[NeoBokrug Elytis]

Similar to last years Getting the most out of SL. (How to reduce your lag) thread, this thread will deal with attempting to make your PC feel like it's new, and help run Second Life better! This is specifically a Windows thread, as I am not experienced in Linux or Mac operating systems enough to suggest improvements.

Before you Start

It's important to know that this is just a guide to attempt to help you, and in no way guarantees that any of this works, tinker at your own risk! If you don't feel comfortable doing any of this, take it to best buy and shell out $100 for them to do it for you.

Cleaning up your PC may take several hours, or ALL DAY. Please plan accordingly.

Before we get to any of the software goodness, and PC tunage, it's my duty to tell you to physically dust out your computer. You'll need a Phillips head screwdriver, an air canister, closed eyes or goggles, the ability to hold your breath or a mask, and a general knack for figuring out how to open your PC. You should dust out your computer about every six months, or more frequently if you smoke, or live in a dusty house. Use the screwdriver (or thumb screws if your lucky) to open the side panel of your PC case. Don't touch anything but the case. While you are dusting, if you are using an air canister make sure to hold any fans still. Don't let them spin wildly. You could damage them, or feed voltage back to the motherboard; Most inductive motors can act as generators, and even the smallest static charge can harm components. When dust accumulates on components, they overheat, and are likely to cause the following:

• Blue Screens of Death
• Lockups
• Program crashes
• Computer restarting
• Odd glitches

Once we have a physically clean computer, the likelihood of failure for the rest of the cleaning is lowered.

I suggest running windows update about now.
If you have problems with windows update, FlipperPA suggests Dial-a-fix!

Programs You Will Need

• avast! Antivirus or AVG Antivirus or something similar. My personal favorite is avast!, because it can do boot time scans as well as tackle malware and spyware.
• CCleaner
• (Optional) Spybot Search and Destroy
• JkDefrag

avast!

If you currently have virus software installed, and want to use avast! uninstall your old virus software. Running two real time scanners is very taxing on your system, and will slow you down.

I've been using avast! for a couple of years now, I like it because it's free (registration is an annual email to them), does boot time scans, is constantly updated, and catches malware and spyware as well. The advantage of a boot time scan is that the scanner can obliterate extra problematic virii and malware before they have a chance to load up in memory, and become an unmovable, unkillable process.

1. Download, install avast!, and reboot when prompted.
2. Start the program and hit the register button. Give them your email, get your registration key, plug it in and off you go!
3. In the "Type of scan" section, tick 'Test archives' and crank the slider to 'Thorough'. Some viruses can hide in the hidden data stream of an NTFS file system, and avast can look at that ONLY with Thorough mode. A lot of scanners can't even look at this Alternate Data Stream at all, yet another reason I like avast!.
4. Click Tools > 'Schedule a Boot-Time Scan...'
5. (Optional) Tick: Scan all local disks, Scan Archive files, Advanced options > Move infected file to chest > Allow delete or move. This should pretty much automate it so you can go do something else like make a sandwich, or play outside in the day star.
6. Restart when prompted.

It should take a while to run, depending on how many files you have, and how up to par your system is. You won't be in your desktop environment, and yoll have to cancel or wait it out. If you didn't do the optional step, avast will prompt you for an action if there is a problem. If there are no problems good for you, you run a clean system!

CCleaner

CCleaner is great, I use just a few of it's features. Cleaning junk files off my system, adjusting what programs start up, and minor registry cleanup.

1. Download, and install CCleaner. Make sure you untick the browser toolbar it wants to install with it, I think it's Yahoo. Those things are just annoying. Once installed run it.
2. Choose your options wisley, because if you select cookies, you'll have to relog into sites you've opted to stay logged into. If you use Firefox, there's options there in the Applications tab.
3. Hit analyze, then when it's done look over the list of stuff to be deleted. If you're cool with everything on that list going away forever, hit Run Cleaner.
4. Click the Registry tab on the left, then click scan for issues, and fix all when you have the option to. I think CCleaners registry scrubbing is pretty lightweight, and there's better programs out there for registry cleaning, but this keeps me content.
5. Click tools, and open a web browser to google.
6. Click the Startup button. These are all the applications that start up when you reboot or restart your computer. MANY things are usually not required, and most you can figure out on your own. For the annoying shit that shows up in your task bar all the time, you can usually delete those if you know what they are. You might want to google each program listed to make sure it's okay to remove it. If you are unsure about an item, I suggest you leave it alone; It might be a vital system file.
7. (Optional) If you're feeling your system is rock solid stable, and up to date, under the windows tab, in the advanced options, tick 'Hotfix Uninstallers'. You can free up a lot of space with this option, but if your system goes bad from a recent windows patch that you overlooked, you can't undo that patch.
8. (Extra Credit) Go to your add / remove programs and uninstall stuff you don't use anymore!

