What To Do If Your PC Is Running Slow: A Guide To Basic Maintenance

Authored by:
Crush, PCHF PC Security Team Leader

Is your PC responding slowly, or at least slower than normal? This is a common complaint seen here on the forums.

When this happens most people immediately think “Malware” at this point. But that’s not always the case. Yes, some malware does indeed slow down your system and use up precious resources but there are other possible causes as well. There are several avenues to traverse before going down the route of malware.

Computers need basic maintenance. I've used this analogy before: a computer is like a car. Would you drive it 100,000 miles without changing the oil? The same principle applies here. Just like a car, there are things that have to be done to it regularly and things that have to be done when something breaks or "once in a blue moon".

This guide attempts to delve into those things you should be doing.

Is your PC clean?

What? Didn't you just say we shouldn't jump right to Malware? You are correct! What I mean to say is: is it free from dust and dirt?

Dust and dirt builds up inside a computer which could affect your cooling fans, reducing the amount of airflow to the components. Reduced airflow can cause your processor to overheat resulting in slow operation or even unexpected shutdowns. This is especially problematic in desktop machines but can happen across computers of all types, shapes and sizes.

Cleaning the inside of your system is a relatively easy first step in troubleshooting slow-downs. A can of compressed air is all you need. This can be purchased at most electronics stores. Don’t use cleaners with solvents and other harsh chemicals. These can damage the components, and wear away the keys on the keyboard.

I have even seen some people put their keyboards into the dishwasher to clean them. No, they were otherwise clinically sane! It actually does work given adequate time to dry. The same goes for using water on components. While not recommended as a first place to go, it does work if you allow the components to dry.

An absolute "no-no" however, is using your vacuum to clear the dust bunnies from inside of your computer. Vacuums generate static and static is lethal to electronic components. You might remove the dust but your machine probably won't live to enjoy it.

Clear out your Temp files.

Another easy maintenance task to perform on your machine is clearing out the temporary files. Temp files build up over time during the normal operation of your computer. Things like installing programs and using your web browser cause these files to accumulate depending on the frequency of use. If you're constantly on your PC like I am these will accumulate rather fast

In the case of program installs, these temp files should be removed when the installer or program is finished, but this does not always happen. The bottom line is, these files are not needed and should be cleaned out regularly, again based on frequency of use but it's a good idea to do this monthly.

There are two easy ways to clean out temp files manually or by using a proprietary cleaning program. Note that the cleaning programs will often offer the option to clear out Temporary files created by your browser.

The other option is to manually clear them out..

For XP & Vista – Firstly, exit all programs, including browsers and AVs. Go to Start > Run and type %Temp% in the Run box and click OK. A folder will appear – it will contain temp files and temp folders. If you want to delete everything, press Ctrl+A (to select all) and then press the delete key. If you want to keep any files then hold down the Ctrl key and left click the selected file(s) or folder(s). Then press the delete key. Click OK to confirm deletion. Once done, remember to go to your Recycle Bin and empty the bin.

Personally, I would use a program for the simple fact that it makes it easier and you get added functionality when using it rather than clearing things out manually.

Cleaning Programs – there are various such programs available for free. Among the best are

ATF Cleaner
CCleaner
Cleanup!

Don’t forget XP does have its own utility for cleaning – it can be found via Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup. Or by going Start>Run type cleanmgr

This utility will not only allow you to clean out temporary files but, compress old files, clean out other obsolete and unneeded files, and remove your old System Restore Points. All this will free up valuable disk space.

Any old programs?

Now is the time to ask yourself: "Do I really need it?" Do you still have some old programs installed? When did you last use them? Remember that ‘trial’ software you installed? Has the trial period expired? Could you perhaps uninstall it? Uninstalling such programs will help free vital disk space. Always re-boot after uninstalling – it helps to clear away the final remnants of an uninstalled program.

Keep in mind, Windows needs roughly 15-20% of free space to function well. Removing programs is a quick and easy way to gain valuable space back.

Reduce the number of programs loading at start up

Many applications insist on starting either the complete program or a component of the program whenever Windows starts. Many of these start ups are unnecessary and can be stopped. A good way to review the number of start up programs is by using a start up manager utility, such as StartUpLite.

StartUpLite is very easy – just download the small file and double click StartUpLite.exe. A box appears showing programs that don’t need to startup at boot. Choose whichever options you prefer and click Continue.

Remember to research a start up if you are not sure what it is – some of the entries that may appear and which can safely be disabled are things like Update Schedule entries for Adobe Acrobat, Sun Java, QuickTime and so on. If in doubt, post in our Forums, choosing the Forum that’s relevant to your Operating System. Alternatively, you can check Startup items here.

