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I run a laptop at home and ive noticed it getting a bit on the slow side lately and I was wondering if any of you have some tips for improving performance.
I regularly:
1. Run Norton
2. Run Adaware
3. Run Spybot Search and Destroy
4. Defrag the disk
5. Its on XP so all windows stuff gets updated automatically.
6. Clear out temp internet files / cookies.
It's a HP Omnibook (cant remember model number).
The main thing that bugs me really is that I dont have a clue what the processes running are, so dont want to disable any of them! ;)
But that means I dont know if one of them could be eating up resources uncessarily.
Also, side problem:
I disable the MNS messenger process in task manager regularly (the programme doesnt let me right click exit - says its being used by another process).
Recently ive noticed it tends to reactivate itself (the process appears back in task manager processes, but the icon doesnt appear back).
Any ideas?
Cheers :)
Scott
My established procedure:
Keep 2 separate partitions - normally C: and D:.
On D: I keep "My Documents" and absolutely anything else that I would wish to keep.
All my applications I install to C:, and make sure that I have either original media (CD-ROM) kept safe somewhere, or have installation images of my important applications on D:.
Use PC until it becomes unusable, or until there is no alternative but to install RealPlayer for something, whichever comes first.
On or soon after that day, I then re-install the OS onto C:, followed by all the latest service packs and fixes, and then the applications again.
It also means that if you're into backing up your PC you only have to worry about D:.
I disable the MNS messenger process in task manager regularly (the programme doesnt let me right click exit - says its being used by another process).
This is a pain in b*tt. If you have Outlook installed, you can go to options in Outlook and disable integration or something along those lines to get rid of that M$N monster-ger. Else the only way is regedit those out.
Unless you are using some special features in XP, consider using win2k. Way less bloated for power users and nearly the same core. With SP4, it's unbelievably stable. I have uptimes of months.
Even in win2k/xp you need to watch what services load and run constantly. Use msconfig (the one from xp will also run on win2k) and uncheck anything you suddenly realize you aren't using anymore. If you can't identify them, then use a better task manager program which will help you indentify some information about them (such as taskinfo [iarsn.com])
Optionally you can look into programs that let you force the thread priority of the stuff you are running all the time. You can probably force alot of it below the normal settings and make your interface feel alot faster.
By the way, the slow down is also from really badly written bloated code. Fast and small code is a lost art. My firewall is atguard which is 2megs. Norton bought it and bloated it into 30megs for their personal firewall. Go figure. But it helps explain why things start feeling slower and slower as you upgrade your drivers and apps.
I think one of the best things one can do to avoid problems with one's PC is to do what one can to insure good, clean, steady electrical power -- from a properly grounded outlet on a non overloaded curcuit. Power fluctuations can cause all sorts of weird problems. And I would not plug things like space heaters or vacume cleaners into the same curcuit my PC was on either.
One can often check that an electrical outlet is grounded with a cheap testing device from a store like Radio Shack. They sometimes miss reporting an outlet as not being grounded with certian rare types of miswired grounds, but are pretty close to 100% for most folks.
Plugging one's PC into a good uninteruptible power supply/surge protector (i.e. UPS) device is wise, IMO. I'm talking about one of those things with several plug ins and a battery to let one shut down their computer gracefully if the power goes out all of a sudden. I think APC is a well regarded brand. Keep in mind that the surge suppression capabilities of such a device gets "used up" over time. FWIW, I replace mine every few (about three) years.
And for those who build from scratch or upgrade their own hardware, doing what one can to avoid electrostatic discharge (aka ESD) damage to parts -- including the component chips on motherboards, expansion cards and memory modules is also crucial.
Sometimes the damage is slight and only shows up over time or after the computer has been on for awhile. The types of problems resulting from parts (like memory chips) that are partially damaged by ESD but still function normally most of the time can be quite hard to diagnose and eliminate. FWIW, I have ECC memory in my PC and my BIOS setting is set to "ECC/scrub". I hear "chip kill" is an even nicer feature on newer memory/motherboards.
I guess getting set up to run a select suite of hardware diagnostics periodically would be something folks could do periodically -- but it would be overkill for most folks. I think one can get set up as an OEM with Microsoft and run their "hardware compatibility test" on their systems. I've heard techs say they rarely see hardware problems from machines that pass Microsoft's HCT.
Get the hardware scoped out and eliminated as a source of problems and then all you have to worry about is the software and "wetware" between the chair and keyboard. ;-)
HTH,
Midwestguy
There you disable MSN from intergrating with Outlook.
Keeping your PC in working order
Any tips?
Uninstall Windows.
Install Linux.
;)
- downgrade to older OS if on recent windows (uses fewer ressources)
- make sure you have free disk space
- delete temporary files
- don't store stuff on the desktop
- don't install dubious software
- uninstall unused software
- uninstall themes, desktop enhancements, sounds, etc. - keep it simple
- uninstall all that adds bells and whistles to basic windows if it's from Microsoft
- run spyware-destroyer, antivirus
- add ram
Only one problem in three years (as described above). Other than the OS, everything else is non-MS: Mozilla, FTP Explorer, Eudora, Agent, Apache, PHPdev, Cerebus, ZoneAlarm, Norton AV, adAware, AnalogX, iProxy, etc.
To an extend the main drawback with Linux is hardware. Generaly a litttle harder to come by and a lot more expensive.
A good example would be a modem.
Mack.
First, one does have to give more consideration to hardware selection than is typical with Windows. However, all one has to do is check to see what specific complete systems or component parts for a build from scratch system are deemed to be compatible with the *nix OS you plan to use before buying hardware or selecting which *nix OS to use with existing hardware. Just do a search for Linux hardware compatibility for examples of these hardware compatibility listings.
Second, *nix is different than Windows in many ways: users, permissions, many small programs sequenced together to do task instead of the Windows way of being "root all the time with all permissions set to 777" (guess bill Gates was feeling lucky when deciding on how to do Window's security), and single monolithic "every feature in the magazine review comparison chart" programs.
This means there IS a learning curve that WILL take time. The question is, is all the powerful things one can do on a *nix box with all the no licence cost software tools worth the learning curve? No way I can answer this for any individual. Nor is there a way one can appreciate all the power and flexibility *nix provides compared to Windows until one has spent a certian amount of time gaining familiarity with *nix.
A prudent and time conscious course of action might be to buy the following book for about $21.00 and spend 24-30+ hours getting familiar with *nix over a month or two. Then one will have a much better idea of whether to increase one's familiarity with *nix. All one needs is an extra hard drive, computer or unused partition on an existing single hard drive computer (Yes there is Knoppix, but the book's not about Knoppix and this is newbie intro to *nix advice).
I suggest setting up a dual boot Windows/*nix box. That way, you can learn *nix and still boot into Windows for whatever or whenever you want. This would be a good way for those who desire to try out and maybe move to *nix without weaning themselves off Windows too abruptly.
[amazon.com...]
Note the book is for Red Hat Linux 8.0, not 9.X, which is the latest RH OS available. I have the 8.0 book and it's very good. Amazon reviews for the newer RH 9.0 version at Amazon mentioned too many typos for my taste; thus the suggestion for this one on RH 8.0 rather than RH 9.X.
Third, one needs to learn to use the internet, user groups and one's own reasoning for "support" rather than however one currently goes about getting support for Windows when problems come up (if different). It's just different...and potentially more time consuming as a trade off for the lower *nix cost.
Fourth, expect to do the basics -- web browse, email, FTP, word process, etc. easily -- but for it to take awhile before one no longer gets temporarilly stumped over various things in the *nix world; that's where asking questions in forums and user groups works well.
HTH,
Midwestguy
