We probably stumble upon cases where the computer we were using was working so slow, it could only irritate us to the scale where we just couldn’t work properly. Computers tend to get slow for different reasons. Some are due to the fatigue of the hardware units, they just get old or full of dust, and they just can’t perform anymore with either the resources the operating system requires from it, or just it fails to work properly. Some other reasons might be the amount of running processes/programs at the same time. The operating system might not be able to contain the amount of running processes at the same time, which causes the slowness.

The Microsoft windows operating systems, has some issues with their “Temp” directories. The operating system writes temp files on a temp directory to be able to work faster, and some applications do the same, like your internet browsers which are using internet temp folders, mostly it is due to an assumption that if you visit a website, you might visit it more than once, that assumption is a bit far-fetched. True there are some websites we will visit on a daily basis, but some we might just visit and never go back to. The operating system or the applications will not delete those temp files, and eventually the amount of temp files on those temp directories will affect the computer, and cause it to work slower than it used to.

So, what can we do to either prevent it from happening, or just perform preventive actions to ensure our computer won’t become slow again?

The procedures you might consider taking are:

1. Free disk space – I explained above that the Windows operating system and applications tend to keep temp files for their work. Those temp files slowly increase in size and might cause a lack of space on your system hard drive. In case the system disk becomes full (So there won’t be free space on it, or a very small size of free space) the computer (even on a Linux system) might stop wor
   king, and the system might not load on the next reboot.a.    Remove temporary internet files (Usually it will be on your profile directory – “C:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files”) – You can remove all of the files from there (use SHIFT+DELETE – it won’t go through the recycle bin). b.    Empty the Recycle Bin from time to time – (Right Click it, and choose empty recycle bin).c.    Add-Remove Programs you are not using – (Through the “Control Panel”).d.    Remove unused restore-points – which you do not need anymore.

• Automatic processes for keeping temp files off your computer, you can use a local application on your Windows operating system – like “Disk Cleanup” or an external program. (right click the hard-disk of your choice – click the “Disk Cleanup”.

• Once a Week – run hard-disk “check disk”
•     Double click my-computer
•     Choose drive C\
•     Right click + properties
•     Select the “TOOLS” tab
•     Press the “check now” button

• Once a Month – De-fragmentation – it is recommended, since all of our work, removing files and copying files from place to place, causes blank spaces between data which causes the OS to work slower, unless we defrag and combine all of the data files, into a continued space, in one bunch.2.    Upgrade hardware components – In case your computer is a bit old, you might want to consider upgrading some hardware parts of it.a.    CPU – A better more updated CPU will increase performance greatly, there are Dual CPU’s or QUAD CPU’s and of course just faster CPU’s. The processing will become much faster and will boost your operating system performance greatly.b.    RAM – An increase in RAM will enable programs to load into RAM instead of using hard-disk as a place to store temp data for their resources. Larger amount of RAM enable larger blocks of data to be stored in the memory, which boosts processing procedures, and increase performance.c.    Faster Hard-Disk – Faster hard-disk will increase performance as well, most activities on a windows operating system, are writing/reading from the hard-disk. The applications are using the Hard-Disk as a resource for their activity.d.    Graphic Card – Replacing the graphic card with a more efficient and more advanced one, will increase your operating system, especially if it is a GUI one. The Windows operating systems by Microsoft are GUI operating systems, and replacing the Graphic Card, that will be more advanced, and with more RAM on it, will increase performance.3.    Replacing The Operating System – New operating systems are being published from time to time, as they get better, get upgraded, or just replace the old operating system that was in the market. Mostly they are better, more efficient, and will work faster with the resources you have, so you might consider replacing your old operating system, with a more efficient one.

What can we say about Microsoft that no one heard before, there is almost no one who works with computer and never heard about Microsoft and their operating system series. The operating systems of Microsoft have changed the way we were using computers, from a nongraphic user interface to a graphic interface, using a keyboard and a mouse to be able to do so many things with ease, than the way we have done before using a nongraphic interface, where every action was a series of commands, which of course where only working on a nongraphic way.

