How to speed up your computer

[Cardboardsnail]

First thread :)

Hooray!
Anyway...lets get down to business.

Q)My computer is slowing down! Why? How do I fix it?

A) This can be caused by a large number of things

-Scan your computer for Spyware. If you need help on what to use to scan for spyware, try Spybot:Search and Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html)
To avoid having spyware come back, be careful about what you download and don't visit sites that aren't safe. Generally, unsafe sites have lots of popups and ads.

-Defragment your hard drive (And do so every month or 2)

-Clear useless files and/or programs that you don't use anymore

-If you haven't cleaned out your computer in a while (if ever), open up the side and blow the dust off the components and vacuum the dust that falls to the bottom of your case. Then use canned air to blow any caked in dust that may have accumulated in your CPU's heatsink. Then suck the dust you blew out.
How does dust slow your computer? Processors since Pentium 4 throttle (lower "ghz") when they reach a certain temperature in order to prevent burning.
Sometimes the dust buildup causes so much heat that your computer can automatically shut down (thanks HiiEN)

-Use disk cleanup (Right click your C drive in "My computer" and select "Properties"
There should be an option for disk cleanup.)


-CCleaner is a great program to use (Thanks Greg)

-Check your disk for errors (Thanks Lyssa)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/kbtip.mspx

Quotes galore.

start>run>msconfig
and then you can disable any programs you don't need your computer to automatically run on startup, it helps restarts go alot faster.


If you use a laptop like I do, a notebook cooler is a godsend. It prevents the components from getting too hot by circulating air around it.


Originally Posted by Darklai
Virtual Memory
Virtual memory acts as extra RAM for your computer, used off your hard drive.
My Computer -> Control Panel -> Performance and Maintence -> System -> Advance -> Performance [Settings...] -> Advanced Tab -> Virtual Memory [Change]
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e75/Silent_Mistress/guide.jpg <- Image of the box

Depending on the free space of your HD, how much to set. Your computer will give you a recommended amount at the bottom of the box, which is what it most likely has allocated. If your computer has the HD space, double the recommended amount as your min, and multiply that amount by 1.5 to set the max amount. Once finished, press OK.

Also, remember... A clean desktop is a happy desktop. The less items on there, the faster it will be when you minimize and switch windows.


1. This is just a quick tip for those who want to Zakum but are afraid they're going to lag out. Right before Zakum, I suggest turning off your computer and giving it a few minutes before you reboot. That way, the RAM will clear itself and you won't have weird things hogging your memory. The next step is up open up Task Manager and kill the 'explorer.exe' task. At first, you might be a little freaked and want to kill me because your desktop disappears. But don't worry, you can fix that. Killing the explorer.exe task will make it so your CPU uses about 1% of its power. Very handy when you're scared of lag, and your computer is going to run like the wind. After your Zakum run, just fire up Task manager again by using the 'Ctrl+Alt+Del' combo in Windows XP or the 'Ctrl+Shift+Esc' combo in Vista. Select 'File'>'New Task' and type 'explorer.exe'.

2. Another tip. Instead of using the MSConfig tool, I prefer using a little program called WinPatrol (which you can find here (http://www.winpatrol.com/)). This is a really nifty program that not only gives you the power to stop certain programs from running at startup, you can do many other things with the tool. You can use it as a task manager and see all the tasks which are running (without having the complicated Task manager Processes nonsense), and you can also choose to delay the startup of some programs. For example, if I want my chat client to run at startup but don't want it hogging my memory space when everything else is starting up, I can set the delay for my chat protocol to start a minute after everything else has loaded. This is an extremely useful tool and I think it's much better than MSConfig.

3. On the note of Virus' and Spyware, I suggest that you buy a few products. Virus' and Spyware are the main reasons most computers are really slow. I know, free things are always good, but some commercial products are really much better than the free products. I suggest getting NOD32 and/or Kaspersky. Both will rip your wallet apart, but I personally love both of those programs. If you feel like you want to stick with free programs, that's also fine. I just suggest getting a good Firewall (I prefer Comodo Pro Free (http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/)as opposed to Zonealarm.)

When you're scanning your computer, update the virus database to the latest version, and then reboot your computer. As you're rebooting, press F8 or F12 to get into a thing called Safe Mode. (The button you press varies, but most of the time there will be a screen telling you what to press.) In Safe Mode, a lot of the program features are disabled, which means that virus' are isolated making it easier for your Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware program to detect. Hope this helps.



