Computer Optimization Guide

Computer Optimization Guide

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*This Guide has up-to-date information and tips from what to do when you first get your computer and also for those who already have been using their computer for some time.

*This Guide is meant to be simple and avoid any potentially damaging changes. Most of these tweaks/changes are meant to have no drawbacks or cause any problems.

*These programs and tips are from my own personal experiences and also from other guides on this forum and others.

*I will update this thread often and add in any advice that other people recommend so please post your comments.

*Please Note: This info is not guaranteed to perform the same on your computer as it did on mine or anyone else's.

Also, this Guide is meant for Windows 7 and Vista computers, but should also work on XP, etc.

Lastly, All of the tweaks mentioned are rather basic and don't involve anything drastic. If you want in-depth tweaks, see NBR Vista Tips and Tweaks Guide - Les

*Please Comment and Rep and post anything that you think I should add in / edit.
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When you first get your computer

- Check to make sure you have all the parts and read through the manuals, etc.
- Check for dead pixels on your screen.
- Go through the User setup and other first-time settings.
- Make your recovery discs (if needed)
- *Updates*:
- Run Microsoft Update to install all Windows updates as well as new drivers
- You can also check your computer manufacturer's website for more driver updates as well as BIOS updates (advanced users only)


(This guide is geared towards optimization so I'm going to skip past the real basics of when you first get a computer)

Bloatware removal

You have 2 options:
1. Reinstall Windows - see Clean Vista install WITH NO ACTIVATION by orev
Also see How to Perform a Clean Installation of Windows 7

2. Remove the bloatware manually
- Remove programs using the Control Panel Uninstaller (ie any trial software such as Norton, etc.)
- Download and run CCleaner
- Go into Computer and go to C:\Program Files and clean up any folders that were left behind after the Uninstall. There are some other directories that you might want to look around for old files such as \Program Data, etc but be careful not to delete anything you're not sure about.
- You can also try PC Decrapifier

Antivirus, Firewall, and AntiSpyware

1. Antivirus - I recommend Microsoft Security Essentials. It has excellent ratings, light on system resources, and very easy to use. It has antivirus and antispyware.
( Virus, Spyware & Malware Protection | Microsoft Security Essentials )

2. Firewall - I'm a fan of Windows Firewall because it come with Windows. But many people don't like it since it doesn't protect against outbound traffic.
So, if you want, you can use Comodo

3. AntiSpyware - I recommend Windows Defender. It comes pre-installed with Vista and 7. If you use MSE, then it will automatically disable Windows Defender since MSE has anti-spyware built-in.
(Note: you can have more than 1 antispyware, but never use more than 1 antivirus or firewall because they can conflict with one another)


Optimization

Now we get to the good stuff.

1. Clean up your startup programs (Important step!)

Go to Start > Run and type msconfig and go to the startup tab.
Go to Process Library for information regarding each item. Disable only the programs that you are sure about. Items such as AIM, qttask, Adobe Update Manager, etc can be unchecked. Searching on Google for the startup item may help you find some info about it as well.
- You can also use CCleaner to do this. Go to Tools-->Startup Tab and uncheck the ones you don't want to start on boot.

2. Clean up Services that aren't needed (Optional)

Go to Start > Run and type services.msc
Go to Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Service Configurations by Black Viper and use that as your survival guide.
For Windows 7 users, go to: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Service Configurations by Black Viper

3. Run a General Maintenance Utility Program (Optional)

My top choice is Glary Utilities
You can also use Iobit Advanced SystemCare, although it is slightly on the riskier side because it tweaks more Windows settings.

4. Disable (Some) Indexing Options (Optional)
See this article:
TweakVista.com - Tweak Indexing Options for More Performance

5. Set power profile to Balanced (Recommended)

Go to the Control Panel

Click on 'classic view' in the left hand pane.

Open Power Options.

Select the 'Balanced' power plan. For more information on this, please see: Power Plan Controversy


6. Disable some Windows Features you don't need.
See "Step 1" from link:
Speeding Up Windows 7

7. If you want to get more in-depth, check out Les' awesome Tweak Guide



Other Advice

- Download and use Google Chrome as your main web browser. ( Firefox is also a good alternative.)

- you may want to go into Control Panel and tweak the settings to your liking as well.

- I recommend using LibreOffice as a Microsoft Office substitute.

- Use OpenDNS ( OpenDNS | Internet Navigation And Security)
Follow the instructions on the website to change your default DNS servers on your computer/router to OpenDNS. It's faster, more secure, and provides many other features for free.


