Speed It Up! A Non-Technical Guide for Speeding Up Slow Computers

by Miller, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780789739476
• ISBN10: 078973947X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-03-01
• Publisher: Que Pub

Summary

This book addresses five key components to speeding up a PC! bull; We cover hardware and software issues in one affordably priced package. bull; Covers both XP and Vista - uses icons to denote coverage aimed specifically at users of each OS. bull; This is NOT a customization or tweaking book! This book focuses solely on speeding up a PC. If it hasn't happened to users, it's certainly happened to a friend or family member or co-worker. They use their computer every day, and every day it seems just a little slower. Before they know it, their computer is downright sluggish, taking forever to perform even the most basic tasks. What makes a fast PC slow down -- and how do you speed up a slow PC? This question becomes more important since the average lifespan for a computer is increasing. Consumers are keeping their computers longer than ever before, which provide a longer timespan for a PC to become bloated with unwanted programs, infested with spyware and viruses, and less capable of running more-demanding modern applications. In fact, for many users it only seems as if their computers are running slower; in reality, they're asking aging computers to do more, and finding that the machines aren't up to the task. So what can slow down even a high-end computer? The list is lengthy, and includes things such as spyware, viruses, startup program bloat, too little memory, and not enough free hard disk space. For many users, what they think is a slow computer is actually a slow Internet or network connection. How do you find out what is causing a computer to run slow -- and then fix it? Speed It Up! is the answer.

Author Biography

Michael Miller has written more than 80 non-fiction how-to books over the past two decades, including Que’s Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Computer Basics, Easy Computer Basics, Your First Notebook PC, Wireless Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista, and How Microsoft Windows Vista Works. Mr. Miller has established a reputation for clearly explaining technical topics to non-technical readers and for offering useful real-world advice about complicated topics. More information can be found at the author’s website, located at www.molehillgroup.com.

Table of Contents

Quick Diagnosis for Sluggish PCs

What's Slowing Down Your Computer?

Before You Start: Protect Your Data

Simple Speedups Anyone Can Do

Removing Spyware and Viruses

Cleaning Out Unnecessary Programs

Making Windows Go Faster

Advanced Speedups

Cleaning Up the Windows Registry

Optimizing Your Hard Disk

Adding More Memory

Adding More Disk Space

Upgrading Other Components

When All Else Fails: Reformatting and Reinstalling

Internet and Network Speedups

Cleaning Up Your Web Browser

Reconfiguring Your Internet Connection

Speeding Up Your Home Network

The Ultimate Speedup: Buying a Faster PC

When Do You Need a New PC?

How Fast a PC Do You Need?

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Introduction IntroductionIn this Introduction What's in This Book Who Can Use This Book How to Use This Book There's More Online... Speed It Up!Can you help me out? My computer is running really slow."I can't tell you how many times I've heard this complaint over the past several months. First it was my stepdaughter with a slow PC, then a friend, then another friend, then my wife, and it kept on coming. It seems that just about everyone I know is coming to the conclusion that their computers are running too slow. It's an epidemic!Of course, it's possible that not all these PCs are actually running slow; it's likely that some of this slowness is perceived rather than real. But even perceived sluggishness is still annoying when you're trying to get something done and are forced to wait... and wait... and wait for your PC to respond.The point is, we all get frustrated when our computers take too long to do what we want them to do. Whether that slowness is caused by insufficient memory or power, whether it's caused by viruses or spyware, whether it's caused by a sluggish Internet or network connection, or whether it's simply a matter of trying to make an old computer do new things it's not capable of doing, you want to give that pokey PC a kick in the electronic pants so that it runs just a little faster, if it can.The bad news is, even a fast PC can slow down over time, for a number of different reasons. The good news is, there are things you can do to speed up even the slowest of computers. These are the things I talk about in this book.Speed It Up! A Non-Technical Guide for Speeding Up Slow Computers is, as the title implies, a guide that anyone can use to make their computers a little less sluggish. You don't have to be a tech geek to speed up a slow computer; anyone can make these simple changes to put a little more "oomph" behind their day-to-day computing.Want to speed up your computer's startup process? I show you how to do it. Need to clean up unnecessary programs or remove a virus or spyware program? I show you how to do it. Want to power up your computer when you're editing digital photos or videos? I show you how to do it. Need more memory to run your favorite applications? I show you how to do it. Want to upgrade your computer so that you can run the latest PC games? I show you how to do it. Want to turn a listless Internet connection into a lively one? I show you how to do that, too. Heck, I even show you what type of new PC to buy if your old computer can't be speeded up enough. (That is sometimes the best solution, unfortunately.)That said, this book isn't a highly technical guide for tweakers and speed freaks; if you want to turn your PC into a customized high-tech hot rod, you'll have to turn elsewhere. This book is more like a guide to tuning up your family sedan, or the computer equivalent of it. The instructions are easy to follow and don't require you to get your hands too dirty.So if you think your computer is running a little slow, you've turned to the right place for some quick and easy solutions. Spend a few hours reading this book and I guarantee you&a