Simple Windows Tweaks to Improve Performance

Windows XP and Vista are excellent operating systems, but the default settings they are installed with do not necessarily promote the optimum performance of your computer system.

Some machines are powerful enough that there is no noticeable performance trade-off in running Windows as installed, however, many if not most systems could see a big increase in performance by simply tweaking Windows for best performance.

Additionally, over time, Windows can become sluggish due to cluttered computer memory, loads of application programs, pop-ups, viruses, and spyware. The following are some simple steps you can take to improve your Windows experience:

1. Regularly Install Software Patch Updates: Microsoft frequently provides software patches and updates to improve performance and remove defects in its programs. Ensure that you have the latest patches and updates for your operating system. Check Microsoft Windows Update for the latest patches and updates available.

2. Run Fewer Applications at the Same Time: Sometimes little things like simply changing the way you use your computer can have a decent impact on the performance of Windows. If you typically run several MS Office programs at the same time, have multiple Internet Browser windows open at the same time, are chatting and emailing with friends, all the while listening to music at the same time, you will be eating up a large chunk of your PCs resources thus slowing performance down significantly. Look for ways to reduce your own multi-tasking to increase your overall Windows speed and performance.

3. Delete the Temporary Files in your Operating System: Over time the Windows Temp directory can get filled up with application files that it stores there regularly. Large amounts of data and files can accumulate in this directory and have an impact on the performance of your operating system. The best way to find and delete these temp files is to go to your Windows Explorer and do a search of your local disk C: for all temp files. Just enter *.tmp into the search box and press Enter. Sort by the Date Modified tab at the top and delete any temp files that are older than a few weeks.

4. Get Rid of That Annoying Windows Messenger at Startup: Windows, by default, will load this program every time you boot up your system. If you do not use this program or do not want it to load automatically, it can be extremely frustrating to disable it. Here is what you need to do to disable it: Go to the Group Policy Editor by clicking Start then Run and typing gpedit.msc into the text box and click OK. Scroll down the menu to Local Computer Policy then select Computer Configuration followed by Administrative Templates next select Windows Components and finally Windows Messenger. You will next change the settings in Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run and Do not automatically start Windows Messenger initially by double clicking on each one and selecting Enabled. Simply reboot your system and you will no longer be bothered by the auto start of Windows Messenger.

5. Defragment Your Computer Hard Drive Weekly: Windows speed and performance can diminish over time due to delays in accessing your files and programs on the hard drive. The cause of this is defragmentation of the file structure on your hard drive by saving and deleting of files, creating and deleting folders, and installing and uninstalling programs. Windows operating systems come equipped with a defrag tool which you can access by clicking Start then All Programs. Find and click Accessories then select System Tools and click on Disk Defragmenter. Again, ensure to perform this task weekly or setup automatic scheduling of this task to be performed by Windows weekly if it is not already setup to do so.

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