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Install Updates and Essential Software Advanced Optimization Suggestions Further reading and useful links
Personal computer setup has become such a no-brainer since the early days of DOS that too often little attention is given to proper setup. Just because there is no longer a need for menus to launch programs and batch files to ease the typing of long commands to make the computer more efficient does not mean a new computer should be turned on and considered ready for use.
Those glory days of tweaking the config.sys and autoexec.bat (anyone remember those?) to get every last byte of memory to be able to play a resource hungry game have been replaced with Icons, Pagefiles, and network protocols.
I hope this FAQ will provide some tips and guidelines to assure a system is running optimally.
Mass produced computers such as Dell or Hewlett Packard systems have setup wizards that run during the initial boot-up. They are usually very good at explaining what needs done to register the computer, create a user account, and connect to the Internet. Remain skeptical of application software setup wizards that may run. Be liberal at clicking the Skip or No Thanks type of icons. It is much easier to not install programs you do not want than to remove them later.
Once through the initial setup wizard the first thing I like to do is start Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs application. The big companies that make millions of systems have an interest in loading them chock full of trial software that times out or confuses the buyer into thinking they should register and pay for applications they will not utilize. Regardless of whether or not leaving this software on the system consumes too many resources, if it is not going to be used it is consuming more resources than necessary.
Now it is time to connect it to the Internet and immediately install all of Microsoft's critical and security updates. This is when a broadband connection is very helpful as these updates can reach hundreds of megabytes if a service pack is involved. Choose any optional updates fitting to the way you will use your computer. It is NOT recommended to use any of the hardware driver updates. If there is a problem with a hardware driver it is better to get an updated one directly from the vendor's web site, not from Microsoft.
Once the updates are installed it is time to load utilities and application software. Every system needs to have anti-virus software, spyware detection and removal tools, and security/firewall software. If you choose to use the free or trial software pre-loaded on the system by the vendor be sure to activate it. For an explanation of software categories as well as free or low cost recommendations be sure to read the link below for Schmahl World's Everyday Software.
During the initial setup wizard you may have added user accounts for others that will use this computer. If not accounts can be added in the Control Panel. Doing so will allow each user to customize options for the way they want to use the computer. If one member of the family loves to litter the desktop with shortcuts but you do not, so be it.
A recent review of spyware detection and removal tools by Network Computing found that not one piece of spyware was able to install if the user did not have software installation privileges. The article is referenced in the Further Reading and Useful Links section.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 will not allow software to be installed unless the user can provide administrative credentials, even if you are logged on as an administrator. Something similar can be accomplished with Windows XP. Have an administrative account that is not used on a usual basis. Create all of the user accounts with limited status. When installing software or making changes XP will prompt for the credentials of an administrative account. Provide them and the software will install. If the authorization window asking for credentials appears when surfing to a site you can prevent the malicious installation by not typing the admin credentials.
If the user accounts are created for children, Microsoft has a free Internet content filtering program called "Family Safety" that integrates to each of the user accounts.
Advanced Optimization Suggestions
A pagefile is a file on the hard disk that Windows uses to free system RAM by removing code from RAM and placing it in the pagefile. Older versions referred to it as a Swapfile or Virtual Memory. By default there is a minimum and maximum file size, and it will shrink and/or grow based on system activity and demands. Since the hard drive is many times slower than physical RAM the pagefile adds a performance bottleneck. This bottleneck is amplified even more so when it becomes fragmented, and it will due to its self adjusting size. To prevent this set the minimum and maximum pagefile size to be the same, and base the size on the amount of system RAM. How to make the changes are in the Further Reading and Useful Link reference to Microsoft's KB article 308417 "How to set performance options in Windows XP." This chart is not included in that article and can be referenced for your system's optimal pagefile size.
Now that the pagefile is set, do you remember why we did it? To prevent fragmentation of it. Chances are that it is already fragmented. The native XP defrag tools do not defrag it. Enter Page Defrag by Mark Russinovich and System Internals (now owned by Microsoft). Once this utility has been run the pagefile is defragged and should not fragment again.
While on the subject of defragging the hard drive, visit Schmahl Worlds defrag FAQ for more tips about this topic, including automating and scheduling a defrag process.
Review services that are running and set unnecessary ones to start manual instead of automatic. If there is not a wireless network that will be used why devote memory to a service to allow discovery of one (Wireless Zero Configuration service). I find the Error Reporting Service to be particularly obtrusive. Be careful, and if you are not sure either leave it be or Google/research it.
If all of this seems overwhelming, consider the options.
These are but a few guidelines that can safely be prescribed across a wide variety of systems. Feel free to send any links or guidelines to include in future revisions.
Further reading and useful links:
http://www.schmahl.net/everydaysw.php Explanations and every day software recommendations http://www.schmahl.net/tuneup.php Tuning tips for a system that's been in use http://tinyurl.com/ax33p Network Computing's spyware detector review and analysis http://www.schmahl.net/defrag.php Defrag tips http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308417 Microsoft's "How to set performance options in Windows XP", includes how to set the pagefile size http://www.ultratech-llc.com/KB/?File=Pagefile.TXT More depth of the Windows Pagefile http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/FileAndDisk/PageDefrag.mspx Free pagefile and registry defrag utility http://www.cpaadvisor.us/sub/1_services.htm suggested services that are not necessary Click HERE to mail a link for this document to someone. Schmahl World Computer Assistance, LLC this page: http://www.schmahl.net/pcsetup.php updated May 16, 2010 |
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