01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page iii Simple Computer Tune-up: Speed Up Your PC CA with Eric Geier and Jim Geier 01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page ii 01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page i Simple Computer Tune-up 01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page ii 01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page iii Simple Computer Tune-up: Speed Up Your PC CA with Eric Geier and Jim Geier 01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page iv Simple Computer Tune-up: Speed Up Your PC Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis, IN 46256 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: 978-0-470-06855-7 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 1B/QU/QR/QX/IN No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600 Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S at (800) 762-2974, outside the U.S at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002 Library of Congress Control Number: Available from the publisher Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley logo, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission The CA logo and related CA trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of CA International, Inc All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books 01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page v Credits Executive Editor Carol Long Project Coordinator Erin Smith Senior Development Editor Tom Dinse Graphics and Production Specialists Erin Zeltner Production Editor William A Barton Copy Editor Kim Cofer Editorial Manager Mary Beth Wakefield Production Manager Tim Tate Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Richard Swadley Vice President and Executive Publisher Joseph B Wikert Quality Control Technician Brian H Walls Proofreading and Indexing Techbooks Anniversary Logo Design Richard Pacifico 01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page vi 02_068557 ftoc.qxp 12/13/06 6:09 PM Page vii Contents Acknowledgments Introduction How This Book Is Organized Who Should Read This Book What’s on the CD-ROM xii xiii xiii xvi xvi Part 1: Understand the Issues and Solutions Chapter 1: Causes of Poor PC Performance Temporary Files Internet Cache Recycle Bin Windows Temporary Files Getting Out of Date Unused Files and Programs Unnecessary Startup Programs Invalid Registry Entries Hard Drive Errors Fragmentation 3 5 6 7 Chapter 2: Understanding PC Pitstop Optimize General Information Why Choose PC Pitstop Optimize? PC Pitstop Optimize Features New Features in Version 1.5 Frequently Asked Questions Can I Undo the Changes It Makes? What Files Does It Delete? What System Settings Does It Change? 9 10 10 11 11 11 12 Part 2: Optimizing Your PC Chapter 3: Installing PC Pitstop Optimize System Requirements Installing PC Pitstop Optimize Step Step Step Step 13 15 15 15 15 16 16 17 22_068557 ch16.qxp 12/13/06 6:19 PM Page 221 Chapter 16: Buying a New PC 221 Although that approach is extremely annoying, it doesn’t mean that warranties should be avoided Usually, it doesn’t make sense to buy a warranty for an inexpensive product, but a warranty might be a wise decision for purchases that cost $1,000 or more Before you buy any warranty, you should always examine its features such as the length of coverage and the things it won’t cover (which are usually listed in the fine print, so take the time to read it) Here are several things a good service plan should include: • No lemon policy: If the product needs a certain number of repairs within a specified time limit, you will receive a new version of that product (or its equivalent) For example, if your laptop has to be repaired more than three times in one year, most warranties will replace that laptop with a new one • Battery coverage: If the product’s battery stops working properly, it will be repaired or replaced • Power-surge protection: If the product is damaged as a result of a power surge through your electrical outlets, it will be repaired or replaced This can be quite valuable if you live or work in an area that has unreliable electricity But be warned: Some warranties specifically indicate that they not cover damage caused by power surges entering a computer through other sources such as telephone wires connected