How I maintain my PCs Part 2

Here I will be explaining the rest of what I do to maintain my (Windows) PCs.  Procedures for other operating systems will differ.



 -Restarting your PC often or turning it off when you are done using it is debatable on whether or not it is positive on performance.  Really it comes down to personal preference.  I usually shut mine down in the evening, boot up in the morning and I manually sleep it during the day when I'm not using it.  My keyboard has "Wake", "Sleep", and "Power" buttons on it and I only had to change one BIOS setting to get the "Power" button to work, the other two worked automatically.


 -One of the easiest things is a disk defrag.  At least, it's usually the first thing I do after I get a system going and "finished".  Your hard drive reads and writes a lot of data and, believe it or not, it takes up physical space on a stack of specialized disks.  After a while after so many read-write-deletes your data will be scattered and your disk will have to spin more to access the data you want.  A defragmenting takes all that scattered data and re-organizes it.  You don't really get any more free space, but now your used space is easier to use.  You can see some improvement in the speed a system runs after a defrag.  There is debate on if you should defrag your SSD or not.  I guess they have limited read/writes and a defrag can use a bunch of them up.  I defragged mine once after initial install of all my software and I suppose I'll let it be for the rest of it's life.  Additional: they supposedly write data differently since it's not a physical disk and just solid state chips and a defrag isn't very effective.  Follow this File-Path to get to the Defrag included in Windows: Start-menu: All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter.  *Please note that a defrag takes time.  That time depends on fragmentation, size of disk, speed of disk, and amount of data on disk.  Usually this operation is setup to automatically run at sometime in the middle of the night.  but if you're like me and turn off your PC whenever you are done using it, it cannot perform the scheduled task.
Here we see the disk was partially fragmented
 

Here is is running the operation.



 And here it is complete.  It makes several passes for each disk you do.  So if you don't need to use your PC for a while, that's the best time to run the defrag.


And here is a picture of a standard HDD just for fun.


 -Optimize windows for best speed.  This option disables all that fancy animated window/start-bar GUI-ness (GUI: Graphical User Interface) and returns it to a very basic Windows 95 look.  All that bizz is a lot for Windows to not have to think about and can make a notable difference on your computers speed.

Click on the "Adjust Visual Effects" 

Click the appropriate box


 -I do not run any toolbars on my web browser.  I disable and delete all of them.  I set my default search engine as Google.com and I also set it as my home page.  The browser boots faster, runs smoother and is a lot more stable.  I do not use Internet Explorer that comes default with Windows.


 -Start up.  I disable all unnecessary start up programs.  For example, I disable my virus scanner.  I only want to use that when I want to use it.  When it starts at start-up it slows my PC down considerably and when it is always running in the background it uses up RAM.  However, I keep Steam running because it doesn't seem to slow down my start up and I like to have it automatically sign me in and stuff.  Anyway, I disable all start-up programs I don't need.  It does wonders to you boot-up time.

 In the search bar on the start menu, type "MSCONFIG" then click the icon that pops up.

 Go to the "startup" tab and turn off everything you don't want to run when the PC boots!


  -System clean-up.  If you've never done this it could be a big deal.  If you do it often you wont notice anything really.  But it dumps out all the old files you don't need like trash bin and temporary internet files and what-not.  Follow this file-path in the Start-menu: All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup
For example: I had 399MB in my Temp folder and Disk Cleanup purged it.


 
Systems tools is where system Cleanup is, click on it.
  
It will check the system and ask you what disk to clean up.
 
  
Then you check what boxes you wanna clean up.
 
 hit okay and...

Bam!  It'll shut itself off when it's through and it's done.


-I disable remote-access.  Dis-sables my computer's ability to be remote accessed by another.  Its further peace-of-mind as far as system security goes and it's unnecessary software.  It is really only used for re-mote IT assistance that I don't use.  But it's like bricking over a door.

 
Right click on "Computer" and go to "Properties" 
This will take you to the Control Panel Screen you need to click on "remote settings"

And uncheck that box in the remote tab!


 -Last thing I do too is adjust my PC Power settings.  I turn my PC off every night so I adjust it to best performance and basically disable any kind of power saving setting.  If you are running a laptop or a server that is always on you will want to be more power saving conscious, but since my PC is for performance that is how I run it.  Go to your Control Panel, click on "System and Security" then click on "Power options".  Then check the box for best performance, or whatever suites you and your setup.  You are on your own for anything more complex than that.  You can click on "Change Plan Settings" and fine-tune your power plan further and fine tune it to meet your needs exactly in the "Change Advance Power Settings".

Go to the power settings in the control panel and click on "Highest Performance"

Well, that is pretty much it.

End.

