Computer running slow

 Is your Computer running slow?

A lot of people buy a new computer that runs fast at first, then months later it is running very slow. It isn't the computers fault, it is because you have not maintained it to keep running at it's peak performance level. So first, why does a computer start slowing down? Well to be honest it can be a lot of different things that can affect a computers performance. We are going to concentrate on the users actions and how it affects the computer and what you can do to get it back up to it's peak performance level and keep it running at that level.

The average user mostly uses his or her computer for surfing the internet, instant messaging, emailing, pictures and music. First let's take the pictures and music. If you download music or pictures from the internet, beware, you can get bad stuff imbedded in them that can affect the computer. Also if you install a lot of pics and music and then remove some in order to install more, will have an affect on the computer. This also goes for software that you download or buy, install and then when bored of it, remove it. None of these activities are bad, but they have effects on the computer that start to slow it's performance.

Surfing, Iming and email. If you go to certain web sites, little programs or tracking cookies are put on your computer. Also, if you open attachments in emails, little programs can be installed on your computer. If you Instant Message a lot and go to web site links people send you or open things other people send you, all affect the computers performance. None of these activities are bad, they are fun and that is why we have computers. So what the heck are you trying to say Mike. lol These are just some of the activities that end up slowing the computer down and the reason why you need to do some simple maintenance once in awhile or wait and take it to a shop and pay a Tech $90.00 to do it for you. Ya Ya Blah Blah Blah lol. Ya I know, boring, wait I just got an email, lol.

The following steps are what I do to cleanup someone's computer, after it has gotten to the point of slow return, lol. I will list these chores on a printer friendly page to.

• The first things I do is to empty the Recycle Bin and Windows temp folder. steps are next.
• Recycle Bin is on the Desktop, right click on it and choose Empty Recycle Bin.
• Next go to Start-Accessories-Windows Explorer-My Computer-(C:) WINDOWS (double click to open)-TEMP folder, double click the temp folder to open it, then go to Edit-click it once to open it-choose-Select All, everything will be highlighted blue. Then right click on a highlighted file and choose Delete. Yes you want to delete everything, when you do this make sure you have all programs closed. If it says it can not delete something, try right clicking on each separate file and delete it if you can't delete a file just leave it, you have a program running that has a file there.
• Next go to Start-Control Panel-Internet Options, double click it to open it. Then go to the General tab, should be at that tab when you open options. Go to Browsing History and click the Settings Button, I am using IE 7, if you have 7 then click the Delete Files under Temporary Internet Files. I usually click the bottom button, Delete ALL, ( I do not save passwords or usernames with IE or any browser, I use Password Safe and copy and paste them into the forms, that is why I delete them all ), if you use Windows IE auto complete, just delete the Temporary Internet Files, check the cookies with a Spyware program like AVG Free Spyware software. If you are using an earlier version, check the delete offline box and then the delete button. Ok, that clears your cache. Click Close and OK.

Ok, a little yakking before we continue to the next step. Whenever you install a program, knowingly or unknowingly, it may put an Icon in your Taskbar, usually the bottom right corner of your screen. What are these little Icons, all they are is a quick launch for some programs, do you need these, No, I have one in my Taskbar, it is for my Anti virus Program. Most are placed there when you install a program, usually it will ask to put one there, but others just install it. They are running in the Background and help to slow down the computer. How do you stop them?

