It’s not just your imagination. Your computer really did run faster when it was new. But that was before you visited hundreds of websites, sent and received thousands of emails, created hundreds of documents, and used your PC for countless other purposes.
Part of the problem stems from the fact that Windows tracks many of the things you do on the computer: the websites you visit, the last directory you accessed on your hard drive, the files you’ve opened and closed…even the sizes of each of the windows you’ve fiddled with. The good news is that Windows XP does these things to make your life easier. The bad news is that managing all this minutiae can slow your computer to a crawl if it’s not managed well. And Windows XP is not a good manager.
But you can be – even if you have five thumbs and you believe user manuals are a good substitute for sleeping pills. However, while the best cure might be a complete reinstall of Windows and a fresh start, you might not have the time or inclination to undertake the task, which can appear Herculean.
Every version of Windows that Microsoft has ever produced has been what computer geeks call a “memory hog”. Windows loves memory; specifically random-access memory (RAM). Windows XP- the biggest and most complex version to date – is no different. Microsoft’s official recommendation that your computer have at least 128MB of RAM available for the operating system is laughable. Computer manufacturers know this, which is why even most budget PCs come equipped with at least 256MB of memory installed at the factory. Based on experience, Windows XP performs best in a 512MB environment.
If your computer doesn’t have as much memory as Windows craves, it will find something to use in its place: your hard drive, and it will move files in and out of there just as it would from real memory, using a process called polling. The problem with polling is that your hard disk is a mechanical device, which means it uses moving parts to store and retrieve data. This mechanical nature makes your hard drive several orders of magnitude slower than RAM (which has no moving parts).
Beefing up your computer with more memory is one obvious solution, here’s how you can tell if this will make a difference. Next time you’re using your PC, keep a close eye on the hard drive activity light on the front panel. If the light flickers madly every time you do something, Windows is polling and your PC needs more memory. Continue to monitor your hard drive activity after the upgrade. Depending on the applications you use most often, your PC might still need more memory. Editing digital photos or video and playing games, for example are much more memory-intensive than applications such as word processors and web browsers.