1. Remove spyware, and help protect your computer from viruses
Spyware is a type of malware that collects personal information from your PC without your knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user and can be difficult to detect. It can harm your privacy and also can slow down your computer’s performance. There are some easy methods to detect and remove such a spywares-discussed briefly in my last article.
In addition to spywares, there are some other kinds of viruses that can hamper computer’s performance. So this is a good step to delete these viruses by using some kind of Antivirus software like Avast or Microsoft Security Essential. You can easily download these softwares for free.
2. Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup helps you to free the space on your hard disk to improve the performance of your computer. This tool identifies files that you can safely delete and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.
Use Disk Cleanup to:
• Remove temporary Internet files.• Delete downloaded program files, such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets.
• Empty the Recycle Bin.
• Remove Windows temporary files, such as error reports.
• Delete optional Windows components that you don't use.
• Delete installed programs that you no longer use.
• Remove unused restore points and shadow copies from System Restore.
Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.
How to Use:
1. Click Start, then All Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.
2. When Disk Cleanup has calculated how much space you can free up, in the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list.
3. Disk Defragmentation
Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk as a file is opened. In this way the response time can be extensively longer and exasperating.Disk Defragmenter is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end to end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up. So you can access your files quickly.
When to run Disk Defragmenter:
In addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals (weekly is optimal), there are other times you should run it, too, such as when:• You add a large number of files.
• Your free disk space totals 15 percent or less.
• You install new programs or a new version of the Windows operating system.
How to Use:
2. In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment, and then click the Analyze disk button. After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.
Tip: You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.
3. To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment disk button. In the Current status area, under the Progress column, you can monitor the process as it happens. After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.
4. To display detailed information about the defragmented disk or partition, click View Report.
5. To close the View Report dialog box, click Close.
6. You can also schedule the Disk Defragmenter to run automatically. Under Schedule, it reads Scheduled defragmentation is turned on and then displays the time of day and frequency of defragmentation. If you want to turn off automatic defragmentation or to change the time or frequency, click Configure schedule. Change the settings, and then click OK.
4. Check for Disk Errors
In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing difficult or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.
Tip: You should run Error Check utility once a week to help prevent data loss.
How to Run:
1. Close all open files of the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors.2. Click Start, and then click Computer.
3. In the Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.
4. In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.
5. Click the Check Now button.
6. In the Check Disk dialog box (called Error-checking in Windows 7), select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.
7. If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.
Tip: Only mark the "Automatically fix file system errors" check box if your disk contains bad sectors.
5. Uninstall or Permanently Delete unnecessary programs manually
You can also uninstall unnecessary programs from your PC manually. It can also be a very effective way to make your PC faster. You will be able to free the disk space for working purpose instead of those useless programs.How to uninstall or delete a program:
1. In order to permanently delete a program simply select that program and press Shift+Delete key combination. A new dialog box will open in this way click Yes to make sure that the specific program is permanently removed from your PC.2. To uninstall a program, click Start and then go to Control Panel. Then click on Uninstall a program. Now select the program you want to uninstall and click uninstall.
6. Ready boost
If you're using Windows 7 or Windows Vista, you can use ReadyBoost to speed up your system. A new concept in adding memory to a system, it allows you to use non-volatile flash memory—like a USB flash drive or a memory card—to improve performance without having to add additional memory.7. System Restore Point
System Restore Point is a useful method to maintain your PC health and optimization. System Restore is a type of program that can be a life-saver when you've been the unfortunate recipient of unstable software, a badly timed power outage, or a damaging thunderstorm. It records important documents, settings, and preferences on your computer. If your PC files are damaged or inaccessible accidently, you can use System Restore to restore your computer to the same state it was in before the data was lost.How it Works:
System Restore creates restore points daily and whenever you install device drivers, automatic updates, and some applications. But it's a good idea to get into the habit of creating a system checkpoint or a restore point when you're about to install new software or take any action you suspect might make your computer unstable. Then, if there's any conflict at all, you can restore your computer to the point just before you began the installation.How to create System Restore Point on your PC:
1. In Control Panel, click System and Security.
2. Now click on System.
3. In the left pane, click System protection.
4. Click the System Protection tab, and then click Create.
5. In the System Protection dialog box, type a description, and then click Create.
8. Organize your Folders
The one mistake that most of us do, while working on their PC is disordering of files. When we are in hurry we dump files into the wrong folder. But one way to make sure you keep your files organized is to remove the mess with a filing system that makes sense for the way you use your computer.How to Organize Folders:
• Removing unnecessary files from folders• Making New Folders by specific type
• Using Subfolders
• Removing your files periodically from the folders
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