Here's another post for the quotes galore;

Microsoft Bootvis.

In short, Microsoft Bootvis makes your computer run faster by gathering the scattered boot files in your hard drive.

This url (http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5034622.html) prodives more explanation and a simple guide on how to use Bootvis. Or if you don't feel like reading, graphs and all that jazz, download it, go to Trace and click on Optimize System. Download here (http://www.soft32.com/Download/Free/BootVis/4-19687-1.html)


Hopefully, your computer will be faster after you do these things.

Taking suggestions for more things to do to speed up computers

[Mark]

Start > Run > type in services.msc > disable any unnecessary programs.

Use Google for more information so you don't fuck up.

[Greg22]

www.ccleaner.com

[jessiebelle]

start>run>msconfig
and then you can disable any programs you don't need your computer to automatically run on startup, it helps restarts go alot faster.

[Magus]

In my experience XP and Vista don't really need disk defragmentation as much as older OSes such as 95, 98, and ME.

[Cardboardsnail]

In my experience XP and Vista don't really need disk defragmentation as much as older OSes such as 95, 98, and ME.

They still need defrags once in a while

I had a 20% fragmented drive that just KILLED my loading times (Heck, even 5% fragmentation is pretty bad)

[Tiffany]

Cleaning the dust out of your computer actually makes it run better? As in.. speed wise?

[Cyber Akuma]

Cleaning the dust out of your computer actually makes it run better? As in.. speed wise?

Dust creates heat (or traps heat). Heat leads to many things, one being a slower system due to the many of the other things heat can cause.

[Saver]

I know that in my vista laptop, it tends to store a s@#tload of system restore data, like 40 GB in a month.

I used Tune-Up Utilities 2008 to get rid of it...as well as any other problem on my computer.
It's not free though. =[

[Dagger]

Dust creates heat (or traps heat). Heat leads to many things, one being a slower system due to the many of the other things heat can cause.

Man, I should try to clean out my desktop then, maybe that's why it's so darned slow.
:x

[dumboreozz]

JKdefrag and learn how to let it run as your screensaver :D

Performance decrease is usually from fullblown trojans though, small things like these are almost never noticeable

[Bws2cool]

Realy? Trojans can slow your comp?

For a while I was getting some >__>

Thats why my comp is so slow >:O

[Cardboardsnail]

Cleaning the dust out of your computer actually makes it run better? As in.. speed wise?
Dust insulates heat and restricts airflow through the heatsink of the CPU.
Heat can cause your processor to overheat, which in processors since Pentium 4, causes the processor to throttle clock speeds (lower your "Ghz") to prevent burning

[Saver]

Not to mention all the RAM usage during the period the computer was on.
RAM, combined with the heat, slow down your computer.

You might recall that many people always "restart their computers" before doing anything that requires some time and a smoother interaction.

[HiiEN]

Just want to throw in that overaccumulation of dust can not only slow it down greatly, but it can also affect it to the point where it can automatically shut off due to the buildup in heat.

[viperxuat]

First thread :)
-If you haven't cleaned out your computer in a while (if ever), open up the side and vacuum the dust. Then use canned air to blow any caked in dust that may have accumulated in your CPU's heatsink. Then suck the dust you blew out.
How does dust slow your computer? Processors since Pentium 4 throttle (lower "ghz") when they reach a certain temperature in order to prevent burning.
Sometimes the dust buildup causes so much heat that your computer can automatically shut down (thanks HiiEN)


WHAT?! You can't do that! Putting a vaccuum to your computer could cause static electricity which could potentially damage hardware components.

The best thing to do is buy a can of aersol and blow air into the computer. best to do so outside, so the dust isn't everywhere in your house.

[Cardboardsnail]

WHAT?! You can't do that! Putting a vaccuum to your computer could cause static electricity which could potentially damage hardware components.

The best thing to do is buy a can of aersol and blow air into the computer. best to do so outside, so the dust isn't everywhere in your house.

Not directly to the computer components
Blow the dust to the bottom of your case and suck it from there


Thanks for catching my poor wording :p

[Lyssa]

WHAT?! You can't do that! Putting a vaccuum to your computer could cause static electricity which could potentially damage hardware components.

