Digital Valdosta

Steps to optimizing your Windows PC

Over time your computer becomes bogged down with unneeded files and and other issues that cause it to slow to a snail’s pace. While most general users know of a few steps that help they are not aware of the essentials. This post will take you a step-by-step through the process that I use as a computer technician in optimizing a PC. This is not an all inclusive optimization, but I will cover the essentials. (Any programs that I mention you should download can be found at ninite.com.)

Step 1 : Malware & Virus Scans

Hopefully you have a virus program that is protecting you PC that automatically scans at least periodically. It is best practice to have one that scans actively for any malicious files or processes. The programs that I have encountered that seem to work best not only in protecting you PC but also in not slowing your PC are:

• Avast Antivirus
• Trend Micro Antivirus
• Vipre Antivirus
• McAfee Antivirus

While there are others available (some are viruses in disguise – beware) that may do a better job at protection, I feel that there should be a balance between performance and security. If your protection slows your productivity then it defeats the purpose.

So with this first step check your computer for an antivirus program. (You can look in the start menu or Add/Remove Programs if you are unsure.) If you have one check for updates and then run a full scan. This may take a while to finish. Once the scan is finished, download these tools and install:

• Malwarebytes Anti-malware
• Super Anti-Spyware

Once you have these tools installed run them and check for updates and run full scans. Again this process will take some time. After the scans complete, click to remove. Wait for both to finish removal and then reboot PC.

Step 2: Virtual Memory and turn off unneeded theme settings

Now that we have restarted our PC, right click on My Computer (Windows XP) or Computer (Vista or Windows 7). From here the steps are a little different depending on your version of Windows.

In Windows XP a window will appear on screen as shown below, select the Advanced Tab and then Performance Settings.

Then select ‘Adjust for Best Performance’. This will adjust the appearance of the windows and task bar. If you prefer the “look” that you had previously then you can still do this step, just go to the bottom of the list of check boxes and last three check boxes and skip one and then turn on the next two. Then hit Apply and then select the Advanced Tab next to Visual Effects. Now click the ‘Change’ button in the Virtual Memory section. Now select system managed size and click the Set button.

Now you can close these windows.

If you are using Windows Vista or  Windows 7 the process is similar but differs only slightly. After right clicking “Computer” in the start menu or the icon on the desktop a window will appear with the system settings. Looking to the left you will see a link for “Advanced System Settings”. This is what you should click on for this step. This will bring up the Advanced settings. Now select the Performance Settings button as shown below.

Select only the boxes depicted in the below picture. This will improve the performance and not eliminate features that most everyone uses.

While you can check the virtual memory settings as in Windows XP, Windows 7 and Vista have already set this to system managed. So you may now close these windows and continue to the next step.

Step 3: Clean up temporary files and other system cleaning

Your computer should now be performing much smoother than before we started. This last step is a cleaning process that you perform monthly along with step one. I am sure you have heard of defragmenting or “defragging” your pc. What this does is reorders your files in an order that is best for your computer to find them. After using a file the computer does not always return it to its proper location. And this causes the system to search for the files which in turn can cause your pc to slow down. This tool can be found in your Start Menu > Accessories > System Tools.

Another part of this step is to run a tool called CCleaner. You can download this at the same place as the previous programs. After installing you should configure the settings as shown below.

Now click the “Run Cleaner” button in the bottom right corner. It will display a message the this will permanently delete files, check the box to not show this message in the future and click OK. This will clean out the selected items that you have checked.

Conclusion

Now that you have performed these steps your computer should be running much faster. If this did not remedy your computer from running slowly there are other measures that can be taken to improve the computer’s perform that require a professional computer technician. Some of those measure could involve but are not limited to, upgrading you system RAM, intensive virus removal, etc.

As always I can be contacted via my contact page for any services.