Things to do:

Daily
- Update your Antivirus and AntiSpyware Definitions (should be automatic)

Weekly
- Perform a full virus scan and spyware scan
- Do a backup (I recommend Macrium Reflect)
- Run Windows Update
- Run CCleaner (and if you wish, Glary Utilities or Advanced SystemCare)
- Lastly, Run a Disk Defragmenter ( I recommend using Smart Defrag)
**if you are using a Solid-State Hard Drive (SSD), do not defrag. Not only is it unnecessary but it can be detrimental to the drive.

- I also recommend restarting your computer at least once a week, if you tend to leave your computer on.


Monthly
-check for updates to your programs - I recommend using FileHippo UpdateChecker
- Check for new drivers (go to your computer manufacturers' website)
- Perform chkdsk

Yearly
- Clean out the dust from your PC using a can of condensed air
- If your PC is running sluggish then perform a backup and then restore your computer to original using your restore disks and then move back the necessary files

The items I put in bold are, to me, crucial. An Antivirus (MSE), CCleaner, and a Disk Defragmenter are 3 very important programs in order to keep your computer running at it's best.


**New** - Hardware Upgrades

While this guide is mostly based on free software to help keep your computer running fast, I'd like to also add a basic Hardware Upgrades section for those of you looking for more performance.

1. Upgrade your RAM (Memory)

If your computer is running slow and can't handle running many programs at the same time, it may be due to not having enough RAM.
To check your current RAM, go to Start, type "system information" and open the System Information panel. Then look at the "Installed Physical Memory." I'd recommend having at least 3-4 GB of RAM.
If you're interested in upgrading, go to Crucial.com - It can scan your system to find what kind of RAM you need and give you upgrade recommendations.

2. Upgrade your Hard Drive (HDD)

Many computers, especially laptops, come with 5400rpm hard drives. While they may be large to fit all your files, they run at a slower speed than some of today's more advanced hard drives. A faster hard drive can quicken boot speed and also speed up opening programs. You have 3 basic upgrade choices:

- 7200rpm laptop hard drive (2.5 inch)

- Momentus XT Hybrid Hard Drive (7200rpm drive with 4GB SSD)

- Solid State Hard Drive (SSD)

A 7200rpm hard drive would be the cheapest and the least speed improvement of the 3. The SSD would be the fastest but also the most expensive. The Momentus XT is a good middle-ground choice.

Here's a good comparison of these Hard Drives by Phil:

NotebookReview.com SSD & Hard Drive Comparison

I personally upgraded to the 500GB Momentus XT and am very happy with it so far. It is much faster than my previous 5400rpm HDD and has speed comparable to a SSD, without the hefty price tag plus a greater amount of storage space.

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I also recommend getting a notebook stand to help allow for more air flow and keep the computer running cool, especially if you notice your fan is running often or it feels hot.
There are two types: passive and active. Passive just elevate the computer while active have fans to help blow air. The downside to active stands is that they tend to be pretty loud. I personally use the following stand and love it:

Targus Ergonomic Cooling Mobile X-Stand


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- More Coming Soon

This guide is meant to be a basic guide for people to get an understanding of some simple and pretty important tweaks/programs.

I will update this thread with more detailed info in the future when I have time.

Feel free to add in comments.

Credit to the3vilGenius for the awesome graphic!

 

For those unfamiliar with free antivirus software, other free programs available are Avast! ( www.avast.com) and, if you're looking for and open source, distributable program - ClamWin ( www.clamwin.com).

Also, if you need to play DVDs and your PC didn't come with a dvd decoder program, a nice free one is VLC Media Player ( http://www.videolan.org/vlc/).

 

great job +rep for ya!

 

thanks
glad you liked it

 

Hi JPZsports,

Nice Guide ... pretty dummy-proof ...

JPZ ... could you please check you rlink here .. I couldn't open this one ... wouldn't take me there ... it might be just me.

Thanks,
G!

 

Thanks, I tried to keep it simple cause I know how overwhelming it can be to make so many tweaks like the ones listed on this forum. I tried to take the most important ones that are the least confusing to do.

And I checked the link and it worked for me, but I decided to change it to orev's guide since it seems to be a little more popular anyways.
So hopefully that link will work for you now.

Glad you like the guide

 

Hi JPZ,

Talk about Customer Service ... that was fast ... +rep for great Guide AND fast Customer Service.

