How to tidy up the system registry and speed up your computer. Reviving an old computer: how to put hardware and software in order

Hello, readers of the IT lessons site!

The first thing every beginner should know when sitting down at a computer is where you can store files on your computer and where you can’t.

If you don't learn simple rules, then many problems may arise later (searching for lost files, restoring accidentally deleted files, difficulties when reinstalling the system, etc.). But all problems can be avoided in advance, if you immediately understand how to clean up your computer.

With this lesson we are opening a new important section that will help you improve reliability and security of data storage.

How to clean up your computer?

Many computer users store data (their files and folders) wherever they have to: on the desktop, in the “My Documents” folder, right on the “C:\” drive... When there are few files, this is not a problem, but over time there are more and more files more and more: letters, reports, music, photographs, films... and the moment comes when you grab your head: “Where is that same file?”

As you know, it’s easier to put things in order once and then maintain them. But you need to sit down and think!!! Of course, you can say “I’ll sort it out later,” but such “later” rarely comes.

Please note that The order on the hard drive also affects the security of data storage.

Today you can change your life one step further in computer world, and IT lessons will help you with this. 😉

Remember just 4 rules from the IT lessons site that will help you clean up your computer and save dozens of hours in the future:

Rule #1: Drive C: not for documents!

Never store your files on system disk(diskC:\).

And, of course, I look forward to your comments on today's lesson!

Copying prohibited, but you can share links.

The computer is noisy, slow and refuses to do the simplest things. BSOD often appears, and the speed of operation leaves much to be desired. Sound familiar? Even if this no longer happens to your car, your friends and relatives are probably calling you to help. Let's look at typical steps that will help you deal with problems and speed up even an old PC.

Many people believe that the cure for all diseases is reinstalling Windows. Forty minutes of sticking into progress bars - and you're done! New system, without glitches and problems. Of course, this is an attractive way: it is always more pleasant to get a stable clean system than clearing mountains broken files and libraries. But not everyone can afford this: it’s one thing to have your own computer, where you can demolish the system to your heart’s content, and another thing to have someone else’s PC. It may already have important software, drivers, which you will then have to look for, saved and forgotten passwords or - on a corporate machine - different policies and network settings.

In general, when you are dealing with some computer from the accounting department, where they can be stored in the registry important keys, existing in a single copy, it is better not to start with demolishing everything and practice a softer and more creative approach.

Formulation of the problem

In order not to describe the repair of an imaginary computer, I will give an example of a real task. There is a computer with a processor on the LGA775 socket, 2 GB of RAM, a 500 GB hard drive and an integrated video card. The complaints about it are as follows: it takes a long time to load, it slows down when working with office applications, slow Internet, turns off spontaneously at least once a day and the fans make noise all the time.

Step one: prepare the tools

When another bad system software hits my desk, I start with it complete disassembly. This may not be necessary and the problem may end up being a software issue, but it never hurts to vacuum and clean your computer. Messing around with a clean interior, if it comes down to it, will be more pleasant, and the life of the computer can significantly extend. In addition, when disassembling you can see a lot of interesting things. For example, swollen capacitors or completely dried out paste on the processor.

Of the tools you will need, of course, a Phillips screwdriver, and I also recommend purchasing a brush. In my experience, a makeup brush works best.

It is best to take the softest and fluffiest one, but so that it does not shed hairs. Such brushes cost very differently - from 150 rubles to several thousand. But since applying blush or powder is most likely not part of your plans, you can simply ask for an old and unnecessary one from someone from the female part of the family.

When cleaning, the main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise a hard brush can damage the boards. Another useful thing would be a can of compressed air, for example, this one for 440 rubles.

They can blow dust out of the most difficult to reach places without even disassembling the computer. By the way, many are not very good repair services This is exactly what they do: they blow out laptop fans without even getting inside, and they charge money for complete disassembly.

