Computers are a bit like cars — everyone has one, and more often than
not, you don't know many of the details about why or how it works. You
just sort of turn it on, tell it what you want it to do, and hope that
it doesn't explode or grind to a halt. For a lot of people, the inside
of the computer and the software on it are a vague box of mystery, full
of various things that all do something to make it work, but they're
not totally sure
how.
Of course, unlike cars, computers
have a lot of things that can be fixed without any need for mechanical
knowledge. While it's unlikely that your car's strange reluctance to
shift into third gear can be fixed by anyone shy of a mechanic, if your
computer seems to be running oddly or slowly, there's a lot you can do
from just the software end. Many problems are easier to fix than you
may suspect.
Today, we're going to look at the literal first
step when you're turning on your PC — the boot procedure. Every time
your machine turns on, it goes through the same process. If your
computer loads slowly, the solution to making it go faster can
sometimes be as simple as examining what it's doing when the machine
starts up.
To do all things, do nothing ...
In
fact, one of the first things to do actually puts the lie to that
statement. Instead of trying to do something, try changing your
computer's startup routine by
not doing anything. Outside of
logging in when prompted (assuming you have a password-protected
startup), just let the computer finish loading everything before
double-clicking a single program. You can tell when the computer is
done both by the absence of the little hard drive access light on the
front of the computer and by the fact that the gentle chugging noise it
normally makes will fall silent except for the occasional chirp. There
is the additional visual cue of the cursor changing from a "waiting"
icon (like an hourglass) to a "ready for business" one (an arrow or
other pointer).
It's the same principle wherein you can get more
work done at your job if you get your tasks spread throughout the day
and not tossed in your face all at once. If you start opening programs
the second you can move the mouse and click, the computer can start
slowing down from handling too many things at once. And it doesn't help
that our first instinct is usually to click on
more things, increasing the workload even further.
Of
course, this isn't going to solve every problem. You might notice that
letting the machine finish booting first means it runs a bit faster,
but it still takes a long time to get moving. The next step is to take a
look at what's starting up with the computer, since that's the root of
the issues. There are a few useful tools for this, and the first one is
right in your Start menu.
... but some things do require action
It's
a little bit hidden at times, but in the Start menu is a folder named
Startup. Any program shortcut placed in that folder will start when the
computer is turned on, any files placed there will be automatically
opened, and so forth. There are several programs that will put
themselves here automatically, whether or not you actually want them to
start when your computer turns on. Take a look in this folder and see
if there's anything listed that you either don't use or don't need to
have running when you start the system. Simply deleting the shortcuts
from this folder will prevent the shortcuts from launching until you
open them yourself.
Instant messaging programs (like AOL Instant
Messenger or Google Talk) are particular culprits in bogging down your
startup, because they also start trying to send and receive information
through the network adapter, which can bog the system down even
further. Consider items like these these a top priority for removal when
trying to streamline your boot sequence.
Not
every program that starts with the computer will necessarily be listed
under the Startup folder. Some of them will have system tray icons
instead. Most antivirus programs and security programs, along with
several pieces of proprietary software, will show up in the system tray
just to the left of the clock. Right-clicking on these icons will
usually give you a menu, either featuring an Options command or giving
you the immediate option to turn off the automatic launch feature. You
don't want to turn off antivirus programs for obvious reasons, but many
others can safely be disabled.
Oftentimes, the safest programs to
turn off are the ones that come as built-in additions or are a package
deal with peripherals like keyboards or mice. If your keyboard has
its own special icon in the task tray, for instance, odds are good you
can get rid of that and still have the computer function perfectly
fine.
There's more to improving your computer's performance than
just what happens when it's first turned on, but this is a good place to
start making your computer faster. With our next installment, we're
going to focus on the things that your computer might be doing that you
aren't even aware of, and how to keep the system under your control to
improve general performance.
On a Mac: