Computer Maintenance Guide
People spend hundreds and thousands of dollars upgrading their computers with the latest hardware to increase their PC's performance. However that blazing fast gaming PC will start to slow from every day use if it is not maintained. The purpose and goal of this guide is to help people keep their systems at their best possible performance. This guide will cover the removal of various security threats (including viruses and spyware), freeing up space on the hard drive, optimizing your windows registry, defragmenting, and removing unwanted programs and startup items.
Note: This guide is written for Windows XP Home Edition users. However, methods used below may still apply to other operating systems.
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Index:
1. Microsoft Updates
2. Viruses and Security
3. Uninstalling Unwanted Programs
4. Removing Startup Items
5. Removing Spyware
6. Hard Drive Cleanup
7. Cleaning The Registry
8. Defragmenting
9. Configuring Windows Services
10. Optimizing the Page File
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1. Microsoft Updates
If you do not already automatically install automatic updates then you need to do this. Keeping your Windows version up to date is critical for security.
Go to Start>Control Panel>Automatic Updates
You should see the following screen:
Select the "Automatic" option. An icon will now pop up on the taskbar when there are new updates ready to be installed.
To manually install updates go to Microsoft's Website. To access the windows updates page you must have Internet Explorer 5 or later. To update your internet explorer look here.
2. Viruses and Security
For security measures, it's a good idea to have some kind of firewall to prevent unauthorized users from acessing your network. Windows XP comes with a firewall (in service pack 2) but there are third party alternatives if you prefer (listed further down). To turn on your windows firewall:
Go to Start>Control Panel>Windows Firewall
Turn it on, then go to the "exceptions" tab and check the services you need and uncheck the ones you wish to block.
Just like the biological virus, a computer virus is a program that will insert itself into an executable file and creating copies of itself. This self-replication can often overload and waste system resources. Depending on what type of virus it is it could do a variety of things. For some viruses there will be immediate effects, deleted files, taking control of your system, overhelming your computer's resources, and whatever else the author has programmed it to do. Certain viruses may wait until it infects a certain number of systems, a certain date, or until the computer user takes a certain action. These are known as "bombs."
Now for viruses there are many options in how you want to protect your system against them. The best thing to do is to be careful what you download and where you download from and be careful opening attachments in emails as well. These are two common ways viruses find themselves onto your system but they are not surefire ways of preventing a virus.
To better protect against viruses you'll need an anti-virus program. These programs usually have a virus scanner as well as a real-time scanner (which is running all the time) to detect viruses as they get on to your computer.
Here are some Anti-Virus Programs that I would recommend:3rd Party Firewalls:I use Nvidia Firewall which I would highly recommend. Unfortunately this is a hardware firewall (meaning you cannot download it, it comes integrated into the motherboard). If your motherboard has nvidia firewall capabilities then you should be able to install it from the motherboard CD.
- AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic
I highly recommend AntiVir. I use it, works flawlessly, and has frequent updates, and AVGuard (a real-time scanner).- avast! 4 Home Edition
- AVG 7.1
3. Uninstalling Unwanted Programs
Go to Start>Control Panel>Add or Remove Programs
This screen shows programs installed on your computer. From here you can uninstall unused or unwanted programs easily.
4. Removing Startup Items
Startup Items start everytime you start up your computer. Often many programs will be on this list, greatly slowing down your startup time. Here is how you prevent this.
Go to Start>Run>msconfig
Hit "Ok." A window should popup, select the "Startup" tab.
In the above screen, I have all the programs in my machine checked to run on startup. To uncheck all programs (so that no programs will run when your computer is started up) click "Disable All." Conversly, "Enable All" checks all startup items. You can customize your startup item list by checking or unchecking the boxes.
NOTE: Newly installed programs may add themselves to the startup list automatically so be prepared to have to have to modify the startup list after you install new software.
