You are welcome to view it. It may be more (or less) up-to-date than this one.
In any case... here is a routine that I often used to try and improve performance of MS Windows installations... especially on older, less resource heavy systems.
This is a simple copy, so some formatting may be lost.
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Windows Running Slow?
How to use this document:
Some links are provided for key terms. Some terms are in “Quotes”. Jus web-search them if you want to know more.
The purpose of this document / process is to try and improve performance on sluggish Windows OS based computer systems (Desktops & Laptops).
Also included are some tips for selecting a new machine… or at least determining if you may need to invest in one.
The YYMMDD date code below indicates the version of this document.
a58tech_Blog_180614
Dang Ol’ Slow PC
The most common complaint I get is:
“My Microsoft Windows PC is running slow… What can I do?” … and: “Why?”
The most common reason that Windows runs slow is best described as “Fatware”, or “Bloatware”. What this means is that as software advances (continually gets updated, and / or new releases are installed), and time passes, the older hardware has more trouble keeping up with it. That, and the fact that some more complex apps are simply bloated, and use a lot of “System Resources”... but these are less common among “average” users.
Various combinations of Main Processor (CPU) speed, the number of main CPU “Cores”, CPU “Cache”, and system “RAM”, all affect the overall speed of a system. The type of “Hard Disk Drive” (HDD) can also be a factor for overall system speed.
Newer (technology) “Solid State Drives” (SSD) are significantly faster (more efficient) than the usual mechanical drives that have been used for decades… but the cost for an upgrade to a SSD is usually not worth the performance enhancement (unless you are a big-time “Gammer”, or running CPU intensive Apps like Video Editors, CADD, etc.).
Another significant factor that affects system speed is how many “Apps” (software applications) are running in the background. These include “Malware Scanners” (malicious software), and other various “Background Apps”, which typically load on “Startup” (when you first boot-up the system, using a “Cold Boot” [initial power-on], or “Warm Boot” [restart]). Note: The startup procedure always takes you by the “BIOS Screen”.
Most folks have the knee-jerk reaction that their system is “Infected” by Malware, such as a: Virus, Worm, Trojan, Spyware, Adware, Hijacker, etc… causing their system to slow down. While this may be true, it is far more often that one or more of the other factors listed above are the culprits. While some malware is very stealthy, most of it is very much “in-your-face” with annoying and / or threatening “Pop-Up” screens and windows… so it will usually be quite obvious when your system is infected.
Your only sure defense against Malware is a good protection system. While you can spend a lot of money on complex defense systems, the built-in Malware-Scanner for Microsoft Windows (MS-Win) is usually more than adequate. For Win-10 (and some earlier versions) this is called “Windows Defender”. For Win-7 try “Microsoft Security Essentials”.
Another really good defence is to simply educate yourself, and Most Importantly:
Be Careful What You Click On !!!
>> CAUTION! <<
If you are using a version of MS-Win such as Windows Vista or earlier (ref), you need to get a new Operating System (OS). Check this “MSW Lifecycle Fact Sheet” to see the life expectancy of your Win-OS (if it is not listed there, then it is completely obsolete). Once you pass the “End of Extended Support” date your OS will not have the proper security updates and you will be vulnerable to a wide variety of “attacks”, including identity theft. This is especially true if you do any online banking, including making purchases with a credit card.
:-o
What To Do?
So now… What can you do about it?
The most obvious solution, and usually the least favorite, is to buy a new machine. If you buy a new one with robust hardware features, as are listed above, then your machine may have a longer useful life (that is not painfully slow in the end). … In very general terms, a “Quad Core” CPU with a “clock speed” of 3 GHZ or better, and 8 to 16 GB of RAM, will be quite adequate.
How long a machine will last will depend a lot on how much you spent for it. As is usually the case, “You get what you pay for”. The PC industry is extremely competitive. The less you spend now, the less life you will typically get out of the system. Inexpensive systems may get frustrating in 3 years or less. Average priced systems can last 5 to 7 years. Super expensive systems are typically not worth the cost for the average user… so go for the “Average” when making a purchase. ;-)
The next option, which is the main focus of this post, is to do some:
Routine Maintenance - MS-Windows
I have been using the following procedures for about a decade or more, and it has served me well. Results have varied a lot, so do not get your expectations up too much. In general however, this routine has worked very well in most cases. Never has it created more problems.
