Free Software?

I have just purchased a P4 Pc for some home recording work , I am wondering if there is any free or almost free software I can use to keep it running smoothly , I am using System Mechanic on my other pc and I like how it keeps it clean and running fast , but I need to buy a new license to run it on my new pc ( $48.00) is there something comparable that I can use instead ?

Thanks guys

Doug

 

Best free tool I can recommend for keeping the system running smoothly is a combination of CCleaner and Windows itself. There are a great number of tweaks you can do between the two to lower resource consumption on your machine, thus making it faster, and less prone to errors.

You would use CCleaner to manage user-defined startup programs. Here's how:

1. Launch CCleaner
2. Hit ALT + T (or select the 'Tools' section)
3. Select the 'Startup' section

Here you will see a list of all programs set to run when you log into the current user profile. Delete as many as you can without compromising your security. Antivirus, anti-spyware, and firewall applications should be running all the time. Most everything else can be run only when needed, which will prevent them from tying up memory and CPU cycles in the until then.

Windows itself also launches a number of programs when it starts. These are called services, and alot aren't strictly necessary. I would recommend you follow the instructions in the Disable Unneeded Services In Windows XP thread.

There's also the trick of turning off visual effects on XP. Not everyone likes making the machine look like a Windows 2000 box, but it does save quite a few memory addresses and CPU cycles. Here's how to do it:

1. Hit windows key + break (or right-click 'My Computer' and select 'Properties')
2. On the 'System Properties' dialog, select the 'Advanced' tab
3. Under 'Performance', press the 'Settings' button
4. On the 'Performance Options' dialog, select the radio button next to 'Adjust For Best Performance'
5. Apply your settings

This will turn off the visual effects in XP. It's good to note that this is entirely customizable, so you could compromise between looks and performance, but disabling all effects would allow you to also turn off the 'Themes' service that Windows runs, which would save an additional amount of resources.

if you have any questions about which programs or services should not be running at startup, post back and someone will be glad to help.

There's also the Basic computer maintenance everyone should do thread which describes methods of using CCleaner to KEEP the system running smoothly.