5. Removing Spyware
Spyware is a malicious software that takes partial control over your system without your consent. This can be a software that gives out information to a third party without your consent, causes pop-up ads, installs other third party programs onto your computer, rewrite search engine results, and also simply slow down your computer. This is not only annoying, it also is a security threat. Fortunately there alot of great programs to combat this that you can download for free. Here are some I would recommend:
- Spybot- Search & Destroy
- Spybot WebsiteApplication to scan for spyware, adware, hijackers and other malicious software.
Comments: Removes a broad variety of malicious software from tracking cookies to trojan horses.- Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition
- Lavasoft WebsiteWith the ability to scan your RAM, registry, hard drives, and external storage devices for known data-mining, advertising, and tracking components, Ad-aware SE easily can clean your system, allowing you to maintain a higher degree of privacy while you surf the Web.
Comments: Very fast scan, good at picking up tracking and advertisement software.- Windows Defender (Beta 2)
- Microsoft WebsiteWindows Defender (Beta 2) is a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, and a new streamlined interface that minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive.- HijackThis
- Merijn WebsiteHijackThis lists the contents of key areas of the Registry and hard drive--areas that are used by both legitimate programmers and hijackers. The program is continually updated to detect and remove new hijacks. It does not target specific programs and URLs, only the methods used by hijackers to force you onto their sites. As a result, false positives are imminent, and unless you're sure about what you're doing, you always should consult with knowledgable folks before deleting anything.
Comments: Not for a novice user. Keep in mind it may target things that are not hijackers, it merely targets possible threats as the above quote outlines. HijackThis will store backup files so you have the option of restoring them incase you deleted something you needed. To sum up: this is a very useful program for getting rid of security threats but don't use it blindly, not knowing what you are deleting.- CWShredder
- Trend Micro WebsiteTrend Micro CWShredder is the premier tool to find and remove traces of CoolWebSearch – the name for a wide range of insidious browser hijackers– from your PC.
CWShredder removes these browser hijackers. CoolWebSearch installs dozens of bookmarks–mostly to crayons Web sites–on your desktop, changes your home page without asking, and continually changes it back if you attempt to correct it. Furthermore, it significantly slows down the performance of your PC, and introduces modifications which cause Microsoft Windows™ to freeze, crash or randomly reboot.
Comments: Removes forms of CoolWebSearch (CWS).
As you surf the internet your computer will be picking up various spyware so you'll need to run scanners time to time. My two favourites are spybot and ad-aware which should be sufficient for most people.
6. Hard Drive Cleanup
Removing unused files on your system will not only free up disk space but can make your computer run faster as well.
Go to Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup
At the top of the window, it will tell you how much space you can free up by running disk cleanup. Take a look at all the actions disk cleanup is going to take and ones you don't wish to perform, then run the scan.
After the scan completes, we'll enlist the help of a (free) program to help further cleanup our hard drive.
CCleaner
- CCleaner WebsiteCCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. 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 that a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware!
Comments: Boasts a fast customizable cleanup scan for the hard drive and registry. CCleaner removes a massive amount of unused files you otherwise wouldn't know existed. Also has the capablility to edit Startup Items and uninstall programs.
The "Cleaner" tab should be highlighted on the left toolbar. You can tweak what areas you want to clean by checking and unchecking the boxes in the "Windows" and "Applications" tabs under "Cleaner Settings." After you're done hit "Run Cleaner." Depending on what kind of shape your computer is in, this should free up some substantial hardrive space on your first scan.
7. Cleaning The Registry
The registry is essentially a large database that your Windows machine is constantly accessing. All software you install registers to the registry. The same goes with file types (.jpg, .gif, .rar, .zip, .txt, etc...). Regular use of your computer and particularly installing and uninstalling programs can leave alot of useless junk in the registry. Your computer has to look through this junk when it scans through the registry, slowing it down. In this section, we're going to be using some registry scanners to clean out this junk and speed up your computer. Note that if you delete a vital part of the registry (or a part used by a program on your computer) then undesired results may occur. Always create a backup of the registry before editing it.
