IS YOUR NEW
COMPUTER REALLY AS FAST AS IT SHOULD OR COULD BE?
.:Back To PC Repair:.
The answer to the above question is a resounding “NO”!
When you purchase a computer from your favorite internet retail store
such as Alienware, Dell, or Toshiba you would automatically assume that
it must be very fast because it is new and untouched out of the box.
For the most part, you are right…but there are certain things you
can and should do to make your computer faster and more productive.
Below you will find a list of 10 things you can do to your new PC right
out of the box:
- Immediately after you take your new PC out of its many boxes,
you will need to get your internet connection up and running. Without
this,
reading on is pretty much a waste of time.
- Go to automatic updates in Windows XP and turn on Automatic and
set the time you would like to run auto updates. If you are like me
and leave
your computer on all the time, make sure you set this to run while
you are sleeping.
- Install Windows
XP Services Pack 2 and all other updates from
Windows
Updates. This is not an option if you want your computer to
run as it
should and have the correct and security measures in place. So, as
they say in the Nike commercials…”JUST DO IT!”
- Download and install all of the latest drivers for your Video
Card, Sound
Card, Networking
device, Printer, Motherboard, etc.
- Now, you will need to restore all of your data from your previous
computer so that you will be able to get right back to work on the
things that make you what you are. In addition to your old files, you
will need
to install all of the apps you use on a daily basis. I suggest that,
if you don’t have them already, that you install Winrar, Winamp,
a good Word Processor, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Mozilla Firebird.
- Activate Windows XP, register it and all your apps – or you
can click the “Never Ask Me This Again” button. Once you
get to this point – go to the “System Restore” and
create a restore point and name it “Clean Install”. You
can get to this by going to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System
Tools > Systerm Restore
- Now, install your favorite benchmark application and run it to
see if your PC is performing up to par.
- Once you have the results of your bench test, the next thing you
should do is a minor tune up to turn off unneeded programs running
in the background:
a. Go to Start > Run and type msconfig and hit enter
b. Once the following opens, click on the startup tab:
c. Now, here is where it gets a little tricky…you have to know
what it is that you are turning off prior to doing it. So, be careful
that you do not turn you antivirus, firewall, or any other program
that is needed. If you have an questions about what to turn off, please
visit
our forum and post your questions there.
- Next, you need to ensure that the Burn In time on your computer
is appropriate and, if done correctly, will assist you in finding out
if
any faulty components exist in your system. I like to use SiSoft
Sandra’s
utilities. You can download this free utility
from our download area.
- Lastly, fire up that new PC and have fun!
.:Back To PC Repair:. |
