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Three Things You Can Do to Keep Your Computer Running at Maximum Performance
Although there are many things that can affect the performance of your computer, there are a few simply things you can do each month to help keep your computer running at maximum performance. This article will focus on two problems that impact the performance of your computer and will then explain what you can do about it. Problem #1: Computer Hard Disk Files Over time, this reading and writing of files can affect the way your computer performs. The files eventually become scattered in multiple locations on your hard disk rather than in the same location. Your computer will still find the information. However, the more scattered the information becomes on your hard drive, the more accesses your computer has to make to find (and gather) the information. This requires your hard disk to work harder and do more reading/writing than is necessary. It will slow down your computer by as much as 200% and causes increased wear and tear on your hard drive. Problem #2: Spyware Free computer programs (often referred to as Freeware) are a big hit on the Internet. Every day thousands of users download these "free programs". Although there are some great freeware programs, these programs often have advertisements or tracking code associated with their use. The term "Spyware" refers to programs that gather information about your computer and (Internet) surfing habits without your knowledge. This information is then sold to a third party company as a means of generating revenue. The problem with Spyware is that it also impacts the performance of your computer. It can make your computer very sluggish and unresponsive. Three Steps to Improved Computer Performance Step #1: Delete Spyware Note #1: Always be sure to use the "Check for updates now" option to keep your program current. Note #2: You need to be aware that when you delete spyware files, some of those "free" programs you downloaded may not continue to work correctly. If you have a program you've downloaded and want to continue to use, check very carefully what you select to delete from the "Scanning results" once the scan has been completed. Step #2: Clean up your Hard Disk Select the drive you want to clean from the pull-down menu and select OK. Usually, this is Drive C. If you have more than one hard drive, select one at a time. This program will then scan your computer for files that could be erased from your computer. You can safely erase all temporary and Recycle Bin files. You can also check the box of any other files you want the program to erase. Step #3: Defrag your Hard Disk To defrag your hard disk on your windows PC, select the start option in the lower left hand corner of your computer screen. Then, select the program option. Under the program option, select "Accessories". Under the "Accessories" option, select "System Tools". From the System Tools option, select "Disk Defragmenter". First, select the hard drive from your computer. Usually, this is Drive C. However, many computers have multiple hard drives. Select one at a time. You can select "Analyze" to have the program check out the hard drive and see if it needs to be defragged. The program will prompt you at the completion of its analysis. Use the defragment option as prompted. Note: If you've never used this option before, I would recommend that you select the defragment option. Once, you've completed these three steps, your computer and hard disk should be able to operate at maximum performance. Don't forget to repeat these steps at least once a month or whenever you notice a change in your computer's performance. Larry Andrew is an educational consultant, author and publisher of http://www.ez-software-review .com. Learn how to purchase cheap, reliable and quality software for your home, school and business.
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Things You Can Do To Speed Up Your Computer Upgrading your processor will always speed up your computer, but sometimes this will not be the best thing to do. The first thing you need to do is find out where the bottle neck is in your system. The first step you would take to finding this out is by using the computers task manager. You can tell in here how much the computers resources are being used. If you want a more advanced diagnostics program then click on start, then run and type in perfmon. A program will now open and you will be able to monitor all of your computer components. Help, I Need a New HDTV! (Part 5 of 5) Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the choices these days, you may feel like, "Where do I start?!" Help, I Need a New HDTV! (Part 4 of 5) Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the choices these days, you may feel like, "Where do I start?!" Does Microsoft Show Hackers How To Attack? After another security hole recently surfaced in Microsoft's Windows operating system, the software giant released a patch this past Friday to plug the possibly devastating "back door" which allows hackers to potentially seize control of any pc running Windows. Help, I Need a New HDTV! (Part 2 of 5) Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the choices these days, you may feel like, "Where do I start?!" 4 Computer Money-saving Tips Tip #1 -- Rebates: A rebate is not always a bargain. Computers with rebates are often close to being discontinued. You may pick up a good deal or purchase technology that's about to become yesterday's news. What's more, stores will often package computers with a bunch of free items to make it look like you're getting more value. Chances are the extras are either poor quality or items you're unlikely to use. Also, they're counting on you to not redeem your rebate, a very common occurrence. Basic Computer Thermodynamics That desk in front of you and everything else around you is made up of atoms. An atom consists of electrons orbiting around a nucleus. An atom is increadibly tiny. You could line up 10 million of them inside a millimeter. What if we could scale up an atom so that the nucleus was the size of a basketball? The orbits of its electrons would then be 15 miles away. Is DVD Storage An Attractive Alternative For Your Computer Backup? If you have a computer for home use or for your business and don't take comprehensive backup for full protection then you are in the danger-zone. Maybe you do not take any backup at all. Have You Invited A Spy Into Your Computer? Yes, it's true. You may have inadvertently invited a spy into your computer. This spy is known as "spyware, adware, or trojans", and once it is in your computer it starts taking statistical information as you travel the Internet. In some cases, it may send you pop-up ads and slow down your computer. A wired .com article, mentions it "could even collect your credit card information". Can Movie Theatres Compete with Home HD TV in the Future? The battle is heating up for market share, home movie theatre, X-Box, Playstations and virtual reality take on the big screen and theme parks. You might be surprised to learn that the war is just beginning. You won't believe how high the stakes are now and what lengths they are willing to go to get your dollar. Cisco Certification: Building Your Home Lab, Part II In the first part of this home lab tutorial, CCNA and CCNP candidates can see that there are a LOT of choices when it comes to what to buy to build your own Cisco practice lab. Consumer Electronic Information: The Basics of the DLP Projector Projectors have come a long way in the past few decades. The desktop fossils that were once used to show home movies or classroom filmstrips are a thing of the past. With today's technology, you can now experience a projected movie that emulates a full-blown theater flick, without the time, effort and hassle of standing in line at the local cinema. Refurbished Computers on the Internet What is a Refurbished Computer? Why Get a Microsoft MCSE Certification? In the years of the dot com boom and bust, the Microsoft MCSE Certification has gotten its eye blackened over an over. Paper Microsoft MCSE's who were excellent at finding brain dumps and passing exams gave the Microsoft MCSE Certification a bad name. What used to be a guarantee of a nice salary is now ridiculed in some ignorant circles. After working in the Information Technology field for twelve years I still believe the Microsoft MCSE Certification is worth every dollar you spend and every hour spent in study and practice. I'll share my history with the Microsoft MCSE Certification and why I still believe it's a valuable certification credential. Selecting a Personal Digital Assistant A Computer in Your Hand The Benefits of Open Source If you are a building a website or a forum, chances are you are using a web editor or paying for message board services. The costs of using these "out of the box" products can add up, especially if you are trying to grow your business. Let's look at some good "open source" options for you to consider. You may be surprised at how much money open source can save you. Flow Text Around a Graphic in Microsoft Word Flow Text Around a Graphic JVCs First Three-Layer Combo-Disc Blu-Ray / DVD JVC developed and used a high-performance reflective film to produce this revolutionary three layer structure. The outer Blu-ray layer can be read by the blue light laser but it is transparent for the red light laser which therefore has access to the inner dual DVD layer. Password Nightmares Good Morning Mr. Sampson. Please type in you Personal Identification Number Computer Consulting 101 PC Troubleshooting Advice While most small businesses really do need to find a good local computer consulting business to take care of their computer problems, there are some computer problems that are simple enough for even a technophobe to handle. At Computer Consulting 101, we've found there's one very simple piece of advice that often doesn't get communicated to non-technical small business end users: When in doubt, reboot first.
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