Make That PC Run Faster !

When you purchase a new Computer it will be operating as per specification. As time goes by, it will start to be slower than before.

A computer just like any machine, requires to be maintained on a regular basis. This is usually done by qualified IT personnel.

There are two types of maintenance done on Computers : -

1) Hardware Maintenance

This can only be done by specialised IT personnel and should never be done by unqualified personnel.

2) Software Maintenance

This is usually done by specialised IT personnel, however, some basic maintenance can be done by someone who does not necessarily have IT knowledge.

The Windows Operating System (Windows OS) has inbuilt maintenance tools which can be used by untrained personnel.

The following are the basic maintenance procedures which one can carry out without any knowledge of IT.

DISK CLEAN UP

As the Computer is being used it generates some files which have no real use.

These files accumulate over time and occupy disk space which can be freed.

The following is the procure to perform "Disk Clean Up"

1) Go to Start >Programs> Accessories> System Tools> Disk Cleanup

In order to make a shortcut to this tool, use the right hand mouse to click on the Disk Cleanup and choose "Send to Desk Top".

Once the disk clean up tool is chosen, select from the Menu the items one wants to remove.

Usually "Temp Files", "Recycle Bin" and "Compress Old Files" are chosen. The description of use for each type of file to select, is given so that one can decide to remove them or not.

2) Once "Disk Clean Up" is chosen, the Computer will show a list of Files which could be removed.

3) Once the Files to be removed have been selected, you will be informed of how much disk storage space (in MB) will be recovered.

4) Click "Ok" and the Files will automatically be removed.

This procedure should be done at least once per week.

DISK DEFRAGMENTATION

As the Computer is being used, it allocates created files to specific storage areas on the hard disk.

As the files are stored and deleted, they become scattered (fragmented) all over the storage area. One file can be stored in as many as 100 different places!

When recalling any file for use, the Computer has to look all over the storage area before it is displayed to the user.

The Computer has to look at all the parts of the storage area. This process, slows down the Computer when saving or opening files.

Windows has an inbuilt tool which defragments the files which have been scattered all over disk storage area.

The following is the procure to perform Disk Defragmentation.

1) Go to Start >Programs> Accessories> System Tools> Disk Defragmentation

In order to make a shortcut to this tool, use the right hand mouse to click on the Disk Defragmentation and choose "Send to Desk Top"

Once the disk defragmentation tool is chosen, the Computer will advise if defragmentation is required to be done or not.

An analysis of the state of the fragmentation will be done.

If advised to do the defragmentation, press the "Defragment Disk" option from the Menu. If not, cancel the operation.

If defragmentation of the Disk has not been done for a long time, the process can take many hours to be completed.

It is usually recommended to leave the Computer to carry out this operation overnight.

2) Once Disk Defragmentation is done, the Computer will indicate that the operation is over. Click Ok and click the Close or X to close the tool.

This procedure should be done at least once per month. If the Computer is used to store and delete files regularly, doing it once per week maybe advisable. Some people do it on a daily basis !