Keep Your PC Healthy

Wouldn't it be great if your PC was always as fast as the day you bought it? No sudden slowdowns, no waiting for that precious picture to open or that file to be saved?

Well, it can be. And this lens is designed to help you keep your computer running as fast and efficiently as possible.

We'll try to guide you through the maze of topics that can impact your PC's performance and health. Disk fragmentation and defragmentation. Wasted space and how to recover it. Program errors and how to eliminate them. Disk drives gone bad and how to fix them.

We'll address many topics. And if there's something you'd like us to cover that you don't see, please let us know and we'll do the best we can to address it.

Thanks for visiting!

Fragmentation occurs when the operating system cannot or will not allocate enough contiguous space to store a complete file as a unit, but instead puts parts of it in gaps between other files (usually those gaps exist because they formerly held a file that the operating system has subsequently deleted or because the operating system allocated excess space for the file in the first place). Larger files and greater numbers of files also contribute to fragmentation and consequent performance loss. Defragmentation attempts to alleviate these problems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defragmentation

Every time you use your computer, even when it's brand new, the files on your PC will continuously become fragmented. This means that these files are split into millions of pieces, and this occurs even more so when you go to add, modify and delete them. So when you go to access a file - even just to read it - it will take much longer than necessary because Windows has to first find each piece of the file before you can even see it. This makes using your computer, and doing everything you want, much slower than it should be. Fragmentation also leads to much slower boot times and will make applications run slow or even potentially cause them to "lock-up" or freeze.

Defragging your computer puts the pieces of your files back together into a single piece - the way they should be. A defragmented computer will boot quicker, files will be accessed faster, and your applications will not hang. A good disk defragger will not only defragment, but will also consolidate the free space on your drives into one large piece so when you create a new file, there will be enough free space to save that file in a single piece, rather than fragmenting right away.

Managing files on a computer is not an easy task. Over time, the amount of files on your machine can build up, causing you to lose a lot of free space. If you have many folders full of photos, music or movie files, chances are you have duplicate files within them. Duplicate files can crowd up your hard drive and consume a lot of space. PerfectDisk 10 and PerfectSpeed both have free space cleaners which check for duplicate files.

When PerfectDisk or any other duplicate file finder presents you with a list of duplicate files, it does not necessarily mean that it is safe to delete all of the duplicate files. It is normal to have some duplicate files. By default, PerfectDisk will search for multi-media files, like MP3's, pictures and videos, as well as text files or any other space-hogging files.

No matter what duplicate file finder you use, when you are presented with a large list of duplicate files, instead of simply deleting all the duplicates, take the time to go through each set and review what you are deleting so that you are aware of what is being done. Otherwise, it is all too simple to delete necessary duplicate files and cause an unwanted problem with a program or your operating system. By default, PerfectDisk won't try to find duplicate files in the Windows or Program Files directories - because any duplicates file in those areas are likely to be necessary. But if you are using another utility, be aware of the files that are being deleted in the windows and program files directory, as they are likely needed.

For more information on PerfectDisk's duplicate file finder and the free space tab, please review PerfectDisk's user guide. http://www.raxco.com/support/userguides.cfm

Windows® operating systems are always a work in progress. There are constantly updates to fix bugs, security holes, and other problems. Keeping Windows up to date is an effective way to keep your PC running smoothly.

By default, Windows Update is configured to automatically download and install updates on Tuesdays at 3 in the morning. If this is not a convenient time for you, you can change the Windows Update options to work for you.

For Windows Vista :
* Go to Start
* Select the Control Panel
* Select Windows Update
* Choose Change Settings.

For Windows XP :
* Go to Start
* Select the Control Panel
* Choose Automatic Updates

Once you are at the Windows Update Options, you will have the ability to configure Windows to automatically download and install updates, to download updates but prompt you to install them, or to simply notify you of updates.

Whatever action you take, make sure that you are always up to date with Windows.

Most well-designed programs run properly in Windows®, but there are some older games and programs that were written specifically for a earlier versions of Windows that may not. If you attempt to use these older games or programs, they may run poorly or may fail to run entirely.

A solution for this is to run the program in Compatibility mode. This is a function in Windows that allows you to run the program with the environment that it was originally designed for. For most programs run in this mode will restore full stability and performance even if you are running a modern operating system like Windows Vista.

To set the compatibility properties for a program manually:

1) Right-click the program icon on your desktop or the shortcut on the Start menu for the program you want to run; then click Properties.

2) Click the Compatibility tab; then change the compatibility settings for your program.

If your program does not run correctly after testing it with the Program Compatibility mode, check the program manufacturer's support site for instructions on how to configure the application for maximum compatibility.

And run your old stuff like it's new.

If you've noticed degradation in Windows performance, then consider changing the performance options. Windows XP and Vista have many visual effects that may noticeably slow down their performance. For example, dialog boxes and menus might not open smoothly, and this is not only annoying - but time consuming.

To help improve the performance of your computer, you can disable some or all of the visual effects. When you disable visual effects, you change only the graphical elements on your desktop; you can still do everything you've always done with your computer - only faster.

To disable all visual effects for the best performance:

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and click Properties.

2. The System Properties box will appear.

For Windows XP: Click the Advanced tab.
For Windows Vista: Click the Advanced System Settings option.

In the Performance area, click Settings.

3. The Performance Options box will appear. On the Visual Effects tab, select Adjust for best performance option.

4. Click OK and Windows will adjust the system for better performance. You will notice a nice performance increase.