| Here is a list of useful tips on how to
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| | controllers are configured for maximal
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| improve multitasking performance and
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| | speed. Disable Bios Caching and Video
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| overall computer performance on your
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| | Caching, these are not useful for modern
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| Windows based PC. Please backup your
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| | operating systems, they were rather needed
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| system before doing changes, to make sure
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| | for older MS-DOS compatible operating
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| you can get it back working should
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| | systems like Win9x. Turn off IDE auto
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| anything go wrong for you.1. Get a
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| | detection and set them manually, whenever
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| multitasking capable motherboard and CPU.
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| | possible. Also, enable 'fast boot',
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| An Intel CPU with HyperThreading would be
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| | 'silent boot', 'quick boot' or similar
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| great, dual core would be awesome, if you
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| | option.16. Get the latest drivers for your
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| can afford something like that.
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| | hardware, especially for video and SCSI
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| HyperThreading improves multitasking by
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| | devices. Visit your website manufacturers
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| dividing a single processor into two
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| | and download the latest drivers they have
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| logical processors so 2 different tasks
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| | for your hardware. Subscribe to a driver
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| can be executed at once. Needless to say,
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| | download notification emailing list, if
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| dual core improves this much more as there
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| | they have one. In general, drivers coming
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| are 2 physical processors and 4 resulting
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| | with your Windows Install CD may work but
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| logical processors through using
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| | they are usually obsolete. Some newer
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| HyperThreading on top of that.2. Use
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| | drivers can be found through Windows
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| dual-channel memory modules, and in
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| | Update, but in most cases it is best to
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| general use RAM modules as fast as
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| | download new drivers directly from the
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| possible for your motherboard.3. Use
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| | manufacturer of your hardware device.17.
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| modern hard drives like S-ATA hard drives
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| | Buy only quality, brand hardware. Cheap
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| for example. Make sure your hard drive has
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| | hardware will never work properly; cheap
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| plenty of cache (8MB would be minimal
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| | motherboards and computer cards are
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| recommended) and also look for low access
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| | unstable, have improperly written drivers
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| times and fast throughput. Use 10,000 RPM
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| | and tend to easily get defective. If
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| drives if possible - or in any case, as
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| | possible, buy a preconfigured computer of
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| fast as possible. Use hard disk fans for
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| | quality brand. Serious manufacturers
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| such units - they usually heat up a lot so
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| | usually test their components for
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| extra cooling is needed to keep them
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| | compatibility and therefore such machines
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| running well.4. Purchase 2 hard identical
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| | are real stable and have excellent
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| drives and place them in Raid 0 mode. This
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| | performance for their hardware class.18.
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| doubles the hard disk transfer speed due
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| | Use Windows Update to keep your computer
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| to the fact that 2 hard disks are being
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| | files updated with the latest versions.19.
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| queried at once. It would be good to also
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| | Connect different IDE drives using
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| purchase a 3rd spare hard disk of the same
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| | separate IDE cables. Put your primary hard
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| model, should one of these ever
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| | disk on the first interface (IDE 0) and
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| malfunction, but make sure you use the
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| | the CD-ROM/DVD unit(s) on the second
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| spare hard disk from time to time, because
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| | interface (IDE 1) using a second IDE
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| if you keep it unused for many months it
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| | cable. Having another drive on the same
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| may get defective.5. Use lots and lots of
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| | cable can significantly decrease your
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| RAM. 2GB would be recommended (or more if
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| | primary hard disk performance.20. Use the
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| you can), 1GB would be minimal. The more
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| | latest DirectX version as this will
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| RAM you have, the better your system will
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| | improve gaming performance. Needless to
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| perform.6. Use the FAT32 file system
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| | say also, the best video card you can get,
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| instead of NTFS. This advice may come as a
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| | the best would be your 3D gaming
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| surprise for some readers, yet it has
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| | performance. In some cases, you may want
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| proven very effective in practice.
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| | to reduce screen color depth to 16-bit
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| Although FAT32 is simpler and
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| | (65536 colors), especially on some older
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| less-featured, it is also more effective
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| | video cards - this may improve performance
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| for multitasking due to the smaller CPU
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| | for such video cards, if you can't get a
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| and disk access requirements that come
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| | newer card which would however be the best
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| from this simplicity.7. Use a dedicated
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| | option.21. Make sure you enable DMA
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| swap partition. Our tests shown that this
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| | transfers on IDE slave drives, which is
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| partition should not be that big. Other
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| | not enabled by default. Go to Control
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| sources recommend using a swapfile of 3x
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| | Panel - System - Device Manager, jump to
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| the amount of physical RAM memory; we
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| | your IDE controller, and in the 'Primary
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| found in practice that using a swapfile of
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| | IDE Channel' - Advanced Settings,
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| 2x the amount of RAM would perform best in
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| | configure it to use DMA instead of default
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| terms of speed. If possible, use the FAT16
| |
| | PIO (programmatic I/O) modes.22. Make sure
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| file system for the dedicated swap
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| | you enable Write caching for SCSI drives -
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| partition; please note that the maximal
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| | you can do this from Device Manager by
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| size of a FAT16 partition is 2 GB. It is
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| | going to SCSI devices.23. Close any
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| recommended to place the operating system
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| | application that you do not use. If you
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| on the first partition on the first hard
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| | cannot close them, at least minimize them
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| drive, and it is highly recommended (!) to
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| | as when they run in background mode, they
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| place the swap file partition as the first
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| | consume less CPU.24. Disable unneeded
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| partition on a second hard drive, if
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| | programs that auto-run at startup. These
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| possible - meaning on a separate hard
| |
| | can really bog down your system. Use a
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| drive than the one where your operating
| |
| | startup manager program to make your life
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| system is installed. This is the
| |
| | easier. You can use the built-in startup
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| configuration that works best in most
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| | manager in Windows XP by going to Start -
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| cases.8. If you have large amounts of RAM,
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| | Run, type 'MSCONFIG' and hit Enter.25.
