Download Improving the Performance of Your System

Improving the Performance of Your System
Grant Fleming
Lake Monticello Computer Users Group
January 10th, 2008
What We’ll Cover…
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Clean Ups and Updates
Performance Tuning (Tune Ups)
Upgrades
Reinstalls
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Utilities
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Getting Started - Clean Ups and Updates
Always start with a clean and stable system.
Anti-Virus:
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Update your Anti-Virus Software and scan the machine thoroughly.
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Use a secondary Anti-Virus check like Trend Micro’s FREE Online
Housecall.
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DO NOT install more than one Anti-Virus program on your machine. They
can conflict with each other and severely impact your systems
performance and stability.
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall
Clean Ups and Updates (cont.)
Windows Updates
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Windows Update is a web-based software update service for
downloading critical system updates, security fixes, patches, drivers
and service packs.
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In Most Cases, using Automatic Updates is recommended.
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Make Sure to install the latest Service Packs
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Install Critical Updates.
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Check other updates and for patches, etc for other products like
Microsoft Office
http://update.microsoft.com
Clean Ups and Updates (cont.)
Driver Updates
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Windows Update may provide new drivers for your hardware.
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If you have a PC produced by a major manufacturer (HP, Dell, etc) you can
often find updated drivers and patches on their website.
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The best source for the latest drivers is the website of the actual
manufacturer. You’ll need to know the exact device and model you are
upgrading, but these latest “cutting edge” patches can resolve many
issues.
http://www.creative.com
http://www.nvidia.com
http://www.ati.com (www.amd.com)
Etc.
Clean Ups and Updates (cont.)
Malware and Spyware
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Update your Anti-Spyware/Malware Software and scan the machine at
least twice. Make sure you get no results at least twice before considering
the machine clean.
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It is a good practice to use more than one kind of Anti-Spyware/Malware
product. They do not conflict the way Anti-Virus products do.
AdAware:
http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php
Windows Defender:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
SpySweeper:
http://www.webroot.com/En_US/consumer-products-spysweeper.html
Clean Ups and Updates (cont.)
Increase Free Disk Space
Unnecessary data files and programs waste space and reduce performance.
The most common ways of increasing free disk space are:
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Run the Disk Cleanup utility.
In XP, click start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup,
and select a drive to clean. Disk Cleanup will show a list of of files that can
be deleted. The More Options tab offers you several more cleanup choices.
The System Restore cleanup option, in particular, can clear lots of disk space
by erasing old restore points. In Vista, you can just type Disk Cleanup in the
search window and it will locate the application for you.
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Reduce the Recycle Bin size
The default Recycle Bin size is 10% of hard drive capacity, a waste of space
that should be reduced. To adjust the Maximum Recycle Bin Size, right-click
the Recycle Bin, click Properties, and set the Maximum size of Recycle Bin
(percent of drive). One or two percent is adequate on larger drives.
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You may also want to look at your System Restore and (on laptops)
Hibernation settings.
Clean Ups and Updates (cont.)
Remove Unwanted Software and Programs
Whether it’s the result of malware, forgetting to uncheck a box when
installing an application, trying out applications, or bundled packages, all
kinds of programs get installed on your system – and often there are
many that are unneeded or even unwanted.
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In XP, go to your Control Panel and select Add/Remove Programs. XP will
analyze your files and show a list of which ones can be removed. Check
the boxes next to the categories you want to discard.
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In Vista, go to the Control Panel and select Programs and Features.
BE CAREFUL – Only remove software you do not need or want.
IF YOU ARE NOT SURE - Look up the program online or ask someone for
help and advice.
Clean Ups and Updates (cont.)
Disk Defragmenation
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Run Defrag. Files are are divided into smaller units on the hard drive that
can become scattered through normal use. This file fragmentation can
increase the time required to read and write drive data.
Close all running applications, disable any screen saver and click start >
All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. Select
the drive to defragment and click Defragment.
You may need to run Defrag more than once to get optimal results. In
many cases, the best idea is to set Defrag to run as a scheduled task.
Microsoft describes how to automate the process here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;555098
Completing Clean Ups and Updates
At this point, your machine should be clean, updated and
already running better.
Consider making a backup or creating a restore point. Then you can begin
tuning and tweaking for greater performance.
Performance Tuning
Getting the most out of your system
This is one of the more complicated aspects of working on your computer
and it takes a lot of study and knowledge to excel at this. There are many
books and websites devoted to the subject matter and what is presented
here, is simply a basic introduction.
This is often the IT Pro’s favorite part of a System Tuning and all have their
own tips, tricks and preferred methods…
Performance Tuning (cont.)
Eliminate Unnecessary Startup Applications
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Unnecessary startup applications can reduce system
performance and stability. Common offenders include: Adobe
Gamma Loader, Fast Find, Office Startup, qttask (Quicktime),
System Agent, Real Player, and AOL.
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The number of icons in the Notification Area and the number of
processes in the status line of the Windows Task Manager
(Ctrl+Alt+Del) are good measures of the number of startup
applications. Typically you should have less than 8 icons and
process count less than 50 – but the bottom line is to
ONLY RUN WHAT YOU NEED.
