A new lease of life

Just as a new car soon loses that factory-fresh smell, your once-nimble PC may well have long since lost its cutting edge.

Where once it sprang into life and loaded programs in a fraction of a second, do you now have time to make a cuppa while it grinds into action of a morning? If so, it's time for a tune-up.

We're not going to recommend that you speed up your processor or take a razor to your Registry but we will show you how to pep up a tired and ailing PC.

You'll be amazed at just how much faster it can be persuaded to perform with little more than a touch of tender care. You may even be persuaded to use it more.

All 33 tips outlined in the text on these pages are, of course, perfectly safe. However, as always, you should make a full backup of all your files before wading in.

Finally, these tips work with both Windows Me and XP. Most of them apply to Windows 98 but the steps may not be exactly the same.

Vision off
One of the attractions of a touchy-feely, point-and-click graphical interface is that you can set up your computer to look and behave more or less exactly as you please. However, the price you pay for fancy interface features is a corresponding drop in performance.

Let's cut to the quick, beginning with the Desktop itself - the screen you see when Windows has finished loading when you switch on your PC. If you have a background picture on display here, this means that the graphics card has to continually redraw the image many times every second.

This ties up a small but significant slice of its time. Switch to a blank screen and you should find that windows pop up on screen just that little bit faster.

To turn off your background, right-click any blank area on the Desktop, click on Properties to open up the Display Properties dialogue box, move to the Background tab (or Desktop tab in Windows XP), highlight None in the Wallpaper dialogue box (called Background in XP) and click on OK.

To be fair, this alone isn't going to turn a sluggish PC into a super computer but now right-click on the Desktop again and look in the Settings tab.

In the Colors section, you'll find a drop-down menu that lets you adjust the colour depth. This is a measure of how many colours your monitor displays, which in turn has a bearing on how hard the graphics card has to work.

Shifting down from 32-bit to 24-bit colour relieves the burden a little, from 24-bit to 16-bit a little more and all the way down to 8-bit (256 colours) a good deal more (although Windows won't look so pretty).

You can easily restore the settings to work with high-resolution images or play games.

Still in Settings, try lowering the display resolution. Again, this will gain you a microsecond or two in all that you do.

Now look in the Effects tab and uncheck the 'Show window contents while dragging' option to spare your computer the effort of continually redrawing a window's contents as you move or resize it.

Bells and whistles
Other slothful Windows features that may safely be given the boot are mouse-related fripperies such as animated pointers and cursor trails.

Mouse settings are accessed by clicking the Start button followed by Settings and Control Panel, or simply Start and Control Panel in Windows XP. Incidentally, XP users please switch to Control Panel's 'Classic View' in order to follow these and subsequent directions.

While in Control Panel, take a moment to disable all those Windows-generated sounds. Each sound is a file that must be read from the hard disk, which takes time and serves little useful purpose.

In Windows Me, double-click on the Sounds and Multimedia icon in Control Panel, look in the Sounds tab and select No Sounds from the Scheme drop-down menu; in XP, the Control Panel icon is called Sounds and Audio Devices.

If this all seems a little fussy, Windows XP users have a welcome shortcut. Right-click on the My Computer icon on the Desktop, move to the Advanced tab in the System Properties window and click on the Settings button in the Performance area.

Now you can play around with all manner of XP-specific features like sliding Taskbar buttons and fading menus to your heart's content or - and this we heartily recommend for a speed boost - just select the 'Adjust for best performance' option.

Delving deeper
Windows comes with an array of maintenance and tweaking utilities. Perhaps the most obvious but also the most effective is Disk Defragmenter.

Run this regularly - preferably weekly - to stitch together and realign files that have become split through repeated use. Click on the Start button followed by Programs (All Programs in Windows XP), Accessories and look for Disk Defragmenter in the Accessories or System Tools folders. Run ScanDisk occasionally too to find and fix any errors with the files.

