Technology

Computer Running Slow? – The Proper Way to Reinstall Windows, Part 2

If your computer is running slowly, you can try reinstalling Windows XP, as I described in Part 1. Now that Windows is up and running, you should have automatically reinstalled any hardware, graphics, and sound drivers included on your vendor recovery CD.

Loading the files and updated drivers you downloaded is crucial if you have to install from a conventional Windows CD, which may not include particular drivers for your computer. Even if you have a vendor recovery CD, you must update the drivers for any hardware installed on your computer after purchase (other than RAM).

However, before doing that, we should take specific safety measures in case our installations go awry. This has happened to me too often to dismiss it. A save point must be made so that progress can be rolled back if necessary.

Start by going to the Help and Support menu and then clicking System Restore under the “Pick a Task” heading. Select Create a Restore Point and then click Next on the right. Fill out the details here. I like to use the following action I want, such as “B4Drivers,” but you’re free to give it any name you wish. Windows update the time and date. Then, select the Create button. To dismiss the pop-up window, select Close.

All should be well once you load the following files and drivers in the order specified. Since every computer is set up slightly differently, you never know when a problem can arise. But I’ve discovered that it generally does the trick.

Win XP SP1 must be installed first. Proceed to install the motherboard’s chipboard driver. The Network Drivers are up next. If you plan on connecting to a network in the future, installing these drivers is essential, even if you do not have one. Put in the drivers for the sound card now.

The only thing plugged into your computer is the power cord; recall this from the first session. Maintain this state for a while longer as you set up the subsequent. Windows XP SP3 and Windows Installer are the first casualties. Now insert the installation CDs for your printer, scanner, modem, digital camera, and other devices requiring drivers.

When I was finished setting everything up, I went into the Hard Drive’s Properties in My Computer and deleted all the unnecessary files. Since the disk was already fragmented when I inspected it, I looked for errors and defragmented the volume. The good news is that you can put this off till later if you’d like.

Please get rid of the Windows CD by removing it from the CD drive. Turn off the computer and connect all the accessories, which vary from person to person. The most critical components are the network cable, modem or 3G card, speakers, printers, etc. Flash drives can also be inserted if you’re using one. Launch the computer now. Windows will automatically install any missing plug-and-play drivers.

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You should take a few extra precautions before installing user apps, but these are optional.

Alter the master password settings. The administrator’s account enjoys the highest level of access possible. Don’t go online while logged in as administrator since anyone accessing your computer can do whatever they want.

To change the password for the Administrator account, select the report from the list of users by right-clicking My Computer, then click Manage.

Ensure the Windows Firewall is activated, as there is currently no other security on this machine than what came with Windows Service Pack 3. You can turn on Windows Firewall in a few places, but the easiest is through the Control Panel’s Security Center.

Although Windows Setup may have prompted you for this information earlier, it did not set the Workgroup name, which could make it challenging to communicate with other machines on the network in the future.

To change your computer’s name or description, right-click “My Computer,” pick “Properties,” and then “Computer Name” or “Computer Description.” Change the Computer name and choose the Workgroup your machine is part of here. If you want all your machines to be visible in your Network Neighborhood, give them the same Workgroup name.

To accomplish the same thing on all of the computers on your local network, launch the Network Connection Wizard.

Check that everything is operational by connecting to the internet using the Internet Connection Wizard. The same should be done in your email client.

You deserve a pat if you’ve made it this far in the reinstallation process without any significant problems. Make another backup copy of your data now.

Part 3 of this article series will walk you through installing your apps and finalizing your computer’s configuration to ensure its continued reliable and error-free operation.

It’s possible that you won’t need to reinstall or reformat Drive C, as was mentioned in the first section of this post.

I researched and tested 30 different software and utilities to ensure our computers ran smoothly and efficiently. Each of the 17 products I endorse serves a specific purpose on a laptop. We rely on eleven different apps and utilities to keep our computers in tip-top form.

If you want to go serious about speeding up your sluggish computer:

Take away any programs you aren’t using.

Remove all bookmarks, cookies, and temporary internet files from your browser.

The Windows Registry should be optimized.

Scan for and eliminate harmful programs like viruses and malware.

Increase the rate at which the system boots.

Eliminate all the unnecessary programs running at launch.

Whenever possible, release memory on your PC.

Put your cleansing software on an automatic schedule.

– Consolidate your files into a single, convenient spot.

– Defrag and arrange your disks so that frequently accessed files load quickly.

Improve your computer’s performance and reliability by optimizing, tuning, and tweaking it.

Say “main kiss” to refer to Tom Meintjes.

[http://slowcomputerfix.tmmarketing.co.za]

Maintaining a speedy and error-free computer requires not just one but multiple tune-up applications. Disk cleaning, disk defragmentation, registry cleaning, virus and malware removal, removing unnecessary information and files, and fine-tuning Windows are just some of the things that tune-up tools do.

linda