Performance Tuning (cont.)
Ways to Disable Background Applications:
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Go to Start > All Programs > Startup, and delete unnecessary
application shortcuts.
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Watch and evaluate each application in the Notification Area.
Unnecessary applications should be removed or disabled. You may be
able to right click on the icon to disable “launch on startup” or “run in
System Tray”. Additionally, you may be able to prevent the application
from running at startup by reviewing it’s properties or options and
selecting the appropriate settings there.
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Check the information in the System Configuration Utility. To access it,
click Start > Run and type msconfig. Select the Startup tab and
uncheck unnecessary Startup Items.
Performance Tuning (cont.)
Eliminate Unnecessary Windows Services
Windows comes with a number of services enabled by default that
many consider superfluous. Unnecessary services can reduce
system performance, compromise security and consume
memory.
Microsoft’s Services Guide for XP (and Server 2003) is here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/techn
ologies/management/svrxpser_7.mspx
The Microsoft Whitepaper on Vista Services can be downloaded here:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/vista/Vista_Services.mspx
A good Guide for handling services in Microsoft Vista can be found here:
http://vistarewired.com/2007/02/18/services
Performance Tuning (cont.)
These service startup types are acceptable for most systems:
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Alerter - Disabled
Clipbook - Disabled
Computer Browser - Disabled if not networked
Distributed Link Tracking Client - Disabled
Error Reporting - Disabled
Fast User Switching - Manual / Disabled on single user system
IPSEC Services - Manual
Messenger - Disabled
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing - Disabled
Network DDE - Disabled
Network DDE DSDM - Disabledd
Portable Media Serial Number - Manual / Disabled if DRM music devices are not used
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager -Manual / Disabled if RDP is never used
Remote Registry - Disabled
Routing and Remote Access - Disabled
Secondary Logon - Manual
SSDP Discovery Service - Disabled
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper - Disabled if not networked
Telnet (xp pro) - Disabled
Terminal Services - Manual / Disabled on single user system
Uninterruptible Power Supply - Manual if no UPS
Upload Manager - Disabled
Wireless Zero Configuration - Disabled if a third-party wireless client manager is used
To change the startup type, open the Services console, start > Run… > Open: services.msc. If Started,
stop, then modify the Startup Type of these services by double clicking the service, and
selecting the desired Startup Type from the drop-down menu on the General tab.
Performance Tuning (cont.)
Consider Disabling the Indexing Service
The Indexing Service creates a catalog of the contents and properties of
documents on local and shared network drives. The service,
Cidaemon.exe, usually generates a susbstantial increase in CPU
utilization, disk read activity, and swap file use.
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To disable the service, open the Administrative Tools Control Panel
Applet, select Computer Management, expand the Services and
Applications list, right click Indexing Service, select All Tasks > Tune
Performance, and select Never Used to disable the service on all drives.
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Indexing can be disabled on individual drives by unchecking the Allow
Indexing Service to index this disk for fast drive searching checkbox on
the General tab of the drive properties window.
Performance Tuning (cont.)
Adjust Visual Effects settings
Windows provides several options to set visual effects including enabling all settings
(for best appearance), or none of the settings (for best computer performance).
The effects settings can be customized to improve performance while retaining
the more helpful effects.
In XP, to improve system performance, click start > Control Panel > System > Advanced
tab, click Settings in the Performance section, select the Visual Effects tab, click
Custom: and uncheck:
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Animate windows when minimizing or maximizing
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Fade or slide menus into view
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Fade or slide ToolTips into view
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Fade out menu items after clicking
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Show window contents while dragging
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Slide open combo boxes
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Slide taskbar buttons
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Smooth-scroll list boxes
In Vista, click Start > Control Panel > System then select Advanced System Settings
and then Performance.
Upgrades
Adding New and Improved Hardware
Sometimes simply cleaning and tuning your system still does not provide you
with the performance you want. You may actually need to improve the
hardware of the computer to run the applications you need or to have
the speed you desire.
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Upgrades can vary in complexity and cost, but are usually a less expensive
and less involved process than purchasing a new system (including
transferring all your data, configurations, settings, etc).
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What you can upgrade depends on the system you have. While some
computers from large manufacturers are “proprietary” almost all have
some upgrade path. Whitebox or generic systems are usually completely
upgradable.
Upgrades (cont.)
Things You May Be Able To Upgrade:
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RAM (Memory) – A very simple upgrade and by far the best “bang for the buck”. Applications and operating
systems constantly demand more and more memory. Adding RAM to your system can quickly, easily and
inexpensively make dramatic improvement to your system performance.
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Hard Drive – If you are running out of drive space and cannot clear enough room, this is a very good idea. Most
drives are not very expensive and adding a new one not only will provide a performance boost, but will also
make it less likely you’ll face a drive crash and potential loss of data. Remember – drives fail eventually. If yours
is old, make sure you have good backups. It is fairly easy to install a new drive. I prefer not to install new drives
as slaves (or secondary drives) – I would rather have the operating system and my critical data on the newer,
faster drive. A good idea is to install your old drive into an external USB case and use it for backups, etc.