Note: You should NOT use MSConfig to permanently disable programs from automatically starting at boot up. This utility is meant as a trouble-shooter – not a long term solution. If you uninstall a program that has already been disabled using MSConfig, then it’s likely there will be orphaned Registry entries left behind. These could cause potential problems when trying to start your system. Use one of the start up managers mentioned above.


Do you have enough RAM?

When someone complains of a slow machine this is the first thing I look at. What is the amount of RAM on the machine? If you’re using Windows, then you need to ensure you have the appropriate amount of RAM for your system.

Microsoft lists “minimum requirements” with each OS: XP, Vista, and 7. Keep in mind however, they are in the business of selling software. That’s why their “minimum requirements” are always at the lower end of the scale.

Lack of RAM also may cause your hard drive space to fill up as alluded to earlier. After Windows runs out of memory to load programs in to it will use your paging file

RAM is a fairly inexpensive way to get more power out of your machine. You can find out what type of RAM you need by downloading PCWizard or going to your manufacturer specific website.

If your machine is a branded one such as ones purchases from Dell or HP, you will usually have a Service Tag associated with it and can find drivers, compatible hardware and replacement parts off of their respective sites using this unique identifier.

Defrag your hard disk

Over a period of time, data written to your hard disk becomes fragmented or scattered all over the disk because of the way in which it is written. Part of file X will be written in different parts of the hard disk depending on when the file was initially created, edited, moved, etc.

This makes it harder for the system to find the data it needs. By defragmenting (also called defragging) your disk, or putting the data in a more logical sequence, your system performance will improve. NOTE: Windows will not let you defrag a drive if there is less than 15% free space available. Keep an eye on your free space!

You could use a defragging utility such as Sysinternals PageDefrag or IOBit's SmartDefrag – these are free and easy to use.

For detailed guides:
See here for XP
See here for Vista
See here for 7

What else can I do?

You can change the amount of space allocated to your paging file. This is also called Virtual Memory



Usually you should allocate a filesize of double your RAM. So if you have 1GB of RAM you should have a 2GB paging file.

Another trick is to keep your pagefile unfragmented. Remember how we talked about fragmenting before?

This can be done by selecting ‘No swap file’, rebooting, defragging the drive and then resetting the swap file to a size of your choosing. The swap file will now be located on a part of the drive with the maximum amount of free space.

Note: When choosing a value it is often suggested to set a static size swap file – set the Initial and Maximum amounts to the same value. This saves Windows from using resources to manage a dynamic swap file.


Does your hard disk contain errors?

A hard disk, just like any other piece of hardware with moving parts, will not last forever. Even a new hard disk can have problems. However, many problems can be fixed, simply by running a Windows utility called ChkDsk. This will scan your hard disk and repair any file system errors and make sure the drive is healthy.

You will find detailed guides:
Here for XP
Here for Vista
Here for 7

Do your System Files contain errors?

Sometimes critical system files may become damaged or corrupt. This will obviously affect your computer’s performance and potentially cause issues beyond slowness. However, Windows has the ability to replace any damaged files on its own – this feature is called Windows File Protection. More information can be found here

A detailed guide to using Windows File Protection with XP can be found here

Windows File Protection in Vista and 7 is now called Windows Resource Protection which, as well as protecting critical files, also protects the Registry. However, the basic principles are the same. To run the sfc command in Vista, you must be logged in as an Administrator.

A guide to using WRP in Vista can be found here.


Clean out System Restore

If you use System Restore then these "checkpoints" accumulate. It's nice to have one or two to roll back to in the event of unforeseen issues but, do you really need them all? The answer is no.

Remember we talked about Disk Cleanup a while back? Well, that tool (accessed via Start>Run/Search cleanmgr) allows you to clear out all restore points except the latest, freeing up valuable disc space.

Is there more I can do?

Does it end there? Most certainly not. You might find these links useful:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/sp2faq.php#after
http://www.internetfixes.com/readers_questions/IF01990.htm
http://windows.about.com/od/customizingwindows/Customizing_Windows.htm
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/tune-18.html

No more problems? Excellent – be sure to revisit this article to help keep your system running smoothly.

Still having problems? Well, it could indeed be malware – please start here and follow the instructions to receive assistance.

The PCHF Security Team

Reordering bump

I just had to add something that I see frequently at work:
People do a clean installation of W7 Pro/Ultimate retail on a Notebook that came with W7 Home Premium, and then send it to Customer Service as "slow".

Companies (HP, DELL, SONY, SAMSUNG, ASUS, etc) install an "Optimized" version of W7 on their Notebooks, with many services disabled from StartUp.

Power Management Options are also different, so do not be surprised if your battery discharges much faster than before