PC Optimization Guide

MadGamer · 23-07-2004, 15:24

If your PC has slowed down after installing too many programs or downloading Utilites from the Internet, or perhaps even not clearing out your Temporory files? If yes then this guide is for you.

Disk Cleanup

This tool helps you delete temporory files and other such that dont need to be on your hard drive.

For Windows 95/98/ME/2000 users

Go to Start

Programs

Accessories

System Tools

Disk Cleanup

For Windows XP users

Go to Start

All Programs

Accesories

System Tools

Disk Cleanup

Once you click on disk cleanup it will analyze your system and then bring back a dialog showing which files can be deleted.

Scan Disk

Scan disk will scan your Hard Disk(s) to attempt to recover any bad sectors on the drive.

For Windows 95/98/ME/2000 users

Go to Start

Programs

Accessories

System Tools

Scan Disk

I recommend you do a through examination of your Hard Disks

For Windows XP users

Go to Start

My Computer

Right click on your Hard Disk

Properties

Tools

Error Checking

Click Check Now

Check both boxes and click Start

You may need to schedule it so that it scans when your PC boots up.

Disk Defragmenter

Overtime you may notice your PC become slower. This is because too many files become fragmented from installed programs. To improve the speed of your Hard disk simply run disk defragmenter.

NOTE: You may need to leave your PC on overnight depending on the size of your Hard Disk. Eg: for an 80GB hard disk i would say anything from 8 to 24hrs.

For Windows 95/98/ME/2000 users

Go to Start

Programs

Accessories

System Tools

Disk Defragmenter

For Windows XP users

Go to Start

All Programs

Accesories

System Tools

Disk Defrag

Windows XP users you can first analyze your drive to see if it needs defragmenting.

Registry Tool

I recommend downloading RegCleaner. Its a tool that SAFELY deletes invalid registry keys from old programs that you have uninstalled. It also gets rid of entries that are invalid to installed programs as well but those programs still function without these so there is no need to pannick. You can obtain this tool from the .zip folder i uploaded

Dave Stones · 23-07-2004, 15:27

a program called "regseeker" is much better than regCleaner... it lets you clear out a lot more things, and gives you more options to do things like that....

you can clear out old cookies and index.dat and clearstream keys and the like as well, if you really want to be secretive.......

**Damien** · 23-07-2004, 15:27

Careful that registry tool IS NOT 100% safe it can delete active keys from programs (drivers especially)

Also there are a lot better Disk fragmenting tools avaible.

Stuartbe · 23-07-2004, 15:29

Good guide m8

but there is no way of cleaning a registery 100% safely.... Users need to back up the registry before making and changes !

The rest of the guide is good IMHO as it includes procedures for default windows tools.

MadGamer · 23-07-2004, 15:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Stones

a program called "regseeker" is much better than regCleaner... it lets you clear out a lot more things, and gives you more options to do things like that....

you can clear out old cookies and index.dat and clearstream keys and the like as well, if you really want to be secretive.......

Is that a free app? If so i might give it a try

**Damien** · 23-07-2004, 15:31

Surely most people know where the default windows tools are? arnt they in the start menu?

nffc · 23-07-2004, 15:31

Also a lot of malware can load processes that over time can slow down your PC- also a lot of P2P software such (Freudian slip of suck) as Kazaa have the same effect- if your PC is slow it's a good idea to streamline your startup in msconfig and run Spybot S&D and AdAware both of which are free.

Dave Stones · 23-07-2004, 15:31

google it, i think it is 1.35b at the moment. one of the top links anyway, i got it from a random spanish mirror site but it is still english...

that gets run alongside diskeeper and ad-aware here to keep things tip-top...

**Damien** · 23-07-2004, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by nffc

Also a lot of malware can load processes that over time can slow down your PC- also a lot of P2P software such (Freudian slip of suck) as Kazaa have the same effect- if your PC is slow it's a good idea to streamline your startup in msconfig and run Spybot S&D and AdAware both of which are free.

Yeah they are both good programs

Stuartbe · 23-07-2004, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damien

Surely most people know where the default windows tools are? arnt they in the start menu?

I am not so sure - most customers that bring pc's in for me to fix have never even heard of defrag !

**Damien** · 23-07-2004, 15:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuartbe

I am not so sure - most customers that bring pc's in for me to fix have never even heard of defrag !

LOL, I wonder if theres anyone like that on the forum? How would they find IE?

MadGamer · 23-07-2004, 15:40

This giude was intentially for a first time user btw

MadGamer · 28-09-2004, 21:43

Found another good link for optimization of XP: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html