Windows based computers can suffer from a number of issues that can result in an overall slowing of the system over time. This article describes a few quick methods to bring your PC back to the super-efficient-computing-machine it once was… or at least fast enough to open your essay document in less time than it takes you to check your Facebook.

Disclaimer! The author provides no warranty with this advice. If you want to try these out please back up your computer before you do and/or set a restore point. Don’t make me say “I told you so”…

Overheating and dust

A long-term cause of PC inefficiency and one of the most easily addressed issues is dust. Dust builds up over time and can block the air vents and the fans that cool down your processor, causing it to run hotter and less efficiently. The quickest solution? Grab your vacuum and suck that crap out of the vents. While you’re at it, clean out those crumbs from your keyboard. Be sure to switch it all off first of course. If you want to get a bit more militant, clean the vacuum first to make sure its at full power, use some canned air to blow out the more stubborn stuff and if you’re feeling very adventurous, remove the back cover if your laptop to get in there a bit more.

Overloaded system tray

You know that set of icons near the clock? That’s called the system tray. Many programs like to install a system tray icon to speed up access to themselves, regardless of how much you use them. Each item in the system tray uses a little more of your precious RAM. The more RAM you have available, the easier it is for the programs you use a lot to run for longer, and quicker without needing to be restarted. You can right click many system tray icons to stop them running, but to stop them from starting (and to speed up your restarts) you must remove them from the start up process.

To clean your system tray up a little, take the following steps:

Click the Start button and then click Run. In the run textbox, type msconfig and click OK. The system configuration dialog box will appear. Select the Startup tab. This tab lists all the programs that initiate when your computer starts up. Many of these are programs you have installed and may not use anymore or not often enough to justify running them all the time. Unchecking the box next to the program will stop these from running at startup, saving you RAM space. If you’re unsure of some, Google their name to learn what they actually are and decide whether to keep them or stop them from running. This will remove them from the system tray but will not delete them, so you can still run these programs when you wish.

Fragmented hard drive

Hard drives store new information in the next available slot they have. Over time, you and the system itself deletes files, leaving gaps that the computer does not fill up. This causes searches for files to be slower than necessary. Defragmenting your hard drive moves all this free space back to where it can be used and also speed up file searches. Windows 7 and Vista have more options in their defrag tools than XP had, so search online for how to defrag your particular operating system.

Reinstall

The best solution to revitalise an older Windows computer is to re-install the operating system. This starts you off again with a freshly installed system without any spyware, malware or bloated programs that you no longer really use. However, reinstalling isn’t a walk in the park unless you have some experience with doing such things. If you are lucky enough to have a friend who does, offering baked goods in return is often an acceptable form of payment. Cold hard cash is another well-accepted alternative.

Lastly, stay safe out there, update your anti-virus often.

Ultan Sharkey

October, 2011

This article appeared in SIN Newspaper in October, 2011