The best thing to do is buy a can of aersol and blow air into the computer. best to do so outside, so the dust isn't everywhere in your house.

Why on earth would you go outside to do this? >_> Just vacuum the room after you're done blowing the dust around.

Also, AdAware is a nice program for a more in-depth scan of your HD for spyware and other junk. I've used it along with SpyBot on all of our Windows boxes.

http://lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php <--official download link, though I have heard the 2008 edition was giving people issues earlier. Not sure if that's been resolved or not.

Also, perhaps include info on checking the disk for errors, if it's running slowly? A damaged drive doesn't work as well as a fully healthy one ;]

~Lyssa

[Lylac]

If you use a laptop like I do, a notebook cooler is a godsend. It prevents the components from getting too hot by circulating air around it.

[Cardboardsnail]

Why on earth would you go outside to do this? >_> Just vacuum the room after you're done blowing the dust around.

Also, AdAware is a nice program for a more in-depth scan of your HD for spyware and other junk. I've used it along with SpyBot on all of our Windows boxes.

http://lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php <--official download link, though I have heard the 2008 edition was giving people issues earlier. Not sure if that's been resolved or not.

Also, perhaps include info on checking the disk for errors, if it's running slowly? A damaged drive doesn't work as well as a fully healthy one ;]

~Lyssa



The 2008 version is more trouble than it's worth, and when it does work, it only seems to find tracking cookies o_o (At least, from my experience)

[Darklai]

I had made something similar like this before. It was my "Lag Help Guide" on my guild forum. (: I have some extra things you can include:



Virtual Memory
Virtual memory acts as extra RAM for your computer, used off your hard drive.
My Computer -> Control Panel -> Performance and Maintence -> System -> Advance -> Performance [Settings...] -> Advanced Tab -> Virtual Memory [Change]
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e75/Silent_Mistress/guide.jpg <- Image of the box

Depending on the free space of your HD, how much to set. Your computer will give you a recommended amount at the bottom of the box, which is what it most likely has allocated. If your computer has the HD space, double the recommended amount as your min, and multiply that amount by 1.5 to set the max amount. Once finished, press OK.

Also, remember... A clean desktop is a happy desktop. The less items on there, the faster it will be when you minimize and switch windows.

[Cardboardsnail]

Thank you. :)

Could you put the link to the picture in URL tags though? It's broken

[Rain]

Cleaning the dust out of your computer actually makes it run better? As in.. speed wise? wow i never knew this. This would explain ALOT.. T-T

[Nikkey]

WHAT?! You can't do that! Putting a vaccuum to your computer could cause static electricity which could potentially damage hardware components.

My vacuumer is made out of plastic...? :f6:

Anyway, defrag, turn of all components not needed (I still have a pretty looking windows XP with windows 95 look. I still like it), turn on dual core(tri/quad as well) boosters,, clean your computer, and so forth...

[Darklai]

Thank you. :)

Could you put the link to the picture in URL tags though? It's broken

o.o You don't say... works fine fer meh.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e75/Silent_Mistress/guide.jpg
Hope it works for you now. o.O

[Bacon]

1. This is just a quick tip for those who want to Zakum but are afraid they're going to lag out. Right before Zakum, I suggest turning off your computer and giving it a few minutes before you reboot. That way, the RAM will clear itself and you won't have weird things hogging your memory. The next step is up open up Task Manager and kill the 'explorer.exe' task. At first, you might be a little freaked and want to kill me because your desktop disappears. But don't worry, you can fix that. Killing the explorer.exe task will make it so your CPU uses about 1% of its power. Very handy when you're scared of lag, and your computer is going to run like the wind. After your Zakum run, just fire up Task manager again by using the 'Ctrl+Alt+Del' combo in Windows XP or the 'Ctrl+Shift+Esc' combo in Vista. Select 'File'>'New Task' and type 'explorer.exe'.

2. Another tip. Instead of using the MSConfig tool, I prefer using a little program called WinPatrol (which you can find here (http://www.winpatrol.com/)). This is a really nifty program that not only gives you the power to stop certain programs from running at startup, you can do many other things with the tool. You can use it as a task manager and see all the tasks which are running (without having the complicated Task manager Processes nonsense), and you can also choose to delay the startup of some programs. For example, if I want my chat client to run at startup but don't want it hogging my memory space when everything else is starting up, I can set the delay for my chat protocol to start a minute after everything else has loaded. This is an extremely useful tool and I think it's much better than MSConfig.