to the computer’s dial-up modem • Renewable: When your original warranty expires, you can renew or extend it for a specified amount of time • Transferable: The warranty stays with the product, not with the person who bought it That means if you sell or donate your product to someone else, the warranty can still be used by that person 22_068557 ch16.qxp 12/13/06 6:19 PM Page 222 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM Page 223 INDEX 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM Page 224 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM Page 225 INDEX A ActiveX object keys, 7, 12 administrative privileges, Windows account, 59 AGP interface, 157 AlwaysUnloadDll entry, 39 America Online (waol.exe) file, 36 animated search characters, 110 anti-virus and anti-spyware software, temporarily disable, 97–98 applications See also startup programs anti-virus and anti-spyware, temporarily disable, 97–98 compatibility, 214 conflicts, downloading newer version, 96–97 firewall, temporarily disable, 119–120 IM, recognizing different, 102–103 installation causing problems, 207–210 nonresponsive, 210–212 path, downloading, 97 random crashing or blue screen display, 199 “restore point” before installing, 95–96 Start Menu folder highlighting, 108–109 step-by-step searches, disabling, 110 temporary files, left behind during installation, unresponsive, closing, 89–90 unused, removing, 6, 52–54 won’t load correctly, 75–79 audio troubleshooting, 213–214 upgrading sound card, 179–181 Automatic MTU Detection, 33 AutoPlay, CD/DVD disabling, 117–118 repairing, 114–116 settings, 113–114 avi (video) files, deleting, 91–93 B balloon tips, disabling, 106–108 battery backup device, 185 laptop, 203–205 warranty coverage, 221 Blackhole Detection, 33 Blue defragmentation status, 63, 68 blue screen display overheated computer, 200 software problems, 199 USB hub, malfunctioning, 200 bookmarks, backing up, 127–128 booting invalid system disk, 207 buying new PC computer types, 216–217 desktop advantages and disadvantages, 217 gaming features, 220 heavy general use features, 220 high performance features, 220 laptop advantages and disadvantages, 218–219 light general use features, 220 reasons for, 215–216 warranty, 220–221 23_068557 bindex.qxp 226 12/13/06 6:21 PM Page 226 Index C CA, relationship with PCPitstop, cable Internet connections, 24 cache, Internet Explorer reducing, 133–134 viewing, 3–5, 29–31 camcorder, 196 card, Ethernet, 154–155 card, FireWire, 169–171 card, network finding, 154–155 upgrading PC, 176–177 card, video identifying, 156 interface, 157 screen quality, poor, 206 upgrading PC, 178–179 card, Wi-Fi, 154–155 CD AutoPlay disabling, 117–118 repairing, 114–116 settings, 113–114 CD drive identifying, 149–152 upgrading PC, 171–172 chatting, IM (instant-messaging software) block from loading, 99–100 program, recognizing different, 102–103 remove from Start Menu, 100–101 rename folder to disable, 101–102 Check Disk utility, 58 Class IDs (CLSID), invalid, 7, 12, 37 clock, re-synchronizing, 111–112 COM object keys, 7, 12 combo drives, 171 computer, buying new desktop advantages and disadvantages, 217 gaming features, 220 heavy general use features, 220 high performance features, 220 laptop advantages and disadvantages, 218–219 light general use features, 220 PC types, 216–217 reasons for, 215–216 warranty, 220–221 computer performance, causes of poor files and programs, unused, fragmentation, hard drive errors, out-of-date Windows, Registry entries, invalid, startup programs, unnecessary, 6–7 temporary files, 3–6 computer won’t turn on, 201 connection, Internet ipconfig program, 120–121 reboot modem and/or router, 120 software firewall, temporarily disable, 119–120 system file checker, 127 TCP/IP, reinstalling, 121–122 winsock file, 122–126 ContigFileAllocSize entry, 38 Control Panel, 80–81 CPU manufacturer and speed, determining, 137–138, 161 reason to upgrade, 160 crashing, random overheated computer, 200 software problems, 199 USB hub, malfunctioning, 200 customer support, PC Pitstop Optimize, 86 D data cables, hard drive interface, 142–144 Default Time to Live, 33 defragmenting hard drive, 59–68 screen saver, turning on and off, 39 deleting files fragmentation caused by, PC Pitstop Optimize activities, 11–12 Recycle Bin, stopover in, videos (.avi), 91–93 desktop