Chapter 4: Performing a Scan 37 Specify which type of registry entries you would like Optimize to clean. Note The registry contains information that Windows continually references during operation, such as profiles for each user, the applications installed on the computer and the types of documents that each can create, property sheet settings for folders and application icons, what hardware exists on the system, and the ports that are being used. Optimize looks for specific registry keys that can slow the computer’s performance.These are typically invalid keys containing information about COM and ActiveX objects.These objects are parts of pro- grams, and when you remove the programs, these keys sometimes still exist. Optimize safely removes these keys if the COM object no longer exists. Areas of the registry where Optimize looks for the invalid keys are: • Invalid Class IDs (CLSID) This is a universally unique identifier (UUID) that identi- fies a COM component. Each COM component has its CLSID in the Windows registry so that it can be loaded by other applications. • Invalid Program Identifiers (ProgID) A programmatic identifier is a registry entry that identifies a COM component and can be associated with a CLSID. • Invalid Type Libraries (TypeLib) This identifies a type library file contain standard descrip- tions of data types, modules, and interfaces that can be used to fully expose objects with ActiveX technology. • Invalid Interfaces This is a group of logically related operations or methods that provides access to a component object. In addition, to help in your determination, you can view the particu- lar entries for each registry type that Optimize is suggesting to clean, by clicking the Details button. Click Next to continue. 09_068557 ch04.qxp 12/13/06 6:12 PM Page 37 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Step 9: Optimize Your PC Performance Now you will see the Performance screen (see Figure 4-19). Figure 4-19: Performance screen Choose which recommended items you would like to optimize. Here are some of the entries you may receive and explanations for each: • DisablePaging This specifies whether user-mode and kernel-mode drivers and kernel-mode system code can be paged to disk when not in use. The computer will perform faster when the hard disk is not used for RAM. This loads the OS into the much faster RAM. • ContigFileAllocSize This is the size of the contiguous space that is used when allocating disk space.The less space that needs to be searched for information, the less time the operation will take, and the faster the computer will function. 38 Part II • Optimizing Your PC 09_068557 ch04.qxp 12/13/06 6:12 PM Page 38 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Chapter 4: Performing a Scan 39 • NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate This entry determines whether New Technology File System (NTFS) updates the last-access timestamp on each direc- tory when it lists the directories on an NTFS volume. This optimization speeds up file processing.The informa- tion is still available, but it is just not done as the default. • DisableScreenSaver This turns the system screen saver on or off.This is done during the defragmenting process to speed things up. Each time the screen saver comes on the process has to shut down the screen saver and start over. • AlwaysUnloadDll This determines whether Windows caches system DLLs. This frees up memory in older systems and can speed up the shut- down process, as well. • LargeSystemCache This determines whether the system maintains a standard size or a large size file system cache, and influences how often the system writes changed pages to disk. The less disk writing there is, the faster the performance. Click Next to continue, then move on to the next chapter, which steps you through the process of the actual optimization. 09_068557 ch04.qxp 12/13/06 6:12 PM Page 39 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 09_068557 ch04.qxp 12/13/06 6:12 PM Page 40 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 5 THE OPTIMIZATION A fter completing the PC Pitstop Optimize scan and configuration, as discussed in Chapter 4, you will now be at the Register Now! screen, as Figure 5-1 shows. Figure 5-1: Register Now! screen Step 1: Enter License Information Enter your name, license key, and email address in the appropriate fields, such as shown in Figure 5-2, and click Register. 10_068557 ch05.qxp 12/13/06 6:12 PM Page 41 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. . AlwaysUnloadDll This determines whether Windows caches system DLLs. This frees up memory in older systems and can speed up the shut- down process, as well. • LargeSystemCache This determines whether. information, the less time the operation will take, and the faster the computer will function. 38 Part II • Optimizing Your PC 09_068557 ch04.qxp 12/13/06 6:12 PM Page 38 Please purchase PDF. watermark. Chapter 4: Performing a Scan 39 • NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate This entry determines whether New Technology File System (NTFS) updates the last-access timestamp on each direc- tory when it