Now click Start, then click Run, type MSCONFIG and click OK. Why? Because this opens up one of Windows' best hidden tools. Browse to the Startup tab and you'll find details of every program that starts automatically when you switch on your computer, including those that run idly in the background all day long, gnawing on memory and slowing everything down.

Weed out the dead wood here by deselecting the programs you know you don't need but, if in doubt, leave well alone.

Another way to disable background programs is to find their get-out clause. For example, Windows XP users with no use for MSN Messenger (aka Windows Messenger) can click on the Tools button on its toolbar, followed by Options and then move to the Preferences tab.

Uncheck 'Run this program when Windows starts' and Messenger will cease to be a constant companion in the System Tray - except that it still springs maddeningly into life every time you open Outlook Express and the darned thing just can't be completely uninstalled.

We looked high and low for a solution and eventually settled on a free tool written by one Doug Knox, a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional). This killed it dead.

Tightening up
A leaner hard disk makes for a swifter computer so get shot of the junk cluttering up your machine. By far the easiest method is by using Disk Cleanup utility (click the Start button, Programs, Accessories and System Tools). On our Windows XP PC, we cleared out nearly 600Mb in one move, including all our old pre-upgrade Windows Me files.

You should also uninstall any old programs that you no longer use and even delete space-hogging old System Restore points: see the More Options tab in Disk Cleanup for details.

Let's not forget about email. If Outlook Express is starting to stutter, its folders could be overloaded with junk mail. Spend a few minutes dragging unwanted messages to the Deleted Items folder and then delete the lot by right-clicking on the icon and selecting Empty Deleted Items Folder.

Now speed things up further by compacting all folders that contain stored messages to remove any wasted space. Highlight Outlook Express in the folders pane, click the File button on the toolbar, then Folder and finally Compact All Folders.

In Outlook 2000 or XP, clear out unwanted messages and then right-click on Outlook Today in the Folder List window, select Properties, click on the Advanced button and click on Compact Now.

Swap shop
Getting just a touch more advanced now, we come to consider the swap file. This is a file on the hard disk that Windows uses as surrogate memory when there isn't enough of the real thing.

However, Windows continually expands and contracts the file in line with its workload, which eventually leads to fragmentation and slows the turgid swapping process further.

In Windows Me, open Control Panel, double-click on the System icon to open System Properties, move to the Performance tab and click on the Virtual Memory button. In Windows XP, click on Systems, move to the Advanced tab, click on the Performance Settings button, move to the Advanced tab and click on the Change button in the Virtual memory area.

Now uncheck the 'Let Windows manage my virtual memory settings' option - or click on the Customise option in XP - and enter the same figure in both the Minimum and Maximum boxes. This determines a fixed size for the swap file, with the result that it can not fragment. XP users then need to click on the Set button to fix the swap file size.

But what size swap file exactly? Well, as a tried and tested rule, the swap file should be one and a half times the amount of physical memory available to the PC. That is, if you have 64Mb of memory, make the swap file 96Mb; if you have 128Mb, make it 192Mb.

If you have two hard disks in your system, you should also move the swap file to the faster disk. For example, a disk with a 7,200rpm spin speed will be quicker than one with a more common speed of 5,400rpm.

Boosting BIOS
When restarting your computer, press the Delete, F1, F2 or whichever key it shows is required to enter the BIOS set-up screen.

There are three things you can do in the Advanced Settings (or similar) area but the precise wording varies with each brand of BIOS so do proceed with care and take note of the changes you make.

First, enable the Quick Power-on Self-test option. This forces BIOS to skip a few routine checks when the PC is restarted, with the result that Windows loads marginally faster. Secondly, disable the Boot Up Floppy Seek option.

This stops BIOS checking the floppy drive for a disk it can use to boot the PC, shaving off a couple of seconds from the start-up time. Finally, nominate the C: drive as the first and only device in the Boot Sequence.

