Friday, October 29, 2010

All About Motherboard BIOS

Upgrading the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) of your computer's motherboard, also sometimes called 'flashing,' used to be a complex operation full of potential perils for your PC. The task involved downloading the correct BIOS file, the proper CMOS chip flashing software, rebooting the PC into DOS mode, applying the correct commands and then waiting in suspense until the update finished. All the while there was a lurking danger - if something went wrong, you would be left with an essentially unusable motherboard… Not an operation for the novice, and not one that even PC enthusiasts approached with enthusiasm.



In recent years, things have gotten a whole lot more friendly on the BIOS upgrade front, and markedly more failure resistant too. It's likely that the major motherboard manufacturers realized that consumers were simply not bothering to update their motherboards due to the complexities involved. Since BIOS updates can add new features and considerable stability to their products, it was definitely in the manufacturer's best interest to find an easier and more fault resistant way for consumers to update a BIOS.

Flashing the BIOS is still not an operation that the large majority of PC users are even aware of, and that's something that we'd like to try to change. In this article will describe some of the methods you can use to upgrade your computer's BIOS, and explain what a BIOS is, and does. PCstats will also help walk you through the process of locating potential updates, and deciding if you need them.

What does a BIOS do?

The BIOS is a set of instructions contained on special type of volatile memory chip built onto your motherboard. As the name suggests, the BIOS provides a Basic Input/Output System… More specifically, it enables you to use the keyboard, see a display on the monitor, access the hard drive or CD drive, etc., all without the need for an operating system. The BIOS is the software that carries you from the moment you power on your computer to the point where the operating system begins to load, providing the instructions necessary to access the hard disk, memory and other hardware.



This is a very simplistic definition though, as the BIOS has many more functions. All the hardware attached to the motherboard, such as the memory, processor, video card and disk drives, can be configured to a greater or lesser degree through the BIOS. Memory timings, processor speed and overclocking, hard disk detection and booting are all properties controlled by the motherboard's BIOS.

As you may be aware, you can change the BIOS settings through an interface generally reached by pressing the DEL key on your keyboard immediately as your system begins to boot.

Every modern motherboard contains a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) memory chip which is powered by a small battery, storing any changes you have made to the default BIOS configuration. This is why you can restore your BIOS to its default settings simply by removing the motherboard battery for a few minutes.

Upgrading the BIOS is a different procedure. The motherboard manufacturer provides a file which will overwrite the default file on the CMOS chip itself, providing the motherboard with a new or updated set of controls.

Why do you need to upgrade?
There are a number of reasons to update your BIOS. Newer revisions can give support for new lines of processors and features as they are released. They can also increase the stability and performance of the motherboard and provide new options for timing and overclocking your system.

While a BIOS upgrade is not essential, you should certainly check to see what is available. Motherboard manufacturers will provide a list of fixes and features with every new BIOS revision they release, and it's worth your time to peruse these to see what you could gain with the update.

As a good example, when AMD first release their AthlonXP+ line of processors, they used the same socket A connector as the previous line of Athlon CPUs. While the AthlonXP+ processors were mechanically suited to attach to older socket A motherboards, some differences in voltages and other requirements rendered them incompatible. Fortunately, many manufacturers soon released BIOS revisions which allowed some older Socket A boards to recognize and use the new AthlonXP+ processors.

Are there risks when updating a BIOS? Yes, but only in extreme circumstances. Your motherboard does need a properly working BIOS in order to boot the computer, and the CMOS is vulnerable for a few seconds while you are overwriting the old information with your new BIOS revision. If the power to the PC is cut, or the computer is reset during this operation, the BIOS file can become corrupted. This will essentially leave you with a dead motherboard.

Fortunately, many manufacturers are now instituting some form of BIOS recovery technology in their motherboards to protect against this type of emergency. Generally this takes the form of a second copy of the original BIOS, stored on a second CMOS chip, which can be restored in case of a disaster with the primary BIOS. Check your documentation to see if you have a feature such as this available; it is also wise when upgrading to a new motherboard to only consider purchasing boards with a backup BIOS. Also see the troubleshooting section at the end of this article for more info on this point.

Upgrading your BIOS

Now let's go through the various procedures needed to update your motherboard's BIOS.
First you need to find out if there is a BIOS update available for your motherboard model, and if there is, whether you need it. Before we go searching for that information, you will need to locate your motherboard model number/name. This can be done by looking at the documentation that came with your system, or even just by opening up the case and looking for the name silk screened onto the motherboard.

