Turn your PC into a lean, clean, processing machine

by Stephen M. Canale   Helping you work smarter and faster is what computers are all about. These tips, utilities, and shortcuts will keep your computer in shape to do what it does best.

Running leaner

One problem that slows systems down is that when you install new hardware and software, the system commonly adds pieces of software, or drivers, that automatically load when Windows starts.

As a result, many programs run "behind your back," which reduces available resources and causes longer boot-up times. Your system crashes more often, as well.

To regain some control over your system, click on your Start button (in the lower left corner), select Run, and type in msconfig. Then go to the Startup tab, where you can "uncheck" boxes to prevent programs from automatically loading when you start Windows.

The paths for any programs that you disable are clearly stated next to each item that’s loading, so you can create a shortcut to run them just when you need them instead of all the time. However, you’ll often find the appropriate shortcut already exists in the appropriate software program folder.

Simple disk maintenance

When someone mentions how much slower their system is running compared to when they purchased it, often the problem is simply an issue of disk maintenance.

From Windows Explorer, right-click any of your hard drives, select Properties, and then choose the Tools tab. Your system will list exactly how long it’s been since you checked for errors and/or defragmented your hard drive. Odds are it’s been too long, and you can launch both of these operations from this section. But before you run any maintenance function, remember to back up your data–just in case.

Run both of these utilities once a month, and I guarantee you’ll be much happier with your system’s performance.

Keeping current

Fact 1: All software has bugs and inefficiencies. It’s the nature of rapidly developing technologies.

Fact 2: Vendors are constantly creating updates, patches, and other fixes for these problems.

The tough part is knowing when an update is available, and then finding and installing it.

The later versions of Internet Explorer have a Windows Update option under the Tools menu. From there, you will be sent to a Microsoft Web site that will automatically scan your system to determine which updates are available. You’ll also be provided with a list of common updates for both your browser and for the Windows operating system itself that you can download and install automatically.

Also, CNET has installed an incredible utility called CatchUp (http://catchup.cnet.com) that performs a similar function, but not just for Microsoft products. CatchUp searches your system for all of the software you’ve installed and then can suggest patches, fixes, and upgrades for most of them.

Both of these services are free, and a monthly visit to each will keep your system running smoother and up to date.

Removing redundancies

Over time, sloppy software installation and removal can leave literally hundreds of duplicate files on your system.

Not only does this waste space, but it affects system performance as well. Visit a site such as www.download.com and search for duplicate files. You will find more than thirty programs to help manage this mess.

Some such programs are free; others cost a few dollars, but it’s well worth it to clean up your hard drive. Your system will run smoother and faster if you do.

Computer stores also sell several such utilities to perform these system-cleaning functions.

Deleting temporary files

Your operating system is constantly creating temporary files to aid in obtaining faster performance. This is also true of your browser.

In theory, these files are supposed to be truly temporary, and your system is supposed to delete them. Unfortunately, these files are often left behind, and having to keep track of them can slow your system down.

From time to time, it’s a good idea to check your windows/temp directory and delete any files and subdirectories that you find leftover from previous computing sessions. However, you need to do this just after starting your computer, as you usually can’t delete temporary files from your current session.

Additionally, your browser can be customized to limit the amount of temporary files that it stores on your system. In Internet Explorer, simply use the Tools menu and then Internet Options to limit these files.

I’ve personally set my browser to use just 5 MB of disk space and find my system runs much better because of it.

Get a quick view

A handy tool that makes computing life much simpler and more efficient is a program call Quick View Plus ($49 from www.jasc.com).

This program allows you to read the most common file types without launching the related software. So, when you’re wondering what that old spreadsheet holds or need to quickly review several digital photos to find the right one, you can simply right-click a file from Windows Explorer and take a quick view without having to start your spreadsheet or photo-editing software.

While Quick View can’t view every file on your system, it can look into most common file types. This will save a great deal of time when you’re trying to hunt down just the right file on your system.

Additionally, the viruses that commonly spread through Word and Excel files cannot infect your system when you look at them with Quick View. So, it’s also a great way to view any files you either downloaded from the Internet or received by e-mail.

Surfing safely

If you’re worried about the security dangers posed by the Internet, download ZoneAlarm and InoculateIT and rest easy. ZoneAlarm (www.zonealarm.com) protects your system from outside hackers, while InoculateIT (http://antivirus.cai.com) protects you from viruses.

Both programs are free for individual use (more advanced versions are available for purchase), but I recommend them because they’re simple, use few system resources, and get the job done with a minimum of fuss. When used together and updated regularly, both these programs will keep you safe.

Uploading files

If you ever need to upload files to your personal or company Web site, then you’ll definitely want to own a program called WS_FTP Pro available from www.ipswitch.com ($40 download from the Web).

The value of WS_FTP lies in its simplicity. It essentially enables you to add your Web sites to Windows Explorer as another hard drive. You can use Explorer to upload and download files from your site without launching or learning any additional software.

Thus, once you have WS_FTP configured with your site’s address and password, managing your Internet files becomes no more complicated than moving files from any directory on your hard drive to another directory, hard drive, or floppy. A real time-saver!

Zipping files

If you’re not familiar with the idea of "zipping," it is simply a method of compressing a file to reduce its size. Most often, you would want to zip older files to save disk space when you no longer need to access the files on a regular basis but don’t want to delete them.

Zipping files is also commonly done when you share them through the Internet. Not only will the compressed files result in faster transmission, but multiple files can be zipped into just one package file for easier distribution as well.

While there are a number of free utilities available for zipping and unzipping files, I recommend that you take a look at one called ZipMagic. This simple utility is tightly integrated with Windows Explorer and makes working with compressed files a snap. The main benefit is that you can view and manage zipped files just as you would work with regular folders or directories on your hard drive.

The ability to copy, delete, and drag and drop files in and out of zipped files is a real timesaver when you need to look into old files that you have compressed and saved, or when you want to add or remove files from a zip file.

Additionally, ZipMagic will allow you to create self-extracting zip files, so that you can send compressed files efficiently to customers and clients and they will be able to "unzip" them without having to own ZipMagic or any other compression software.

ZipMagic is available in software stores and from the Web (www.ontrack.com/zipmagic for $40).

Simple backups

Prices on CD drives that allow you to write (and even rewrite) are dropping, which makes this an affordable technology to back up your system.This is especially true since a CD can hold 650 MB of data and costs as little as 40 cents.

However, it’s not usually necessary to back up your entire hard drive. All you really need to save is your personal data. The actual programs you own can always be reloaded from the original software disks or CDs. (This is not true of programs you downloaded from the Internet.)

The easiest way to achieve this is to put the majority of your own files in the My Documents section of your hard drive and then back up that one directory to a single CD on a regular basis.

However, when this folder’s contents exceed 650 MB, you should create additional directories to keep the size of each folder to less than what a single CD will hold.

For example, you could have separate directories for My Documents, My Photos, and My Databases. As long as each contains less than 650 MB of data, you could backup all of your personal files using just three CDs.

Best of all, if you ever need to restore lost data, you will know exactly which CD contains the missing information.

Stephen M. Canale, CRB, CRS, GRI, is a speaker and author who covers a variety of subjects relating to real estate, sales, and technology. He is also a GRI instructor for a number of state associations. For seminar information or to subscribe to his Technology Tips & Tricks newsletter, visit www.canale.com. Copyrighted with all rights reserved by Stephen M. Canale.

Photo © BrandX Pictures.

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