Boost computer speed to the max.

Relief for slow computer speed problems

There are many possible causes for system slowdown and sluggishness. I will describe some of the most common ones below and indicate the remedy to be used to boost computer speed.

1. Inadequate system resources – Current systems require a lot of power and capability to perform adequately. Inadequate memory size or a slow CPU (central processing unit) will bring operations to a crawl. Check the minimum specifications for your operating system and make sure that what you have equipment that surpasses the requirements by a comfortable margin. If not, it’s probably time for a new system.

The primary factor preventing computer speed up is inadequate memory. Windows XP should have at least 1 gig of memory and 2 gig is even better. Vista and Windows 7 need at least 2 gb and 4 is really the best minimum. Adding more memory will provide a significant boost.

It generally doesn't pay to replace your computer's brain, the CPU (Central Processing Unit).

(See my article - Computer Speed Up - for more information)

2. Unnecessary, annoying or dangerous software hogging your system – Make sure that your system is protected against viruses and spyware. Be sure to have an effective Internet Security Suite running on your system. (See my article - Computer Internet Security - for more details.) 

Microsoft Security Essentials is very good and it's free. Add Malwarebytes to double check in case you have any problems. It's a good idea to run a quick scan if your system is slow.

3. Fragmented or disorganized hard drive – Over time the data on your hard drive gets scattered all over the place. It’s something like a disorganized file cabinet. The system has to do more work to work with the data. Additionally, a lot of junk data accumulates clogging your drive. Disk errors may crop up over time.

To correct the fragmentation, defragment your hard drive. To clean up the junk data, delete unnecessary files. Check for and repair certain disk errors. The details for these steps are  provided by Microsoft

4. Windows XP contains a huge list of special effects and visual enhancements such as animated menus, fade effects, cursor shadows, menu shadows etc. Disabling some of these settings can make Windows XP running faster and use fewer system resources

1. Open Control Panel from the Start menu and choose "System." Choose the "Advanced" tab.2. Select the "Settings" button under the Performance section.3. Check the "Adjust for best performance" box and click "Apply" to apply the settings.4. Alternatively, you can choose the "Custom" open, you can then selectively enable or disable each specific effect. The cursor shadowing effect can have a noticeable impact on performance.

5. Unnecessary start up programs – Various programs that you install add some extra programs to the system startup which may not be necessary and will slow down startup and general operation. To remove these programs;

1. Click the start button and select run

2. Enter Msconfig and click ok

3. Select the startup tab

4. Uncheck any programs that are not needed according to the list provided by Raymond in the link below.

5. When the system restarts, the unchecked programs will no longer be started.

Raymond's unnecessary programs list

6. Disable the Windows indexing service - If you don’t do a lot of file searches, disable the Windows indexing service. The time you save on a search is generally not worth the general degradation in performance which the indexing service causes.

Microsoft has generously provided instructions for doing this at the following link; Instructions for removing the indexing service

7. Use Firefox as your main browser.

Not only is Firefox faster for each page, it is also less subject to virus and spyware attacks.

Additionally, I have found that over time having a lot of browser windows open really slows things down when they are IE windows. I have not found this to be the case with Firefox.

8. Use powerful utilities to clean up your registry and tune your system. Ccleaner is free and is about the only cleaner trusted by technicians.

Return from Boost Computer Speed to Ask the Computer Doc home.

4/25/2012