cleanup, disabling automatic, 112 desktop PC, advantages and disadvantages, 217 devices, peripheral battery backup, 185 camcorder, 196 digital camera, 195 keyboard, replacing, 190–191 monitors, replacing, 187–188 mouse, cleaning, 188–189 mouse, replacing, 190 newer devices on older PCs, 183–184 printer connection, 191–192 printer preferences, configuring, 192–195 scanner, 197–198 speakers, replacing, 187 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM Page 227 Index surge protector, 184–185 USB hub, 186 video game controller, 196–197 dial-up modem adding, 173–175 connection, 24 identifying, 153–154 upgrading PC, 173–175 digital camera, 195 DisablePaging entry, 38 DisableScreenSaver entry, 39 Disk Defragmenter utility, 61–67 disk drive See hard drive Documents and Settings folder, 69 downloads drivers, 183–184 finding, 132–133 drive, CD or DVD identifying, 149–152 upgrading PC, 171–172 drive, CD or DVD AutoPlay disabling, 117–118 repairing, 114–116 settings, 113–114 drive, floppy identifying, 152–153 invalid system disk while booting, 207 upgrading PC, 172–173 drive, hard access, continuous, 203 defragmenting, 59–68 errors, errors, checking for, 57–59 external, adding, 166–167 interface, 142–144 internal, upgrading, 163–166 reason to upgrade, 160 size and remaining space, determining, 140–141 drivers dial-up modem, 175 downloading, 183–184 FireWire card, 171 network card, 177 new hardware not working, 210 printer, 192 sound card, 181 USB card, 169 video card, 179 video game controller, 196 DSL Internet connections assessing, 24 network card, adding, 176–177 227 DVD AutoPlay disabling, 117–118 repairing, 114–116 settings, 113–114 DVD drive identifying, 149–152 upgrading PC, 171–172 E EIDE interface, 142 error reporting, Windows XP, 109–110 Ethernet card, 154–155 exiting Setup Wizard, 19 F fast retransmission and recovery, 33 favicons described, 128 restoring missing, 129–131 files deleting, 11–12, 90–91 Internet Explorer, deleting leftover, 11 personal, cleaning up, 54–57 step-by-step searches, disabling, 110 temporary, 3–6 undeletable, deleting, 90–93 unused as source of performance problems, firewall utility Internet access problem, resolving, 80–82 temporarily disable, 119–120 FireWire camcorder, 196 described, 148–149 external hard drive, 166–167 port, adding, 169–171 scanner, 197 upgrading PC, 169–171 floppy drive identifying, 152–153 invalid system disk while booting, 207 upgrading PC, 172–173 folders creating, 54–55 rename to disable Windows Messenger, 101–102 step-by-step searches, disabling, 110 sub-folders, 55–56 fragmentation defragmenting hard drive, 59–68 file management, 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM 228 Page 228 Index freezing, random overheated computer, 200 software problems, 199 USB hub, malfunctioning, 200 G gaming computer buying new PC, 220 described, 216 Green defragmentation status, 63, 68 H hard drive access, continuous, 203 defragmenting, 59–68 errors, errors, checking for, 57–59 external, adding, 166–167 interface, 142–144 internal, upgrading, 163–166 reason to upgrade, 160 size and remaining space, determining, 140–141 hardware compatibility, 214 non-working, drivers and, 210 upgrading Windows, 161 heavy general use computer buying new PC, 220 described, 216 high-performance computer buying new PC, 220 described, 217 hkcmd.exe (Intel Hotkeys) file, 35 HTTP connections, number of allowed simultaneous, 33 instant-messaging software See IM Intel Hotkeys (hkcmd.exe) file, 35 interface hard drive, 142–144 invalid, 7, 12 video card, 157 Internet bookmarks, backing up, 127–128 broken connection, 119–127 cache, reducing, 133–134 computer clock, synchronizing, 112 disconnecting to solve Windows-related problems, 97 failure to communicate with, 79–85 favicons, restoring missing, 128–131 finding downloads, 132–133 PC Pitstop Optimize, tuning settings, 23–24 settings, optimizing, 32–33 Word crashing when web page imported, 132 Internet Explorer (Microsoft) bookmarks, backing up, 127–128 deleting leftover files, 11 favicons, restoring missing, 128–131 reducing cache, 133–134 version, determining, 136–137 viewing cache, 3–5, 29–31 Internet service provider (ISP), 24 invalid system disk while booting, 207 ipconfig program, 120–121 ISDN Internet connections, 24 K kernel-mode driver, 38 keyboard, 190–191 I L ICMP tab, 85 icons, inactive, 