs or games on your computer which you have no intention of using any time soon, remove them from your PC to empty space. Disable startup programs When your computer boots, numerous programs start with it. While you notice some like MSN, and Torrenting programs, other programs such as programs for your printer, and tweaking programs, which you don't actually use everyday. So if you don't need the program, disable it. You can do this through Windows, or use 3rd party programs like CCleaner. To do it through Windows, follow these instructions: Click start, and click Run (XP), or type it in search (Vista). Type "msconfig". This will bring up a Window, with several tabs. Click "Start Up". Look through the list of checked things, and Google each one, so you know what they are. If you don't need them, untick them. Set services to disabled/manual (help me generate a list, one list for XP, one for Vista. When you suggest something to configure, state whether to do it for XP, Vista, or both) Type "services.msc" in either Run or Search, depending on XP or Vista. Vista: Fax (Disable- if you don't use a fax machine) FLEXnet licensing service (Manual- used for Adobe products. If it's manual it will start when something triggers it) NMindexing service (Disable- it makes the Search feature faster, but uses a lot of disc space.) Readyboost (Disable- if you have a fast PC, disable this. If you have a slow PC, you should leave this on, and make use of it) Superfetch (Disable- this is why your PC uses 40% RAM idling. It makes programs launch faster, but chews up lots of memory.) Tablet input service (Disable- if you use a Tablet and pen, you should set it to manual) Print spooler (Disable- if you don't have a printer) Security center (Disable- unless you have a use for it, turn it off) Windows Firewall (Disable- only disable if you have a 3rd party firewall, if you're unsure, do not disable) Other If you don't mind losing the pretty effects in Vista, and pretty much reverting to the Windows Classic theme, do the following: Click start, and right click on Computer, and click properties. Click Advanced, then click the first Settings button (performance). Click "Adjust for best performance". This greatly improves the speed of your PC. So, post some ideas. I think once this list is done, we can refer a lot of newbs to it when they ask why their computer is slow.
CCleaner at least once a week Diskcleanup defrag all drives Uninstall un-needed programs At least 1 gig of ram installed. At least 2 gig on vista machines. Use low resource anti-virus like Nod32 Malwarebytes for spyware. That should be all apart from some minor tweaks with display settings. All can be done in XP and Vista.
Don't use disk indexing (uncheck "allow disk indexing serice..." in the properties of any disks). In system properties: System restore tab: Turn off system restore Remote tab: UNcheck BOTH boxes Advanced tab: Settings, visual effects, adjust for best performance and then tick the bottom three boxes (cuz you really do need a theme and to get rid of those boxes in the names of icons on the desktop, and I like to keep the common tasks list but thats optional, but bottom 2 boxes are a must in my opinion, rest off, speeds things up) Turn off automatic updates and do them manually periodically (this could be said to be included in your services configuration as previously mentioned) also turn off Security centre. Turn off error reporting service, telephony (if you dont use a modem or one of those newer usb "broadband" modems), event viewer service (if you never use the event viewer)BITS service off, help and support manual, windows firewall off, print spooler off if you never print from that pc. And other stuff...
