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Why Computers Slow Down |
If anyone finds anything incorrect or if you have better procedures than what is listed under these headings, please email the information to The Major |
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Central Processing Unit
(CPU) The CPU is the computer's engine. On personal computers CPUs operate in a single-file mode. They do not multi-task even though they sometimes appear to be multi-tasking. It is called "time-slicing." When one of the programs in the time-slicing queue hogs the CPU all the other programs slow down. The Windows Task Manager displays what is running and how much of the CPU time is being used. Shut down all of your application programs. One should now be on the Desk Top with no programs showing to the right of the "Start Button" in the lower left of the Desk Top. Hold down both the Ctrl and the Alt keys and then press the Del key and the Task Manager box will appear. The first three of the five tabs are important to you. Let's browse them. Click on the Application Tab. It should not show any programs running if all of your application programs have been shut down. If one or more programs are running, you have just found a problem. Turn them off. Click on the Processes Tab. This will show about 30 to 40 system programs runnin in the background that were activated during the startup of the computer. Some are necessary, some are not. Click on the Performance Tab. This displays a short history of the CPU usage. The graph should show mostly zero (0) usage with an occasional bump to two (2) percent. Movement of the mouse will show the CPU is watching it. Whenever a system program activates itself, a large spike will occur but it should go off within seconds. These are your visual aids and will be used as we progress through the procedures to speed up your computer. Unload the CPU. [top]
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| Spyware
(Expel the spies) Don't expect AOL, Dell, Microsoft and others that offer embedded software to stop spyware from being loaded onto your computer to work. The goal of these companies is to be the principal spy on your computer. One of the best of the anti-spyware programs is "Spybot -- Search & Destroy" and it is FREE. Here are four (4) mirror sites (Major Geeks) within the USA. The home site is in the British Isles. Choose the site most appropriate for where you live. Beware of chameleon programs for Spybot. The correct program was written by Patrick Kolla -- he is a good guy! After downloading the Spybot program, it must be installed. After installation, "Search for Updates" before "Checking for Problems." When "Checking for Problems" locates a problem file, "Immunize" it. If one of your application programs is using "spyware" you do not want the program -- remove it. At the beginning, run Spybot about once a week. As the computer becomes immunized against the more common spies, once a month or once a quarter is adequate. Keep spyware off of your computer. Companies that are spying on personal computers [top]
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| Background Programs
(Shut some down) Other than the computer's primary Internet Security Package, only system programs are needed in the background. All of the application programs are at your beck and call through Desk Top icons. There is nothing to lose and much to be gained by keeping application programs out of the background, plus the computer will startup in less time. The System Configuration Utility selects the background programs that are installed at startup. To access this menu, shut down all application programs (remember the Windows Task Manager). Click the "Start" button on the lower left corner of the screen. "Run" should be at the bottom of the right side of the dialog box. Click it. Where the new dialog box says "Open it:" type in "msconfig" (without the quotes) and then click the OK button. The System Configuration Utility dialog box should appear in the center of the screen. Click the "Startup" tab. Uncheck the programs that are not necessary for the computer operation. If you are not sure, turn off one at a time and see if it affects the operation of your applications. If the program was necessary, repeat this process and re-check the program. The computer must be "Restarted" for any of the changes to take effect. Next check out the list of programs under the "Services" tab and do the same procedures as under "Startup." For example, if there is a "Wireless" program and you are not using a wireless connection, uncheck the program. If it is not needed, get it off. [top]
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| Automatic Downloads
(Kill them) You are almost done with the hard part. But for this step one must go into the configuration menus of each of the individual programs and kill their automatic downloads. A user does not need an automatic download from anybody! You be the boss! Set up a schedule for yourself, once a week, once a month or once a quarter. The only two programs that need weekly updates are the spyware and the primary anti-virus program. All of the others can be done on a monthly or a quarterly basis. When it is "panic time" on the anti-virus program (McAfee, Norton) should send you a notice. The difference between the automatic downloads and a supplier sending you a notice is twofold. First, the automatic downloads take up CPU time, almost all the time. Simple, it has to keep checking the computer's internal clock to see if it time for the automatic download. Second, the computer's internal clock does not know when a new download is ready so it keeps spinning the CPU's wheels forever checking and taking up web bandwidth -- all bad. Kill them, all of them. [top]
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| Hard Drive
(Be kind) The Microsoft XP Operating System has two utilities for cleaning up your hard drive: a) Disk Cleanup and b) Disk Defragmenter. To access these programs: 1) Click on "Start" 2) Hover on "All Programs" and a menu list will appear. 3) Move the cursor up to "Accessories", then over to "System Tools" and a dialog box will appear that contain both programs. The "Disk Cleanup" will remove some of the unused functions loaded on your computer. The "Disk Defragmenter" will un-crumble your computer files. Over time as one creates files and delete files, the files become scattered and fragmented on the hard drive. This program puts the files back together and makes them easier to find when they are needed. The average user should run these programs about every three months. More than once a month is an over-kill. Un-crumble the cookie. [top]
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| Summary
(Good Housekeeping) Buying a new computer is not a solution to these problems. A new computer will come already junked-up and will soon be intolerably slow unless good housekeeping principles are followed. Taking a computer back to where it was purchased is not the solution, it will only cost one money. The solution is awareness; awareness of how these problems come to be. Awareness that companies that are "doing you a favor" are not doing you a favor. Awareness the freebies are generally not "free," they often have a price: Spyware! Awareness that programs running in the background are taking away CPU time from your active work. Awareness that computer usage over a period of months will fragment the hard drive. There is big money involved these problems, billions of dollars. One cannot avoid being attacked but one can do much to keep from being hurt from these attacks. One must be in control of one's own computer. We have met the enemy and they are us! [top]
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