111 icons, website See favicons IDE interface, 142 IE See Internet Explorer IM (instant-messaging software) block from loading, 99–100 program, recognizing different, 102–103 remove from Start Menu, 100–101 rename folder to disable, 101–102 inactive icons, showing, 111 installation fragmentation caused by, PC Pitstop Optimize, 15–19, 86 programs causing problems, 207–210 LAN Internet connections, 24 laptop advantages and disadvantages, 218–219 battery life, 203–205 Large TCP Windows, 33 LargeSystemCache entry, 39 license information, entering, 41–43 licensing agreement, PC Pitstop Optimize, 16–17 light general use computer buying new PC, 220 described, 216 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM Page 229 Index M Maximum Transfer Unit (MTU), 33 memory adding, 162–163 amount, determining, 138–139, 161 DisablePaging entry, 38 hard drive access, continuous, 203 reason to upgrade, 160 slow computer start up, 201–202 Microsoft Internet Explorer bookmarks, backing up, 127–128 deleting leftover files, 11 favicons, restoring missing, 128–131 reducing cache, 133–134 version, determining, 136–137 viewing cache, 3–5, 29–31 Microsoft Windows keeping up-to-date, 47–49 out-of-date causing performance issues, reason to upgrade, 160 registration name, changing, 104–106 temporary files, 5–6 version, determining, 135–136 Microsoft Windows 98 CD/DVD drives, 152 digital camera, 195 hard drive interface, 144 laptop battery adjustment, 205 printer preferences, 194–195 refresh rate, 207 software installation problem, 208–209 upgrading, 160–161 USB version, 148 Microsoft Windows 2000 CD/DVD drives, 150–151 hard drive interface, 143 laptop battery adjustment, 204 printer preferences, 192–193 refresh rate, 206–207 software installation problem, 207–208 USB version, 146–147 Microsoft Windows Device Manager, 146–148 Microsoft Windows ME CD/DVD drives, 152 hard drive interface, 144 laptop battery adjustment, 205 printer preferences, 194–195 refresh rate, 207 software installation problem, 208–209 USB version, 148 229 Microsoft Windows Messenger block from loading, 99–100 program, recognizing different, 102–103 remove from Start Menu, 100–101 rename folder to disable, 101–102 Microsoft Windows Task Manager, opening, 89–90 Microsoft Windows XP AutoPlay, 113–118 balloon tips, disabling, 106–108 CD/DVD drives, 150–151 clock, re-synchronizing, 111–112 desktop cleanup, disabling automatic, 112 digital camera, 195 error reporting, turning off, 109–110 hard drive interface, 143 inactive icons, showing, 111 laptop battery adjustment, 204 new software highlighting, stopping, 108–109 printer preferences, 192–193 refresh rate, 206–207 Safe Mode with Command Prompt, 94–95 search characters, disabling, 110 software installation problem, 207–208 step-by-step searches, disabling, 110 System Restore feature, 93–94 upgrading to, 160–161 USB version, 146–147 Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, 117–118 Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition, 118 Microsoft Word crashing when web page imported, 132 modem, dial-up adding, 173–175 connection, 24 identifying, 153–154 upgrading PC, 173–175 modem, rebooting, 120 monitor flickering, 206–207 poor image quality, 205–206 replacing, 187–188 resolution, 205–206 screen saver, turning on and off, 39 mouse cleaning, 188–189 replacing, 190 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM 230 moving files, fragmentation caused by, MTU (Maximum Transfer Unit), 33 My Computer CD/DVD drives, 150–152 CPU manufacturer and speed, 137–138 hard drive size and space, 140–141 RAM, 139 Windows version, 135–136 N name, Windows registration, 104–106 network card finding, 154–155 upgrading PC, 176–177 network, clock synchronization on, 111 new PC, buying computer types, 216–217 desktop advantages and disadvantages, 217 gaming features, 220 heavy general use features, 220 high performance features, 220 laptop advantages and disadvantages, 218–219 light general use features, 220 reasons for, 215–216 warranty, 220–221 New Technology File System (NTFS) timestamp, 39 newer peripherals on older PCs, 183–184 NNtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate entry, 39 no lemon policy, 221 nonloading software, 75–79 nonresponsive computer or software, 210–212 Notepad, copying web page into, 132 NTFS (New Technology File System) timestamp, 