Well, to replace thermal paste we need the actual paste. The most common brands are KPT-8 and Alsil. The arguments about which one is better do not subside, and there will also be fans of other brands - they will say that all this is nonsense and will offer something else.

Step two: go through the system unit

The tools are laid out, you can start general cleaning of the computer. The first step, of course, is to turn off the power, open it up and you can start vacuuming, carefully shaking off the dust with a brush.

When the first stage is completed, disconnect the wires, unscrew the expansion cards, remove the disks and drives, and then unscrew the motherboard from the back wall of the case. After that, you can go through the vacuum cleaner again.

In our case, the following spare parts were on the table: motherboard, processor and cooler for it, two 1 GB memory sticks, HDD and power supply. I also removed the fan from the case, which had clearly outlived its usefulness. We throw it away and install a new one.

The motherboard needs to be inspected to see if there are any swollen or leaking capacitors, and also thoroughly vacuumed.

From swollen capacitors Any nasty thing can be expected. Various freezes, blue screen death, spontaneous shutdown and reboot. If resoldering the capacitors on the power supply, in principle, is not difficult, then with motherboard Great difficulties may arise. The problem is that the motherboard is a rather thick board, and also double-sided (that is, it has tracks on both sides). You need to desolder the elements using a hair dryer, and without proper experience it is unlikely that anything will work out: there is a real chance of blowing small SMD elements off the board.

Some craftsmen solder capacitors with a needle screwed to a powerful soldering iron. But if you've never done this, then the best way out will hand over the motherboard to a service center or ask a handy friend to help.

Before repairs, it doesn’t hurt to understand why the capacitors deteriorated. Bloating or electrolyte leakage may result from: internal problems, and external. If the reason is external (too heat in the case), then you need to solve it first, otherwise new capacitors will soon face the same fate. If the problem is with voltage, then it also needs to be solved separately - for example, by repairing or replacing the power supply. And of course, if the motherboard is old, then there is nothing to be surprised at - both electrolytic and polymer capacitors can fail over time.

Cleaning the processor from old paste wet wipes and let the alcohol with which they were soaked dry for a couple of minutes. CPU cooler you can send it to the same place as the case fan. If it worked without any complaints, just blow it with compressed air, vacuum it and also wipe it with a damp cloth.

If the cooler begins to make noise, only replacing it will help get rid of the sound. No lubricants will help here: they give only a short-term effect, which is only enough to wait for the delivery of a new copy.

So, is the old one ready to return to service, or have you just unboxed a new one? Time to apply thermal paste! It is most convenient to apply it with a special brush if it comes with a paste. If you don't have a brush, you can smear the old substance plastic card or, for example, a metro pass. The main thing is that the layer is uniform. Excess paste will be squeezed out on its own when installing the cooler.

I usually go over the memory dies with a soft eraser to clean the contacts. The main thing is not to grab the tracks with your fingers. Memory, like many other electronics, really does not like static electricity.

Now it's time to disassemble the power supply. Needless to say, it also needs to be vacuumed? Clean or replace the fan if necessary, and carefully inspect the board to see if there are any leaks or broken elements. It is best to disassemble the case completely, including the front cover. Often you can find another fan there that works for air intake. It also needs to be cleaned and replaced if necessary. And how much dust usually accumulates under the front plastic cover!

How to determine whether the power supply is alive and whether it is worth changing it

If the computer does not turn on at all, then most likely the power supply is to blame. If the second one is not at hand, then you can test this theory in the following way. First of all, you need to understand whether it turns on. To do this, disconnect it from the system unit and close the green and black wires on the connector that connects to the motherboard with a paper clip. Now turn on the power supply and see if its fans spin up. If yes, then this good sign- Most likely, the patient is alive. Now connect the load - for example, a hard drive, a floppy drive and a 12 V fan. Start again and, armed with a multimeter, measure the voltage on the branches. The reference voltage value for black and pink wires is 3.3 V, black and red - 5 V, black and yellow - 12 V. The deviation of the specified values is ±5%. So where there should be 3.3V there could be 3.14 to 3.47V; where there is 5 V, it is from 4.75 to 5.25 V. Instead of 12 V, it can be from 11.4 to 12.6 V. If the deviations are greater, then it is best to replace the power supply before something fails something else.

