5 Tips For Your Computer System Slowdown

Windows 7 has been out for almost a year, and the PCs you bought right after its release may be slowing down now. User complaints are minimal when new PCs are rolled out. They start up quickly, and programs seem to open in a snap. But over time, users begin to notice that their systems are slower or hang up more and more often. While the possible causes of system slowdown are endless, this article identifies 10 common troubleshooting areas you should examine before you consider drastic steps such as reformatting and reimaging or buying new computers.

1: Processor overheating

Chipmakers have recently been working to make processors more efficient, which means they generate less heat. Nonetheless, some modern processors still generate a lot of heat. That's why all processors require some sort of cooling element, typically a fan of some type. A system's Thermal Design Point (TDP) rating indicates, in watts, how much heat it can safely dissipate without exceeding the maximum temperature for the chip. When the processor temperature goes over spec, the system can slow down or run erratically (lock up) or may simply reboot. The processor fan may fail for several reasons:

·         Dust is preventing the fan from spinning smoothly.

·         The fan motor has failed.

·         The fan bearings are loose and jiggling.

Often, you can tell if there is a fan problem by listening and/or touching the computer. A fan that has loose bearings starts jiggling and vibrates the case, making a characteristic noise. As time goes by, the sounds and vibrations will become so prominent that you'll change the fan out just to regain some peace and quiet.

You don't always need to replace the fan. If it is covered with dust, you can often spray away the dust with compressed air. But even though you might get the fan running again, its life span has likely been reduced because of the overwork. You should keep an extra fan in reserve in case of failure.

Processors may also overheat because the heat sink is not properly placed above the processor or the thermal paste is not of good quality or was applied incorrectly (or not at all) when the system was built. This is more likely to be a problem with home-built systems but can happen with commercially manufactured ones as well. The paste can break down over time, and you may need to reapply it.

Case design is another element that can contribute to or help prevent overheating. Cases with extra fans, better vents, and adequate room inside for good airflow may cost more but can provide superior cooling performance. Small cases that squeeze components together can cause overheating. For this reason, laptops with powerful processors are prone to overheating.

Tip

Another common reason for processor overheating is overclocking. Until heat begins to take its toll, overclocking does allow for significant performance improvements. Because processor overclocking can really cook a processor, most dedicated overclockers do not use regular processor fans. Instead, they use complex -- and expensive -- water-cooling systems. For more information on overclocking, check out overclockers.com.

Overheating can also be caused by the external temperature (that is, the temperature in the room). Computers no longer have to be kept in cold rooms as they did in the early days of computing, but if the room temperature goes above 80, you may find your computers exhibiting the symptoms of overheating. If the temperature is uncomfortable for you, it's probably too high for your computers. Adequate ventilation is also important.

Most computers today have an option to display the CPU temperature in the BIOS. There are also a number of utilities that will track the temperature of your processor and case, such as Core Temp. If you want to look for other such utilities, check out TechRepublic's software library and use the search term "temperature."

  

2: Bad RAM

Several situations can lead to RAM-related performance problems with a particular machine:

·         RAM timing is slower than optimal machine spec.

·         RAM has minor flaws that appear only on detailed testing.

·         RAM is overheating.

·         There is insufficient RAM.

In the old days of Fast Page RAM, buying new RAM for your computer was a simple affair. You just needed to know what speed your motherboard supported and the maximum each slot would take. Today, there are many types and speeds of RAM, and the better motherboards may be tolerant of using RAM that does not match the motherboard's maximum specs. For example, your motherboard may support PC133 RAM but will still work with PC100 RAM. But be aware that you may see performance decreases if you install RAM that is slower than the maximum spec. Some motherboards will even allow you to mix speeds but will default to the slowest RAM installed.

Minor flaws in RAM chips can lead to system slowdowns and instability. The least expensive chips often have minor flaws that will cause your system to slow down or Blue Screen intermittently. Although built-in mechanisms may allow the system to keep working, there is a performance hit when it has to deal with flawed RAM chips.

In the past, no one worried about RAM chips getting hot, because they didn't seem to generate much heat. But that's changed with newer RAM types, especially SDRAM. To check for overheating, open your computer's case, power down, and pull the plug out. Ground yourself and touch the plastic on one of your RAM chips. Ouch! They get pretty hot. If you find that your RAM chips are overheating, you should consider buying a separate fan to cool your memory. If your motherboard doesn't support a RAM fan, you might be able to get enough additional cooling by installing a fan card that plugs in to a PCI slot.

