PERSONAL COMPUTER SPECIAL...Overhauling YOUR PC

Overhauling YOUR PC

    IT is a universally acknowledged truth that Windows computers tend to get a bit sluggish after a few months of use. The PC that felt responsive and snappy when it was new starts taking those extra seconds to perform basic tasks. It boots up, but it’s a couple of excruciating moments before you can begin to work on it. The folders can be accessed, but only after a slight lag. Programs launch, but lethargically.
    No, it has nothing to do with hardware. The problem lies in the operating system (OS) itself. As you use Windows more and more, installing and uninstalling software, it starts collecting junk. And this detritus, if not taken care of, bogs down your machine. The solution is to clean up your PC from time to time with some nifty tools that go deep into Windows and flush its nooks and crannies.

Get a cleaner

When it comes to basic PC cleaning, few software can match up to CCleaner (or Crap-Cleaner). By default, it checks for temporary internet files (if not cleaned for months, these can take gigabytes of disk space), temporary system files, cookies, etc. But if you want to scrub your PC totally clean, you can use its advanced options. For most users, however, the default option should do the trick. Before deleting files, CCleaner prepares a report of what will be deleted –– and once you hit OK, whoosh, it’s all gone. Run CCleaner every month or so.
www.piriform.com/CCLEANER 

Keep an eye on Windows Registry
After all these years, the jury is still out on whether users should edit the Windows Registry or not. Simply put, the Registry is a sort of index that helps the OS organise and access software information.
    Unfortunately, Windows is pretty lax at maintaining this index. The result: Even if you uninstall a program, its registry entries might still remain. Now, we definitely DO NOT recommend that you venture into the Registry because it holds a lot of information that is crucial to the whole OS. But we have found that running the ‘Registry Cleaner’ built into CCleaner every six months or so does help in clearing away junk entries.

Boot fast
A ‘crowded’ boot process is another reason why your PC might feel slow. Most software, when installed, are set to run when the computer boots. But in many cases, you don’t need these programs or processes to start as soon as you log on to your computer.
    One way to deal with this problem is to uncheck the ‘run at startup’ or ‘run at boot’ option when installing a new program (unless it is anti-virus software). The other way is to periodically check which services start during boot and disable the ones that you don’t need. You can do it through the tools provided in CCleaner or by typing “msconfig” in Search under the Windows 7/Vista Start menu (in Windows XP, the command can be executed through “Run” prompt). Once MSConfig opens, go to its Startup tab and disable services you don’t need.

Get an uninstaller
During the process of installing a program, its installer performs many tasks –– copying files to a folder, creating file associations and registry entries (to tell Windows that a new program has been installed). Ideally, uninstalling should reverse these changes. But most software leave residue even after they have been uninstalled.
    The solution to this problem is to get an app like Zsoft Uninstaller. After installing any new program, simply run Zsoft. The tool prepares a report of the changes made to the system by the newly-installed program. Later, when you want to uninstall the software, click on the Analyzed Programs tab in Zsoft and remove the application from there.
    Zsoft will make sure that the removed application doesn’t leave any unwanted traces.
www.zsoft.dk/index/software_details/4 

Defragment hard drive
When you store data on your computer, the information is broken down into smaller pieces and is written into “sectors” on your hard drive. These sectors might not be written in continuous blocks, thus leading to your files being fragmented. Now if a file’s fragments are spread across your hard disk, your PC might take longer to fetch it for you. The solution here is defragmentation.
    The inbuilt application in Windows called Disk Defragmenter (Start > Accessories > System Tools) will suffice for most users. But if you are looking something better and faster, especially if you are still using Windows XP, you can try UltraDefrag.
ultradefrag.sourceforge.net/en/index.html

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