3. On the note of Virus' and Spyware, I suggest that you buy a few products. Virus' and Spyware are the main reasons most computers are really slow. I know, free things are always good, but some commercial products are really much better than the free products. I suggest getting NOD32 and/or Kaspersky. Both will rip your wallet apart, but I personally love both of those programs. If you feel like you want to stick with free programs, that's also fine. I just suggest getting a good Firewall (I prefer Comodo Pro Free (http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/)as opposed to Zonealarm.)

When you're scanning your computer, update the virus database to the latest version, and then reboot your computer. As you're rebooting, press F8 or F12 to get into a thing called Safe Mode. (The button you press varies, but most of the time there will be a screen telling you what to press.) In Safe Mode, a lot of the program features are disabled, which means that virus' are isolated making it easier for your Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware program to detect. Hope this helps.

@Rain: Actually, cleaning your computer every once in a while really does help. While it doesn't guarantee your computer is going to run faster, it puts a lot less stress on your CPU and Graphics card. When you're doing heavy duty work, your CPU is generating a lot of heat, which isn't good for the CPU. If your computer is really dirty, that heat is trapped in your computer. How would you feel if you were stuck in a sauna with no way out? You'd probably burn to a crisp.

[Cardboardsnail]

1. This is just a quick tip for those who want to Zakum but are afraid they're going to lag out. Right before Zakum, I suggest turning off your computer and giving it a few minutes before you reboot. That way, the RAM will clear itself and you won't have weird things hogging your memory. The next step is up open up Task Manager and kill the 'explorer.exe' task. At first, you might be a little freaked and want to kill me because your desktop disappears. But don't worry, you can fix that. Killing the explorer.exe task will make it so your CPU uses about 1% of its power. Very handy when you're scared of lag, and your computer is going to run like the wind. After your Zakum run, just fire up Task manager again by using the 'Ctrl+Alt+Del' combo in Windows XP or the 'Ctrl+Shift+Esc' combo in Vista. Select 'File'>'New Task' and type 'explorer.exe'.

2. Another tip. Instead of using the MSConfig tool, I prefer using a little program called WinPatrol (which you can find here (http://www.winpatrol.com/)). This is a really nifty program that not only gives you the power to stop certain programs from running at startup, you can do many other things with the tool. You can use it as a task manager and see all the tasks which are running (without having the complicated Task manager Processes nonsense), and you can also choose to delay the startup of some programs. For example, if I want my chat client to run at startup but don't want it hogging my memory space when everything else is starting up, I can set the delay for my chat protocol to start a minute after everything else has loaded. This is an extremely useful tool and I think it's much better than MSConfig.

3. On the note of Virus' and Spyware, I suggest that you buy a few products. Virus' and Spyware are the main reasons most computers are really slow. I know, free things are always good, but some commercial products are really much better than the free products. I suggest getting NOD32 and/or Kaspersky. Both will rip your wallet apart, but I personally love both of those programs. If you feel like you want to stick with free programs, that's also fine. I just suggest getting a good Firewall (I prefer Comodo Pro Free (http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/)as opposed to Zonealarm.)

When you're scanning your computer, update the virus database to the latest version, and then reboot your computer. As you're rebooting, press F8 or F12 to get into a thing called Safe Mode. (The button you press varies, but most of the time there will be a screen telling you what to press.) In Safe Mode, a lot of the program features are disabled, which means that virus' are isolated making it easier for your Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware program to detect. Hope this helps.


You don't have to shut down your computer for it to clear RAM
A simple reboot does the same thing
I'll add what you said though.
Thanks.

[Bacon]

You don't have to shut down your computer for it to clear RAM
A simple reboot does the same thing
I'll add what you said though.
Thanks.
Actually, it takes a few seconds before the RAM gets cleared. On some computers, a Reboot isn't enough. The time it takes for RAM to get cleared is about 5 seconds to a minute, depending on what type of RAM. This was discovered by people recently when they managed to get an encryption key out of RAM by freezing it.