The hard drive does not require special care - remove dust from it and wipe with a napkin. After this, the computer can be reassembled.

Once started, you can measure the voltage along the lines with a multimeter (this is always done under full load, so connect everything you have). Yes, you can see the voltage through special software or in the BIOS, but personally I trust the multimeter more. Of course, he will not be able to construct a voltage dip curve, but the accuracy of his measurements is always higher.

What to do when your computer won't turn on

If the power supply and motherboard are working properly and you did not forget to connect the PC speaker, then further fault detection is simplified. After starting, the BIOS activates the self-test procedure (power-on self test) and when malfunctions are detected, it gives sound signals. Their lists for BIOS chips different manufacturers you will find it at this link.

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Where can I find this file? Where did I save an important document a month ago? Why am I already seeing a third copy of these files? I'm running out of space on my hard drive and I can't figure out how much space my files are taking up!

From time to time I come across such questions or ask similar ones myself when I audit data on a client’s computer and see the chaos in which they store their files.

It is important for me to store files in a convenient structure so as not to waste extra time when working with information. I attribute this process to proactive actions that affect personal effectiveness.

A few words about Why do we need a file storage structure at all?

A structure convenient for you will give you:

Convenient and more quick search information;
Understanding the amount of data that is valuable to you;
Reducing costs for backup(time and/or money);
Convenient backup;
The ability to easily explain, if necessary, to loved ones or colleagues “what and where” is located.

Usually, after putting things in order, the number of stored files and their total volume are reduced, because duplicates are found and different versions files, and also deletes those accidentally forgotten or not for a long time necessary files, which only take up disk space.

First of all, the initial data: the “My Documents” folder, inside which all the files are located, or (more often and worse) many folders with different names and appointment to different places hard drive. This is what causes the questions I mentioned at the beginning of this article.

I divide the stored files (data) by purpose and store them in several folders:

Music
Movies
Photos
Video

This is what it looks like in reality:

More details about the purpose of folders and clarifications to them in the table below:

You can use folder names that are convenient for you and, if necessary, change the composition of the structure.

How to clean up your computer or five steps to order

Are you ready to get your files in order? Great! You only have five steps left to take. Make sure you can give these steps a couple of hours to sit down and do it once and for all, and not drag it out over days, weeks, months and end up not doing it at all.
Ready? Go:

Create a file storage structure that is convenient for you. It is better to do this not on the “C” drive, but on the “D” drive, if you have one and there is enough space there.
All files that can be quickly organized (in less than one hour) - arrange them according to your new structure.
Move everything that you are sure to understand in the near future (no more than one week) to the “Downloads” folder.
Transfer the remaining files to the “!Archive” folder created for this (it will be the top one in your list*). If you need something from this folder, then find it and transfer it to the new structure and work with the files there!
Keep your folder structure (folders) organized using the rules below.

*To ensure that the folder you need is always at the top of the list, use Special symbols, for example “!”, “#”, “$” before the folder name and it will automatically move to the top. I myself only use Exclamation point, this is enough for me and does not interfere with reading the folder name.

Rules for maintaining a structure for storing files in order

1. Evaluate the need to store the file you are downloading in your structure. Ask yourself questions:

will the file be useful to me?
Why will I store this file?
Do I already have this downloaded file or another version of this file?
Will it be possible to download it again if necessary?

3. Clean out your Downloads folder once a week and remove anything unnecessary. In general, do not accumulate “useful” files that you have not used for years - store them in the right place or delete them periodically.

To maintain order in your data storage structure, you can configure it so that you can save files only inside the Documents, Photos, Movies, etc. folders. In my example, nothing can be saved in the root of the “DATA” drive (drive “D”). If you wish, you can create the same settings inside the structure folders.