39 O Optimize discussion forum, 86 optimizing completing, 44 defragmenting hard drive, 59–68 hard drive errors, checking for, 57–59 personal files, cleaning up, 54–57 registering PC Pitstop Optimize, 42–43 results, 44–45 starting, 43–44 start-up programs, removing additional, 69 Page 230 Index unused programs, removing, 52–54 visual effects, changing, 49–51 Windows, keeping up-to-date, 47–49 overheated computer, 200 owner, changing name of Windows’, 104–106 P parallel-port scanner, 197–198 path, software downloading, 97 PC, buying new computer types, 216–217 desktop advantages and disadvantages, 217 gaming features, 220 heavy general use features, 220 high performance features, 220 laptop advantages and disadvantages, 218–219 light general use features, 220 reasons for, 215–216 warranty, 220–221 PC performance, causes of poor files and programs, unused, fragmentation, hard drive errors, out-of-date Windows, Registry entries, invalid, startup programs, unnecessary, 6–7 temporary files, 3–6 PC Pitstop Optimize background, benefits, 9–10 completing, 44 customer support, 86 exiting Setup Wizard, 19 features, 10–11 file, deleting, 11–12 installation error, 86 installing, 15–19 Internet, failure to communicate with, 79–85 registering software, 42–43 results, 44–45 starting, 43–44 system requirements, 15 system settings, changing, 12 undoing changes made by, 11 updating, 71–73 won’t load correctly, 75–79 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM Page 231 Index PC Pitstop Optimize optimizing completing, 44 defragmenting hard drive, 59–68 hard drive errors, checking for, 57–59 personal files, cleaning up, 54–57 registering PC Pitstop Optimize, 42–43 results, 44–45 starting, 43–44 start-up programs, removing additional, 69 unused programs, removing, 52–54 visual effects, changing, 49–51 Windows, keeping up-to-date, 47–49 PC Pitstop Optimize scanning initial settings, specifying, 22–26 Internet settings, optimizing, 32–33 opening PC Pitstop Optimize, 22 PC performance, optimizing, 38–39 performing, 27–28 Recycle Bin, viewing deleted temporary files in, 5, 6, 31–32 Registry entries, optimizing, 36–37 Start Scanning screen, 26–27 startup programs, removing unnecessary, 33–36 steps, 21 temporary files, removing, 28–29 PCI interface described, 157 dial-up modem, 174–175 FireWire card, 169–171 network card, 176–177 sound card, 180–181 USB card, 167–168 PCIe (PCI Express) interface, 157 performance, causes of poor PC files and programs, unused, fragmentation, hard drive errors, out-of-date Windows, Registry entries, invalid, startup programs, unnecessary, 6–7 temporary files, 3–6 peripherals battery backup, 185 camcorder, 196 digital camera, 195 keyboard, replacing, 190–191 monitors, replacing, 187–188 mouse, cleaning, 188–189 mouse, replacing, 190 231 newer devices on older PCs, 183–184 printer connection, 191–192 printer preferences, configuring, 192–195 scanner, 197–198 speakers, replacing, 187 surge protector, 184–185 USB hub, 186 video game controller, 196–197 personal files, cleaning up, 54–57 physical case, opening computer’s, 141 pictures, website indication See favicons Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE), 24 portable computer advantages and disadvantages, 218–219 battery life, 203–205 ports See FireWire; USB power outage, power strip, turning on, 201 power surge hard drive errors caused by, warranty protecting against, 221 power up takes long time, 201–203 PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet), 24 printer connection, 191–192 drivers, 192 preferences, configuring, 192–195 processor manufacturer and speed, determining, 137–138, 161 reason to upgrade, 160 Program Identifiers (ProgID), invalid, 7, 12, 37 programs See also startup programs anti-virus and anti-spyware, temporarily disable, 97–98 compatibility, 214 conflicts, downloading newer version, 96–97 firewall, temporarily disable, 119–120 IM, recognizing different, 102–103 installation causing problems, 207–210 nonresponsive, 210–212 path, downloading, 97 random crashing or blue screen display, 199 “restore point” before installing, 95–96 Start Menu folder highlighting, 108–109 Continued 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM 232 Page 232 Index programs, continued step-by-step searches, disabling, 110 temporary files, left behind during installation, unresponsive, closing, 