- Enable DMA
- Direct memory access (DMA) gives your hard drive
the ability to read information from memory without using the
CPU. It can help speed up tasks that are disk intensive, such
as accessing databases.
To active DMA In Windows 98:
Right-click My Computer and select Properties.
Click on the Device Manager tab.
Click on Disk drives. Then select your hard drive and click
on the Properties button.
Click on the Settings tab. Check the DMA check box if it is
not checked.
If the check box is grayed out, your motherboard
chipset doesn't support the busmaster interface. If you have
problems booting, reboot in safe mode and turn off DMA.
To activate DMA in Windows 2000:
Right-click My Computer and select Properties.
Click on the Hardware tab, then select Device Manager.
Click on IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers.
Right-click an IDE channel and select Properties (your hard
drive is probably on the primary IDE channel).
Select the Advanced Settings tab.
For Device 0 and Device 1 under Transfer Mode, select "DMA
if available." Click OK.
Click OK and restart Windows.
In some cases, you do not want to have DMA
turned on if you are using an extremely old hard drive or if
you're using a CD-R or CD-RW drive. You want to stick with the
PIO mode 4 or the default setting. DMA can cause data buffer
problems when used in conjuction with a CD-RW or CD-R.
- Reduce your graphics
to 16-bit
You can make this change in the Display control panel. Find out
more about the differences in color bit depth.
- Two hundred fifty-six colors, 16-bit color,
and 24-bit color are terms that describe "color depth,"
the number of colors displayed on your computer screen.
Early monochrome screens displayed white, green, or amber text
on a black background. Computers with those screens use a single
bit per pixel to represent color. Since a bit has two possible
states (1 or 0), each pixel can be in one of two states, on
or off. If the pixel is "on," that means it is glowing,
which shows up as white (or green or amber, depending on the
screen).
256 colors
It wasn't long before people wanted more color on their screens.
The next step up were screens that could display 16 different
colors. This requires four bits per pixel. Four bits can represent
16 possible states because 2 to the 4th power is 16. But with
only 16 colors, you still don't get a very realistic color effect.
The next step up was 8 bits per pixel, which allows 256 colors.
That's about the level of color you see in business graphics.
When you get to 256 colors (8-bit color), you can start making
cartoons and graphics that look like drawings. Icons, for the
most part, use either 16 or 256 colors.
16-bit color
The 256-color scheme is pretty good for simple graphics but
not for photo reproduction. As graphic displays on the computer
got more sophisticated, people wanted to see photos on their
computers and on the Web, so they added even more bits per pixel.
With 16 bits per pixel (16-bit color) you get 2 to the 16th
power worth of color combinations -- 65,000 color combinations.
That's sometimes called a high-color display, and it's good
enough for most graphics. Most games use 16-bit color.
24-bit color
It is estimated that the eye can resolve roughly 2 million different
colors and shades. To get 2 million shades, you need 24 bits
of color information per dot, or 24-bit color. This is called
"true color."
For almost everybody -- except high-end graphic artists -- 24-bit
color is sufficient. However, there are displays that can go
to an even higher color resolution. Using 32-bit color produces
over 4 billion different shades.
If you have a VGA monitor, it's your video card, not the monitor,
that determines how may colors you can display. Most video cards
can display at least 8-bit color, and almost all can display
16-bit color (high color). If you have enough memory in your
video card, you can display 24-bit color (true color).
Macs use different naming conventions. On the Mac, 16-bit color
is called "thousands of colors" and 24-bit color is
"millions of colors."
- Uninstall unused fonts
The more fonts you have, the longer it takes to load some applications.
- There's no denying that fonts are fun. It's
tempting to load up your Windows PC with a ton of fonts, all ready
for you to use.
There is a drawback to having a ton of fonts. Ever noticed that
as you add more fonts, startup takes longer in Windows? All
those fonts may be bogging down your system.
According to Microsoft, "All font files are registered
under a single key in the registry, and a registry key cannot
exceed 64KB." Microsoft estimates that you can install
between 1,000 and 1,500 TrueType fonts. Sound ridiculous? Depends
on the user. But the general consensus on the Web is that anything
beyond 200 to 300 fonts will slow your system.
Fonts affect Windows startup
Since Windows keeps all of the fonts in the
Registry, the more fonts you have, the more adversely it affects
the speed of your Windows startup. If you actually have 1,000
fonts in your system, you probably noticed that Windows takes
longer than usual to boot.
To speed up your startup, try removing some fonts (you never
actually used Andale Mono anyway).
To view all the fonts on your computer:
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control
Panel, and then double-click Fonts.
This opens the Fonts folder, a system folder
that displays all your fonts and lets you see what they look
like.
System fonts
Wait a second before you go hog wild and start
deleting fonts. There are a few fonts that you cannot delete.
They are system fonts, and Windows uses them.
To find out which fonts are your system fonts, you need to know
which version of Windows you are running. To do this:
Click on My Computer and select Properties.
The General tab should be open (if not, click on it).