If you have a system that was built by a major manufacturer, such as Dell or IBM, look on the manufacturer's website under your system's name or number to find updates.
If your computer was assembled by a smaller manufacturer, look for the motherboard manual to identify it. If this fails, use a program like Sisoft's Sandra to identify your motherboard model and manufacturer.

To determine your motherboard make and model through Sandra first down load and install the program. Start up Sandra and double click 'mainboard information.' This should give you both the manufacturers name, and the model number of your motherboard. Note down that information.

Once you have your motherboard manufacturer name and model, it's time to find your motherboard's model, current BIOS revision and look up what newer BIOS revisions are available. There are two ways to do this, the first through the manufacturers automatic BIOS update software, and the second by searching through the manufacturers website support section.

Automatic BIOS Update Programs

Almost all motherboard manufacturers offer a utility that will give you the exact model and BIOS revision date of your board. MSI has their "Live Update" program, Aopen their "Aoconfig" software, and so on. Generally this utility will come included on the CD bundled with the board, but failing this, you should be able to download the company specific software from the manufacturer's site under the 'utilities' or 'tools' category.

Here's some links to Asus, MSI, ABIT and Gigabyte's BIOS support pages to get you started. If you don't know the website of your motherboard manufacturer, have a look below, or run a search through Google.


Once you find the website for the maker of your motherboard, look around for their BIOS update tool, if they have one. If they do, download, install and run this program to find the exact make and model of your board.

As an example of what to expect, at right is a screen shot from MSI's software to give you an idea of what you are looking for.

Once you have the exact BIOS revision number which is currently being used by your PC, we next need to find out what BIOS revisions are available for your motherboard. In most cases, you can go directly to the manufacturer's product page for the board for a link to the available BIOS downloads. Also check the downloads, or support sections of their website.

Some of the software utilities, for example MSI's Live Update, will search for BIOS and driver updates for you, and handle the downloads.

For the most part though, you'll have to take the information you have learned about your motherboard model, and BIOS revision and go hunting through the manufacturers website. When you find the page with the BIOS updates for your particular motherboard, select the latest update and download it to your desktop. Generally speaking, if your board is using BIOS revision 3.10, you will want to download a later revision; this could be 3.10b, or 3.22 as an example.

Procedure: Flashing the BIOS in DOS mode

Many manufacturers do offer software to flash the BIOS of your motherboard from the Windows environment, something that used to be unheard of. This support tends to be for only the most recent of motherboards, though, and is extremely easy to use (when it works). For these reasons, we have decided to detail the process of upgrading your BIOS through the DOS environment. This procedure is slightly more complicated, but it works the same way for every motherboard made within the past decade or so.

To carry out this procedure, you will need a working 1.44MB floppy drive (or CD burner, though floppy is easier).

First you need to create a clean DOS boot disk. This disk will boot your computer to the DOS prompt with no additional software or drivers loaded. This is essential for the BIOS updating process. If you have an old Windows95 or Windows98 boot disk sitting around, you can use that, if not then the easiest way to create this disk is to go to BootDisk.com and download the "DR. DOS disk for BIOS flashing" file. You can find this item straight off the main page.

The download file is actually a disk image, and once it is completed, simply double click the file name and insert a blank floppy disk into the A:/ drive and it will create a boot disk for you right then and there. If you do not have a floppy drive, download the .ISO image and burn it onto a CD to create a DOS clean boot disk.

Once you have created your boot disk, locate the BIOS update file that you downloaded from your motherboard manufacturer. Assuming the manufacturer has bundled the BIOS file and BIOS update software together in an archive (.zip), there should be at least two files there. The first is the data file (which contains the new BIOS information) and the second will be a DOS executable file (.exe) which will write the BIOS info onto the CMOS chip.

Depending on the manufacturer and the motherboard, the names of these files will vary. Below are several examples from various motherboard manufacturers to give you an idea of what you are looking for. If you only have a single data file and no executable file, you will need to download the BIOS flashing utility (generally 'flash879' 'awdflash' or 'aflash') from the motherboard manufacturer's website. Again, look in the support or downloads section.