To access windows registry editor go to:
Start>Run...>regedit
Hit enter. You can edit the registry manually here, however, there isn't much room for experimentation so don't touch it unless you know what you're doing.
To make a backup of the registry with registry editor click on "File" on the menu bar at the top of the regedit window. Then go to "export."
Choose the filename and the location of your registry backup, then hit "save." This backup will allow us to restore the registry just in case. The registry is very delicate and it's always a good idea to have a backup when you're editing it.
To restore this backup double click on the file.
You should see something like the above window. To restore the backup, click yes. However, you'll only need to do this if a part of the registry is deleted that you needed. Now let's get on to cleaning out all the excess junk in your registry.
Note that to restore the backup registry, the file must be opened with windows registry editor. If you have it being opened by another program then either open it within windows registry editor or set the default program to open the file with to windows registry editor. To do this, right click on the file, select "open with," then "choose program." Now select "browse." You now need to open the windows registry editor .exe file with the browser. This should be located here:
C:\WINDOWS\regedit.exe
A nice registry scan tool is included in CCleaner, time to whip it out:
Now it's time to clean the registry. CCleaner will ask you if you want to save a backup of the registry when you scan. This is the same as creating a backup with Windows registry editor and can be restored the same way. Once the scan is done fix all selected issues. Now it's time to download another freeware program:
RegCleaner
You'll notice there are seven tabs at the top. I'll brief you on how to use each tab (except the Shell Extensions tab).
Software
This tab allows you to remove the entries for programs registered to the registry. Note that this does not uninstall the program. This feature is for deleting entries to software that was already uninstalled but is still in the registry.
Startup List
Here you can view and remove startup entries. This tab is similar to msconfig. Delete the entry and that item will no longer load at startup. If you have edited the startup items in msconfig and have not restarted yet, you will notice an "MsConfig" entry.
Uninstall Menu
This tab is comparable to the "Add/Remove Programs" feature in the control panel. You can uninstall programs or remove uninstall entries here.
File Types
Listed here are all the different kinds of files registered to the registry. If you had a program that introduced a new file type (EX: WinRAR introduces the .rar filetype to the registry) and unistalled it then it may have left behind a file type entry in the registry. Unused file types such as these bear the description "N/A" and can be deleted.
New File
The "New File" tab controls which file types can be created by right clicking (shown above). Unfortunately you can only remove file types and some are not listed.
Backups
Everything you delete in RegCleaner is backed up under this section. You can restore, delete, or combine backup entries here.
Now it's time to use a registry scanner. My personal favourite is RegSeeker but there are other registry scanners available such as:
Just like any time you edit the registry, remember to backup before you scan. Scanners will find invalid entries in the registry and allow you to delete them, allowing your computer to be faster and more efficient. Scan periodically as junk will accumulate in the registry from regular use, especially installing and uninstalling programs.
8. Defragmenting
- webopediaFragmentation: Refers to the condition of a disk in which files are divided into pieces scattered around the disk. Fragmentation occurs naturally when you use a disk frequently, creating, deleting, and modifying files. At some point, the operating system needs to store parts of a file in noncontiguous clusters. This is entirely invisible to users, but it can slow down the speed at which data is accessed because the disk drive must search through different parts of the disk to put together a single file.
In DOS 6.0 and later systems, you can defragment a disk with the DEFRAG command. You can also buy software utilities, called disk optimizers or defragmenters, that defragment a disk.
- The Free DictionaryDefragment: To reorganize the disk by putting files into contiguous order. Because the operating system stores new data in whatever free space is available, data files become spread out across the disk as they are updated. Large files may be broken into thousands of fragments, causing the read/write head to move back and forth numerous extra times to read the data. A "defragger" or "optimizer program" rewrites all the files and stores them in adjacent sectors.