OREV's link works just fine.

Thanks,
G!

 

Thanks.
Glad to help

 

great post!!! ive been looking for one of these a long time, n it did show up right before my new lappy arrives.

not going to do a clean install afterall, hoping bloatware removal will work as fine....

thanks a lot!!! probably will have more questions when i get my lappy...

 

JPZ this is a great help to me struggling with a new laptop having never used one before. I have a few questions perhaps you can (or someone else) can answer.

Q#1 = There is shortcut to Norton Inet Security set up on the screen however there doesn't seem to be any ref in the uninstall. Can I assume that I can simply delete both the shortcut and all the files in the 'file location' and that will remove it from the 'puter?

Q#2 = NB did not come with any disks at all (or much else for that matter) and I'd like to make the recovery disk(s). I've never had a writable DVD thingy before, only a player, so please excuse the possible stupidity of this question but, how do you use it? The store person told me to buy these DVD+R disks so I've got 25 of them. When I go to put it in the DVD drive, it doesn't seem to fit in the center spindle thing? I don't want to push on it too hard in case I break something, being I've never used on before. Am I supposed to put a fair amount of energy into pushing on the center part? (Maybe this is the wrong place to ask this but I googled for info on this issue and didn't find any answer.)

Q#3 = Possibly another dumb questions but where does one go/how does one know what drivers/bios to update and where to go to do that?

Q#4 = You suggest that Windows Firewall works fine but doesn't protect against outbound traffic. Is that important?

Guess that's it for now. If I can get these things done, the I'll carry on down the list. )

Thanks so much

 

Oops -- one more question. I -- when I learn how to do this disk burn thing -- want to make a copy of the Vista info/files . . in case of a crash or screw up. (OEM - no disk). Are there many places I need to go to look for these files or should they all be in one place and what main heading might they be under?

Again, many thanks

 

Thanks

If you already removed Norton from the Control Panel's Uninstall, then ya, just delete any left over icons. It should've been deleted by the uninstaller, but...

You could also try pcdecrapifier.com

The DVD disc should fit in there. Just put some pressure. DVDs and CDs are the same size.

Run Microsoft Update. You can also check HP's website and download drivers there.

I use Windows Firewall and love it. But if you are concerned, you can use Comondo firewall.

Not really sure of your question...

 

Re:

Q #1 - Norton was never on the "Uninstall List" - and thus the questions. However the shortcut on the desktop was to a 'set-up' so I've deleted the shoortcut and all (known) files associated therewith. Hopefully that has gotten rid of it.

Q#2 - Well I solved this challenge. I'll briefly (I hope) elaborate for others perhaps similiarly challenged.
I'd never used a laptop DVD/CD before. I bought the DVD+R disks recommended and proceeded to put one of them in the tray and do the Reovery Exercise. I used to top disk out of the package which was entirely clear. ) It was actually a protective disk and not a *real* DVD+R at all. After a few minutes of frustration with that, I mentally said scr*w it and tried another disk, at which point I noticed this disk was quite different than the previous. LOL!! So I put it in and after a mo or two, once again it asks me to put in a disk. So I'm like well sh*t - what NOW. To keep this a little brief, I'd put the write side up and the label side down. I only write this as its a *who knew* issue. If you've never done something before you simply don't know nor does anyone address it (Google Search). My DVD package had been dropped coming from the store so I opened it from the bottom & thus compounded my dilemna, opening it from what would be I suppose the bottom rather than the top. Short story = label up folks. )
Does one need to redo the Recovery disk with changes to the 'puter or is it only recording the basid O/S and you will have to make all future changes, thus not worth doing it too awfully regularly?

Q#3 - Okay - that's all that is necessary? I have done the MS Update. This NB is Toshiba but I get the drift. What do I (or anyone) need to look for said manufacturers site(s)?

Q#4 - I'm prolly not concerned but don't know if I should be? After years of (desktop) puting, I pretty much know if something is hinky or not. DH (main user of this NB) not so much so I want protection but want to keep it KISS. And I don't want to be running every 5 mins for 'what's this / what's that', ya know? Outbound is only going to cause a problem if he DL's (which is mostly never) and doesn't run AV/Mal/ blah blah protecton -- would that be right?


Oops Question - well just ignore that. My frustraton with the DVD issue is obviously showing in my confusion. )

So NOW we have some new ones. --- I can HEAR you. ) ---

**Why does it seem one always need to use the mouse/trackpad to click things as opposed to just hitting enter? I find that very annoying. Is it something I should be doing/changing?