Malware Scanner
You want to be sure your malware scanner is properly installed and up-to-date before you start the following steps. You do not need to actually run a scan right now (unless you just want to, and have the time).
Solving malware issues is a big topic, for another post. You can always try a web search for more help and information. (This is true for everything!)
“I cannot recall a life before Google…
But fortunately, I can ‘Google It’.”
The following steps can solve some malware issues, and reduce the number of issues your final malware scan will generate for this maintenance routine.
Warning!
All of the following software suggestions are “free”, and can be obtained from a number of sources. (Paid [non-advertisement] versions are also typically available.) You always want to get the software from the source! … Not some 3rd-party distributor. … Ironically, many 3rd-party distributors pile-on junkware (even malware) to their installation routines, which can waste a lot of your time (and defeat the purpose of this process).
However… Even source distributions of the following can trick you into loading junkware, so read carefully as you install them. Mostly what you are looking for are “checkboxes” that allow you to bypass the installation of other products (that you probably do not need). (You typically need to uncheck them.) Remember: TANSTAAFL!
FileHippo is probably the worst, so be sure to avoid them. C-Net used to be a really good source, but they are getting kind of flakey.
As Always… Be Careful What You Click On
(Or in some cases, do not click on.)
Steps…
The time it takes to do the following can be anywhere from 30 minutes, to 4 hours or more… depending mostly on the capability of your system. Generally speaking, the older the system, the longer it takes.
The frequency for this routine can be anywhere from once a year, to once a month. It depends mostly on your web-surfing habits. If you find your system is relatively clean each time, you can probably extend the interval.
Windows OS - Check for Updates
This is essential !!!
This should be completed anyway, before you start… but if for any reason you have been slacking on this one, you need to get it done first. … If your Win-OS is not fully up-to-date “automatically”, then you need to be sure this option is turned on.
Typically you can force Windows to check for updates through the “Control Panel”. When in doubt, just do a web search for your OS, and include “Check For Updates”... here is an example:
AdwCleaner
Good for eliminating pesky adware, PUP’s (potentially unwanted programs), etc.
I always run this one first. It is very light and simple. It tends to find some things that the next step will not find.
Its use is pretty straight-forward. Just follow the instructions.
Usually it is best to close all programs before starting. (It will likely prompt you to do so anyway.)
One scan is typically enough.
Your system typically needs to reboot at the end… so be prepared for that.
AdwCleaner has been around for a while now (ref), and is quite trustworthy and reliable. Initially it was developed by a French company (Xplode), and was somewhat recently (2016, v6.030) purchased by MalwareBytes, which in itself is a good company for malware tools.
CCleaner
This is a very sophisticated program, and the “free” version is quite robust. It has been around a while, and is very reliable.
There are several steps to this software, and there are a few things you need to be careful about. The steps to CCleaner are kept under the following main items:
Cleaner
Analyze... then: Run Clean
I almost always accept the defaults on this one, and disregard the rest. Only a few times have I bothered to select anything but the default options.
Run this as many times as you like, as often as you like.
You may have a few (2 or 3) stubborn items that will not go away (get cleaned). No worries. Just let them be.
Registry
Scan for Issues… then: Fix (all) Selected Issues
(I pretty much ALWAYS fix them all at once now.)
The Windows Registry is like “Grand Central / Mission Control” for the OS. If you bugger it up, you can completely disable the system, even to the point of having to do a complete reinstallation of the OS (a total nightmare).
The good news is that CCleaner makes easy work of this… but you still need to be careful.
The #1 important thing to do here is to ALWAYS backup the Registry BEFORE you clean it !!! I cannot stress the importance of this enough. In doing this 100’s of times, I have maybe needed a backup one time, and that was many years ago… so this process is a good, and reasonably safe, thing to do with this program.
I usually setup a folder just for the Reg-Backups. The program will remember that location, so you only need to select that folder once.