• Next step msconfig. Go to Start-Run-type in, msconfig go to the Startup tab. These are little programs that startup when your computer boots into Windows, are they needed, yes, some of them are necessary, but not all of them. To find out if you really need it, open Google and type in the name plus .exe at the end of the name, see what the program does, then decide whether it is necessary. I keep avgcc.exe checked because it is part of my AVG free Anti virus program and SFAgent.exe is my Spam Blocker program. I have a nwiz.exe that is part of my GeForce driver program, but it will at times use 100% of my CPU and is not needed, so I uncheck it. You can also check my Startup page Startup Programs. Some of the ones I have unchecked are, Adobe Gamma, Adobe Reader Synchronizer, Adobe Reader Speed Launch, jusched, nwiz, NvMctray, NvCpl, Nero Check, Hpcmpmgr, CTSysVol, Reader_sl, some of these are auto updaters, some are options for my graphic card, some just launch the software faster, I like my computer to run as fast as it can so I disable them. You will have to reboot the computer, when it boots back up there will be a popup telling you there have been changes, check the box on the bottom left corner then OK and then it will not popup every time you bootup. If later you miss one of those startup programs just follow the same steps, but this time Uncheck it.
• Next step go to the Control Panel-Add/Remove and see if there are is any Software installed that is no longer used or that has been installed without you knowing it. If there is Remove them, if you are not sure what they are, do a search on Google and find out about it. If you know what they are but forgot what they do, go to the start menu and start it up. When you buy a computer from a store it comes preloaded with a lot of software that has a 30 day free trial period and then it bugs you to buy it. I just remove it right from the getgo and download free versions, like anti-virus I use AVG Free Version, Anti-spyware I use AVG free Anti-spyware, Office program I use OpenOffice.org, Registry Cleaner I use RegCleaner all are free and work just as good if not better then the $$$ ones.

Well we are getting there. These steps are to clean up the system, there will not be so much to do after these steps are completed. : )

• Next we want to check for Viruses and Spyware, if you have a virus program, update it and run a full system scan. If you do not have one go here and run a full system check for viruses and your Anti-Spyware software for spyware, I use free Anti virus and Spyware programs AVG free Anti-Virus, for Spyware I use AVG free Anti-Spyware.
• Next we want to cleanup any errors on the drive using Scandisk, so go to Start-My Computer-right click on the C: drive and choose Properties-Tools Tab-Error checking-click the Check Now button-check the Automatically fix system errors-click Start. It will tell you it cannot run now and will run at the next boot, click Ok and restart the computer. Once that is done and the computer has boot back into Windows, next step.
• Next we are going to run Defragmenter, Start-My Computer-right click on the C: drive and choose Properties-Tools Tab-click the Defragment Now button-click the Analyze button. It may say that the drive does not need to be Defragmented, go ahead and click the Defragment button, take a break and let it finish, may take 30 min to a few hours depending on how much stuff you have on your drive. When it is done a little popup box will be displayed, click OK and close the program.
• One last thing you can do is turn off some of Windows Services go to this page for Services info, I would for sure disable the Indexing Service, BIG resource hog, it makes searching for files on your computer faster, but slows your computer down when you are not searching, you don't need it running.
• Make sure that you only run one Anti-virus, one Anti-Spyware and One Firewall program, if you run two of those, like two Firewall programs it will create problems, remember Windows Firewall is on by default so if you buy a suite of programs, like Norton Internet Suite (where the A-V, A-S and Firewall are all together) remove any others that are on your computer before you install a new one and disable Windows Firewall if you bought one.
• Ok we should be done and your computer should be running much faster. One more thing to consider is how much RAM or Memory does your computer have. Go to Start-Accessories-System Tools-System Information, look at the Total Physical Memory, if you only have 256.00 MB you may want to add more. XP should have a min of 512MB and if you do any gaming or have multiple programs running put in a 1 gig. Go to this page on how to install RAM.
• Ok that is it, that wasn't hard now was it?
• I personally do not have my Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware programs running full time, I have my Anti-Virus scanning my Emails full time and that is it, I do manual scans. Most people should let them run, they sometimes will slow your computer down, but you are protected full time that way.

Weekly chores:

• Scan System with Spyware scanner, after updating.
• Clear Browser Temporary Internet Files.

Monthly chores:

• Empty Recycle Bin.
• Empty Windows Temp folder.
• Run Scandisk.
• Run Defragmenter.
• Full System Virus scan.