How I maintain my PCs Part 1

  Hardware is pretty solid.  Usually not much can go wrong with it.  Most every component I've installed in my builds has been previously used; whether it was scavenged or purchased second-hand.   Usually what gums up a system is the software.  Dust build-up is also a problem.  All of the old PCs I have taken apart have had dust caked into the heat-sinks, around the RAM slots, in and around the CPU socket and all over the various cooling fan blades. Refreshing the thermal compound can work wonders too.

 The problem with dust is that when it cakes onto things it hinders performance by holding heat in.  Heat is hardware's enemy.  It also taxes fans by adding weight and bulk to their blades so they don't spin as fast nor do they move as much air.  Dust is an easy thing to remedy.  I don't have access to compressed air, unless I take my hardware to a friend's place or buy a "can of air".  I generally take apart the system, and use q-tips, a vacuum and even my own breath to clear out dust. Hot water helps wash out heat-sinks.  (Remove all electronics from the heat-sinks first!)  If you're not comfortable with that I recommend some compressed air, take the side cover off and blow out as much dust as you can.  You can also use a vacuum, just be careful of static.


 I have become a fan of Arctic Silver thermal compound.  I use it on all chips that have board-mounted heat-sinks.  It's not a paste so if the heat-sink doesn't attach in some way don't use this.  I bought the kit that comes with the compound, the cleaner, and the conditioner.  The cleaner is awesome at removing old dried up compound and thermal pads.  The conditioner just finishes off prepping the chips surface to receive the compound.  My second tube of compound is already almost gone; I use it so much.  It maximizes the heat transfer between the chip and the heat-sink.  There are countless studies you can find online of the temperature drops you gain just by re-pasting with Arctic Silver.  A cool system is a stable, smooth, and fast system.  Applying thermal compound isn't something I'd recommend to a beginner, but you've got to start somewhere.  I started on old computers that I wasn't afraid of losing.  Don't take that to mean that if you mess up applying thermal compound your PC is toast.  But overheating your PCs can ruin it's components!  Many motherboard have auto-shut off features when parts become too hot.  There are plenty of YouTube videos on best methods for this.  If you're interested I'd suggest looking them up (search "applying thermal compound on a CPU") and watching a few different ones before you give it a go. 

     *Something to keep in mind about all of this software that shows temps!  These programs access your hardware's built in temp sensors and are not always completely accurate.  From my research online, the best way people have tracked system temps is by physically probing each spot they want to read and using some sort of display screen or fan controller display to read and monitor their system's temperatures.  However, that does not mean that using just this software wont help you maintain your PC's temp!*

 This is SpeedFan.  Great for showing your current system status and hardware usages.  It has other features too, but I haven't delved too deeply into it yet.

 Here is temp data in a graph on SpeedFan.  Good for finding your hotspots and seeing how quickly it heats up and cools down under load.

 CPU-Z is great for getting specific system data.  Here it is pulling everything you'd ever need to know about my CPU.  As you can see, you can get the same kind of detailed info on most of the hardware installed.  This helps you get the proper drivers if something isn't running quite right.

 You may have seen this one on a previous post.  This is OpenHardwareMonitor.  I like it because of how simply it displays so much information.  It's like SpeedFan and CPU-Z had a baby.  You get hardware models, temps, voltages, processing speeds, and even life of SSD's.  The "Value" column shows real-time readings and the "Max" column shows where the system has maxed since opening the software.

 

 -I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my PC's so I use the above software and methods to optimize my PC cooling.  The Little Mule's HDD was getting way too hot and I detected it with SpeedFan and was able to do some case modding that allowed my to actively cool it.  When I was done it was to coolest component in the case.  I noted how hot my GeForce 9800 GT was getting in the MKIV with OpenHardwareMonitor and took the appropriate action to remedy the problem.  I've been able to find all the drivers I have ever needed by using CPUZ and OpenHardwareMonitor to find the exact part model numbers and names.-

Another good way to check on your system is Windows 7's own system rating screen.  It isn't the best because you can run it twice with zero hardware changes and get slightly different results but it gives you a good idea of what is bottle-necking your system.  We can see here that my Dual-Core CPU is bottle-necking mine.  I would very much like to upgrade my CPU to a Core 2 Quad in the future.  It runs the rankings on a scale of 1.0 to 7.9.  Why 7.9?  Beats me.

 Here is a screen-shot of my PC running Warframe in windowed mode.  Full screen taxes the GPU a little harder but it's nothing the GeForce 9800 GT can't handle, and you can see how good it looks even for running at lowest resolution.  Warframe has been around since 2012, but its a good test of my system because I originally estimated it to be good for PC games up to 2011.  Also notice how my windows and start-bar look like they came from Windows 95.  You can optimize Windows 7 for best performance by tweaking a couple settings.  One of them turns off all the unnecessary animations and windowed effects that come active as default on Win7 and it makes a difference on how smooth a system like mine runs.  This is old-school hardware (in the PC world) running here so optimization makes big differences.  Part 2 will contain some speed-enhancing optimizations you can do as well as furthering your system maintenance.