It is not uncommon to need to run this 3 or more times in a row. YES, you need to backup the registry every single time!
If you notice the same item show up 2 or more times in a row, then just forget about it and move on. Typically you will not have more than 2 or 3 of these dangling in your system in the end, and they will likely not cause any trouble.
Tools
The best tool under this category is the “Startup” editor. This is a very nifty and easy way to manage what gets started (and run in the background) when you power-up or reboot Windows.
It is very easy to “disable” a startup routine here, and not remove it from the schedule.
All the disabled programs will still be in your system, they will just not load on startup.
Sorting the list by columns is easy.
When in doubt, either skip it, or look it up on the web… to see if you really need it. (There are a few things here that are required to make the system work… so pay attention, and be careful.)
One of the most common offenders here is “Skype”. Unless you use it everyday, there is no need for it to always be running in the background. This is just one common example (of many offenders).
Options
Under “Monitoring” you want to disable all “Active” & “System” Monitoring. If this is “ON”, then it is just something else running in the background that you do not need… which in turn slows down your system (unnecessarily)... and defeats the purpose of installing and running the cleaner in the first place!
Once you have done everything (or anything) above this point… you want to then:
Run a Virus Scan
You can run a “Quick” scan, or a “Full” scan. Just be sure you do this after you follow all of the above steps.
Conclusion…
While there is more that can be done, following the above procedures may help speed-up your system. If nothing else, you will at least know that your system is up-to-date, and reasonably “Clean”.
What About Linux?
Finally…
The last option to speed-up your system is to simply try a new OS!
Linux is a free OS. It is part of what is commonly called an “Open Source Project”. Largely supported by volunteer efforts, you should never have to pay for the OS itself. You may need to pay for hardware, shipping, and other material costs… but the OS itself is free. Some developers make money by selling “Support Packages”. If you do not have the skills to make your own installation disk (or drive), you can typically buy one (online) for the cost of materials (the disk), and shipping, and perhaps a fee for some time.
There are a variety of popular “Distributions”, or “Distros”, of the Linux OS. In total there are as many varieties & flavors of Linux as there are leaves on a tree, but some of the more familiar names of distros that you will see are:
- Debian
- Ubuntu (based on Debian)
- Linux Mint (based on Ubuntu)
- Fedora
- openSUSE
- CentOS
- Gentoo Linux
- Mageia
In any case, you will likely have an easier time with some of the more popular Linux distributions, as opposed to some of the more obscure ones. The main difference is support. (The more popular a program or hardware item is, the easier it is to get help for it… either through the manufacturer / developer, 3rd-party info webs, or user supported forums.)
BTW… If you are using an “Android” based smartphone or tablet, then you are already using Linux, as that OS is based on Linux, and is a Google “product” (i.e. Google is the developer for the Android OS). Chromebooks, another Google product, are also based on Linux.
Linux Mint
By far, my favorite Linux distribution is:
My suggestion would be to use the most current full (not beta) distribution of Mint, using the Cinnamon “Desktop Environment” (DE). If that does work well, try the “Xfce” DE. … If that does not work, then you are probably looking at getting some new hardware (i.e. a new computer).
The Desktop Environment is basically the “GUI” (Graphical User Interface, pronounced like “gooey”) that allows you (as a human) to interface more easily with the actual Operating System itself. So which DE you use does not really matter all that much in terms of OS functionality… but it does make a difference in how easy the OS is to work with… from a “User” viewpoint.
Linux Mint is by far the easiest distro I have encountered for installing “Alongside Windows”... which means that (once successful) you can choose which OS you want to use on system startup (commonly called a “Dual-Boot System”). Actually, you can load several OS’s on a machine, using the same HDD and everything else, but in most cases 2 is plenty.
The advantage of this Dual-Boot process is that you can load Linux without completely giving up your MS-Windows installation. This is particularly handy if you have some MSW programs (apps) that you simply cannot give up. In most cases however, there is a free alternative associated with Linux, to whatever program you commonly use in Windows.
I will rest on the Linux topic for now, as that is a post best suited for itself.
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