Again, depending on the manufacturer, there may be a DOS batch file which you can run to automate the process, or a readme file which contains the manufacturer's specific instructions for flashing the BIOS. Both of these may make the process easier for you, but the method below assumes that neither is present.
Copy the two files (and a batch file, if present) onto a separate floppy disk and note down all the filenames on the disk on a piece of paper. Now, with the floppy disk still in the A:/ drive, reboot your system using the boot floppy you just created. As long as your PC is set to boot from the floppy before going to the CDROM or hard drive, the computer will access it, and boot into DOS. If this doesn't happen, reboot your PC, and make sure the BIOS is set to access the A:/ drive first. This setting is generally configured under "device boot order," or a similar name.

Manually flashing BIOS under DOS
Once the PC has found the A:/ drive, and booted into DOS, it should leave you at the A:/ prompt. At this point, replace the boot floppy disk with the floppy containing the BIOS update files.
If your BIOS update included a batch file, type in its filename now at the A:/ prompt and press enter. It should automatically start the BIOS flashing program and provide it with the data file to be used. All you need to do now is give the go-ahead to start the actual writing process.
If you do not have a batch file, enter the file name of the executable file on the disk at the A:/ prompt; for example A:/flash879.exe or A:/awdflash.exe. Hint, just type in awdflash.exe, and not the "A:/" part ;-)
You will be prompted for the filename and location of the data file. Enter A:\(datafilename).
You will also be offered a chance to save your existing BIOS. It's a good idea to have a copy of a working BIOS in case of an unexpected emergency. If you wish to do this, enter a valid location such as another floppy disk or a location on your C:/ drive.
Once you have entered the information, press ENTER or 'F' to start the flashing process. Read the warnings and confirm.
The software will now start updating your BIOS. It will take several minutes, during which you must make sure NOT to power off or reset your system under any circumstances!
Once the BIOS flashing process is complete, you will get a status report (generally 'ok' or 'failed') and be prompted to restart your system.

Final Steps: Checking the Update

Reboot the computer only after the program gives you the okay to do so. You should note the new version number on the POST screen. Press 'DEL' repeatedly at the POST screen to enter the BIOS setup screen. You will need to reset any custom settings you had previously made. Also take a quick look around to see if any new options are available to you. Save and exit the BIOS setup screen and boot into Windows.
Use the motherboard utility to verify that your BIOS is set correctly, and that the new revision is being used.
If everything looks good, and the new revision number shows up, congratulations! You have successfully updated your motherboard's BIOS, and most likely improved your computing experience. Bask in the glow of a DIY project well done. Now, time for that case modification project… ;-)

Troubleshooting Hints and Suggestions

First of all, many recent motherboards contain BIOS recovery features. These may be a second BIOS, a recovery routine built into the board, or a jumper on the motherboard which will force it to look for a BIOS file on floppy. You need to consult your motherboard's documentation and the website of your motherboard manufacturer for more information, as the procedures and possibilities are too varied to be covered in this article.If there is no BIOS recovery feature, then the best bet is to RMA your board back to the manufacturer for repair, unfortunately.
Labels:

Sunday, October 24, 2010

CMOS Battery; from A to Z



The CMOS [Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor] battery is a very essential hardware component of the computer. The average computer user knows little or nothing about this hardware part until his computer starts performing strangely. The CMOS battery is known for not consuming too much power and it is responsible for releasing information like disk sizes, computer ports, etc. to the computer; this information is needed for the computer to boot properly or completely and work well.

The CMOS battery is the battery needed to power the CMOS which works with the RAM of the computer, generating the information needed to boot up the computer and run programs.
Due to many reasons, the CMOS battery becomes weak and starts malfunctioning. The average computer user is normally not able to detect this anomaly until it generates into a more serious problem which most times would cost more money to fix. So how do you know when your computer's CMOS battery is getting weak?

- Computer goes off often:

The CMOS battery and the CMOS are needed to keep the computer on. When the CMOS battery becomes weak, you normally would find your computer going off by itself. When this happens at times, we can overlook it because it is not abnormal. However, when it comes on like that for more than say 5 times, you then should check your computer cables. If your cables are okay, then your CMOS battery might just be faulty. A good computer would normally prompt you as it starts booting to check your CMOS battery. Well, if that doesn't happen, consult a qualified computer technician to check it out.

- Slow Programs and Hard Disk Space Problem

The CMOS works hand-in-hand with the RAM which is needed to load programs. When the CMOS battery gets faulty, the CMOS would start working abnormally. This leads to programs/packages loading or opening slowly and finally the computer starts alerting you to clean up your hard drive for space when you hard drive is quite free. When this happens, it is likely that your CMOS battery is faulty. The computer at most times will notify you of the problem as soon as it starts booting. However, if it doesn't do so, consult your computer technician.