The MKIV comes to life again!

I finally got a PSU!  I also got a good fan controller, and I upgraded the cooler on the GPU.  AND! I got a 5.25" bay drive drawer!  It's the handiest little thing ever!

The 800 watt PSU I scored a deal on is a semi-modular model.  Meaning the main ATX power connections are built in, but the rest are optional.  Makes for much easier cable management.  You just plug in the cords you need!

Massive Duel 14cm fans on top for exhaust.  (thermodynamics say heat rises so top exhaust only makes sense)  Every other fan intakes.  Theory is that a positive air pressure in the case helps keep dust build-up down.

 Bay drawer keeps handy stuff tidy and nearby!

The six knobs control six of the 10 fans.

 One SSD with the OS and games installed, one HDD for data and archive.

This is it complete and functioning before the GPU cooler upgrade.

 

Close up of the internals prior to the GPU cooler upgrade.

 

Asus Geforce 9800 GT with the stock cooler removed.

 The new cooler and components.

Vram mini-heatsinks and the GPU chip cleaned up 

After applying some Arctic Silver thermal compound the Cooler gets installed.

 The 92mm fan in the card and the card installed in on the MOBO.

Bad close up of the cooler through the side window.

I removed the WIFI card because I wasn't using it and to make more room for this huge cooler.

There is a lot of data here, but the main one is the GPU core temp that maxed at 154.4 degrees F during load.  Unloaded it ran at about 117 degrees.  I had shut down the game I was playing just a few minutes prior to taking this screen shot, thus the 136.4 degree current temp (it was cooling back down)

Here we see it only maxed at 116.6 degrees F (cooler than idle temp with the stock cooler!) and it was cooling down when the screenshot was taken, showing 104 degrees.

The MkIV is running great, I couldn't be happier!  And the GeForce 9800 GT is doing everything I've been asking of it.  I have also been playing Black Mesa with all settings maxed it is flawless.  I would eventually like to upgrade to dual GPUs, probably Radeon HD 7000 series cards, and get a 3.0 Core 2 Quad, and double the RAM.  But for now it's perfect.

End.

Jojo's software choices for the PC builder

Here are what I consider must-haves in the way of software for any of you PC do-it-your-self-ers.

First of all, you need access to the internet and a data medium.  Be it CDs, jump drives, what have you.  Sometimes your freshly assembled PC isn't going to recognize it's own hardware and you may or may not have the CD of drivers from the manufacturer.  Laptops and USB jump drives serve this purpose for me.  Tricky thing is, if your Ethernet port is not working and you don't have the drivers you will need the internet to fix your internet!  This actually happens too.  The PC my friend and I built for him didn't recognize it's own ethernet port after OS instillation and he didn't get a drivers disk with his MOBO because it was a manufacture refurb.  Our conversation via TXT messaging went something like this:
"My ethernet isn't working.  I go into the control panel and it says there is no networking hardware installed."
"You need the drivers for the motherboard."
"Where do I get those?"
"The internet"
"So I need the internet to fix my internet?"
"Yes."

I then went to the manufacturer's website and downloaded all of the motherboard's utilities and driver packs to a jump drive so that we could get him online.  The first thing we did was install the ethernet driver and re-boot.  It automatically hooked itself to the internet.  I finished installing the rest of his drivers, sounds, USB 3.0, GPU, etc. and reboot again.  Then I moved over copies of my favorite programs that I had on my jump drive, then we went to ninite and got the rest.  He reports today that his PC is running flawlessly and seems very excited about it's performance.

Once you've got your PC assembled you need an operating system.  If you have a dual core processor or better you will want a 64 bit OS.  If not, you'll need a 32 bit OS.  Windows XP will only recognize 3GB of RAM so keep that in mind when you are building older PCs.  I myself find it very useful to have a legacy computer around.  I have floppy drives and zip drives.  Floppy drives are important in older systems.  I use my legacy system for old-school gaming and utilities.  Costs practically nothing to assemble and with a little know-how it can be a very effective computer.  I was burning full Data DVDs in 7 minutes flat.  Sure newer hardware could do it faster but not for the same cost, which was nothing.  Most PC users will find an old tower becomes useless with age and is pretty well the right track of thinking.  They fill with dust, get cluttered with programs and just can't keep up with what the internet has to offer these days.  And let's face it: most of us have a computer so that we can internet.  That's basically all my laptop is to me: an internet machine.

Okay I've gotten off-track somewhere...
Operating system!  Yes!

