VERSION 2.0! I have run the entire guide through Microsoft Word's spell checker, and went through the whole Instructable checking for errors. It should be a lot easier to read and sift through the information. You may notice some new steps as well ;) Enjoy!
In this Instructable I will show you a few tips to make your computer run a lot faster. The great thing about this guide is that everything you'll see is free! This can also benefit you in more ways than one. Each step is a separate way to clean up your computer. These are all great ideas and I hope that you take the time to read them. If you have any suggestions for new topics, feel free to leave a comment and I'll research it!
PLEASE don't be scared by the amount of steps or excessive wording in the Instructable. Each step is one way. For example: All step 1 is saying is to dust your computer. I am just putting more information on it for those who are wondering how or why it works. This seems like a lot to do, but is actually not that much. A lot of the steps at the end may not even apply to you. Once you get started, it will be a breeze for upkeep.
I update the Instructable pretty much every time someone leaves a suggestion in the comments, as you can note with many of the steps featured. Please check back every now and then for something new and update your rating if you see fit. This Instructable will never be 'closed' so express your interest and input!
One more thing: If you have a really old computer, and therefore a very small hard drive, do everything that does not involve installing a program first, and then try the programs if your machine is still sluggish.
Just a note for the steps about the programs that are advertised: this is the program that I use that is free and seems to work great for me. I would suggest using these, but feel free to research into another program and let me know if you found a better one!
Please excuse if there are any steps under construction. If you have any suggestions that would help me, please leave a comment! I am working to get them published in the near future.
Now, let’s get started!
STEP 1: DUST OFF AND CLEAN YOUR COMPUTER
Dust is a major killer of speed if you haven't cleaned it up in over a year. This can block filters, and prevent air from flowing through the computer. It causes the machine to overheat. It also affects disk drives and can even block USB ports and interfaces. Dust also acts as an insulator which can add to the heat buildup. More importantly, dust can also cause a short in circuit boards and integrated circuits causing computers to crash and, in some cases, even catch fire!
Be careful when removing the dust, use caned air to blow it out & a vacuum to get the lose clumps around the computer that is NOT INSIDE IT. NEVER use a vacuum to clean out a computer, as it will cause electrostatic shock. Companies sell special vacuums designed for computers. Only use compressed air for the computer, vacuum for the area the computer is in.
Also make sure that you touch the outside case before you start working to discharge your body static. You can damage the computer boards if you cause a spark! The main thing that needs to be cleaned regularly is the CPU fan. Dust on the CPU fan is the number one reason for overheating and slow performance. Also, lots of dust between pins and connectors can short the circuit, so it’s always a good idea to clean the PC regularly. It’s most important to do this before installing any new hardware.
After you are done cleaning up the inside of your computer, be sure to also clean up your mouse and keyboard. I would definitely dust off your computer at least once every 6 months.
For those who are more wary of sparking the system: You should never open your case without being correctly “earthed” with a conductive strap and bonding point. You can look into purchasing them, and can see a picture below. They aren't very expensive.
A Quote from a commenter: "The reason you should not use a vacuum cleaner is that this can (and has been shown in many cases) to cause a static discharge through the components. It is fine to use a small vacuum on the keyboard (not on a laptop) but not on the case. The problem faced is that many people believe that they have not caused damage, because their PC often keeps working. The problem with static discharge is that it only occasionally causes critical failure of parts. The OS often error handles problems caused by damaged components, as (to an extent) the components themselves do. The side effect of this is a slower, less efficient system. To place static electricity damage in perspective - when sitting still at a desk, your body generates approximately 100 times more static electricity than is required to damage computer hardware. A vacuum cleaner and the flow of air creates a huge amount more."
STEP 2: REBOOT YOUR COMPUTER
For generic purpose, computer memory is referred to RAM (or Random Access Memory). It is used to support computers current operations. No matter how much you do to speed up your computer, your RAM will eventually fill up over time by just using it.
This memory is utilized to store information while computer is powered on. Once power is switched off, information from the memory gets erased automatically, because it requires a constant electrical charge to maintain its contents. RAM then is ready to be available once computer is powered on again. Hence it is named volatile memory. It is written and accessed randomly, which is why it’s called RAM.
With that over with, the basic idea to this step is to not have your computer on for a long period of time.
If you want to reset all the bits in your RAM, turn off your computer, and leave it off for about 5 minutes. Then reboot the computer, and your RAM should be wiped clean!
* If you are going to be using the computer in an hour or two, just put it into hibernate or sleep mode.