Of course, one common reason for poor performance that's related to RAM is simply not having enough of it. Modern operating systems such as Windows 7 and today's resource-hungry applications, combined with our increasing tendency toward extreme multitasking, result in a need for more RAM. The minimal specified system requirements may not cut it if you're doing lots of multimedia or running other memory-intensive applications. 32-bit Windows is limited to using 4 GB of RAM, but 64-bit Windows 7 can handle from 8 to 192 GB, depending on the edition. If your system allows, adding more RAM can often increase performance.

 3: Hard disk issues

Traditional hard drives are mechanical devices that eventually wear out. There are many signs of imminent failure before a hard disk finally gives up. Some of these signs include:

·         Slow access times on the affected drive.

·         An increasing number of bad sectors when running scandisk and chkdsk.

·         Unexplained Blue Screens.

·         Intermittent boot failures.

·         An "Imminent Hard Disk Failure" warning.

Detecting a failing hard disk can be tricky because the early signs are subtle. Experienced computer professionals can often hear a change in the normal disk spin. After the disk deteriorates further, you'll see the system slow to a crawl. Write processes will take a long time as the system tries to find good blocks to write to. (This will occur if you're using a robust file system such as NTFS; other file systems will likely Blue Screen the computer.)

When you notice the system slowing down, run scandisk or chkdsk, depending on your operating system. If you notice a bad sector where a good sector existed earlier, that's a clue that the disk is going bad. Back up the data on the disk and prepare for it to fail soon. Make sure you have a spare disk ready so you can replace it when it fails or replace the disk as soon as you notice the early signs of failure.

Disk noise and scandisk/chkdsk are your best indicators for identifying a failing drive that's leading to a system slowdown. However, if you are managing a system remotely, or you can't take the system down for a full chkdsk/R, you can use tools that monitor disk health, such as Executive Software's DiskAlert.

You may also get a warning message from SMART hard drives that failure is imminent. Sometimes, you'll get these warnings when the hard drive is fine, due to problems with the hard drive device driver, the chipset driver, or the way the BIOS interfaces with the drive. Check for newer versions of the drivers and BIOS firmware.

Even if it's operating properly, your hard disk may be a bottleneck that's slowing down the rest of your system. See the next item for more information on what you can do about that.

4: Disk type and interface

Once upon a time, buying a hard drive to work with your system was easy. Today, things are more complicated, with many types of drives available, offering differing levels of performance. Most modern motherboards will support more than one type.

For best performance, you may want to dump the old IDE PATA type drives and upgrade to SATA, which comes in several speeds  from 1.5 Gb/s to 6 Gb/s. Obviously, the faster drives will also be more expensive. Some new computers also have eSATA connectors for attaching a SATA drive externally. Other options for attaching drives externally include USB and Firewire/IEEE 1394.

Slowdowns may be caused by installing programs or often-used files on slow external drives. If you must use external drives for such files, go with the latest version, such as USB 3.0 (which is up to four times faster than USB 2.0) or Firewire 800. If you don't have ports to support the faster version, you can install a card to add support.

New Solid State Drives (SSDs), which generally connect via SATA, can often provide better performance than other drive types, but cost much more per GB of storage space. Windows 7 includes support for TRIM, which optimizes SSD performance. SCSI drives are still around, too, notably in the form of Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) with super fast access times -- but they're expensive and noisy and used primarily for servers.

5: BIOS settings

One frequently ignored cause of system slowdown is the machine's BIOS settings. Most people accept the BIOS settings as they were configured in the factory and leave them as is. However, slowdowns may occur if the BIOS settings do not match the optimal machine configuration. Often, you can improve machine performance by researching your motherboard's optimal BIOS settings, which may not be the same as the factory defaults.

There is no centralized database of optimal BIOS settings, but you can employ a search engine such as Google or Bing and use your motherboard name and BIOS as keywords to find the correct settings.

Tip Or Trick For Your Computer

Restart your computer

This has become a cliché but it solves many desktop and laptop problems. It's quick and easy so is always worth trying first. If your computer screen has frozen you can usually force a shut down by holding down the power button until the computer turns off, then start up again.

If it won't turn off, you can force a complete shut down - with a desktop PC by turning off the power at the mains and a laptop by removing and replacing the battery.

