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Slow Computer?
By Joy Stapleton Printable version

When you use Windows for long periods of time and open and close several programs, the memory that each program was using isn't always completely released. This is called a memory leak, where a small chunk of memory (RAM) becomes unavailable for the system to use.

As you continue to open and close programs, more and more chunks of memory will be left behind, and this is one of the reasons your system slows down. You can resolve this problem by restarting Windows so that all of the memory is released and you have a clean start.

Additionally, each running application uses some of the CPU time, so the more programs you have running simultaneously, the slower the system response time will be. Try minimizing the number of applications that you're running so that the system won't be so sluggish. If you frequently run a number of programs simultaneously you might also want to consider upgrading the PC's memory. Adding more RAM will increase the speed of your computer.

You can also disable some of the programs that are automatically loaded at startup, and manually load them yourself when you want to use them. To prevent these programs from loading when Windows starts you can use the System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe). Most of these programs are associated with the icons that you see in the system tray, which is located in the Windows Taskbar, and usually on the bottom-right side of the screen.

Windows XP users should click on the Start button, select Run (on the bottom-right side of the window), type in msconfig, and then click the OK button.

Windows 7 and Vista users should click on the Start button and type msconfig in the Search box. Then double-click on msconfig when it shows up in the search results.

When the System Configuration Utility window opens click on the Startup tab, and on the left side of the window you'll see a list of checkboxes. Now what you need to do is clear the checkboxes that are associated with the programs that you want to disable from startup, but first expand the Command column so that you can see the full path name showing the location of the application on your hard drive.

Most of the applications should be easy to recognize by name, but if you don't know what an application is being used for then it's best to leave well enough alone, particularly if the path name in the Command column is listing a Windows folder, such as C:\Windows\system32\. Otherwise it's generally safe to disable a Startup Item, and you can go back and enable any item that you've accidentally disabled.

When you've finished with your selections click the Apply button, and then click on the Close or OK button. You will then be prompted to either restart the system, or exit without restarting. You can choose either option, but be aware that the changes you've made won't take effect until you restart the system.

On Windows XP, the next time you start the system, if the System Configuration window pops up just click on the checkbox where it says, "Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration…" and then click the OK button.

On Windows Vista, the next time you start the system you'll see a balloon pop up to inform you that Windows has blocked some startup programs. Click on the icon that it's pointing to, select Run blocked program, select System Configuration Utility, and click on the checkbox where it says, "Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration…" and click the OK button.

Disk Cleanup is another utility that can help speed up your system by reducing the number of unnecessary files that are on your hard drive. Click on the Start button, select All Programs, select Accessories, select System Tools, and click on Disk Cleanup.

Disk Cleanup will remove Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, Recycle Bin files, and other Temporary files. If you have more than one hard drive you'll be prompted to select the drive that you want to clean up, and then the utility will start calculating the amount of space you can free up on that drive.

This process can take several minutes depending on the size of the drive. When the space calculation has completed Disk Cleanup will then display a scrollable list where you can select items for deletion by clicking on their associated checkboxes.

You can also view the files before they're deleted by highlighting an item and clicking the View Files button. Deselect the checkbox of any items that you wish to keep. When you're done with your selections click the OK button, and then click the Yes button when prompted.

The Disk Defragmenter is a much more lengthy process, but it can also significantly increase the speed of your system. Fragmentation occurs because of the constant addition, deletion, and modification of files, as well from installing and uninstalling software applications.

For best results, before running this utility you should always do a Disk Cleanup first, and then restart the system. And also make sure that there aren't any programs running in the background, such as an anti-virus program.

Although Microsoft claims that you can continue using other programs during the defragmentation, it's really a better idea to run the defragmenter when you won't be using your computer. Otherwise any program or file that's in use during this process will remain fragmented for the simple fact that it's programmatically impossible to move files around while they're in use.

Defragging is a time consuming process that could easily take a few hours, but this also depends upon the size of your hard drive. To run the Disk Defragmenter click on the Start button, select All Programs, select Accessories, select System Tools, and click on Disk Defragmenter.

Windows XP: Select the C drive, and click the OK button to start the Disk Defragmenter.

Windows 7 and Vista: By default Microsoft schedules the Disk Defragmenter to run on these systems at 1 a.m. every Wednesday. However, if your computer isn't turned on at the scheduled time the defragmentation will never happen.

In Windows Vista click on the Defragment now button to start the process manually.

In Windows 7 select the C drive, and click on the Defragment disk button to start the process manually.

On all Windows systems you can minimize the Disk Defragmenter window while it's running, but don't close it until the process has completed.

Joy Stapleton started out as a mainframe Programmer/Analyst in 1985. In 1992 she became a PC software developer and PC technician. As a private consultant, Joy provides PC technical services and develops Web sites. Joy is also the Webmaster for the Seniors Sunset Times.