Of course, I'm a pretty crazy person and a simple reboot will do for most people. Paranoia for the win?

[Cardboardsnail]

Actually, it takes a few seconds before the RAM gets cleared. On some computers, a Reboot isn't enough. The time it takes for RAM to get cleared is about 5 seconds to a minute, depending on what type of RAM. This was discovered by people recently when they managed to get an encryption key out of RAM by freezing it.

Of course, I'm a pretty crazy person and a simple reboot will do for most people. Paranoia for the win?

Extract encryption codes by freezing RAM?
It'd have to be frozen right on the motherboard or something (even then, I doubt they managed to extract codes)
RAM is volatile, meaning it loses all data when power is cut off

[Bacon]

I know that RAM is volatile, but it doesn't mean that it's going to lose all its data the moment you turn the computer off. Here is the article (http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=900) I was talking about. Quite an interesting read.

[Cardboardsnail]

I know that RAM is volatile, but it doesn't mean that it's going to lose all its data the moment you turn the computer off. Here is the article (http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=900) I was talking about. Quite an interesting read.

Hmm. That's interesting.
:heart:

[Pockles]

Run windows kernal in RAM. Have atleast 256 MB of RAM.

Go to Start>Run. Type ‘Regedit‘ and hit enter.

In the registry editor go to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Session Manager\Memory Management\DisablePagingExecutive and change the value to “1“.

Close the editor and restart Windows. Your computer should perform faster now.

PM me if your into registry hacks i have loads of reg files / tweaks ill share. Not a lot for new users but some.

EDIT: I do not claim this reg hack. I gathered it from other sites over the years.

[Cardboardsnail]

RegEditing... nah.

[Roxas]

Here's another post for the quotes galore;

Microsoft Bootvis.
BootVis, which Microsoft describes as a "performance trace visualization tool," actually performs the same tasks as the XP boot process, except that BootVis allows the information obtained during a single boot to be used for optimization, rather than monitoring the system over a period of several days.

In short, Microsoft Bootvis makes your computer run faster by gathering the scattered boot files in your hard drive.

This url (http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5034622.html) prodives more explanation and a simple guide on how to use Bootvis. Or if you don't feel like reading, graphs and all that jazz, download it, go to Trace and click on Optimize System. Download here (http://www.soft32.com/Download/Free/BootVis/4-19687-1.html)

[Cardboardsnail]

Here's another post for the quotes galore;

Microsoft Bootvis.

In short, Microsoft Bootvis makes your computer run faster by gathering the scattered boot files in your hard drive.

This url (http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5034622.html) prodives more explanation and a simple guide on how to use Bootvis. Or if you don't feel like reading, graphs and all that jazz, download it, go to Trace and click on Optimize System. Download here (http://www.soft32.com/Download/Free/BootVis/4-19687-1.html)

Microsoft's page says otherwise

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/fastboot/default.mspx

[Roxas]

Microsoft's page says otherwise

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/fastboot/default.mspx

That's what I thought but then I read this : http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/bootvis/

[Cardboardsnail]

updated

[Derimed]

I am lucky in that unlike most of the people here I use my computer to browse the web and type word processing documents. After quitting Maple the issue of speeding up was moot because my computer became a glorified typewriter.

[XTOTHEL]

Depending on the amount of ram available, not restarting might be a better option. Since all the maple data would be cached into ram :S.

[Cardboardsnail]

Depending on the amount of ram available, not restarting might be a better option. Since all the maple data would be cached into ram :S.

But that will mean slower everything else :p

It's not like you can't cache Maple data again after you restart

[Pockles]

This site will do you right.

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/registry.htm

but this will do you better

http://distrowatch.com/

:cool:

[Kurtle]

thank you and also McAfee is crap it really hasn't helped me at all. Just use one of the recommended Virus Scanners so the dam thing doesn't take up a shit load of space.

[GummyBear]

Virtual Memory
Virtual memory acts as extra RAM for your computer, used off your hard drive.
My Computer -> Control Panel -> Performance and Maintence -> System -> Advance -> Performance [Settings...] -> Advanced Tab -> Virtual Memory [Change]
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e7...ress/guide.jpg <- Image of the box

Depending on the free space of your HD, how much to set. Your computer will give you a recommended amount at the bottom of the box, which is what it most likely has allocated. If your computer has the HD space, double the recommended amount as your min, and multiply that amount by 1.5 to set the max amount. Once finished, press OK.