You've noticed that the computer is doing a few strange things, but take it to just be one of those 'computer things'. Then one day you turn on the computer, and you notice that the clock is completely wrong. Not only is the time wrong, but the date is too, possibly including the year.
This is a classic example of what can happen when the battery gets low, and it will happen with PC's as well as Mac's. (A Mac doesn't have a CMOS, but it does have a battery, and much of the same applies, just with slightly different terminology.)

Have you ever wondered how the computer manages to keep time even when it is off or unplugged? You turn it on after a week and even if it isn't connected to the Internet, it manages to tell you the correct time. This is just one of the many functions of the battery. Some VCR players, DVD players, or microwaves may do the same thing for a much shorter period of time even if the power supply is interrupted, but these devices also use a battery, which usually doesn't hold the time for as long as a computer will since the battery isn't as powerful.

The clock is one of the more noticeable and observable things that can signal that the computer battery is getting weak. The battery does far more, however, than just power the clock.

Without the battery, the CMOS will not function correctly, which means that the BIOS will lose data. The BIOS is responsible for identifying what programs are on the system, where they are at, what devices are on the system and what drivers they use, and much more. As the battery first starts to become weak, there may be few noticeable signs if the computer is not turned off for any lengthy periods of time. However, if it is turned off for days at a time, these problems may become apparent, and in any event as the battery grows weaker, the problems will almost always be annoyances that can be seen, to the annoyance of the computer user.

The system may not see a printer and give messages to that effect, though the printer has been connected to the computer for years and you never had trouble in the past. The wheel part of a wheel mouse may stop working because the computer will be able to tell that there is a mouse there, but will suddenly not be able to tell what mouse it is, so it will use generic drivers for the mouse. You may try to launch a program but get the message that it couldn't be found, yet when you try to launch the program a second time, there is no trouble in getting it to run.

The good news is that if you have indications that the battery is getting weak, many of the larger computer stores will test the battery for free. It is in their best interest, since if the battery is indeed weak, you are more likely to purchase a replacement there, than to travel to another computer store to get it. If it isn't, you are apt to remember how helpful they were and how willing to assist you. Removal and replacement are simple, and since the battery looks like a much larger version of a wafer digital-clock battery, it is pretty easy to identify.

Not all strange computer behavior can be attributed to the battery. Fairly often, though, it can be. If the battery is getting weak, the best option is to replace it as soon as possible, to prevent further problems and frustrations. It is at the very least worthwhile to keep the battery in mind when troubleshooting computer problems.
Labels:

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Creed "One Last Breath"

Creed were one of the most popular bands of the late 1990s, combining earnest vocals with lumbering power chords to create songs that aimed for a sweeping, inspirational tone. Representing a more simplistic commercial approach to the grunge rock practiced by bands like Pearl Jam, Creed dominated the charts but irritated critics. Continually having to deflect rumors that they were a Christian group because of their songs’ occasional spiritual overtones, the band lasted only three albums, but their brand of sincere hard rock paved the way for the later success of the similar-sounding group.

Scott Stapp – vocals
Mark Tremonti – guitar
Brian Marshall – bass
Scott Phillips – drums




Please come now I think I’m falling
I’m holding on to all I think is safe
It seems I found the road to nowhere
And I’m trying to escape
I yelled back when I heard thunder
But I’m down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say
Hold me now
I’m six feet from the edge and I’m thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain’t so far down
I’m looking down now that it’s over
Reflecting on all of my mistakes
I thought I found the road to somewhere
Somewhere in His grace
I cried out heaven save me
But I’m down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say
Hold me now
I’m six feet from the edge and I’m thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain’t so far down
Sad eyes follow me
But I still believe there’s something left for me
So please come stay with me
‘Cause I still believe there’s something left for you and me
For you and me
For you and me
Hold me now
I’m six feet from the edge and I’m thinking

~networld
Labels:

Sunday, October 3, 2010

PC Check-up 101


There comes a time in every once-new computer's life when it just doesn't feel fresh anymore. You know, when it's taking 5-10 minutes to boot up into Windows, the fans are making funny squealing noises, and there's a wad of orange cat hair protruding from the rear fan grille. It's the computer equivalent of senility, your once precious box has lost its edge.Time for action.