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The Evolution of Apple Design Between 1977-2008

With the 25th anniversary of the first Macintosh computer coming up on January 24th, 2009, we’re taking a look back in time at the evolution of Apple products.

Most have been notable leaps forward, while some were famous flops. Whether or not their inventions were accepted by the marketplace, Apple has consistently put out products that raise the bar for the computer and telecommunications industry.
The list compiled for this article is by no means a complete compilation of all Apple products. We chose to highlight those products where the design changes are best appreciated.

All-In-One Computers

Apple has sold “all-in-one” computers that have built-in monitors from its very early days. Although some models were classified as All-In-One, they had separate monitors packaged in the same box.

Apple II – 1977

1977 saw the invention of both the Apple II and the famous rainbow Apple logo. Steve Jobs added the colours to the logo to reflect the Apple II’s superior colour output. Colour graphics set the Apple II apart from its rivals on the market. Image: Wikipedia

Apple III – 1980

This next iteration of the Apple computer for business was created primarily to compete with business computing companies like IBM. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIe – 1983

The Apple IIe keyboard was built in to the computer and did away with the numeric keypad. Image: Wikipedia

Lisa/Macintosh XL – 1983

While Lisa won the legendary race between itself and the Macintosh by being the first desktop computer to market with an intuitive GUI, it flopped with the public due to sticker shock at its $10,000 price tag and a lack of software titles. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIc – 1984

The Apple IIc represented Apple’s first attempt at both a portable computer and “out-of-the-box” functionality. The only problem with classifying the IIc as a “portable” computer is the fact that it lacked a portable power supply. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh – 1984

The Macintosh, for most of us, was the computer that started it all. In the first demonstration of the product at MacWorld, Steve Jobs pulled the very first Macintosh out of the bag and demonstrated product features that most of us take for granted now. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIGS – 1986

The first 50,000 of these came with Steve Wozniak’s signature silkscreened on the front. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh Plus – 1986

The Plus version of the Macintosh originally featured the same beige colour as the original Macintosh, but in 1987 was changed to the warm gray Platinum colour that would characterize Apple computers for years to come. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh SE – 1987

Space for an internal hard disk and advanced SCSI support were some of the selling features of the SE. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIc Plus – 1988

With this model, Apple did away with the 5.25″ floppy in the Apple II line and switched over completely to the 3.5″ floppy. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh SE/30 – 1989

The SE/30 sported the capacity for expandable RAM and a 1.44mb floppy disk drive as standard. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh Classic – 1990

The Classic was an adaptation of Terry Oyama’s and Jerry Oyama’s Macintosh 128K industrial design. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh Classic II – 1991

Two cases actually came out for the Classic II. The pictured one has a speaker cutout on the left side for better sound. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh Color Classic – 1993

This was the first colour compact Macintosh computer. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Macintosh LC 500 – 1993

The Apple MacIntosh LC series were sold as Apple’s upper low end computers for the mid 1990’s. Image: Wikipedia.

Macintosh Performa 5200 – 1995

This was one of Apple’s lower moments, featuring severely compromised hardware design. Image: Wikipedia

Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (TAM) – 1997

12,000 of these were produced. Apple broke the moulds and didn’t make any more in order to make the product seem more “exclusive”, a strategy that did not help the TAM’s sales numbers. Image: Wikipedia

PowerMac G3 All-In-One – 1998

These were sold to the educational market only. Image: Wikipedia

iMac G3 Tray-Loading, Bondi Blue – 1998

In doing away with the tower and keeping the computing power, Apple completely revolutionized the desktop computer industry. The iMac G3’s were available in a bouquet of various colours. Johnathan Ive, the designer who was later the mastermind of the Cube, designed the iMac G3. Image: Wikipedia

iMac G3 Slot-Loading Indigo – 1999

The above model set the standard for the rest of the iMac G3’s with a slot-loading CD ROM rather than a tray-loading model. Image: Wikipedia