Record what is noted under "System."
View the fonts on your computer by using the steps above. Switch
the view to Details, which should list the fonts alphabetically.
You want the information listed under Modified.
Now look at Microsoft's webpage on how to determine the default
Windows fonts. Find the version of Windows that matches your
own. Microsoft lists a system date for each version (for example,
Windows 98, build 4.10.1998 has a system date of 5/11/98). Record
that date.
Go back to your Fonts folder. Any font that has the same date
as your system date is a system font. Do not delete this font.
Deleting fonts
To delete a font from your computer:
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control
Panel, and then double-click Fonts to open the Fonts folder.
Click the icon for the font you want to delete.
On the File menu, click Delete. To select more than one font
to delete, hold down the CTRL key, and then click each of the
fonts you want to delete.
-
Minimize
the number of apps that start on boot up
In Windows, you can set an application to launch every time
you start the computer. It's a feature that can be either a
constant irritation or a timesaver.
- In Windows, you can set an application to launch
every time you start the computer. It's a feature that can be
either a constant irritation or a timesaver. Here's how you make
-- or unmake -- a program load automatically when you start Windows.
Any program with a shortcut in the Startup folder will automatically
execute when you boot into Windows. To add a program:
Right-Click on Start and choose Open.
Double-click Programs.
Double-click Start-Up and add a shortcut for any program you
want to load automatically.
To remove a program from Start-Up, just delete the Shortcut.
The registry location HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
contains the paths to programs that run when your computer boots.
You can edit and remove (or add, for that matter) the path to
any program you like. We highly recommend backing up your registry
and exploring your other options before modifying the registry.
In Windows 98 and later, you can run the program
called MSConfig, which provides a simple user interface with
checkboxes for modifying files that contain programs and utilities
that run on startup.
If you cannot find a specific program you want to remove with
either of the steps above and you don't have Windows 98 or later,
search your config.sys, autoexec.bat, win.ini, and system.ini
files for the errant programs and drivers.
- Defrag your drive
Defragment your hard drive to make files open faster. Is your
PC slower than molasses? Do most files take forever to open up?
If you've answered yes to either of these questions, then your
computer could have a case of the fragmented blues.
We recommend a Windows application called Disk Defragmenter
to increase performance, reliability, and speed.
The more you use your computer, the more scattered files become
as they get rewritten to your hard drive. Disk Defragmenter
will optimize your hard drive by efficiently reordering the
data. Once started, the utility will run by itself for a few
hours, so don't plan to compute during this process.
To run Disk Defragmenter, follow these directions:
Single-click the Start button, mouse-over Programs,
Accessories, System Tools, and then single-click Disk Defragmenter.
Select the drive you'd like to defragment and hit the Settings
button.
On the Disk Defragmenter Settings menu checkmark "Rearrange
program files so my programs start faster" and "Check
drive for errors." Hit OK to go back to the first screen.
Hit OK to begin the process.
For a graphical representation of how it works, hit the Show
Details button.
Come
back in a few hours after the process is finished.
If you use your computer often, run Disk Defragmenter
every three months.
Troubleshooting
If the process keeps starting over (one to
five percent progress, then starts over), you need to run Disk
Defragementer in Safe mode.
- Clean
OS install
Back up your data, reformat your drive, and reinstall your operating
system from scratch. This can help get rid of any unnecessary
software that was installed in your OS.
- Update drivers
Drivers are frequently updated to eliminate bugs or incorporate
other changes. To download and install a new or updated driver,
follow these steps:
-
- A driver is a routine program that links a device
to a computer's operating system. Whenever you add a new piece
of hardware, such as a CD-RW, to your PC, you need to install
a corresponding driver in order to run the device.
Drivers are frequently updated to eliminate bugs or incorporate
other changes. To download and install a new or updated driver,
follow these steps:
Connect to the Internet.
Right-click on My Computer.
Click on Properties.
Click on the tab marked Device Manager.
Click on a listed device and a new window will open.
Click on Drivers to find out what drivers you currently have
installed on your computer.
Click on Update and Windows will check to see if you have the
latest driver. If not, you can update to the newest version
if you wish.
You can also find updated versions of drivers
by visiting hardware manufacturers' websites.
- Lower
your screen resolution
The screen resolution determines how many pixels are used to create
the image on your screen. The more pixels, the longer it takes
to display the image. Learn how to lower your resolution and other
Display properties you can tweak here:
- Have you ever wanted to change the look of your
monitor. If you still think wallpaper is only found on walls,
you should explore your display settings.
Jazz up your monitor with this tip:
In Start Menu, select Settings.
Click Control Panel.
Click Display.
In Display Properties you can alter the Background,
Screen Saver, Effects, Settings, and Appearance. You can also
click on Output Device and Display Information to find exactly
which type of monitor you have.
Background
Experiment with your pattern and your wallpaper. You can center
the wallpaper, which puts the wallpaper in one box in the middle
of your screen. Or you can tile the wallpaper which effectively
covers the entire screen.
