Speed Up a Slow Windows Computer for Free

Windows PCs typically slow down as applications are installed and used. Whether using word processing, spreadsheets, internet, games or anything else, hard drives fill with temporary files that do not always get removed when no longer needed. Read on to learn of ways to help keep a PC running smoothly with little or no money.

Steps

 * 1)  [[Image:Taskbar_76.jpg|thumb|Program icons "running" in the Taskbar.]]Stop all unused applications. The Taskbar is on the bottom edge of the screen (unless relocated by the user). In the right side of the Taskbar appears a group of small icons, collectively named as the "system tray". Each of these icons represent a program that has been at least partially started or is running "in the background".  Regardless of state, each causes a reduction of available memory and processing power, or resources.  Closing, exiting or canceling any unused icon returns those resources to the system, and becomes available for use by the application(s) started specifically by the user.
 * 2) *A utility called Process Explorer (procexp.exe) can be used to list all programs running on your Windows system. It is more comprehensive than the Task Manager, and hovering your mouse pointer over any program name will tell you what it is about.
 * 3) *A utility is built into Windows that can enable/disable taskbar programs and processes from automatically loading with Windows. To access it, go to Start > Run > type in “MSCONFIG” and click OK. If you do not know what a process does, search its name. Do not disable processes if you are unsure, as some processes are necessary for your computer to function normally.
 * 4) *A useful program called "Game Booster" by the people who wrote the Advanced SystemCare V3 software will temporarily disable unnecessary background processes and boost performance on your computer when you are actively using only one program; such as a game program or video editing software. When you are finished, you can resume "normal mode" and all the background processes will be reloaded.
 * 5) Turn off unneeded Desktop Features that try to make things look better. The fancy rounded window corners, the way the menus fade in and out, and the 3-D button styles on modern Desktops can overwhelm older machines. To turn off these appearance only enhancements:
 * 6) *Windows XP - right click on My Computer, and choose the Properties option, then choose the Advanced tab, and click the Settings button under the Performance section. In the Performance Options dialogue that comes up, go to the Visual Effects tab, and choose "Adjust for best performance".  You can also try the "Custom" option, and turn on and off individual settings to see which ones will work without slowing your machine down.
 * 7) *Vista - Click the Start button, then Control Panel, then choose System and Maintenance, then Performance Information and Tools. Click Adjust visual effects. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. Click the Visual Effects tab, and choose "Adjust for best performance". You can also try the "Custom" option, and turn on and off individual settings to see which ones will work without slowing your machine down.
 * 8) Do a shut down/reboot also known as a cold reboot. Some programs do not release memory properly when they close. Even doing a warm restart will not release some of the drivers and other core programs in memory. The computer has to be completely shut down and then restarted. The Windows system is designed to hold on to those programs for a period of time. Shutting down the system for 30 seconds will cause the chips to "forget" the settings, and they will start anew when you restart the system. Curing these 'Memory Leaks' is as simple as rebooting the machine when it starts getting sluggish.
 * 9)  [[Image:Recycle_423.jpg|thumb|A "full" Recycle Bin icon indicates there are files waiting to be deleted.]]Empty the Recycle Bin. Simply deleting files from the disk doesn't really delete them at all, rather they are moved to a temporary holding area on the hard drive for easy restoration.  This area is called the Recycle Bin and is usually displayed on the Desktop.  Review the contents before emptying.  Once emptied, the space on the hard drive that the data occupied is made available for reuse and the restoration of files emptied from the recycle bin becomes extremely difficult. Note that this will only speed up your computer if the hard drive is nearly full.
 * 10) [[Image:Uninstall_513.jpg|thumb|The "3D Image Commander" application is selected. Clicking "uninstall" directly above it, will start the uninstall process.]]Uninstall all applications that are no longer needed. When applications and games are installed to a Windows PC, in addition to copying files to the new application directory, some files are written in the Windows directory structure and dozens (or more) changes are made to the Windows Registry file.  Most of these changes are not readily apparent to the user, so proper removal requires uninstalling the application through the Control Panel's "Add or Remove Program" or "Programs and Features" icon. If the program is not listed in the Control Panel use the "uninstall" command provided by the application. Simply deleting the entire application directory is not the same as uninstalling, as all the files written to the Windows directory and changes to the Windows Registry file will remain and may be reloaded when the system is rebooted. Make sure that you do not uninstall any programs that are required by others. e.g. iTunes® will not work if Quicktime® is uninstalled, and many programs rely on other Microsoft programs.