iMac “Flavours” – 1998-2003

Different colours were eventually added to the original Bondi Blue. Image: Wikipedia

eMac – 2002

The eMac was made available as a cheaper option to the educational market than the iMac. Image: Trimir

iMac G4 – 2002

The iMac G4 was produced from 2000-2004 and represents the first iteration of Apple’s desire to “slim down” the components necessary for an out of the box personal computer experience. It was nicknamed the iLamp because of its swiveling monitor. Image: Marc Burr

iMac G5 – 2005

The G5 lacked the swivel functionality of the G4 but introduced the “behind-the-screen” component design principle which characterized future iMac designs. Image: Wikipedia

iMac (Intel Based) – Aluminum – 2007

The current iMac models pack all of the components necessary to the operation of a computer behind the monitor in a perfect realization of “slim design”. Image: Wikipedia

Desktop Computers

Macintosh II – 1987

This was the first “modular” design computer that Apple put out. All of the rest preceding it had been “all-in-one” models. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh IIx – 1988

This was simply an update to the Macintosh II. One of its code names was “Spock”. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh IIfx – 1990

This computer was introduced as the “fastest Mac” and was dubbed “Wicked Fast” by the then Product Manager, Frank Casanova. Image: Wikipedia

Quadra 700 – 1991

Introduced with the Quadra 900 as the first Apple systems to feature Ethernet networking. Image: Wikipedia

Quadra 800 – 1993

The case on this was smaller and not as accessible as others, earning it the “worst case of all time” title at Low End Mac. Image: Wikipedia

Quadra 630 – 1994

This last entry in the Quadra line featured an IDE drive, a slower yet cheaper replacement for the standard SCSI drives that earlier Quadras contained. This was the last in the Quadra line. Image: Wikipedia

Power Macintosh G3 – 1997

The PowerMac G3 was tested and proven to be the fastest desktop computer of its time by Byte Magazine. Image: Wikipedia

PowerMac G3 Blue and White – 1999

This shared the hardware with its predecessor but little else. The case was redesigned to bring it in line with the new iMac. Image: Apple.com

Power Mac G4 – 1999

This line was sold by Apple between 1994 and 2006. While the hardware varied between models, they all adhered to the same basic design principles. Image: Wikipedia

Power Mac G5 – 2003

At the time of its launch the Power Mac G5 was touted as the fastest computer ever built. Image: Wikipedia

Mac Pro – 2006

This machine integrated Intel’s 5400 chipset with Xeon microprocessors for a lightning fast processing speed. Image: Apple.com

Mini Desktops

PowerMac G4 Cube – 2000

This 8″ cube garnered a lot of kudos in the short time that it was in production. The designer of the Cube, Jonathan Ive, won several international awards for its design. Image by Apple.com

Mac Mini – 2005

This diminutive computer only measured 6.5″ by 2″. It weighed in at 2.5 pounds. Image: Apple.com

Notebooks

Macintosh Portable – 1989

The Macintosh Portable represented Apple’s first computer with a portable power supply and an active matrix LCD screen which sported a clearer picture than many desktop monitors of the time. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook 100 – 1991

The PowerBook 100 was a result of a collaboration between Sony and Apple – Sony miniaturized the parts for Apple for the 100. The 140 and the 170 are the first PowerBooks completely designed by Apple. Mobile PC magazine named the PowerBook 100 as its “#1 gadget of all time” in a 2005 article. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook Duo – 1992

This precursor to the MacBook Air was a subnotebook that interfaced with larger storage media either through a docking port or through cables. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook 180c – 1993

First PowerBook to display 640×480 resolution and 256 colours. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook 540c – 1994

The trackpad replaced the trackball with this model. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook 1400 – 1996

This entry-level notebook came in a number of different configurations. Image: Wikipedia

eMate 300 – 1997

Personal digital assistant designed for classroom use and based on the Newton engine. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook G3 – 1997

