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Install It Right & Sleep Good At NightTitle
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Install It Right & Sleep Good At Night
Why Is My New Computer So Slow?
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You know its funny, buying a new system can be a great
experience, but I run into so many people ready to throw
their brand new Piece of trash out 3-6 months later.
Over the years I have received a lot of phone calls saying:
How come my PC is sooooo slow, I just bought it. When I
first got my new system it was fine, but now I cant get on
line And my all time favorite, Uhh, I got a message that
said something like, you need to install something, or
something will happen after the next time you do
something..........
So why does this happen?
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Well thats actually quite easy to answer. Most images
supplied from vendors come with an average of seven
unwanted/unneeded applications. They run in the background
trying to make you register this, upgrade that, or perform a
job that your OS (Operating System) already does on its own.
Its amazing how easy it is to exhaust your system resources
with a few shoddy programs.
Ask any technician and the majority (if not all) will tell
you; when buying a new system whether for home or office
they wipe it, kill it, spank it (Technical terms for
formatting the hard drive:), before they ever use it.
Also, some PCs may sit for six months to a year at the
store before they actually see the light of day. During this
time, new bugs and vulnerabilities may be discovered.
Updating your system as soon as it hits the internet is a
must.
Thats right Toto, Spyware, Viruses, and Worms oh my. Their
out there and waiting for new machines with old installs.
Other workstations may simply need a boost in RAM (Random
Access Memory) Vendors cut prices to sell inventory but they
also cut hardware where they can. Adding memory to your
system is the easiest way to increase your systems
potential. However, if you feel your hardware is adequate
and you still see a decrease in system performance, you may
need a complete re-installation of your OS.
So how do I do it?
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Vendors make it sound easy with their re-installation or
recovery CD. But, this will leave you in the same situation
of poor computer performance that lead you to this article
in the first place. Unfortunately in order to re-install or
re-image the correct way, you really need a professional
technician. But, in case you have the right tools, and your
feeling confident; let me give you a brief tutorial on
proper installation.
Under these instructions I will assume you have a general
knowledge of hardware and software and are able to obtain
the tools needed for a proper installation.
At the end of each step, I will give you a Tech rating of
1-5 (1 being easy, 5 being you better know your stuff)
Instructions for a Windows XP Professional Installation
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1) You will need to know your hardware profile (i.e. I
have an internal network interface card, Manufacturer
Broadcom / Model 440Family) Your PC usually comes with a
CD that has all hardware drivers for proper functionality.
If it does not, or you simply can not find the CD, go to
your vendors website and download them all. Make sure you
download all drivers and bios updates necessary for your
particular PC. (4)
2) Back up any files that you do not want to lose. This
is important because for a proper installation you will need
to format your hard drive. Most techies never use the
upgrade feature supplied in Windows. There is an unwritten
law that the upgrade feature only covers up problems, not
solve them. (1)
3) Boot the PC to your Windows XP CD, format the drive
and install Windows. This could take some time depending on
the size of your hard drive and your processor speed. (4)
4) After XP sets up, check you systems device manager
and install any drivers or bios upgrades needed. This is a
simple step to perform, and a crucial one. Proper
communication between your hardware and the OS is critical
to the stability of your machine. (2)
5) Uninstall any unwanted or unneeded applications that
came with you XP installation CD. May manufacturers load
their Operating System distributions with a ridiculous
amount of \"Free\" or \"Trial\" software. On top of this, some
of these software packages can really decrease your system
performance.(2)
6) Connect your machine to the internet and download
all Microsoft service packs and security updates that are
needed. Service packs are usually very large so if you can
obtain a CD do so. **Note** you will need to reboot and
return to Microsofts website several times in order to
complete all updates. (1)
7) Install a reputable Anti Virus. (i.e. McAfee,
Norton, Trend Micro, etc.) **Immediately update after the
install**. These will all cost money, but will save your
machine in the long run. In my experience I have found only
one free Anti-Virus package that works well. You can check
it out at www.grisoft.com (1)
8) Install Microsofts Anti-Spyware or similar
application. Again, updating immediately. (1)
9) Install each application separately updating them
completely before installing the next. You can often find
and icon in the tools menu with a Check for updates option.
If not, check the manufactures website. (1)
10) Defrag your machine and have a beer. (1)
11) Please note having a beer before step 1 will add one
point to each tech rating. (1)
Conclusion
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Now you have a clean install on your machine and should be
running at peak performance. You may want to tweak settings
here and there to your personal satisfaction. But you should
see a significant difference when you surf the web, check
your email, play music, etc
About the Author
About The Author
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Jackson Morgan is a Sr. desktop support specialist and works
with small to large businesses. He is certified to work on
many platforms and has over eight years experience in the
field. If you would like to contact Jackson you can e-mail
him at jackson.morgan@paralogic.net.
