In order to improve the software performance of any Windows computer it is important to understand the impact of the three basic computer resources:
Central Processing Unit or CPU. This is the microchip where all the processing is done.
Random Access Memory or RAM. RAM is used to quickly store and read temporary data.
Hard Disk Drive or HDD. This is used to store information permanently on the computer.
After first checking that the system hardware is working correctly, the job of speeding up a Windows computer involves ensuring all of the above resources are functioning as efficiently as possible.
When the computer was purchased new it probably appeared to perform reasonably well. However, over time a Windows computer will gradually lose its performance unless the Operating System software (i.e.Windows) is properly maintained. A Windows computer that is over two years old and has been used regularly and never maintained will almost invariably have slowed to a point where it is noticeable.
By looking at the three basic computer resources a Windows cleanup to improve performance might involve the following actions:
Minimise tasks of the CPU. If the CPU spends less time running programs in the background then performance will be improved by only running the programs that need to be run.
Free up RAM. By disabling unwanted programs and background services the computer will have more free memory or RAM for programs that will be run by the user.
De-clutter the HDD and tidy up the important data that remains. Over time the hard disk drive becomes full of unwanted information eventually leading to very poor computer performance.
I have spent over twelve years on the Gold Coast tuning many hundreds of Windows computers and have found that regardless of which version of Windows is running a Windows clean up is absolutely essential for efficient performance of the computer system. Often the Windows computer is not set up properly by the manufacturer and the installation of Windows itself may have been done poorly. Over time the computer gradually slows down to a point where the user becomes frustrated with the ever increasing time to accomplish a task on the computer or to access the internet using a browser or email program.
You may have seen programs that advertise an automated speed up of the Windows computer and promise spectacular performance improvements. From experience I have found that in order to achieve the best results a proper diagnosis of the computer system must be made followed by a plan of action that might look like the following:
Gain control of the computer. This might sound strange, however many Windows computers are no longer controlled by their owners. They are in fact controlled by unwanted and/or malicious programs running behind the scenes.
Set Windows settings to optimum rather than the manufacturer's default setting. There are many Windows settings that are often not set correctly when the system was fist installed and as a result the Windows environment is doomed to a strategy of "Planned Obsolescence" from the start. In other words Windows will get slower by design as the manufacturer intended.
Remove unwanted files and folders that belong to Windows. A two year old Windows XP system typically has in excess of 2000 megabytes of junk files which will have accumulated over time. Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 and Windows 11 have even more rubbish files for the same period of time.
Uninstall programs that are no longer used and tidy the Windows registry.
Disable unwanted start up programs and background services which will be over working the CPU and wasting RAM.
De-fragment the hard disk drive (HDD).
There may be many other actions to be taken with the above list being a bare minimum for most systems. My results have shown that with persistence a Windows system that has been correctly diagnosed and properly tuned will actually perform BETTER than when new!
What have you got to lose? Please give me a call to discuss your requirements and look forward to a better running Windows computer.
