Newsforall.com

How to prevent PC Slowdown

Every PC gets slower and stodgier over time. You will notice that a new PC becomes slower by each passing day. You load and unload programs, you download stuff off the internet, the system crashes and scatters temp files all over the place- all of these factors contribute to the decline of snappiness. Sometimes a decline comes in a more dramatic way though.

Run MSCONFIG

Sometimes you may find that at boot, most of the RAM gets auto loading programs, There are other programs that are set up to check the internet periodically for updates.

The fix for this kind of situation is to run the system Configuration utility, which is actually a program called MSCONFIG. MSConfig a tool coming with Windows includes a basic startup manager which allows you to enable/disable auto-start programs. It does not however allow you to completely remove an entry from the list.

Scan for viruses :- Norton’s and McAfee are the most popular antivirus program that are used nowadays. Ensure that antivirus software is installed correctly and is configured to update automatically. New virus come out regularly and antivirus is to be updated regularly. Automatic update is the best way to compact this.

What is a Computer Virus?

Programming code that was designed to do something usually counterproductive and occasionally destructive, whether through ignorance or malice. A virus makes copies of itself without any conscious human intervention. Some viruses do more than simply replicate themselves; they might display messages, install other software or files, delete software of files, etc. A virus requires the presence of some other program to replicate itself. Typically viruses spread by attaching themselves to programs and files. For example, the file formats for Microsoft word processor and spreadsheet programs allow the inclusion of programs called "macros" which can in some cases be a breeding ground for viruses.

Spyware

Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers. Also called adware. This eats up the computer resourses(memory, processor time) and can easily bog down your computer and slow things down because it runs in the background and can use up quite a bit of RAM and processing time ,resulting in reduced productivity. Ad-aware from Lavasoft is a free software and can be downloaded from the internet. Ad-aware clears and delets spyware from your computer, and is is highly recomended to remove these problems.

• Ad-Aware
• HiJackthis
• Spybot Search & Destroy
• SpywareBlaster
• Windows AntiSpyware(Beta)

Clear your temp files.

You can do this by launching Internet Explorer then choose “Tools” then choose the “Options” menu. Then click “Delete Files.” By clearing the temp files you can help speed up your computer a bit.

Firewalls

• Click the Start Button.
• Click the Control Panel icon.
• Click the Windows Firewall icon.
• Click On (Recommended)

Windows update

Microsoft regularly releasing updates for their operating system. Most of these updates are repairing security holes in their software. configure your machine to automatically download the critical updates as they become available.

Run ScanDisk

ScanDisk is a built-in tool from Microsoft that scans and, in most cases, repairs errors on your hard drive. These errors usually occur when your computer crashes and has to be restarted. Individual clusters on hard drive can go bad, and scandisk can be used locate this bad clusters and this helps the system not to place data in this bad clusters. Also it can repair and recover some of the corrupt files. Each operating system has its own methos for running this utility. In windows XP it is called CheckDisk.

Defragment the Harddrive

Degragmenting the drive regularly can increase the speed of the PC. This is not a very big issue when you have a large capacity drive with lots of unused space

Open the Emails selectively. Email from strangers and unexpected attachments may contain adware or spyware waiting to install on your computer.It is easy to notice such emails describing body parts and promising to make instant millionairs. It probably won't install if you don't open the email or attachment. If you’re using e-mail software with a mail “Preview Pane” like Microsoft Outlook, previewing the mail is the same as opening it. You should turn this feature off. Unselect “Preview Pane” under the “View” drop down list in Outlook.

Be cautious when you download and install any software from the internet. Read the terms and conditions before signing up for or downloading anything for free on the Internet. Free downloads like Kazaa (music), games, toolbars, and coupons often come with adware or spyware. The terms and conditions of downloads explain adware will be installed on the persons machine in exchange for the free software, video games, movie ticket or whatever. Of course, few people read these terms and conditions.

Alwayes update your web browser, so that it becomes more secure and less vulnarable to popup ads, viruses, computer slowdowns , etc.

Backup

Imagine what would happen if your computer just up and stopped working. All of your programs, all of your emails, pictures and files you have downloaded from the Net are gone. You should have a disaster recovery plan and backup is the easiest one of them. Additionaly one should , it is important to backup your data as a measure againt failure of harddisk or theft of computer itself.