 * 11)  [[Image:Checkdisk_602.jpg|thumb|This "Check Disk" options window is presented after clicking "Error Checking".]]Run "Error Checking" on all hard drives.  Right-click a drive icon in "My Computer" and select "Properties" followed by "Tools".  Choose "Error Checking" to let the utility scan the drive for damaged files that can contribute to slow drive access speeds.  This process may take several minutes or more to complete.
 * 12)  [[Image:Defrag_825.jpg|thumb|This is the "Disk Defragmenter" scheduling and options window.]]Run "Defragment" on all hard drives.  Right-click a drive icon in "My Computer" and select "Properties" followed by "Tools".  Choose "Defragment" to let the utility clean up fragmented files and consolidate free space on the drive.  This should be done at least once per week, or more often if the PC is used heavily.  Some versions of Windows allow for the scheduling of this utility, and in those cases could be set to run automatically without ever having to manually run again.  This process may take anywhere from several minutes to an hour or more to complete depending on size of the drive(s) and amount of unused capacity or free space. Consider starting the defragment process so that it will run over night or prior to logging off.  After completion the speed of hard drive read and write times may improve significantly.  There are also stand-alone defragmenting programs available from other developers available for download that may or may not charge a fee for use.
 * 13) [[Image:Avast_26.jpg|thumb|Screen shot of the free version of Avast! antivirus.]]Install anti-virus software and keep it current. Anti-virus (AV) software is an absolute must.  There are many from which to choose at the software store, but there are free AV solutions that do a very good job, too.  Three popular free AV solutions are Avast!, AVG, and Avira AntiVir.  All include regular "virus definition" file updates that allow the AV program to detect and protect from the latest virii being released. Note that while installing antivirus software actually slows down your computer, it does not slow it down as much as malware does.
 * 14) [[Image:Virt_965.jpg|thumb|This is the Virtual Memory options page for an x86 Windows XP Pro system with only one hard disk. Usually "System managed size" is set, but this one is "Custom".  There should be at least one disk with a Virtual Memory file.]]Relocate the Swapfile or Virtual Memory file.  These files (depending on Windows version installed) are hidden and are usually located on the Windows drive (usually "C:") If there is a second physical hard drive in the system, consider moving to the secondary drive.  Ideally, these files work best when located on the fastest and largest (in terms of free space) drive in the system.  The procedure for changing the location varies by version of Windows, and is not detailed here at this time as it is fairly advanced.
 * 15) Find and Delete Temporary Files. Temporary Files are used for supporting some applications for a limited period of time and left unused for later. Go to "C:\Documents and Settings\ \Local Settings\Temp" (Windows XP), "C:\Users\ \AppData\Local\Temp" (Windows Vista), or "%TEMP%" (any version of Windows) and delete all the files from this folder. If there is a problem deleting one or more files, skip those files and remove the rest. This will free a lot of space on the drive. The Temporary Internet Files directory can also be emptied.
 * 16) Adding memory (while not free can be inexpensive) is THE most effective way of boosting performance if your system has less than 1GB.  Increasing the amount of memory installed reduces the need for the computer to write and read inactive programs to and from the hard drive (which is slower), since it can keep them in memory. This includes the many programs Windows needs that you don't start yourself. Check the motherboard or system documentation to determine size, type, speed and permissible configurations of memory before purchasing and installing additional memory. Systems with lower amounts of memory (256 MB to 1 GB) installed receive the greatest boost when increased to 2 GB or more (as this represents a 100-400% increase in system memory). Systems that have 2 GB or more installed receive a less noticeable boost when upgraded.
 * 17) Replace your main hard drive and keep it cool: It has been observed, particularly on laptops, that replacing the hard disk without changing anything else (i.e. by a direct sector to sector copy) can drastically speed-up an old PC... which will slow down again after some time. This suggests that, especially on laptop computers, hard drive overheating can produce bad sectors, which are quickly detected and moved/hidden by the hard drive itself. But, in the mean time, this causes some hidden fragmentation which may slow down the whole computer.
 * 18) [[Image:KL Intel i386DX 3938.jpg|thumb|Intel's first 32 bit processor: the 80386DX.]] Be realistic. The "high end" computer purchased as new 5 years ago may run the latest version of Windows, but that doesn't mean that it will do it very well.  Technology marches on and it seems there is a game of "one-up-man-ship" played between software developers and hardware designers.  Regardless, eventually new software will require new hardware or vice-versa.  It seems that the amount of frustration you can endure best determines how long you will run your current setup.

