Lets look at 3 very quick ways that you can speed up your pc using some of the disk tools available in Windows XP Service Pack 2. If you are using Windows XP, it is very likely that you have service pack 2 installed. If you don't, then go and install it now.
Disk Cleanup
Cleaning up your disk should be done to improve PC performance and also to free up space on your hard drive. Over time, plenty of junk can build up on your hard drive and this slows everything down.
To do this, we use a tool called disk cleanup. This will remove temporary files, empty the recycle bin, remove temporary internet files and remove programs and components no longer being used.
1) Click start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Cleanup
2) If you have more than one hard drive, you will need to select the drive you wish to clean up, then click on ok.
3) When the disk cleanup begins, it will take a few minutes to analyse your disk. This will vary depending on disk size and the number of files.
4) On the disk cleanup menu, you can now select which items to remove. It will also provide a calculation of how much disk space will be gained.
5) If you wish to clean up Windows components and programs, click on the more options tab. You can then remove programs/components by clicking the Clean up button and selecting which programs/components to remove.
Disk Defragmentation
Files stored on your computer are often fragmented, with parts of the file stored separately on the hard drive. Over time this can make data access quite slow.
By running the disk defragmentation tool, it attempts to store the files in one piece, which makes data access faster and improves overall PC performance
To defragment your hard drive:
1) Click start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter
2) You will then see your hard drives and the capacity, free space, etc. You can then choose which hard drive to fragment and click Defragment. The Analyze button will give an estimate of how long the defragment process will take. Sometimes it can take quite a while, so you may want to click the Analyze button before performing the defrag.
After the defragmentation is done, you can view a report. When you are done, click close.
After you cleanup and defrag your disk, you should notice a decent improvement in PC performance. It is important to do this on a regular basis to keep your PC in top condition. Once a month should be enough to keep your PC nice and fast.
Remember, you can try our free scan to improve PC speed and fix errors.