Screen saver
Opt for a scrolling marquee to show off your witticism to co-workers
and family members. Click the drop-down menu for screen saver
choices. Choose whichever image strikes your fancy, then hit
settings to adjust the frequency. If you decide to have a scrolling
message, click settings to type it in.
Effects
Change your desktop icons or hide icons when you view your desktop
as a webpage. You can also adjust the visual settings. Choose
large or small icons, colors, and so forth.
Settings
Choose your color pallette, size of icons, or the size of the
display screen on your monitor. Choose Advanced Properties to
enhance monitor performance.
Appearance
Change the color scheme and font for different areas of your
display. For example, change your desktop to red. Browse the
drop-down menu to find what you need to change.
- Clean
out your registry
A cluttered Registry can cause problems. Learn more about RegCleaner
and how it can get your Registry back in shape.
- Turn
off Active Desktop
Active Desktop can be a useful Windows feature, but it can also
be a resource hog.
- The Active Desktop in Windows lets you see Web
content on the desktop. Each Active Desktop item is either an
HTML document, a part of a webpage, or an entire webpage.
You can make the desktop your own personal and updated webpage
with information such as stock tickers, sports scores, weather
updates, and headlines.
Many people do not use Active Desktop because it can be a serious
resource hog and a distraction.
To enable Active Desktop:
Right-click an empty area on the desktop.
Point to Active Desktop and click View As Web Page. A check
mark will appear.
To disable the Active Desktop, click View As
Web Page to clear the check mark.
To add an Active Desktop item, follow these steps:
Right-click an empty area on the desktop and
select Properties.
Click the Web tab, and then click New.
Click no, unless you want to use an Active
Desktop item from the Desktop Component Gallery on Microsoft's
website. (Microsoft does provide some decent Active Desktop
fodder.)
To use a website as an Active Desktop item,
either type the site's address or click Browse to search your
hard disk.
Add as many websites as you want.
Click the created box(es) you want to include
and select Apply.
Items will appear in your new Active desktop
and can be resized to any desired size.
- Turn off wallpaper
Sure, it's fun and gives your screen a personal touch, but it
might be slowing down your performance. You can turn it off in
the Display Control Panel..
- Have you ever wanted to change the look of your
monitor. If you still think wallpaper is only found on walls,
you should explore your display settings.
Jazz up your monitor with this tip:
In Start Menu, select Settings.
Click Control Panel.
Click Display.
In Display Properties you can alter the Background,
Screen Saver, Effects, Settings, and Appearance. You can also
click on Output Device and Display Information to find exactly
which type of monitor you have.
Background
Experiment with your pattern and your wallpaper. You can center
the wallpaper, which puts the wallpaper in one box in the middle
of your screen. Or you can tile the wallpaper which effectively
covers the entire screen.
Screen saver
Opt for a scrolling marquee to show off your witticism to co-workers
and family members. Click the drop-down menu for screen saver
choices. Choose whichever image strikes your fancy, then hit
settings to adjust the frequency. If you decide to have a scrolling
message, click settings to type it in.
Effects
Change your desktop icons or hide icons when you view your desktop
as a webpage. You can also adjust the visual settings. Choose
large or small icons, colors, and so forth.
Settings
Choose your color pallette, size of icons, or the size of the
display screen on your monitor. Choose Advanced Properties to
enhance monitor performance.
Appearance
Change the color scheme and font for different areas of your
display. For example, change your desktop to red. Browse the
drop-down menu to find what you need to change.
- Delete unused programs
from autoexec.bat and config.sys
Even if you properly uninstall a program, there may be stray commands
left behind in the autoexec.bat and config.sys files that can
affect performance. You may have to go into these files and remove
the commands yourself.
- Even if you properly uninstall a program, there
may be stray commands left behind in the autoexec.bat and config.sys
files that can affect performance. You may have to go into these
files and remove the commands yourself.
To do this:
Click on the Start menu and select Find Files or Folders.
Search for config.sys.
Once you find this file, make a copy of it. Save it in a separate
folder where you know you'll remember where it's located.
Click on the Start menu and select Run.
Enter sysedit.exe in the box and hit OK.
You are now in the System Configuration Editor. Look for and
delete references to uninstalled programs in autoexec.bat and
config.sys.
Save the files.
Reboot. If you have problems rebooting, restore the autoexec.bat
and config.sys files with the backups you made.
- Enable
32-bit mode on your drives
Why limit the data path of your drives? Here's how you can make
sure 32-bit mode is active on your drives.
- Enabling 32-bit mode on your hard drive opens
up one of the bottlenecks in your system. Here's how you can check
to see if your hard drive is running in 32-bit:
Right click on My Computer and select Properties.
Click on the Performance tab.
In the Performance status, look at File System and Virtual Memory.
If it already says 32-bit, you don't have to do anything else.
If it says 16-bit, click on File System.
Click on the Troubleshooting tab.
Make sure the "Disable all 32-bit protected-mode disk drivers"
box is unchecked.
Click OK.
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