Archive for November, 2008:
Applying All Required Patches
Your system is stable and you have two forms of backup at your disposal: an actual backup and a system restore point. The next step is to apply all required patches to your system. Simply use the
Start Windows Update command to get a list of patches from the Windows Update site. (Executing this command will connect you to the Internet, should you need to make the connection.) Make sure you also look for application updates. For example, visiting Windows Update doesn’t update any Office products installed on your machine. To perform this update, select the Help Check for
Updates command in an Office application such as Word. There are three reasons to patch your system before you do anything else.
?Patches can cause operating system problems that you want to know about before you begin cleaning Windows so that you don’t accidentally confuse the source of an error.
?Sometimes patches make settings changes and start unnecessary services. Part of the cleanup process is to shut unnecessary services and background applications down, so installing a patch after you change the Windows settings is counterproductive.
?Installing patches not only fixes application errors and improves security, but can also correct known performance problems.
After you install the patches, wait a day or two to ensure the patches don’t create problems. You might want to make another backup and create a second system restore point before you start cleaning Windows. The idea is to ensure your system is as stable and up-to-date as possible before you start making changes to it. A stable system with the most current patches and adequate backup is far less likely to cause problems and is easier to repair should you make a mistake.
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Always allow plenty of time to perform tasks such as installing a patch or update. Depending on what the patch or update does, you might end up waiting anywhere from a few minutes to several
hours for the patch or update to complete. A good rule of thumb is that larger patch or update files require more time to install, but this isn’t always the case. Always assume that cleanup tasks will require several hours to complete. For example, a hard drive backup requires more time when you have a lot of data to backup and you use a slower device such as a tape drive. A typical 8GB backup on my system requires around 4 hours using a DAT drive. Once you perform these tasks several times, you’ll develop a “feel” for the time they require on your system and you can plan the required time better.
Taken From : Microsoft Windows XP Power Optimization
Creating a System Restore Point
A system restore point lets you take the system back to a previous stable state. It’s as if you’ve taken a picture of your system so that you can see it as it was before you made a change. Use system
restore points carefully because the picture is extremely accurate. For example, when you make a system restore point, it creates a picture of any installed application. When you roll your system
back to that restore point, any new applications you installed become inaccessible. You can learn more about creating a system restore point in the “Defining a System Restore Point” section of
Chapter 8.
Always create a system restore point after you back up your system, but before you make any changes to it. The restore point is a second option when fixing mistakes. It lets you remove all of
the changes you make when cleaning Windows. When you make a significant mistake, one that can leave the system nearly unusable, this is the restoration option to choose.
Taken From : Microsoft Windows XP Power Optimization
Backing Up Your Hard Drive (2)
Application-Specific Data and Settings Some applications you install use a separate folder for data and settings. For example, older versions of Corel Draw store information in the \Corel folder. Many games, such as older ones produced by Microprose, also rely on a separate application folder. To ensure you can restore these older applications, make a backup of the application folder. The manual that comes with the application normally tells you where the application stores its data, but you can also use Windows Explorer to search for the application folder.
\Program Files Some applications store settings and a few even store data with the application in the \Program Files folder. Generally, these are older applications, but many games and educational
applications also store their data in the Program Files folder. Use the Date feature of the Search Explorer Bar shown in Figure 1.1 as a means to locate recently modified files when you want to determine which applications in this folder to back up. Those folders that have iles with recent modifications are good candidates for backup. Also, notice how I’ve set up the Advanced Options to help ensure Windows Explorer reports all of the recently modified files.
Custom Data Folders Many users don’t accept Microsoft’s default folder scheme of placing everything in My Documents—they use custom folders to store data. In addition, anyone working in a group is likely to rely on some common folders that don’t appear in My Documents. Always back up any custom folders you create. Make sure you include custom locations for email files and workgroup templates for applications such as Word.
Figure 1.1
Use the Date feature to locate the applications that store their settings locally.
Your hard drive might appear complex, and it is, but by limiting yourself to these four data folder types, you can greatly decrease the complexity of creating a good system backup. More importantly,
by concentrating on just the items you need, you reduce backup time and make it easier to restore the data later. Fewer places to look for data translates into a system that’s easier to maintain.
Taken From : Microsoft Windows XP Power Optimization
Backing Up Your Hard Drive (1)
Always create a backup of your hard drive. The backup process places the information on the hard drive onto a tape (a special tape recorder such as Digital Audio Tape or DAT for computer systems),
recordable CD/DVD, or other backup media. The idea is to create a copy in case something happens to the original. Although a wealth of third party backup products exists, you can use the Backup
application found in the Start Programs Accessories System Tools folder to create a backup of your system without spending exorbitant sums of cash. This application provides standardized
backup options for all of your essential data and it’s free. You can read more about this utility in the “Performing Backups” section of Chapter 8.