Sure, you could pop down to your local computer mart for $200 or so of fresh parts to keep the dust from settling, but for those of us on a budget there is another option. For starters, there are a fair few things you can do to make your old faithful feel (somewhat) like new again without much expense. Let's take a quick look at some of the most common hardware and software problems related to constant use, and find some quick solutions.

First though, an list of things you are going to need; a "PC first aid kit" if you like:
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Can of compressed air (from your local computer, electronics or hardware store)
- Can of mechanical oil (preferably not WD-40) with a dropper.
- Windows XP Home or Professional CD
- Soft cloth.

Fan problems are by far the most common age-related computer health issue. Fans are essential to your PC's well being, and they will gum up eventually, unless you habitually work in a clean room.



Common computer fans include the CPU heat-sink fan, possibly the most essential mechanical part in your computer, especially if you happen to be running one of the newer AMD processors.
Problems with this fan can cause all kinds of crashes and software glitches due to heat. If that fan stops, so does your computer, potentially forever, with a little wisp of very expensive smoke.

Other important fans are the Power-supply fan at the rear of the case, which is often the only source of airflow in and out of the computer, and any case fans that may have been added to promote air movement and stop the dust from settling.
Dust settling is a major problem for fans, and computer health in general. Generally speaking, the higher you place the computer the better the air-flow in and out of the case, and the longer the fans are going to last. This is simply because of the dust and other airborne nasties like the aforementioned cat hair and cigarette smoke.

Cigarette Smoke and Computers

Dust works its way into the fan and sticks to the grease and accumulates there, eventually interfering with the action of the fan and causing that horrible grinding 'sick computer' noise.
Before we get to the solutions for this problem, I'd like to share a brief rant about two of the major contributors to the death of innocent computers: Cigarette smoke and pet (cat) hair. I've seen horrible things happen to systems in the houses of smokers and pet owners, and I bet any computer tech could tell you likewise.
Two stories to illustrate the point: A couple of years ago at my store, a rather old PC was brought in by a rather old gentleman, who smelled rather strongly of cigarette smoke. It had stopped working he said, innocently. The computer case had turned from beige to a sort of parchment yellow, and I guess this should have been a clue to what awaited us inside the case. Ignoring the warning sighs, we opened it up.
Suffice to say that the gentleman in question had obviously not been particularly discriminating in his smoking habits around the system... There was a thin layer of yellow residue (tar?) layered across the inside of the case, to which a considerable amount of dust had actually stuck.

The smell was... unpleasant. Needless to say, we closed it up instantly and made a half-hearted attempt at diagnosing the problem. When it unsurprisingly failed to boot, we bundled it up and handed it back to the customer; "Sorry, nothing we can do." He seemed rather offended when we suggested that his smoking habits might be the issue, and went off looking for "someone who knows what they are doing!"
Now granted, this is an extreme example, but cigarette smoke can be very damaging to computer components because of the residue it leaves behind. You wouldn't smoke around kids would you? Good, because if you work around computers for a living, now's a good time to practice discretion for later in life.

As for pet hair, one of my best customers at the store had persuaded me to do an on-site upgrade for him since the huge shiny server case he had just bought from us was too heavy to safely get out of his apartment. This particular gentleman depended on computers for his livelihood.
Imagine my surprise then, when I arrived and found this drool-worthy $600 split-server case with its thousands of dollars of state-of the art components and multiple SCSI drives sitting on the floor in a small, semi-closed cupboard next to the cat-litter box.
It will come as no surprise that the filters this case thankfully had installed on the outside fans were absolutely clogged with cat hair and assorted particles. The computer was still working fine, but it had only been there for a couple of weeks.
I shudder to think what it would have looked like after a year. Cat hair especially is extremely fine and light, and will clog up your fans rather quickly if allowed inside.

Cleaning and re-oiling fans.

Most case and heatsink fans are easily and cheaply replaceable at your local computer or electronics store, but if you do not feel like making the trip, here's the procedure for cleaning and oiling them, and hopefully squeezing a bit more life out of your investment.
Open the system while it is powered on in order to identify the fans that are causing trouble. Power off the system and remove the fans from the case. Clean all visible dust, dirt and residue from the fan blades and body with blown air and a soft cloth.

Note that compressed air should not be used to clean the fan blades as it will often spin the fan far faster than it is intended to, and may cause damage to the bearing inside, making the problem worse.
Static electricity is not an issue with fan parts, so any type of material may be used to clean it outside the computer case. Once the fan is clean, peel the sticker from the back of the fan, exposing the oil well. There may or may not be a rubber plug under the sticker protecting the oil well.