Exit the BIOS set-up (usually by pressing the Escape key a couple of times) and be sure to save your changes when asked.

High-speed driving
A driver is a set of software instructions that lets a piece of hardware, such as a CD-Rom drive or graphics card, talk to the rest of the computer system.

New drivers are developed all the time to resolve bugs, to improve compatibility with other devices, to offer additional functions and, in particular, to keep the thing working when you change your computer's operating system.

It really does make sense to periodically check the manufacturers' websites for performance enhancing updates, and nVidia graphics cards are a case in point.

The company's own high-octane Detonator XP driver can significantly boost the performance of any graphics card with an nVidia chip on-board. At the very core level, a new driver for your motherboard from the likes of Intel, SiS or VIA can also inject extra juice into your PC, especially AGP performance for games playing.

It may even add support for DMA (see below). One noted example is VIA's 4in1 package that addresses several areas simultaneously.

However, if you don't have your motherboard manual to hand, it can be tricky establishing just who made what. Try Computer Tech On-Line's BIOS guide or Intel's downloadable chipset-identifying utility or if you're feeling bold, SiSoft Sandra.

If you do manage to successfully identify your motherboard's components, check the Support or Download section of the manufacturer's website and follow the instructions.

Fast access
DMA stands for Direct Memory Access, a computer's method of allowing a hard disk or CD-Rom/DVD-Rom drive access to memory without going through the processor.

This is a very good idea because it leaves the processor free to concentrate on more important tasks, such as running your applications.

Unfortunately, Windows Me does not have DMA enabled by default. Open the Control Panel, double-click System and look in the Device Manager tab.

Now click on the plus sign next to Disk drives, highlight your hard disk (probably called Generic IDE Disk Type 40) and click the Properties button. In the Settings tab, check the DMA box and restart your computer when prompted.

Repeat this process with your CD-Rom and/or DVD-Rom drives, one at a time. Do be aware, however, that it's not unknown for DMA to cause problems, particularly with CD-Rom drives, so disable DMA if your PC starts behaving oddly.

If the DMA box is greyed-out, a driver upgrade for the device or the motherboard (or both) might bring DMA into play. Again, check those manufacturers' websites.

In Windows XP, the procedure is rather different. DMA is enabled by default here in most circumstances but it pays to check. Open Device Manager as described above but this time click on the plus sign next to IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.

Now double-click on the Primary IDE Controller entry. In the Advanced Settings tab, ensure that 'DMA if available' is shown in the Transfer Mode field for both Device 0 (the master device on this channel) and Device 1 (the slave). Then repeat with the Secondary IDE Controller.

UTILITIES

So far, we've looked mainly at hands-on performance-wrenching tweaks. But as ever, there are plenty of free utilities around that can make life a little easier. Here's a quick round-up.

TweakUI
An old favourite, now available in Me and XP flavours. This is the Microsoft-developed (but resolutely unsupported) tool that lets you fiddle with normally inaccessible settings - for instance, edit the Registry - without fear. By making Windows work more to your liking, you can get more done more quickly. Or something like that.

MaxMem
This top freebie from AnalogX that forcibly reclaims memory left in limbo by inefficient applications and minimises Windows' use of the slow swap file. The effects are immediate and can be startling.

BootVis (Windows XP only)
A curiosity from Microsoft, BootVis shortens the time it takes a Windows XP PC to fire up from a cold start. Use the Optimize System option in the Trace menu to let BootVis rearrange the start-up files on the hard disk. This should shave a few seconds off the boot process (six of them, in our tests).

SiSoft Sandra
Sandra 2002 Standard (System Analyser Diagnosing and Reporting Assistant) is an impressive diagnostic utility that's worth the download time for its Performance Tune-up Wizard alone. Find out just what's under your PC's cover, which bits are under-performing and what steps you should take.

Registry editors
Yes, the scary old Registry, home of all your computer's configuration settings. A badly fragmented Registry, or one that harbours references to programs long gone, can hamper and delay Windows.

