Computer Newb
New Member
hey guys, i wanted some help on tweaking my pc configurations etc. to make it faster, things you can do in the meantime without having to buy anything....
thanks.
- Lou
thanks.
- Lou
Help tweak my pc to make it faster ???
- Thread starter Computer Newb
- Start date
computerhakk
VIP Member
Here are some of the basic ones I can suggest so far.
Prefetch
Not neccessarily a tweak, but something I just didn't add before.
This folder is in your C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch
You can delete all contents inside of this folder, NOT the folder. It will eventually get filled with a lot of useless links that aren't needed and you can safely delete them. HOWEVER! Do not do it everyday, I'd recommend once a month or so only.
My Computer delays
Now, this tweak is for some of the slower pc's that experience that delay when opening up "My Computer." Like the icons taking a while to appear and such. The reason for this is because once you open it, it searches for network info (like printers, folders, users, etc..) and whether you have it or not, it will take a while.
To stop this, at the top, you should see where it says "Tools."
Click on it and the menu will drop down. Next, click on "Folder Options" and go into the "View" tab.
The very first box you will see is "Automatically check for network folders and printers." If this is checked, uncheck it. That's it.
Getting a little bit more from your memory
CAUTION: I will recommend that you have atleast 512mb of RAM (the more the better, less and I don't recommend you try this) and hopefully you are not using an ATI card. This tweak has been tested to have some issues with ATI cards, the exact models I am not sure.
This tweak basically let's data be written on your memory (so that's why if you have more, the better) instead of paging them creating space and slowing it down.
Now, you will have to start up "regedit" through START>RUN and type it in w/o quotes.
Once you are there, there are several folders on the left. Look into the one that is named "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE."
When you see it, navigate through that folder into this:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management
Once you are in "Memory Management," on the right, look for:
1. DisablePagingExecutive - When you find it, double click on it and if the data value is set to 0, change it to 1.
2. LargeSystemCache - Same thing here, if it is 0, change it to 1.
Restart your PC if possible.
Indexing
If you never use the search feature on Windows, there is no need for this. Why? Because windows keep tabs on all files so in case you ever do a search, it'll already have those files tabbed and it'll give you the information faster. However, if you never use this feature.. this can be a disadvantage to you and it can slow down your pc also.
To disable indexing, go to your Control Panel. It can be found in your Start Menu or in your My Computer.
Click and go into Administrative Tools.
Click on Services.
Now look for Disable Indexing Services.
Once you find it, right click on it and choose "disable."
msconfig
I will note that you should NOT uncheck everything because this will cause problems and you may not be able to get into your pc afterwards. So use this program with caution.
Now, to access it:
1. Go to your taskbar and click on Start>Run
2. The box will pop up and there, you should type in "msconfig" w/o the quotes
3. Next, you will see a "System Configuration Utility" dialog with 6 different tabs.
4. If you don't know what you are doing, don't mess with any of the other tabs and go directly to "Startup"
5. Here, you will see most of the programs that start up when you start your pc
Most of the programs are easily recognizable if you are familiar with the programs that you are using. You can expand the "Command" table (grabbing onto the right side of the column and drag it to the right) so it's longer so you can see which folder it is coming from. This will usually let you know what program it is, i.e. Adobe, Internet, Windows, Microsoft, etc... If you are still unsure, go and ask your good friend Google. Some of the tools are crucial and some of them aren't. These programs are different from pc to pc so I can't really give you any direct feedback on it. However, just do a search on google. Here is an example from my pc of what you should search for..
On mines I have "TFncKy.exe" - What you should do is type into Google, "what is TFncKy.exe?"
Usually, the first couple links will give you enough information so you can decide to keep it or not. Here is the link to my example from google. what is TFncKy.exe?
EDIT: For holyjunk125, had the window open and didn't see your reply while typing.
Prefetch
Not neccessarily a tweak, but something I just didn't add before.
