How to Keep Your Computer Running Fast and Clean: Programs and Processes

Computers are ubiquitous these days. You’d be hard pressed to find a household that doesn’t have at least one. A major problem with a ubiquitous and rather powerful piece of technology such as a Desktop PC is that not everyone who uses them actually knows what the heck they are doing! Sure, they can click, browse the web, play games, write a paper in Word. Some are even pretty decent at customizing their desktop experience and running programs. But I know from experience working in the IT field that a vast majority of PC users do not have a grasp of basic computer maintenance and optimization.

Well guess what? It’s easy, it’s fast, most times it’s automated, and any Desktop PC user can do it! I’m going to help you get your Desktop running fast and clean, and I won’t even charge you a cent.

This is the second in a series where I will assist you in getting your computer running fast and clean.

Why do you think money sucking businesses like Geek Squad flourish? Because users don’t know how to keep their PC’s running fast and clean, so they think they have to pay someone to do it for them. I’m amazed at what Geek Squad and the like can charge to take care for what amounts to a small amount of preventative and proactive maintenance. If you were to bring your computer into Geek Squad for their Security and Performance, and Virus and Spyware Removal services, they would charge you $330 and install their proprietary Geek Squad software on your system, not to mention set it to run the way they think it should be.

SHOCKING FACT: Any Windows based Desktop PC user can accomplish all of this by themselves, and at no extra cost!

Programs and Processes:

Every program you install on your computer requires CPU processing and memory. Many of those programs, including those that are part of Windows, are constantly running in the background, which takes up some of those CPU processes and memory. A lot of these programs and processes are essential to your computer running properly, but many are there to supposedly make your life easier. Well, they don’t, because they just slow you down. Notice that area at the bottom right of your screen, next to the clock. See all of those little icons? IF you only have a few, good deal. But I bet you have half a dozen or more don’t you? Each one of those represents a background program that I’d be almost certain you don’t need!

We want to eliminate as many of those as you can, only keeping the ones that are necessary. You may not know whether or not you do need them, that’s ok, we’ll figure that out. First though, if you can tell, right click the ones you want to eliminate. Many will have Options or Preferences available. Using those Options or Preferences, select or deselect anything that says “Run at Startup” or “Keep This in the System Tray”. You may need to wait until the next time you reboot to see that they are gone. After that, lets go to msconfig.

On your start menu, choose Run and type in msconfig. Choose Continue if you get the User Account Control prompt, and you will be in System Configuration. Now don’t mess with anything unless I tell you!

1. On the first window of System Configuration, click the box next to Selective Startup.
2. At the top select the Startup tab.

On this window is where we do the serious work. You will see a list of all the programs that run in the background, and sit in that tray area. We want to remove the checks from the boxes of the ones we are stopping. Resize the columns so you can see what they are. Remove the checks from pretty much any third party program, like iTunes, Adobe, Quicktime, Nero etc. These exist to make it faster when you need the program, but not fast enough to be worth the overall slowdown they cause. You may find listings for your graphics and sound utilities here. You may need them, you may not. If you aren’t sure leave it, otherwise, uncheck it. Leave any that are Windows, except for example Media Player. Click Apply, then Ok, and your done. You will be prompted to Restart. Do so, and when you reboot you will hopefully do so faster, and you will see less of those icons at the bottom.

Another thing you can do is uninstall any programs you aren’t using or that may be expired trials. These just take up memory. In Vista,

1. Go to the Start Menu
2. Choose Control Panel
3. Choose Programs and Features

A list of installed programs will open up. You can right click them and choose uninstall. Follow each ones directions, and restart if prompted or when you’re done.

Another largely overlooked area is installed Windows Components. These aren’t things like Notepad or Solitaire. These are also background processes or services which hang out in the background, waiting for you to use them or to add functionality to complex networks and the like. Most Desktop users don’t need this stuff. Let’s shut some of them down!

1. Go to the Start Menu
2. Choose Control Panel
3. Choose Programs and Features
4. On the left sidebar, select “Turn Windows Features on or off.”
5. Click Continue on the User Account Control prompt

This takes a second to load. When it does, you can uncheck anything that isn’t required. Chances are, if you don’t know what these things are, you don’t need them. Keep Games checked if you enjoy them, but obvious removals would be Tablet PC Optional Components (unless you are using a tablet PC), and Windows Meeting Space. If you find somewhere down the road you need any of these, re-check it and it will be installed on your system.

That’s it! Keep those program installations to as many as are actually needed, and when you do install something new, check to see as I explained above if it has stuck anything running in the background, slowing you down.

Tagged as: Computer, Desktop, Geek Squad, Maintenance, PC, Software Installation, Windows