This approach is often used in companies where several employees have access to the same computer and work with the same data. These restrictions force the structure to be maintained unchanged and protect it from accidental change.

Implementation will require a little knowledge of access control using accounts and managing access to files and folders.

As an example, I will consider the most common situation when you are working in Windows OS with administrator rights (you have rights to change operating system and access to files, and your Account is a member of the Administrators group).

First we create the folder structure you need on your local drive, in my example below it is the "O" drive.

A new window opens in front of you, where we boldly click the “Change permissions...” button, agreeing to the operating system request that you make changes:

Select the “Administrators” group from the list and click the “Change” button:

Now we need to be careful, we have control over access to files and folders in our hands.

In the “Apply” area, select the “only for this folder” option (so that you can still save files and folders inside the folders we have already created):
Uncheck the “Allow” column and put them in the “Deny” column for two permissions “Create files/write data” and “Create folders/write data”.
Click the “OK” button

The operating system will warn us that permission deny elements have highest priority to control file access. We confirm execution by clicking "OK" again.

Close the windows by clicking the “OK” button again and check the result. All!

What if you need to change the structure later? Following the diagram above, you reach the section “ Extra options security for local disk(X)" and delete the element type "Ban" (in the list this is the leftmost column).

If you're not sure you can handle it, do it with a more experienced colleague. You can practice on flash drives with file system NTFS.

System maintenance utilities

Free AVG antivirus: http://free.avg.com/us-en/download-free-antivirus
Full AVG version Free Edition in one file: http://free.avg.com/ru-ru/download.prd-afh
Mega utility AVZ - monitors Trojans, keyloggers and other evil spirits. A must have! Databases are updated via the Internet, fantastic opportunities! This is not an antivirus pure form. You need to have it in addition to the main antivirus.
The latest utility from Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool: http://devbuilds.kaspersky-labs.com/devbuilds/AVPTool/ Lots of different settings - don’t forget to enable heuristics.
Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10: http://support.kaspersky.ru/viruses/rescuedisk
Dr.Web CureIt!® healing utility: http://www.freedrweb.com/cureit/ There is a LiveCD - it is very useful to boot from it.
You can download LiveCD from Dr. Web and browse your computer from it: http://www.freedrweb.com/livecd/
Auslogics Disk Defrag - if Windows takes an insanely long time to boot, then at least it’s time to defragment
CCleaner - cleaning the system from junk files

Remote administration

TeamViewer - free program For remote administration computers connected to the Internet: http://www.teamviewer.com/ru/download/index.aspx
TightVNC is also a free administration program, but it is simpler and does not require an Internet connection: http://www.tightvnc.com/

Comment There is no panacea. If you have used one antivirus and the glitches have not disappeared, try another. If you run out of options - reinstall Windows :)
If nothing helps, you can run msconfig program and turn it off unnecessary programs from startup, which will relieve your memory.
If this doesn't help either antivirus scan down the drain - reinstall Windows.

Super Grub Disk allows you to restore the bootloader or boot installed system.

Possibilities:

GNU/Linux:
* GRUB recovery
* LILO(beta) recovery
*Linux download
* Activation of Linux partition.

Windows:
* MBR recovery (equivalent to fdisk /mbr)
* Booting Windows normal/from the second HDD/from the second partition

It also loads HURD and OpenSolaris. Allows you to manipulate sections (hide/open/activate). The disk is very useful for inexperienced users, because it has multi-level menus with varying degrees of detail and detailed explanations. Size - 500K.