To sum up the above quotes, when you install and uninstall programs, delete files, download files, or do just about anything on a computer, you fragment the files on your hard drive. This spreads them out to different parts of the disk, making your hard drive go search for them, slowing things down for you. Defragmenting your hard drive periodically will help speed up your system. Windows XP comes with a simple tool to do this:
Go to Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter
Clicking "analyze" will tell you whether Windows thinks you need to Defrag or not. If you actively use your computer and have not defragmented your Hard Disk in a while, chances are you need to. Defragmentation should take a while depending on your machine.
Third Party Defragmentation Programs:
Another option is to get a 3rd party defragmentation system such as DIRMS and Buzzsaw. These programs can offer more complete defragmentation then you would get with the standard windows defrag tool.
- Dirms & Buzzsaw WebsiteDIRMS was the first program that I wrote. It is a command line utility that will defragment using multiple passes your hard drive. It can decrease fragmentation in large files by using a partial defragmentation algorithm and will also compact files to rid your system of the dreaded interstice problem. These are options that must be specified, as they take a long time to complete, the normal operation is similar to Diskeeper, but has some differences, like moving files not just from the bottom of the drive to the top, but actually finding the largest free space that is achievable and moving files to both the front and end of the drive to get the biggest possible free space in which to defragment. You can find help on the DIRMS program here Dirms Help Information.
- Dirms & Buzzsaw WebsiteBuzzsaw was my second invention. I had this on-the-fly version before any defragmentation program on the market made it available. They require registration and cash, but mine is totally free and registration is not even required. This program runs at idle priority so you can continue working without Buzzsaw using your valuable CPU time. It watches the drive for modified files and waits approximately 60 seconds before defragmentation begins. It waits, because you may be downloading a file, etc. and there is no need to defragment the file if it is going to be modified again shortly. If you are a developer, you may be compiling files, or saving files frequently which is another reason for delayed defragmentation. Version 2.0 decreases I/O issues by only defragmenting when the disk is greater than 95% idle. Nobody else comes close to matching what these programs do. You can find help on the Buzzsaw program here Buzzsaw Help Information. It runs minimized on the task bar, so don't be alarmed if no window is shown on the screen. You can maximize it by right clicking on the fly lure in the task bar.
The basic difference is that Buzzsaw is a program that runs in the background, degragmenting files as they are fragmented. Dirms is a scanner (just like the Windows Defrag tool).
9. Configuring Windows Services
What are "services" you ask? Here's the definition given in the help console:
Go to:A service is an application type that runs in the background... Service applications typically provide features such as client/server applications, Web servers, database servers, and other server-based applications to users, both locally and across the network.
You can use Services to:
Start, stop, pause, resume, or disable a services on remote and local computers. You must have the appropriate permissions to start, stop, pause, restart, and disable services.
Start>Run>services.msc (press "ok")
You should see something like the above screen. Notice that a description of the selected service is provided on the left. Right click on a service and select the "properties" tab. Something similar to the image below should be displayed.
Services have three different settings: automatic, manual, and disabled. Automatic means the service will start automatically when the computer starts up. A service set as manual must be started manually (duh). Disabled services cannot be started. In this properties tab you can also start, pause, stop, or resume a service. Some useless services are easy to spot, if you see an Ipod service and you don't have or intend to purchase an Ipod, then you can disable that service. Be careful which services you disable since some programs may rely on them.
Here is a great guide to your windows services:
Windows XP Services Guide
The index is at the bottom, here you can select which services you want information about. Depending on your computer you should be able to find quite a few useless services that are running on your machine.
10. Optimizing the Page File
What is a page file?
Your computer has two types of memory: physical memory (RAM) and virtual memory (the page file). Also called a "swap file," the page file is located on the Hard Drive and acts like RAM. The idea is that when all of your RAM is being used, the computer starts to use the page file to relieve it. However, if your system starts using the page file like this you are going to take a serious performance hit because the speed of the Hard Drive is many times slower then that of the RAM.
