A good percentage of Windows XP PC owners have experienced a significant decrease in speed and performance in their PCs over the years.  This “lag” is caused by several factors and can be fixed with a few simple steps. In this article, you will learn how to fix speed and performance problems with Windows XP.

What causes computer lag?

When you have a PC for a few years that you use on a regular basis, it’s going to accumulate quite a few unneeded files as you add and delete programs from your PC.  This regular PC use has a significant effect on your hard drive, which needs regular cleaning and attention to keep your PC running smoothly.

Fragmentation of files in your hard drive, bloat caused by too many unneeded and useless files, and overall disorganization of files and keys in your hard drive slows your PC down and decreases performance significantly.

Quick tips to improve speed and performance:

Perform a Windows cleanup to increase speed and improve performance on your XP PC.  To do this, follow these simple steps:

1.    Disk Cleanup

•    Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup

Disk Cleanup is a Windows utility that scans your hard drive for unneeded files.  It  allows you to review the categories of files that can be deleted or compressed and gives you the options (under the More Options tab) to remove unneeded programs and Windows components and to delete all but the most recent successful restore points.

2.    Disk Check/SFC Scan

•    Start > Run > “CHKDSK” &  Start > Run > “SFC /SCANNOW”

Disk Check is a Windows scan that runs through your hard drive and detects any errors, repairing those that it can.  SFC (System File Checking) is an XP scan that does the same to your system files.

3.    Disk Defragment

•    Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragment

Disk Defragment is a utility that defragments files on your hard drive, organizes files according to type and size, and compresses contiguous files together to remove spaces and gaps.  It’s highly suggested that you defragment your hard drive monthly to keep up on computer health.

Many people are opting for advanced software technology to fix problems with Windows.  It is always best to research your options first.  Many times, you can fix these problems on your own, but it is no guarantee that you will prevent future ones.

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PC tuning, or PC performance tuning, is a process usually performed by a professional computer analyst or PC program that analyzes and measures PC performance, designates areas of the PC that need improvement, and then improves these areas.

5 Steps to PC Performance Tuning

1. First, the problem(s) are assessed and are categorized according to acceptable behavior.
2. Next, the performance of the system is measured as a variable before system modification for comparison after.
3. Then the key part of the system that are in critical need of improvement are identified.  This is referred to as the bottleneck.
4. After the bottleneck is identified, that part of the system is modified to remove the bottleneck.
5. Last, the performance of the computer system is measured yet again after modification.

Bottleneck Modification

Modifying the bottleneck, or key part of the computer system causing problems, means altering, fixing, or improving a part or parts of the system.  To ensure that the key part suspected is indeed the bottleneck, sampling and testing must be done.

This means that their existence must be proven with evidence.  Guessing as to what the bottleneck is can often be faulty and result in false modification that does not help and may even harm your system.

A variety of techniques are used to improve performance.  Among these techniques are self-tuning, code optimization, caching strategy, distributed computing, and load balancing.  Locating and modifying the bottleneck will improve your PC’s runtime.

You can find software that will do all of this for you before your computer starts to freeze and crash.  Stop chasing problems and waiting endlessly to access your programs with regular maintenance.  Add a registry cleaner after your next PC tuning to your computer’s system to optimize performance on a regular basis.

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Programming is not that esoteric. While applications are made up of ones and zeroes, modern programming tools or languages already allow us to create software using words that do not compete with Morse codes as far as understandability is concerned.

Many of today’s viruses or spyware infect programs by inserting seemingly meaningless words or series of characters into the lines that make up the application. If you want a hands-on experience in removing malicious codes, then you could do so by opening up the program into its bare essentials. All you have to do thereafter is to look for the line that is not included in the original make up of the software. This may seem easy if the lines or codes are just a page long. However, most applications nowadays contain kilometers of programming sentences.

Malware that strikes Windows registries also perform their pernicious act in similar fashion. You may remove the malicious line or instruction by yourself without the aid of any tool, but this is very dangerous as any erroneous alteration could lead to a system crash. This is the reason why you should leave Windows registry cleaning to RegCure. RegCure eliminates unwanted instructions inside your system’s registry, thereby enhancing your PC’s performance and ensuring the integrity of your operating system.

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I guess you already know by now that I’m an ardent advocate of simple optimization techniques as a means of improving PC performance. I always dissuade my friends from buying new hardware components or in junking their whole unit for a new one whenever they’re disgusted with their computer.

I hate it when hardware makers, especially those manufacturing processors, frequently release new products which make their previous ones obsolete. Many people feel obligated to buy the latest version even though their existing unit or its components are not yet that old.

All of us want our PC to run faster. However, speed has usually been solely associated with the processor. This is an unfortunate misconception. You can easily improve the performance of your PC by just cleaning up its registry. If you feel that it’s imperative to add or replace a peripheral, then just buy a few memory modules to increase your RAM. Don’t blame your processor or motherboard every time your PC emulates a turtle. Your unit has a lot more to give than you might think!

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