Things You'll Need:
- Desktop or Laptop PC
- Windows XP Operating System
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Step 1
Even if you don't know your way around your PCs internal files and folders, simply save this article and repeat the steps regularly.
The first element to having a fast running PC is having sufficient RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM is what your PC uses to run your operating system (Windows XP, Vista, etc) and other applications such as software programs. The lowest amount of RAM is 256 MB. Most PCs when purchased new come with two of these for a total of 512 MB. To see how much RAM your PC has, click START > My Computer. In the task pane on the left of the pop-up window, click View System Information. The System Properties dialog box opens. Under the General Tab, you'll see your computers information. If it says 480 MB of RAM instead of 512, that is because your operating system is using some of the RAM. If you only have 256 MB of RAM, you may notice your PCs slowness through how long it takes for applications to load such as Internet Explorer or any software. -
Step 2
You can also access the System Properties dialog box through clicking Start > All Programs >Accessories > System Tools > System Properties. When you click this sequence of options, you'll notice a few other options under System Tools such as Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter.
If you download a lot of music, games, or software onto your PC, you will need to perform Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter on a regular basis.
To perform each, simply follow the sequence of options above and choose one. When performing Disk Cleanup, make sure all check boxes are checked before proceeding. This procedure makes room on the disk drive you choose to clean, typically the C drive.
The Disk Defragmenter action frees up space on the C drive as well. You can choose to Analyze the drive to see if defragmenting would be necessary or not. -
Step 3
One final step to keep your pc clean and running smoothly is to clean out all internet browsing history. If you have Internet Explorer, in the menu at the top of the window, click Tools > Internet Options. In the Internet Options dialog box, under the section labeled Browsing History, click the Delete button. This may take a minute or three depending on how much has been saved.
If you have Mozilla Firefox (my browser of choice), then choose Tools > Clear Private Data. In this dialog box, you only want to have the Browsing History, Saved Form & Search History, Cache, & Authenticated Sessions check boxes checked.
Comments
trvlarrngr said
on 7/1/2009 Great info on making your pc faster. thanks
lanijo said
on 7/1/2009 Well I was thinking of writing an article like this, but you nailed it Thanks!
lordkhomar said
on 2/4/2009 Great tips, 5*