The graphic interface of the Microsoft operating systems enabled us to see what we are doing (not just numbers and lines in a report kind of a way) and be able to use the internet, write documents, and change fonts, sizes of texts, insert photos, and pictures into the document, etc…

The operating systems were starting with the Windows 3.11 version which was the beginning of Microsoft Windows graphic interface was real progress from the way we have conducted our work with computers and started the developments of better and improved windows operating systems by Microsoft.

Microsoft Windows Desktops:

Microsoft Windows 3.0 – 3.1 – Started in March 1992 – it was a 16-bit operating system and different versions of it where being issued between 1992-1994 until it was replaced by Windows 95. This operating system was the basic change of the way the home user and businesses were using computers. There were new tools and technological ways of using our computers.

Microsoft Windows 95 – Released on August 1995 – It was a larger enhancement of the previous windows 3.1 operating system. It contained more color – This operating system was the most popular at those times, and it was replaced by Windows 98 – which enhanced and fixed issues that were collected on the Windows 95 operating system. This operating system was a better fit with the business orientation of the Windows NT (network server operating system).

Microsoft Windows 98 – Release on May 15th, 1998 – This operating system supported 16bit & 32bit work. This operating system was the first to use the new “Windows Driver Model” (WDM), hardware manufacturers where developing drivers to enable these common operating systems to use their hardware devices.
Microsoft Windows 2000 – Released on February 17, 2000, this operating system was designated for the client computers for a business environment, as a desktop operating system. This operating system was serving as a client for Windows NT and was a very solid stable operating system. It was replaced by the successful Windows XP.

Microsoft Windows XP – Released on October 25th, 2001, This is one of the most used windows operating system ever, most users have moved to this operating system that was stable and very user-friendly.  When Vista got out, many people who received the Vista operating system requested to downgrade to the Windows XP operating system, since it was much better and fit almost any platform of computers, even weak ones.

Microsoft Windows Vista – Released on July 22nd, 2005, This I have to say wasn’t a very good operating system that was developed by Microsoft. This operating system forced you to increase your computer’s performance, you had to have at least 2GB RAM to work properly. This operating system was heavy and its performance was not as her previous versions.  The graphic and the ability to use more than 3GB RAM were some of the OS’s improvements from her predecessors (previous operating systems).

Microsoft Windows Servers:

Windows NT server – Release in July 1993 – This operating system was the first server like an operating system that could serve many clients, and use its resources to share resources, operations, and other server type software that could serve multiple users.

Windows 2000 server – Released on February 17th, 2000 – This server operating system was more advanced from its predecessor the Windows NT. This version was a more advanced server which included datacenter server, supported 64bit version, this version included the MMC (Microsoft Management Console) that enabled more control over the server features and options. This OS issued the first “Active Directory” that enabled a centralized control interface to manage the users and security features of the server’s network.

Windows Server 2003 – Released on April 24th, 2003 – This server operating system was the more solid, stable and very useful server operating system. Most organizations have moved to it, after the windows NT and windows 2000 server has received many improvements on the server 2003 version, which made the active directory and the management features which included forests and a very organized control center to monitor and manage a large organization and made it easier for IT managers and network administrators to have better control over their network.

Windows Server 2008 – Released on February 4th, 2008 – This version of the server operating system was built upon the same code as the Vista operating system (from the desktop version). There was much more control using the command-line interface (from the DOS screen) and many other cool features that enabled a more sophisticated and easy to use network platform.

Windows Server 2012 – Released on September 4th, 2012– This version of the server operating system has no support for Itanium-based computers and has four editions. Various features were added or improved over Windows Server 2008 R2, with emphasis on cloud computing, Hyper-V support, IP addressing management role, new task manager version, new file system.

All of those operating systems by Microsoft have shaped the way we do our computer business or use our home computers, there is no other way to avoid this, Microsoft has a real place in the pages of history for giving us these Windows operating systems which shaped the way we use computers today.