Spybot Search and Destroy

For the most part, I don't use SS&D, as avast!, browser plugins, and smart web browsing keep me safe on the net. I do have SS&D installed though, should I ever get any bit paranoid. I usually turn off teatimer and it's other resident programs, because running them in tandem with the virus scanner is redundant.
Install and run if you're felling paranoid, or having a tough piece of malware.

JkDefrag

JkDefrag is my newly discovered favorite software of 2008. Not only is it a fast defrag program, it is also very smart. Defrag should be the very last step to any PC tuneup so it has less work to do. Once you've patched, updated drivers, and then cleaned up your system you can defrag. JkDefrag does one really smart thing that windows defrag should be doing, it moves the files to the edge of your disk so they can be read faster. Admitting the initial defrag takes a bit longer than normal, but if you do it about once a week you should be set.

[Lewis Luminos]

Thanks for this reminder. I do all these things except the CCleaner part, and I confess I don't defrag half often enough.

[Sobriquet Kryakutnoy]

Thanks for the information on ADS streams..that's really interesting/useful (in a slightly scary way.)

[Brenda Connolly]

CCleaner is great, especially for those of us with high luddite quotients. I found a handy uninstaller, Revo Uninstaller that works great. It can go deeper in removing left behind files that the prgrams usually don't remove, and has several levels dependant on how thorough you want to go.

[FlipperPA Peregrine]

CCleaner is great.

There's also another great app, dial-a-fix, which is good to run. A lot of people have had issues with Windows Update after installing Service Pack 3, and dial-a-fix will restore Windows Update.

Highly recommended!

Download Dial-a-fix 0.60.0.24 - Dial-a-fix is a collection of known fixes which addresses issues with Windows Update, Microsoft Installer, and more - Softpedia

Regards,

-Flip

[Brenda Connolly]

Are any of the memory booster thingies worthwhile, like RAM Idle or Cacheman? I've tried a few demos, but really can't tell if they make any difference.

[NeoBokrug Elytis]

Originally Posted by Brenda Connolly

Are any of the memory booster thingies worthwhile, like RAM Idle or Cacheman? I've tried a few demos, but really can't tell if they make any difference.

I've bought CachemanXP, It's really nice.

[NikitaNightNinja]

I may get a new desktop soon ( i still have not ) ; and one thing i have wondered is ; if i just save my important files on a usb flash chip instead of the hd , i eliminate having to make back ups from the hd ; and i am thinking of just reformatting my pc about 4 times a year rather , as this must erase and wipe EVERYTHING on the disc , well i imagine it so , is it really so ?

Also , if you make an iso image of the new reformat with your new programs installed ; won't it be more virgin than ; if you wait and play online ; and stuff gets corrupted and so if you make an iso than ; well than you have spyware and virus with it , i guess ; not a good idea .

I really don't know much about the bios though ; and if they can now become corrupted ; and if reformatting cleans that all out .

Anyhow , in XP , it only takes me about 40 min tot to reformat stuff and start with a clean slate ; iguess it also depends on how much stuff you have to reinstall ; but that is my tip , put your important data right on a usb and back it up as well , on a burned disc if you must be real careful .

Anyhow , reformatted , if it wipes all clean should also be a way for some to get better performance ; also don't install unnecessary stuff that comes with the OS ; that tends to give a bunch of dll hell , that slows me down .

Thank U for your ideas ; I will may try avast next , i think .

Otherwise , i have had cc recommended to me as well before .

[Fmeh]

remember services.msc

I'll try to do a write-up as to what services are necessary and which aren't. In Vista, there are TONS of unnecessary services--you can get it to run about as fast and efficient as XP if you disable a bunch of them.

[Richie Waves]

Boost your Windows PC performance » eBoostr.com

check this out if you have a spare usb key hanging around!

[Evo Mubble]

If anybody wants windows to run off a live CD or USB stick this comes in handy: Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows CD/DVD
more info: BartPE - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also, for antivirus and such I would recommend nod32 from: ESET - Antivirus Software with Spyware and Malware Protection

*I might add that nod32 has never missed an in-the-wild virus

[Similar McMillan]

Should perhaps note that the creator of JKDefrag is now making (the tragically named) MyDefrag (I think development of JKDefrag has stopped). It seems to do a bit better than JKDefrag too, but is perhaps slightly less easy to control in some respect. It's still free.
MyDefrag v4.1.2

Also, Malwarebytes is a nice companion to Spybot S&D and there's a free version of it too.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/

[Hex Blackthorne]

HEX CANNOT GET THESE TO RUN ON HIS COMPUTER. IT KEEPS TELLING HIM THAT FINDER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT PROGRAM TO OPEN IT WITH. WHAT'S WRONG?!?!?!?!?!?!

[Charles_D]

Originally Posted by Hex Blackthorne

HEX CANNOT GET THESE TO RUN ON HIS COMPUTER. IT KEEPS TELLING HIM THAT FINDER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT PROGRAM TO OPEN IT WITH. WHAT'S WRONG?!?!?!?!?!?!

Charles suspects that HEX is on a Mac and needs to read the first couple of lines of the original post.