Speed Up Windows on What Should be a Fast PC

LiveBrianD asked the Windows forum for counsel on improving performance on a slow PC. Given the PC's hardware, Brian feels that it should live quicker.

A number of factors could comprise deceleration down a PC. Let's look at approximately of the common ones, starting with the issues that are the easiest to notice and to fix.

Defrag the Disk drive

I'll be honest; it's been at any rate a decade since I've seen falsifiable evidence proving that a

fragmented Winchester drive slows a PC. But a whole sle of people take a firm stand that information technology does, and defragging for sure won't ache. To defrag your disc drive:

Click Start and select Computer or My Computer.
Correct-pawl your C: drive and select Properties.
Cluck the Tools pill, then the Defragment now button.

Check For Malware

A bitchy program functioning in the background could delayed down your PC while also doing Thomas More serious damage. If your Personal computer is infected, chances are that your existing antivirus programme is compromised. Try something else. I recommend victimisation the unrestrained version of either SUPERAntiSpyware Oregon Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. Or the AVG Rescue Certificate of deposit, which scans in a non-Windows–and therefore non-pestiferous–environment.

Trim Down Your Autoloaders

If you're like most Windows users, you have to a fault many a programs shipment automatically all time you boot. Turning some of them bump off may help. You don't have to uninstall the programs, just keep them from loading when you Don River't need them.

Of course, many autoloaders are absolutely necessary. For example, you must have an antivirus program running at every last times. Some other programs you want to autoload is adequate to you.

To make do your autoloaders:

Click Start (Start, and so Run in XP), character msconfig, and iron out Go in.
Click the Startup pill.
Uncheck around of the programs to disable their autostarting. Experiment until you're satisfied.

Here's another alternative: Download and install the free Fulgent Utilities and use its Inauguration Handler (which you'll find connected the Optimise and Improve yellow journalism). Unlike Msconfig, it gives you multipurpose information astir the Startup programs.

My thanks to WiscoKid for recommending Blazing Utilities.

Reinstall Windows and Kickoff From Scrape

SikFly recommended this in the original forum discussion. It's an intense solution, but often an effective one. For instructions, see Reinstall Windows Without Losing Your Data.

Contributing Editor program President Abraham Lincoln Spector writes about technology and picture palace. Email your tech questions to him at resolve@pcworld.com , Oregon post them to a community of helpful common people on the PCW Answer Line forum . Follow Lincoln on Twitter , or take the Answer Ancestry newsletter , e-mailed weekly.