However, any attempt to optimise, clean or fix it is inherently dangerous. That's why we strongly suggest - nay, insist - that you back up your Registry right at the outset.

There are two easy methods to do this in Windows Me and XP. For one, simply make a new System Restore point. Click the Start button, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore and follow the wizards. Just revert to this safe point should anything go awry.

Alternatively, click on Start, then Run, type REGEDIT and click on OK. Now click on the File button on the toolbar and Export the Registry as a text file (for instance save it with a sensible name like 'myregistrybackup' to a folder on your hard disk).

For safety's sake, we recommend that you copy the backup file onto a floppy disk as well. If you need to restore this copy of the Registry, use the import command in Registry Editor's File menu.

Thus protected, here are three useful programs to try:

NTREGOPT (Windows XP only)
This quick, simple and seemingly effective Registry optimiser requires absolutely no manual intervention.

RegCleaner
It's a good deal more hands-on but this tool offers non-experts a safe way to prune the Registry without breaking the computer. Treated with care, it works a treat, especially for clearing out redundant files left behind by previously uninstalled software.

Advanced Registry Tracker
Use ART to compare and cross-reference ongoing snapshots of the Registry and revert to any previous version. It's more for the expert bug tracker but it can certainly keep the Registry firing on all cylinders. Try it free for 30 days or pay $40 (£26) to make it your own.

So there you have it - a hatful of handy tweaks that can restore a lumbering, lame PC to spring-chicken sprightliness. At a total cost of zero pence, we reckon that's a pretty fair deal.

Stumping up
We'd hesitate to recommend that you rush out to buy an armful of software in the hope of speeding up your PC. There are no magic wands and we reckon that the tips and tweaks outlined here are all you really need.

That said, commercial utility suites often include real-time system monitoring tools that can help to stop your system slowing down in the first place.

If you really can't resist an instant helping hand, take out a free 10-day trial with Ontrack's My PC Tools.

This is a web-based utility suite that includes a Registry fixer and some good hard disk maintenance and diagnostic tools. If it gets you hooked, a year's subscription will set you back $50 (£33).

Hard facts
We're loath to admit it but there are limits to what can be achieved with Windows and software utilities alone.

However, for a modest outlay making a couple of choice hardware upgrades can make the difference between overdue obsolescence and a prolonged useful life span. Here are some options to consider:

New hard disk: essential if you need extra storage space. A faster disk can also reduce the time it takes to open and save documents. However, a speedy new hard disk is wasted on a slow motherboard so buy like-for-like and do some research.

Processor upgrade: easier than you'd think so long as you stick to a processor specifically supported by your motherboard. Don't assume that you can slot a Pentium 4 processor in your old Pentium II PC.

Memory: ah, now we're talking. A dose of extra memory can perk up a PC's performance no end. Just make sure you buy the correct type for your PC and that you have free memory slots in which to put it.

Expansion cards: a new sound or graphics card is a simple, highly effective upgrade if you need extra power for music or playing games. But it won't make a blind bit of difference if your computer struggles with spreadsheets.

CONTACTS:

Doug's Windows Tweaks and Tips
www.dougknox.com

Nvidia
www.nvidia.com

Intel
www.intel.com

Sis
www.sis.com

VIA
www.viaarena.com

Computer Tech On-Line
computertech.server101.com

Annoyances.org (for TweakUI)
www.annoyances.org

AnalogX (for MaxMem)
www.analogx.com

Microsoft (for BootVis)
www.microsoft.com

SiSoftware (for Sandra)
www.sisoftware.co.uk

NTREGOPT
home.t-online.de

RegCleaner
http://www.vtoy.fi

ART
www.elcomsoft.com

Ontrack My PC Tools
www.mypctools.co.uk

XP-erience
www.xp-erience.org

TweakXP
www.tweakxp.com

XPTuneup
www.xptuneup.com