Back up your files often

Even small problems, such as your computer running slowly, could be symptomatic of a bigger issue. To avoid losing important files and photos if the problem escalates, back up all your files – the Which? guide to how to back up your data explains how.

Run computer security checks

If things aren't working as smoothly as they should or you're frequently experiencing problems, run a security software update. Some particularly malicious malware or viruses can stop your computer from starting, but more commonly they will just make your system sluggish. A security scan will put your mind at rest and will let you rule out malicious attacks at an early stage.

But here’s the tip.. Don’t install more than one Antivirus

Remove recently installed programs

If your computer has problems just after you've installed a device or a software program – whether you've installed it from a disc or downloaded it from the internet - uninstall the last piece of software you put on your system. To do this safely and fully, go to the Windows Control Panel (accessed from your Start menu) and select 'Add or remove programs'. Once you've uninstalled the program, check for improvement. If everything's working OK again, you can try reinstalling.

Check for duplicate programs

Problems can arise if you have two versions of the same program running (for example, if you've reinstalled a piece of software to get the latest version rather than using the program's update option). You can check if you have multiple versions of the same program running using the Windows Control Panel, which lists all programs you've downloaded to your computer. If you spot duplicates, uninstall both versions, and then try reinstalling (if you're installing from a disc, you may also need to check online for updates).

Keep away from foreign usb

If your friend give u a usb and ask for an item, u better ask them their email which is safer, u can attach a file to it and send it so u will safe from any harm they bring from the usb.

How to Speed UP your Computer

There are many ways to speed up a computer but here i will show you simple and short ways to make you PC really very fast.Here i will provide you only those software which works best.Lets get started,
First i start with some useful software.These downloads will be completely free and genuine.

• ccleaner
• defraggler
• tuneup

Download and install these software, all are easy to use just need 1 click from you. Defraggler takes some time because it removes the fragmented files from computer.CCleaner removes registry entries, cookies, temp files, and many more garbage from your computer.It cleans whole computer in less then a min.Tune Up is not a freeware but on 30 days full trial.This is the best software available for PC speed optimization.

You can buy Tune Up from Amazon.com with Free home delivery.

other than that, you can reduce your start up services by typing 'msconfig' at the run, after that go to 'startup' tab, then deselect your software you don't want it to run at the startup.

you also can speed up your computer using Advance System Care, its free and can detect malware, speed up, cleaning and also defrag your hard-disk. keep googling and you will find best software to make your laptop faster.

Stuck at Verifying DMI Pool Data?

Many of us faces windows errors like boot stuck at verifying DMI pool data. Some of us call computer experts to fix there computer and pay them for this simple solution.Save your money and learn something new with us. Be The Digital Mastermind. 

Here is the solution, very simple and works for sure.

To fix this error follow these steps:

1. Insert Windows Disc to your disc drive and from disc.
2. Select Repair Windows.
3. Then Select Command Prompt.
4. Type BOOTREC.EXE/FIXBOOT in command prompt.
5. Press Enter, Close Command Prompt.
6. Restart Computer.
7. Fixed.

It also works for Windows Vista and XP.

Laptop Overheating How to fix IT

One of the most common issues with aging laptops is overheating, something many people aren’t sure how to fix. We’ll help you figure out what’s causing the heat and how to keep your notebook functioning at a lower temperature.

Overheating computers can cause a lot of problems, from seemingly random blue screens to data loss. You might not even know that it’s the root of your issues, and before you know it you have a burnt-out motherboard on your hands. Let’s go step by and step and see how to deal with overheating computers. We’ll be dealing primarily with laptops, but most of the same principles apply to desktops as well.

Air Flow and Heat Transfer

The first thing you need to do is figure out where the heat is coming from. No air flow means no heat transfer, so figure out where the air vents are. Are they blowing hot air, or is there barely a breeze, even when the fan is overtaxed?

Most commonly, an accumulation of dust in the vents and fans through the cooling channels will be culprit in restricting air flow. Cleaning it out will work best. Turn you laptop upside-down and look at what you’ve got.

Unscrew the fan doors and you should be able to lift out the fan and clean everything with a can of compressed air.

If you find that a fan is spinning erratically, you may want to try lifting the sticker off of the axle and putting a drop of mineral oil to keep it going.

You can also try to look up the part number from your laptop’s user manual or by searching your laptop model number online. Once you have that, you can find replacements pretty easily on eBay and the like.