From myself: boots from floppy disks, CD-ROM, USB

Gamers

The main thing in a computer's performance is not even its teraflops (of which we all have plenty), but the absence of short-term freezes.
The main reasons for slowdowns:

Insufficient volume random access memory. It’s worth having at least 2Gb, or better yet 2 2Gb each
Old hard drive. Obviously, the new hard drives work 10 times faster than those produced 2-3 years ago. Also, it follows in the BIOS mat. boards, indicate (before installing the system) that the HDD must be operated using the AHCI protocol.
No defragmentation
Heavy antivirus. AVG Free Edition is quite fast and free. Sometimes you can scan your computer free utilities from Kaspersky and others. Web
The toy may experience slowdowns due to the small amount of video memory. 512MB is relevant, but ideally there should be 1GB of video memory.
In games you must use mice with 2500 DPI
Wear headphones when playing games. I recommend BBK EP-3000S price 750 rub. The sound quality is worth 3000 rubles
To unload the CPU, buy a discrete sound card X-Fi and in addition to improving the sound, the processor will be significantly unloaded. The lags will go away.

P.S.
The use of 4 cores really gives a win in games.

Have you started to notice that your Windows, previously so nimble, suddenly became somehow slow and clumsy. The system boots slowly and shuts down even slower; when navigating through folders, “brakes” are clearly noticeable. And at startup individual programs or opening Windows files sometimes he “thinks” for a long time, lazily blinking the hard drive light. And in general, working became somehow uncomfortable.

There are a lot of reasons for this behavior of “windows” - from infection of the system with viruses and other rubbish, to all kinds of garbage hidden in secluded corners Windows or lying in heaps on your hard drive.

An operating system, almost the same as a living creature, generates waste during its operation, which must be disposed of in a timely manner, otherwise it is fraught with serious “illnesses,” even “death.” But “thanks to” laziness, we prefer to put up with “diseases” Windows until the situation reaches a critical point. And only when we can already say about the system that “the patient is more likely dead than alive”, we have no choice but to start cleaning and optimizing the “windows”.

Let's imagine that this critical moment has arrived, and the patient Windows M.$. admitted to intensive care. You and I have to pull him out “from the other world” and put him on his feet, restoring his former agility.

The first thing that comes to mind is to simply reinstall the operating system. After all, the installation initial setup and "licking" Windows in experienced hands it takes no more than an hour. But at the thought that after this you will have to reinstall great amount all kinds of software and, worst of all, having to customize it all again for yourself becomes simply bad. This is not our method!

So, it's decided - we'll go the other way!

We download, be sure to rename the file (to anything, even a meaningless set of characters, as long as we don’t leave the standard name), reboot the system into safe mode(press and hold the button F8 or Ctrl at Windows startup) and launch the “medicine”. We immediately go into the settings and set everything we can reach to the maximum, set a check for RAM and all files without exception on any available drives. Be sure to enable the function of treating infected data and maintaining detailed report on infected files, so that after scanning we can install the most accurate diagnosis to our "patient". We start and leave the patient overnight. By the morning, if you are lucky and do not have a terabyte hard drive filled to capacity with small files, the medicine will finish its work.

Phew, one procedure completed! You can boot in normal mode.

But that's not all. The fact is that the autorun of some programs is registered in the system registry Windows by the address HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run . Arming ourselves standard editor registry ( Start -> Run... -> regedit.exe ) and put things in order there. Special attention At the same time, we pay attention to the field " Meaning", which usually specifies the full path to the program to be launched.

In case of difficulties, any issue can be easily resolved using internet search engines and by “piercing” the incomprehensible in their index database executable file present in the system.

Useless entries are deleted by right-clicking and selecting the menu item " Delete".

One moment. Because the Windows registry- the organ is very vulnerable in the systemic organism, then before any bodily movements it is highly advisable to do it backup copy by typing in command line regedit.exe /E c:\all.reg- this will copy all registry branches to the all.reg file, with which you can then easily restore if necessary.

We're done with the registry and startup, put the shaman's drum aside and reboot the computer. The procedure is necessary to consolidate the “therapy” carried out and confirm that we have not messed up anything.

Next up is service analysis Windows and disabling unnecessary ones (and there will probably be a lot of them). It’s difficult to give any recommendations here, everything is strictly individual - each computer has its own set of hardware, its own package installed software and their tasks, for which the machine is used.

