I was about to conquer the world but then I got distracted by something shiny.
Post by charliegirl on Jan 5, 2007 22:35:37 GMT -5
Computer a bit slow?
« Thread Started on Jul 31, 2006, 1:00pm »
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Q:
Lately, I've noticed that my computer has started to run a lot slower than usual. I didn't really do anything different, so I'm not sure what could be going on. Do you have any suggestions for me?
A:
I'm glad you asked this question, because we haven't run a tip on this in awhile and this is always the perfect refresher for everyone. If your system seems to be running sluggishly, the main cause is usually the extra programs that may be running in the background on your system.
When your computer is slowing down, it usually means that you require more memory. Instead of adding more memory, you can easily remove programs and stop them from consuming all of it. The easiest way of doing this is by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del and then clicking the Processes tab.
This window will show exactly how much memory each program is using. You can click the End Process button to close any program you don't think you need running. Just be careful, you may not want to close any program running under the name of “System,” because you might shut down something that Windows needs to operate correctly.
Instead of closing all of these programs every time you turn on your computer, you could use the msconfig command to stop them for good. Go to Start, Run and type in “msconfig.” Click the StartUp tab. You can then uncheck the programs that you do not want to run right when your computer starts and then click OK. However, you need to be careful again to not uncheck any programs that are required for Windows to work.
All those little icons you see in your system tray represent programs that are RUNNING. If a bunch of stuff loads when you start your computer, you may be maxing out your system before you launch your first regular program. So, if you find your computer getting progressively slower as you add more software, it could be that these system tray icons are, at least partially, at fault.
In addition, program running in your system tray can cause any (or all) of the following problems:
- Sluggish system speed
- Frequent lockups / illegal operations
- Software install problems
- Difficulty in running some programs
The more of these programs you have running, the more likely it is that you're going to see one or more of the problems mentioned above. Granted, System Tray programs are not the only cause for the conditions mentioned above, but they are the first place to look.
So, how do you keep all these unwanted programs at bay?
1. Click the Start button and select Run...
2. Next, type in:
msconfig
Then hit OK.
3. The System Configuration Utility should run (please note that not all computers have it installed -see note below).
4. Click the Startup tab .
5. You'll see a listing of all the stuff that starts itself when your computer does. Just uncheck the programs you don't want to load and leave the rest alone.
Note - If you don't have msconfig on your system (win 95 / 2000 doesn't) then check out Startup Control Panel at:
www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml
It does basically the same thing.
Once you get msconfig or the program above running, you'll probably see more stuff than you bargained for. I would advise exercising caution while unchecking, especially if you're not sure about what program(s) you're suppressing. Stuff like " Scan Registry " and " System tray " are probably best left alone. If you see stuff that you recognize as being non-essential software, than uncheck it. This is one of those do at your own risk things - for sure.
If you're not sure which program is being referred to, look at the path. Sometimes the folder just before the ".exe" file can give you a clue as to what program you're dealing with.
For example, if I see something like:
" C:\program files\real\realplayer.exe "
I can guess the program in question is the ever annoying Real Player.
In general, don't disable stuff that starts like this:
" C:\Windows\ "
Or stuff like this:
SysTray.exe
These are more likely to be important system files and programs. You may find that your computer won't run without them and you'll have to go into Safe mode to get things working again.
Finally, note that unchecking this stuff doesn't remove it. The idea behind having these programs start when the computer does is to give you fast, easy access to them. However, having too many of these programs running at the same time can hit you hard in the system resources department. I personally make sure anything I don't need isn't running. If I need it, I'll click on it's shortcut.
« Thread Started on Jul 31, 2006, 1:00pm »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q:
Lately, I've noticed that my computer has started to run a lot slower than usual. I didn't really do anything different, so I'm not sure what could be going on. Do you have any suggestions for me?
A:
I'm glad you asked this question, because we haven't run a tip on this in awhile and this is always the perfect refresher for everyone. If your system seems to be running sluggishly, the main cause is usually the extra programs that may be running in the background on your system.
When your computer is slowing down, it usually means that you require more memory. Instead of adding more memory, you can easily remove programs and stop them from consuming all of it. The easiest way of doing this is by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del and then clicking the Processes tab.
This window will show exactly how much memory each program is using. You can click the End Process button to close any program you don't think you need running. Just be careful, you may not want to close any program running under the name of “System,” because you might shut down something that Windows needs to operate correctly.
Instead of closing all of these programs every time you turn on your computer, you could use the msconfig command to stop them for good. Go to Start, Run and type in “msconfig.” Click the StartUp tab. You can then uncheck the programs that you do not want to run right when your computer starts and then click OK. However, you need to be careful again to not uncheck any programs that are required for Windows to work.
All those little icons you see in your system tray represent programs that are RUNNING. If a bunch of stuff loads when you start your computer, you may be maxing out your system before you launch your first regular program. So, if you find your computer getting progressively slower as you add more software, it could be that these system tray icons are, at least partially, at fault.
In addition, program running in your system tray can cause any (or all) of the following problems:
- Sluggish system speed
- Frequent lockups / illegal operations
- Software install problems
- Difficulty in running some programs
The more of these programs you have running, the more likely it is that you're going to see one or more of the problems mentioned above. Granted, System Tray programs are not the only cause for the conditions mentioned above, but they are the first place to look.
So, how do you keep all these unwanted programs at bay?
1. Click the Start button and select Run...
2. Next, type in:
msconfig
Then hit OK.
3. The System Configuration Utility should run (please note that not all computers have it installed -see note below).
4. Click the Startup tab .
5. You'll see a listing of all the stuff that starts itself when your computer does. Just uncheck the programs you don't want to load and leave the rest alone.
Note - If you don't have msconfig on your system (win 95 / 2000 doesn't) then check out Startup Control Panel at:
www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml
It does basically the same thing.
Once you get msconfig or the program above running, you'll probably see more stuff than you bargained for. I would advise exercising caution while unchecking, especially if you're not sure about what program(s) you're suppressing. Stuff like " Scan Registry " and " System tray " are probably best left alone. If you see stuff that you recognize as being non-essential software, than uncheck it. This is one of those do at your own risk things - for sure.
If you're not sure which program is being referred to, look at the path. Sometimes the folder just before the ".exe" file can give you a clue as to what program you're dealing with.
For example, if I see something like:
" C:\program files\real\realplayer.exe "
I can guess the program in question is the ever annoying Real Player.
In general, don't disable stuff that starts like this:
" C:\Windows\ "
Or stuff like this:
SysTray.exe
These are more likely to be important system files and programs. You may find that your computer won't run without them and you'll have to go into Safe mode to get things working again.
Finally, note that unchecking this stuff doesn't remove it. The idea behind having these programs start when the computer does is to give you fast, easy access to them. However, having too many of these programs running at the same time can hit you hard in the system resources department. I personally make sure anything I don't need isn't running. If I need it, I'll click on it's shortcut.