Dying Batteries
There are plenty of different types of batteries, and many different schools of thought on battery maintenance and life span, but one thing that seems pretty unanimous is that batteries aren’t meant to be stored at 100% or 0% capacity. I know plenty of people who buy laptops and always keep the charger in, never actually using the battery. You can definitely expect to kill your battery’s health this way, since you’re essentially storing the battery when it’s full. Bad batteries don’t just give out really quickly, they can generate heat.
You can buy replacement batteries pretty easily online, even for laptops that are four years old. You just need to know what model your computer/battery is. If you can’t find one, you may consider using your laptop as a desktop and remove the overheating battery completely from the equation.

Persistent Overheating
If you’ve taken the air vents and battery out of the picture and you’re still having problems, then you might have a more persistent heat issue. Sometimes a dusty hard drive can cause heat problems and data loss. Some laptops just “run hot,” even without a major load on the CPU. Try cleaning out these areas as best you can before you move on to another solution.
Dust under the processor and RAM doors to get rid of any dust and debris. If you’ve got a net book or a laptop without compartments underneath, things might be more difficult. You should be able to find instructions for getting the back off so you can clean things properly.

Lighten the Load

If your computer’s heat is related to how much data the CPU chugs through, you might want to manage your processes better. You can use the Windows Task Manager to see what’s most intensive, then use Auto runs to see all your start up processes and trim them down You can also change the order of the start up processes that are necessary. The staggered loading of software will help balance your processor’s load.

You can install and run Process Explorer to see the files that each process has open and its associated CPU usage over time. This can help you decide what to get rid of and what to spare. We’re also big fans of CCleaner, which allows you to clean history and cache files as well as manage your start up applications quickly and easily. You can free up some much needed space that way and get a little more efficiency out of your OS.

If you want to keep an eye on the temperature of your laptop, I recommend Core Temp for Windows. It’s an extremely light-weight app that won’t pressure your CPU, but lets you keep an eye on your internal temperature.

You can tell it to display the temperature when it’s in the system tray. One of the best features is under the Options menu: Overheat Protection.

Here, you can define a temperature that will trigger your computer to Sleep, Hibernate, or Shutdown. Core Temp also works as a Windows Gadget, though if you’re overheating from CPU-intensive processes, I’d turn Desktop Gadgets off. Another thing you can do is turn that fancy Aero interface off, and you can create a shortcut to quickly toggle it if you can’t live completely without it.
If you’re using Linux instead, you might want to consider a more spartan distro. I’ve personally had a lot of success with Crunch bang; a clean install leaves me with Open box as a window manager, a nice dock, and some nice desktop effects, along with only 80MB of RAM usage. It’s based on Debian, so there’s a good amount of compatibility with software. If you run Arch, you might want to try ArchBang instead, which is the same thing but built on Arch instead of Debian.

Common Question for Laptop Battery

How do I identify my battery?

The first information to provide would be the make and model of the equipment that you require the battery for e.g. Toshiba Satellite Pro 400, or Compaq Presario 1283. There is also usually a label on the battery, and some of the information on the label will help our sales team to identify your battery quickly.

This information includes the voltage of the battery pack (note: this is not the same as the voltage on the power supply), the capacity of the battery pack and the chemical construction of the battery pack

e.g. Li-ion, Ni-MH or Ni-Cd. This information can be used to ensure the information you have provided matches the information we have about your battery. Many battery packs also have part numbers on the label; this can sometimes be used to help identify the battery. We would suggest that it is best to have all this information written down or close to hand before you call our sales team. This will help us deal with your call in an efficient manner.

What is the difference between Ni-Cd,Ni-MH,and Li-Ion?

Li-ion (Lithium Ion). This is one of the newest cell types. There are no known problems of memory effect with this battery type and it is the easiest battery type to care for. The downside of this battery is that it has the highest engineering costs and therefore the price is usually considerably higher than other cell types.

Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride). This cell type is the most common cell type currently available for laptop computers, (although Li-ion is rapidly becoming the most popular) this battery type is relatively cheap to manufacture and therefore tends to be cheaper than Li-ion. This cell type is prone to memory effect, so it is important to take good care of your Ni-MH battery to ensure that you obtain the best runtimes.

