Factors Leading to Slow Processing Speed of your Computer Essay Example

Factors Leading to Slow Processing Speed of your Computer Essay Example Factors Leading to Slow Processing Speed of your Computer Essay Factors Leading to Slow Processing Speed of your Computer Essay The objective of this paper is to show how that all major advancements in newer versions of Windows are accompanied with a new set of headaches in the form of slower processing speed, frequent hang-ups and other technical issues. For example, according to a poll, the two biggest problems associated with Windows Vista were â€Å"the lack of proper drivers (36% of votes) and lots of application compatibility issues (36% of votes).† This indicates that the main headache for Vista users is finding applications which are compatible, or drivers which function properly. (Vista for Beginners, 2007) Dunn’s (2008) article explains the reasons behind some of the most frequent complaints end users have with Windows, and provides solutions with detailed directions as to how to relieve themselves of these issues. The issues stated in this paper focus on ones which result in slowing down your pc. Slow Start – up:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most frequent problems that end-users face is that their computers take too long to boot up. Dunn’s article explains that this might be because while starting up, Windows is loading numerous hardware drivers which the end-user might not even be using. : To rid yourself of this problem, it is imperative that one should uninstall all hardware drivers which are not being used. However, while doing so, careful choices must be made, to ensure that you accidently don’t uninstall a driver which will be needed. To negate the effect of such an error, it is advised that you create a restore point in System Restore before uninstalling anything.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another reason for slow start up is that once you have installed a network connection on your computer, Windows will automatically restore that connection whenever the computer is booted up. Resuming connections takes time; therefore it is advised that you drop all the connections you are not using. This will result in a speedier start-up. Also, if a particular connection is being used only for a particular session, you can ensure that the Reconnect at logon option is unchecked in the Tools ·Map Network Drive command in Explorer.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Slow start up can also be the result of too many programs which automatically start running when Windows boots up. By clearing up this clutter, you can help your system boot up faster. Restoring Data: Some versions of Windows store data but do not restore them when needed. This wastes CPU cycles and storage space, unnecessarily slowing down processing speed, which happens in due course when too many files are stored on the Windows disk. A solution to this problem has been mapped out in the article. Also, other problems include that files meant to be deleted, are actually saved in a folder called â€Å"Windows Old†. This, again, would slow the computer down and increase the clutter, as the fewer items there are in the pc’s memory, the faster the processing speed would be. (Windows Vista Problems, 2008) Slow Speed Another common complaint is that the processing speed of certain CPUs is too slow, even if they are relatively new.   The speed that Windows operates at can be improved with the help of performance tools designed to maximize memory, disk space and other resources. Slow speed of network connections is also a problem. Even if you pay for a network connection every month, but if your routers are not up to date, the speed of the connection may not be as fast as its potential.   If your router does not support the latest technologies, you can purchase one which does, or upgrade an existing router. Security The problem here is that logging on to Windows as a standard user is too restrictive, and logging on as an administrator is too risky. Risk comes in the form of malware gaining access to your computer, slowing down the speed and acting as an impediment to normal processing. There are ways, however, to sign in as an administrator and still have tools in place which would block unauthorized access. Another potential security problem is posed by Autoplay, which enables faster launch of video and audio streams when using CD-ROMs, as well as flash drives and external hard drives that you connect to your PC.   The threat here is that if a virus enters the one of these devices, Autoplay can leave a clear path for the malware to the rest of the system.   Therefore, it is advised that Autoplay be disabled for all these devices. Web Browser Sometimes Internet Explorer ceases to operate as a web browser for Windows. It is needed at this point to return all Explorer settings to their default settings and restart. At other times, the Web Browser you are using may become extremely slow, and surfing the internet can become a nuisance. If surfing has become extremely slow, it might be because the PC has a virus. Windows’ susceptibility to viruses can be minimized with the help of an anti-virus or firewall. Alternatively, the problem may lie within the browser itself. In this case, you can either install a new browser or the latest version of your current browser. The browser may also have become slow as a result of plug-ins or add-ons. In such a case, it would be a good idea to disable all plug-ins and see if the problem is resolved. Spam The most common problem that Windows users have is spam mail. It is one of the most contributing factors to slower speed, as it unnecessarily takes up huge amounts of storage space. The most helpful tool to sort out spam mail is SpamBayes, a program which uses algorithms to sort out mails. Disk Checking If disk checking is to be manually done, it may take a lot of time. Therefore, people might choose to skip disk checking, and in doing so, will over look bugs and errors which would result in slowing down of the computer. The obvious solution is to automate disk checking so it is less cumbersome for the end user. Defragmenting If defragmenting does not take place, retrieval of stored files will take much longer. End-users usually fret from defragmenting files manually, as it is a technical task and too difficult and time consuming for most. The easiest solution is to let Windows defragment files stored on the hard disk, hence speeding up the process of retrieving files. Shutting Down Windows also has problems shutting down, in terms of speed and convenience. There are ways, however, to make it quicker. In Vista, for example, you can click the Start button, type power options, and press Enter. In the upper left, you then choose what the power button does. Next you select the Shut down options. Finally, you click Save Changes. Restarting In some instances, there are problems which occur when restarting your computer. For example, in certain instances, every time you restart your computer, you receive a â€Å"System has recovered from a serious error† message, even if there might be no error or bug in your pc. After this problem begins to occur, you are prompted report this information after every restart. â€Å"This problem occurs because after a Minidump file is written, the paging file continues to have a flag set that indicates that a Minidump file must be written.† (Microsoft Help and Support, 2007) Such problems act as an impediment when working on the pc, as these messages waste time and tend to frustrate the end user. They can be resolved by re-installing the latest available version of Windows. Conclusion This paper has outlined some of the most frequent problems faced by Windows users, with special focus on those which slow down processing speed of the pc. Most these problems have easy solutions, which have been given in detail in Dunn’s (2008) article. References: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (2007). Windows vista’s biggest problem. Retrieved   June 15, 2008. From: Website: vista4beginners.com/Windows-Vista-problems. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (2008) Windows Vista Problems. Retrieved 15 June 2008. From: Website: http://coconuter.blogspot.com/2008/04/windows-vista-problems.html. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (2007) You receive a â€Å"system has recovered from a serious error† message after every restart. From Website: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=317277. Microsoft help and support.