89–90 unused, removing, 6, 52–54 won’t load correctly, 75–79 PS/2 keyboard connector, 212 Q qttask.exe (QuickTime Icon) file, 34 R RAM adding, 162–163 amount, determining, 138–139, 161 DisablePaging entry, 38 hard drive access, continuous, 203 reason to upgrade, 160 slow computer start up, 201–202 random crashing overheated computer, 200 software problems, 199 USB hub, malfunctioning, 200 read-only CD/DVD drive, 171 RealPlayer realplay.exe file, 35 realsched.exe file, 34 realplay.exe (RealPlayer), 35 realsched.exe (RealPlayer), 34 Realtek Sound Manager (soundman.exe) file, 36 recordable CD/DVD drive, 171 Recycle Bin deleted files, stopover in, emptying, 56 files deleted by PC Pitstop Optimize, 11 temporary files, viewing, 6, 31–32 Red defragmentation status, 63, 68 refresh rate, 206–207 Register Now! screen, 41–43 registry AutoPlay, repairing, 115 balloon tips, disabling, 106–108 editing, 90 entries, optimizing, 36–37 invalid entries, owner, changing name of Windows’, 104–106 winsock, repairing, 123–124 Registry Editor, 78 renewable warranty, 221 restore point, 95–96 results, PC Pitstop Optimize, 44–45 router, rebooting, 120 S Safe Mode with Command Prompt, restarting with, 94–95 satellite Internet connections, 24 scanner, 197–198 scanning initial settings, specifying, 22–26 Internet settings, optimizing, 32–33 opening PC Pitstop Optimize, 22 PC performance, optimizing, 38–39 performing, 27–28 Recycle Bin, viewing deleted temporary files in, 5, 6, 31–32 Registry entries, optimizing, 36–37 Start Scanning screen, 26–27 startup programs, removing unnecessary, 33–36 steps, 21 temporary files, removing, 28–29 screen flickering, 206–207 poor image quality, 205–206 replacing, 187–188 resolution, 205–206 screen saver, turning on and off, 39 screen saver, turning on and off, 39 searches, disabling, 110 selective acknowledgments, 33 Serial ATA interface, 142 Service Pack 1, repairing winsock, 123–126 Service Pack 2, repairing winsock, 126 slow computer start up, 201–202 software See also startup programs anti-virus and anti-spyware, temporarily disable, 97–98 compatibility, 214 conflicts, downloading newer version, 96–97 firewall, temporarily disable, 119–120 IM, recognizing different, 102–103 installation causing problems, 207–210 nonresponsive, 210–212 path, downloading, 97 random crashing or blue screen display, 199 “restore point” before installing, 95–96 Start Menu folder highlighting, 108–109 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM Page 233 Index step-by-step searches, disabling, 110 temporary files, left behind during installation, unresponsive, closing, 89–90 unused, removing, 6, 52–54 won’t load correctly, 75–79 sound troubleshooting, 213–214 upgrading sound card, 179–181 soundman.exe (Realtek Sound Manager) file, 36 speakers, 187, 213–214 Start Menu IM software, removing, 100–101 new software, stop highlighting, 108–109 unneeded programs, 69–70 Start Scanning screen, 26–27 starting PC Pitstop Optimize, 43–44 Startup folder, 6–7 startup programs disabling, 202 performance problems, 6–7 removing, 33–36, 69 sub-folders, 55–56 surge protector, 184–185 system DLLs, caching, 39 system file checker, 127 system memory See RAM system requirements, PC Pitstop Optimize, 15 System Restore feature, 93–94 system settings, PC Pitstop Optimize, 12 T T1 Internet connections, 24 Task Manager, nonresponsive items, 211 TCP Receiving Window Size, 33 TCP/IP, reinstalling, 121–122 telephone jacks, 153–154 temperature, overheating computer, 200 temporary files Internet cache, 3–5 PC Pitstop Optimize, 11–12 Recycle Bin, 5, scanning, 28–29 Windows operating system, 5–6 tips, disabling balloon, 106–108 transferable warranty, 221 troubleshooting computer won’t turn on, 201 hard drive access, continuous, 203 233 hardware or software compatibility, 214 invalid system disk when booting, 207 laptop battery life, 203–205 monitor has poor image quality, 205–206 new hardware, 210 nonresponsive computer or software, 210–212 nonresponsive keyboard, 212 power up takes long time, 201–203 random crashing or blue screen display, 199–200 screen flickers, 206–207 software installation causes problems, 207–210 sound, 213–214 video game graphics, slow or sputtering, 212–213 troubleshooting PC Pitstop Optimize customer support, 86 installation error, 86 Internet, failure to communicate with, 