**Why is this 'Us/English' icon always on the screen? Dah. Like I don't know what language I use? Pee's me off to have extraneous stuff on the desk top. Can I remove it & if so, then how?

** I added the *Links* bar to the tray but next day they had all disappeared (along with the *run* command also added). The links bar is there but none of the icons/links per se. Before I do this again, do I need to restart for this to be preserved and take affect?

** I downloaded CCleaner but -- where is it? I can find the download and I've installed it (sans desktop shortcut) but it's not in the program files. Where to look?

**So now to -- Mail Programs.
We'll download Open Office for this computer but it doesn't ( I don't believe) have any equivalent of MS Outlook. So what to use? He doesn't get a lot of mail and some of what he gets ( hotel & air rewards particularluy) is best kept on my 'puter. Perhaps I should just use MSMail, get all the stuff myself, and redirect to him - with a new email addy - what I want him to deal with? Guess I'm thinking out loud here. What email programs do you suggest?

Guess you've had enough of me and I'm tired too. )

Cheers + Many Thanks

 

You might have gotten rid of all the program files but there could still be some norton registry files. So if you want to be safe, you could run pcdecrapifier or at least use CCleaner.

You only need to make the recovery discs once. - If you have any problems, you should just use System Restore instead of the entire recovery back to original.

Microsoft Update should cover most of it, but you should check on Toshiba's website. There should be a downloads section. Since I don't have a Toshiba, you might want to ask in the Toshiba forum.

Don't worry about it. Just use Windows Firewall and a good antivirus and you'll be fine.

Sorry, not sure about this one. Hopefully someone else has an idea. Try googling it.

Sounds like a Toshiba-related question. Ask in that forum.

Sorry, I'm not sure.

Did you chose for it to create a a programs link for your start menu? And you don't see it in C:/ Program Files?
Try reinstalling it.

Sorry, but I only use web-based mail. Yahoo Mail to be specific.


Wish I could've helped more, but hopefully I helped with some stuff.

 

I added in a few minor things to the guide.
More to come soon.

 

Does anyone have any idea how to remove the oobe (Out of Box Experience) related crap. It's the links that show up on your 'Welcome Center' and persist there even after you've uninstalled all the bloatware.

I googled around and found some instructions on editing oobe.xml files but wasn't able to follow through (some files were locked, invisible, different locations, etc...) While doing that though, I discovered that there is a TON of crap stored in these oobe directories (a version for every language in the universe, graphics, etc...). They're mostly harmless I guess but I'd really like to get rid of them altogether if possible.

 

Have you tried this:
http://www.litepc.com/xplite/oobe.htm&view=expanded

 

Great guide but is there a guide for playing games too? I mean a guide that tells you what to close down and what can stay open, if I want to play games. Also, how does one clean inside a laptop???

 

Im on a computer using xp right now but am wondering something but cant remember what its called, something like usuer protection, it so things can't be changed on your computer without you clicking run. I have a few programs I run every day and one in paticular I know its effecting. Im using a college hookup so I have to log on using CISCO Clean Access but I have to keep entering my password and username everytime I turn my computer off which is becoming a major headache. Is this an important feature protection wise? I mean I have defender, norton firewall, windows security stuff, if its gets through all that good chance this little bugger isn't gonna protect me.

Thanks.

 

You can download WinBubble which has some options for temporarily disabling Aero, etc for a slight gaming performance increase.

 

In addition to pcdecrapifier, Revo Uninstaller is another awesome tool. It's a full replacement for Add/Remove that not only uninstalls, but also searches out every last reg key and file leftover by the program that you're removing. Full freeware too. I've been using it for a couple months now, tis been marvelous.

 

Ya, RevoUninstaller is an excellent program, but it's not compatible with Windows 64 bit so that's why I didn't list it.

 

Very insightfull thread....

 

Great starters guide to optimizing.. +rep

 

Thank You

 

Made small edit.

 

Updated on 2/21. Added in a few things and made some link changes.

 

Updated: 6/29

Added in more info regarding updates in the Monthly section and made some other minor changes.

 

Great guide jpz, i second the use of comodo, its a great free firewall and AV.

 

maybe it has changed since I tried it 2 years ago, but that time FW was too resource hungry and AV did not have a sufficient detection rate according to some reviews. It's free, yes, but is it also good???

