Speed Up Your Computer (MS Windows)

For those who can do a clean install of Windows and for those who cannot. Also I am going to try and go for programs which are:

A: The absolute best you can get
"most powerful reguardless of resources"

B: Fast and light programs that you can substitute if you need the resources
'light and transparent' instead of a 'blocky/laggy' feel

C: Assuming you have large HDDs because alot of space is cheap I have not skimped out on light users because "secure is beautiful". I fall into that security/performance tweak nut catogory. I am alway right and even if I'm still right post your suggestions anyhow.

D: Take it nice and slow... Understand what you are doing and what each program does before moving on. I'm not here for your troubleshooting questions and I certainly take no responsability for whatever happens. DUH!

Combine for balance ...add more/less for you security/gaming nuts or for the everyday user.

Power User:
- ScanRite from GRC.com
- HDD utility disk scanners
- Norton Disk Doctor (Norton Utilitys)
- Norton Registry Doctor (Norton Utilitys)
- Windows Scandisk (Fix automatically...)
- RegCleaner (Extra powerful OLE/Do them all)

Lazy User
- Windows Scandisk? (Enable fix automatically... ::grumble grumble sigh::!)
- RegCleaner (Extra powerful OLE/Do them all)

Power user:
- Ad-aware Professional Edition (resident scanner on)
- Spybot Search & Destroy (manual scans)
- JavaCool's Spyware Blaster (all items checked)
- JavaCool's Spyware Guard (resident scanner on)

Fast user:
- Ad-aware Professional or Free Edition (manual scans)
- Spybot Search & Destroy (manual scans)
- JavaCool's Spyware Blaster (all items checked)

Power user:
- Kapersky's Anti-Virus (Best in world/resident scanner on)
- Norton's Anti-Virus (backup/manual scanner)
- Total Defense System 3 = TDS3 (Highest trojan detection in the world)
- Trojan Hunter (Backup trojan scanner)
- WormGuard 3

Fast user:
- I need AV suggestions...
- Trojan Hunter (Fast and second to TDS3)
- Pest Patrol (Another good program)

Power User:
- Windows Washer 5.0 + All needed plugins
- MRU-Blaster (Scheduler enabled every x minutes)
- ID-Blaster Plus
- CybScrub (For secure deletion of trash bin/wiping slack files)
- Eraser (FREE substitue for CybScrub and just as powerful!)

Fast User:
- Windows Washer 5.0 + All needed plugins
- MRU-Blaster (Manual scans)
- Eraser (1-10 overwrites - take your pick)

(For best results scan drive first, fix disk errors, and clean out unneeded files first. If the option of placing specific files first is there use it. More on that later...)

Power User:
- Norton Speed Disk (LOVE IT! Best for FAT32)
- Defragmenter Pro Plus (Best for NTSF)

Lazy User:
- Windows default defragger? (Junk! Small yet blocky/laggy/poor)
(But if you really have to use this at least get a copy of the Windows 2000/XP instead of the 98 version.)

- If possable keep a copy of needed data on a burned CD! CD data are estimated to last 60-70 years. Your main and backup hard drive will die one day... Its not a question of if but when. As they say in the computer world - "Hard drive data remains for 5 years to forever, whichever comes first"

- Using a second HDD I have arranged folders as such...

(The numbers in front of the folder name ensure these folders are in order so I can see them when looking at my second drive.)

Folder 1 = "1 'ComputerName' Default"

Programs you ALWAYS install every single time on a reformat. The best of the best... Anything that you are NOT sure about take it out. Every program in this folder should go "BAM, BAM, BAM, install 1, install 2, install 3" all the way from the top left to bottem right. If you no longer install a program cause you do not use it take it out of this folder.

Folder 2 = "2 Tools"

Programs that you are more likely to use than others. Also programs that cannot be install but you always need to know where to find them out of the other junk on your computer. I have put such programs like HOSTESS, ScanRite, DeadAIM, MD5 Summer and so forth. I may not install these programs EVERY format but they have been weeded out from everything else.

Folder 3 = "3 Other Archives"

Put everything else in here. Program files you have not used in a while or just stuff that seems to hardly find its way into your computer now days but you like to keep a copy of it anyhow.

Folder 4 = "4 Information"

Place website pages, PDF files, Serial/Install keys, perhaps your .txt version of manual firewall rules in this folder to keep it seperate from programs. Its hard to find a PDF help file when its jumbled into a folder with a bunch of programs in it as well.

Folder 5 = "5 Downloads"

Many people like to download onto their desktop and when it comes time to reformat they dump it all on that backup drive. Make a habbit for a default download folder on your second HDD so you download it once and its already on your backup drive.

- Organizing CD/floppy discs

I use 'Case Logic' 200 CD leather holders not only for my music but for all my computer discs. For floppy discs I use a jewel box case or you can use a push in/out drawer. CD Jewel cases are a hassle when it comes time to install all those drivers again. Organization of this for me is done by:

Operating Systems, Needed Programs, Needed Programs + Drivers, Played Games, Good computer movies/episodes/etc, Unneeded/Old Drivers + Programs, Unplayed Games, Misc.

I keep music/gaming console CDs in a seperate case.

Long way
- Save and backup all needed stuff
- Using HDD utility disk write 0's to the drive
- Use the HDD utility scanner to check the drive after
- Use boot disk/CD to format and install OS
- Intall all programs in default folder

Fast way
- Save and backup all needed stuff
- Write zeros to drive up till percentage of old used disk space comes up and quit
or
- Format the drive using HDD utility disk quick formater
or
- If supported format drive using Windows quick format
- Reinstall OS with boot disk/CD
- Intall needed programs

- Especially the 'Windows startup' sound helps improve startup greatly

Hackers:
- Grow up

Novice users:
- Try that new Juno/Net Zero 5x faster connection for cheaper.
- We welcome that day you move beyond AOL!
- Cable/DSL are getting cheaper and cheaper. Think of it as a cell phone bill that does more! The cost of a second phone line and dialup together is not worth it.
- If you like compressed graphics and restricted access use the AOL default browser
- To bypass the filters use a browser outside AOL.

- Faster install of network and cable modems drivers
(USB requires removing cord, installing driver, rebooting and pluging cord in after reboot)
- More secure
- More bandwith

Power Users:
- Ask for my stolen 32,000+ entry HOST file
(Free to use, quite possably the most comprehensive/poweful/bloated HOST to date: It includes every ad + crappy server listed from...
and more whenever I find them

http://webpages.charter.net/hpguru/hosts/hosts.zip
http://doa2.host.sk/dl/supertrick.zip
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.zip
http://remember.mine.nu/hosts.zip
http://websec.arcady.fr/HOSTS.zip
http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/Downloads/hosts127001.zip
http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/Downloads/Hosts.zip
http://www.grtg.org/downloads/host.zip
http://www.phoenix-inter.net/tools/hosts.zip
http://spyblocker-software.swmirror.com/SB.ZIP
Installed program's HOST file entries
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hphosts_support/

If you find more that are not covered in these contact me so I can update. This one is about Googled out.

 

Re:Speed Up Your Computer

Hi MakoFusion, All windows versions
If you have two physical hard disks or more (non RAID), Note: separate partitions on one drive will not gain much - Use one that does not have the OS on it for your swap file (Virtual memory). Set your virtual memory to about twice or three times your memory and set the amount as Minimum & Maximum.
So you have 256MB of RAM - 500MB of virtual memory Min & Max This reduces swap file fragmentation & of course speeds up the transfer of information.

Note: It is best to defrag the swap file drive before making these changes & once you have your new swap file on another drive then Defrag the original.