Also, remember... A clean desktop is a happy desktop. The less items on there, the faster it will be when you minimize and switch windows.

Windows manages Virtual memory for you automatically, so you dont need to manage it. However, it is best to acquire a continuous block, so you should set your virtual memory to its maximum capacity, otherwise, it offers little benefits managing your virtual memory manually.

If you're going to manage your computer's virtual memory, it is best to have multiple HDD, create a specific partition for it and finally relocate the cache stores on various apps.

However, this requires some understanding on HDD stroking and partitioning as well as concurrent data access on different HDDs. Also, it is wise to split your applications from your OS and cross mapping their caches store to the HDD.

[holyforest]

As for deleting useless things, go to Start>Control Panel> Network+Internet Connections>Internet Options. Then go to where it says browsing history and click delete. It'll give you an option of deleting many things. I would say it's pretty much mandatory to delete the temporary internet files, cookies, and internet history. Everything else is optional. And even though this might be small, it can make the difference in Maple Story between lag and disconnect.

[Corn]

As for deleting useless things, go to Start>Control Panel> Network+Internet Connections>Internet Options. Then go to where it says browsing history and click delete. It'll give you an option of deleting many things. I would say it's pretty much mandatory to delete the temporary internet files, cookies, and internet history. Everything else is optional. And even though this might be small, it can make the difference in Maple Story between lag and disconnect.

Ccleaner basically does that.

[haha01haha01]

As for deleting useless things, go to Start>Control Panel> Network+Internet Connections>Internet Options. Then go to where it says browsing history and click delete. It'll give you an option of deleting many things. I would say it's pretty much mandatory to delete the temporary internet files, cookies, and internet history. Everything else is optional. And even though this might be small, it can make the difference in Maple Story between lag and disconnect.you know that this method doesnt really delete the files, right? :goggle:

[RideBMX]

JKdefrag and learn how to let it run as your screensaver :D

My favorite defragger. Now known as MyDefrag (http://www.mydefrag.com/) as of Version 4. It has customizable scripts for better preferences (If you want to get into that stuff, that is).

And while not actual system speed increase, I've found TCP/IP Optimizer (http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php) has let me squeeze some Kbps out of my connection to feel a bit faster.


Perhaps the original post could be divided up give a brief description of different sections (boot up, services, disk issues, etc.) and how they affect performance, with recommended downloads and useful links at the the bottom of each section. I also feel it should be mentioned in it that computers will reach a point where a piece of hardware will become the bottleneck point, and would require replacing it for best results.


[General introduction what this thread is intended for]

System Boot



[Recommended download]


[b][u]System Services



[Recommended download]


[b][u]The Hard Drive



[Recommended download]


[b][u]Et Cetera
[Brief description]

[Useful link]
[Recommended download]


__________
[Additional comments and references]

[Kortestanov]

Since many people think that way, I think its worth mentioning that the sole existence of files on your hard drive will not slow your computer down (unless you have less than 1-2 GB left and theres not enough room to allocate virtual memory).

[bio9205]

I'm running into a problem. Whenever I try to check for disk errors (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/kbtip.mspx), it stops at Phase 2 and says "Windows was unable to complete the disk check". I followed the instructions on that link.

:f6:

[hammythomas]

I'm running into a problem. Whenever I try to check for disk errors (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/kbtip.mspx), it stops at Phase 2 and says "Windows was unable to complete the disk check". I followed the instructions on that link.

:f6:
For automatically fixing file system errors runs Chkdsk by using the /f parameter. All files must be closed for this program to run. If the drive is currently in use, a message asks if you want to reschedule the disk checking for the next time you restart your computer.

[OB3LISK]

Hey hey. I want to follow that advice:


1. This is just a quick tip for those who want to Zakum but are afraid they're going to lag out. Right before Zakum, I suggest turning off your computer and giving it a few minutes before you reboot. That way, the RAM will clear itself and you won't have weird things hogging your memory. The next step is up open up Task Manager and kill the 'explorer.exe' task. At first, you might be a little freaked and want to kill me because your desktop disappears. But don't worry, you can fix that. Killing the explorer.exe task will make it so your CPU uses about 1&#37; of its power. Very handy when you're scared of lag, and your computer is going to run like the wind. After your Zakum run, just fire up Task manager again by using the 'Ctrl+Alt+Del' combo in Windows XP or the 'Ctrl+Shift+Esc' combo in Vista. Select 'File'>'New Task' and type 'explorer.exe'.