 

Yup both, gives flexability in the options, monitor threads, inbound outband connections, what type of mode you would like the firewall to react on, uses 40megs of ram? Not sure about HDD usage but its an antivirus, its designed to sweep through files, you can also set it to on acess scanning rather then the kind of slow sweep that you have which is nice too.

 

Thanks

Yeah, Comodo is a great alternative firewall for those looking for a little more protection than the standard Windows Firewall.

 

Excellent post. My netbook is booting up extremely fast. It's about time I learned how to take better care of my computer. Thanks!

 

Glad you like it

FYI- I'm not sure if your netbook has a SSD but if it does, then you don't need to use a disk defragmenter.
See this for more info:
http://www.ghacks.net/2009/01/03/should-you-defragment-a-ssd/

 

8-22-09:

Minor Change to the Guide. My recommended Power Option has been changed from "High Performance" to "Balanced" due to my latest findings. For more info, please see:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=410831

 

Yes it is. I have been using it on my T500 with Vista Business 64-bit since Day 1. It makes your life a lot easier when uninstalling bundled bloatware, rather than manually hunting down each stray bit that the uninstallers fail to remove.

 

Maybe it "works" but it's not fully compatible because on their site it says:
"64 bit operating systems are NOT supported!"

I emailed them and they said they are planning on releasing a 64 bit version in the future.

 

Loved the optimization guide! Helped out a lot...

Just wanted to see if this setup overkill:
Run every month:
AntiVir
CCleaner
SUPERantispyware
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
Advanced SystemCare
Glary Utilities
Auslogics
FileHippo

anything else I need to run/can I remove one of those.

Thanks for all your help!!!!

 

Glad to help. All those programs are good and you should be able to run them all without any conflicting. I'm not sure if you really need all that anti-spyware stuff because AntiVir comes with it, but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. And glary utilities is very similar to Advanced SystemCare so you don't have to use both.
Lastly, I recommend that you run CCleaner first along with the other programs and save Auslogics Disk Defrag for last. That way you won't be defragging files that CCleaner would end up deleting later.

 

Alright, I might remove the spyware... what about the malware? Does AntiVir take care of that too. Which of the two (glary and systemcare) is better? I figure there is no reason to do the same thing multiple times.

Thanks for the help!

 

If you want to be extra secure, I recommend that you keep Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.

And regarding glary vs systemcare- They both are good. I've used both in the past, but currently I just use Glary. SystemCare is a little more advanced and changes some Windows settings. Glary isn't as invasive so that's why I just use that.
Hope this helps.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

BTW, since you're using Antivir, you might want to know how to remove the popup ad.

http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-the-Popup-Ads-in-Avira-Antivir

 

Thanks for the help. I removed the spyware and systemcare. I also removed the popup add... Thanks!

 

That's a darn good guide! I am going to buy a new computer soon and this will make sure I keep my computer in tip-top condition. I'm bookmarking this page so I can remember it. And I know this thread is one year old but I still have to say it: Thanks for the guide!

 

Thank You

Even though I made the thread a year ago, the information and tips are still current and I've updated anything that needed updating.

When Windows 7 comes out I'll make adjustments as needed.

 

Do u think things will change for windows 7? I am running all of these on windows 7 n all work fine just so you know.

 

I usually never leave "the installed firewall stuff" if I install, PC Tools Firewall Plus for example, do I shut off the microsoft firewall..?

thanks

 

Most, if not all, of these tips apply to Windows 7 as well. There maybe some minor things that I need to change just for clarification purposes, but in the mean time, you should be fine using this tweaks.

Yes, you only need to have one firewall running at a time. So if you were to install a 3rd party firewall, you would disable the Windows firewall. Most likely the program will automatically do this anyways.

If you're looking for a firewall, check this out:

Code:

http://lifehacker.com/5061933/five-best-windows-firewalls

As I mentioned in my first post, Comodo is the most popular.


Hope this helps...

 

Updated: 11/1/09

Made some changes. Tips are compatible with Windows 7.
Changed recommended Antivirus to Microsoft Security Essentials.

Added link to Black Viper's new Windows 7 Service Configurations.

 

i think Google Chrome is much faster then Firefox *cough* overrated *cough*

you should try it out, and then possibly suggest that instead of FF

 

I'm actually a big fan of Chrome. I use it on my netbook. The only reason I choose to use FF over Chrome on my main notebook is because of the addons. I think Firefox is a more "complete" browser because of the extensions. But for pure speed and simplicity, Chrome is definitely the way to go.

I'll add in a note about Chrome to the guide.