How to Speed Up Windows XP, Vista PC Performance

Safe, Easy Optimization Tips to Make Slow Computers Faster

Nov 9, 2009

Conventional and unconventional ways to increase notebook and desktop speed, for technical and non-technical users. From simple maintenance tricks to major overhauls.

There are many ways to make PCs faster. Users can choose from different levels of difficulty and effectiveness.

Simple Maintenance Tasks and Tweaks to Boost PC Speed

Many users keep their PCs switched on for days or weeks. For these people, regularly rebooting the PC every day is a quick and easy way to speed up Windows. This frees up memory (many programs "leak memory", they don't properly release unused memory), allowing Windows to make the most of available RAM.

Defragmenting the hard disk (rearranging the hard disk so that files aren't scattered all over the disk) is an extremely effective way to increase speed. Windows comes with its own disk defragmenter. There are also commercial (Diskeeper, Vopt) and free open source (JkDefrag) programs. They have different features but all of them work. Windows users should defragment their hard disk every week.

Flash drives (SSD) should not be defragmented. There is no speed advantage and defragmenting will only shorten the Flash's lifespan.

Using Alternative Software for Faster Response Time

Some programs are faster than others. If Internet Explorer is slow, Firefox or Chrome (both are free web browsers) could give better performance. For creating simple text documents, the small and simple Wordpad (included with Windows) is fast and more than good enough.

The Windows Task Manager can be used to detect CPU and memory hogs: candidates for replacement.

Registry Cleaners and Other Optimizers

There are programs that claim to optimize Windows for higher speed. Most scan the Windows registry and remove unused items. Some also allow easy review and editing of the list of programs that Windows loads when it starts.

Such tools should only be used by experienced power users and IT professionals, people who know how to backup the registry (and their own data), and know how to use Windows Safe Mode and Windows Restore to recover from Windows configuration errors.

Anti-virus Software and PC Speed

By preventing or cleaning up virus infections, anti-virus programs protect PCs from speed-robbing viruses. Unfortunately, anti-virus programs can also slow down the PC if their anti-virus scanning is inefficient. The right anti-virus can make a big difference in PC speed. The Internet should be searched for reviews of fast and efficient anti-virus software.

Temporarily uninstalling the anti-virus software (only when the PC is not connected to the Internet) is one way to see if the anti-virus is slowing down the PC. Some PCs will be noticeably faster with the anti-virus removed.

Upgrading PC Hardware to Increase Windows Performance

Increasing PC RAM is a popular way to increase speed. RAM is cheap and one gigabyte is the bare minimum for today's machines. Depending on the version of Windows and the application programs used, buying more RAM can have a dramatic effect on speed.

Windows Vista has a ReadyBoost feature that allows external Flash thumbdrives to be used as a sort-of-RAM (virtual memory). Within limits, the PC will run faster, even if it has too little RAM.

A USB thumbdrive or hard disk (or second thumbdrive, if ReadyBoost is used for the first thumbdrive) will also increase speed. Storing data files on the external drive means that Windows can access the files there, and program files and virtual memory on the C: boot disk at the same time, without interference.

The CPU is not a speed bottleneck for the average student, office worker or home user. Upgrading the CPU (usually by buying a new PC) isn't a value-for-money way to get a faster PC. Without proper maintenance, a new PC will quickly slow down anyway. PCs less than 3 to 5 years old should have CPUs that are fast enough.

Linux Versus Windows: The Ultimate PC Speed Solution

Reinstalling the operating system is a good way to speed up a PC. The PC becomes "as good as new", without virus or registry bloat issues. The main drawback is the time and technical knowledge required.

Instead of reinstalling the operating system, replacing it with a faster operating system should also be seriously considered:

As in other aspects of life, sometimes size doesn't matter. A small netbook can outperform a desktop PC, if the netbook is properly configured and maintained. Wise PC users can save hours of struggling with a slow PC and thousands of dollars (avoiding unnecessary PC upgrading).

For the official word on speeding up Windows, Microsoft has a list of "5 ways to speed up your PC". The web page also has detailed instructions on defragmenting the hard disk and using the Vista ReadyBoost feature.

The copyright of the article How to Speed Up Windows XP, Vista PC Performance in PC Software/OS is owned by Yuen Kit Mun. Permission to republish How to Speed Up Windows XP, Vista PC Performance in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.