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Video Card – Newer games and OSes (Vista!) are becoming incredibly demanding on the Video Card. In
particular, if your system comes with a video card installed on the motherboard, adding a new video card will
frequently offer a tremendous boost to video performance. This can be a slightly more involved upgrade (make
sure your system autodetects the new card, that you have uninstalled the old card and its drivers, etc) and the
expense can be from moderate to extremely expensive depending on the card you purchase.
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Sound Card – Many new games and audio applications add new features such as Dolby 7.1 Surround, etc.
Newer audio cards offer better performance and capabilities to enhance your experience. The upgrade is fairly
easy and cost is usually low to moderate.
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Motherboard/Processor – The biggest and most complicated upgrade…close to getting a new system. You
should only attempt this if you are certain your other components are worth retaining/upgrading, that your
system (and power supply) and it’s components (particularly RAM) can support the upgrade and that it is cost
effective. This can provide a bigger boost to performance than anything else, but should not be attempted
without the appropriate knowledge and skill. Costs vary.
Additional or improved hardware such as a newer modem, faster network card, additional or faster optical
(CD/DVD) drive, etc can also to many systems.
Reinstalls
When All Else Fails…
If cleaning, tuning and upgrading your system do not provide you
with adequate performance, you have one last resort before
deciding to purchase a newer and more powerful computer.
Reinstalling the system sets the OS (and perhaps any bundled
applications) back to the factory settings. There are many methods
of doing this which all have different effects and impacts.
You should only make a backup before doing a reinstall IF YOU EVER
WANT TO SEE YOUR DATA AGAIN.
Think you have a good backup? Test it to be sure – IF YOU EVER WANT
TO SEE YOUR DATA AGAIN.
While in some circumstances this can be time consuming or tricky, it
is a good practice.
I tend to do a complete reinstall about once a year.
Reinstalls
Types of Reinstalls
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A Restore Point - a saved "snapshot" of a computer's data at a specific time. Restore
points are a component of the Windows System Restore utility. By creating a
restore point, you can save the state of the operating system and your own data so
that if future changes cause a problem, you can restore the system and your data
to the way it was before the changes were made. It's a good idea to create a
restore point before you make any changes to your computer that could
potentially cause problems or make the system unstable. When you run the System
Restore utility, it displays a calendar that lists the restore points created (every day
that your computer is used will have at least one restore point and some may have
several, depending on usage).
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To create or choose a restore point in Windows XP, select Start > Programs >
Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. From the System Restore window you
can select Restore my computer to an earlier time or Create a restore point. If you
choose the first option, you will be able to select a restore point that is already
stored in your computer. If you choose the second option, you will be asked to give
the restore point a descriptive name to help you identify it, and the utility will back
up all the data and save it with the restore point's name, and the time it was
created. Then, if need be, you can select this restore point in the future by
following the same route, and choosing the option to restore your computer to an
earlier time.
Reinstalls (cont.)
Types of Reinstalls
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Restore Disk or Partition – Provided by the manufacturer and shipped with the
system. Can completely reformat and restore or do a limited restore. May or may
not remove data – check your Documentation. This is a fast and (usually) very
simple method.
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Ghost/Mirror Image – Created with 3rd party software. Resets the machine to the
exact condition it was in at the time the image was created. All other data is lost.
This method is frequently used on corporate PC systems – particularly when there
are many of the same type of computer in the organization. Fast and powerful –
but requires software and the time and knowledge to create the image.
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Clean Install – The hardest, most time consuming and involved method – gather
required OS media, application CDs or disks, any downloaded software, notes and
settings and format then completely reinstall the system from scratch. Why would
you do this? To set it up EXACTLY how you want it and create an
image/backup/restore point so that you can get back to this “baseline” any time in
future. I do this whenever I buy a new computer.
Utilities
Sysinternals
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/default.aspx
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Sysinternals Process Explorer lets you find out what files, registry keys and other
objects processes have open, which DLLs they have loaded, and more. This
uniquely powerful utility will even show you who owns each process.
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Sysinternals Process Monitor allows you to monitor file system, Registry, process,
thread and DLL activity in real-time.
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Sysinternals Page Defrag can be used to defragment several additional system files
that are not processed by Disk Defragmenter (particularly the Page File). This can
significantly improve performance.
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Sysinternals Autoruns utility lets you see what programs are configured to startup
automatically when your system boots and you login. Autoruns also shows you the
full list of Registry and file locations where applications can configure auto-start
settings.
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SYSINTERNALS HAS MANY MORE GREAT UTILITIES FOR POWER USERS!!!
Utilities
CCleaner
http://www.ccleaner.com/
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CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool that is quick,
powerful and easy to use. It removes unused files from your system allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space.
It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history.
But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run)
and contains NO Spyware or Adware.
Questions?
Thank You!