making computer faster

[hyroboarder]

I'm trying to make my old Dell go faster without making any physical upgrades. I have 1gb of ram and a 2.8 ghz processor. what do you do when your computer is starting to lag?

[Sparkee]

Back it up and reinstall the operating system.

Over time you make changes to your system, install buggy software and collect spyware and viruses off the net. This process also helps me clean out all the programs I install to experiment with and never un-install them when I'm done. It may be over kill in allot of cases but it's the fastest way to refresh a computer and replace any system files that may have become corrupted. You probably have a restore CD with your Dell, I make a similar restore CD with Norton's Ghost for my custom built PCs to speed the process up. Some experts suggest a re-install 2-3 times a year, I do it annually.

[papayaninja]

De-frag the harddrive?

[kyussmondo]

Regular de-frags and clean outs are good. I use Advanced System Optimizer (run it about once a month), fixes registry, clears out temporary files, does a defrag...Norton Systemworks also does the same thing. Try these options before a complete reinstall of Windows. My computer is 4 years old and I have only had to reinstall Windows twice and it still runs great.

[skateboarderx24]

overclocking isnt a physical upgrade is it

[bdb]

I agree with what pohatu said - cleaning out all the temp junk helps a lot. I don't know why Windows doesn't do a better job of that. A registry cleaner can help as well.

If you think you've been hitting sites with viruses, get a virus scanner. If you've been sticking to sites you know, you probably haven't.

I can't imagine re-installing Windows once a year. That'd drive me nuts!

[jwc110869]

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

Its a free virus scan. Between that and a de-frag or reinstall, you should be in good shape.

[skateboarderx24]

http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/

this software is useful in deleting more or less useless files that are created by the computer.and other crud. It cleared up about 2 gigs on my laptop...

[pohatu771]

I'd imagine there is some sort of program that will let you move your most-accessed data (programs or files) to a physical sector on your hard drive, so that the disk doesn't have to search quite as much... I believe that's what a defragmentation does (partially).

And hey, a free promotion, before I even responded!

Originally Posted by bdb

I agree with what pohatu said

[bdb]

Originally Posted by pohatu771

And hey, a free promotion, before I even responded!

I wanted to make sure I had you covered just in case you posted.

[kylo4]

For deleting useless files get the trial for CyberScrub. Not only does it erase temporary internet files, useless hidden files etc, but it can scramble them beyond recovery. I freed up about 1GB using it.

Edit: Thanks skateboarder for the link to steven gould. It does for free almost what cybersrub does for money. Very good program that just freed up 2GB of HD space. The only thing I always worry about is that it might delete iTunes files or something.

[GuitarRocker]

Well, like many others said, re-install Windows will help alot, but remember, BACK UP YOUR DATA!!! With that said, before you re-install Windows try using a linux live CD , try ubuntu, it is very nice. This Live CD should run only if it is in the drive when you start your computer and it will not harm your Windows install or files at all. If you are willing to install it on your computer, re-install Windows, then look for a guide on dual booting Windows and Ubuntu. Many people will tell you that linux runs much much faster than Windows, however there is a slight learning curve, like switching from Windows to a mac, but once you get past that, Linux is much nicer than Windows, but you will still have Windows if you want to use it anymore. Trust me, you won't be sorry.

[pianomanss87]

Go to start run and type in msconfig go to the start up tab. There will be a lot of stuff there that is checked that you do not need. Uncheck a few and click apply and ok. You will have to restart.Right down what you uncheck in case you unceck something you need. What you are doing is turning off programs that run in the background. most of them you don't need.

Piano Man

[skateboarderx24]

Originally Posted by kylo4

For deleting useless files get the trial for CyberScrub. Not only does it erase temporary internet files, useless hidden files etc, but it can scramble them beyond recovery. I freed up about 1GB using it.

Edit: Thanks skateboarder for the link to steven gould. It does for free almost what cybersrub does for money. Very good program that just freed up 2GB of HD space. The only thing I always worry about is that it might delete iTunes files or something.

It's never deleted any of my "vital files" just crud the computer makes for temporary use

[Pikemann_Urge]

Two words: speed holes.

Okay, seriously, to add to the above ideas: after a defrag or fresh install, change your swapfile (virtual memory) from dynamic to fixed size (about 1.5x the amount of RAM you have). If you don't know how just ask.

You can get an app called TweakXP (but I don't have it installed ATM).

File allocation units can to some extent increase HD performance. Very small units are space efficient, very large ones prevent fragmentation of small files. Experiment.

pianomanss87, that's a good suggestion, but some specifics would help.