But uhm, that means:

1. I restart comp-> I kill explorer.exe-> I run maple through task manager

Or

2. I restart comp-> I open up maple-> I kill explorer.exe

Will the 2nd option be as effective? If not, which way should I be doing it? Ya sorry F4. I'm noob at computers.

[InTraining]

could i get someones opinion on the following programs please..

http://vista-anti-lag.software.informer.com/
http://www.iobit.com/gamebooster.html
http://www.tune-up.com/products/tuneup-utilities/?ab=3

game booster is the program i'm kinda "hmmm"ing over.. I just wanna know good, bad, or worth a try is all.

[Arrg]

Hey hey. I want to follow that advice:



But uhm, that means:

1. I restart comp-> I kill explorer.exe-> I run maple through task manager

Or

2. I restart comp-> I open up maple-> I kill explorer.exe

Will the 2nd option be as effective? If not, which way should I be doing it? Ya sorry F4. I'm noob at computers.

Both work.

[Jamie_Kurosawa]

I use the following tools for my clients and my home PCs and a few reviews on some of them I've had experience with. Most of these are free tools by the way.

Anti-Virus/Anti-malware/Firewall:

Microsoft Security Essentials - Free and has a low footprint to the memory. Works well and has daily updates. I haven't had any customers call me with complaints yet.
Avast! Free Home - Free and my normal inclusion with customized or restored PCs. Daily updates are a plus as well as being free and easy to register. Has a low footprint in the memory and has a Silent/Gaming mode to make updates quiet and less noticed when gaming. My top pick for Anti-Virus software.
Symantec EndPoint Protection - Not free but you can get a cheap copy off newegg.com for about 50 bucks or less. Normally this is sold in bulk packs of 5 or more. Has a low memory footprint and includes a Software Stateful Packet Firewall as well. Boot time scan is great for keeping the nasties off the system. Oddly this is the same as Norton Internet Security but without the memory hogging effects and flashy interface.

*Normally I recommend sticking to Windows Defender for anti-malware but some Anti-Virus software includes a malware scanner and active detection tools. Some will disable Windows Defender, others won't allowing for extra protection.
Spybot Search and Destroy - One of the best anti-malware tools I've used. Includes a few system tweaking tools, a registry cleaner, and an active scanner as well (if you install it). Has a tool to immunize the system to prevent malware from attaching to and infecting files. My top pick for malware removal and prevention.
MalwareBytes - Free if you need a standalone scanner, but the active scanner and website blocking tool is not free. Still good for finding deeply buried malware in a system.
SuperAntiSpyware - Corny name but great at finding malware. Free as a standalone scanner but not free for it's advanced tools.

*Normally I suggest people use the built-in Windows Firewall not only to save money, but keep the excess software off the system unless absolutely needed. Plus if you have a Router you should use it as a Hardware Firewall anyway.
Agnitum Free Firewall - I only recommend this Firewall as an additional tool to keep your PC safe and only if you're anti-virus did not include one already.

PC Tuning Tools:

CCleaner - One of the best tools I have used for cleaning up a PC. Great for cleaning the Registry, and includes some optimization tools as well. Also includes variated levels of file overwriting for security.
Steven Gould's CleanUp! - *For XP Only* Quick and dirty but it can find all sorts of garbage files to toss out. Do not use this on Vista/7.
Defraggler - From the same makers of CCleaner. It's not the best, but it does a lot better than the DeFrag tool included with Windows.

Misc:

Recuva - One of the best file recovery tools I've used. It's free and does deep scanning for lost and deleted data. Great for PC techs needign to recover deleted or lost files.

*Also word to the wise... You see a lot of these so-called one click fix products advertised on TV at times such as MyCleanPC, FinallyFast, and StopSign. As a licensed PC technician, I recommend avoiding these at all costs as most of these tools do little more than scan a computer and generate false positives and false reports of problems, and are little more than scams promoting scare-ware and fake anti-virus products that are loaded with malware. Great PC tools do not need to be advertised on TV.