I have been working as a consultant for a few years now and have yet to come
up with a good set of tools to help 'clean' up Windows. Let me explain.

I have helped speed up applications, windows in general, removed spyware,
discovered faulty hardware, removed viruses... But what I cannot figure out
is how to speed up an old installation of Windows. You know those
installations that have had dozens of programs installed and uninstalled from
it making is slow to a crawl.

For my own computers, because I am curious, I install way too many programs,
and end up just doing a fresh install after a few months. I cant do this
with a client workstation because of the amount of time it takes for certain
workstations (ie, apps, network settings, drivers...etc).

I currently have a client workstation that I have already spent too much
time on trying to speed up, but it seems that nothing I do helps.

History:

--This station has had Spyware removed from it 2-3 times already (by myself).
--Last time I worked on it the CPU fan wasnt working so the processor was
heating up and shutting down Windows. After I resolved that issue, the
workstation was still slow.
--Ive already tried tools like Memtest, rootkit revealer, many antispyware
scanners (I am mainly use HighjackThis, Adaware Personal, SpySweeper trial,
and CWSRemover I have rarely required anything else).
--Ive done a defrag, although it seemed to require a defrag badly, it didnt
make a different.
--Ive ran CHKDSK, but it came up clean (may try SpinRite later today)


Basically I am posting here to see what tools or actions other take to help
speed up Windows installations or clean old Windows installations without
doing a fresh install. Anyone know of a good registry cleaner (if they even
help) that doesnt look like it came out of a crackerjack box?

Dan

Replies inline having snipped out sections where I think a response is
not necessary.

However, to be objective one needs more basic information regarding the
machine(s) namely:

Make and model. Date new? CPU speed? RAM? Hard drive size ( manufacturer
and model would be nice? ). Have any major components been replaced
since new? What is the machine used for?

It is difficult to tell whether you are driving a double decker bus or a
veteran Formula One racing car!

"Dan" <Dan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CF16C20C-376E-4168-8255-FA426C22B1F1@microsoft.com...

> I have helped speed up applications, windows in general, removed
> spyware, discovered faulty hardware, removed viruses...

Why has this been necessary? What protection is in place in terms of
anti-virus, anti-spyware and Firewall ( Software or Hardware ). Is there
any duplication? Do you use a Hosts File? How do you control incoming
email?

>But what I cannot figure out is how to speed up an old installation of
>Windows. You know those installations that have had dozens of
>programs installed and uninstalled from it making is slow to a crawl.
>

Clean up after major system changes.

> For my own computers, because I am curious, I install way too many
> programs, and end up just doing a fresh install after a few months.
> I >cant do this with a client workstation because of the amount of
> time it takes for certain > workstations (ie, apps, network settings,
> >drivers ...etc).

Use one computer to test new programmes. Be more discriminating in what
you install!

> I currently have a client workstation that I have already spent too
> much time on trying to speed up, but it seems that nothing I do
> helps.

To comment objectively one needs basic information about the particular
computer.

You might do well to download and install Everest Home Edition. This
freeware programme is excellent for getting information about your
computer:
http://www.lavalys.hu/index.php

Have you sought help about Error Reports appearing in Event Viewer or
are there no Event Type "Error" and Warning Reports there?

>
> --This station has had Spyware removed from it 2-3 times already (by
> myself).

This should be a regular housekeeping routine. Not a dramatic rescue
mission.

> --Last time I worked on it the CPU fan wasnt working so the processor
> was heating up and shutting down Windows. After I resolved that
> issue, the workstation was still slow.

Your machine is getting older and you are probably not being selective
in the tasks you are asking it to do. Have you tested the hard drive?

HD Tune.(freeware). Download and run it and see what it turns up.
http://www.hdtune.com/

Select the Info tabs and place the cursor on C:\ under Drive letter and
then double click the two page icon ( copy to Clipboard ) and copy into
a further message.

Select the Health tab and then double click the two page icon ( copy to
Clipboard ) and copy into a further message.

Run Error Scan.

Have addressed issues arising out of System Restore default settings?

What RAM memory? Try Ctrl+Alt+Delete to bring Task Manager and select
the Performance Tab. What is the Total and Commit Charge? What was the
Peak?

> --Ive already tried tools like Memtest, rootkit revealer, many
> antispyware scanners (I am mainly use HighjackThis, Adaware Personal,
> >SpySweeper trial, and CWSRemover I have rarely required anything
> else). --Ive done a defrag, although it seemed to require a defrag
> >badly, it didnt make a different.

Is it a single or multi hard drive and are drives partitioned?

> --Ive ran CHKDSK, but it came up clean (may try SpinRite later today)

Do you run Disk Cleanup before running chkdsk ( and Disk Defragmenter
for that matter) ?

>
> Basically I am posting here to see what tools or actions other take to
> help speed up Windows installations or clean old Windows
> >installations without doing a fresh install.

A measure of last resort when all else fails! How do you ensure you have
up to date drivers?

>Anyone know of a good registry cleaner (if they even help) that doesnt
>look like it came out of a crackerjack box?

Have you tried cCleaner
http://www.ccleaner.com/ccdownload.asp
http://www.ccleaner.com/

Once you have installed cCleaner create a new System Restore point.
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/createrp.html

Next start cCleaner and select the Issues tab and check all boxes.
Select scan and then check all boxes before the Issues identified and
click on Fix. If anything subsequently seems wrong you can always you
use the System Restore point to put the Registry back to what it was
before running cCleaner. Otherwise you need to proceed slowly with
cCleaner. Try out bits at a time to see how it works and what it does.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
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Gerry Cornell wrote:

> Next start cCleaner and select the Issues tab and check all boxes.
> Select scan and then check all boxes before the Issues identified and
> click on Fix.

Sorry, I believe this to be bad advice. I just about guarantee that if
you check all boxes you will have problems.

> If anything subsequently seems wrong you can always you
> use the System Restore point to put the Registry back to what it was
> before running cCleaner.

Sometimes problems don't appear immediately, and appropriate restore
points may be gone by the time they do appear.

> Otherwise you need to proceed slowly with
> cCleaner. Try out bits at a time to see how it works and what it does.

Or, don't delete what you don't understand. I DO tend to delete items
relating to products that I know should not be there anymore, but I'll
certainly never do a global deletion again :-).