Tips

 * Be Aware that some of these steps will work on Windows XP only and some will work on Windows Vista. They are not cross-compatible.
 * Consider using a different operating system. If you have a slow or old computer consider switching to Linux.
 * Defrag solid state drives? The newer solid state drives appear not to need defragmenting.  Since there are no moving parts (heads, platters, etc.) in these drives, it would make sense that there is little benefit of doing so.  A check with the manufacturer for definitive information about your particular drive would provide the most reliable answer.
 * [[Image:Crucial_892.jpg|thumb|Crucial's scan results and suggested upgrades (including prices) are presented in the system's default browser.]]Scan the PC to determine memory information. Crucial Memory provides a free and easy to use memory scanner to help determine a PC's existing memory configuration and provides a list memory upgrade options. There may be other scanners available from other memory manufacturers and distributors.
 * Consider re-installing Windows. It may be easier to format the hard drive and re-install Windows on the computer.  Verify possession of CD keys on original software disks - including Windows; if any are missing, read the installed keys with a keyfinder and write them down on a piece of paper for reuse during re-installation.  Be sure to back up important data first and have all program installation disks ready for re-installation.  The format process will delete *all* files on the disk. This means that you will need to reinstall (any revise any preferences) ALL the programs you bought (or otherwise  loaded).
 * Adding memory for performance. The effect of adding memory decreases as you have more of it. You probably do not need more than 2 GB unless you play very graphic intensive games; manipulate (create or edit) large image and video files or have several applications running at the same time.
 * [[Image:Memory module DDRAM 20 03 2006 1332.jpg|thumb|Two PC3200 512 MB memory modules.]]Adding memory. Adding memory is one of the easiest ways to improve performance. For most systems, it is inexpensive and simple. The operating system itself, Linux, XP, Vista, etc., will take up roughly the same amount of memory each time it loads. The amount of memory remaining, combined with the memory allocated in the swap file, will be available for programs to run. Increasing system memory (RAM) will provide more memory for programs to run in. For example, if your system runs fine with only the browser open, but when your start Word and Excel, it slows to a crawl, it might be that the system is pushing those running programs into swap space. This forces the computer to use the hard drive (slow) rather than system memory (fast). Find out what is the maximum amount of system memory that is supported by your motherboard/chipset etc. Find out what kind of memory chips your system takes. Remember that a 32-bit OS will see only 4Gb of system memory.
 * Change Theme to "windows classic."
 * De-fragmenting Sysinternals's 'Contig' works much better than the standard windows defrag. Actually, most of Sysinternals tools, if used correctly, will help in fixing many issues.
 * WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS If running utilities mentioned in this article gives you an "Access Denied", "You don't have rights to run this", or the program will not run... You probably have a malware infection. Symptoms other than these are frequent phony -but realistic appearing- Anti-Virus warnings that your system is infected, or your web browser sending you to pornographic websites or search sites you have not configured it to send you to.
 * There is a free tool called "Combofix" that does a very good job at removing these. It can be found at:
 * http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/combofix/how-to-use-combofix

Warnings

 * Know the Operating System. A 64 bit computer can run either a 32 bit (x86) or a 64 bit (x64) version of an Operating System.  A 32 bit Operating System running on either a 32 bit or 64 bit computer however, will only register up to 4 GB of memory as discussed earlier.  This 4 GB value is further reduced to between 3.25 - 3.5 GB due to a limitation of 32-bit Operating Systems ability to address other hardware devices (Video cards, etc.) installed in the computer. In order to eliminate the 4 GB limit, a 64 bit computer must run a 64 bit Operating System (designated specifically as 64 bit or "x64").  It is not possible to run a 64 bit Operating System on a 32 bit computer.
 * Download files from trustworthy sources the developer's page is best, but probably not the fastest. P2P, newsgroups and anonymous file hosting sites may be faster, but are more likely to be infected with a virus.
 * Shut down your computer and disconnect all the cables from it prior to opening the case. This eliminates the chances of electrocution or damage to system components. Besides, most old PCs do not support "hot swapping" (replacement of components while powered) of hardware.
 * Discharge any static electricity. Touch an electrically grounded source (a heating or plumbing pipe or the metal case of an electrical device powered by a grounded 3 prong cord connected to a grounded receptacle) prior to touching components inside the PC case.  Static electricity can pass through hands and could cause delicate electronics inside the PC case to fail.
 * Beware of using MSConfig Using MSConfig as anything but a troubleshooting tool is considered dangerous by many in the IT field to long term computer stability.  Autoruns will allow you to do the same thing and much more including permanently removing unneeded/unwanted entries.  Since it can do more, it can be just as or more dangerous than using MSConfig.  If you're unsure of something do your research and don't remove it until you know for sure you don't need it.  You can always uncheck it and come back later.
 * Do not use registry cleaners Registry cleaners are dangerous, they may seem legitimate, but after a while of usage, they can fragment your registry. Leave them alone, IF you feel that it must be cleaned up, take a backup and defragment afterwards. Running a program, like CCleaner, on a 'clean' install would show bad entries, remove a bad key- to a non-power user, that could spell disaster and kill your computer.

Related Tips and Steps
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 * How to Clear up Unnecessary Files on Your Linux PC
 * How to Defragment Your Computer
 * How to Do Computer Maintenance and Reduce Computer Problems
 * How to Move from Windows to Linux