The Wallstreet model, pictured above, marked the last use of the rainbow-coloured Apple logo. The PowerBook G3 was a built-to-order laptop which allowed users to customize what they wanted on the machine. Image: Wikipedia

iBook – 1999

The first generation of the iBook featured a clamshell design and wireless networking. Image: eLanso

iBook G3 Dual USB – 2001

Many design advances were incorporated into this complete redesign, including the L-Shaped hinge for the screen and a slim-line design. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook G4 – 2001

The titanium-skinned PowerBook G4 was the precursor to the MacBook Pro. Image: Wikipedia

iBook G4 – 2004

A slot loading drive and a lack of translucent design characterized this release of the iBook. Image: Apple.com

PowerBook G4 – Aluminum – 2003

Aluminum was used for the first time in this incarnation of the PowerBook. Johnathan Ive, the same award-winning product designer responsible for the Cube, designed this PowerBook. Image: Wikipedia

MacBook – 2006

2006 saw the introduction of the MacBook with now-standard features like the magnetic latch, the glossy display and the sunken keyboard. Image: Wikipedia

MacBook Pro – 2006

The aluminum standard by which all others are measured. In the case of the current MacBrook Pro, each case is constructed out of a single block of aluminum. Image: Wikipedia

MacBook Air – 2008

The MacBook Air was launched with a famous commercial that involved it being packaged up and shipped in an envelope. Image: Apple.com

MacBook – 2008

The latest version of the MacBook brings the aluminum case previously reserved for the Pro line into the regular MacBook. Image: Wikipedia

MacBook Pro – 2008

The most recent Pro design is available in a 15″ or 17″ model. Images via Apple.com

Keyboards

Macintosh Keyboard – 1984

This keyboard was standard issue with the Macintosh Plus and was the first keyboard to see the “Command” key. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Extended Keyboard – 1990

This keyboard represents the golden age of Apple keyboards for many fans. The large spaces between keys and the general feel of the board made it very popular. Image: Wikipedia

USB Keyboard – 1998

This board was packaged with iMacs beginning in 1998 and lasting until 2000. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Pro Keyboard/Apple Keyboard – 2000

This keyboard had the “Command” letters removed from the command key entirely. When it was originally introduced it was available in a clear case with black keys. After its name was officially changed to the “Apple Keyboard”, it was released only in white. Image by 2aday.com

Current Apple Keyboard – 2007

The current Apple keyboard features an aluminum enclosure and is the first since the Apple IIe keyboard to remove the Apple logo from the Command key. Image: Apple.com

Mice

Macintosh Mouse – 1984

While the Macintosh is responsible for making the computer mouse part of our everyday reality, it was actually an adaptation of the mouse designed for the Lisa and was not the first mouse used by Apple. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIc Mouse – 1984

This mouse removed the contrasting colours featured on the Macintosh mouse and also offered support for gaming devices such as joysticks. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Desktop Mouse – 1986

Image: Wikipedia

ADB Mouse II – 1993

This update was included with all Macs between 1993 and 1998. Image: Wikipedia

iMac USB Mouse – 1998

This mouse was shipped with all iMacs for two years after its introduction. Image: Russell Heimlich.

Mighty Mouse Wireless – 2005

It was announced and sold for the first time on August 2, 2005. Before the Mighty Mouse, Apple had sold only one-button mice with its computers, beginning with the Apple Lisa 22 years earlier. Image: Apple.com

Displays

Apple IIc Flat Panel Display – 1984

Only 10,000 of these were ever produced, owing to the fact that you needed a strong light source to even see what was on the screen. Image: Wikipedia

AppleColor RGB – 1986

The first 640×480 stand-alone monitor made by Apple. Image: Wikipedia

Apple AudioVision 14 – 1993

This monitor featured a 14″ Triniton display. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Studio Display – 1998

This was released to be paired with the Power Macintoshes of the time and featured an active matrix LCD screen. Image by everymac.com

