How to Make Windows Work Faster

There are many factors that slow down the Windows installation. It is sometimes Windows itself, sometimes the user. It is possible to keep Windows up and running quite efficiently, but this really requires a thorough maintenance. Following is the list of tasks we have to do to keep our Windows system up and running in good condition:

• Driver updates
• Registry Cleaning
• Disk Defragmentation
• System Tuning
• Getting rid of unnecessary & unused programs
• Careful selection of software to install
• Reinstalling Windows with all updates

Let's see each item one by one.

Newly released drivers come with lots of bug fixes, performance enhancements and better use of the hardware. We have to revisit the driver manufacturers websites periodically and see if there are any drivers released. “If it ain't broken, don't fix it” can pop up in your mind but since we want a faster Windows, we have to consider undertaking some “fixes.”

You can set yourself a reminder to check for the driver updates or make your computer do this for you. Avanquest's Driver Genius is a nice software for this if you want to give it a try. But know in advance that installing an additional program also takes a bite away from your computer's performance.

When you install a program, the installer always throw away some entries in the registry and some files around the system. Many of the programs' uninstallers are far from being perfect and during the uninstallation process, they do not delete some registry entries and some files, which accumulate in your system over time. To clean up your registry, Piriform's CCleaner; it is lightweight and it does not take away from your computer's resources.

We have spoken about disk fragmentation in our previous article in the series. You should be defragmenting your hard disk periodically, but the period depends on how you use your computer. If you are constantly installing and uninstalling programs, then probably you will have to go for a weekly defragmentation. If you are not into trying programs or you are not using your computer heavily then a monthly defragment will be enough. I will suggest you to go with Auslogics Disk Defrag program, which makes defragmentation quick and easy, enabling you to claim the speed of your hard disk.

You may have installed a lot of programs on your computer and not running them for a long time. If you want performance gains, make sure that you get rid of those programs as soon as possible. Uninstall anything that you do not use. If you have Microsoft Office running, there is no point in keeping the Microsoft Works that came preinstalled when you purchased your computer. There is also no point in keeping applications where you can access the same features on the Internet; such as some weather software that display weather conditions. Show no mercy and get rid of your unused and unnecessary programs.