79–85 updating, 71–73 won’t load correctly, 75–79 troubleshooting Windows XP programs that won’t start or run properly, 96–98 Safe Mode with Command Prompt, restarting with, 94–95 software installation, creating “restore point”, 95–96 System Restore feature, 93–94 undeletable file, deleting, 90–93 unresponsive program, closing, 89–90 turn on, computer won’t, 201 Type Libraries (TypeLib), invalid, 7, 12, 37 U undeletable file, 90–93 undoing PC Pitstop Optimize changes, 11 updating PC Pitstop Optimize, 71–73 programs to resolve conflicts, 96–97 Windows, 47–49 upgrading PC advantages, 159–160 CD or DVD drive, 171–172 dial-up modem, 173–175 external hard drive, 166–167 FireWire card, 169–171 Continued 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM 234 upgrading PC, continued floppy drive, 172–173 internal hard drive, 163–166 network card, 176–177 problems solved by, 160 RAM, adding, 162–163 sound card, 179–181 USB card, 167–169 video card, 178–179 to Windows XP, 160–161 USB camcorder, 196 digital camera, 195 external hard drive, 166–167 hub, 186, 200 keyboard, 190–191 mouse, 190 ports, 145–146 printer, 191–192 scanner, 197 upgrading PC, 167–169 version, 146–148 video game controller, 196–197 user-mode driver, 38 V video (.avi) files, deleting, 91–93 video card identifying, 156 interface, 157 screen quality, poor, 206 upgrading PC, 178–179 video game controller, 196 video game graphics, slow or sputtering, 212–213 video-editing program, 196 visual effects, changing, 49–51 W waol.exe (America Online) file, 36 warranty, new PC, 220–221 web page, importing into Word, 132 White defragmentation status, 63, 68 Wi-Fi card, 154–155 Windows 98 (Microsoft) CD/DVD drives, 152 digital camera, 195 hard drive interface, 144 laptop battery adjustment, 205 printer preferences, 194–195 Page 234 Index refresh rate, 207 software installation problem, 208–209 upgrading, 160–161 USB version, 148 Windows 2000 (Microsoft) CD/DVD drives, 150–151 hard drive interface, 143 laptop battery adjustment, 204 printer preferences, 192–193 refresh rate, 206–207 software installation problem, 207–208 USB version, 146–147 Windows Device Manager (Microsoft), 146–148 Windows ME (Microsoft) CD/DVD drives, 152 hard drive interface, 144 laptop battery adjustment, 205 printer preferences, 194–195 refresh rate, 207 software installation problem, 208–209 USB version, 148 Windows Messenger (Microsoft) block from loading, 99–100 program, recognizing different, 102–103 remove from Start Menu, 100–101 rename folder to disable, 101–102 Windows (Microsoft) keeping up-to-date, 47–49 out-of-date causing performance issues, reason to upgrade, 160 registration name, changing, 104–106 temporary files, 5–6 version, determining, 135–136 Windows Task Manager (Microsoft), opening, 89–90 Windows XP (Microsoft) AutoPlay, 113–118 balloon tips, disabling, 106–108 CD/DVD drives, 150–151 clock, re-synchronizing, 111–112 desktop cleanup, disabling automatic, 112 digital camera, 195 error reporting, turning off, 109–110 hard drive interface, 143 inactive icons, showing, 111 laptop battery adjustment, 204 new software highlighting, stopping, 108–109 23_068557 bindex.qxp 12/13/06 6:21 PM Page 235 Index printer preferences, 192–193 refresh rate, 206–207 Safe Mode with Command Prompt, 94–95 search characters, disabling, 110 software installation problem, 207–208 step-by-step searches, disabling, 110 System Restore feature, 93–94 upgrading to, 160–161 USB version, 146–147 235 Windows XP (Microsoft) Home Edition, 117–118 Windows XP (Microsoft) Professional Edition, 118 winsock, repairing registry, 123–124 Service Pack 1, 123–126 Service Pack 2, 126 Word (Microsoft) crashing when web page imported, 132 ... Page iii Simple Computer Tune- up: Speed Up Your PC CA with Eric Geier and Jim Geier 01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page iv Simple Computer Tune- up: Speed Up Your PC Published by Wiley Publishing,... iii Simple Computer Tune- up: Speed Up Your PC CA with Eric Geier and Jim Geier 01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page ii 01_068557 ffirs.qxp 12/13/06 6:05 PM Page i Simple Computer Tune- up. .. older PC, which is likely the reason you are using PC Pitstop Optimize For example, upgrading your PC can be very useful for maximizing your current computer s performance Therefore, we discuss upgrading