This folder is in your C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch
You can delete all contents inside of this folder, NOT the folder. It will eventually get filled with a lot of useless links that aren't needed and you can safely delete them. HOWEVER! Do not do it everyday, I'd recommend once a month or so only.
My Computer delays
Now, this tweak is for some of the slower pc's that experience that delay when opening up "My Computer." Like the icons taking a while to appear and such. The reason for this is because once you open it, it searches for network info (like printers, folders, users, etc..) and whether you have it or not, it will take a while.
To stop this, at the top, you should see where it says "Tools."
Click on it and the menu will drop down. Next, click on "Folder Options" and go into the "View" tab.
The very first box you will see is "Automatically check for network folders and printers." If this is checked, uncheck it. That's it.
Getting a little bit more from your memory
CAUTION: I will recommend that you have atleast 512mb of RAM (the more the better, less and I don't recommend you try this) and hopefully you are not using an ATI card. This tweak has been tested to have some issues with ATI cards, the exact models I am not sure.
This tweak basically let's data be written on your memory (so that's why if you have more, the better) instead of paging them creating space and slowing it down.
Now, you will have to start up "regedit" through START>RUN and type it in w/o quotes.
Once you are there, there are several folders on the left. Look into the one that is named "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE."
When you see it, navigate through that folder into this:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management
Once you are in "Memory Management," on the right, look for:
1. DisablePagingExecutive - When you find it, double click on it and if the data value is set to 0, change it to 1.
2. LargeSystemCache - Same thing here, if it is 0, change it to 1.
Restart your PC if possible.
Indexing
If you never use the search feature on Windows, there is no need for this. Why? Because windows keep tabs on all files so in case you ever do a search, it'll already have those files tabbed and it'll give you the information faster. However, if you never use this feature.. this can be a disadvantage to you and it can slow down your pc also.
To disable indexing, go to your Control Panel. It can be found in your Start Menu or in your My Computer.
Click and go into Administrative Tools.
Click on Services.
Now look for Disable Indexing Services.
Once you find it, right click on it and choose "disable."
msconfig
I will note that you should NOT uncheck everything because this will cause problems and you may not be able to get into your pc afterwards. So use this program with caution.
Now, to access it:
1. Go to your taskbar and click on Start>Run
2. The box will pop up and there, you should type in "msconfig" w/o the quotes
3. Next, you will see a "System Configuration Utility" dialog with 6 different tabs.
4. If you don't know what you are doing, don't mess with any of the other tabs and go directly to "Startup"
5. Here, you will see most of the programs that start up when you start your pc
Most of the programs are easily recognizable if you are familiar with the programs that you are using. You can expand the "Command" table (grabbing onto the right side of the column and drag it to the right) so it's longer so you can see which folder it is coming from. This will usually let you know what program it is, i.e. Adobe, Internet, Windows, Microsoft, etc... If you are still unsure, go and ask your good friend Google. Some of the tools are crucial and some of them aren't. These programs are different from pc to pc so I can't really give you any direct feedback on it. However, just do a search on google. Here is an example from my pc of what you should search for..
On mines I have "TFncKy.exe" - What you should do is type into Google, "what is TFncKy.exe?"
Usually, the first couple links will give you enough information so you can decide to keep it or not. Here is the link to my example from google. what is TFncKy.exe?
EDIT: For holyjunk125, had the window open and didn't see your reply while typing.
holyjunk
New Member
OvenMaster
VIP Member
THANK YOU!! Ever since I swapped my drives from slave to master and vice versa, and installed an oem copy of XP Home and SP2, I've been plagued by slow opening windows and file folders. This has returned my PC to the fast opening windows I had had before. I'd been tearing (what's left of) my hair out trying to figure out if the hard drive was too slow, or my RAM was acting up, or something. Very, very much appreciated!
Regards from Tom
computerhakk
VIP Member
Haha, I'm greatful that helped you out. Searching for network stuff when you don't even network is a pain.
