Class #9a

New Computer / Tune up the Old One?

Recommendations for a New Computer

Degfragmentation. Call me obsessive. I run the defrag program in windows right after I install Windows or the first thing I do with a new computer. It’s amazing how sloppy a computer is at organizing and saving files on a hard drive. “Defragging” as we call it, causes the computer to remove spaces between files and organize files so the hard drive can find and access files more quickly. It may also speed your computer’s access time making it appear to run faster. If you are doing any video editing, you need to defrag often. I often run the defrag program after installing each new program.
1. Click Start (big button lower left at the bottom of your display)
2. Click My Computer.
3. Right click on C drive.
4. Select Properties.
5. Click the Tools tab at the top of the Properties display (below)

6. Click the Defragment Now button.

7. Click on the Drive C at the top of the list.

(This example shows a system with a small amount of fragmentation - red lines and white space)

8. Click the Defragment button.
9. Take a nap or raid the refrigerator.
This could take some time if you haven’t done this before or for a long time.

The red circle shows what the drive looked like BEFORE it was defragmented. The lower window shows the results of defragmentation.

Don’t copy everything to the new computer.

This is your chance to get rid of a lot of clutter and the start of being more organized. Keep the old computer around for awhile and copy files to the new computer as you need them. In a month or two, consider making DVD backups of the files and folders you haven’t used and keep them as a backup or archive in case you need something in the future. I’m using Microsoft’s home network option so copying files is very fast and easy.

Install programs. Be selective. Don’t reinstall programs you rarely use. This will keep your registry small and help your computer run faster. You might even consider reinstalling programs as you need them.

Download and install new program updates. You should check to see if a program update is available for each of your software programs and Windows on a regular basis. Many are free and worth downloading. I keep a folder called “Download” on my D drive. This folder contains many other subfolders with the same name as the software I use. I download and save all updates to these folders since I know that some day soon I will be reinstalling and don’t want to be bothered finding and downloading updates.

Moving Your E-Mail. About the only thing that was really critical on my older computer is the e-mail and address book. Click here (click where?) to go to my link to see how I moved my e-mail / address book. I tried to use the migration tool in Windows and finally gave up. I’m glad I couldn't’t make it work since all I wanted was my e-mail and not all my setting and other unnecessary information that would have been transferred. Click here for instructions.

Existing Computers.

Clean your registry. Every time you install a program, information about the program is copied into the registry. When you remove a software program, information about the program stays in the registry forever. As a result over time, your registry will continue to grow and your system may start to run slower.

NOTE: Playing around with your Registry can be dangerous and is not something to fool around with since it could cause you to have to reinstall Windows. I’d suggest you check around for a commercial registry cleaner. Be sure to read customer reviews. If one person has negative comments that doesn't mean it’s a bad program, it may mean the user didn’t follow the directions. Look at all the reviews and weigh them as a whole. Two bad reviews from different people about the same issue causes me eliminate that software as a choice.

Reinstall Windows and reformat all your drives. Backup all your files and then reinstall Windows. Over time your computer will just start to slow down because it will get bloated from all the little files that get added to the hard drive (operating system files) and information that is added to the registry. Many computer experts recommend reinstalling Windows at least one or more times a year. OUCH! That’s like asking your good friend the dentist to drill and fill a cavity without any deadening plus you get to pay for all your pain. However, if your system is running very slowly, this may be the best solution. You should also run a spyware program like Adaware since spyware can significantly slow your computer’s performance.

Clean out clutter, old programs, and files. It’s time to get rid all the old items that you no longer use. Put these files on a CD or DVD for future reference.

Clean out the dirt and lint? Just like Spring Cleaning, Purchase some canned air from Costco, CompUSA, or another computer store. Turn the computer off, take the side off and start using the canned air to push out the lint and dust that has accumulated inside. You will be surprised at home much dirt and lint will come out. Heat is a computer’s worst enemy and build up of lint and dirt can impede cooling. This is not suggested for a laptop.