You need an OS for your machine.  My favorite is Ubuntu.  Ubuntu is a free distribution of Linux (great thing about Linux is it's free!  It's software is free!  The updates are free!  There is so much free it hurts when you think about all the money you've spent in your life on software!  Ubuntu is very user friendly, extremely stable and I think my laptop updates at least once a week.  It's got it's quirks though, so be ready for that.  Sometimes the update won't run so I have to run it manually in the command terminal.  It's pretty easy, the Ubuntu website has everything you need to know on there.  Built into the OS is a software center that you can pretty well just search what you need, find it, and download it for free.  Not everything is free.  But most things are.  Like Libre Office.  Just like Microsoft office but free.  Gimp is similar to Photoshop but free.  You can see where I'm going with this.  Also it is less prone to viruses.  I've never had a virus or malware or adware on my machines running Ubuntu.  Most of them are coded for Windows so that right there is a great line of defense. 

I have the most experience with Windows XP.  That is another reason I keep a legacy machine around that runs it.  But I don't recommend it for modern day use to the average user.  I use it for my favorite old games and it's a tank at the utility type-stuff I do.  Microsoft no longer supports it so there could easily be holes in it's security and functionality that will never be patched.  I have heard of some folks who made or are making a service pack 4 update to keep XP going.  Haven't looked into it much though.  Yet.

Windows 7 is the thing to have right now for gaming.  You can game on Steam on Ubuntu but it does have limited hardware support and I don't have much experience gaming with it.  Avoid Windows 8 and Vista at all costs.  Yikes.

Okay, enough blah blah, here's what you came here for:

Ninite.
A friend of mine asked me if I had ever used Ninite and I was like, "Holiday who-be-what-ey?"  Go to their website, check all the boxes of the programs you want, click "get installer" and wait.  Whammo!  everything all at once.  Brilliant.  Their website is super: https://ninite.com/

Internet explorer is good for one thing: downloading a better web browser.  I use Firefox.  A million times better than IE and I favor it over Chrome.  Chrome is RAM hungry and seems to be less stable (in my experience anyway) So do yourself a favor and use Firefox.  Also, avoid toolbars.  They are the enemy.  They take up space and bog down the browser.  Here's a link to their download page: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Get Foxit reader.  It's a PDF viewer that is lightweight and runs smooth.  I'm a big fan.  It's perfect for all the hardware manuals I download and the search feature is quick too.  Here is their home page:
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/Secure_PDF_Reader/

Libre Office is basically free Microsoft office.  Yes it's a little different as my wife will insist (who primarily uses my Ubuntu powered laptop for her school-work) but it's fully compatible and most importantly: free.  Here is their main page: https://www.libreoffice.org/

AdAware is a great free virus and malware scanning and removal program.  It's a pain weaving through all the hoo-ha to get it up and running though.  They throw in all this BS about paying them money to upgrade to a better version and you have to enter your email, wait for the code to come to you, then enter that code in the program before it will work.  They do this so they can cram more "Buy the upgrade version" spam down your throat.  I know it sounds lame, but it's good software.
Here is their homepage: http://www.lavasoft.com/

If AdAware doesn't sound that great to you get SpyBot Search and Destroy.  It's similar in it's function but really bogs the system down while it's running.  And it's programmed to run on system boot up.  I usually disable all un-neccisary boot up instructions to optimize for speed.  Here is their homepage: https://www.safer-networking.org/dl/

Rufus is awesome.  It's for turning USB jump drives into bootable drives.  Makes installing OSs a breeze and eliminates the requirement for ROM drives.  (Faster that a ROM drive too)  Their website is odd.  But here it is: https://rufus.akeo.ie/

CD Burner XP is the best disk burning software I have ever used.  If you need to make Optical disks, get this program.  Here is their website: https://cdburnerxp.se/en/home

WinCDEmu is for mounting ISO images.  It's so simple it's stupid.  Here's there main page: http://wincdemu.sysprogs.org/

7Z:  This is the best compression program out there that I've found.  It will do everything from .zip and .rar to .7z and .iso files (yes!  you can create or un-compress disk image files!)  Here's their page: http://www.7-zip.org/

OpenHardwareMonitor is a very handy utility.  It can give you real-time stats on your hardware.  It'll read temp sensors, display hardware model numbers, and show chip usage.  I use this to identify hardware such as MOBO model number to aquire correct drivers, exactly what CPU is in the socket, and temps in the case.  Runs off an executable so it's portable too.  Here's a link:  http://openhardwaremonitor.org/

CPUz is similar to OpenHardwareMonitor.  It doesn't show temps or usage but it does show model numbers and specs.  And it'll show you RAM data too.  Another very handy program if you assemble computers from old parts like I do.  http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

Speedfan is great too.  It will show temps and fan speed and stuff.  It'll also let you control fan speeds.  It has some other advance features like overclocking and stuff that I've never touched.  Here's the homepage: http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

If I come across more I'll be sure to post them.

End.