Slow Computer?

I've helped several who have a Windows machine with the "slow computer" problem. If you watched me, you would see that I use a free utility called "Glary Utilities" to do cleanup. Here's the drill I follow (Some terms below may be unfamiliar; over time I'll get around to explaining them.)

1. Remove unnecessary programs the slow down your computer's startup
2. Clean up your hard drive, removing temporary files
3. Bring you operating system up to date. If not already installed, I install the relatively new MS Automatic Update feature, so you get automatic updates
4. Remove unnecessary programs- ones you don't use
5. Defragment your drive
6. Clean out and defrag your registry
7. Update your hardware drivers
8. Run a program that identifies settings on your system that slow performance.
9. Change programs, such as your security program and your PDF reader to alternatives that do the same thing more efficiently. These programs are free.

I also look at your hardware for improvement. The key item is your RAM. You need 1 GB of RAM for XP, 2 GB of RAM for Vista. You might read that you can get by with less, but that's not my exerience with your machines.

Sometimes it doesn't pay to do any of the above. I have to make that judgment before I begin:

• Perform the above- which can take 8 hours or more
• Reinstall the operating system (things are just too bad)- might take more than 8 hours due to reinstallation of the programs you have installed yourself
• Buy a new machine
  

A new machine, either laptop or desktop, can cost about $600. That's usually sufficient for what you do. I try to keep my rates low,much less than prevailing rate, because you're friends and neighbors. But the above exercise at improving your computer's performance, when measured at the standard rate of $60-$100/hr, can easily surpass the cost of a new machine.

I'll give you purchase options on this blog.

I'll continue the theme of performance improvements on subsequent posts.