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Remember the last time you did a fresh installation? The speed was just "wow". You jump straight into installation drivers and other software you think cannot be left behind.
But you soon realize after a few days to weeks that your system is once again becoming slow. You are back to square one. Sometimes you just can't figure out what the cause is. And that's a good reason to read this post to the very end.
I share with you a few tips to help improve your PC's performance.
1. Clear temporary files.
Temporary files are created to temporarily contain information while a new file is being made. They are usually created during installation of various programs, or when running them. This is done for backup purposes. Some of these files still remain after the program has exited. Some of them can occupy quite a sizeable amount of space with time.
Hit the start button. In the search box type "%temp%" without the quotes. This opens the temporary folder in your pc. Select all the content of this folder. Press Delete while holding the Shift key. This ensures the files are permanently deleted. You stand to gain some space back.
-Remember to empty your Recycle Bin often. Files you delete are stored there until you decide to delete them permanently.
2. Disable Startup Programs
Startup programs are those ones that begin to run a soon as you boot your system. Startups compete with the Operating System (OS) for memory. This could result in the system taking a long time to finish booting.
To disable startup programs press the start button.
-In the search box type "msconfig" without the quotes. This opens the System Configuration Utility.
-Click the STARTUP tab. Click the checkbox corresponding to those startups that are not absolutely necessary to uncheck and disable them.
3. Use all Available Logical Processors
If you have a processor with Hyperthreading [Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT)] enabled, you can take advantage of all the logical processors. In this case, for each processor core that is physically present, the operating system addresses two virtual or logical cores, and shares the workload between them when possible. So your regular dual core CPU may show 4 logical processors. This helps to improve performance in some applications.
-Open the System Configuration Utility (discussed in 2 above).
-Click the BOOT tab.
-Click Advanced Options
-Enable the Number of Processors checkbox. In the dropdown menu select the highest number availabe. This is usually 4 for dual cores.
-Click OK and restart on exit.
4. Add More RAM
The amount of memory you have in your rig greatly affects your speed. Some aspects of programs are loaded into memory at runtime. Increasing the amount of RAM would reduce lags in the system as there would be enough to take care of running applications. [NB: this is also an important factor with smartphones. My current handset has 2GB RAM and you can almost "feel" the speed when using it.]
5. Install Only "Essential" Programs
I say "essential" because that is relative. Everyone has their own definition of what is essential. However do not install any software just because you have the space to do. Slim down your hard drive and you will notice a change in performance.
There are several other wasy to improve your PC's performance. I'm hoping these few help in doing that. Feel free to add you own.
But you soon realize after a few days to weeks that your system is once again becoming slow. You are back to square one. Sometimes you just can't figure out what the cause is. And that's a good reason to read this post to the very end.
I share with you a few tips to help improve your PC's performance.
1. Clear temporary files.
Temporary files are created to temporarily contain information while a new file is being made. They are usually created during installation of various programs, or when running them. This is done for backup purposes. Some of these files still remain after the program has exited. Some of them can occupy quite a sizeable amount of space with time.
Hit the start button. In the search box type "%temp%" without the quotes. This opens the temporary folder in your pc. Select all the content of this folder. Press Delete while holding the Shift key. This ensures the files are permanently deleted. You stand to gain some space back.
-Remember to empty your Recycle Bin often. Files you delete are stored there until you decide to delete them permanently.
2. Disable Startup Programs
Startup programs are those ones that begin to run a soon as you boot your system. Startups compete with the Operating System (OS) for memory. This could result in the system taking a long time to finish booting.
To disable startup programs press the start button.
-In the search box type "msconfig" without the quotes. This opens the System Configuration Utility.
-Click the STARTUP tab. Click the checkbox corresponding to those startups that are not absolutely necessary to uncheck and disable them.
3. Use all Available Logical Processors
If you have a processor with Hyperthreading [Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT)] enabled, you can take advantage of all the logical processors. In this case, for each processor core that is physically present, the operating system addresses two virtual or logical cores, and shares the workload between them when possible. So your regular dual core CPU may show 4 logical processors. This helps to improve performance in some applications.
-Open the System Configuration Utility (discussed in 2 above).
-Click the BOOT tab.
-Click Advanced Options
-Enable the Number of Processors checkbox. In the dropdown menu select the highest number availabe. This is usually 4 for dual cores.
-Click OK and restart on exit.
4. Add More RAM
The amount of memory you have in your rig greatly affects your speed. Some aspects of programs are loaded into memory at runtime. Increasing the amount of RAM would reduce lags in the system as there would be enough to take care of running applications. [NB: this is also an important factor with smartphones. My current handset has 2GB RAM and you can almost "feel" the speed when using it.]
5. Install Only "Essential" Programs
I say "essential" because that is relative. Everyone has their own definition of what is essential. However do not install any software just because you have the space to do. Slim down your hard drive and you will notice a change in performance.
There are several other wasy to improve your PC's performance. I'm hoping these few help in doing that. Feel free to add you own.