There is only one advice - find it on the Internet detailed list services with explanations and carefully study it ( or carefully examine the “footer” of the article and download the attached file). If ready-made recommendations are attached to the list, read them, but think for yourself whether to apply them or not. It is advisable to write down somewhere and record what exactly was changed and how, just in case, otherwise, you know...

It's time to start putting things in order on the hard drive. We arm ourselves with any advanced file manager(for example, ), although at worst, it will do Windows Explorer, but the process will take a lot of time, and we are conducting a “total search” in search of unclaimed data. You can safely delete temporary files created Windows or third party programs(directories C:\Windows\Temp And C:\Documents and Settings\System_username\Local Settings\Temp ). Be sure to look in the folder Program Files and have been studying it for a long time remote programs. We remove all found junk to the trash.

We are in no hurry to empty the Recycle Bin itself - we will empty it afterwards if the system works normally and there are no problems, otherwise we will have to return something to its place.

Another trick. Instead of deleting files to the Recycle Bin, you can temporarily move them to a specially created folder. If everything works fine, this folder can be deleted entirely.

It's great to save us energy and time in this issue the regular one will help Windows utility "Disk Cleanup" (Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools ). The functionality of this program is truly enormous, in particular, you can not only remove temporary and unnecessary files, but also free up space occupied by installation logs and browser data Internet Explorer And Windows components. You can even delete all but the last system restore point or compress long-unused data.

Since the “advancedness” of this utility is beyond doubt, we recommend using it with extreme caution, paying close attention to the prompts and advice that appear.

Our patient clearly felt better. And we, observing a positive result, will continue the “course of intensive therapy.” We are taking a decisive step towards Control Panel and further into the module Install/Remove programs. Gritting our teeth, we remove everything that has already become covered with information dust from “too frequent use.”

It is in this office that a proprietary bug is often encountered Windows, familiar experienced users, and characteristic of all products from Micro$oft - it seems that the program has long been gone, and its “tails” are still dangling in the lists. This ailment is also treated with a proprietary remedy from Micro$oft - the utility Windows Installer Clean Up- or manual cleaning of the registry branch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall .

By the way, there are quite a few programs that themselves are correctly removed from the system. Most software leaves behind a bunch of different files settings and configurations, saves and other garbage. And there are always just tons of tails left in the register. To remove programs cleanly and neatly, your best bet is to find a third-party uninstaller. There are a lot of them, different in both convenience and functionality. Seek and you will find!

Now that there is order and comfort all around, and our patient is recovering, the time has come final stage treatment - defragmentation of data on the hard drive ( right button mouse on My Computer -> Manage -> Disk Defragmentation).

Aids that significantly facilitate manual “therapy”

Quickly, simply and efficiently cleans the system of unnecessary and temporary files, literally, in one click. Has a registry cleaning module, a module for working with Windows startup, built-in uninstaller and a bunch more. Small, simple, convenient and extremely useful program Moreover, it is absolutely free. Simply must be present on every computer!

In one click it will clean Windows from unnecessary garbage. Free version quite enough for most tasks. Simple and convenient.

Clears away debris system registry Windows. Logs each cleaning procedure so that all changes can be reverted in case of an error. It can also create a backup copy of the registry, or restore it from a backup. Free and in Russian.

Tiny but powerful and free defragmenter files on a hard drive, which can easily outperform not only standard utility from Windows, but also most of their expensive and sophisticated commercial counterparts. Highly recommend!

Free utility for defragmenting the registry. The last point in the “treatment” of the Windows M.$ patient. The interface is only English, but everything is clear, since there are only two buttons. After all the procedures described above, we launch, defragment the Windows registry and immediately reboot the system (required!).

That's it, the resuscitation process is complete.

And if, after all the procedures and the course of treatment, the patient does not perk up, showing black ingratitude, all you can do is “shoot” him, at least out of revenge, and replace him with a new, improved option.