Once the sticker is removed, pry up the rubber plug with a fingernail or screwdriver if necessary and apply a single drop of oil to the inside of the fan. Replace the plug and sticker. Replace the fan and allow it to run for a minute or so to let the oil permeate the inside.

Hopefully this will eliminate your noise issues. Note that fans which have been exposed to excessive dust or hair may have particles clogging the fan assembly, in which case the oiling is only likely to help temporarily, if at all.
Standing dust on motherboards or PCI cards is actually not particularly harmful to the innards of your average PC unless it is allowed to collect in such quantities that it disables fans, chokes heatsinks (reducing their ability to pass heat) or clogs expansion slots.
Potentially much more harmful is the damage that can be caused by improper cleaning.

Cleaning the inside of your PC

Static electricity, while not necessarily the constant danger to components that it is sometimes presented as, can still be a real threat to your system if you decide to start rubbing fabric over your motherboard to clean it. The same things goes with vacuuming. Just think, a plastic or rubber hose, static generated by the belt or motor, powerful suction. All of these spell possible disaster for your PC.
The safest way to spring clean the inside of your case is with a can of compressed air from your local computer, electronics or hardware store. Here's the procedure.
Assuming no fans need servicing, as covered above, carefully remove the CPU fan and heatsink. Using the compressed air, blow any standing dust from in-between the blades of the heatsink. Replace the heatsink.

For the next step, it's best to have the computer outside, or in an area that can be easily vacuumed afterwards, as cleaning with compressed air can generate a lot of loose dust and assorted airborne gunk.
Thoroughly clean the inside of the computer of all visible standing dust using the compressed air. Be sure to hold the can as close to vertical as possible to prevent unnecessary liquid spray. This is unlikely to harm your components though.

Be aware of your health too, since when you first let loose with the compressed air, you are going to create a huge cloud of nastiness which you want to avoid breathing in. Goggles might be a good idea here too. Generally speaking, you are simply trying to remove as much of the visible dust as possible.

Once you are finished, there's a neat little experiment you can pull with the rest of that compressed air can.... but nah.... you wouldn't be interested in that. ;-)
Once your computer is cleaned out and the fans seen to, there are a few other things you can and should do to help make the future a cleaner, brighter place for your system.

While you have your case open, it is also a good time to give the motherboard a close inspection for blown or leaking motherboard electrolytic capacitors. The tops of capacitors on some older motherboards may be domed, indicating a buildup of gas inside, or show signs of some brown liquid that has leaked out at the base of the capacitor.

Preventative maintenance

First of all, if your computer is on the floor under the desk, move it if at all possible. As stated before, "the higher the better" when it comes to keeping your computer clean. Next, give the inside of your computer a quick once over to make sure all components and connections are firmly and correctly attached.

Once you have assured yourself that everything is where it should be, it might be time to think about neatening your system up, especially the wiring. Good airflow is essential in a modern PC, and in addition to case fans, rearranging the wiring in your system can substantially improve airflow and prevent dust from settling.
Bundling your cables also has the side benefit of assuring that a stray wire is not going to foul up your heatsink fan at some point. Nothing especially complex needs to be done with this, just some plastic ties to bundle loose wire out of the way of the airflow. Drive cables, while too thick to be bundled, can be safely folded over themselves, or tucked out of the way in a free drive bay. If you are feeling especially decorative, cable tubes or even rounded drive cables should be readily available from your local computer store.

Software solutions

To sum up, it's essential to give your system a thorough cleaning once a year or so, if you would like to avoid unnecessary repair bills. Keeping your computer in good working order is not difficult with a little care and attention.
Just remember, keep your cat away from the computer, like you would keep compressed air cans away from an open flame… And keep open flames away from your cat, since this would result in a smoking kitty, which as you could imagine from the above stories, is your computer's worst nightmare.

Windows needs a checkup too

As we're sure you've noticed, any version of Windows tends to accumulate "stuff" after a while, like a snowball rolled down a hill, except for the part about it picking up speed as it grows… Too much unnecessary baggage can slow your Windows installation to a crawl. The ultimate solution is, of course, to reinstall your operating system, but this entails a lot of extra work reinstalling your software and copying data, so what else can you do?
Well, there are several steps you can take towards refurbishing your Windows installation. Please note that this is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of software tweaks for Windows XP, but rather a list of procedures you can use to regain your PC's lost performance.

