NOTE: these tips are for good computers. I will be putting a how to for netbooks and weak computers in the future because they require more advanced tuning techniques. These are very general and are all very easy to do. None of these are extreme or hidden knowledge, and everyone who owns a computer should know how to do these things, or at the very least should learn.
Weekly:
- Defrag your computer. I recommended a program called Smart Defrag to do this. I would suggest you stick to a normal defrag, or else the “deep optimize” actually makes it more defraged if stopped halfway through, and it takes forever.
Monthly:
- Check for video card driver updates. Right click your wall paper then Google the type of video card you have (usually either Nvidia or ATI). Both sites have programs to find your video card model if you don’t know it offhand (the programs usually require Internet Explorer, though).
- Uninstall programs you do not use anymore by going Control Panel> Programs >Uninstall a Program (this menu make take a minute to fully appear).
- Run CCleaner’s registry and cookie cleaner. CCleaner is a free software that cleans out unneeded files. You can get it at http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner.
- Using CCleaner (see above) remove unneeded programs that start up with Windows. Go into CCleaner>Tools>Startup>right click on the ones you don’t need and press disable.
- Remove as many quick launch and desktop icons as possible.
Every 2-3 years:
- Reinstall Windows. I have read and experienced that no matter what you do, nothing makes Windows run faster than a nice reinstall.
Any Time they are needed:
- Upgrade your RAM. If you play games on your computer you should have AT LEAST 2 gigs of RAM. 4 gigs of RAM is considered as much as you really need at the moment. Upgrading your RAM is a simple process; just open your case, look for your existing RAM and find out what kind of RAM you have (DDR, DDR2, DDR3) then buy more to either replace with larger RAM or add more if you have more slots.
- Run Game Booster while playing a game to turn off any excess programs you don’t need. It’s free at http://www.iobit.com/gamebooster.html.
- Change your visual preferences. Go to Start>right click “Computer”>Advanced system settings (on left bar)>the “Performance” button under “Settings”>click the “custom” bullet. The less things you have check-marked the better your computer will run.
- Use a solid colored background (no, I don’t mean a picture that is one color). You can set this by right clicking your desktop>personalize>at the bottom click “desktop background”>use the dropdown to select “Solid Colors*>choose a color from the premade palette or go to “more” at the bottom to choose your own color.
- Turn on “high performance” power mode. Go start>Control Panel>System and Security>Power Options>choose “High Performance”.
