Best Software to get your PC running faster?

MadMaverick wrote on 4/28/2015, 6:27 PM

It's happened to me more than once. I'll get a new computer, and at first it'll zip around real quick... then over time it gradually moves slower and slower and takes longer to even get it started up.

I guess this kinda thing is normal, and I've heard of several programs that you can use to boost the speed of your computer... one main thing that's always held me back is I'm afraid that in the process of cleaning out my computer it would delete something that I'd wanna keep. I guess I could just put everything of value onto an external hard drive and than unplug it when I run any kind of disk clean-up.

What's the best program for the job? Are there some good ones that are free?

Also, I'm not sure if this is related or not, but whenever I try to watch a video on Firefox, it's really laggy. The video will be playing, and I can hear it, but the picture won't move consistently. It'll just freeze. Shaking my mouse while it plays helps, but who wants to do that through an entire video? I'll end up watching videos alot of times through the web browser on RealPlayer, and that works fine, but even that will lag when playing a video in HD. I've upgraded Adobe Flash Player multiple times, but the problem persists. I also have to shake my mouse around after I click Vegas Pro, otherwise it won't open. So it could be a PC problem.

Comments

john_dennis wrote on 4/28/2015, 6:48 PM

I spent decades fixin' things that broke because of defects, bad decisions on the part of administrators or users, ad nausea.

I don't spend a cent tuning a system after it begins to age. I save full system images at various steps and restore to a better time in the system history when I get the urge. There are probably not many people in the known universe that do it this way. I don't care.

PeterDuke wrote on 4/28/2015, 7:04 PM

The best speed up software in my not so humble opinion is an image of your C: drive from halcyon days. It is guaranteed to work.

Admittedly, reinstalling subsequent software and tweaking is a pain, but if you document the steps you have to do it will be easier next time. If you have to do a fair bit of such tweaking, then save an image of that for next time.

Kit wrote on 4/28/2015, 7:09 PM

Yes I think using disk images is a good idea. I even resort to a disk image rather than uninstall a program. Having said this I also use ccleaner. I prefer the slim version. I also think it can be worth installing extra memory into an aging computer - depends on how old the PC/how cheap memory is at the time. I prefer Pale Moon to Firefox.

PeterDuke wrote on 4/28/2015, 7:20 PM

The same message applies when something breaks.

Many have been the times I have fiddled around trying reinstalls and using Ccleaner and the like to try and get things working, only to have to do an image restore in the end to fix things.

PeterDuke wrote on 4/28/2015, 7:28 PM

I try to keep my C: drive lean with minimal data. That way the image backup will be relatively small.

I used to use a 30 GB partition, but I have extended that as software becomes more bloated and I can't resist having more software installed, so I now use 100 GB.

Most software by default puts temporary files on your C: drive, but you can usually change that.

TheHappyFriar wrote on 4/28/2015, 8:18 PM

Back in the Dos & early Win 95/98 days a good "fdisk c" would do the trick. :)

Now I just pop the install disc back in and make a fresh install.

Chienworks wrote on 4/28/2015, 10:04 PM

You know, i hadn't thought about this in a while. My workstation PC is probably approaching 7 years old now. It's never had a wipe/reinstall yet it's still as snappy as ever. Unlike most folks with an opinion on the matter, i usually go 4 to 6 months between reboots. Maybe it's because for the past 7 years i've also had a laptop, and i do all the 'fun stuff' on the laptop while the workstation remains solely just for work.

The only software i'd ever recommend for 'speeding up' your PC is Microsoft's Windows installation disc. Pretty much any and every program that claims to speed up or clean out your PC is useless at best, and more likely malicious, even if accidentally so.

johnmeyer wrote on 4/28/2015, 10:32 PM

People constantly bring their slow PCs to me. I have fixed dozens. The best software for speeding up a PC is to uninstall the anti-virus software. If it is Norton or McAfee, after you have uninstalled the software, download the utility (available from the vendor) that gets rid of lots of the flotsam that the uninstall program leaves behind.

You should also look at how many temporary files are on your hard drive. Windows does get slower when a disk drive gets hundreds of thousands of files on it. Empty the various TEMP folders; empty the cache for all your browsers; empty the Flash and Java caches (if you have Java installed).

I would also do a CHKDSK and have it fix any problems it finds. Most PCs still crash pretty often, and even though they don't require a re-boot after most crashes, files can still get corrupted.

Finally, I most definitely recommend that you re-boot. Windows memory management is light-years ahead of where it was twenty years ago, but it still isn't all that good. Re-booting won't solve chronic slow-down problems, but it most definitely can solve minor re-draw issues (where the display suddenly isn't painting quite as quickly as usual).

VidMus wrote on 4/28/2015, 11:17 PM

@ johnmeyer

After a lot of highly involved editing and before a render, it is a good time to re-boot. This can sometimes speed-up rendering and most of the time prevent crashes while rendering. Can also prevent strange things from happening while rendering.

To the OP, as in another post, I have a notebook for the internet and general fun stuff and a work system for work only. The work system is not connected to the internet and Windows update is turned-off. Windows update can cause a perfectly working system to fail. This was evident in another thread.

If you use a cleaner of any kind, backup the system first! This is not an option. If the cleaner makes a big mess of things, a backup will be a life saver. I use Casper to make clones of my system drive. That has saved my system a number of times over the years.

http://www.fssdev.com/

wwjd wrote on 4/29/2015, 7:43 AM

revouninstaller, ccleaner (also used for removing hidden junk at STARTUP and cleaning REGISTRY), manually remove junk from STARTUP folder...

there's no miracle cure once Windows directories bloat up... image or reinstall. I rebuild once a year

dxdy wrote on 4/29/2015, 7:50 AM

You should also inspect your machine's cooling apparatus to make sure it is not clogged with dust/dirt/grime. Dust buildup can raise operating temperatures, and CPU intensive apps (such as rendering) may make a system slow down to keep temperatures down.

JJKizak wrote on 4/29/2015, 7:52 AM

I really like CC Cleaner. It is very flexible and has ample warnings just in case you get a bit overzealous.
JJK

deusx wrote on 4/29/2015, 8:29 AM

Any software you don't install.

In other words, just install stuff you really need and forget about the rest.
PCs slow down only if you start installing garbage on them.

If you really are in slowdown mode, just wipe everything and reinstall windows. Then install those 5 programs you actually need and don't install anything else.