optimizing performance

Can anyone tell me how to optimize my connection speeds and help me with improve my computer's performance in general?

 

For internet, I've found SG TCP Optimizer very usefull:

http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

For general performance I'm sure someone will chirp in w/ many suggestions.

...screamer

 

Thanks and can anyone tell me how I can determine my maximum download upload speeds?

 

I don't know where I should be on the connection speed slider

 

Just click "Optimum Performance" on the bottom right hand side.

 

A good place to start is what your ISP rates your line at. To get an idea of where your speed is right now you should take a speed test http://www.speedtest.net/ or http://www.speedtest.net/ or choose one here http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest .

 

Hi MalwareDie

1)
First things first.

When the Operations system is installed and correctly configured there is no tricks, tweak or setup to "optimize" it's performances.

One important things in this setup is the services...
The needed services mist be started in automatic mode,
the others in manual
and some other disabled...

(This can be checked with you later...)

In an other word, a cowboy can't go faster than his horse.
(This is the same with your Internet connection...)

With the time these performances decreased as an example of the Second Law of the Thermodynamics: the entropy (disorder) increased with the time...

Therefore the only solution is to prevent this by a preventive maintenance of the O.S.

2) Updates

The O.S., drivers and applications must be updated on a regular basis.

For Windows: automatic updates service must be started in automatic mode

For Windows and the most frequent used software it's possible to check if they needs updates at Secunia: http://secunia.com/software_inspector/

For the drivers: the best is to check at the web site of the PC manufacturer or at the web sites of the component manufacturer. Some manufacturer like MSI have also a software to check and update their products.

Don't forget to update your Anti-virus, anti-spywares, firewall and al security programs.

3) Keep your PC free of dust and avoid overheating. It's a good idea to have an UPS to protect your system against electrical spikes and current variations.

4) Check your hard disk with CHKDSK about one time a month.
This help to fix problem with some NTFS files and lock bad sectors of the disk. You may also check the S.M.A.R.T. data with a program like SpeedFan.

Start | run | chkdsk X: /R
where X: is the letter of the DD to check
If it's the system disk, the PC must be rebooteed

SpeedFan:
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

Article about S.M.A.R.T.:
What is S.M.A.R.T. and how can we use it to avoid data disaster?
http://www.almico.com/sfarticle.php?id=2

5) Clean temporary files with cleanmgr:

Start | run | cleanmgr

You may also used programs like CCcleaner or CleanCache:

CleanCache v 3.5
Net Framwork must be installed before.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4122.html

CCcleaner
http://www.ccleaner.com/

Do Not erase the Prefetch !
Be very careful with the registry "cleaner" option of CCleaner...

6) Defragment the Hard Disk volumes:

Start | run | dfrg.msc

Or used a better defragmenter like O&O Defrag or DiskPerfect

For multiple volume defrag use this:
http://www.dougknox.com/utility/scripts_desc/defrag_all.htm

It's possible also to makes some targetted defragmentation for a file or folder with PowerDefragmenter + Contig

PowerDefragmenter
www.excessive-software.eu.tt
+
Contig
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/Contig.mspx

It's also a good idea to defragment at each boot with PageDefrag:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/PageDefrag.mspx

Defragmented this:

C:\hiberfil.sys
C:\pagefile.sys
C:\WINDOWS\System32\*.evt
C:\Windows\System32\config\default
C:\Windows\System32\config\SAM
C:\Windows\System32\config\SECURITY
C:\Windows\System32\config\software
C:\Windows\System32\config\system


Finally it's a good idea to defragment the tracong files of the prefetch folder

Put this command in a shortcut. It's possible to start it when you're not using the PC with the Task Scheduler:

%windir%\system32\Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

7)

Avoid "Eyes Candy" programs: a nice OS is good. But not too much: there's a limit to personalisations...

Avoid Registry "cleaner", "optimizer", "Doctor", "Mechanics" and all that stuff

Avoid malwares not only with a set of anti-malware programs but also by practicing the SAFE-HEX: http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html

Avoid an overcharged startup: limit the number of programs automatically started with Windows...

8 )

Used these setup for windows explorer:

a) To used the multi-thread in Windows explorer:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
Create this key:

DesktopProcess
Reg_DWord
value 1

b) Change the value of the "Windows priority separation" :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\PriorityControl
Create this key

Win32PrioritySeparation
Reg_DWord
Value 26 in HEX

c) Modify those folders options :

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Don't hide hidden folder and files
HideFileExt
Reg_Dword
1

Open folders in separate process
SeparateProcess
Reg_Dword
1

9) Don't used an administrator account to surf on the web or

From an admin account with DropMyRights in a shortcut:

Example:
"C:\Program Files\DropMyRights\DropMyRights.exe" "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"

http://nonadmin.editme.com/DropMyRights

OR

with RunAsAdmin Explorer Shim
http://sourceforge.net/projects/runasadmin

More complex than DropMyRights...

and so on...

Other info here:
Computer Health
http://www.aumha.org/a/health.htm

Hope this help. Let us know.

 

For easy work, try Tune Up Utilities 2007.

It has almost everything that a beginner, non-technos or advanced user has all.

 

Do you think increasing foreground process time slices will help ?

You do realise that this has a negative effect on being able to smoothly multi-task (for best multi tasking turn off foreground boost totally) and can actually reduce overall system peformance (especially for servers).

Folder settings can be done from explorer from the Menu -> Tools -> Folder Options.

I tried seperate processes for explorer folders a while and made no difference to me, but I've heard it helps for SOME people (weird GFX driver/cpu issues).

There are NO performance tweaks worth using for XP that give HUMAN NOTICABLE performance gains (over a healthy non-tweaked XP), so many are myths, so many people dont have a clue what they do and just apply them because they have read they help.
Please note I do use the odd tweak to fix a specifically identified issues/bugs but always done after testing and diagnosing, not just a because I read/told it would help (and it is very time consuming).

Clearing old files and defragging in my experience does help in the long term - installing badly behaved problems causes me the biggest slowdowns, I always make sure I have a good and clean backup before I test out any new software (having access to lots of machines really helps as well).