Windows XP?
This is going to be long but I try to be very thorough and give as much detail as possible to make this easier for you. The steps below will increase your PC's performance dramatically and if followed on a regular basis will keep your PC running like new for years to come.
First of all we need to disable programs from loading when Windows starts up. This will improve your comuter's startup time and you can run any of the programs as you need them instead of having them waste system resources when you are not using them.
To do this you need to go to "Start" then "All Programs" find and right click on the "Startup" folder and select "Open" Once the folder is open go to "Edit" and chose "Select All" then go to "File" and select "Delete". This will remove these programs from the common startup folder.
Now we need to disable other programs from starting up that do not appear in the startup folder.
To do this we need to go to "Start" then click on "Run". In the box type in "msconfig" without quotes and then hit enter. When the System configuration utility opens, select the "Startup" tab. Uncheck everything except for your Antivirus and Firewall programs. (If you are unsure of a process name please google it before disabling it) Click "Close" on the bottom right corner. Once you have closed the confiruation utility you will be prompted to restart. Go ahead and restart. When the computer restarts you will be alerted that you are using selective startup. Click the box that says "Never show this message again" and then click "OK"
Now we need to remove any data or programs that you no longer need or use. First go to "Start" then "Control Panel" then "Add/Remove Programs" When the list is populated go through it and remove any programs or applicatons you do not use or need. If you are unsure of a program than leave it alone. Once you have done this browse any places that you may store files and delete any that you do not need or want anymore. Once you have done all of this go to the desktop and right click on the "Recycle Bin" and select "Empty Recycle Bin" Doing this will free up hard drive space and also cut down on hard drive seek time.
Now we need to disable some of the visual special effects as they are not even really noticable but require system resources.
To do this we need to go to "Start" then right click on "My Computer" then select "Properties".
In the System Properties sheet click on the "Advanced" tab. When you are in the Advanced tab click on "Settings" under "Performance". In the settings box check "Adjust for best performance" then scroll down the list checking the following boxes:
Show window contents whie dragging
Use common tasks in folders
Use visiual styles on windows and buttons
Now click on "Apply" then "Ok" to exit the performance settings box then click on "OK" in the system properties box to exit. Now on the desktop. Right click an empty space and select "Properties" this will bring up the display properties. Click on the "Appearance" tab and click on the "Effects" button. Uncheck all the boxes except for the last 2 then click on "Apply and "OK"
Now lets run a full system virus scan using what ever antivirus program you may have. Make sure that your definition files are up to date prior to performing the scan. If you do not have an AntiVirus program you can get a fee one here:
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/downloads-pr...
This is the free version of AVG Antivirus. It updates and scans every morning to ensure your computer stays virus free.
Also if you need a good firewall program you can get ZoneAlarm free editoin here:
http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/c...
During installation you may be prompted to try PRO DO NOT TRY PRO or you will only get a 15 day trial and have no firewall afer the trial runs out. Just use and install the free edition.
Now we will download and install 2 more programs to remove ad/spyware from your computer. The first of the 2 is going to be Adaware found here: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_a... Once this program has installed, check for updates then after you download the updated definition files if any then click on Next then select "Perform full system scan" then click "Next" The scan will start and will display results as it scans. When the scan is complete click on "Next" for the list to appear then make sure all items are checked and then click the "Next" button again. A box will come up asking you if you want to remove x number of results click yes or OK which ever the option may be. Once this is complete close the program.
Now lets download and install Spybot S&D from here: http://www.download.com/3000-8022-101221... Once installed run the program. Usually the first time you start Spybot S&D it will run through a setup wizard which includes making a registry back up, checking for updates and imunizing the system and such After this is complete select "Check for problems". This will now scan your computer for ad/spyware. I use both programs to ensure that all of the ad/spyware is removed as 1 program will pick up what the other may miss.
Once all of these are finished we need to clean your hard drive and registry of junk and temp files. I use a program called CCleaner to do this. Go here to download. http://www.ccleaner.com Download and isntall. Once the program is installed run the program. Note on the left side are your tabs for different tools in the program. We will start with the cleaner tab. You will see a list of check boxes and 2 tabs (Windows and applications) By default the program opens in the windows tab. Scroll through the list checking all the boxes (Note if you have any saved passwords either write them down or uncheck the saved passwords box) Then click on the "Applicatons" tab and check all the boxes here as well. When checking the last set of boxes under the windows tab you will get a confirmation box up for each one click yes on them all unless you do not want a specific one cleaned. Now at the bottom click the "Analyze" button. This will scan your computer for junk files and create a list of them. Once the list is up click on the "Run Cleaner" button to delete all of the listed files.
Now on the left hand side, click on the "Issues" tab. This section will scan, fix and clean the windows registry. Check all the boxes in the list then click "Check for issues" This will scan the registry and bring up a list of invalid registry keys. When the list is populated click the "Fix Issues" button You will recieve a prompt to save a backup. Save this to a place of your liking then in the next box that pops up click "Fix Selected Issues" then OK or Yes on the confirmation box. Once this is done close out of the program.
Now lets tune your internet connection for optimal performance. To do this we will ned to download TCP Optimiizer from here: http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php... Download this to where ever you want. There is no installation required I would create a new folder and put the program in this new folder as it generates a set of files when ran. When you run it you can either manually configure each setting yourself or go to the bottom and select optimal settings Then click on Apply changes. You may get a log showing the changes that the program will make and a confirmation box to accept the changes. If and when prompted accept the changes. You may be required to restart your computer to finish the process. If so go ahead and do that now.
After restarting we should defragment your hard drives. When programs are installed and data is saved to your hard drive the drive puts the data in the first available chunk of free space and because of this files may be split up into many pieces to make them fit accordingly. Defragmenting rearanges all the data on your hard drive so that pieces of files are put back together so that they are all in one place on the drive instead of being scattered about. This will make files and programs open faster as the hard drive will not have to search for all the pieces and put them together before opening a file or program. To defragment go to "Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. Once the disk defragmenter opens. click on the drive you wish to defragment from the list at the top then click the "Defragment" button. This may take some time depending on how big your hard drive is and how much data you have stored on it so be paitent.
All of the programs listed above are all FREE but very powerful tools. If you follow these instructions your computer will run in tip top shape. You should repeat all of this once a week or so. If you are a heavy computer user then i would do it more often or when ever your computer seems to act sluggish.
I hope this helps Good luck