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Most people cycle through several backups of their system. Using this technique ensures that even when one backup fails, you have other (albeit older) backups you can use. Even an old backup
is better than no backup at all.
Knowing how to use the Backup application is only useful when you can easily choose the information to back up. Some novice users try to back up the entire hard drive. While this technique certainly protects your investment, it’s also difficult to manage the amount of data that most people have on their hard drive today. In addition, making a backup of everything is overkill—you’ll never use most of that data.
There’s a practical reason for keeping backup sizes small. Large backups make it both difficult and time consuming to restore the data later. When you look through a large backup, you need to consider the age of the file and whether it’s really the one you need. In addition, trying to sift through an entire hard drive’s worth of data is time consuming when you only need one file. Creating a list of the items you want to restore is the best idea. Here’s a list of common folders that you want to back up.
\Documents and Settings Always perform a complete backup of this folder because it contains all of your user settings. This folder can also contain your email, browser data, and many of the documents you create. In fact, this folder affects everyone who uses your system, so this is potentially the most important folder on your hard drive.
Taken From : Microsoft Windows XP Power Optimization
Before You Begin Cleaning
Every cleaning task begins with some preparation. When you clean your home, you get out buckets, mops, dust cloths, and so forth. You make sure every one of these tools is ready for use before you
begin cleaning. Likewise, when you clean Windows you need to check your equipment and make sure it’s ready for use. The most important task is to ensure you protect your data, followed by
your applications. Your data is irreplaceable, so concentrate on that part of the computer, followed by the application settings. The following sections discuss the preparation you should perform.
WARNING
Perform the steps in the sections that follow every time you clean Windows. These steps aren’t a one-time process. In fact, you should consider performing these steps regularly, even when you aren’t going to clean Windows. Everyone can benefit from a properly maintained system— one that has good recovery options.
Taken From : Microsoft Windows XP Power Optimization
Cleaning for the Novice
You unpack that great new computer you just bought, connect everything as shown in the diagram, and flick the switch. The monitor flickers on and you see all the lights flash for the first time. Nothing is more exciting! Your speed demon computer starts so fast that you don’t even see the listing of hardware at the end of the tests. Suddenly, the Windows logo appears and things slow down—way down. In fact, the computer is so slow that you get a cup of coffee. Disappointment sets in and you wonder what all the hubbub is about—this computer isn’t any faster than the dinosaur in your office and it might even be slower. Don’t beat that computer or take out a hit on the salesperson. Your computer really is a speed demon. Windows, or should I say all the stuff installed on Windows, is simply consuming all of the computer resources.
NOTE
A resource is something an application needs to run. The application is stored on the hard drive because the hard drive is the only permanent memory available to it. The Random Access Memory (RAM) used to run the application is temporary memory—it loses its content when you turn the machine off, but the hard drive doesn’t. Windows loads the application into memory so it runs faster. Of course, any task the application performs requires the use of processing cycles. Applications also require access to the display and use of operating system services. All resources are consumable
and finite. When one application uses a piece of memory, that memory is no longer available to any other application. When the system runs low on resources, it also begins to react slowly to your commands, so freeing resources to maintain good performance is essential. Chapter 2 describes these concepts in detail.
This chapter provides hints and tips for the novice (beginning) user. Many novices feel they can’t work with their computer because they could damage it in some way. With careful setup, however, even novice users can help their computer use resources better. Don’t let anyone tell you that the steps in this chapter are too complicated. All you really need to do is go slowly and make sure you understand
a task completely before you begin.
The first section of the chapter helps you avoid basic problems that most novices encounter when cleaning their computer. For example, this section helps you understand that before you remove an
application, you must make sure you save it and its settings. That way, when you discover you’ve made a mistake, you can restore the application to its former state. The second section describes some
essential cleaning tasks you can perform once you set your system up properly. Always perform the steps in the first section before you do anything in the second section.
Novice computer users probably won’t want to perform every possible computer-cleaning task. For example, it’s very easy to make an incorrect registry setting change, so you’ll want to avoid registry
changes until you know a lot more about your computer. The third section describes a few cleaning aids that novices will want to avoid in this book. Even though these cleaning aids provide optimum performance, the cost is high when you perform the task incorrectly.
Everyone makes mistakes. The only way that I discovered many of the techniques described in this book was to make mistakes—lots of them. Every one of those mistakes cost me time. Don’t feel bad about making a mistake, but the second you do, stop and check the fourth section of the chapter. I’ve included a number of tips on how to recover from mistakes or at least not make them worse.
Taken From : Microsoft Windows XP Power Optimization