techguy
Saturday, March 1st, 2008, 07:24 PM
Techguy’s Techtip 2:
It has been awhile since I posted a techtip, so I hope everyone likes this week’s tip.
I have been asked how to improve the performance of older computers. The big challenge is getting a four or five year old system to meet the demands of the applications you want or need to use today. The first thing I would recommend is selecting the lightest OS that will meet your needs. Some Linux distributions may be a good option if you know it will run the desired applications or comparable alternatives, but since a majority of users use Windows I will focus on that route.
If you have had Windows XP loaded on your system for a long time and frequently install\uninstall applications and install all of the patches (which is recommended), it may be time for a rebuild. Windows depends heavily on the system Registry and most applications are very poor at removing all of their entries from the Registry when they are uninstalled. Overtime unneeded entries build up and slow down the system. A clean install followed by the latest Service Pack and patches will greatly improve performance. Be sure to back up all of your data and e-mail before wiping the system!
One option that is less time consuming and won’t result in any accidental data loss is upgrading your system’s RAM. Most websites that specialize in RAM sales have a database of PC manufacturers and models and will be able to provide a list of compatible RAM for your system. Keep in mind that many systems work best if RAM is installed in matching pairs (2x 512MB for example). The website will let you know if this is the case for your system. RAM is relatively inexpensive. Fifty to One Hundred dollars of RAM should give any system a boost in performance.
Keep in mind the budget when working on old systems. A new computer that is significantly faster than a system from a few years ago can be purchased for $500 or less. If you need to buy hardware and hire someone to reload a used system, you can quickly spend few hundred dollars on parts and labor.
Future techtips will provide more suggestions on how to keep your money in your wallet and your PC out of the landfill. . .
It has been awhile since I posted a techtip, so I hope everyone likes this week’s tip.
I have been asked how to improve the performance of older computers. The big challenge is getting a four or five year old system to meet the demands of the applications you want or need to use today. The first thing I would recommend is selecting the lightest OS that will meet your needs. Some Linux distributions may be a good option if you know it will run the desired applications or comparable alternatives, but since a majority of users use Windows I will focus on that route.
If you have had Windows XP loaded on your system for a long time and frequently install\uninstall applications and install all of the patches (which is recommended), it may be time for a rebuild. Windows depends heavily on the system Registry and most applications are very poor at removing all of their entries from the Registry when they are uninstalled. Overtime unneeded entries build up and slow down the system. A clean install followed by the latest Service Pack and patches will greatly improve performance. Be sure to back up all of your data and e-mail before wiping the system!
One option that is less time consuming and won’t result in any accidental data loss is upgrading your system’s RAM. Most websites that specialize in RAM sales have a database of PC manufacturers and models and will be able to provide a list of compatible RAM for your system. Keep in mind that many systems work best if RAM is installed in matching pairs (2x 512MB for example). The website will let you know if this is the case for your system. RAM is relatively inexpensive. Fifty to One Hundred dollars of RAM should give any system a boost in performance.
Keep in mind the budget when working on old systems. A new computer that is significantly faster than a system from a few years ago can be purchased for $500 or less. If you need to buy hardware and hire someone to reload a used system, you can quickly spend few hundred dollars on parts and labor.
Future techtips will provide more suggestions on how to keep your money in your wallet and your PC out of the landfill. . .