[spikeymike]

Computer Maintenance Guide & Tweaks

If you use your PC regularly and have never done any maintenance, you will most likely run into many problems i.e computer slows down, PC freezes, files and programs take forever to open. This is where this thread will help you to get your PC back up to speed.

My suggestion would be to download CCleaner and Defraggler from below.

Antivirus/Antispyware Protection Guide

Uninstaller (Though not totally neccessary unless you are having trouble with uninstalling a program)
+ To remove hardware or software from a computer system.

Clicky: Revo Uninstaller (Free)
Clicky: ZSoft Uninstaller (Free)
Clicky: Glarysoft Absolute Uninstaller (Free)
Clicky: Ashampoo Magical Uninstaller (Free)
Clicky: Ashampoo Uninstaller 3 (£34.99)

Registry Repairs
+ A registry cleaner is a software utility designed to remove redundant or unwanted items from the Windows registry left behind by uninstalled programs.

Clicky: Glarysoft Registry Repair (Free)
Clicky: PC Tools Registry Mechanic (Up to 3 PCs £29.95)
Clicky: Window Registry Repair (Free)
Clicky: TweakNow RegCleaner Standard (Free)
Clicky: Uniblue RegistryBooster (£19.95)

Defragmenters
+ Defrag is the process of physically organising the contents of a hard drive to store pieces of each file next to each other (contiguously).

Clicky: Uniblue DiskRescue (£19.95)
Clicky: Auslogics Disk Defrag (Free)
Recommend Clicky: Defraggler (Free)

All In One (AIO)
+ A software that includes more than one tool which may include, start up manager, memory optimizers, registry cleaners, defragmentors and disk clean up.

Recommend Clicky: Glary Utilities (Free)
Clicky: PC Tools Desktop Maestro (Up to 3 PCs £39.95)
Recommend Clicky: CCleaner (Free)
Clicky: TuneUp Utilities (£29.99)
Clicky: nCleaner (Free)
Clicky: Uniblue PowerSuite (£39.95)

Start-up Managers
+ Startup Manager is a program that provides you the possibility to manage the Windows startup procedure. It offers you the possibility to control which programs automatically start up.

Clicky: Glarysoft Quick Start-up (Free)
Clicky: Ashampoo Start-up Tuner 2 (Free)
Clicky: AutoRuns (Free)
Clicky: StartupDelayer (Free)

(Though you could use Start > Run > msconfig) - Though Windows sometimes does give vague information sometimes compared to a 3rd party program.

Tweaks

1) Start > run > msconfig
+ Here you can enable/disable start up programs by clicking on the 'startup' tab.
+ You can also stop/start/disable services by clicking on the 'Services' tab.

2) Start > run > services.msc
+ This shows a list of services running, here you can stop/start/enable/disable services.
If you are uncertain of what to disable, look here.

3) Start > run > chkdsk
+ This detects the file system integrity status of hard disks and floppy disk and can fix logical file system errors.

Credits

Spoiler:

Thanks to Guvnor for helping me out with this post.

[Chi206]

Memory Optimizer ive never used them, but I think there a waste of time
then again I have 2GB Ram and only using 529MB atm. Programs havent crashed either

Uninstaller "To remove hardware" so it can remove my CPU for me?
Easier to just use windows uninstaller


Registry Repairs I use Ccleaner it has this function

Defragmenters I use Power Defragment (windows defragger is bad)

stratup manager Think Cclearner had one Also run -> msconfig -> startup

[gamer91]

personally I use Ccleaner and auslogics defrag, I can see the uninstall being useful in certain situations, you may also want to add startup delayer http://www.jockersoft.com/english/st...ayer_index.php

[SunburnedCactus]

To be honest a lot of what these registry/system cleaners purport to do has very little effect on improving performance.

[Defcon]

I strongly recommend 'AutoRuns' as a startup manager.
It's very advanced and user friendly.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb963902.aspx

Process explorer for viewing all running processes with configurable tables
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb896653.aspx

TCP View for showing detailed list of TCP/UDP connections
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb897437.aspx

[spikeymike]

Originally Posted by gamer91

personally I use Ccleaner and auslogics defrag, I can see the uninstall being useful in certain situations, you may also want to add startup delayer http://www.jockersoft.com/english/st...ayer_index.php

Added thanks

[spikeymike]

Originally Posted by Defcon

I strongly recommend 'AutoRuns' as a startup manager.
It's very advanced and user friendly.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb963902.aspx

Process explorer for viewing all running processes with configurable tables
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb896653.aspx

TCP View for showing detailed list of TCP/UDP connections
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb897437.aspx

Added the first 2, and i'll add the last one later... Thanks

[Orthala]

Theres always the good old trick of formatting.

[spikeymike]

Originally Posted by Orthala

Theres always the good old trick of formatting.

Not everyone has the windows CD. Yes i know it's by far the easieist solution.

[alexsheppard11]

Originally Posted by spikeymike

Bump!

why isn't this a sticky?

[spikeymike]

Originally Posted by alexsheppard11

why isn't this a sticky?

Too many stickies (in Tech) i was told.

[alexsheppard11]

Originally Posted by spikeymike

Too many stickies (in Tech) i was told.

ok have one sticky that has one post that links to all the other important threads?

[spikeymike]

Originally Posted by alexsheppard11

ok have one sticky that has one post that links to all the other important threads?

Good idea, will have to ask Oli.

[Ramble]

Most of this is useless. Memory optimisers just get rid of stuff you might actually be using - the memory management in XP and Vista is a lot better.
You already have an uninstaller built in, you don't need another one.
Registry repairers have pretty much no effect (definitely not noticable) and can be dangerous at worst.
You already have a perfectly good defragmenter available to you.
Same with a startup manager.

[Dez]

Originally Posted by alexsheppard11

ok have one sticky that has one post that links to all the other important threads?

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=333823