May 5, 2011 06:03 PM EDT by Dana WollmanImprove Performance
Add RAM.
Installing extra RAM, or memory, in your PC is an inexpensive, tried-and-true way of boosting its performance. Retailers such as Best Buy and NewEgg.com sell 2GB memory sticks for about $25, with 4GB kits costing about $50.
First, figure out how much memory your PC can handle. If you own a PC running Windows 2000 or XP, you can install up to 4GB. People who own notebooks running Windows Vista and Windows 7 should check the system information in the Control Panel to see if the operating system is a 32-bit or 64-bit one. 32-bit operating systems can accommodate up to 4GB of memory; 64-bit systems, up to 8GB. After you’ve purchased the RAM, you’ll need to open the back of your system to install. The exact location of the RAM can vary, so check your notebook manufacturer’s support site for directions.
Apple MacBooks can accept up to 2GB or 4GB depending on the model; MacBook Pros can handle up to 8GB. There are detailed instructions on how to do this to various models at support.apple.com.
Scrub your registry.
Install a registry cleaner such as Piriform CCleaner (free; www.piriform.com) to remove extraneous files clogging your system. In addition to old, unused registry entries, CCleaner will clear temporary system files, web form data, recent documents, cookies, your browsing history, and items in the Recycle Bin.
Try a tune-up suite.
For a more complete cleansing, tune-up software will clean your registry and use other tricks to breathe new life into your notebook. For PC owners, we recommend Iolo System Mechanic 10 ($49.95; www.iolo.com), which turns off unused background programs, identifies redundant and rarely used programs, and optimizes network settings.
Mac owners have their choice of tune-up apps, too, including the reasonably priced Cocktail ($14.95; www.maintain.se/cocktail). Remember that many PC security suites include some tune-up utilities. So before you spring for a dedicated tune-up program, see if your antivirus software can get the job done.
Defrag the hard drive.
Defragging, short for defragmenting, is a PC’s way of organizing its files more efficiently. Over years of use, pieces of a file might become scattered across different parts of a hard disk, forcing the computer to spend more time searching for them. To defrag your hard drive, go to the Start menu > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. Mac users can use the built-in Disk Utility, located under the Utilities menu.
Install a solid state drive.
SSDs are flash-based drives that deliver much faster startup times and better overall performance than a traditional hard drive. And since they don’t contain any moving parts, they’re more durable, too. Luckily, prices have fallen sharply, making them better suited for do-it-yourself PC makeovers. We recommend the OCZ Vertex 2 series (from $114 on NewEgg) or the Samsung 470 series (from $149 on NewEgg). For instructions on how to upgrade to an SSD, see our how-to on page 95.
May 5th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Hi Dana,
Regarding your laptop key article, I am a tech and we replace laptop keys for customers all the time, I use a company called http://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com they are a great company, we used them so often we have become friends, how about adding them to your list of laptop keys companies you have listed there for the laptop key vendors. I would personally be grateful as they have helped me many times.
Oscar D
May 6th, 2011 at 12:43 am
Good advice — But I would give more emphasis to the importance of defragmenting your hard drive.
Unfortunately, most users don’t do these vital actions because they take too long, especially defragmenting. If using the built-in, defrag can take a very long time (and you can’t use the PC while it’s defragmenting)
I recommend using a good automatic third party program that can defrag transparently while using the PC.
Here is a Top 10 Reviews side-by-side comparison of the best defrag programs around:
http://disk-defragmenter-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
The gold medalist also prevents fragmentation.
Get a free trial of the gold medalist at http://www.diskeeper.com
May 6th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
A couple other great options to send your files to the cloud are SpiderOak and SugarSync. Both offer sharing and file sync as well as backup so you don’t need to fuss with two different programs like Dropbox and Mozy etc. SugarSync is a little ahead in the mobile access and backup applications so if you want mobile access to your files SugarSync is a great choice.
May 8th, 2011 at 6:29 am
I used reginout and it helped a lot in improving performance of my Inspiron 1525 happy with it
July 10th, 2011 at 9:36 pm
Another option is change the OS to Ubuntu of Linux Mint. Ya I’m that guy. (just as bad as a Jehovah’s Witness)
March 16th, 2012 at 2:22 am
LAN Sync does not transfer directly without sending to the cloud. If the file hasnt been synced to the cloud yet, it will NOT be transferred directly.
May 12th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Let me remind all you folks out there that have upgraded there slow, evergrinding, persistantly needing defragmentmenting harddrives. That, if you have upgraded to the newer, NO moving part flash drives. DO NOT defragment them, there is no need. Actually, defragmenting flash drives can damage them over time, and since they are almost instant access compared to the standard, it is not necessary.
May 13th, 2012 at 12:18 am
I have a Dell Dimension 8300 PC with Windows XP Pro (SP-3) and I upgraded to 4 GB of ram a couple years ago and to this day it never recognized more than 2.5 GB.
May 15th, 2012 at 2:57 am
Speaking of flash – I recommend to use SSD to accelerate the HDD with something like the Corsair Accelerator or Crucial Adrenaline. It’s best PC upgrade for $100 ever. It used to take my PC 2minutes to boot, but now just 36seconds.