As mentioned, these tips are intended for users of Windows XP, but most will work on previous versions of Windows, though the specific instructions may be different.

Defragmenting the hard drive(s)

Defragmentation of a hard drive is the act of re-ordering the data on the drive so that each file can be read continuously from the disk. By default, Windows XP will attempt to store any files it needs to write to the hard drive in consecutive clusters (a cluster is the smallest unit of storage space available on a hard drive) on the drive, so that the file can then be read continuously.

A hard drive which has been frequently used over a long period of time will have developed many fragmented files, files which are scattered over different clusters on the surface of the disk. This can occur because of many factors, for example uninstall programs that leave files behind, system crashes while in the act of writing to the hard drive, regular deletion of files, etc.

A file becomes fragmented when the portion of consecutive clusters on the disk that Windows begins to write into is not large enough to hold the whole file. The remainder of the file then needs to be written to a different physical area of the disk.

This does not have any effect on the operating system's ability to access the files themselves, but it does slow down disk access times (and by extension, any application that depends on disk access) due to the extra time needed to reposition the read heads of the hard drive to access the rest of the fragmented file.

Defragmenting the hard drive

Windows XP includes a disk defragmentation utility which you can use to re-arrange the files on the drive and eliminate fragmentation. This can have a significant affect on the speed of your computer.
To access this utility, go to 'start\programs\accessories\system tools\disk defragmenter.'
To begin with, you need to analyze your hard disk(s) to see if defragmentation is needed. Select a drive and hit the 'analyze' button. This could take a little while depending on the amount of data on the drive. Once the analysis is finished, you will have a graphical representation of your disk's level of fragmentation. See the pic below for an example of a highly fragmented drive.

Windows will also inform you if it recommends defragmenting the drive. You must have 15% of the drive free in order to fully defragment it. Anything less will result in only a partial re-ordering of the files.
You may need to delete a few things to obtain this free space. To defragment the drive, select it and hit the 'defragment' button. Note that depending on the size of the drive and the level of fragmentation, this can take a long time. It's a good thing to leave overnight, since you should not run anything else while doing the defrag.

Disabling auto-run programs

A common source of slowdown (especially while loading the operating system) is excessive software, specifically applications that run themselves automatically at startup.
If the notification area at the bottom right corner of your taskbar looks something like this (see right), y ou may well be slowing your system down unnecessarily, especially at startup when these programs are loaded. There is no need to have the majority of these applications load at startup, since you can easily run them from the start menu when they are needed.

Unnecessary startup programs

There are a few ways of removing unnecessary startup programs. You can go to 'start\programs\startup' which is a directory Windows XP uses to launch application shortcuts on boot-up. If you remove the shortcuts from this directory, the applications will not load on startup.
This directory can also be a repository for various badness such as spyware and virus software, so if there are files here which are not shortcuts and you don't recognize them, you may wish to consider removing them anyways, as Windows will not place critical files in this directory.
The next location for removing unnecessary startup files is the handy MSCONFIG utility that has been resurrected from the graveyard of Windows 9x specially for XP. Go to 'start\run' and type 'msconfig' to access the utility.

The 'startup' tab in MSCONFIG provides access to several other applications that are started at boot up and are running in the background. By examining their Filenames and directories, you should be able to get a feeling for what is necessary and what is not.
Be aware than several viruses and worms have a habit of disguising themselves with authoritative sounding Windows system file names, such as the Win32.spybot.worm present in the above screenshot as MSCONFIG32.EXE.

Leave these for now if you are not sure. The other method for removing these programs is through the programs themselves, as many applications, for example MSN messenger, contain the option to remove the software from startup.

Disk cleanup utility

While not really a performance enhancer, the Disk Cleanup utility will check your drive and compile a list of temporary and unnecessary files that you can delete to free up space on your PC. It also offers the option to compress older data files to save room. It can be found at 'start\programs\accessories\system tools\disk cleanup'

Finding and removing spyware

For now, try downloading the Ad-Aware and Spybot search and destroy software mentioned in that guide. Update them both and run them to cleanse your system of unwanted software that may be slowing down your computer and Internet performance as well as compromising your privacy.

Scanning for Viruses

This is essential for the health of any PC, and may well improve your performance if your PC turns out to be infected, as several strains of computer virus may adversely affect your PC's operating efficiency. See our article on viruses and online security for more details.
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)