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| like 2GB or 4GB for example, you may try
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| | Disable Messengers that you do not use
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| disabling the swap file completely. This
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| | (Windows comes with MSN Messenger by
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| may significantly improve performance, if
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| | default).26. Disable all unnecessary
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| your applications fit well inside
| |
| | services. Depending on configuration, you
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| available physical memory.9. Optimize your
| |
| | may want to disable File and Print, FTP,
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| Windows Operating system visual aspect,
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| | World Wide Web, Routing and Remote Access,
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| for speed. In Control Panel - System -
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| | IIS Admin Service, Telnet, Smart Card and
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| Advanced - Performance Settings, select
| |
| | Smart Card Helper, Terminal Services,
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| 'Adjust for best performance' and then
| |
| | Uninterruptible Power Supply. Also make
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| retain only a few minimal options if you
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| | sure you disable Indexing Service, as this
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| want to improve aspect, like 'Use visual
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| | usually significantly slows down your
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| styles on windows and buttons' for
| |
| | system.27. If there are programs that you
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| example. The Windows XP graphical
| |
| | do not use, uninstall them - this frees
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| interface consumes a lot of CPU and
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| | disk space as well as remove some unneeded
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| results in significantly lowering overall
| |
| | dll's from memory.28. Reinstall your
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| computer performance.10. Get the fastest
| |
| | operating system from time to time, when
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| video card that you can afford. Read
| |
| | you can. Some programs, even if
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| reviews on the internet about them. Some
| |
| | uninstalled, leave unnecessary dll files
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| cards and drivers are less stable than
| |
| | inside your computer. Since it is
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| others for a given performance level.11.
| |
| | difficult to manage them, a fresh
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| Periodically defragment your hard drives,
| |
| | reinstall would be a good option.29. When
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| especially if you copy and delete a lot of
| |
| | you have just reinstalled and activated
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| data. From time to time it is good to
| |
| | your copy of windows, backup your system
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| reformat the hard disk completely; in this
| |
| | on DVD and keep it safe, using a disk
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| case, you would have to backup your files
| |
| | backup or disk clone tool. Whenever you
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| on a different partition, format partition
| |
| | may need to have a fresh system you can
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| then copy files back after formatting. A
| |
| | use the disk to get a fresh installed
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| fragmentation of 4-5% already means a
| |
| | operating system on your computer. Norton
|
| significant computer speed reduction. Use
| |
| | Ghost can be such an useful disk clone
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| defragmenting tools like Diskeeper for
| |
| | program. Some computers come with such
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| this purpose.12. If you are using the
| |
| | tools preinstalled, so use them when you
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| FAT32 file system, do not make any
| |
| | just received your computer to make a
|
| partitions exceeding 32 GB. If your hard
| |
| | backup of the system.30. Empty temporary
|
| drive is large and you need a lot of
| |
| | files from C:WindowsTEMP, C:Temp folders.
|
| partitions, please note that you can use
| |
| | Empty Temporary internet files
|
| up to 3 primary partitions (although the
| |
| | periodically. Use Disk Cleanup to get rid
|
| common usage is to have just one) and an
| |
| | of all this waste on your computer.31.
|
| extended partition, and then within the
| |
| | Reduce the size of your System Restore
|
| extended partition you can set any amount
| |
| | folders at lower percentages, for example
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| of partitions needed, up to the number of
| |
| | like 8% . You may want to disable System
|
| available drive letters which is of 26 in
| |
| | Restore on partitions where they are not
|
| total.13. Use operating systems like
| |
| | needed, where there is no OS stuff or
|
| Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 which
| |
| | programs installed but just your stored
|
| have proven to be indeed faster and more
| |
| | files and data.32. Remove any unneeded
|
| reliable when compared with older Windows
| |
| | Fonts. Fonts can really bog down your
|
| 98 or Windows ME operating systems. If
| |
| | computer. Removing them will save a lot of
|
| needed, upgrade your operating system.14.
| |
| | memory and significantly improve
|
| Do not mix operating systems like Windows
| |
| | performance.33. Remove unneeded network
|
| 98 and Windows 2000 - Windows 2003 -
| |
| | protocols like IPX and NetBEUI.Hopefully,
|
| Windows XP on a local network. Network
| |
| | this list will prove useful to readers, in
|
| transfers between Win 9X and 2k/XP based
| |
| | obtaining the most out of their Windows
|
| operating systems are a real pain.
| |
| | based computer and increasing speed and
|
| Generally, if you are still using Win9X,
| |
| | multitasking performance in all daily
|
| it would be best to upgrade to a newer
| |
| | operations. Please note that these advices
|
| operating system.15. Make sure you have
| |
| | come with no guarantees - you are on your
|
| properly configured your computer BIOS.
| |
| | own, and in any case you should better
|
| Since BIOS works directly with your
| |
| | know what you are doing. Good luck - and
|
| motherboard and drivers and preconfigures
| |
| | enjoy your improved computer
|
| your system hardware before the operating
| |
| | performance!By Emil Sasu - For more
|
| system is loaded, these settings are vital
| |
| | articles and tips, visit our website at -
|
| for your computer performance. You may
| |
| | computer troubleshooting website, where
|
| want to play with CPU caching options, set
| |
| | you can find additional in-depth computer
|
| memory timings to optimal values (test if
| |
| | technical information, tips and advices.
|
| necessary) and ensure that hard disk
| |
| |
|