- MicrosoftRAM is a limited resource, whereas virtual memory is, for most practical purposes, unlimited. There can be a large number of processes each with its own 2 GB of private virtual address space. When the memory in use by all the existing processes exceeds the amount of RAM available, the operating system will move pages (4 KB pieces) of one or more virtual address spaces to the computer’s hard disk, thus freeing that RAM frame for other uses.
Another good reason for the existance of the page file is the fact that programs usually call for alot more virual memory then they will ever use. If the page file is not there to bear the unused virual memory then this will have to be loaded onto your system's RAM. This will overload the RAM with unused memory tasks and prevent it from using its high speed towards the program you are running. Obviously, this is going to decrease your system's performance.
Setting the Size of the Page File
Right click on "My Computer" and go to "properties." Now select the "Advanced" tab and proceed to click on the (first) "settings" button under "performance." The "Performance Options" window should pop up. Select the "Advanced" tab. At the bottom, select the "Change" button (right under "Virtual memory").
Obviously, to set a new initial and maximum size of the page file simply enter it in the appropriate boxes and click the "set" button. You will have to reboot your computer before the changes will take effect.
Note that Resizing the page file wastes system resources so we want the initial and maximum size of the page file to be the same for best performance.
Now the question is: "How much space should I allocate to the page file?"
- MicrosoftA frequently asked question is how big should I make the pagefile? There is no single answer to this question, because it depends on the amount of installed RAM and how much virtual memory that workload requires. If there is no other information available, the normal recommendation of 1.5 times the amount of RAM in the computer is a good place to start. On server systems, a common objective is to have enough RAM so that there is never a shortage and the pagefile is essentially, not used. On these systems, having a really large pagefile may serve no useful purpose. On the other hand, disk space is usually plentiful, so having a large pagefile (e.g. 1.5 times the installed RAM) does not cause a problem and eliminates the need to fuss over how large to make it.
Ideally we want your page file to be more then large enough to handle your system's demands. On the other hand, allocating too much space to the page file is simply a waste of hard drive space.
Note that:
- As a general rule, your page file should be atleast 1.5 times as large as the amount of RAM you have on your system.
- Usage of the fast user switching feature of XP may create a need for a larger page file since there has to be space for the non-active user's programs and work in the virtual memory.
- Putting the page file on a seperate dedicated hard drive may offer performance gains.
To see how much RAM your system has go to Start>Control Panel>System
I have outlined the amount of system RAM in red in the screenshot above.
From personal experience, 1.5 times the amount of RAM you have should be more then enough. So, for example, if you have a gigabyte (1024 mb) of RAM your page file max and minimum should be 1536 mb.
Defragmenting the Page File
-PageDefrag HomeOne of the limitations of the Windows NT/2000 defragmentation interface is that it is not possible to defragment files that are open for exclusive access. Thus, standard defragmentation programs can neither show you how fragmented your paging files or Registry hives are, nor defragment them. Paging and Registry file fragmentation can be one of the leading causes of performance degradation related to file fragmentation in a system.
As the above quote says, the page file cannot be defragmented by the standard defragmentation. PageDefrag is a useful little program that will let you defragment your page file. This may grant you some performance gains.
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Updates
-Added Virus Section. (Dec 8 2005)
-Added 3rd party firewall. (Dec 15 2005)
-Removed MS Antispyware (discontinued), added MS Defender. (Feb 25 2006)
-Added 3rd party Defragmentation section. (Mar 1 2006)
-Added "Cleaning the Registry" section and updated and revised most other sections. (Mar 10 2006)
-Beafed up the "Cleaning the Registry" section (Mar 11 2006)
-Index and small intro added, minor edits to "Cleaning the Registry section (Mar 12 2006)
-Added "Disabling Useless Services" section. (Mar 13 2006)
-Added "Optimizing the Page File" section (Mar 19 2006)
Originally Posted by Rush Limbaugh
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