How To Make you computer faster

awildgoose

awildgoose

Active Member
How To Make you computer faster -BETA-

I searched and something like this hasn't been done. I am making this because i see people complaining about slow computers. I will be updating this reguraly (if successful) so please comment.

Here are things I have done:
Open run -> type "msconfig" and press enter.
Go into start-up and find programs that you do not use or do not want starting up when you boot your computer and un-check them. This will make your start-up faster. (Be wary, some things you actually do need)

Also in msconfig go to BOOT.INI and click on Advanced Options...
Check /NUMPROC= and type in how many processors you have (if more than one)
Windows default is to use one core.
Added 17.04.09 (DD.MM.YY).
Keep in advanced option and check /MAXMEM and type your memory/RAM. I have found out that Microsoft made it so your OS uses the minimum RAM needed, so having the maximum amount of RAM on startup also makes a difference. By the way it's in megabytes so 1G is 1024mb, 2G is 2048 etc.

Run a virus scan, DO NOT USE NORTON Anti-Virus. I recommend Avast! and if you do not want to pay money (other good free programs are Spybot - Search and Destroy, Ad-Aware). Fix any viruses and malicious software you may find with your virus scanning programs.

Run a disk defrag, the easy way to find it is, Stat -> Programs ->Accessories-> System tools-> and click on it. Analyze you Hard drive and click defrag. Over time you computer will clunk up with files and be spread, defragging will put them In the right places and make it run smoother.

Run a disk cleanup, you can find it the same way as Disk defrag, this will just cleanup you computer generally and compress old files that you do not use.

Cleanup you registry files, I recommend RegCure which will analyze you reg files and delete what you do not need. Also another great program is Ccleaner (some people call it CC cleaner, just warning so you don't get confused).

Right click on your recycle bin, go properties, click on Global settings and allocate 3% for all hard drives, 10% is just too much.

Two more things, right click on your desktop and make a new shortcut (do this twice). The first shortcut will be called %temp%, which will make a shortcut to your temporary files. The second is "Prefetch". Every day, before you log on or just as you do, empty out these folders because Windows does not by default.

More added 18.03.09 (DD.MM.YY)
RAM is random access memory. The processor uses RAM to temporarily hold both data and instructions while it is processing them. RAM is much faster to access than permanent storage (hard drive). Most RAM presently transfers data at over two thousand of megabytes per second. A hard drive reads data at around 60 megabytes per second presently (as of 2009). RAM is volatile; it loses its contents when power is removed.
If you are using the Windows XP Operating System and your computer does not have at least 768 megabytes of RAM I would recommend you upgrade your memory. If you are using Windows Vista and your computer does not have at least 1500 megabytes of RAM I would recommend you upgrade your memory.

Edited on 15.04.09 (DD.MM.YY)
If you do not care about having an aesthetic desktop and would rather have a faster more efficient system (this will not effect video game graphics) then do the following: Start -> Control Panel -> System. Go to the Advanced Tab and click Settings (In Windows Vista click the Settings tab under Performance).

A pop-up will come up and for now be in the Visual Effects tab. There are four things you can choose. Once you have done this it is pretty obvious where to go, would you rather best performance or appearance?
I chose the custom option, as I do like aesthetic appearance but I do not need to have my windows fading in and out.

Date added 24.03.09 (DD.MM.YY)
Your hard drive is the most important component in your computer. It is good to run an error check at least once every few months to make sure there are no bad sectors on your drive. Right-click on a hard drive via My computer -> Properties -> Tools and click on Error-Checking Check Now. A pop-up will come up with Scan for system Errors and Attempt to fix system errors. Check the second box (Scan for system Errors) because your HDD (hard drive disk) may not have errors. Let it run and fix errors if it finds them.

PS: I will make this look good and easier to read after it has been finished.
 
Last edited:
awildgoose said:
The second is "Prefetch". Every day, before you log on or just as you do, empty out these folders because Windows does not by default.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you should have said that there is a great difference of opinion on "prefetch". I personally followed this tip a while back and it completely slowed up my loading of programs until the prefetch folder had repopulated again.

The prefetch files will only be used when you start a program and will not be loaded automatically as some think. What happens when you click an icon and start a program is that windows uses the information in the prefetch folder to decide which program segments to load and in what order to load those pages, and this will speed up loading.

