How to Speed Up Your PC
The following article is targeted towards those running Windows XP, but the general practices can be applied to all operating systems.
If your computer seems slower than it used to be, it probably is. Over time, computers get slower for a variety of reasons: files become disorganized, unnecessary software consumes resources, unused network drives slow startup, or too many programs automatically run at startup. Larger, serious issues can dramatically slow your computer's performance too. You may have a virus or need to troubleshoot problems by clean booting.
Steps to speeding up Quick Bid and On-Screen Takeoff:
1.) Complete a Compact/Repair on your database at least once per week - this insures good health for your database and will keep its size down - if you are using SQL, there is no need for this.
2.) Make sure only the bids you are currently working on are in your database - the smaller your database (the fewer bids in the active database), the faster the programs will operate. You may wish to create databases for your bids in various statuses - "Pending", "Sold", "Lost" etc, rather than using folders within one database. This will keep each database relatively small and improve performance considerably.
3.) Only open the database(s) in which you are currently working. Having multiple databases open at once can affect the performance of Quick Bid and On Screen Takeoff, especially if you have bids that are interactive.
4.) If you're not already using SQL it might be a good alternative. SQL, unlike MS Access, is designed for multiple users and large volumes of information and inherently, performs better.
5.) Make sure the PC meets or exceeds our hardware recommendations (Pentium 4, 1GB Ram for example). Also, the faster your network, the better - we recommend gigabit Ethernet.
6.) Set your SQL database logging to “Simple” – this reduces the overall size of the database log.
Steps to speeding up your computer:
Protect Your Computer Against Spyware and Viruses
Two leading software companies Symantec and McAfee offer solutions for protecting your computer from spyware and viruses. Please be aware that by running these programs a considerable amount of resources will be consumed depending upon whcih options you have selected. However, these programs are intended to help your computer and may easily be toggled off.
*Note: When running anti-virus software, to increase performance, please exclude the folders containing On-Screen Takeoff, QuickBid, and their databases.
Spyware collects personal information without letting you know and without asking for permission. The information that spyware collects ranges from a list of Web sites that you visit to usernames and passwords. In addition to privacy concerns, spyware can hamper your computer's performance. Learn more about spyware and how to help protect your computer.
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Back Up First
Back up your computer before you run any system tools or do any troubleshooting. This is not just an over-cautious warning. Some of the steps recommended in this column can cause pre-existing but hidden problems to surface, which may keep your computer from starting. Windows XP includes Backup, a tool that helps you protect your data. If you have particularly important files (plans and bids) that you want to save, back them up onto a CD or portable drive.
To open the Backup or Restore Wizard
- Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.
For information on how to use this tool, see Ed Bott's column, Backup Made Easy and the Microsoft Knowledge Base article, How to Use Backup to Restore Files and Folders on Your Computer in Windows XP.
Before you make any changes, please note how long it takes for you to shut down, restart, and open an application. This is important because this is the easiest way to tell that your changes are increasing your computer’s performance.
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Remove Autostart Programs
The next step in restoring your computer's performance is to identify any unnecessary programs that start automatically. This step is highly recommended if your computer is very slow starting up, or if you get annoying pop-ups, or junk programs loading at the start-up.
Often, programs configure themselves to run in the background so that they appear to start quickly when needed. Some of these programs show an icon on your taskbar to let you know that they're running, while others are completely hidden. These autostart programs will steal away trace amounts of memory and processing time as your computer runs.
Windows XP comes with the System Configuration tool (Msconfig.exe), an excellent way to manage the startup process. To start it:
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Click Start, click Run, type Msconfig, and then press Enter.
On the Startup tab, you'll see a list of all the programs and processes that are set to run when Windows XP loads. -
Speed up your overall start time by clearing the check box next to any item you think you don't need. If you aren't sure a program is unneeded—leave it!
- Click Apply, and then restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
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Free Up Disk Space
By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.
Use Disk Cleanup to:
- Remove temporary Internet files
- Empty the Recycle Bin
- Remove Windows temporary files
- Remove optional Windows components that you don't use
- Remove installed programs that you no longer use
Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.
To Use Disk Cleanup
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Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.
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In the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list. 
Choose the files that you want to delete.
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Clear the check boxes for files that you don't want to delete, and then click OK.
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When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click Yes.
After a few minutes, the process completes and the Disk Cleanup dialog box closes, leaving your computer cleaner and performing better.
Another effective way of removing old programs is using the Add/Remove Programs utility.
Follow these steps to remove unneeded programs using the Add/Remove Programs utility:
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Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
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Click Add or Remove Programs.
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Scroll through the list and examine each program. Windows XP lists how often you use a program and what day you last started it. You shouldn't remove anything labeled as an Update or Hotfix, however, because they improve the security of your computer.
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Speed Up Access to Data
I hate newspaper articles that start on the front page but continue somewhere in the middle of the newspaper. I could get through the article much faster if it was printed on consecutive pages like a magazine article. Files on your computer can either be fragmented like a newspaper, or unfragmented like a magazine. Over time, more and more files become fragmented. When a file is fragmented, it takes longer for the computer to read it because it has to skip to different sections of the hard disk—just like it takes me a few seconds to find a page in the middle of a newspaper.
Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk when the file is opened to piece it back together. The response time can be significantly longer.
Disk Defragmenter is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end-to-end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.
When to Run Disk Defragmenter
In addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals, optimally monthly, certain events warrant running the utility outside of the monthly rule of thumb.
You should run Disk Defragmenter under the following circumstances:
- You add a large number of files
- Your free disk space nears 15 percent
- You install new programs or a new version of Windows
To use Disk Defragmenter:
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Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter. 
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In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment, and then click the Analyze button.
After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.
Tip: You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.
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To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment button.
After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.
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Upgrade the Hardware
As new software continues to be developed, the minimum system requirements tend to increase. For most desktop applications (far different than gaming applications), the three leading hardware requirements are:
- Hard drive space
- Processor Speed
- RAM – Random Access Memory (The most important speed upgrade)
Hard Drive
Your music, pictures, videos, and files all need to be stored somewhere. The latest hard drives (storage devices) can not only contain more data, but in some cases, may even retrieve data faster. Newer applications tend to be larger in size than their predecessors. Therefore upgrading your hard drive may become necessary if you are in the habit of buying new software.
Processor Speed
The “brain” of the computer lies with its Central Processing Unit (or CPU). This microchip is able to perform millions or billions of simple calculations per second. By upgrading your CPU, you can expect improved results in multitasking operations and any programs that do a lot number crunching or data manipulation.
Random Access Memory
This is by far the easiest hardware upgrade that you can do to your computer. In addition, it will probably give you the most dramatic results in performance.
Rule of thumb- there is no such thing as having too much RAM. Think of a computer as acting much like the human brain. You have long-term memories (hard drive) and short-term memories (RAM). Long term memories generally take a while to recall, but once they are stored, they are there forever. Short term memories are recalled instantly because they are fresh, current, and are being used as you read this article, but have a short lifespan. Like short term memory, data stored to RAM can be retrieved instantaneously, but only lasts a short time (until the computer is restarted) unless it is moved onto the hard drive.
In order to run any software application, it has to be loaded onto the RAM in order function quickly and smoothly. The more RAM you have, the more software applications you can run simultaneously. Remember, there are easily 15-50 simultaneous applications running on your machine at any given time. Just press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and “task manager” to view all of the current processes.
Article compiled from "4 Ways to Speed Up Your Compter's Performance" and "Restore Your Computer's Performance with Windows XP". |