Apple Studio Display – Blueberry – 1999

This was released to complement the PowerMac G3 which was released in “Blueberry” at the time. Image by everymac.com

Apple Studio Display CRT Blueberry – 1999

This monitor kept the “Blue” theme going with an attractive design. Image by everymac.com

Apple Studio Display CRT – 2000

This monitor was the last CRT monitor that Apple shipped. Image by everymac.com

Apple Cinema Display 22″ – 2000

The 22″ active matrix LCD display on this model was tailored to work with the newly released PowerMac G4’s. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Cinema Display 20″ – 2003

Featured a 20″ active matrix LCD display. Image by Amazon.com

Apple Cinema Displays – 2004- Current

Current Apple Cinema Displays come in three different sizes; 20″, 23″ and 30″. Image by Apple.com

LED Cinema Display, 24″ – 2008

This display is touted as Mac’s “greenest” ever. Image by Apple.com

iPod

While other MP3 players were on the market before 2001, none could match the ease of use of the iPod. The iPod line consists of four different products; the iPod Shuffle, the iPod Nano, the Ipod Classic, and the iPod Touch.

The Newton – 1993

While the Newton was a massive flop at the time of its release, it laid the groundwork for Apple’s massively popular iPhone and iPod. Two ex-Apple Newton developers founded the company that developed the iPod’s OS, Pixo.

Ipod/Ipod Classic

Generation One – 2001

The first generation of the iPod was debuted in 2001 to rave reviews and a very eager market. Image: Wikipedia

Generation Two – 2002

The second generation of the iPod featured a touch-sensitive wheel rather than a mechanical wheel. Image: Wikipedia

Generation Three – 2003

The third generation saw the introduction of a thinner iPod. Instead of being simply touch-sensitive as the second generation was, the wheel on this iPod was completely governed by touch. Image: Wikipedia

Generation 4 – 2004

The fourth generation saw the Touch Wheel replaced with the Click Wheel from the iPod Mini. A special Harry Potter edition and U2 edition were released in this generation. Image: BatteriesForIpod

Fifth Generation – 2005

2005 brought this iteration of the iPod, unofficially dubbed iPod Video. Image: Les Numeriques

Sixth Generation – 2007

The sixth generation brought an official rename to “iPod Classic” in order to distinguish the iPod from the others in the line. Image: Wikipedia

iPod Shuffle – 2005

This first generation was introduced at MacWorld with the tag line “Life is Random”. Image: Apple.com

iPod Shuffle – 2006

The smaller iPod Shuffle is the smallest device made by Apple. It relies on flash memory rather than a hard disk like the other iPods. Image: Apple.com

iPod Shuffle in Colour – 2008

The Ipod Shuffle was updated in 2008 with four new colours. Image by apple.com

iPod Nano

First Generation – 2005
Image: eShop Macsales

Second Generation – 2006
Image: Les Numeriques

Third Generation – 2007
Image: Apple.com

Fourth Generation – 2008
Image: Apple.com

iPod Touch – 2007

The iPod Touch was launched to great media and consumer acclaim in March of 2007. The touch screen allows the user interaction with various games and applications. Steve Jobs has referred to the iPod Touch as the “training wheels” for the iPhone. Image: Apple.com

iPhone – 2007

The iPhone is the cellular phone of choice of nearly every tech aficionado, even winning over BlackBerry fanboys with its touch screen and wide range of cheap and free applications available from the iTunes AppStore. Image: Apple.com

Over the course of its lifetime as a company, Apple has been responsible for most of the groundbreaking design features that we have come to appreciate on any laptop, computer, or cellphone. Their consistent record as groundbreakers in the design field alone is enough to garner them a cult following; their technological advances simply cement their followers to whatever amazing product they will release next.
Written exclusively for WDD by Angela West.
What were your experiences with legacy Apple or current Apple products? We want to hear from you.

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