My opinion is to leave that folder alone, it doesn't take a lot of space and has a file limit number wise so it won't get bigger and bigger.
 
TFT said:
Perhaps you should have said that there is a great difference of opinion on "prefetch". I personally followed this tip a while back and it completely slowed up my loading of programs until the prefetch folder had repopulated again.

The prefetch files will only be used when you start a program and will not be loaded automatically as some think. What happens when you click an icon and start a program is that windows uses the information in the prefetch folder to decide which program segments to load and in what order to load those pages, and this will speed up loading.

My opinion is to leave that folder alone, it doesn't take a lot of space and has a file limit number wise so it won't get bigger and bigger.
Click to expand...

ok, thanks. Did you like the guide but?
 
Also in msconfig go to BOOT.INI and click on Advanced Options...
Check /NUMPROC= and type in how many processors you have (if more than one)
Windows default is to use one core.
Click to expand...

I never knew that, thanks!

Also, there is this thread Speed Up Your PC 101 that covers some of the stuff you have included. Cheers, Doug.
 
Take note that NUMPROC only has a bearing on startup only, some see a reduced start time, others don't. Once the OS got past the bootup stage all cores are automatically initialised irrespective of whether you had it set to 1 or more.

Yeah, good work awildgoose :)
 
Last edited:
I really like that NUMPROC thing. I had never known about that for. When starting Vista, the bars jumped from 5 times across to 3-1/2! Not bad! Like, someone else said about, it didn't make a difference once Vista had actually loaded, but for boot times it made a difference! Woot!
 
I personaly don't care for RegCure since it does the old bait and switch. It presents itself as a free program and then you find out you have to pay money before it will even do anything. You don't even find out it cost money untill you get to the second page of registration on the website. I use Glary Utilites it's free and also does alot of other uses tasks as well.

I also don't ruse AVG anymore since it's so heavy and if someone wants to use it I tell them to disable the link scanner to improve performance. Nothing like a heavy handed AV to slowdown an otherwise fast system. NOD32 or the new Norton AV 2009 both work much better.
 
Last edited:
sshaggy said:
Memory upgradation.
It is also quite helpful, cheap and easy way to speed up.
Click to expand...

I didn't know "upgradation" was a word :)

A tool that has helped my system run better is "Auslogics Registry Defrag."

I run Disk Defragmenter weekly and I also use "Auslogics Registry Defrag." It helps the Windows Vista operating system to run better and it's free.

You can download it here:

http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/registry-defrag/download
 
Does the processor change actually work? Like do you think I would notice a difference? Also, something happened to my BIOS, and I have to press F1 to get past it when it first boots up, lol, I think it has something to do with a floppy.. Any ideas?
 
g4m3rof1337 said:
Does the processor change actually work? Like do you think I would notice a difference? Also, something happened to my BIOS, and I have to press F1 to get past it when it first boots up, lol, I think it has something to do with a floppy.. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Yes, the NUMPROC does work. See windows default is to use 1 core, until told otherwise. By changing this to 2,3,4 or how many you have (unless you are using P4) then it will use the number of cores that you told it to do at the startup.
To do with your F1 thing, I would check to see what you have as your main booting device, it could be set to a floppy drive (or better known as, Floppy Drivesaurus) and you do not want that, most people have it as their HDD or if they have their windows CD in (and high) they will boot from cd, don't ask me why, but it has happened.


On the contrary, what does everyone think of my Guide? I have a lot more with the registry like speeding up the time it takes to open your start bar and/or how long it takes to show the list in Add or remove programs as well, plus more.
 
awildgoose said:
Yes, the NUMPROC does work. See windows default is to use 1 core, until told otherwise. By changing this to 2,3,4 or how many you have (unless you are using P4) then it will use the number of cores that you told it to do at the startup.
To do with your F1 thing, I would check to see what you have as your main booting device, it could be set to a floppy drive (or better known as, Floppy Drivesaurus) and you do not want that, most people have it as their HDD or if they have their windows CD in (and high) they will boot from cd, don't ask me why, but it has happened.


On the contrary, what does everyone think of my Guide? I have a lot more with the registry like speeding up the time it takes to open your start bar and/or how long it takes to show the list in Add or remove programs as well, plus more.
Click to expand...

i like it need to expand on a few more ideas thou
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top