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The key to a top
performing computer system involves both hardware
and software. I won't really go into the
hardware side of it here and would suggest asking
The Doc
and he will answer any questions or concerns
regarding hardware performance issues.
Software however is often the overlooked component when a
system just doesn't seem to be performing as it
should. The most common software ailments that
slow a system down usually comes in one or two
forms,
unwanted programs running in the background, or
simply too many programs running in the background.
The
first form (unwanted programs) is an all too common
problem that most people are not even aware of.
These programs which are known as "Spyware",
"Adware", and "Malware", are usually obtained by
internet pop-up ads, freeware, or shareware software
downloads and installed without the user even aware
of it. Internet pop-up ads are a problem in
themselves and should be dealt with to prevent this
nuisance. You can learn more about the
prevention of these pop-up ads by going to the privacy
section of this website.
The second form (too many programs) is simply the
result of installing programs over time and not
adjusting the startup settings for them. For
instance you install Microsoft Office, Norton
Anti-Virus, America Online, System works, your
printer software, etc. and most of the time unless
you tell it otherwise, it will all be running in the
background of your system thus slowing down the
computer. And since it is very unlikely your
going to be using all these programs at the same
time, why not free up these resources until you need
them? Remember, every program that is running
in the background is residing in your systems Random
Access Memory (RAM). Note: It is HIGHLY
recommended that your Anti-Virus program is ALWAYS
left running.
Now that you have an idea of why your computer
system may be slowing down, how do you know for sure
what's running in the background and what can you do
to solve it? Since we really have two separate
issues here, there are two separate methods to solve
them. The first thing you want to do is check
to see if you have any of the unwanted programs I
spoke of earlier and the easiest way to check for
those is to download two FREE programs called Ad-Aware
and Spybot - Search & Destroy. Click on the
links below and follow the instructions given.
GETTING RID OF UNWANTED PROGRAMS
Link 1:
Ad-Aware Link 2:
Spybot - Search
& Destroy
Download Instructions:
Click on either link (You really should get both),
wait for the pop up window and then click on save.
If for some reason the pop-up window does not
appear then simply look for the manual link on the
page that says "click here". Make sure
you save it in a place your familiar with by
choosing the correct location in the "Save in:" drop
down menu. I usually always save my downloaded
files to "Desktop" as it will put an icon of the
program on your desktop so you can easily find it.
Once the downloads are complete you'll want to
install both of them and then run them to see if any
spyware currently resides on your computer.
To Install and update Ad-Aware:
If you are installing Ad-Aware on Windows NT, 2000,
or XP, please ensure that you have administrative
rights. Ad-Aware must be installed in an
account that has adequate permissions to perform its
function. If you are unsure if you have the
requisite permissions please contact your system
administrator or refer to your computer's user guide
before proceeding.
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Double-click on the "aawsepersonal.exe"
file to start the installation.
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Press "Next"
to continue to the license Agreement Screen
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Please read the license agreement before you
proceed. When you have completed reviewing the
agreement and if you agree to the terms, click
the checkbox next to "I
accept the license agreement" and
press "Next"
to continue with the installation of the
software.
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Click "Next"
to accept the default location or use "Browse"
to specify where you want Ad-Aware SE Personal
installed.
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4. |
Install to All Users menu
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If you have multiple user accounts on your
system choose "Anyone
who uses this computer" and click "Next".
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Click "Next"
to start installing Ad-Aware SE Personal onto
your computer. After the copying of files
you will get a confirmation that the
installation was successful.
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6. |
Installation successful
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Click "Finish"
to complete the installation process. You now
have the option to "Update
the definition file", "Run
a full system scan" and "Open the
help file now". |
To
install and update Spybot - Search & Destroy:
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1.
Installation |
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The file you have downloaded will be
named spybotsd13.exe or similar. To
install Spybot-S&D, all you have to do is run
the file, and the installation program will
start (if you have downloaded with Internet
Explorer, the download dialog will give you the
option to open the file directly). The
installer will show you the license and ask you
for the installation location. You can go
with the default settings here and just click
your way through the installer by using the
Next button.
After the installation has finished, you will
see a Spybot - Search & Destroy button on
your desktop and in your start menu. Click
on it to start Spybot-S&D the first time. |
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2. First run |
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The
first time you start Spybot-S&D, it will display
a Wizard, a small window helping you
through the first steps. It gives you the
possibility to add or remove the icons you have
or haven't created during install, for example.
Lets just say you want them and proceed to the
next page.
If
you are using a proxy in Internet Explorer,
Spybot-S&D will show you this proxy and a button
will give you the opportunity to use it for
Spybot-S&D, too. If the text field is
blank, you don't need to do it, but in most
cases this will show an internet address, and
you should import this proxy setting.
The
next page deals with updates. It is very
important to keep up-to-date. Using the two
buttons this page offers will do the updates for
you.
The
last page of the wizard will ask you to read the
help file. The help file is always a good
resource if you are unsure what to do, so please
do at least read the first pages of it.
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HELPING MAINTAIN TOO MANY PROGRAMS
Software program auto start options reside in many
different areas of your system such as the "Start"
folder, the registry, win.ini, and system.ini for a
few examples. Instead of having to become a
professional programmer or a registry wizard there
is a real simple program that you can use to help
maintain all the programs that startup whenever
Windows boots up. Once again it's a FREE
program. Click on the link below and follow
the instructions given:
Link:
Starter
Download Instructions:
Click on the link,
wait for the pop up window and then click on save.
If for some reason the pop-up window does not
appear then simply look for the manual link on the
page that says "click here". Make sure
you save it in a place your familiar with by
choosing the correct location in the "Save in:" drop
down menu. I usually always save my downloaded
files to "Desktop" as it will put an icon of the
program on your desktop so you can easily find it.
Once the downloads are complete you'll want to
install and see how many programs are currently
residing on your computer.
To Install Starter:
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Double-click on StarterSetup.zip to begin the
extraction
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Extract
to a temporary folder
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Double-click on the file "StarterSetup.exe" in the
temporary folder
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Click
on Next
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Check
the box "I accept the terms in the License
Agreement" and click on Next
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Click
on Next
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Select
the appropriate language and click on Next
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Click
Next
to accept the default location or use Browse
to specify where you want Starter installed.
Start
the program to see how many programs you have
running. There are two sections in this
program called "Startups" and "Processes".
While the scope of going through the possibilities
that could exist in each particular computer system
startup items is way beyond the scope of this
website, you may be able to identify some that you
don't need or use. If your not sure you can
always ask
The Doc
and he can try and help you or you may opt to have
someone do it for you by calling
Kuna PC Services.
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