recommendations - desktop PC 'tune up'

[ronnie69]

PC is slowing down and only really gets used for surfing t net and documents / a few photies. Suspect too many sub folders in outlook express isn't helping but I am trimming them down. he PC is only about 2 or 3 years old and I clear the browsing history etc now and then to stop it getting totally clogged.

I have bullguard paid for firewall/virus checker and blocker/email filtery wotsname etc, so don't believe I have any virus issues.

Any recommedations for a (preferably free) diagnostic / speed up tool that won't simply tell me I've a gazillion problems putting my PC seconds from disastrous failure and strangely offering a link to an expensive programme which may then clash with the software I'm already running ?

The simpler, the better

 

[Fanum]

Buy a cheap external USB hard drive.
Copy all your porn on to it and do a backup of all files.

Reload windows.

Job done.

 

[Tomcat]

Buy a cheap external USB hard drive.
Copy all your porn on to it and do a backup of all files.

Reload windows.

Job done.

If this sounds like too much work, try CCleaner as a first attempt (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner). Let it clear out all the internet explorer temp files, cookies, Windows temp files etc. Use it to check which programs load at startup and disable any that have snuck in uninvited. Then let it clean the registry of useless entries. Reboot and the machine should be a lot faster

You might also try Chrome for browsing - I've noticed that IE8 has become slower with some of the recent security patches, particularly when loading some US-based sites that have a load of tracking and ad placements.

 

[cookie]

Buy a cheap external USB hard drive.
Copy all your porn on to it and do a backup of all files.

Reload windows.

Job done.

a plan that perhaps can only be bettered by downloading new, better porn

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

+1 for C Cleaner. It's a very good piece of software

 

[ronnie69]

thanks for replies

I've got an external hard drive which just whirrs away in the background all the time. Ain't really touched it since I set it up months ago. Supposedly backs up every few minutes, but I'd best check what it's backing up before doing anything too drastic. Best also search out an idiot's guide to reinstalling windows

Will deffo try cccleaner later today.

What is this 'porn' of which you speak ?

 

[Fanum]

Be a little careful with cleaner type progs.

Yes, they can work, but they can often work TOO well......

Back up your browser favourites into a file and email it to yourself (or stick it on the usb drive) and back up your contacts lists, cookies file etc etc.

Yes, Reformatting and re-installing windows would delete all of that as well, but often, people blunder into using a cleaner prog, tick all the boxes then sit looking confused when they have lost all of their cookies and suddenly realise that they can't remember the logins to various sites


Also do a de-frag of your hard drives, that can make a fair difference if it's never been done, and check what programmes you have starting automatically....MS filing and various other little gadgets that are all supposed to make things run faster all add a fraction of a second to startup and performance, and all will steal a little bit of RAM in operation.



I have multiple drives, and still end up re-installing windows every year or so......I tend to put the OS itself on the fastest drive and then try and keep that as clean as possible, then I have my most often used apps (office, photoshop etc) on a second internal fast drive, with most of the rest of my photos and big games etc on an external drive (the exception being the 'big' game that I'm currently playing, which works better on an internal faster drive)

I also have a drive dedicated to installation discs and setup......from there, I can reinstall everything including windows in about an hour flat and be back to where I am now (but a lot faster with a fresh install)

A fresh install of windows also lets you re-format a disc completely, which is better (I can't back this statement up though) than a defrag.


Whichever way you go, spend some time thinking about it first, and regardless of route, BACK UP all your important stuff