Ni-Cd (Nickel Cadmium). This is one of the oldest cell types and is generally only found in older laptops. The main pro for this cell type is its ability to handle higher loads, and therefore is more commonly found in portable power tools or devices that need a lot of power to work efficiently. The main downside of this cell type is that it is notorious for suffering from memory effect so good care must be taken with this battery type to ensure most effective use of battery.

How long will the new main battery power the laptop?

Battery run-time on a laptop is difficult to determine. Actual battery running time depends upon the power demands made by the equipment. The use of the screen, the hard drive and other accessories results in an additional drain upon the battery, effectively reducing its running time. The total run-time of the battery is also dependent upon the design of the equipment. Generally, a new Hi-Capacity battery will run 30% to 50% longer than the old battery did when it was new.

How to maximize and battery performance?

It is recommended to condition (fully charge and discharge) the new battery few times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity.

Condition the Ni-MH and Nicd battery at least once a month. It will reduce the memory effect.

Use the battery at least once a month even it was kept in a dry and cool storage.

Clean the metal connector (the contact to the notebook, usually in color of gold or silver) by alcohol or Electronics Cleaner Degreaser. It will maintain the good conductivity, which improves the power conduction from battery to Notebook.

Fully optimize the Power Management features provided in system BIOS, and Operating System will also improve the battery performance. Consult the user's manual to fully understand the usage of these features.

How long does battery last?

the life span of a Notebook battery is about 1.5 to 3 years under normal conditions. As the rechargeable battery begins to die, the user will notice a decline in the running time of the battery.

How can batteries be connected?

Note: When interconnecting batteries (cells), they must be identical in voltage and amp rating!

Batteries may be connected in series. The positive terminal of the first battery is connected to the negative terminal of the second battery; the positive terminal of the second is connected to the negative of the third, and so on. The voltage of the assembled battery is the sum of the individual batteries. The batteries are connected: + to - to + to - to + to -, etc. The capacity of the battery is unchanged.

Batteries may also be connected in parallel. The positive terminal of the first battery is connected to the positive terminal of the second battery, the positive terminal of the second is connected to the positive of the third; the negative terminal of the first battery is connected to the negative terminal of the second battery, the negative terminal of the second is connected to the negative of the third and so on.

The batteries are connected: + to + to + and - to - to -. In this configuration, the capacity is the sum of the individual batteries and voltage is unchanged.

For example, (5) 6V 10AH batteries connected in series produces a battery array that is 30 Volts and 10AH. Connecting the batteries in parallel produces a battery array that is 6 Volts and 50AH. Ordinary auto batteries are designed in the same fashion. Six 2-volt cells are arranged in series to produce a 12v battery. Many Ni-Cd batteries are arranged in the same way.

The rating for battery

V(olts): the voltage of the new battery should always match the voltage of the original. mAh:It standards for milli-Amp hours (1 mAh=0.001Ah), High amp-hour rating means a longer run-time and will not cause incompatibilities.

How do I charge my batteries?

Our Ni-MH chargers are fully automatic. Plug your charger into an A/C (or D/C power source for the Powered MH-C204F-DC) and place your batteries into the charger in matched pairs of two or four batteries to begin charging. Red lights indicate charging in progress. The lights will turn green when charging is complete and the charger will automatically switch to a trickle charge. The trickle charge will keep your batteries fully charged and ready for use. Refer to our Charger Manuals page for more detailed operating instructions for your model charger.

What is "memory effect"?

Ni-Cd batteries, and to a lesser extent Ni-MH batteries, suffer from what's called the "memory effect". What this means is that if a battery is repeatedly only partially discharged before recharging, the battery "forgets" that it has the capacity to further discharge all the way down. To illustrate: If you, on a regular basis, fully charge your battery and then use only 50% of its capacity before the next recharge, eventually the battery will become unaware of its extra 50% capacity which has remained unused. The battery will remain functional, but only at 50% of its original capacity. the way to avoid the dreaded "memory effect" is to fully cycle (fully charge and then fully discharge) the battery at least once every two to three weeks. Batteries can be discharged by unplugging the device's AC adapter and letting the device run on the battery until it ceases to function. This will insure your battery remains healthy.

What is a battery cycle?

Cycle life is measured by the amount of times a battery may be charged and discharged. Every time a battery is charged and discharged, it uses one cycle. Cycle life is very important in battery applications such as laptop batteries and emergency light batteries. A Ni-Cd battery has a cycle life of 500-1000 or more cycles.