* If you are leaving it for over 10 hours, you probably want to shut it down.
* If you have your computer on and you’re using it for over 10 hours, do something else! At least shut it down and turn it back on if you notice it becoming sloth-like.
STEP 3: PRIORITY UPDATES
No operating system [Windows, Linux, Apple] is always complete, or perfect. Hackers work to get through the operating systems every day, looking for new vulnerabilities. Each week, and sometimes even on a daily basis, certain 'holes' in the Operating System must be repaired or updated, to prevent the hackers from breaking in.
Windows Update is one of the ways to protect the windows user. It is very, VERY, important to the security of your PC to either set your computer to automatic updates [recommended] or visit the windows update program regularly.
As always, back up all your personal files [Documents, Pictures, etc] First!
Not only should you update your OS, but also your Internet Browser and Applications. There will often be many bug fixes and speed boosters that will come with an update of your programs, so check it out!
To find Windows Update:
Start
Search: Windows Update
Click
On left, click to check for updates
Install
Done
STEP 4: DELETE EXTRA USER ACCOUNTS
Although having a new User Account created takes up no more than around 200 kb on your hard drive, you may be surprised how much space it will consume when that account is logged onto and is used to download files, run programs, etcetera.
More often than not, another resulting slowdown is the fact that other accounts are logged on even when they are not in use. Even though the account in the background isn't "active", the programs that are loaded, the user's profile and other items are still resident in memory and taking up resources.
If you are the only one using the computer, or can handle having only one account for multiple people, then delete the other users, move all of your files to the one account, and notice the difference in speed.
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WARNING: Make sure that you always have at least one administrator account to be able to make changes to the computer. If you want to save the user folder files from the user account you are deleting, then make sure you click to “Keep Files.”
Here's how to delete a User Account:
1. Log onto the computer using an account with administrator privileges.
2. Click the Start Button.
3. Click Control Panel
4. Click User Accounts
4. Select Manage another account.
5. When the UAC box pops up, click Continue.
6. Select the user account that is to be deleted.
7. Click Delete the Account.
8. You will be asked if you wish to keep the files from the deleted account. To save the account's desktop and personal files to your desktop, click Keep Files. This will place the files into a directory with the account's name onto your desktop. Otherwise click the Delete Files button.
9. Click Delete Account.
• You may also want to simply disable multi-user logins. This will force each user to log out before someone else logs in. This means that someone else programs won't be running and bog down the machine.
1Insert your Windows 7 installation disc. You will need this disc in order to access the Command Prompt to make the necessary changes.
2Reboot your computer. In order to break the administrator password, you'll need to make a few changes that allow you to access the Command Prompt from the Windows login screen.
3Press the correct key to open your BIOS menu. This is typicallyF2, F10, F11, or ⌦ Del, and needs to be pressed as soon as your manufacturer's logo appears. If the Windows logo shows up, you'll need to reboot and retry.
4Open the BOOT menu. This menu allows you to change the order of your drives when your computer boots up.
5Move your DVD drive to the top of the list. This will make the computer attempt to boot from the DVD before booting from the hard drive.
6Save your changes and reboot the computer. Your computer will automatically reboot when you select "Save and Exit".
7Press a key when prompted to start the Windows Setup process. You won't be reinstalling, so you shouldn't have to worry about losing any data.
8Click "Repair your computer".This option is available on the main Install Windows screen.
9Select the first option, and then select your operating system fro the list. Most likely, you'll only have one operating system listed.
10Select "Command Prompt" from the list of tools. This will open a new window with the Command Prompt.
11Enter the following commands, in order. These commands will overwrite a program called utilman.exe with the Command Prompt program. This will allow you to access the Command Prompt from the Windows Login screen. Enter each of the following commands, pressing ↵ Enter after each one:
12Remove the DVD and restart your computer. Let Windows boot normally until you reach the Login screen.
13Press .⊞ Win+U to open the Command Prompt. If it doesn't appear, press ⎇ Alt+Tab ↹ as it may be hiding behind the Login screen.
14Reset the administrator password. Once you have the Command Prompt open, you can reset the password of any account. Enter the following command and press ↵ Enter, and then create a new password when prompted [1]
15Log in with your new password. Once the password has been changed, you should be able to log in immediately using the Login screen.
16Revert your changes toutilman.exe. Now that you have been able to regain access to Windows, you'll want to revert the changed to utilman.exe so that Windows can properly access it again. Press ⊞ Win+R and typecmd to launch the Command Prompt. Enter the following commands to revert utilman.exe:[2]
