Clean Up Computer

Why is my Computer Running Slow?
Customers always ask me "Why is my Computer running slow?", so I have put together this Clean Up Computer guide for you.

There can be a number of causes, ranging from Spyware, Spybots, Malware, Viruses, Windows Updates, Unessential Programs and Processes, or Hard Drive Performance, the following is my guide to rejuvenating a slow Computer.

Start-Up
Quite often, when you first start up a Computer, you can tell whether or not is is performing as expected. It may seem slow loading the initial Windows Start-up display or just take a long time to finish displaying the desktop. Firstly I will look at the hardware profile of the Computer by going to Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager and see that there is enough memory installed to run Windows XP. Windows XP really requires upwards of 1 Gigabyte of Memory but 512 Megabytes will allow reasonable use. If you have 256 Megabytes or less then you should definitely upgrade immediately by adding a 512 megabyte or 1 Gigabyte Memory Module. I personally run my System on 2 Gigabytes, but then again I am using it for CAD and Graphical Applications.

Internet Browser
Next I would open the Internet Browser and clean out the Temporary Files via Tools > Internet Options > General for Internet Explorer and Tools > Clear Private Data for Firefox or Flock. This makes the 'scanning' for viruses and spybot's noticeably quicker.

Anti-Virus / Spybots / Spyware / Adware
Next I will look at what Anti-Virus software is running and also if there is any Anti-Spybot and Anti-Adware software installed at all. It is amazing how many people will just stagger on as their Computer slowly grinds to a halt with too much Adware and Spybots. My record for a customers Computer was that I removed over 1400 Spybots and Adware from their Computer and the Computer was then able to run about 10 times faster. I'm afraid that my pet hate is to have any Symantec/Norton Anti-Virus software installed on a Computer as, in my experience, it is just "Resource Hungry" "Bloatware", slowing the Computer quite dramatically when installed and is overall counter-productive to our Clean Up Computer Guide.

Spybot Search & Destroy / Ad-Aware
Now is a good time to install the latest versions of Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware 2008, along with their latest definition updates. (See other Articles above for help).

After removing all of the "detected" Spybots and Adware I would perhaps run an Antivirus scan after updating any Virus Definitions. If I have just removed Nortons Antivirus or, God forbid, there is no Antivirus installed, then I would install AVG Anti-Virus Free or one of the other "Freebie" Antivirus programs and run a full System Scan.

Microsoft Windows Updates
After I am happy that there are no Viruses operating on the Computer then I would make sure that Microsoft Updates are all current and that Automatic Updates are turned on. This is achieved by going to [Windows Update] on the [Start] Menu. When Internet Explorer starts, click on [Custom] and wait for the next screen to arrive. You must agree to install the latest version of Windows Update. Normally this would be software for checking that you have a Valid copy of Windows XP. When the Validation is finished and Microsoft are happy that you are a Genuine User then you can proceed to the Updates page. You will see a heading of High-Priority Updates. On the left-hand side of the screen you will see [Software, Optional (#)]. Click on this to show the choices of Optional Updates. Select all of the Optional Updates by clicking on each square box. Next select [Hardware, Optional (#)] and select all of the square boxes available. Now is the time to actually do the Updates. Select [Review and Install Updates] and then '[Install Updates]. I am a firm believer in doing ALL updates as I am sure that the people at Microsoft know a lot more than you and I about their program's. Some of the Installing items may require you to [Accept] their agreement. When all updates are completed it would probably be a good idea to shut down all of your program's and do a [Restart] of the Computer.

Unessential Software and Toolbars
Now is the time to look at all the Unessential Software and Toolbars that people foolhardily install. Any of these programs that install themselves to run in Real Time are using precious Resources and slow the Computer down. If you install Toolbars into Internet Explorer then Internet Explorer uses more resources/memory. I personally just use Google as my Default Search Engine in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Flock. I keep any Toolbars to a Minimum but may try out a few and then uninstall them.

Hard Drive / Defrag
When the Computer is cleared of all the above I would then set up and run a Defrag of the Hard drive. There are various Program's available to Defrag your Hard Drive and if you haven't any other choice then use Windows own Defrag. I will cover more of this for the How To Clean Computer Guide later.

If the Hard Drive is getting close to Full, even after removing all of the above, I may suggest that the Customer either installs another Hard Drive or swaps the current Hard drive for a larger, faster model.

Finishing Up
When I have done as much as I can to clean out and speed up the Computer, I will run it on test for a while to see if any anomalies are apparent.

When the Customer returns to collect their Computer I will ensure that they are aware of what to do to Maintain a fast Computer by using the Software that I have installed. I try not to give them too much information and assure them that they can always call me when it comes time to run Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware. I have found that once they get into a routine of running these program's regularly then they soon learn to look after themselves.

So next time your asking yourself "Why is my computer running slow?" Simply follow this step-by-step Clean Up Computer Guide, and make sure to check CleanFreePC.com for updates and new tips or advice.